Mary Claire on day two......

Hello friends and family!  This is Mary Claire Courtney.  Live from Panamá!  Today we had a very successful and tiring day.  We woke up this morning and road in a bus to a school.  We have quickly learned that all road signs here are suggestions, including “road closed;” however, our bus driver is very skilled and we arrived safely.  The school we worked at is a Panamanian government-run school.  Though it does not have air conditioning or modern renovations, the students were cheerful and happy and anxious to greet us with an “Hola” and a warm smile.  Our group divided into five smaller groups.  Each group was placed in a classroom with a translator.  The students ranged from kindergarten to second grade.  We sang songs with them, made bunny puppets out of paper bags, strung beads on salvation bracelets, played noodle tag, and told the story of creation.   We are so thankful that we could go into a government-run school and speak freely of Jesus and tell the students of His love for them.  They were very receptive and attentive and were so excited that we were there.  When we left, we were swarmed with children wanting to kiss us on the cheek and hug our necks.  By lunchtime, we were all hot and tired and ready for a siesta.  They don’t take siestas here, so we returned to the school after lunch at a nearby community center for round two.  Because of the large number of students and the lack of space in the school, two shifts of children go the same school each day.  After lunch when the second group of students arrived, we continued to play games and make crafts with them.  When the school day came to an end, the excited children dashed out of their classes to watch us leave.  We waited for the bus driver to pick us up in the midst of a downpour, but we quickly learned he was running errands and visiting Grandma.  After swimming on the school sidewalk for half an hour, the driver, Amilkar, arrived to pick up our tired and soaking wet youth group.  Now we are relaxing at the place we are staying, Casa Paraiso, and are about to eat dinner. 

Today was a hot day, but don’t worry moms; we are wearing sunscreen and drinking plenty of water.  Please pray that the children will be receptive to the message and that we will have the energy to convey it.  Thank you for your care and concern.  Love and miss you all!  Hasta pronto!