Second Update From Panama!!

So this past week and a bit has been great as we have packed up and settled into our new home about 5 minutes from our old one. It is a cute little Panamanian home with air conditioning that is DEFINITELY a blessing in this heat! We sit between 27 and 32 degrees Celcius daily, and it is very humid. We are adjusting to the heat, and have learned that water is essential. Thankfully, where we are at, we can drink out of the tap (sometimes…..LOL), so that is a blessing!

Sam was asked to share his testimony at youth night at the local church about a week ago. He was able to share his story of laying his life of addiction down and accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Many of the kids at youth night are not kids that go to church every Sunday, so his message was especially powerful to hear. We believe many of them needed to hear the message that God loves you, no matter what! I (Suzanne) got to share for a few minutes at the end as well and encouraged the kids to get the word of God into their hearts. I reminded them of the power that HIS word can have in their lives, and that victory over our struggles starts with speaking God’s promises over our lives. It was an emotional night and we were able to pray with kids after the evening was complete. What a privilege to share with them and see God working in their lives!

On a different note, I (Suzanne) have been incorporating running back into my life over the last few months, and I have been keeping it up in Panama as well. Running on the beach before the sunrise has been so beautiful….God’s creation really is gorgeous! Anyway, running has indeed been teaching me some things! When I first started running this past summer, I was extremely fearful. As most of you know, I broke my leg almost three years ago and both bones in my lower leg snapped when I lost my footing on a slippery slope. It was a spiral break, which was a very complex break that took longer to heal than most. I’ve been wanting to run for a long time, but I’ve been fearful to start. A former colleague of mine that was going through an extremely dark time this past spring/summer inspired me! I watched as God worked in his life and helped him to overcome his fears, and I began to run! It began with the kids and I running small hills together at home, then progressed to longer periods. It has been good for my physical and mental health to run again. I am so thankful to have a body that is healthy and can run! Praise God for my health!

We have all been taking a few steps towards being healthier here….the kids are going to a gymnastics class, and have enjoyed making some connections with some local kids. We, as a family, have also been going to a pickle ball league where we are building relationships with the local Panamanians and the ex pat, (people from North America or other areas of the world who have chosen Panama to live instead of their home country), community as well. It is pretty awesome. Sam and I always thought pickle ball was an “old person’s” sport, but we’ve learned that it is super fun! Maybe we are getting old!!! (LOL) Sammy is the official ball boy of the league, and by the end of it, we are tired, VERY sweaty, and thankful to be in such a beautiful place.

Last Sunday, we went to church in the morning, then we headed over to the Word of Life Camp, that the local pastor is the director of, about 15 minutes down the main highway. They had an American Thanksgiving meal there and we got to have fellowship with lots of amazing people! The pastor, Jon Fowler, asked us if we wanted to go for a tour of the camp, so we hopped in his truck and away we went! He showed us the vision that they had as we viewed the campus that was SO beautiful….I told Sam that it was like the garden of Eden there! It brings in young people from all over Panama to come there to come to know and worship Jesus.

I have taken some information from the “Word of Life” website, and here is a brief description of what their long term mission is:

One of the highlights of the Word of Life ministry is summer camp attracting as many as 1500 young people attending each year. Throughout the year the ministry also includes Bible Clubs, drama presentations, and Children’s Shows as well as sports marathons, and other evangelistic outreaches. They also minister with orphanages and indigenous tribes. The current team consists of 22 missionaries and several more joining the team in the near future; the long-term vision of Word of Life Panama is to have a presence in each of the ten provinces of Panama. A discipleship school is also ramping up this spring, as they pour into young adults who want to dive deeper into being a servant leader of Christ, so exciting things are on the horizon!

I am also going to include a brief description of Panama from the “Word of Life” website, so you can get a better idea of where the country of Panama is situated:

Panama is a country of only 29,000 sq miles, slightly smaller than South Carolina, sits between South and Central America and is bordered by Costa Rica and Colombia. Panama is a long and narrow country ranging from 30 to 120 miles wide. It also has more than 2,000 miles of coast line on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Panama is unique because of the canal that splits the country in two halves, eastern and western regions. The population of Panama is about 3.3 million, the majority being people of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent.

As we’ve been praying for guidance and direction, God has been opening doors for us to possibly work at the camp in the future, This is one of the reasons we have been researching going to Spanish school in Costa Rica. In order to be able to communicate with the young people at the camp and tell them about Jesus, we need to speak the language. So, in the new year, God seems to be leading us to Costa Rica. Our plan was to go to Bastimentos Island to visit the YWAM (Youth With a Mission) base there and see where we could serve, but there are protests and road blocks that are preventing us from physically doing that at this point. While chatting with Jacob, the director of YWAM Panama, he has advised us not to go, as they are running extremely low on basic everyday supplies (like gas, propane for cooking, and even food). So, at this point, the door is closed for YWAM. We will see what happens with that in the future.

Last week we were invited to another American Thanksgiving dinner at our friend’s house. We felt loved and a part of something and just so blessed to be breaking bread with so many others who love Jesus and want to share him with the world. We ended the meal with prayer and went around and asked everyone in attendance what they were thankful for. We are thankful for a young Panamanian couple that Sam met at the gym and invited to church. After church, we went for lunch with them and they told us how they were touched by the Holy Spirit during the service, and they are looking forward to coming next week! God is so faithful when we step out in obedience! What are you thankful for today?

God is directing our steps and putting many people across our path that are meant to be a source of encouragement, or meant to help us in some way. The people that have blessed us with staying in their homes, the pastor and his wife, local Panamanian people and many people at the church who have so warmly welcomed us, fellow teachers, realtors, a farmer down the road that has horses the kids can ride (Justice LOVES riding horses), and many ex pats that have valuable advice for us. Even attending the local Spanish bible study in El Valle is an inspiration to us as we see the hearts of the local people; they genuinely have a love for the Word of God and are hungry for Jesus. We see how God’s hand is orchestrating everything around us, and are thankful for the love of total strangers towards us.

To wrap up this update, a scripture that keeps coming to my mind is Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” This scripture is found at the center of the fire pit area at the Word of Life Camp. The founder of the camp preached this message the night before he died and was beckoned to heaven. By worldly standards, he died too young, (only in his early 50’s), but by God’s kingdom standards, he lived his life ON purpose, and FOR a purpose greater than himself….here is a prayer that sums up this scripture perfectly, “I do look forward, dear Father, to the day that Christ comes in victory to bring me home to you. Until that day, please use me in your service. I am thankful that no matter what may lie ahead, I know that my future is tied to your Son and my Savior. In Jesus’ name I pray.”

Thank you all again for being interested in what God is doing in our lives in Panama! We feel so blessed and thankful to be here walking in obedience with Jesus. It seems that when you get opportunities to slow down and have time to pause and reflect, you can see the goodness of God all around you. May we all take the time to consciously acknowledge the goodness of God in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Please feel free to share your stories about how God is working in your lives with us too….we feel so encouraged by the different seasons our friends and family are in and how God is using each and every one of you in your own communities back home. Much love from the Gallaghers and blessings upon you all!