Video Blog - 28 January 2012

Approaching a New Week

It's Sunday morning....  it's calm right now, but like your house, it won't stay this way.  As I begin waking the kids, there will be the hustle and bustle, and rush to get out of the house and to church on time.  By the time we do get to church, we will be exhausted.  I've always said I think Satan works overtime on Sunday mornings with Christians as they prepare to go to church to worship our Lord and Savior.  He wants to take away our attitude of worship and praise, and better yet, keep us from being in church at all.

This morning we will be worshipping  in La Iglesia de Las Americas (The Church of The Americas).  This is a great church that has been very supportive of our ministry here in Panama.  Currently, our weekly Thursday night class is meeting in their building.  The class started back this past Thursday with 22 students in attendance.  We are excited about this great group of of students.

Derek and Cavin on a MISSION TRIP

One of my students, Cesar Guerra, from last year's church planting class at the seminary is starting a church in the jungle.  He called me a couple of months ago and told me about his new work in a small village about 4 hours from the city.  Cesar said that he was using the information that I shared during the class.  Cesar, Derek Tucker and I met and talked about the work.  Even though the UP Team's focus is only on the city, I told him that Derek and I would come to the village and visit his work.
Sunday, Derek and I left the city and went on a "Mission Trip."  The new church is only 3 months old and has about 30 people in attendance.  God is using Cesar Guerra in an amazing way.

 The above photo is during the worship service on the front porch of one of the members house.

 Cesar is the one with the white hat on the left side of the above picture.

The trip to the village was sometimes scary.  Here we are going through a river.  This was not the worst section of the road.

Weekly Update

It's been a good week.  We enjoyed our visit with my parents.  They left Thursday morning and made it home safely.  We are so glad that we were able to have this time with them and show them Panama!

2012 is off to a good start with our ministry.  As I write this, Cavin is in a training session with some of our church planters.  Tomorrow morning he will leave very early in the morning to travel outside of the city to what we might call "the boonies" to be involved in a worship service at a new church that one of our church  planters has started.  It will be a long day of traveling several hours outside of the city and then going on a road that can only be traveled in a 4 wheel drive.

Next week, the church planting courses will start back.  We are praying that God will put the people in these classes that He wants to use to impact Panama.

After a VERY long Christmas break, things are finally getting back into a routine.  John Robert started back to school on Tuesday.  This will be his last semester at Florida State - Panama.  Christian and Preston will start back to school on Monday.  I know it will be very hard to get them up so early because they (especially Christian) have been sleeping late every morning.

Bob and June Martin arrive in Panama

After a long day of traveling, my parents Bob and June Martin arrived safely in Panama. We have enjoyed showing them some of the ministry we do here in Panama, introducing them to friends and other missionaries, and showing them around this great city. Today we took them to view the Miraflores Locks and see how the big ships go through the Panama Canal. Tomorrow Cavin will be preaching at La Comunidad Iglesia (The Community Church). We are looking forward to worshipping and sharing with this sweet group of believers.