A Long Overdue Update!

First, I want to apologize for not updating the blog in quite a while.  We are all doing well here in Panama City, Panama.  We had a nice Christmas and 2011 is off to a good start.  We were blessed to start out the year with a visit from my parents and niece.  The kids enjoyed a nice break from school over  Christmas and New Year.  They are now back in school for the second half of the school year.

We continue to be involved in many areas of ministry and are excited to see what God is doing in, through us, and all around us!  He is opening many doors for us and this gives us great joy and excitement.  The first course of the Church Planting Institute is nearing completion, and God has opened the door for three more courses to be taught.  Through the Church Planting Institute of Panama, God is preparing young men and women to start churches.  It is evident that God is working in their lives through their dedication and excitement.  Each of the students has identified and have begun working in specific areas of the city to start churches.  Please keep the students and the Institute in your prayers as this city is changed for God's glory.

We are also gearing up to host quite a few mission teams from the States who will work with us, as well as the students in the Institute, to assist with our Church Planting goals.  These teams will assist through one on one evangelism, mapping specific areas of the city, prayer walking, hosting community events, starting small group Bible studies and much more.  We are thankful for these individuals and churches who are willing to come to Panama to work for the purpose of seeing lives changed.

December 2010 Newsletter

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

This is the time of year to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Because people faithfully give to LMCO, the Cawthons are able to minister and live in Panama City, Panama. Lives are being changed because of your giving.

This past year has been amazing. Cavin and Charlotte were living in Costa Rica. They were attending a Spanish language school. They completed the year long course in April. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering made it possible for the Cawthons to attend the school and learn Spanish.

At this same time last year. Cavin was coaching a Men’s Football team in San Jose, Costa Rica. There were 50 men on the team. Cavin was able to share Christ with all of them and some accepted Christ. The team had three different Bible studies and a once a month worship service. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering provided Bibles, sound system, video projector, and fellowships for this special ministry.

The Cawthons moved to Panama City, Panama in April. The van they drive and the house they live in is all because of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. As a matter of fact, Cavin calls the van the Lottie Van.

The Cawthons are working with the Panama Baptist Convention and The Panama Baptist Seminary. The Seminary and Convention offices were built because of the giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Cavin has started the Church Planting Institute of Panama. They meet in a building that was built through the gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. The books that the students are using are from your giving.

The Cawthons are truly amazed at the work that is going on in Panama because of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. They would not be able to live or do the ministries that they are doing in Panama if it were not for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIVING!

Who is Lottie Moon?

Lottie Moon - the namesake of the international missions offering - has become something of a legend to the Cawthons. But in her time, Lottie was anything but an untouchable hero. She was a hard-working,

deep-loving Southern Baptist who labored tirelessly so her people group in China could know Jesus. Because of her love for the Chinese she gave away her last food and on Christmas Eve 1912, she died of starvation.

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More Pictures from Trip to Guabo

Visit to Guabo 2010

This past weekend Derek Tucker, 5 Panamanians and I went to a remote village about 12 hours away from Panama City. We went to check on 2 students from the Church Planting Institute of Panama. The two guys have been living in the village for 1 month and are starting a church.

This trip was way out of my comfort zone. There was no electricity and no running water. We left last Friday and returned on Monday. I am so glad that God has called me to Urban work. Here are some pictures to show the fun.

October 2010

The Urban Panama Team is seeing many wonderful things in Panama. Two students from the Church Planting Institute of Panama went to a remote village to start a church. Pray for these two young men as they are serving the Lord in such a great way. Derek Tucker and I will be visiting them in a few weeks.

The UP Team has been mapping and doing block parties in a new community called Santa Fe. There will be a new small group started this month in this area that has no churches.

I had the opportunity to preach at Calvary Baptist Church, First Baptist Church Panama and The Baptist Seminary of Panama last month. God moved in all of the services with several people making commitments to Jesus.

The UP Team got together and ate chicken that would have had Truett Cathy leaving Chick-fil-A and working for Charlotte.

Please continue to pray for the us and the UP Team has we start churches in Panama City. 1.2 million people are in the city with only 22 Baptist Churches to reach them.

The Past Month has been Amazing

The Urban Panama Team has been able to see many amazing things that God is doing this past month. The three biggest things are the starting of the Church Planting Institute of Panama, an open door in a new community called Santa Fe, and The Pastor’s Banquet. The UP Team is so excited about what God is doing through us.

The Church Planting Institute of Panama classes started in September. These classes are training 12 people to be church planters. The program is every Tuesday night and one day of on the field training and will continue for 6 months. Most of the people in the class are in their early 20s. I believe that God is going to use them to see a church planting movement in Panama.

One of the team members of the UP Team, Tim Louderback, has been working with a land developer who has given the team permission to work without any restrictions in a new community that they are building, The new community, Santa Fe, has 5,000 new homes in it. October 16 we will be having a movie night in the community. The UP Team believes that God will open a door for them to start house churches in the area.

One of the responsibilities of the UP Team is to build relationships with pastors and churches. The team from First Baptist Church Thomasville, GA hosted a Pastors and Wives Banquet for 20 pastors in the city. The purpose of this meeting was to share the vision of the UP Team. God did that and much more. The pastors and their wives had a great time of fellowship and prayer at the banquet, and they are excited about what God is doing in the city.

About 300 people attended Seminary Day which is an annual celebration. Cavin got to preach the sermon for the service. During the invitation, 11 men and women dedicated their lives to ministry and desire to enroll in the seminary. Please pray for the seminary as they are facing many changes in the year ahead.

The Cawthons are having a great time in Panama. Every day is a new opportunity to see God’s love and power.

Please keep the Cawthons in your prayers as they strive to be a light in Panama. Pray for Cavin as a Johnny Rocket’s Restaurant has recently opened in Panama. The workers now know him by name as he is becoming a regular customer!

God is Opening Doors

Teaching Church Planters

PAAM is a mission sending agency in Panama. The director of Panama has asked the UP Team to teach specialized training for Church Planters in January 2011. This will be for PAAM Missionaries as anyone that feels called to be a church planter.

Also the UP Team is starting a class for people that have been called into church planting. This is opened for all Baptist church planters. It will start in the next couple of weeks two nights a week. We have about 5 people interested in taking the class.

Working with City Council in Panama City

Through a connection with the City Council here in Panama, The UP Team was asked to host a Block Party. All supplies were paid for by the City. 400 people attend and 300 people heard the Gospel - one on one. The City Councilman has asked us to do it all over the City. GOD IS GREAT!!!

Team from Oklahoma City

A team came from Capital City Baptist Association in Oklahoma City. They really worked hard with the UP Team through prayer walking, construction and witnessing. With their help the UP Team saw work completed that would have taken 4 months to do alone.

Please consider coming to Panama City and joining the UP Team in their work.