by Rod & Sherry Boyd

Words cannot describe the setting—Eighty Kuna Indians, the majority children, worshipping the Lord under a huge mango tree. This new congregation, organized just six months ago, has no land… no building. Yet their love for God is evident each time they come together. Several months ago, Leodegario Lopez, one of the workers from the Kuna Central Church in Panama City, felt the call of God to begin this new work. And now the work has grown into a full-fledged church. Praise the Lord!

The church began as an outreach to children in a neighborhood with a large Kuna Indian population— more than 1,000. This is a squatter community, located near the international airport in Tocumen. There is no official land ownership. The houses are cracker boxes, built from whatever materials can be found. As the community develops, these "scrap material" shacks are replaced with block houses. There are no paved roads. During the rainy season, the community is a "mud bowl."

We’ve had the privilege of working with the pastor and this new congregation the last few months. The pastor and his wife both started Bible school last month. Rod had the privilege of teaching a pre-institute class "Panorama of the Bible." At a recent service, Sherry passed out candy canes (received from a supporting church in Washington State) to all the children present. It was such a beautiful scene! The Kuna need so much help. They live in abject poverty. They have nothing. We watched as one mother, during the sermon, picked head lice from her son. The need is so great!

It is our desire to help this congregation purchase land and build a sanctuary within the next year. Please pray that God continues to pour out his Spirit on this new church. The pastor is young and inexperienced; he desperately needs God’s wisdom. Please pray with us that we will be able to find "legal" property—that is property which has a legal title—and that a church will raise funds and send a MAPS construction team to help build the sanctuary.