Saturday, January 17, 2009

God can do anything . . . Report from Mike Crowley, 1-17-2009










“God Can Do Anything”
As many of you know, we are in Panama City, Panama in a neighborhood called Brisas de Golf to assist our missionary, Walter Leonard, in reaching out to the lost in Panama. The approach that we are using is providing free opportunities for Panamanians to practice their conversational English skills. We are using “Let’s Start Talking” or LST materials which have selected passages from an easy to read version of the Gospel of Luke. Our task is to help bring out the theme, or “seed thought” in each lesson. The main “seed thought” for the entire series is “God Can Do Anything!” We have seen this truth displayed powerfully every day here in Panama! For example…
One of my early readers is a man named Edwin Garcia. The first day he was very skeptical of our program. He questioned Taylor is Spanish very intensely, continuing to ask if the program was really for free or if there was a “catch.” He left very skeptical and I honestly thought he would not return. To my absolute amazement he returned the next day, after leaving me on pins and needles by being about 20 minutes late. The next two days saw incredible discussions of infant baptism, and self-flagellation. By Friday I was opening my Bible and we were exploring English verses together!
Edwin brought his wife and children to our Friday night fellowship. Our party went well, providing many bridge building opportunities between us and our new friends, there’s nothing like a spirited game of bi-lingual Pictionary to create a lot of fun and laughter! After the clean up the entire team sat down with a fulfilling sense of exhausted contentment. Walter began to tell us an amazing story. It seems that Edwin has a degree in Psychology and Law. He has put his education to use by creating and leading a preschool with 6 teachers and about 45 students, including a summer program and after school daycare. He talked to Walter in an animated way as he explained that he was so excited about what he has been learning that next time we come, he wants us to use his school facilities for free! Air-conditioning, YES !! He has been telling his teachers and all the parents about the program. In fact, he invited one of the parents to our next course while he was giving us a tour of the facilities today! We immediately stopped last night upon hearing this news and bowed our heads in prayer in amazement and thanksgiving. God turned our greatest skeptic into our greatest recruiter. God Can Do Anything!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! God is awesome. I'm not amazed but in awe of just another example of how the Lord can use us if we only allow him. Thank you all for your faithfulness. Just want you to know that your brothers and sisters in Modesto are praying for you and the work you are doing. You efforts for the Lord are encouraging, we appreciate you.
Rick

PS. Perhaps we can make the camo shorts and "Panama" cowboy hat official community response team uniform, and Spam the official meat ( if it is meat )?

Anonymous said...

I am very happy that you are doing what God has sent us to do(spreading God word to those who do not know him as we do)keep up the good work wish I was there with you guys give Walter and his family my regards take care and God willing will see you guys soon, Jesse

Anonymous said...

Cool , these stories are truely amazing i get excited just reading them . I rejoice with joy knowing that the Lords work is being done world wide and to know that people are opening the door and allowing the Lord Jesus Christ into thier hearts that is awsome!!! progress "Making a diffrence one person at a time" Evryone there is doing a wounderfull job , I will continue praying for everyone , GOD BLESS.