Thank you for making these ministry reports possible with your faithful prayers and generous donations. May God bless you for it!

This issue I’d like to start with a small slice of our missionary work that doesn’t get much attention—working with our fellow missionaries.

The Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) Vital Statistics for 2023 include: 1847 Career missionaries + 794 Missionary Associates = 2641 personnel serving with 53.7 million adherents in 382,624 churches in 153 countries. In Panamá we serve with four other AG families. Each country “field” organizes ourselves for our missionary business with a moderator, treasurer and secretary—all positions we have served at one time or another.

Recently we carpooled with our faithful colleagues, Allions & Fergusons, to meet the Rosches in the interior for a missionary field business meeting. A few months prior we met at our house for prayer, fellowship and both a devotional and Kahoot! game focusing on laughter!

A monthly missionary gathering we join is the “Third Thursday Prayer” meeting on ZOOM for Latin America Caribbean (LAC) missionaries led by our regional leaders. Our Jefe (Chief) Regional Director Dave Ellis focuses on strategic and personal needs in LAC region with special emphasis on the need for revival.

Another missionary gathering we participate in is the biannual Thanksgiving week Retreat for Team Central America (TCA), which Panamá will host again this year for the third time in our 30+ years. It’s a time for inspirational speakers, anointed worship, fellowship connection and the 5K “Turkey Trot.” We invite you all to join us in prayer for Panamá, our LAC region, and the whole world!

The Amigo Mentor Program continues ministering to kids from hard places with the Sunday afternoon Bible Club. The population of children and adolescents varies week to week: some run away and disappear, which saddens us; a few are gone after reunitng with family, which gladdens us; newcomers arrive with a sad or fearful look in their eye; and often the regulars run up and lean in for hug (which we always wait for them to initiate). Worship, the Word, and occasional wacky games fill our time together. Always ending with prayer and small group connection.

Following a recent small group time, one preadolescent was crying during the worship, so our mentor asked if they wanted to talk privately. They shared that their mom had died, their dad was in prison, and they didn’t want to be there… Please think of them as you pray with us for these precious kids and teens.

A very creative and dear family from church, in months past, provided beautiful, kid-friendly wall art for an orphanage. Recently they had to move from Panamá. Before leaving they gave us a donation of many boxes and bags of their own young daughter’s gently used clothes, toys, stuffed animals, books and art supplies. We gladly passed it along to the grateful staff.

At that same meeting we received very good news of an open door. Now, with prior approval, once again kids will be permitted to go off campus with a pre-screened mentor. This was the original idea for the Amigo Mentor Program.

In her capacity as Fine Arts director at church, Yvonne has helped form the youth worship team. She organized a worship band workshop at our house. They did team-building, learned and practiced new songs, then scheduled upcoming worship services, and concluded praying for each one.

We are very grateful that Panamá Fine Arts Festivals for 8-12 year-olds is about to become a reality! As advisors to National Kids Ministry we are happy to provide organizational and logistical support to the dozens of dedicated “AD Kids” (AD = Assemblies of God abbreviation in Spanish) leaders and volunteers across the Republic of Panamá. The first three district festivals take place in the Occidental Zone (near the Costa Rican border) over the weekend of 8-9 June. National theme is “Full the Spirit” from Exodus 31:3. We are planning for 120 kids at each one.

We are also extremely grateful for the generous support of an amazing Kids Church ministry team from SoCal that is helping finance this new opportunity! Thanks, you-know-who!

In closing, please pray for:

* Amigo Mentor Program. God’s wisdom and His leading for connecting the right mentor with the particular kid who especially needs it.

* Inaugural Fine Arts Festival. Pray for the three upcoming district gatherings, all the logistical preparations, but mostly for the filling of the Holy Spirit on the kids in their preparation and participation.

On a personal note, we rejoice in God’s faithfulness to us as we celebrate 40 years of marriage this month! Special thanks to our four kids for this beautiful keepsake photo! And we thank you for your faithfulness to the Lord, and to us, in prayer and financial support of our ministry.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

It is like precious soil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.

It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.