Gayton In the Mission Field

Hola, Gayton! 

We arrived in Panama to the warmest welcome you can imagine and were so grateful to be greeted at the airport by our friends late Saturday night. It has certainly felt like coming home. Sunday was full in the best way and set the tone for the week ahead.

We gathered for church and celebrated many joyful milestones all at once. Sydnee’s birthday, Katie’s graduation this year, an engagement and a new home for some of our Panamanian friends. We also had the honor of presenting the gift of Bibles to First Baptist of Pedregal. We heard a powerful word from the book of Joshua on sanctification and shared communion together. Afterward we were treated to fellowship with food and games. Watching everyone laugh and connect reminded us why community matters so much. Pastor Bryon jumped right in and had a great time with the young adults! 

We started the week strong with Vacation Bible School serving nearly 200 kids between both churches. Today’s lesson came from the book of Luke and focused on celebrating Jesus. The kids made palm leaves and learned about Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. 

While VBS was happening Pastor Bryon spent the day on the construction site where the new church continues to rise one block at a time. Walls are going up with plans to build high enough for windows and eventually an enclosure so the space can be used for services and events. Everything is still very much under construction but the vision is underway and progress is being made.

We are blessed to be here with our Panamanian family and already feel so thankful for how the week has begun. We appreciate your prayers as we continue to serve, learn, and grow together and we hope you enjoy following along!

Panama Mission Team

Hi, Gayton! 

Each day of Vacation Bible School has been a success, with kids showing up eager, joyful, and ready to learn. Serving them day after day has been a reminder of why we came. God is moving in beautiful ways.

We celebrated Sydnee’s birthday together on Tuesday, which was a lot of fun! We learned about a Panamanian birthday cake tradition where the birthday person gets the center of the cake. 

Wednesday’s craft was a hit. The kids made shields to represent the armor of God’s love, and they took so much pride in their work. Watching them carefully decorate their shields and hearing them explain what the shield meant was powerful. It was a tangible reminder that God’s love protects them and goes with them wherever they are.

That evening, we gathered for prayer service and were encouraged by a message from Isaiah 43. A reminder that God goes before us, that we do not walk alone, and that we are known and called by name.

We also spent time reading in Acts 1, reflecting on Jesus’ promise that we would receive power through the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses. That truth felt especially meaningful as we served, reminding us that this work is not done in our own strength, but through the power God provides. Following prayer service, we had fellowship time over ice cream and shared many laughs. 

This week has been full, not just with activity, but with purpose. Long days, joyful noises, tired feet, and grateful hearts. We are thankful for every child served, every conversation shared, and every reminder that God is present in it all.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. 

Panama Mission Team

Hola Gayton!

We rounded out our week in Panama with full hearts and joyful exhaustion after serving nearly 200 children each day between both churches. Friday was especially powerful as the kids made resurrection tomb crafts and celebrated together shouting “Jesús ha resucitado” (Jesus has risen!) Watching their faces light up as they connected the story of the empty tomb to the hope of the gospel was one of the most moving moments of the week.

That afternoon flowed straight into a beautiful closing ceremony filled with singing dancing and so much laughter. Pastor Bryan jumped right in and quickly learned the dances! Later we shared dinner together and gathered again for Bible study where the young adults got to connect. It was a refreshing time of fellowship and reflection on everything God had done during the week.

On Saturday our Panamanian friends treated us to a visit to Mi Pueblita a historical village that tells the story of Panama through its indigenous roots the people who helped build the canal and the impact of colonization. It was meaningful to see the country’s history honored in such a thoughtful way. We enjoyed lunch together and soaked in our final hours before preparing to head home on Sunday.

The construction project also has exciting updates ahead and we are prayerful and expectant about what God will continue to build there both physically and spiritually. Even as we leave the work continues. Our Panama team is taking the crafts and lessons we used this week to another Bible school in Colombia next week so please be praying for safe travels and for God to move powerfully through those efforts as well.

We are deeply grateful for every conversation, every laugh, every prayer, and every child we had the privilege to serve. Panama will always feel like family and this week will forever be a reminder of what it looks like when God works through us. 

See you soon!