News from Panama . . .

The Warden


We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the rest of our team. Lord willing we shoud be re-united tonight at about 10:30pm tonight at the airport to cheer their arrival. Already we veterans have some words of advice for the new arrivals to experience a smooth transition to tropical living. First of all, it is very important that you make friends with the Warden. Our first Monday here in Panama we discovered that Walter is the Warden of the house. I got up early to attempt to go for a run before the temperature rises to the typical suffocating humidity. As dawn was breaking, I prepared everything I needed for my trial run, “wick away clothing,” proper shoes, extra water etc. The other thing I was missing was a loud horn to blend into the typical Panamanian traffic, maybe next time. So… I was ready to embark. However, I discovered that each door is double dead bolted, each with their own individual key. The most important thing was that these deadbolts are key access only, whether from the outside or the inside. So there I was, already dressed up and ready to run, but no way to get out of the house! Bars secure the windows, steel double dead bolted doors, this place was locked up like a prison! Rather than wake Walter and Delores I just decided to pass on the run. With nothing else to do, Jack and I brewed some coffee in preparation for breakfast. By this time Terry and Taylor walked up to the door from the house where they are staying each night. Jack and I started laughing as we could not yet open the door, Walter was singing away in the shower! What could we do??? We opened the side windows by the door and handed them coffee to drink while we waited for Walter’s aquatic concert to end. So there was Terry and Taylor, sitting on the front steps drinking coffee while we visited with them through the iron bars of the window. Who knows, if we are especially well behaved, the Warden may let us out early!

Mike Crowley