Look out, Panama, the Gallaghers are BACK!

Hola to all!!! Long time no talk!! We went back to Canada for a couple of months to pre-pack and get some things in order. Please join with us in praying for our home to sell in God’s perfect timing. We are waiting on the family God is hand-picking to enjoy our mountain retreat….and we know God will provide; he knows what is best!

We also had the privilege to spend some time with friends and family back home. Cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents…..SO much to be thankful for!!!

We even got to see our little pup, Tuxy, that we decided to rehome before coming here. It was so heart-warming to see how much she loves Ken and Nadia and their extended family! We prayed for someone to love her as much as we do, and God provided….we feel so blessed that our little girl has such a wonderful family!

While in Canada, we also got to enjoy some snow….since we missed seeing any this past winter…..snow in June….what a gift!!!!! LOL All the Panamanians that we tell about snow can’t even fathom it. Pretty wild actually,,,, when you’ve grown up with it your whole life, you don’t know anything different.

We are now back in Panama, and have been back for about a month. We’ve hit the ground running, and are excited to be back with our church family and the local Panamanians that we have built relationship with! We started out with Sammy’s birthday just a couple of days after arriving, and he had a ball with all his friends! We have been doing a lot of ministry, and been balancing it with lots of beach and family time…..Dios es tan bueno! (God is so good!)

We were at a Panamanian church service last night that was all in Spanish, and they translated the whole service for the 4 English speakers that were there out of about 100 people. We worshipped God for about 2 hours together…..clapping, jumping, dancing….it was truly awesome! After the message, they were singing one last song, and the Holy Spirit led the pastor over to us, and he prophesied over us. He knew nothing about our situation here, but confirmed some of the doubts we had been having, and encouraged us that we were walking in the will of God, and that our family would have favor because of our obedience. It was very moving and really reminded us why we are here, and to keep our eyes on Jesus! Here are some pictures below from that ministry. Jasmina and Isaac are leading this ministry making disciples and inspiring people to live all out for Christ! So blessed to know them!!

With the same ministry, we also got a chance to travel to a remote place where we got to pray for people and provide food hampers, give out Spanish bibles, and then we shared in a traditional Panamanian meal with the community before we left. We provided the food for the meal, and the Panamanian women cooked for us all. We hung out with the locals, and many people in the surrounding area were blessed. People accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we got to visit with a demon-possessed woman that had been set free, and by the time we got home, we were exhausted, but our hearts were so full! The grandmother, whose house we had the meal in for the community, was in tears as she thanked our group. In Spanish, she cried as she said how much of a blessing the day had been for her and her family. She said it had always been a dream of hers to have an event like that at her home. We love seeing the hands and feet of Christ in our fellow believers being used mightily!

When we arrived home, we went to the church to set up for VBS (Vacation Bible School) that the kids attended for the following week. It was an amazing time of fellowship with about 30 kids from our home church and new ones that came out to check it out as well. Games, crafts, activities, teachings, jumpy castles, food, and LOTS of excitement! Again, the week was very tiring, but SO rewarding! God is so cool how he speaks to our kids! Sammy and Justice really connected with a new family from the United States, and we are looking forward to them moving here full time to do life with all of us!!! Many of the new children that attended VBS have now brought their parents and families to Coronado Bible Church because of the relationships they built during that week. We are thinking of starting up a homeschool co-op at our local church with all the families that are homeschooling alongside us, so please be in prayer with us about that!

One of the families that we have been walking with, as you may remember, is little Lia’s family. Lia is the little girl with cystic fibrosis that we have had in our previous blogs. While we were away in Canada, she had gotten very sick, but because of the generosity of many people, she is back on the medicine that she needs. A huge thank-you to John and Sharilyn for your generous gift that was put towards another box of life-saving medicine for her! Praise God that she is getting stronger everyday! Her Dad says she is eating everything in sight….it is so wonderful to see her progress! Hopefully, her portable oxygen machine will be in soon, and she will be back at church to share life with us all again. We are so grateful for her journey, and powerful testimony!

Life is crazy, but awesome here in Panama….Sam is the official “evangelist” for Coronado Bible Church, and daily is inviting people to come to church and get to know Jesus! That definitely is his gift! He also loves working out and playing pickle ball and promoting the gym. There is never a dull moment around Sam….he lives life to the absolute FULLEST. Even though it exhausts me, I am so thankful for his passion! It draws me out of my comfort zone and challenges me in many ways….challenges me to act on God’s purposes for my life. He is a gift.

I (Suzanne) will be teaching the kids again this year, and I am back drumming on the worship team. Homeschooling will start up soon, and our routine will be more set in stone. Right now, Sammy and Justice are doing their daily list of Spanish, chores, pool time/exercise time, and memorizing scripture. We do ministry in the evenings and on the weekends as a family, and always have time for pickleball and the beach! They are very thankful for not only their ex-pat friends, but also the Panamanian children that they are growing to love.

Finally, we would like to ask for prayer for the business God has put on our hearts here in Panama. We believe this fitness club will bring many into the kingdom of God, including many young men, whom Sam has a heart for. In fact, at one of the ministries we were serving at, Sam got to share a ten minute testimony, (all in Spanish), about his walk with God, and how God saved him from his life of addiction. There were 4 young men in the back of a pickup truck that he spoke to, and the following week, 2 of them gave their hearts to Jesus at a church service! ALL the GLORY to God!! Please pray for more of these organic ministry opportunities, and that God’s will would be done concerning ZION Fitness, and that we can finish this project with excellence!

Obviously, continued prayer for Lia and her health would be wonderful, and that God would continue to lead us down paths of righteousness! Also, please pray for obedience to the voice of God, even in the face of adversity. Much love from all of us to all of you! We encourage all of you back in your own countries to live for Jesus and impact the world around you like only you can. Be the LIGHT in dark places….people NEED that! When you take action, you are fulfilling God’s purposes in your life! Much love from all of us and blessings from the Gallaghers.