As part of our month of finding new ministry contacts (aka ‘Unsung Heroes’) we have been checking out a wide variety of places. Last week we took a bus 1.5 hours to visit a camp and then a home for abandoned children. I got to visit TWO of my favorite types of ministries in the same day! Back in the States I spent 6 summers working at a Christian camp (Camp Cedar Cliff!) and interned there for a fall as well, and spent just shy of 2 years working at Shelterwood, a Christian therapeutic boarding school for troubled teens. Needless to say I was very excited to check out both of these ministries!
(My teammate Isa will be writing a blog on the camp and I will be writing on the Children’s home. If you would like to check out the camp blog feel free to go to isacaszatt.theworldrace.org, it should be posted soon!)
I really enjoy these types of environments because of the life on life impact you get to have in living life with people, getting to encourage them in The Lord, having fun, and also having some solid one on one conversations. Being able to do all of that and be a part of some critical growth in searching youth is something I will always be thankful for with no regrets of spending years of my life in that way.
ANA Panama stands for “Ayudando Niños Abandonados” (Helping Abandoned Children) and the following is a summary of their vision and mission:
“The primary goal of ANA Panama is to help each child realize that they are wonderfully created and loved by God. As we grow with each one of them, they are led to find their unique gifting and how to use it as they mature. Each child is provided all of the basics necessities including housing, meals, clothing, recreation, schooling, tutoring, mentoring, friendship, and, most of all, love. We also want to equip them with the skills to successfully be integrated into society in a healthy, productive way.”
Mario and Sara, Directors of ANA Panama
Each house in Chame, Panama has 4-8 kids and two house parents. The great thing is that the kids are provided stability in being able to live there until they are old enough to go out on their own at around age 18. They currently have a home for younger boys and a home for teenage boys. While they have everything set up to have a girls home as well, they unfortunately have not been able to find house parents to run the home and therefore only have a waiting list of eligible girls for when the home opens.
Feel free to watch their video below for more about what this incredible ministry does!
