La Primera Semana en Panamá (First Week In Panama!)

In church yesterday, the message centered on Matthew 7:12, treating others like you would want them to treat you. Simple, right? Not so, as illustrated by Pastor Gunn's aptly written letters in which we were made aware of how often we tend to overlook or ignore certain people in our daily encounters. It was a very powerful message, but one "letter" echoed my experience perfectly.

"Hi, my name is ____. I am completely new to Panama. I'll be teaching at Crossroads Christian Academy in the fall. I am excited to be here but I'm also feeling a little overwhelmed since I don't know how to get anywhere and haven't met many people yet. If I could just take a minute of your time, I'd like to let you know how much I would appreciate your welcome and your prayer as I begin my time in Panama."

After I heard this, I couldn't believe the pastor had described my situation exactly! I leaned over to the person next to me, and said excitedly, "Soy yo! That's me!"

As of 7:30p tonight, I will have been in Panama an entire week. It's been an exciting, full, and busy week, but little by little I find myself discovering what daily life looks like in Panama City.

Here are some questions you may be wondering:

 Why did you go so early? Why are you in Panama?

School at Crossroads Christian Academy(CCA) does not begin until August 9th, but I decided to come down early for two main reasons: 1) to keep up with learning and practicing Spanish, and 2) to get settled and become familiar with the area and community before the preoccupations and responsibilities of school arrive. In addition to teaching middle school social studies (6th-Ancient World History, 7th-Medieval Modern History, 8th-Geography), I will also be the middle school coordinator, which essentially means I'll have an administrative role when it comes to discipline, advocating for students, and being a resource for other teachers. I am especially looking forward to what this role means as far as facilitating collaboration among the middle school teachers and parents, and with regard to planning community service/outreach opportunities.

Being at the school early, not only allows me to become acquainted with school staff, but also informs vision planning for the year. I even had the opportunity this week to connect with the M.S. Principal of International School Panama!

What are you doing this summer and where are you living?
I am volunteering in the CCA school office from 9a-2p every weekday. This past week I did several inventory tasks and now I know the school building inside and out. I was also trained to fill in for one of their secretaries while she is on vacation.

Currently, I am apartment/car-sitting for teachers while they're stateside, which has been an incredible blessing as I navigate my way around and have a safe place to come "home" to. The school owns apartments in an area called, Clayton, Ciudad de Saber (City of Knowledge), located only a 10-minute drive (sin trafico o la lluvia) from the school.

Clayton is a former U.S. army base, but after the Panama Canal was turned over to the Panamanians, the government converted the area into "a center of knowledge, entrepreneurship and innovation. Weapons were exchanged for technological development, battalion flags for banners of international organizations working for peace, troop barracks for classrooms." (Clayton website)

How are you adjusting?

Well. It's been a busy week; I've met some wonderful people and am starting to get to know my way around.

Some highlights/accomplishments:

• Figuring out how to open the front gate (yay, I can finally leave the apartment!)
• Driving to/from school without getting lost on my 2nd day.
• Exploring all of Clayton and realizing it's a huge circle. :)
• Discovering an area of Clayton called, La Plaza: a street of restaurants, a travel agency, a mini-super (market)/smoothie place, a hair salon, and my favorite, a Starbucks-impersonating coffee shop (Duran) where I love to sit and try to decipher the Spanish, keeping in step with the up-tempo of Panamanian conversation.
• Meeting a friend in church and heading to the mall together, only to meet up with the "young professionals" church group in the mall food court.
• Learning the mall has a Christian bookstore. Yes!
• Finding my way into Albrook Mall and out into the right parking lot. (It's the largest, covered mall in all of Central America. So you can imagine what the parking lot is like! Fortunately there are larger-than-life sized animals guarding each entrance, to help you remember where you parked.)
• Visited the Chinese market (fresh fruit and vegetables!), Rey Supermarket, and found two gas stations
• Entertained two very active kids for the weekend while their parents went on a retreat (this included making music videos, doing scavenger hunts, and creating stories on the iPad--fun!)
• Dinner with amazing families from the school
• Speaking TONS of Spanish everyday..slowly but surely :)

 

Funny story from the week:

As I was waiting for my friend to finish paying at the checkout register at Costo, I stood next to a rack of umbrellas contemplating. Hmm..should I buy an umbrella? I already have one in the apartment, but maybe I should get one for the car, just in case. Panama has very sudden, torrential downpours, that as the Panamanians say "La lluvia no avisa" (the rain doesn't announce itself). With that said, I reasoned myself out of buying an umbrella, since I already had one at home, and I'd be fine.

Just as soon as my foot touched the store exit, BOOM! The whole mall rattled and shook with the fury of the thunder and de repente I heard the heavy pounding of tropical rain on the roof above. I whipped right around, walked back into the store, and bought an umbrella. Perfect timing.

Prayer requests:

• Safety (driving, living on my own, etc.)
• Patience with myself and that I'll make good friends to practice Spanish with (I feel that I am almost starting back at square one, because Panamanian Spanish varies drastically from Costa Rica's Spanish. I am working on fine-tuning my ears and trying to imitate what I hear.)
• Wisdom in planning and the right mind-set as I prepare for the new school year
• That God would provide great teachers (there are still some crucial positions that need filling..pronto!)
• For the CCA staff--that God would grant them a refreshing and rejuvenating summer
• For the CCA students and their families, that ultimately they would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and learn more what it means to live for Him.

 

*Pictures and possibly a movie to come!

Thanks for your prayers as I begin this new adventure!!