PANAMA 2008....Trust God, Trust Milton

So on July 3rd at 3:15 in the morning, 5 people gathered at Pastor Ron and Barb's house to start an amazing journey. The best way I know how to give you details about this trip is to list highlights and try to match up some pictures with those highlights. So here we go:
Our group plus some friends we met along the way

July 3
Participants: Nick Moss, Barb Pennekamp (Pastor's wife, mom to 7, amazing woman of faith) Tabitha (college senior), Andrew (college sophomore), Sid (college sophomore)
Fly from Orlando to Miami to Panama City.
Meet Milton, who is the Lutheran church's President and our leader for the week.
REalize that driving in Panama is different than the U.S.; Milton teaches us a new phrase "Trust God, Trust Milton" We learn to say this often in the van.
Get settled in Balboa (just outside of Panama City) at Redeemer Lutheran Church. There is 2 bedrooms with blow-up mattresses, a kitchen, bathroom, and meeting space, and most importantly-AIRCONDITIONING!



July 4
Vist a Pastor and his congregation outside of Panama City. Go into homes and pray with people....cool experience.
Buy fireworks and almost get arrested....Happy B-Day America


July 5
Travel to Sora (2 hours from Panama City) in the mountains and stay with Pastor Martinho.
Meet the kids of the congregation and play soccer and taught them how to make s'mores
Spent most of the night laughing at many things, including the bat that kept flying over me as I was trying to sleep...yes, there was a bat in the house
Sid learning how to eat a Mango that just fell off of the tree


July 6
Worship at the church and it is all in Spanish....but still in God's language
Travel back to Panama City
Lutheran Church in Sora (don't need walls!)

July 7
I get to drive to our group to meet Pastor Jorge and meet some of his church members (it was awesome to drive in a foreign country)
Drive back after lunch and help teach English as a second Language at a church near Panama City.
Dr. Miller (the Muslim Expert) and Pastor Jorge
Teaching English by playing "Go Fish"

July 8
Spend time with pastors and church leaders at a workshop on Muslims put on by CALMS (the organization we were working with)

July 9
More Muslim Workshop
Visit Panama Canal
This ship paid $180,000 to pass through the canal...small little fee considering 6 months ago a ship paid 1.3 million dollars to pass through....fee is based on cargo
July 10
Fly Home


There of course was much more that happened and God worked through our Group to share Christ's love with the people that we met. If you want more stories from Panama, just call me up. I would be happy to share.