We left Minnesota to serve and bless the missionaries and congregation in Panama but in the end we were also served and blessed in so many ways. The group of nine volunteers included Pastor Bill Aufdenkamp, Jay & Betty Johnson, Kerry & Julie Zimmerman and Jon & Tammy Nelson from Elbow Lake along with Shawn & Dave Schneeberger from Trinity Lutheran. Erin Mckenzie, our main volunteer missionary contact worked hard with the missionary team to put together a work project list for Mision de Los Andes, the church we went to serve. We all have many different talents that can be utilized to accomplish God’s mission and purpose and we found out immediately that our group was going to work very well together and have an amazing week as each team member found a project to begin working on from the very beginning.
The list of work projects provided when we started the week was comprised of a variety of tasks including installing a drop ceiling in the sanctuary, moving some books and bookshelves from the sacristy, painting two outside walls of the church and laying tile in the sanctuary. After moving the church pews, part of our group set up the two sets of scaffolding needed for the sanctuary ceiling project while the remaining members migrated to the painting project. The ceiling project included working with a church member contractor, Jose, installing the supporting grid work for the drop ceiling that ended up taking the majority of the week. Meanwhile the painting group moved quickly through their task and before long the books and bookshelves were moved, the sacristy cleaned up and additional projects were needed to keep our team busy. We ended up cleaning out and organizing several other storage rooms & craft closets, cleaning and oiling the church pews, power washing the interior and exterior cement walls around two sides of the outside perimeter of the church property, painting the sacristy, storage room, interior and exterior fence, gates and walls, sanding and staining the hanging cross from the sanctuary, attempting to strip a baptismal font, putting up chicken wire around the base of the fence and gates, cleaning up the rocks and concrete chunks from along the exterior & interior walls and starting to level the walkway around the side and back of the church building. By the end of the week the project list had grown significantly with the vast majority successfully completed. We were unable to get to the sanctuary floor tiling project due to the competition with the scaffolding working on the ceiling project. The grid work for the sanctuary ceiling project was completed and several pieces of the ceiling tile installed leaving the remainder of the ceiling tiles to be installed by Jose and his crew. The visible change in the property and grounds was amazing and was greatly appreciated by Pastor Voight and the congregation members.
Prior to beginning our mission work projects, we took a Panama Canal tour through the South locks from Gatun Lake to the Pacific Ocean, did a monkey and sloth tour, spent time in Old Town Panama City, took a foodie tour with a local food blogger and participated in a local chocolate experience where we were able to make our own chocolate bars. During our mission week, we were hosted one evening by missionary Pastor Arthur and Deaconess Eva Rickman along with their seven children at the church he serves in the Canal Zone. We supported several of the local restaurants where we experienced a variety of the Panamanian and area food fare. The last evening we were treated to a BBQ at the church we were working at in Los Andes by missionary Pastor Voight and his congregation members.
We had inspirational group devotions each morning and evening provided by LCMS Short Term Mission with songs and lively group discussions. The hospitality and appreciation shown by individuals from the congregation as well as a neighbor who showed up on a daily basis to see the progress and make food for us was overwhelming and truly a blessing.
Overall, it was a positive, productive and amazingly rewarding experience for each of the team members as we were able to support the missionary team in Panama City allowing them to focus on their ministry efforts of establishing relationships and growing the congregations in their communities. It was clearly evident that God does not call the equipped, he equips the called as we experienced first hand. We were blessed to be a blessing by providing the hands and feet for God’s mission in Panama and to be reflectors of Jesus love to those we came in contact with.
To God be the glory!
