Missions Blog

On our second day here in Panama, we continued to have fellowship with Tracy from Word of Life as well as the woman who will be the main speaker at the conference. We were blessed with the opportunity to visit Curundú which is one of the poorest areas of Panama City. Violence and broken families are abundant in this area, and so for many children, a good education means hope for a better future.

At the Christian school managed by Juntos Podemos, they can find this hope. Juntos Podemos currently manages 3 schools that educate 275 students, teenagers, and adults. They also have a community dining room that feeds 525 people, a Saturday program for kids of the community with moral and recreational purposes, and a feeding program designed for the homeless. “Together We Can” being their motto, they are striving to rebuild their community with Christ as their foundation. 

The children we met were overjoyed to meet us, and there were many hugs, high-fives, and smiles. They were proud for us to see their school. Later in the day, we were saddened to learn that just this past Saturday, a 10-year-old girl lost her life to gun violence. While she was not a student at the school, she was an attendee of the Saturday program, and this is an example of the dangers these children face. Word of Life is striving to raise funds so that the children at the school can attend the upcoming camp. For many families, $30 is just not able to be spared on a minimum wage income of about $400 a month. As a team, we desire to help as many students as possible have the opportunity to attend camp and learn about the gospel.

The rest of our day in Panama City was spent in the old part of the city. Here is where the original city was founded and at one point was destroyed by pirates. There are still the ruins of churches from the time of the Spaniards. The streets resembled many old European towns, and there were many shops and a market area where people sold their wares. 

We have safely arrived at the Word of Life camp in Chame where we will support the women’s conference. The staff are so excited for us to be here and help. We have prepared just over 300 goodie bags to pass out to the attendees. It is such a blessing to give our time, small gifts, and support to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are family, and “together we can” bring glory to the Lord and be His vessels to minister to the Panamanian women that we will be meeting.

Please pray for the community and children of Curundu, and please pray for us as we all prepare for the conference which starts tomorrow evening. Muchas gracias! 

God provided us with a perfect day to travel to Panama. We arrived safely and so did all of our luggage and supplies.

We were met by Word of Life staff who took us to see their office & meeting space in Panama City and had the privilege of meeting additional global workers. It was a blessing to fellowship over a meal with them and to be shown the Panama Canal. What a wonderful sight to see!  

We ended our day gathering together as a team, thanking the Lord for his provision and for our unity.  

We can’t wait to see what the Lord has for us tomorrow!

We spent time with the children in the school today, teaching classes and doing special activities. Karen and John helped the 1st-3rd graders make paper airplanes and do a measurement activity with them. Cindy worked in the preschool classes using a book, song, and props to teach about the five senses. Tiffany, Matthew, and Cody taught the older classes about constellations and then built constellations with beads and pipe cleaners. Ellie, John, Tiffany, and Karen, taught students in various classes about light, and Jesus being the light of the world, and then handed out mini flashlights as a reminder.

Jonathan was a traveling minstrel today, stopping in each classroom to lead the children in songs- which they absolutely loved. Jonathan and Tiffany also visited a student's home with one of the teachers, to offer support and prayer. Karen spent a long time sewing and patching up students' clothes, a much-needed blessing for the children. Most of our team participated in a Kenya versus United States volleyball game during recreation time: Kenya won game 1, U.S. game 2.

We spent the morning at AIC Zion doing activities in the classrooms. We participated in another round table discussion with the teachers. It was difficult to hear some of the struggles the teachers face each day: too many students, too small classrooms, no materials, 1 textbook for an entire class, having to teach technology to meet education guidelines but not having any computers that work, and one teacher talked about having a sewage trough running through her classroom.

We also went into the slum area again to visit students' families. One group encountered a single mom of five, who requested prayer for finding a job and having their basic needs met. Another group helped a mother understand her need for a savior, and she prayed for salvation.

We ended the day with a leadership seminar, led by John. Several men and two women attended, listening carefully to John's presentation, and asking many questions. 

We participated in two church services today, one in English and one in Swahili. At both services, we were introduced, and Matthew gave greetings from our team and church. Jonathan gave a wonderful sermon at both services. Matthew also gave his testimony. 

In between services, we all participated in classes:  Matthew, John, and Cody spoke in the men's group about leading their families and the challenges of work/life balance. Ellie and Matthew visited the young adult group to share about their faith and answer questions. And John and Cody visited the youth group, giving their testimonies and emphasizing that Jesus is the only way. Karen, Tiffany, and Cindy spoke in the women's group, encouraging them as they walk with the Lord and disciple their children. Karen and Tiffany also made gospel bracelets in the older children's class, while Cindy taught Bible stories in the younger class.

After the church services, we headed back to AIC Joy for a celebration of their first year as a congregation. Many people from both congregations came together to praise God and pray together. There was a lot of singing and dancing performed by various groups from the church. John and Cody shared their testimonies, and our team performed a song for them.