Hindsight in 2020Just days before Christmas, after much consideration, we decided to travel as a family to the small Emberá village of La Reserva on the Congo River in Panama’s Darien jungle. It would be our first family mission trip since covid-19 ushered in the “new normal,” and our kids were ecstatic. Kalea, 10, and Joshua, 5, eagerly wrapped a large box filled with candy and goodies to resemble a large Christmas present and securely fixed a rope from the inside so the package could withstand numerous blows from giggling, blindfolded children. Meanwhile, I carefully chose every tool I might possibly need to deal with potential glitches and install the new water pump that would send crystalline, cool water from a spring-box to the storage tank and subsequently into everyone’s homes. Colleen prepared some food and water and packed snorkel masks in case our kids would have the chance to accompany the local kids spear fishing. We practiced songs and packed the car to leave before dawn the following day. We’re not the first missionaries to engage with the people of La Reserva, but things have changed a lot over the years. In fact, among the first are our dear friends, John and Janice Goertz. They arrived by bush plane some 40 years ago, visiting regularly, planting and watering the first seeds of the Gospel. Years later, the Goertz family and so many others were expelled from Panama under duress by the militant regime in power. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9Suarez was 13 years old then. Now he is 52, the elder in his community for those that “give the hand to God” and also president of the nascent water committee. The old air strip is covered in stilted shacks, having been washed clean of the previous homes a few years ago by a flood. And there is a dirt road that makes it most of the way to the community. We would arrive by surprise…
not our choice, but because there is no way to call. After 2 ½ hours of driving from our remote home that is already located in the region, we arrived at an unfamiliar sight. Fresh, loose, red dirt covered the steep descent that is the last leg of the journey. We hesitantly ventured a little further to find brother Suarez and chief Adriano watching a bulldozer carve the path into some semblance of a road. A warm greeting turned to a curious grin as I lowered the tinted windows and our children smiled and introduced themselves. I’m not sure that any children that are not their families had ever visited their community before, and although I had been several times, my family only existed in theory… but we were not there yet. And now a decision must be made, weighing a multitude of factors. The road beyond the dozer was impassable by car and it would be a 1 hour hike in the sweltering heat. The village elders were obligated to accompany the road work. We had a lot to carry. The air conditioning of the car was going out. (an area where the flesh can impose on the emotion and even the spirit!) The kids were begging to continue on to the village. I was thinking of having to carry them back. We were so close to getting the water system up and running. It should be the dry season, but if it rained we would be stuck there indefinitely and were not prepared for such. Colleen and I looked to the heavens, literally and figuratively. We set a date with Suarez and Adriano to return the following Sunday, and we said goodbye. Our 4x4 clawed up the hill through the loose dirt, and as we reached the hard-pack on the ridgeline overlooking the valley it began to rain. We prayed for the car A/C, which felt sort of weird, but desperately wanted. And although it didn’t resuscitate immediately, the thermostat unstuck hours later as we were arriving home, and it’s colder than ever! Hallelujah!!!The following Sunday coincided with an unexpected, pandemic-inspired national lockdown… irrelevant of the local situation. And although we can travel as health workers, we deemed it unwise because there would be no one else traveling in the region, which is only sparsely traversed on the busiest of days. We prepared to go the following day, Monday, unaware that the community was diligently preparing for our arrival on Sunday, weaving a decorative thatch wall as a backdrop in the communal house and painting young and old alike in the traditional body dye “jagua,” which is made of a particular tree nut. Kalea loves to get painted, and most of her dolls have been tattooed in Emberá tradition, from the corners of the mouth down, by permanent marker. On Monday morning we had a very early breakfast… and then it started to rain. Now what? We prayed and thought and prayed as an hour slipped by. So many things to consider. With much uncertainty, we removed from the car all but the water pump, tools, and emergency provisions for staying overnight, and I headed out alone. Some 2 ½ hours later Suarez was waiting on me at the top of the mountain, and he hopped in the car for the final leg of the journey. “Can we make it all the way?” “Of course, it’s been sunny!” he smiled, and I pretended to fully believe him. I’ve learned the hard way to take the driving counsel of people that don’t drive with a grain of salt. We slid down the muddy hill and past the bulldozer which had broken a few days before after mostly finishing the initial “cut”. “Looks like it rained,” I said. “Yes, all afternoon yesterday,” Suarez conceded too late to be taken into consideration. I knew that my return was dependent on whether or not the sun baked the hill that morning. I had made the final river crossing into the village the previous year and was hoping to avoid carrying the tools and pump any farther than necessary. Suarez encouraged me to cross the river, so we lumbered through a pool and over the first expanse of rocks towards the main channel. Just before committing with the nose of the car, a woman dressed in her traditional skirt that was washing laundry nearby waved me down and explained that the ever-changing rocky subsurface was “false” this year and sucked up horses to their knees. I guess I still haven’t learned my lesson, but the Lord is merciful. I smiled at Suarez and threw it in reverse. As we walked into the village with our load, I felt like a real goat… realizing that young and old had been prepared and waiting on us yesterday… and I apologized profusely and repeatedly. It didn’t help at all that I was alone, a big letdown compared to bringing one’s family. I don’t know how ubiquitous the saying “pay you a visit” is, but it has given us a lot of thought in recent years. To visit someone in the U.S. South has always been a favor and honor to bestow on another. Now, it is less common. In rural Panama, it is still held in the old light. And if I’m honest, it’s a challenge for our family when people show up unannounced as a “favor” to us, particularly if I’m exhausted from a trip and busy trying to write a blog ?. Ironically, when North Americans come down just to visit us, it is typically refreshing and rejuvenating. Go figure. Anyway, given the choice between having running water in their homes or putting it off another month and getting a visit from my wife and kids, I think they would opt for the visit. …Not because we’re great (I must remind my ego), but just because their culture and worldview places a higher value on a visit than my engineering. I had taken letters and Bible studies, but it wasn’t cutting it. They’ve been toting water in gourds and buckets since the Goertzes were here… what’s another few weeks? Where are your wife and kids?I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 2 John 1:12But all I had to offer that day was water, so the men joined me and glued the pipe as I wired the pump, while the women and kids asked repeatedly when my family would arrive. The sun baked the mountain road as well as the solar panels that power the water pump, and I said goodbye as the tank filled… a success, but also a failure. Hindsight is 20/20, right? Well, unpredictability is the norm out here, pre-dating any pandemic, and rendering the saying doubly true. No insurance (home, crop, life, health, or otherwise) and few guarantees for the majority. But the adage may take on additional meaning as 2021 unfolds and we grapple with the short and long term implications of 2020 and how covid-19, like it or not, is changing our world. What will Church look like? What is the Lord doing? How can he use me? How is the evil one trying to distract me or thwart the good works that God has prepared in advance? It seems that fear was a favorite choice in the evil one’s tool bag last year. We rebuke that fear and declare hope… Hope in Jesus… Hope in the history that has already been written. History that was, is, and will be. We hope our “dry season” stops its fickle behavior soon. We hope for protection and wisdom in this unique time to invest our time well. We hope to take the piñata, toothbrushes, and goodies that are beside me to the village soon. We hope to encourage the believers in La Reserva by paying them a visit as a family. And we hope that every believer in Christ will discover and embrace the good works that God has prepared for each one in advance. (Ephesians 2:10) If you’d like to receive our email updates and hopefully see that piñata burst in 2021, please sign up for our email list (or get in touch to discern how the Lord may lead you support this ministry… perhaps by paying us a visit!)The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9- Foster family 2020PGJyLz4=Urgent NeedsTreacherous trails where children and the elderly carry water, powerful currents that betray even the familiar, deadly preventable diseases, and spiritual darkness. These things are not the inevitable inheritance of the next generation in Darién, Panamá.We invite you to partner with us to transform this forgotten region with clean water for homes and living water for hearts… in Jesus’ name. Send us an encouraging message, pray with us, or come join us.https://gcfcanada.comwp-content/uploads/2021/01/Faith-And-Fruit-Blog-kids-playing-1.jpgPGJyLz4=PGJyLz4=US Donors Click HerePGJyLz48YnIvPg==

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PC9icj48L2JyPg==PC9icj48L2JyPg==Our MinistryOur purpose is to engage in holistic, sustainable development among the needy of Latin America while preaching Christ as Lord and Savior. We strive to begin with community-expressed needs and community assets, the methodology which empowers others both physically and spiritually. We mobilize and multiply technical expertise in water and sanitation, agriculture, and technology to serve marginalized peoples, particularly indigenous.Thank You For Your Prayers & SupportPlease pray for health, safety, and God’s provision in the midst of these challenging times. Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers and support.PC9icj4=Learn More About Our MinistryPC9icj48L2JyPg==