This is an account of one of my mornings last week. Panama has been hit hard by hard and continuous rains. It should be the very end of rainy season but the rains are lingering longer than expected and seem to be throwing major fits. We have talked to many Panamanians and they are baffled by mother nature. This weather is way out of the ordinary and has caused major problems for their country.
Panama is a very small country, way at the very last of Central America, so I suppose that we wouldn't make international news. But, may I report that the rains have caused widespread flooding and damage? The Panama Canal was even closed for a time because of extensive flooding; that really caused alarm. You only close the canal for extreme reason and it had only happened once before in the past century; that was when America invaded Panama to capture Noriega. There have been a few days of chaos and now there is a definite humanitarian need. By God's grace, Panama City didn't see immense flooding and for that I am grateful. But in other areas of the country, people have lost everything and are still waiting for the waters to recede. There is a big mess to be cleaned but thus far, I am impressed that Panama is taking care of its own.
You may ask how we were personally affected. Well, Sarah had a "Rain Day" school cancellation; that tickled us because us Coloradans are only familiar with a "Snow Day." Snow or rain, Sarah celebrates any reason to miss school.☺ Our water and power have been going out intermittently. We'll see the glass half full and be glad that the outages don't happen simultaneously. Now, our commute to-and-fro have become a bit more hectic and we didn't think that was possible. Traffic in Panama City is not fun, not fun at all!!! You have to see it to believe it. Hey, we lived in San Jose, Costa Rica for four years and it could get hairy at times but for some reason it just made sense. Here, traffic is unpredictable which means stressful which means not fun...just like I said before. The problem, now, is one of the main bridges, El Puente Centenario, leading in-and-out of the city lost a huge chunk of highway in a landslide. It is a major ordeal. I could get into the details but it is a headache and who needs one of those? Just imagine the implications on traffic when thousands of people travel in-and-out of the city for work. Get the picture? And Dustin just read in the news that they estimate six months to fix the bridge. YAY!!! Insert sarcasm....
They are fun times these days. But, I promise you that in spite of everything, we are doing our best to remain positive. We are still human so there are moments but we try to remember that things could be far worse. We are safe; our roof is in tact; we have food to eat; we are healthy; we haven't lost anything...well...maybe a little of our sanity...but, we are okay and we will continue to be okay because God has us in the palm of His hand. And, we know we have an amazing fellowship that stands behind us in prayer.
Did someone say that Christmas is in six days?! Could it be? It doesn't seem like it. Let us be real about that. We are so far from home, away from family and friends, in a different culture and tropical climate; it's not Christmas as we know it to be. And yet, we know that the true reason for the season remains the same, no matter where one might be. Praise God. My heart sings!!! The one and only Savior was born and with His birth came hope and salvation.
It is a little too easy to get down with all that is going on around us at the moment, but that is when we look "inward." When we choose to see beyond ourselves, the picture changes. The Lord is faithful to make us look "outward."
The work here goes forward. Our two most faithful members are now gone. Mrs. Shamara Rose returned to Colorado to be with her family; we are happy for her. Mr. Noé returned to El Salvador for immigration and work reasons. We miss them both already. It will be interesting to see what happens now. The new year is around the corner and we believe for great, new testimonies from Panama- all for God's glory.
And, so, I bring this blog to an end by saying, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!" January 5th will mark one year since we set out on this mission. Now, that's amazing. What a year it has been. You are probably saying the very same thing for your own reasons. We pray that all of you are joyful during these holidays. We miss everyone so dearly. We want to give a big thank you for all the greeting cards we have received throughout the year, and especially the ones we have received at this time of year. So many words and scriptures have been on time. (By the way- a personal message in a card means that much more. Just saying!!!) We love you.
Pastor Dustin, Rachelle, Sarah and Meg
