Thank you for joining us on this journey. What a blessing it is to know that so many are standing with us in prayer and support as we continue serving in Panama!
Transformation…
trans·for·ma·tion
noun
a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance
It is hard to believe that it is already July and we are in the back half of 2023. Although it has passed quickly, this year is no doubt a year filled with transformation, both physically and spiritually. We have seen the Lord use short-term teams to help make lasting improvements in the churches we partner with. We have seen walls painted, roofs raised and hearts changed….
Growing pains!
The churches that we work with have been growing little by little. Yes, this is a huge blessing, but it also brought along the need for more space. Thankfully, through a GF grant and the generosity of a few churches from the US, we were able to add roofs to two of our churches, creating more meeting space. We love hosting teams and seeing what the Lord can achieve in just a short week. We see the physical transformation here in Panama, but we also see people return home to the US with transformed minds and lives. God is working and His work does not return void!
Iglesia Bautista Shahah, Lidice
Iglesia Shahah has been serving alongside us for the last 6 years. What a blessing to work with groups from California, Minnesota and Wisconsin and members of the Shahah congregation to transform this building in big ways.
Windows and doors were added to secure the church; now they do not have the setup and tear down the sound equipment each time they meet. The inside and the outside of the church were painted, and we even had a few of the kiddos help out with the painting! Finally, a large roof was added to the side of the church to create additional meeting space and a covered play area for the kids!
The pastor also had a great idea to take one of the small rooms and transform it into a safe place for toddlers and babies. Praise the Lord that the church is continuing to grow and this new space is needed. Pray with us that the Lord will continue to transform the hearts of the people and the church will continue to spread the love of Christ.
Iglesia Bautista Torre Fuerte, Chicá
Hope Church helped to transform Iglesia Torre Fuerte by painting and adding a roof to the back of the church to provide extra classroom space for the kids.
After the initial work, members of the church have continued working and completing the project. Click below to see the video recap from Hope Church.
Iglesia Bautista Luz y Vida, Santa Clara
It is amazing the difference a day can make. We had a great group from Pepperdine University come and serve with us. The pastor wanted a church that was “peachy” colored, and the group was able to make that happen in a few hours. It may just be paint, but it also is an encouragement to the pastor and congregation to know that a group of students want to serve them with the love of Christ.
Transformed hearts!
One of the most beautiful parts of serving with short-term teams is getting to witness the transformation of hearts. From pastors crying thankful tears for answered prayers, to moms excited about reading the Word of God to their children, to young people gaining a newfound excitement of how God is working…. these are the moments that we cherish. We pray that God will continue transforming hearts!
Sunrise, Sunset…
“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!” Psalm 113:3 ESV
The sunset is a reminder to me of God’s beauty and His goodness. It continues every day… a sunrise, a sunset.
These last few months have passed quickly and were filled with both difficult and beautiful moments. However, the same God that makes the sun rise and set, cares for us. God is good. He is faithful. And He alone continues to meet all our needs, every day.
GlobalFingerprints Medical Clinics…
One important focus of the GlobalFingerprints Program is the health of the children. Although healthcare is available here in Panama, the process of simply seeing a doctor for an annual checkup can be a very time-consuming and tedious process. Thanks to our partners at Springs Church, we were able to provide medical checkups for over 200 of our GF kids. Here’s a peek at what that looks like.
STATION 1: Registration
During the week, we had clinics in 5 different locations. Our GF careworkers worked alongside with us to greet the parents and kids and help keep the process running smoothly. They are such a blessing to this ministry!
STATION 2: Vitals and measurements
STATION 3: Anti-Parasite meds
Let’s be honest… this is not a favorite for the kids. However, this year we learned that we could crush the medicine and add it to a bit of fruit punch. This was a win and helped the medicine go down just a bit easier.
STATION 4: Medical Evaluations
As we are approaching our 6th year in GF, we can see improvements in many of the kids. PRAISE THE LORD! There were a lot fewer stomach problems noted; I believe this is due to the distribution of water filters and the periodical parasite treatment. God is good!
STATION 5: Vision Testing
This year we saw several children with vision issues and/or headaches when reading. Thanks to the program, these kids will see an optometrist and receive glasses if needed.
STATION 6: Sponsor Letters and Arts & Crafts
The kids were happy to reach the last station where they each filled in a letter for their sponsors and made a craft to take home. The Springs team even made sure to have a craft for the moms to remind them of God’s truth for their lives.
Two thumbs up.
It was a fantastic week! We were able to identify the medical needs of the kids and will follow up as needed. Also, this year we partnered with Reeves’ school and had the high school students serve as translators for the clinics. It was a great experience for these youth to share Christ.
BIG THANKS to each of you who sponsor a child or sponsor our ministry. You are the reason that we can be here in Panama and serve these kiddos.
God is moving in the hearts of these families. Pray that the Lord will continue to strengthen the local churches and change the lives of people.
While we have had great things happening, we have also experienced great loss. Matt’s sister passed away suddenly during her sleep in January. This was a surreal happening. Isabel was full of life and loved to just laugh and have fun. Please pray for her 2 sons, her daughter and her husband as they continue on without her.
Matt’s family of 4 is now a family of 2 as Matt’s mom died in 2020. Thankfully, Matt was able to fly home and be with his dad for quite a while. Pray that Matt can care well for his dad from afar. Pray for Matt’s dad as he copes with this great loss.
Christmas Down the River…
FELIZ NAVIDAD! This is the time of year that kids make their Christmas lists and dream about presents under the tree on Christmas morning. However, this is not a reality for many of our GlobalFingerprints kids. THANKS to our incredible sponsors, all of the GF kids were able to have a Christmas party and celebrate the reason for the season!
Christmas down the river…
I have always loved shopping for my kids to find that special present. Well, this year I decided to ask the moms at the Embera village exactly what gift and clothing item their kid would like to receive this Christmas.
Once the list was made, Matt and I had the crazy pleasure of battling Christmas crowds at the mall to shop for 42 kids!! Superhero t-shirts, Little Mermaid gowns, Hulk pjs, baby dolls, soccer balls, frisbees, tea sets, cars, trucks, etc…. What a joy for us to be a part of this!
After the shopping, we had a plethora of gifts to wrap. Praise the Lord for Reeves’ friends. We had a wrapping party here at the house and all the gifts were wrapped up in a few hours.
Then, we headed to the village with presents, hot dogs, piñatas, and a Christmas cake. Our national partner joined us in this adventure and 3 of the GF workers even dressed as clowns! We had dancing, games, songs and a Bible story for the kids. What a blessing. God is good!
A soft place to sleep….
The GlobalFingerprints program has been an incredible blessing to the kids in the Embera community. Our first focus was to make sure all the kids had personal hygiene items. Secondly, we found out that many of the kids were sleeping on the wood floors. So, we began the process of delivering 42 mattresses down the river in a canoe! Once that was accomplished, we made sure each child had a pillow and a set of sheets.
Of course, the kids were happy to receive the mattresses, but seriously the kids were beyond excited to have a pillow. It made our hearts smile. Thanks to each of you who helps to meet the real needs of vulnerable children while showing them the love of Christ. These smiles are for you!
Pray that the Lord will change the hearts of this community. Pray that they will be a community who love the Lord.
Click below to watch a quick, fun video a friend made of one of our trips down the river to deliver mattresses and food.
Happy Fall, Y’all!
HAPPY FALL! While many of you are enjoying the beautiful colors of the leaves and the cooler weather, Panama is still hot and humid. We definitely miss the change of seasons, but are giving thanks that rainy season is almost over and dry season is right around the corner. The summer flew by and that meant some big changes for our family!
The first to fly…
We knew it was bound to happen, but it seems too soon! Ian is off to college and there is now an ocean between us!
When we first moved overseas, I must admit I grieved what that would mean for our kids. They gave up so many of the “normals” that they had known and enjoyed. However, we have seen God fill in those gaps in beautiful and surprising ways.
In a college entrance essay, Ian wrote, “I have seen and experienced things in my 17 years that most American adults have not even experienced.” I know that some of these have been hard things- but I also know these experiences make Ian who he is today. I am thankful that he can view life through a different lens and I thank the Lord for the man he has become.
This is one our first family pics after the big move to Costa Rica. Wow… time flies! We are so thankful for God’s protection and provision over the years.
Our adventures and life in general will be much different without Ian here. There is a sadness of course, but we are so excited to see what the Lord has in store for him!
Despite my coaxing, Ian seriously did not want to take senior pictures. So, on the family trip we took just before he headed off for college, I snapped this photo to which he responded, “There’s a senior pic for you!” Honestly, this is the truest depiction of who Ian is and what he loves- always ready for a new adventure and always wearing a cap!
Matt in Florida…
When Hurricane Ian hit Florida, ReachGlobal put out a call looking for people to join with Crisis Response. Crisis Response is a ministry of ReachGlobal. Their heart is, “When crisis creates a new mission field, we’re there to share the love of Christ with those in need.”
Matt left for Naples, Florida the beginning of October and is still there serving with Crisis Response. Not only is Matt gifted with the knowledge of what to do from a demo and construction point of view, he has the heart to bring encouragement, hope and, of course, laughter into the lives of people. There is so much devastation and destruction. The days have been long and the work has been hard. Please join us in praying for those who have lost so much. Pray that the Lord would open their hearts and fill them with the hope of Christ!
If you are interested in serving with Crisis Response, please email Matt with the dates that you are available. You can come as an individual or bring a team. Matt will return to Panama at the end of this month, but hopes to serve with Crisis Response again in the future.
Ongoing Protest in Panama…
| Pray for Panama… |
| Many of you may be unaware that the country of Panama has had serious protests and demonstrations throughout the country for the past two weeks. The people have blockaded the major roads and are demanding an array of things from lower fuel and food prices to increased funding for the educational system and decreased funding for government officials. Their requests are not without merit, and for the past several days the leaders of the protests have been meeting with government leaders to reach resolution. Protests are not an uncommon way for the Panamanians to be heard. Overall, most of the protesting has been peaceful. However, due to the length of time that the protests have continued and the inability for the transport of goods due to the road blockades, the country is beginning to experience shortages in fresh produce, propane, and other items. We have seen limits on fuel and even on rice. Tonight in the western part of the country, the protests became violent. Several were injured and the intensity of what is happening in this beautiful country is growing. Please pray with us for resolution. Pray that the protest leaders and the government officials can reach an agreement and that the roads would reopen. The headline tonight read “News: The Catholic Church is the Mediator.” Pray with us that in this mediation the Lord would be glorified and peace will follow. |
Fruit Loops, Flowers and Fish…
Welcome to Panama!
We love sharing the beauty of Panama with family and friends who come to visit. It is even better when they can share in ministry with us. What a joy for Angie’s parents and brother to travel to the Embera Village to meet and share time with our ministry partners there.
And Fruit Loops never disappoint! The kids very likely ate more than they used for their necklaces, but it was a great time of sharing, snacking and just having fun!
A hectic but beautiful three days…
Jared, Landon and Anna traveled from NFCC in Shreveport, LA to serve with us. It was a packed three days, but so many beautiful things happened in those three days. We hosted three “kids days” where medical checkups, puppet shows and crafts were provided for over 140 kids… praise the Lord!
Then in the evenings, the mood shifted from puppets and fruit punch to flowers and romance. Thanks to NFCC, we hosted two banquets through our local churches to celebrate our GlobalFingerprints’ parents. Jared spoke and presented the Biblical importance of marriage and the couples enjoyed a beautiful and romantic dinner together.
There were a lot of moving parts to make all of this happen. We had a lot of fun and we were privileged to share the love of Christ with over 200 people. Wow! That is the most important and lasting thing…the Gospel was preached and people were reminded that Jesus loves them! Please pray with us that these seeds of truth will grow and draw them into a relationship with the Lord.
A look ahead…
A vital part of our ministry is setting goals and planning out our steps to accomplish those goals. We are super thankful when our ReachGlobal leadership is able to be on-site and help guide us through this process. Although planning is crucial, after a few long days of meetings, our brains are fried.
So, since our area leader Tim is an avid fisherman, we decided to have a little fun and go fishing. Let’s just say that fishing is definitely not Matt’s forte! The only thing he was able to catch was the bait in the bucket. In true Matt style, he still kept us laughing and we had a great time. We took our catch to a local restaurant where they cooked it up for us to enjoy. Fun memories!
A huge THANK YOU to each of our prayer and financial partners. You are such a BIG part of this. We thank the Lord for your faithfulness and your hearts to serve families and children in Panama!
Happy New Year…
What a great way to end the year! Over the past week, we had the huge blessing of packing 70 food bags to give to families in need. Although the bag looks small, it has over 10 pounds of food packed inside with lots of love from the whole Johnson family. Along with each bag, the hope of Christ is shared. Please join us in praying that the families will be encouraged and their hearts will be open to the Gospel!
Feliz Navidad!
It is crazy to think that the end of the year is already upon us! As always, December is a time of reflecting upon our last year of ministry and beginning to plan for the upcoming year.
To be completely honest, as we were returning back to Panama earlier this year we had no idea what the Lord had in store for us. We knew the Lord had called us to serve here, but with all the changes, medical issues and the loss of team members during 2020 and beyond, we did not have a surety that the Lord wanted us to remain in Panama. We were beyond elated to once again reconnect with partners, but we still needed to hear from the Lord.
Thankfully the Lord is faithful and gently reassured us that Panama is where He wants us… for now. That may give you pause, but it gives us peace. I cannot be sure of the plans the Lord has for us in 5 years and that is OK. The Lord wants us to operate in the now and in the present. Yes, we are setting our one, three and five-year goals, but we are surrendering those to the Lord as we make them.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” And just before that in verse 11 He instructs us to ask for daily provisions. And praise the Lord that Lamentations 3 reminds us that God’s mercies are new each morning!
So as 2022 approaches, we pray that we each can faithfully seize the moments and opportunities that the Lord lays before us, knowing that although we plan our course it is the Lord that determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9). What a freedom there is in knowing that the One who loves us most already knows those steps.
Throughout November and December we have added an additional 35 kids to the GlobalFingerprints Program. That is incredible! What a blessing that each of these children will hear of the hope of Christ this Christmas season.
Even more exciting news is that plans are already underway with a partner church in the US to open another GF site. We are seeing God use this program not only to impact the lives of vulnerable children but to impact entire families!! Please pray with us that the Lord will continue to grow and use GF throughout the next year.
After a LONG wait, the youth group at our church was finally able to meet face-to-face (they have been meeting virtually since the beginning of COVID). It was a beautiful night of worship and yes, that is Reeves 2nd from the left!
Ian is in the US prepping for college next year and just finished taking the ACT this weekend. Thankfully, he will be back in a week!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!! May you find unspeakable JOY now and throughout the season. We pray that your belly is full of food, your house is full of laughter and your heart is full of awe at the goodness of our God!
FINALLY!!
After literally years of planning due to the pandemic, we have a national partner for the GlobalFingerprints program. Oh, happy day!
The GlobalFingerprints program is the child sponsorship ministry of ReachGlobal. We work directly with the national churches here in Panama to identify children who are at risk and vulnerable. Through sponsorships, the church is able to assist and help care for these children. GF helps children AND the local church.
One important factor in GF is to have a national partner. Back in 2019, we began moving to establish Pastor Moises in this position. And then COVID! But, praise the Lord, this finally happened 2 weeks ago. Pastor Moises and his wife have incredible hearts for children. They are selfless servants for Christ, and we know that we are blessed to call them friends.
Welcome home…
During church on Sunday, Pastor Moises welcomed back an older lady that had come to know the Lord years ago but had left the church. After many years away, this was her first Sunday to return. He made this announcement and welcomed her “home.” My eyes filled with tears as this lady smiled and wiped tears from her eyes.
After the service, Pastor Moises told us that the grandchildren of this lady had become part of the GF program. Soon after, the kids and their mother began attending the church. And now the grandmother had returned to the church! God is good!
J4Journeys 