General Discipleship I

Graduation Day

Ministerio International Casa de Dios

Leadership & Teachers

Rev C, Vielka, Pastor Saul, Sondra

Sondra & Rev C

Domingo, Elizabeth, Marta, Rev C, Irene & Sondra

Elizabeth's Certificate

Irene's Certificate

New Friends and Ministry Opportunities

I stayed with missionary Marta Mora, and her sister, Elizabeth, who came from Costa Rica to attend the class.  I was thrilled to get to know a member of Marta's family.  

We had several people there from the city of David, Panama.  Pastor Domingo was there and so was his friend Irene Innes.  Irene stayed with Marta, Elizabeth and I in Marta's apartment.  Irene has a car and we were very grateful for the rides back and forth to class each day.  Irene retired recently from an international Christian literature distribution company.  She used to travel all over Panama visiting churches and getting to know pastors as part of her job. I could see the Lord was working on her heart, as she was assimilating information throughout the week.  She sat through the class and came to understand the concept of the CTC and the quality of material being taught.  One of the struggles she had was the condition of Pastor Saul's church, and un-air-conditioned cement block building without a floor, in the third worst neighborhood in Panama.  I explained that we were offering high quality education to people who couldn't afford it, and that the pastors who were willing to put forth the effort to running a training center were usually pastors that the Lord had called to difficult locations.  I also said that I had visited churches in Panama that were well built and financially stable, but the pastors had no desire to train their congregation and send them out.  Irene wasn't too happy with this answer.  Honestly I was a bit relieved at her response because it put the thought in my head that maybe she knew pastors with pretty, air-conditioned churches that would like to start CTC's.  But two days later she came to me and said "You're right, the pastors that I can think of that would be interested in starting Training Centers are in very difficult locations".  (Go ahead and laugh, I did).  When Irene drove both Rev C and I to the airport our last day, we could see that she had a willing heart.  Irene told us of her plans to visit pastors, talk with them, and bring CTC brochures.   She offered to take me to these locations the next time I'm in Panama and help get more CTC's started throughout the country.  Her desire to make herself available and her knowledge of pastors throughout the entire country of Panama really impressed upon my heart how God truly does go before us and pave the way for His plans to be accomplished.  Please pray for us as this means that Irene is going to be traveling all over Panama this month meeting with Pastors and I'm planning a trip back to Panama in April.

Personally

Thank you for praying!  Thank you for your financial participation!  When I start to think of purchasing tickets for the next trip, I kind of get panicked, where's the  money for this trip going to come from?  But I've noticed that every trip is covered by the grace of God.  And when I see needs that are so dire on these trips, somehow there's money in my purse to help others.  And, crazy as it is, my monthly bills get paid each month. I am very grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to serve.  It was actually easier to trust him with finances when I lived in Central America.  I am learning, still, that when He calls us to do something, He will provide.  The last words that Jesus spoke before ascending into the heavens were: Matt 28:19,20  "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  I'm truly blessed to be able to participate in what Jesus has called us to do by teaching and discipling throughout Latin America.