Arriving in Panama City, I was welcomed by an Indian pastor named Shibu. While I knew that this was going to happen, it still took me by surprise. Why did someone from India dedicate his life to Panama? Wouldn’t he feel like he stuck out like a sore thumb (something that I felt like in some of the locations throughout the past three months when we were the only ‘gringas’ for miles)? Little did I know that we would be welcomed into a new world in Panama City that showed me a lot about multiculturism and diversity. This in turn, also, gave me a slice of heaven. Throughout the next couple stories, I hope that you also gain insight about what I think heaven is going to look and feel like and it gets you EXCITED because it’s going to be amazing.
So, we arrived and we learned that we would be helping Shibu and his family create a strong foundation for his new church through evangelism. Shibu’s mission for his prayer fellowship was to reach out to Indians and those from the Middle East who have relocated in Panama City to have a space to worship Jesus. At first I thought how many of this targeted population actually lives in Panama City; seemed like a long shot to have many people attend this church to me. However, Shibu took us to “Little India” where there are hundreds of people who have relocated to Panama for work and other endeavors. Here we spent a little bit of time learning about his targeted population and talking to people about Jesus through Shibu. What shook me the most about this church was that while it was small, it was diversity was grand. The sermon was presented in English, Spanish, and Hindi by Shibu and his wife, Lily. Many men from Pakistan were members of the Indian church and you could see a beautiful brotherly bond between the Indians and the Pakistanis. As you may already know, these two countries are currently engaging in a violent war between each other. This would most likely guarantee that they would not be associating outside of this country or even this church. But here, they are praising the same Lord and calling each other brothers.
Another area that we served in while in Panama City was at a Christian academy that Shibu and his wife taught at. Shibu and one other teacher taught ‘Bible Studies’ to the 6th – 12th graders. What was interesting about this school, however, was that it consisted of approximately 80% Asian students. Again, this puzzled me. Before we could officially speak to the students, we had to have approval by the administer. This meant we were required to speak to the principal and the Chaplain of the school the day before we were scheduled to speak in our first class. This was a great experience because we were challenged in giving a short, timed testimony to the administration. However, the biggest impact of this meeting was what was to follow: a discussion between an Indian, an Asian, and an African discussing about what the next days would like to us…in fluent Spanish. This surprised us so much because all three of these people were not originally from Panama and probably never would have met if it wasn’t for their journey here. All from majorly different locations, languages, and cultures, but here, talking about Jesus in a way that gave me goosebumps.
And while America is a melting pot of various cultures, races, and languages I have never seen it as this. This is what heaven is going to look like. Regardless of homelands, language barriers, and past conflicts between people and places, we will be together in unity praising the Creator. Revelation 7:9 says, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands” (NIV). As I looked around Panama City, I saw this visual. On Sundays, I worshiped with people from India, Pakistan, Panama, the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela. None of us could all speak one common language but we didn’t need that because what we did have was more important: the love of Jesus Christ. The time in Panama City makes me ecstatic about heaven because I was given a beautiful taste of what it will be.
