Wrap Up from Kenneth

This week in Panama has been an opportunity for all of us to witness the awesome power of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We have not only been witness to his bountiful benevolence and incomprehensible provision, but also His infinite wisdom and grace.  Over and over, God allowed our team to be His hands and His feet, loving on His precious children in Panama and carrying out the message of His great love in and around beautiful Panama City.  The Louderbacks strive daily to carry out the important calling they received in relation to their missionary efforts in Panama City.  What a joy and a privilege it has been to work beside them in this field of opportunity – this field made white and ready for harvest.  God’s magnificence can be found in the simplest of circumstances – the most basic acts of Christian charity.  We  - as a team – carry away the blessings of God’s executed plans.  We – as a team – come way with ignited passion, ready to make a difference in our own community.

“We serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today.  We know that He is living whatever men may say.  We’ve seen His hand of mercy, we’ve heard His voice of cheer.  And every time that we needed Him, He was always near.  Rejoice, rejoice dear Christian, lift up your voice and sing eternal Hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King.  The hope of all who seek him, the help of all who find, no other is so loving, so good and kind.”

Although our mission trip is ending, all things are eternal with our Heavenly Father.  May God, in His usual fashion take our feeble efforts and transform them into Heavenly deeds with eternal significance.

Update from Amanda and Jami

From Amanda: Today we went to a large orphanage run by Catholic Sisters. The really sad thing is all of these sisters love these children and work so hard but they do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Therefore, none of these children will hear about Jesus.  This is something we prayed about the whole time we were there.

When we first got there an adorable little boy came running up to me with his arms out and a big smile on his face and immediately proceeded to throw his arms around me. It was so precious! All the kids were so excited to see us. 

A little boy names Ernesto became my big buddy. He had some special needs and was so sweet.  All he wanted was for me to hold him. It was great to give attention to kids who need it so much.

To end our day we went to the top of Ancon Hill and saw a beautiful view of the city. It was amazing. Then, to top things off we got to feed wild monkeys bananas! It was so great! The monkey took a banana right out of my hand! This trip has been amazing. I came to bless other people and I am the one who is coming away blessed.

From Jami: Today we ministered to children in an orphanage in Panama City. The children at the orphanage range in age from birth to 17 or 18.  They live in different houses on the campus depending on their age group.  The children that we worked with were the babies and toddlers.  Some of the adults worked in the baby house – feeding, holding, and loving on these precious children while others of us worked with children in the toddler house.  While there, we witnessed a brand new, premature infant as she was brought to the orphanage and surrendered by her mother.  This vision alone made us very, very aware of how blessed we are.  It also tugged on the heartstrings of those of us with passion for adoption.  If only we could have taken a few of those precious souls away with us…..

We were also able to minister to the orphanage by donating a large number of developmentally appropriate toys to the infant and toddler houses.  The children were so excited to receive the new things!  They played with them in a variety of ways – some appropriate, and some just plain fun!  Our children played with the toddlers and a few preschoolers.  They jumped on a trampoline, pushed them in riding toys, and kicked balls around – whatever the children wanted to do.  We were so proud of the way our children ministered to the orphans.  These children are starved for attention, and we felt blessed to be the hands and feet of Jesus today with some of the precious children of Panama.  The nuns who care for the children love them very much.  This was obvious.  But there were only two nuns to care for over 20 infants.  They just need more hands on deck, and today we were privileged to be able to provide the help they desperately need.  

Please pray for adoption in general in Panama.  Until last year, there was no such thing as adoption at all here.  Laws are finally in place, and children are beginning to find their forever families – but this is a very new thing for Panamanians.  The children here are beautiful, smart, and very deserving of loving homes.  Pray for adoption worldwide.  All children deserve loving homes.  Jesus himself ordained that we minister to orphans and widows.  Adoption is very near to the heart of God – I believe this with all of my heart. 

Thanks to First Baptist Church of Thomasville for sending this team here.  God put this team together, in order to get His work done through us.  Praise Him!!!

Lessons from Lauren

Today, we were all able to wake up with great anticipation for a trip to a school, where we had the privilege of working with some of the most precious children you could ever meet. The kids were all pretty young, ranging from around 2-8 years old. This great time started off with some interactive music! I was able to take my guitar, and we were able to lead the children in songs such as “Jesus Loves Me” and “Gloria Dios”. It was so wonderful to be able to watch those kids sing in both English and Spanish, singing praises to our God with us. The unity of our team with the Panamanian people has been displayed all throughout this trip so far, and it’s been such a blessing to be a part of it! After the music, my mom (Jami) read a story to them and was able to go over some Basic English vocabulary with them – which was also very cool! Then my dad (Kenneth) got up in front of them all and told them a story out of the Bible, which was appropriately about Jesus loving all the little children. The kids were also able to make crafts, play games, sing, dance, and play. Being a part of it all was beautiful, and it served as a humbling reminder that there are people outside of our little egocentric worlds, and they are indeed precious to our Lord. As His people, it’s our job to go out and serve them to the best of our ability.

After we left the school, we spent a lot of time touring Panama. We were able to go to the mall, the Panama Canal, souvenir shopping, and just a basic tour of the great city. I have to say, it was incredible! The culture isn’t too different from ours in the United States, but the Panamanians are definitely a unique people. Again, it was humbling to witness these people in their element, especially those who are also in the family of God. They are all beautiful, precious creations, and our Abba loves them all so dearly. On one of our long bus rides this evening, I took the opportunity to pray over the people I saw on the street, as well as different neighborhoods, knowing that God sees each of them right where they are… He knows every heart, every situation, every hurt, and every victory. They are our family too, so be praying over them, and our team, as we begin to finish up the things here. I thank God for the opportunity I had to come here, and I pray for many more in the future!  

Sunday Stories from Hannah

This morning we started out by attending church at Redencion. We worshiped in the congregation, where all the songs were in Spanish, although we could eventually figure out what they were in English. Instead of staying for the sermon, we went to a classroom and taught children’s church. Mr. Kenneth and Mrs. Jamie taught a lesson out of Mark, and then we did arts and crafts with them. After that, Trinity and Gracie Lynn did a few songs with the kids, and then Mrs. Leigh and I played games with them. By this time, the sermon was getting over and it was time to go to our new friend Pedro’s house. His wife Lily made all of us lunch, and it was delicious! When we got done eating, we crossed the street to the area where we would be having our community event. We set up the bounce house, face paint, tattoos, popcorn, cotton candy, salvation bracelets and necklaces, bubbles, and jump ropes. About 3:30, the residents of the community started to show up. We started to bond with them and had a great time. By the end of the day, at least 5 people made the decision to follow Christ. How exciting!! We wrapped things up by going to Pedro’s house and he talked out of the book of Luke and Hebrews. He told us how thankful he was for us being here, but of course we are doing it all for the glory of God! We had a great day, and can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow.

Church Planter Banquet

On Saturday night we had the privilege of hosting a banquet for students who have completed or are in the process of completing a Church Planting Course.  Almost 80 men and women came to Pizza Hut and enjoyed a great night of fellowship.  It was amazing to see how God is working in Panama.  People of different nationalities, but a kindred spirit loved on each other and enjoyed a program put on by our First Baptist team.  God’s hand is at work and we are so grateful to have a small part in His big plan.

And we're off........

Team Thomasville

We have arrived safely in Panama and are enjoying spending time with the Louderbacks!!  Today we will be going into a community, Los Rosios, to clean a park and hand out flyers to let the locals know about a community event that we will be hosting tomorrow night.  We are partnering with a Panamanian named Pedro who lives in Los Rosios and is trying to start churches in his community.  Please pray for the community event and for Pedro as he tries to lead his neighbors to Christ.

Tonight we are hosting a banquet for the students who have attended the Church Planting class that has been conducted by Tim and other members of the UP team.  We are having the banquet at Pizza Hut!!  Tina said the Panamanians love Pizza Hut.  This should be lots of fun.  Kenneth Butler will be giving an inspirational speech, Lauren and Trinity will be singing and the rest of us will give out gifts to the families. We are looking forward to loving on these sweet people.

Please continue to pray for our team!!

Praying for Panama City

The month of June has really gone by quick. We have had several groups in from the states to do some ministry in areas of the city. It was great to see how God worked through these groups to minister to Panamanians. If you could be in prayer for the areas that were worked in; our prayer is that a house church would start in these areas: Las Acacias, Pedro's area, Boca la Caja and San Francisco. Also pray for the areas who have recently started a bible study, we are hoping that these bible studies will convert into a house church soon. The areas are: Villa Graciella, Chanis, Curundu, Bella Vista, Bethania, and Santa Fe. The map above is a picture of Panama City and the areas that Panamanian church planters are starting work. Thank you for your prayers.