As I write this, I’m sitting in a hammock on the roof of our hostel, looking out at the beautiful Pacific Ocean. We arrived in Costa Rica on Wednesday for a few days of debrief, and we’ll head out to our ministry site tomorrow. It has been such a wonderful journey! Before we begin our adventure in Costa Rica, here’s a quick summary of our month in Panama…
We spent the month with a ministry called ICJesus. They work mainly with the Ngobe tribe, indigenous people who live up in the mountains. We hung out with girls at a children’s home, painted a school, dug a trench to keep a family’s home from flooding, taught English lessons, sung in front of churches, and talked to and prayed for people in a hospital. I danced with kids on my shoulders, laughed until I couldn’t breathe, discovered that Cheetos with syrup is the most fantastic idea (you should all try it), got laughed at many times as I said the wrong thing in Spanish, and decorated kids’ faces with warpaint before realizing that it wan’t washable… oops 🙂 I also met some of the most precious children, made connections with the most incredible hosts (Danny and Heather), and had my heart melted many times by the beautiful people of Panama. While the time has flown by, so much has happened in a month, and I feel very blessed!
And while it’s a work in progress, God has already begun to teach me some lessons…
ONE: Love knows no language. I met the most precious little boy named Moises. Because he was deaf, he also couldn’t talk… but the way he loved people and the joy that overflowed from his body surpassed that of most people I know who can hear. As I watched him and as we worked to connect with him, I was reminded of a quote by Mark Twain: “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” So true. I also met a beautiful, old Ngobe woman while at the hospital. She only spoke Ngobe, so I couldn’t speak a word to her, but the connection I felt is one I’ll never forget. I held her hand and prayed for her in English, and since I couldn’t say anything when I was done, I simply crouched down beside her bed and gently smiled at her for quite some time… and she stared right back as she squeezed my hand tightly. It was an incredible moment that melted my heart. We can connect so powerfully to people and share so much love, even without words.
TWO: It’s about serving God, not people. Service has always been my greatest passion, but I’ve always wanted to help PEOPLE. Our ministry hosts encouraged us again and again to remember who we’re serving, and I’ve been trying to do that. But seeing it this way is hard because it requires changing the entire way I see service… something that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. But let me tell you that when you do see it this way, it’s a beautiful thing… because it changes the meaning of service, it changes your reason to serve, and it changes the way you love.
These are just a few of the lessons I’m learning, and I’m sure I’ll learn so many more as the year goes on.
I feel so blessed to be on this journey and am so thankful to all of you who have and are continuing to support me through prayers, donations, and messages. Thank you!!
Below are a few pictures from our month in Panama. I hope it gives you a small glimpse into the work God is doing in these places!
