This month in Panama my team and I have been building a church while building THE church. We have been physically building a church in Las Lajas Panama while sharing the Gospel with the locals in this area. Knowing that the church is not a building but the people who work for Jesus and know Him as their Savior. Ephesians 1:22-23 says “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” So we are the body and the head of that body is Christ. Our hosts were Danny and Heather Nelson this month and we worked by encouraging and being apart of their ministry in Panama. They have been such a blessing and have taken care of us so well.
The ministry mainly consisted of working construction for the church in Las Lajas where Danny is the pastor. We also participated in working with children, bible studies, and teaching English. Every day we would work from 8-4 doing construction, this included installing the plumbing and electrical for the church. We worked with a 70-year-old pastor named Manuel who acted as our construction manager for the month. He taught us the Spanish words for all the tools we worked with, as well as how to use most of those tools. Every day I learned something new from Manual including how to work for Christ.
God has been teaching me this month what working for Him really looks like. Every lift of a heavy shovel, every cinderblock moved, and every drop of sweat should be done in gladness. It is done in gladness because I know that the work is not for my gain, but for Christ and His church. I am able to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and serve Him in everything that I do (I Cor 12:12-14). Learning how to find joy while being tired and no longer wanting to dig. That joy doesn’t come from work but from the purpose of doing the work. Knowing that the purpose is furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ and changing lives with this Gospel. So even in work that I do not speak to another person, I can still further the Gospel of Jesus. I further this Gospel by serving in the way that He calls me to. I am still fundraising but I am almost fully funded to complete my mission! Please pray that the ministry we did in this country continues to grow and that we will be able to continue doing ministry well as we go to Morocco. Continuing praying for Danny, Heather, and Manuel as they build the church in more ways than one.
