You could almost call Panama America with the countless similarities between the two. The closest to western culture we have seen thus far, the culture shock was more apparent then is has been in previous countries. During our time here we came into contact with more Americans then Panamanians, and the pace of our work also changed from day work to minute work.
In previous countries we had become accustomed to a certain style of living- a pace at which it seemed everyone lived by. Our schedule became a day to day thing, where we may have things to do, but maybe it will get done later and now will be a 'time of rest'. Nothing ever seemed to have a set time and the time we spent alone with our thoughts and working things through with God, seemed to grow by the minute. Panama became a 180 degree turn back into the business lifestyle of fast and rushed. We had two ministry points in three weeks, both differing in style but very much the same pace.
Our first ministry point was with Pastor Bill Wilbur of Gamboa Union Church. Here we were kept busy with a vast amount of things ranging from prison ministry to evangelism on the Panamanian streets with 'tracks'- an evangelism technique not commonly used within our team. Pastor Bill's attitude was infectious- his passion for the Lord is so strong it's almost as if he couldn't bear the thought of someone not knowing or understanding God's love for us. This intense desire only encourages us as individuals to continuously and earnestly seek God with everything we have and that no matter what, our relationship with God should never be lacking in passion.
YWAM Panama was our second ministry point, located in the center of Panama City. Since the base had some major changes underway upon our arrival, our introduction was quick and we began moving the entire base at 3pm to a new location with a deadline of midnight. Our time with YWAM consisted mostly of moving or organizing- becoming a favourite for the guys as their physical strength was being put to great use. The team felt like royalty as the new base was a hotel- complete with a swimming ppol, air conditioning and wifi in the lobby. As a special treat, our food was also prepared for us by the YWAM team. Though we were guests with the organization, we quickly felt like family as we all became fast friends with the individuals on the other team. Our international friends Mike and Kalyn also visited us from South Africa, bringing a little piece of home with them and tugging on our heart strings. With them as supports, our time in Panama seemed to have ther perfect amount of everything, making it a positive experience for most.
Comments