Thanksgiving with the Indians in La Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá

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Monday, November 19th

Pap pen pentake! (God bless you!) This week we are having a crash course in Kuna language and culture! I'm soooo excited! I've always said that I wanted to learn another language. I can't wait to see what I'm going to learn!!

We are also going to try to work on e-mail this week, but this is a great time to spend with this family too! We went to buy groceries today to help out this week. We asked Lonnie what he had been longing for from the States so that we could fix it. He said, "Chili and cherry pie." I have a really good recipe for Chili (Thanks to Francis Herndon in Thomasville, GA.), so we got the ingredients for that. I have no idea how to make a cherry pie, so I just got stuff to make other desserts.

Roxany, another of Lonnie and Nana's children, was at home when we got back from the grocery store, and she was so excited about helping me cook!! We made brownies together, and Nana watched. Nana didn't know how to use the oven, so she was interested in learning!

Then Roxany and I worked on some English homework that she had...she's got a 98 in the class! Pretty impressive!

Nana also made a beaded bracelet for Chris too!! I'm amazed at her talent!!

Tuesday, November 20th

Chris and Lonnie spent a lot of time talking today...God was really moving! Lonnie wants to get the whole family together to pray about what God would have them to do! He's ready to take a step of faith! He just needs God's direction as to what that step is! He worked as a translator for 8 years on the islands for teams that came down. He also coordinated all of the logistics for the teams. It was a lot of work, so he gave it up. Yet at the same time, he knows that God has given him 3 languages, so he's not sure what to do.

While Chris and Lonnie were talking, Eliseo and I were working on his blog for La Comarca Kuna Yala. It's all his work, I just showed him how to set up the pages and load pictures. He's really proud of all that his grandparents did, and he wants to be able to share that with others. Check it out if you get a chance...he's tried really hard to have it all in English http://www.comarcakunayala.blogspot.com/

We worked on the internet for a bit today. Nana also taught me how to sew for just a short time! I need lots of practice to be as good as Nana!!

Roxany and I cooked together again today (Yoceline always wants to help too!!)...we made chocolate chip cookies. We also played spoons with Eliseo, Yoceline, and Chris! Tons of fun!!

Wednesday, November 21st

Today we heard the story of how Lonnie and Nana eloped...he stole her away in airplane!! We've been learning bits and pieces of their stories over the course of this week!

We worked on the internet again today...trying to get some communication in before we are off the radar for a couple of weeks or maybe even a month!

Tonight we went to church...we had prayer meeting. We sang a few choruses and poured our hearts out to the Lord in prayer...for the church, the community, and the families of those who were present! After the service, Hna. Amelita invited us to spend the day with her on Friday. That should be exciting! We'll see what happens!

Thursday, November 22nd

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! We love y'all all! We hope you had an awesome day with your families! We missed ours a ton! Praise the Lord for the family of God or we would have been really sad! I fixed Chili for lunch and we all sampled a bit of it!!! Nana and I made toast...they like to eat it, but again she wasn't sure how to use the oven! I was glad I could teach her something...she's amazingly talented, and I've learned a ton from her this week!

Roxany and I made a Hershey's Pie last night that we all enjoyed this afternoon! (Thanks, Mrs. Bonnie in Milton, Florida for the recipe!)

Then I went with Nana and Baudelia to buy more string to make salvation bracelets. When we got back, Chris and I went to work on the internet again!! It's been a blessing to be able to e-mail all week and to make some phone calls on Skype! (Lonnie has a computer with internet at their house, so we've been able to call for $0.02 per minutes verse $0.20 or $0.30. Praise God for provision!! We've enjoyed talking to our parents twice this week!!

We played spoons again last night...it's become a nightly tradition!!

Friday, November 23rd

Today we walked to the bus stop to meet Hna Amelita. She took us to Marañon which is a really poor neighborhood on the other side of the city. She works with Zoraida (another sister) to minister to kids in this neighborhood. We met Zoraida and her kids Martin, Zori, and Chayil. Martin was on his way to school, but the rest of us went to the mall. Hna Ameliat wanted to buy us lunch and show us around.

From there they took us to El Camino, a Christian bookstore. We met the owner, Ricardo, and his daughter. He was interested to hear our testimony, and he shared of the miraculous healing from God that his daughter experienced. He asked if he could pray for us, and we prayed for their ministry at the bookstore! Wow! Praise God for divine appointments! While we were there, we also picked up materials to carry out to La Comarca Kuna Yala. Normally we are walking and can't carry any extra weight, but this time we can't walk...it will be by boat, so we have Bible studies to leave with the pastors that they can share with one another. Yea!!! When we dropped Zoraida off at her house, she wanted to give us some Gospels of John...we were shocked to see so many, but we know God has a plan!! We're really excited about what God is going to do out there!

Saturday, November 24th

This morning after breakfast, one of Nana's friends (Arnulfia) came over. She made a beaded bracelet for Chris and for me with our names on them!! She started sharing her testimony with us. Then she told us that Ledisi and Line who were with her had never made a decision for Jesus. Chris and I thought about the bracelets. I went to get them and walked them through the plan of salvation. They both prayed to accept Jesus! Lonnie went back over it with them in Kuna to make sure that they understood everything! Praise God! Please pray for God to send people to disciple these girls! They are going to church tomorrow with Arnulfia!!! When we asked the girls if they had a Bible, they told us that they didn't. How perfect is God's timing?! We had all those Gospels of John!!! So we gave each of them one and talked a little more before they had to go home!! What an awesome God we serve!!!

A majority of the family was here after lunch, so we talked about God's plan for their lives, shared together from God's Word, thanked them for their hospitality, and prayed together!!!

We've had such an awesome time with this family! We spent more time with them this afternoon, and then we worked a little on the internet. Tomorrow morning, we'll be heading out bright and early for La Comarca Kuna Yala! We're excited to see what God has in store! We don't believe that we'll be able to have any contact via phone, e-mail, or blog until we reach Colombia. Please pray for our safety and for us to be obedient to the things God reveals to us during this next leg of our journey!! We love y'all a ton! God bless you and keep you! Keep offering yourselves daily as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the Lord--this is your spiritual act of worship!

a) Chris and Lonnie...Chris is sporting his new hat...Nana did all of the work around the band! b) b) an close-up of the bracelet's Nana made us!!

a) Nana hard at work sewing a Mola b) Her Mola for Mother's Day (Dec 8th in Panamá)












a) one of Nana's molas up close b) RE getting a little practice with Baby Chayil












This week's flower!!