Team Leader, Kenny Davis, shares this team report from his recent trip to Panama.
I was Blessed to be part of a wonderful team that ministered in the area of David, Panama from June 30th through July 7th 2010. 
This was a 10 person team made up of 7 members of Bethel Baptist church, 2 members of Freedom Baptist church and 1 member of Peytontown Baptist church.
The IMB personnel we worked with were Kenny and Cheryl Morris and Keith and Glenna Bartley. Kenny and Cheryl are the missionaries that we began our Tates Creek partnership with, and Keith and Glenna are new to Panama but not Latin America as they have previously served in Guatemala. Both of these couples were wonderful to work with and have a heart for ministry and a burden and commitment to make Christ known to the people of Panama.
Of the 10 people this was the first international mission trip for 4 of them. It was a joy to see these first timers be “bitten by the missions bug”. Each of them have expressed a desire to be part of another team in the future.
We were originally scheduled to arrive in Panama on June 29th but due to mechanical problems with our plane from Lexington to Atlanta we ended up having to spend the night in a hotel in Lexington on June 29th. This delay did not cost us any ministry time it just made for a very long and tiring day on Thursday July 1st. We left Panama City at 6:00am and traveled to an Ngobe Indian village about 2 hours outside the city of David, Panama. This journey took about 8 hours.
After our arrival we were able to minister in this village in several ways, myself, Larry Freeman and James Hardin were asked to preach in a conference on the subject of holiness and accountability. Initially this was going to be for the men of the village but at the last minute it was decided that the women would be included in these sessions as well. The ladies on the team conducted a session for the children of the village that included crafts and Bible stories. This was a wonderful time of ministry and blessing for our ladies and the children of the village.
At the Ngobe Indian Village
Just as we arrived in the village a light rain began to fall, before we were through ministering it was coming a torrential down pour accompanied by lightning and thunder that at times made it difficult to be heard as we preached. Following 4 hours of ministry time in this village we walked about one half miles through the pouring rain back to our vehicles to begin the rest of our journey into the city of David. We learned on the first day the reason the IMB missionaries urge everyone to have an umbrella handy at all times. The ride to David was hazardous. Kenny Morris stated that the storm was one of the worst he had ever driven in. We arrived in David around 8:30 pm and checked into our rooms.
The next day we began working with a national pastor named Ricardo Saldaña. Brother Ricardo is planting a new church in his neighborhood. Our team worked from Friday until Sunday in this area.
We were involved in Prayer walking and in house to house Gospel distribution. At the services in Pastor Ricardo’s home on Sunday we saw several of those we had visited in their homes present.
I must take a minute to compliment this team on their Christ like nature and genuine desire to be a blessing to the people of Panama. We fed several of our Panamanian brothers and sisters from our on ground expense money. Each time we had the opportunity to minister to these folks and break bread with them this team was so very gracious. We also took up a love offering among the team to help buy 20 plastic chairs so that all who came to Pastor Ricardo’s house church would have a place to sit. Praise God all chairs were full on Sunday morning!
Our original plans called for us to be part of a Baptismal service at a local creek or river for some of the new converts that Pastor Ricardo had won to Christ. These plans were changed due to the heavy rainfall and the fact that all the creeks and rivers were too high and flowing much too fast.
I had been asked to preach on the meaning and importance of Baptism. Even though we were unable to actually hold a Baptism service, IMB missionary Kenny Morris and Pastor Ricardo asked that I preach this message as planned. It was well received.
Sundays service brought to an end our time of “official” ministry in Panama but I am thankful to report that even as we made our way back to Panama City over the next two days the team was continually seeking ways to make Christ known to all we came in contact with.
In conclusion the witnessing opportunities and the openness of the people to hear about Christ is different in Panama than it was on my previous trips to Africa. The difference being that the people of Panama are in a Catholic culture and many of them are “cultural” Catholics. By this I mean they are bound by tradition passed from generation to generation, but do not have a personal relationship with Christ. With that being said we saw approximately 10 “decisions” in our times of Gospel presentation.
In doing an analysis of our work in Panama I see that it is going to be very important to make certain that the national pastor does a thorough follow up on any “decision” made as a result of all Gospel presentations.
I am honored that God allowed me to be a part of this team, much less lead this group of believers as they lived out the Great Commission!
Serving the Unchanging Christ
Kenny Davis Jr.
Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
