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">Mission to Panama
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TOCUMEN, PANAMA CITY, PANAMA
July 18-27, 2013
Going to Panama was motivated by my desire to go back to a
location I lived in for three years in my youth. My father was stationed at
Fort Clayton in the Canal Zone about 35 years ago. I attended Curundu Jr. High
School. Believe or not, three years was somewhat a stable period of time for a “military
brat.” I had the best time there, but I remember I was actively seeking the
Lord. I was Catholic and went to church, took Catechism, and even read the Good
News Bible (New Testament Bible that was available in the church). It seemed
like I knew about God, but He seemed far away. I REALLY wanted to get close to
God and have a personal connection. I didn’t experience that connection until I
heard the Gospel very clearly from a classmate in Hawaii two after I left
Panama.
I’ve learned since then that when we share our faith with
others, we need to do the “ask” to give people the opportunity to respond to accept
God’s offer to restore a relationship that was broken from the original sin by
believing in His Son, Jesus, who came to earth, suffered and died the
substitutionary death to take our punishment and sin away. He was buried and
then rose from the dead on the third day. He is called Savior because he saves
people from sin and its consequence: death – both spiritual and physical. When
we believe, we are given a spiritual birth and become a part of the family of
God. When our physical bodies no longer exist, we will be given new bodies
someday. Most importantly, we can be close to God because Jesus made it
possible to have access to the Father. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.”
It was my hope that I would be able to share the Gospel with
people who may be searching for a relationship with God like I was when I lived
in Panama. God directed our team to Tocumen, San Antonio area, in Panama City.
The majority of our time was spent with the youth in Pacora, Tocumen, San Juan,
and one day in La Gueca. God granted more than I hoped for or imagined. Our
translator/national missionary and the local pastor’s wife approached a school
in San Antonio to ask if we can share God’s story with the kids. After hearing
a short presentation with the Evangecube, she wanted every single student to
have the opportunity to hear the Gospel.
For two days, we were allowed to go to each classroom,
starting with seventh graders. It
was a school of 2,000 students, from
Kindergarten to 7th grade. We were allowed 15 minutes to present the
Gospel in each classroom. There were only five of us the first day, but I was
the only one who didn’t speak fluent Spanish in the Tocumen team (another team
went to Pacora to work with a church there). Each classroom gladly received the
Good News and stood to their feet to pray to accept the gift of salvation
through Jesus. Some of the teachers were not in the classroom, but a lot of
them also received Christ as their savior, while some were evangelical
Christians. Our wonderful translators/national missionaries had the children
extend their hands to pray a prayer of blessing for their teachers. On the
second day we were able to reach the children all the way down to the third
grade.
I heard the second graders were anticipating our visit to their classrooms, but we did not have the time to it. We did reach 1,186 in that school...Gloria a Dios!
My friend Josefina wanted to do a mission trip when she retired, but with the help of family and friends and Salinas Valley Community Church, she was able to go on this trip and share her faith in Spanish. She said the highlight of this mission trip for her was the Panamanian people. They were loving, generous, and opened up their homes, their hearts and their lives to us. Our team was really small, so the churches we were serving were asked if they would be able to provide housing and food to us. They willingly did so. Our host families: Marcela and Sonia. Also pictured below is Rita, one of our wonderful translators.
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During the other times of our stay in Pacora and Tocumen, we visited homes in the community to share God's Word. We also visited church members to pray and encourage each other in the Lord. We had evening meetings as well where we could share our testimonies and what God has revealed to us.
On behalf of Chris and Josefina (pictured above at the Miraflores Locks) and the Panama crew, many thanks to those who supported us financially and through prayer. God is amazing. His wonders never ceases.
Isla Perico
