Friday, July 18, 2008

DVD of Panama Trek 2008 Now Available

Mission Trek International's DVD of the high lights of the recent Panama Trek is now available - and it's FREE!
The video is 35 minutes long and has 7 episodes that cover the different locations and aspects of the June 2008 trek to Panama. Contact MTI for your own copy:

Mission Trek International
7112 NE Emerson St.
Portland, OR 97218
Andrew Burnett
503-256-2043

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Salt Creek Outreach - Bocas del Toro Region

We had been in the Bocas Region for a few days working with the Kapsar Family at the YWAM Base on the isle de Bastimentos. Sunday we got situated, then Monday and Tuesday it rained hard so we did some excavating and poured half of the basement floor at the ywam base (all work done by hand - including mixing the concrete!). Wednesday we did most of the work on installing the water system at a neighboring village and we had plans to go back the next day, but the weather turned beautiful so we all hopped in the Kapsar's Panga Boat and headed out to the eastern end of Bastimentos.We stopped for gas along the way, the guy siphoned the gas out of 55 gallon drums into 5 gallon buckets, then used a smaller bucket to ladle the gas into our gas tanks - something else! Then across the bay and into the mangroves. Salt Creek was pretty big in comparison to some of the other villages we had seen. It was spread out over several hundred acres with a school in the center of it all. First we talked to a local Pastor and prayed for his eye - which was badly infected. He suggested with take the children's coloring books and Bible story books to the School and see if the teacher would give them out to the students. The local school serves children up to 8th grade and had 175 students.

On the way to the school we stopped by a local craft shop where we found two men having a bible study. Another gringo (he was a property manager of some vacation homes in the area) had come by the village and was sharing with the local artisan about Jesus. We chatted a bit and went on to the school. When we arrived, most of the kids were gone but we talked to one teacher and the principal who assured us that the materials we had brought would be given to the children.

On the way back to the base several of our group went snorkeling, Andrew even tried his hand at spearfishing but we had to settle for buying a few small lobsters to augment our dinner fare! The local folks had been very friendly, they seem to be a happy people for the most part. We all agreed that we would like to come back to Salt Creek again when we were in the area.

Check out the Kim and Dale Kapsar's blog - http://www.agapeinpanama.blogspot.com/

Check out this video of the Salt Creek Outreach:

Sunday, July 13, 2008

"Living Water" for Children at Bocas del Toro

(Written by Jennifer Cabezon - Jennifer and Alex are Youth With A Mission Panama and Mission Trek International Team Members)
Bocas del Toro means "mouths of the bull", a name that Christopher Colombus gave to an area of the Panama coast. The area has many islands, and the bays and inlets he assumed to be the mouths of rivers. The roaring of the waves on the coral reefs reminded him of a bull, and so the name.
We were in Bocas del Toro (or just Bocas) this last week with a team from Oregon, installing a system that will provide clean drinking water to a small community near a YWAM outpost there.
The community had a system that brought water from a nearby stream, but at every rain the water would turn muddy, and the people would not be able to drink it or cook. When you consider that Bocas recieves about 350 inches of rain per year, you can understand why that would be a problem. The community had requested YWAM's help with the project, and so we teamed up with Mission Trek International and Eternal Perspective Ministries to buy the materials and complete the project. Not long ago a small baby had contracted a bad case of diarrhea, most likelyfrom the water, and died soon afterwards. This kind of thing is not unusual and seemed to awaken the community to the need.
The small village is on land owned by one man. The others came to the area when they found work with a nearby luxery housing development. The workers went on strike last year over unfair wages, and now the whole project is at a standstill. So, the people don't have any work, or anywhere to go. They had uprooted their families to come at this promise of steady work, and now are at a dead end.
As the men were working on the water project, Abigail and I got to know some of the ladies and children. We passed out some coloring books, and talking about life in the village. Abigail is a great conversation starter, and seemed to enjoy the attention.
The project was a success, and the day we left it was pouring down rain, so as we speak they should be opening the faucet to drinking water that won't make them sick. Some from the village also have been attending church services now held at the YWAM house. We hope that many others would also find the water of life that will never leave them thristy again.

Check out Alex and Jennifer Cabezon's blog - www.cabezonywam.blogspot.com

If you would like to help a village with a "Living Water" project like this one, contact us at Mission Trek International.

Check out this great video of the "Living Water" Project in Bocas del Toro