Souls being won for Salvation
Assembly Meeting Place - Valle Hermoso
Though Panama is a rapidly developing country, we still are not too far removed from "Third World" status when it comes to high corruption in all levels of government and business, poor education, poor health care, the gap between the rich and poor and the dwindling middle class, escalating immorality and violence.
In saying this, we still see rapid growth in materialism, trying to obtain at all costs what they see and hear through their television and internet. The skyline of Panama City would look much like that of any other capital city in the developed world, but don't be fooled by the facade that obscures the reality of spiritual darkness. Due to the canal, Panama is on one of the biggest trade routes in the world. This opens the door to a large cross section of culture, language and religion. Indifference to the gospel because of religious confusion, materialism and social media is on the rise and many of the young people are addicted to their electronic devices and virtual friends.
We live in a land of much spiritual confusion and blindness and the word "Christian" is applied very loosely to anyone that would attend any church even if they don't believe or teach that Jesus is God or the Bible is the Word of God without error.
Byrne & Lois Foreshew and family
Dr. Lois Clinic at Orphanage
In spite of these hurdles, God is working. Souls arebeing reached with salvation and growing spiritually. The Lord himself said about the strait gate and narrow way "few there be that find it". The small group of believers that gather in Valle Hermoso continue to show signs of growth and commitment in spiritual things. They are first generation believers; most would be the only ones saved in their family, so it's not easy for them and each day is a test of their faith as they seek to live a Christian life in the midst of ungodly home environments.
Lord willing we hope to see the mother and sister of a young brother, who is already in fellowship, received into the assembly. A teenage daughter of a couple in fellowship professed to be saved in March, and we do see evidence of new life. We are also seeing interest in the gospel from a young Columbian family and have had some good studies with the husband and wife and their children often attend the Sunday School
We continue with a Friday evening young peoples, where we are seeing new ones coming in, having been invited by the other teens. They face many of the same temptations and distractions as North American teens and the things of this world often have a louder call than the spiritual need of sins forgiven.
Our Thursday evening children's Bible class among a group of Kuna Indians has recently been cancelled as the families in whose homes we had the classes have moved to another area about a half hour away. Lord willing we plan to start again in this new area once the rainy season ends in December.
We will be having another week of children's classes at our house before Christmas. Since we moved to this new house a year and a half ago, we have been having a week of Bible classes in the break between semesters and also at the beginning and end of their school year. This has made us known in the community, and a nice number of children come along, each series has brought in new ones from the area.
We would like to spend more time in the next town to us called La Chorrera. We have done some distributions of gospel literature, praying to make new contacts and that a door of opportunity would open to having a more concentrated gospel effort. We had some open air meetings in a central park that is also the main bus terminal, but it's a little difficult in the rainy season.
Typical Sunday - Valle Hermoso
Work at the children's home continues with Bible classes and the medical clinic. Though the number of classes has been reduced this year, we still have a good number that come, including the house mothers who care for the children. We have been able to share the gospel with some Taiwanese ladies who have come to volunteer at the home. They usually come for a two-year term, and we have befriended some of them and have had the opportunity to share gospel literature with them in their native tongue.
Work in the far west of the country in the province of Chiriqui continues with Marcos & Sara Sequera. Construction on their new hall in the village of Doelga is progressing well, and the believers there are looking forward to using it in the New Year. Gospel work continues in the city of David and the village of Dos Rios and surrounding areas with Bible classes and gospel preaching and young people's outreach. Recently they had a two day camp for the teens, and it was a profitable outreach with a good number in attendance.
Winter 2015
Written by Byrne & Lois Foreshew - Panama