The Beginning and Continuation of a New Missionary Journey

As many of you have heard, after eight months of being in Texas, God has called Karmy, myself, and our kids back to the mission field in Panama.  This was one of the tougher decisions we have ever had to make.  It started around March when we began feeling God stirring in our hearts the call to the mission field.  At first I was surprised, because although we always knew our stay here wasn't permanent, I did expect us to be here for a few years, but God knows what He is doing.

After so many confirmations and encouragement from our friends, family, and pastoral staff, we made the decision to return.  Even though we spent eight years in Central America before this, and have only been here in Texas for eight months, it still feels like starting over again.  We are even buying everything to furnish a house because we sold everything when we came here.

The timeline is quick and fairly simple.  We are taking a team of 40+ people to Panama on Monday where we will be returning to work in Tugri, the Capitol of the Ngobe tribe land for nine days.  On our return Karmy will stay in Panama with the kids, and I will return to Texas to start transitioning out of my position in the church.  I will go to church camp with the teens, and continue as usual until July 13th which will be my last official day here.  I will fly out to Panama on July 14th.

So what will we be doing?  Great question!  We are going to be returning to work with Youth With a Mission in Potrerillos, Chiriqui.  You can see more about that at www.ywamchiriqui.org.  We will continue to work with the Ngobe tribe, which as some of you have heard me speaking about them, know that they are the largest indigenous tribe south of Mexico in Central America.  Although classified as a reached people group by most organizations (this being based on a 2% reached status), the Ngobe are only 4% reached.  You may read on other web sites or through statistical organizations that something like 60% or more are Christians, but they do not take into account any doctrinal beliefs, the person simply has to say they belief in some form of Christianity.  As a result, even though only 4% of Ngobe actually believe the core doctrines of Christianity, you have 50% or more that believe in a mixture of witchcraft, Mamatata (their native religion), and a form of Catholicism brought to them in the 1500's, which I may add were the same "Catholics" who raped and murdered their way through the lands.

You can imagine the kind of "Christianity" believed here.  The reality is that after that 4% of believers most Ngobe have never heard of Jesus, and if they have it is a very twisted and inaccurate view of who He is.  They need the true Gospel, and they need us to bring it to them!

This blog is being established in order to maintain updates as to what is going on in Panama and other nations God may take us to over the next years.  I would ask that you consider partnering with us in the endeavor to go places and reach people that few have ever reached and gone.  Feel free to contact me with any questions, and expect great things from God!