Preview to Panama

My heart soared as I caught a glimpse of Panama City out my airplane window. The towering skyscrapers contrasted with the little pueblos interspersed among dense bamboo jungle, mountainous countryside, and islands surrounded by marine blue ocean. This was going to be my new home.

Friday
Kicking off the week, my parents and I met up with a Panamanian family that my grandparents had shared Christ with and discipled during their missionary days in Latin America. Now this couple is grandparents and their whole family is following the Lord. When I met their youngest grandchildren, 8 year old triplets actually, I practiced my Spanish with some basic questions: que le gusta hacer? What do you like to do? one of the triplets smiled wide as she told me, "I like to dance for Jesus." me gusta bailar para Jesus.

It took all my willpower not to tear up as I reflected on Gods faithfulness and seeing the fruits of the seed of the gospel my grandparents had planted in Panama many years before. Not to mention this little girl was a miracle herself. The third triplet born, she came into this world with all of her major organs outside her body, barely hanging on to life. Yet, glory be to God, through surgery and many days of hospital care, her life was saved. Today, she is a radiant, joyful 8 year old who loves to tell stories and dance for Jesus.

Saturday
My parents and I spent relaxing on a beach/pool resort that a very generous friend had lent us for a day. It was a wonderful time to debrief and spend time together. A great mini-vacation for my hardworking parents who rarely get a breather from their busy jobs. We met up with our Panamanian family friends at their beautiful, self-constructed beach home. We laughed over stories of how they built the pool first, then the house, how the Abuelo of the family invented the paper straw in his backyard, and at the amazing way the triplets could switch between Spanish, English, and Mandarin Chinese, which they've been learning in school since they were in kindergarten. 

We became like family as we gathered around the table for delicious coconut rice, chicken, and pork, which the Abuela promised she'd teach me to make, and spoke in the wonderful rhythms of Spanish. In that moment, I was so grateful for my four months in language school. I could not only understand what they were talking about but also be an active participant in the conversation! I'm looking forward to spending more time with this family once I move to Panama!

Sunday
We attended church at Crossroads, the church associated with the school, which has a bilingual service and a huge emphasis on missions. Afterwards, we had lunch at Albrook Mall, which was just a tad overwhelming. The mall was huge: full of brightly colored shops, 2 carousels, three food courts, and many families in line for the new movie premiere. Through this mall experience, I realized that aside from specific teaching supplies and clothes, my packing should be light. Everything is available in Panama City. And there's no sales tax, since most everything in the stores pass through the Canal!

Later, we rented bikes and rode down the Causeway. Basically, the Causeway is made up of all the land they dug up forming the Canal, and they laid it in one long strip connecting the islands to the mainland. Now the Causeway has a road paralleling a sidewalk path, lined with benches and small palm trees. Looking out over the sparkling waters on either side of the Causeway was absolutely stunning. We even had the chance to see a cruise ship coming out one end of the canal!

Monday was a national holiday with no school, so I spent another day with my parents exploring, reestablishing old connections and making new ones. We had the greatest privilege to serve alongside Traci and Marco with Palabra de Vida (Word of Life) camp, and I can't tell you what a powerful experience it was to look out at the large crowd of families and church groups in attendance as they heard the Gospel loud and clear. Pray, for the fields are ripe and ready for harvest. (Jn. 4:35)

After our time at the camp, we drove around to some little towns in the hills, explored artisan markets, and hiked along a few jungle trails.

Tuesday-Thursday were spent at the school, getting incredible insight into exactly what my position next year of middle school social studies teacher and middle school coordinator will entail and observing in classrooms. I was greatly encouraged through meeting the current teaching staff and immediately felt welcomed into the CCA family. Staying the nights with teachers helped me more realistically picture what my transition into Panama would look like, and it was incredible to hear their stories of how God had brought them there and already what they had seen God do in their students' lives.

 A special moment for me happened during senior chapel on Thursday. I love any chance I get to see a graduating class of a school where I'll be teaching. It gives me a long-term perspective and allows me to see what the school and students value. Through a creative slide show, I saw the strong bond amidst this class of students. Most had been together since primary school and they hung out all the time, even outside of school events. Classmates and especially teachers had come and gone through the years, but they were able to appreciate and reflect on those times and how it had changed them. 

One senior girl shared a bit of her testimony and you could tell God had captured her heart. To her, the relationship with Jesus was real. More than knowing the Christian lingo or knowing how to behave politely in church or making moral choices because it's "the right thing to do." Jesus was the ever-present comforter, the one to turn to in times of trouble, the only one in whom we can find our true identity and purpose.

Gaining a further glimpse into Gods faithfulness, I was honored with the invitation to attend the Palabra de Vida (Word of Life) 20 year anniversary celebration. What started as a simple idea: “Wouldn't it be great if Panama had a Word of Life camp?” grew into a property purchase, the construction of camp cabins, facilities and a pool, and once in operation, branched off into other local ministries where these newly discipled students could put action to their faith and be the hands and feet of Jesus. I sat at a table with people who were part of this amazing legacy as we listened to testimony after testimony about the influence of this camp in young lives. I can’t wait to see how God’s going to continue to use Palabra de Vida in the next 20 years and am excited about the possibility of volunteering time with them in the future.

Through this full but rich week of my Panama preview, I came away with four main realizations: 1) God has prepared me to go. This new position at the school fits my personality and skill set exactly, and I know He’ll give me just the wisdom I need to do the job well. 2) He’s provided the way to go and a loving community that’s already established at CCA. 3) He has built my understanding of His people and given me the gift of language to understand and listen to their deepest needs. 4) God is faithful and hears our prayers. He blesses when we obey, and He is mighty to save.

Matthew 17:20

Jesus said to them, “….For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, 

you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’and it will move, 

and nothing will be impossible for you.”

This is the incredible assurance we have in Jesus Christ. So, as I pray for Panama, my future students, and others I will come in contact with during my next two years there, I carry this song and this promise:

“Savior he can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save, he is mighty to save
Forever, author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave.” 

(Hillsong: Click to Listen)

When “we give our lives to follow everything we believe in and surrender” our lives and daily will to Christ, He will move mountains, even making Himself known through “impossible” situations. 

Have faith.