We are embarking on our home-stretch for sure...only 2 weeks till we're on Belizean soil again, a bittersweet feeling. On Friday we said goodbye to the Panama DTS; we've spent the past 2 weeks bonding with their team, ministering around the city. It feels quite lonely now with only 7, after getting the feel of 21 people on a regular basis.
The past week has been full of trips to area parks, school, a Baha'i temple, Hindu temple, evangelism teaching to a city church and one day of witnessing the celebration of "Negro Cristo," in Portobelo, Panama. Some pictures are to the right...the story is that in the last century this statue of a black Christ washed up on shore from a shipwreck. When they brought it to the town, it was the cause of miracles, some say a cure of a cholera outbreak. So, in tradition, this town where the statue "resides" is showcased every October 21st in the Catholic church, people come from all over Panama to see, pray to it, touch it, offer rosaries and pray with candles. The thing is some people worship the statue and not God...people walk from wherever they live in Panama to this town, crawling on their knees for the last part of the journey, some being burned with hot wax. Their belief, that we have to suffer with Black Christ. They negate the miracle Jesus did on the cross to give freedom to all those who believe in Him. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) And, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1)
In this town, we split our team into groups, praying for the people, their values and initiating conversations to share the Truth with them. The sight of people crawling on their knees, having hot wax dripped on their backs while occasional whimpers of pain were heard was a harsh lie to face. If only they had known...that is our prayer for the future, that they would know the truth and the Truth shall set them free, John 8:32.
This is our hope for this time that we've been in Panama...that we would be lights into the darkness and a arrow pointing to the true source of hope in this sometimes dim world. Thank you to all for sharing this journey with us through prayers, support and encouragements...
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