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.