The Week in Pictures

I just wanted to give a little update about some things going on this week here in the Wacuco area. This past week I helped level and tile the floor of the local chapel, which now looks like a new building! Here is a picture of the final product.


The picture below is that of the Pan-American Highway which is right outside my door. I took this picture this morning as I was walking to church.


The following pictures are those of the water ¨toma¨ which is the water source for the area of Torti. Today I visited the water source for Wacuco and for Torti. And I was able to play a little bit in the water below the source in Torti Arriba. (We are not just all about work here.)

Feliz Año Nuevo

Happy New Year to all! I hope this blog update finds you well and in joyful spirit this new year. I thought I would give a little recap of what has been going on here this past year to bring in the new year.

Lots has been going on here in Panama the past couple months. It is harvest time right now, so all of our harvesters are out in the fields working hard and bringing in the much needed rice. There is a bit of a shortage of rice this year due to some bacteria that causes the harvest to be as low as half production. And supposedly the is some chemical available in the U.S. to treat it, but it´s illegal to import it here; politics...

So, when the harvesters break as they did on New Year´s Day, twice, the workers and I all rush out to solve the problem. I spent my New Year´s ankle-deep in mud helping weld a broken axle on one of the harvesters. And about an hour or so after, the same machine broke again, but this time in a different spot. One of the heavy track wheels it has, much like those on an armored tank, came off the track. So we were out on the side of the road putting the track in line until after nightfall. Needless to say, not the way I pictured spending the holidays. But, it was a good experience because the guys I work with amazed me through it all. They kept working, knowing their wives would be mad when they came home late, and we got the job done. If anyone ever tells me ¨the poor¨ are lazy I will point to this example along with many others I now have as testimony as to how false of a statement that is.

Well, the dry season is now underway, so we will be starting the water and road projects we have been planning very soon. We are expanding one of the existing water lines so we can provide more water for the growing population here. In the future we also would like to build a dam so the water will last through out the dry season, but that will have to wait until we aquire the needed funds for a project of that size. There are also many roads that need to be re-graded because the rainy season washed out a lot of road material. And these roads need to improved so the locals can get their crops and livestock out to market. So, we will be very busy the next several months. Whether it is harvesting rice, building roads, expanding water projects, or fixing machinery there will be much to do.

I thank God for the opportunity to learn and do so much here in Wacuco. As I think about the new year, I realize I will be spending all of it in Panama. I pray God will give me the strength and encouragement needed to live out this journey here. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I pray this new year will bring you many blessings and that you will be able to reflect those blessing on those around you in need.

Christmas in Panama

My sister and I at the top of Cerro Ancon

A nice view of Lago Bayano, which is on the way to Wacuco

This Christmas was different than most for me and my family. My mother and sister came to visit me here in Panama to spend the holiday together. We spent the first part of the trip visiting my old home of Tocumen and getting to know the neighborhood, neighbors, my roommates, and the priests (Padre Jose and Lorenzo) that work there.

We then went to the city for a couple of nights and stayed at a hostel in Casco Viejo, a historic, colonial part of the capital. We visited the canal, of course, the ruins of Panama Viejo, and got a beautiful view of the entire city from the top of ANCON which is a forest preserve on top of a massive hill. We covered a lot of ground in the two days we were there and my mom and sister were probably sick of the many buses and taxis we took by that point. And I, in my frugality, enjoy taking the ¨Diablos Rojos¨ which are buses that cost only a quarter and go all around the city. Sure they dont have A/C and half the time you either stand or are squished between two hefty panamanians in a seat big enough for only two, but they are cheap and everyone uses them. Well, not everyone, not the rich or gringos, but the regular folk. We were sort of a novelty and my family mentioned that they felt like we were an exibit at a zoo. But, it was to be expected, we kind of stick out. Even a couple police officers offered us a free ride into the city so we would not ride the bus, because they were afraid for us. I told them that I take the buses all the time and nothing has happened, but still they insisted, and I can´t say no to a free ride anyways.

A view of the driveway in Wacuco

After the city, we took a bus to Wacuco taking the ¨Pan-American Highway¨ which has potholes big enough to put New York to shame. The plan was to spend the next couple days in Wacuco, including Christmas, to meet the people I work with and check out my new home. Well, not all worked out according to my master plan. Once my sister and my mom saw the rooms they were going to sleep in the next few nights they began to tear up. Being a male, I didn´t understand. The rooms were clean, there was a bed, toilet, and a shower. What more could one need? I guess the junkyard motif we have going here is not as conducive for living for women. And the lack of electricity and the fact the nearest town is a couple miles away didn´t help either. We agreed to spend one night in Wacuco, enough so they could see everything and meet some people. Well it all worked out and we decided to return to Tocumen for the rest of our stay. Upon arriving in Tocumen, we were welcomed with open arms and the neighbors were thrilled that we would be joining them to celebrate Christmas. We ended up having a wonderful time, eating lots of food at all of my neighbors´ homes and enjoying their company even though my mom and sister do not speak the language.

Gabriel with my family on Christmas Eve at the neighbor´s

It was definitely a good learning experience for all of us and it was good that my family could get to know the area I have been living and see the things I see. I will have to now redefine what ¨roughing it¨means to the people that come visit, because many are not used to the lifestyle. But at least, I hope my family came away from the experience with eyes more open the to the world around them and hearts more touched by the poor.

Neighbor, Barbara, celebrating Christmas Panamanian Style with sparklers