Today was a whirlwind of a day. It started out by Danny and Heather (our ministry hosts) picking us up at 9am. We drove to a mountain, got out, and were told we were going to see a pastor who fell off a roof 25 feet and needed help around his house. This would require us hiking the mountain for an hour and a half there and back. We were more than excited for the journey!
The views were breathtaking, and the terrain was rocky. There was lots of slipping since the mud was like ice. It’s rainy season in Panama, so it rains for about 12 hours every day. The mud doesn’t have a chance to dry, so it makes hiking a challenge. We had to make a few stops along the way to catch our breath, but also to admire the views. I am constantly in awe of God’s creation, and how the beauty that is displayed on earth simply demonstrate the character of His beauty (this statement in itself is another whole blog, that will be coming soon 🙂 )
Our guide up the mountain was Pastor Steven, a 67 year old man who heads 6 churches. Some Sundays, he walks 5 hours each way just to pastor a church. AND HE’S 67! It definitely made me think about the times I complained about driving 20 minutes to church…ouch. Reality check. His 8 year old daughter was also along for the journey, and laughed at us as she sped ahead and we panted for breath 😉
Once we got to Pastor Ernesto’s house, which was poles and a tin roof with straw as siding, he welcomed us with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. You can just see the light of God shining out of this man who was presumed paralyzed just a few weeks back. He spoke to us in his office, which was a table and two benches. He talked about how blessed He was and how great God is, and it was truly inspirational. We helped turn over dirt and build mounds for planting so his family can grow vegetables for themselves, and we also went and retrieved jugs of water from the creek. This water we weren’t allowed to drink; it came out of a pipe built into the creek, and this is their every day drinking water. After that, then we had to head back down the mountain to try and beat the rain.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. About a half hour into our decent it started raining. This was cause for concern because we had to cross a river that was about knee high, and when it starts raining, this river has a very strong current that we couldn’t wade through without being swept away. But, God provided, and as soon as we crossed the river safely it started downpouring. The paths that we were taking were barely wide enough for one person, and these paths also turned into creeks when it storms. And it was storming. Streams of red dirt encompassed the paths as we trekked our way back down, attempting not to fall down the rock sides. It was definitely a crazy experience, but ultimately so much fun. Don’t worry, my love of rain hasn’t changed yet 😉
The craziest part of this story? It happens in the next blog, keep reading!
