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cptlnpanamaLHM Panama ministry center anniversary.
This year 2011, the ministry of Christ For All Nations is celebrating 15 years of legal status in the Republic of Panama and 25 years serving the Lord Jesus Christ in this country proclaiming His Word, serving His people and this community.
As part of the celebration, we have organized several activities. With these activities we hope to have more impact and presence in the Lutheran churches in our country. Among the activities we are planning a special anniversary blog, a special worship to give thanks to God for this anniversary, a promotional tour in congregations and a lunch with the pastors of our churches. We thank God for these 15 years because “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
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INVITATIONFROM EMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH, SORA.
Emmanuel Lutheran Congregation, located in the community of Sorá, invited this ministry to share a special message from the Word of God based on Father’s Day celebration in our country. This invitation was a great opportunity given by the Lord to bring a word of encouragement and to share a fraternal moment with our brothers and the Construction Manager, Brother Kenneth Peterson, person in charge of the work. We pray for our brothers of Emmanuel Congregation, especially for God’s blessing upon the renewal that this congregation is going through.
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SUNDAY MESSAGE IN GLORIA DEI CONGREGATION, LOS ANDES.
The Rev. Ruben Avila cordially invited to the ministry to share a special message based on the Word of God to Gloria Dei Lutheran Congregation, located in the community of Los Andes No. 2. The message given was related to the theme of the family, it is precisely in this month of June, in which in our country the family is honored and recognized in a special way for its importance for the society. Sharing this message was also an opportunity to support Pastor Avila, as he was outside the country due to his participation in an event related to the Missions. By giving this support with the message shared in the Sunday worship, the ministry shows its desire to be the first to give support the work of the Lutheran Church in Panama.
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PASTOR JOSE ANGEL FERNANDEZ VISITS CPTLN.
The ministry received the nice of Rev. José Angel Fernández, in order to know the programs that will take place during this new fiscal year. Other issues were discussed with the Rev. Fernandez, the anniversary of the Ministry and future events to support the Jesús Divino Salvador Lutheran Congregation. He was also a time of prayer and reflection for the reality of the church and its needs. We pray for this church and its desire to evangelize.
Rev. Fernandez took the visit to invite the minister to share a special message based on the Word of God during the Sunday service on Sunday July 3.
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LHM-PANAMA GROWS.
One of the most active volunteers and supporters of the ministry, the Rev. Demetrio Perez, has joined the team of LHM-Panama. This strategic alliance seeks to directly support the planting of the Church in the community of Nueva Esperanza in Las Nubes (Bethel Mission), and to the programs that the ministry develops in the community and congregations. Rev. Pérez will support as facilitator with Project Joel, during the special activities of this program, and during the main events where “a pastoral voice” is needed. We pray for the Rev. Perez and his participation in this ministry.
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I’ll say it singing contest continues to advance.
With the participation of a large number of enthusiastic young people, four music teachers and the supervision work by the volunteer Nelson Araúz, the contest has been developed in five schools, Christian singing contest sponsored by Project Joel, “I’ll say it singing.”
Part of the first phase has already been done (promotion and registration), and now the training is being presented and the auditions are being realized, for later making selections of young people who will represent their schools. Sin Fronteras School and El Buen Pastor School were the first places where this competition has made great strides, taking today to six contestants chosen. Teachers, who are part of the competition, contribute with their knowledge and time, guiding and supporting young people during practices. This competition will be performing through the month of September, the month in which it will hold a closing event to celebrate the anniversary of Project Joel, and which will give recognition to the three best singers.
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BIBLE COURSE GOD IS OUR FATHER (dynamic of the Cross).
The Bible course for children, “God is our Father” is being developed by the students of Jesús en losPobresSchool, located in the area of Loma Coba. The study is being led byPastor Demetrio Pérezfrom Bethel Lutheran Mission and Mrs. Griselda Aguilar, CPTLN team member and member of Lutheran Church of Loma Coba, in each classroom. To complement the teaching and to encourage children, they realized a dynamic titled “Dynamic of the Cross”, which involves working on a white sheet while they learn the history of salvation, and at the end the students have a cross that reminds them of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. This dynamic is very motivating, because the lessons learned throughout the course are reinforced.
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BIBLE COURSE TOWARDS A NEW LIFE.
It has been several years the ministry had been working in schools with the purpose of sharing God’s love and message of hope and Christian values to young people, and to this day the conditions to study the Bible with many students are possible. The Bible Studies are not mandatory and the activities are performed during leisure time and with the approval of teachers and parents.
Studies are “Towards a new life” and “History of Creation.” Students are supervised by an assigned professor while a Project Joel facilitator makes the follow up.
When the study is completed, the student receives a certificate acknowledging the work carried out successfully. It is exhilarating to know that this certificate is very appreciated by the students. To date, 237 students have graduated between 2010 and 2011.
In the month of June began a series of training to a target population of 4,500 students, which we hope to have 200 students interested in Bible study.
Professor Susana Pérez says, “The best we can do for young people is to bring them to the Word of God, because that can have a very large positive impact on their lives.”
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SCHOOL FOR PARENTS.
Approximately 500 parents from the area of San Miguelito, have been assisted by the project “School for Parents” developed in conjunction with Sin Fronteras School and El Buen Pastor School, which started in June.
Once a month, parents are invited to a seminar at the same time they are informed about their children’s academic development.
A few weeks ago, a large group of these parents participated in the seminar “Anger Management” in El Buen Pastor School, theme based on the booklet produced by the ministry. There were a very positive reaction from parents, providing an opportunity for prayer, the singing and the witness of Christian faith.
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VOLUNTEER.
Thank God for the month of June, because the team of volunteers who support Project Joel grew up. In this group we add parents, educators and students, forming a “chain of social service” that glorifies and exalts the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, participating enthusiastically.
We have as models Sixto Guevara, a young product of the work of God in his life through the support of Project Joel, his work schedule starts at 10.00 am, giving him enough time to work several days a week with the ministry in Pedro J. Sossa School, near where he works, school where he is developing a Program of Bible Reading teaming with Teacher Norma Morales, a program that he develops with the students of the school; the professor Susana Pérez from Jerónimo De La Ossa School, responsible of the Values Commission, has adopted the Project Joel Curriculum to develop it during the annual period of classes in this school. Although Professor Pérez add additional hours to her day job, she continues to feel satisfaction and joy, as it does for the Lord; and Mr. Olmedo Madrigal, who for almost 15 years has maintained support as a volunteer in ministry.
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BIBLE READING PROGRAM.
From early, Teacher Norma Morales greets children in the classroom, starting the day with reading the Bible. Teacher Norma is responsible for the Values Department, which allows her to share positive and valuable messages to all students of the school where she works. She and Project Joel have developed a strategy that allows children to read the Bible throughout the school years. To achieve this goal, the ministry conducted the task using Christian children’s video, dynamics and a team of volunteers who perform this task with much love and joy for children. Two of these volunteers are Sixto Guevara and Nelson Araúz, in charge of this task is a success, with the help of God.
Teacher Norma says, “It is a truly integral education that children receive through the reading of the Bible, in a way they understand. This prepares them to live their entire lives and eternity. “
This strategy involves reading books from the Old to the New Testament carefully and unhurriedly, allowing a complete and comprehensive tour of Biblical passages.
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SEMINAR THE BIBLE AND VALUES.
Jerónimo dela Ossa School serves a large student population, both in the morning shift and in the afternoon shift. Student groups from both shifts received voluntary information from the Nelson Araúz, a student of the career of “medical emergency” related to his work in the fourth Medical Emergency Hospital Santo Thomas and his testimony as a Christian, applying Christian values in your life. This served to students not only hear his words about the work they do, but most of all, the words of a young man who gives his testimony as a follower of Christ. Teachers and students present were touched in a very motivating; getting the message from the Word of God, even some students of the school also gave testimony.
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Classrooms visited by Mc Lobo.
One of the methodologies that have worked best when sharing a teaching, a talk or a presentation on a specific topic, is to visit students in each classroom. The time of this visit is about an hour, it is coordinated with teachers. During the month of June, the theme “Learning to Care” was developed with support of Mc Wolf puppet, and Mc Wolf is not a big bad wolf that we see in the stories, the image Mc Wolf gives children is a Christian wolf who likes to advise children, while developing the assigned topic.
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FAMILY CELEBRATION IN BETHEL LUTHERAN MISSION.
The Ministry center and Bethel Lutheran Mission held a family celebration to emphasize the importance of family unity and God’s desire that all people are His children and enable them to let Him to be in their homes and their lives. We have the participation of dozens of people, mostly children, who were touched with the message of the Word of God and enjoyed singing and praising God.
The devotional message was shared by Pastor Demetrio Perez, from Bethel Lutheran Mission, while the animations, songs about family and the praises to God were led by a dynamic team of volunteers consisting of Zaira, Jasmine, Benjael, Maggi and Yajaira, who at all times motivated children who were very happy singing, dancing and raising their little hands. The older youth recited Bible verses, participated in the drama “The Prodigal Son” and sang enthusiastically.
It was wonderful to watch the volunteers developing so beautiful work for the Lord, because these young people, years ago were children who were also attended by the Lutheran congregation, and now are young people who witness and serve God with their gifts and talents.
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CELEBRATING THE DAY OF THE PSYCHOLOGIST.
Members of the Mental Health Network, of which the CPTLN ministry is part, met in order to plan the seminar will be presenting to a new group of would-be custodians of our country’s prison system. This seminar will be held in July 5 and 6 at the University of the Americas.
Similarly, the opportunity was taken to celebrate the Day of Psychologists, which was held nationwide on June22. In this way, the Network recognized the work that each one of the members, and are psychologists, develop in their respective institutions and the community.
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Bringing Christ to CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THE HOSPITAL.
When the ministry came to the hospital where, as on other occasions, take place the work of encouragement and hope to share with the patients, a large number of people we found, making the health system working at full capacity. In each little bed we could see babies, very young, and older children accompanied by their parents, who, as we approached the Puppet Theatre, smiled cheerfully, showing that emotion in their eyes, an emotion reflecting a wonderful innocence that illuminated them.
In the midst of their illness, these kids really enjoyed the message given by the song “Father Abraham has many children”, their hearts filled with joy. Thank the Lord for the way in which these children can be encouraged in their health circumstances.
The booklet “Responsible Fatherhood” was given to the parents present, as Mr. Antonio, who at that time was caring for her young daughter. We witnessed his suffering … unable to express a word. We offered to say a prayer for him and his child, which he accepted with his head affirming his need to pray. We do not know why this man was distressed, but we saw how prayer to God and willing heart gave comfort and relief in those moments of sadness. What a blessing the Lord gives us by allowing us to pray for these children and comfort their parents, sharing the message of the Word of God inviting them to pray for their families and may God increase their faith.
Volunteers Dayra Ruíz and Benjael Martínez supported this visit. Pastor Demetrio Perez, who is now a member of the CPTLN team, was also present in developing this program.
