Upon sitting down at the end of the first day in Panama, either everyone is extremely exhausted or overwhelmed by the day that now lay behind; possibly, and more likely, a combination of both. The day started early... very early, with the wonderful Panamanian sounds of techno-house music from the neighbors. Then, seemingly short after, the rooster gives his early morning wake up call... what an awesome way to start the day!
The day started with a basic rundown of what to expect over the next few days and what the plans are. Nothing too drastic and after meeting different missions families residing in Panama we headed off to a wonderful church service at Crossroads Baptist Church. The service, coincidentally, was about missions. The message wasn't overbearing but instead simple... when you are saved as a follower of Christ you are called to share God's love and word with anyone and everyone you come across! After church we headed to the mall in Panama City for lunch at the food court... where, of all things, there is a Subway, Taco Bell and Wendy's amoung other local stops... before heading out to the real "work" of the day in the community of Santa Fey . Work is in quotes because truly we are not working... we are sharing. This FBC team has a unique combination of Christians that can reach out to people in a way only God can make possible.
The carnival that we set up inside this fenced in recreation area was not just a changing experience for the surrounding communitys' children, but also our team. We set up games had crafts, and played soccer. The amazing thing about this small act was that each team member was able to find their are of comfort and reach out to these children. God's word was shared, connections were made, relationships were started and fun was had all the while. At the end of an exhausting and extraordinarily fullfilling day 7 families in the area have decided to begin at home Bible studies and many, many children went home with smiles on their faces, candy in their pockets and God's word laid on their hearts. Basically, our first day no doubtedly was the perfect start to carry us into the days ahead. ~ Emily
Emily, it was so great to read your post. You did an excellent job of telling how God is already moving among the people of Panama through the work of your team. I can't wait to read the next post. Keep up the good work and I will continue to pray that God will show up and show out this week. It looks like He's off to a great start.
ReplyDeletePraying for all of you,
Leigh