Missions Blog

Day 1: We’re Here! 🇵🇦❤️

After months of fundraising, preparing, packing, and praying, the day we had been looking forward to finally arrived. God has orchestrated so many details to bring this trip together, and today we were incredibly grateful to finally be in Panama and ready to see what He has in store for us.

For most of us, the days leading up to this trip were filled with getting things in order at home so we could step away from our families, jobs, responsibilities, and everyday routines. There was a lot to do before we could actually leave!

Last week, we spent about four hours sorting through and packing all of the generous donations we received. When we finished, we had 22 50-pound bags packed and ready to come with us — two checked bags per person!

And even after all of that, we still had many bags of donations left over, which were able to go to another local charity. We are so thankful for everyone who has partnered with us through prayers, giving, and donations to help make this possible.

Then, finally, it was time to go!

We left Pittsburgh at 6:00 a.m. with A LOT of luggage and made our way to Houston for a layover before continuing on to Panama. By the time we arrived around 3:00 p.m. local time, we had fueled ourselves with plenty of coffee, fellowship, naps, and candy to keep us going! 

At the airport, we were warmly greeted by Traci Delibasich, the founder and missionary with Word of Life Panama. A van took all of our donation bags to the camp where we’ll be staying later this week, while we had the opportunity to do a little sightseeing.

Our first stop was the Panama Canal, where we learned about the incredible history behind this famous waterway and watched a documentary that gave us an even better understanding of how it came to be. 

After a long day of travel and sightseeing, we are definitely exhausted! Tonight, we are staying with Traci, who has already been such an amazing hostess and has welcomed us into her home just outside of Panama City.

We’re all heading to bed early tonight to get some much-needed rest because tomorrow brings another day of adventure — and, most importantly, another opportunity to see where God leads us.