As soon as I heard what we would be doing in Panama I was beyond pumped. Now I’m sitting in Lesotho and last month is one giant blur behind me.
Our ministry in Panama:
I got a firsthand look into the sometimes thankless work that goes into planting a church in your “spare” time in a delicate community. In the West we think in terms of numbers and things that can be assessed systematically. How many buildings were erected? How many children have been given shoes? We want it on a chart. I like charts. Charts make it easier for us to see progress in things from a distance. There’s no chart that could explain what I saw in Panama from Shibu and Lily. There’s no graph that will accurately represent the time, energy and love they pour out on a daily basis into the Indian and Panamanian populations around them. House visits and phone calls and even creating relationships with the people from whom they buy their vegetables. Theirs is, first and foremost, a relational ministry. On top of all this, Shibu works as a teacher at a private school and they’re also raising three totally adorable children. I had the honor of working alongside them for a short while. I learned so much from them during that time and they introduced me to some fantastic people.
Then came an interruption. One of my teammates got sick and had to spend some time in the hospital. Because of this I had the privilege of spending some nights in waiting rooms. It was a very nice hospital and all the people who were sitting across from me when I woke up every morning were wearing very snazzy shoes. It was a strange month to be sure. When I look at the timing and placement though, it’s all sort of shocking. It was absolutely the safest month for anyone to require hospitalization. We were the only team in the city and therefore anywhere near a hospital, let alone a hospital so nice (all my DVMC family back home, you would have been impressed, also I miss you). It was just one more thing to reassure me of just how good God’s timing is.
I think I’m still recovering from all the excitement. It was difficult for me to go back and forth from the world of ministry and then back to hospital world, but I have no complaints. I know I was where I needed to be. Also the cafeteria was pretty good.
Personal highlights from the month:
I remembered shadow puppets. I learned a lot about seizures from a very nice neurologist. I ate SO much Indian food on Christmas day. I was cast as Joseph in our Christmas program… it turns out my hair is long enough to wrap around my face into a beard. I nibbled on my very first chicken foot. I drank an unnatural amount of bubble tea. I saw many sloths and watched ships go through the Panama Canal. I learned from our hosts what it can look like when personal passions and the things the Lord finds most important come together. I had my perspective shifted again and I’m not sure what it’s going to look like when I eventually put all the pieces of that picture together.
Now I’ve gotten to thinking about all the people I left from work.
Pat, I still have those cards you gave me, but I keep finding myself far away from a post office.
Courtney, I haven’t forgotten that somewhere in Thailand there may be a bunny farm I need to find… I hope it was Thailand.
Brenda, I could really use some yoga right now and a conversation about life and maybe some chocolate.
Lindsay, I look forward to hearing about your adventures when I get back.
I could go on, but I really can’t go on. This is a public blog so…
Thank you all for keeping up with me. I can’t tell you what it means to me. Until next time! Planning on that being sooner rather than later this time….
