PANAMA: Much More Than A Canal!

Panama | Debbie Meroff

The S-shaped country of Panama is the only place in the world where you can see the sun rise on the Pacific and set in the Atlantic. Its slender width—only 50 miles at its narrowest—is what made it the natural choice for a waterway shortcut that could save ships vast amounts of time and money. But although the Panama Canal is one of the world’s greatest engineering marvels and the top attraction on any sightseer’s list, this country has a lot more to offer. In fact, it was the construction of the Canal that led to Panama’s diverse and colourful population. Besides indigenous Indians and descendants of Spanish settlers, its two million residents include North Americans, East Indians, Chinese, and émigré families of European stock. Catholicism is the majority religion but Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and Protestants all have freedom to worship, too. Small wonder Panama is called the 10/40 Window of the Americas!

OM’s base, a five or six-hour drive from Panama City, is located in the beautiful highland province of Chiriqui, which in Indian dialect means “Valley of the Moon.” This is volcano territory, and the town where OM moved to in 2005 after starting in Panama City is called Volcán. Thankfully its volcano has long been dormant and the surrounding mountainous countryside is full of lush green farmland.

Moving OM’s office from the city to the country made strategic sense. Chiriqui sees only a fraction of the Christian activity of Panama City, and the province is close to two indigenous people groups. It also happens to be the home turf of Country Leader Roger Branda.

Before taking over his responsibility Roger spent six years on OM Ships, much of it helping with the line-up preparation of nineteen ship visits. On his very last assignment in Italy the Lord led him to Elisabetta, who later married Roger and accompanied him home. There the couple brought to life the dream of preparing Latinos for missions, starting OM ’s International School of Missions in 2002. Four years later the team began one and two-month “Mission Extreme” teams, attracting expatriot participation.

“’Mission’ to most Panamanian churches is receiving American missionaries!” explains Roger. “When they see OM they think it is a rich American organisation that they can get support from. They don’t know we have to pray every month to pay the rent! We ask staff for $150 support per month but they usually can’t raise it, even though they work hard at it. The only reason we’ve survived is OM Nepal. For the last five years they’ve sent us $300 a month.”

OM rents a two-story wooden house set in the pines. Besides functioning as an office it accommodates the International School of Missions, with beds for students, “Missions Extreme” visitors, and OM staff. The kitchen is a hub of activity as the team also provides a simple daily lunch to destitute people living nearby.

About two years ago, Roger felt challenged by the need of churchless American residents in the area to start a bilingual church. Lighthouse Church is a simple annex to the office, completely open on one side. Yet already the fellowship has grown to about eighty people, 80% of them new believers. Twenty travel all the way from the city of David an hour away. But this baby church is also a missionary church, eager to be involved in OM ’s ministries any way it can. Roger’s brother and sister-in-law not only help run the church but administer the food kitchen. Americans Charles and Connie testify, “God has given us a whole new family in OM. ” Their enthusiasm has brought many others to the church and they gladly volunteer their photography and cooking skills whenever needed.

Roger and Elisabetta are now praying about their family’s future direction. “I love OM,” asserts Roger, “but I also love the church and pioneer work. Our long term goal is to go to Italy, but we will stay at least three more years in Panama.”

Asked how believers in other places should intercede for Panama, Roger is thoughtful. “I wouldn’t really ask them to pray that people will start coming to Christ, because they’re coming! There are plenty of churches here. But the churches have to wake up to missions. We’re losing missionaries that could be sent to the rest of the world.” Pray that OM will be able to take advantage of the ministry potential that abounds in this unusual part of Central America!

See www.ompanama.org for more information.

Credit: Debbie Meroff
© 2008 Debbie Meroff