Hey friends and family!
OK...so our first post isn't going to be all about food (although it could be). We attended two services at Templo de Felicidad (the church we are working with this week), met the wonderful pastors there, hung out with our missionaries, Gerritt & Tara Kenyon (who fed us a great chili meal with a spectacular dessert), and attended Panama International Church's Fellowship Night (which included worship, a short devotional by missionary Nelson Lugo, and yes...food). We've had two amazing meals already and it looks like the ladies of the church are cooking for us tomorrow. So, that's why the title of this post is what it is. Alright, enough about food!
Here are some highlights from our day (as told by various team members):
Ivette met a little old lady (Catalina) who over 20 years ago received some booklets - what we would recognize as copies of Our Daily Bread. Ivette was so moved by Catalina's request for more because those booklets not only helped Catalina in her spiritual walk but also helped her learn to read and write. The opportunity to meet this sweet, sincere lady was the highlight of Ivette's day.
Diana thanked the Lord for her encounter with Gabe, a member of the Panama International Church worship team. For her, it was great to hear his testimony and be able to pray with him. She believes this meeting with Greg foreshadows the coming week of ministry for us. She's excited about being able to meet and simply love on others.
Elaine talked about how she really wants us to be bitten by the "mission" bug. "Everyone on Mission" isn't just nice words on a poster; we have the opportunity to live this out - everyday and in every way. Just like we say weekly at Kingsway, Elaine talked about how we are not where we are by accident. God has us here for a reason and wants to use us to reach others for Him.
Jesse loved the message that was shared this morning regarding how much God has for us. He appreciated so much the passion and fire for the Lord that the minister demonstrated.
Larry shared that he felt the Spirit so strongly today, even though he didn't understand a word of the message spoken in Spanish. Larry expressed awe towards God who understands us all, loves us all and unites us all by His Spirit. We may speak a different language but we all serve the same God. We are different but the same!
Bill is rejoicing over the opportunities that we will have in the next few days to help Gerritt & Tara build relationships with the national church. We are going to do some simple tasks; some "little things" but he wanted us to remember that in whatever we do - how we handle ourselves, how we serve and relate to others - God will use us to demonstrate His love to people out there who don't even know Him.
Hector mentioned that God really touched his heart to embrace the calling God has placed on his life. And, he feels a peace that God will work out the details of him going into ministry.
Randy joins me in thanking those who shared their testimony today. They planted a mustard seed, many people were moved and encouraged. I was super proud of each of them: Hector, Elaine, Jesse, & Kely all spoke from their hearts, testifying to God's goodness, faithfulness, and great love.
So, that's a snapshot of what we experienced today. Thanks for praying for us! Thanks to those who have left comments. They mean so much to us.
Keep praying! Talk to you soon!
Pastor Arlena
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