As we flew to Panama, I stared out the plane window. It was pitch dark. The clouds were heavy across the sky and I couldn’t see the twinkle of any lights below to mark civilization. I stared into the dark of the night, waiting for a glimpse of magic.
It lasted a moment. A streak of jagged light across the sky. Breaking through the gloom. It was sharp and bright, revealing the shape of the surrounding clouds. It was powerful and beautiful. I was struck.
I continued this process of waiting in the dark. Waiting until lightening would strike again.
As I waited, I had my headphones in with the song Fallingwater by Maggie Rogers on repeat.
Rogers describes it as, “a song that celebrates rapid change and how simultaneously scary and electric it can feel.” Sounds very much like lightening breaking through dark clouds.
It all seemed appropriate as I thought of all the changes we were experiencing. Moving to different continents with different cultures and to a different country for the month than we initially planned.
We should have been heading to Nicaragua, but due to the political climate there, our tickets were cancelled by the government. We would spend our ninth month of the race in Panama.
It was rapid change. We had only heard the news hours before heading to the airport in Malaysia for Central America. But we took the change with humor and a sense of new adventure. There was some sadness in the air, as there were people on the squad who had hearts for Nicaragua. But on the race we’ve become accustomed to the constant of change, and I knew their hearts would eventually catch up with them.
Part of the beauty of lightening is how it breaks through the gloom.
We are currently serving the indigenous people of Panama in the outskirts of the San Felix District. The reservation is located in the mountains, where a person can walk three days before finding the closest church. We’ve been helping with construction on some church buildings in the surrounding areas. This includes handling power tools to cut metal, painting roofs, and building benches. We’ve enjoyed washing windows, mopping floors, and clearing gutters.
We also have the privilege of WR Exposure volunteers with us. They get to spend a month on the race as part of our teams and live life with us. They do what we do, go where we go, live like we live. It gives them a taste of the race and hopefully clarity if the World Race is for them.
