The "Home" Stretch

How can it be that today is our last full day in Panama?!  We couldn't travel all the way here without taking a tour of the Panama Canal, and who wouldn't want to hand-feed bananas to monkeys living in the wild?!  Alarms rang extra early this morning since we didn't want the monkeys to get to their breakfast before we arrived by boat.  Already hot and humid, the breeze off the canal felt amazing as we made our way to the monkey islands to see White-faced, Howler, and Tamaran monkeys in their natural habitat.  They didn't disappoint, and many students got sticky hands as the banana pieces were passed around and quickly snatched up by the greedy monkeys.  Added entertainment included iguanas, birds, and butterflies.  Did you know that one translation of “Panama” is “abundance of butterflies”?
 
Our next destination brought us to the middle of a mountain, as our bus was unable to climb the steep incline to the summit, where a gorgeous view of old and new Panama City awaited us.  Our excitement and youthful legs brought us to the top quickly, as we took in the view as well as the cool mountain-top breeze.  Here, we took the chance to grab some group photos and selfies (of course!) before heading back down.  A quick stop at one last open-air souvenir shop before lunch concluded our morning, and many of our students snagged some trinkets as reminders of the memories made this week. 
   
A quick bus ride brought us to the Panama Canal Museum, where we donned our stylish 3D glasses for a quick history video, followed by canal and Panama history pictures and artifacts.  The highlight of our time there were the locks, where we watched multiple ships slowly make their way through.  We spent over an hour on the observation deck, snapping pictures and analyzing the workings of the locks and which countries each ship came from.  

We spent some time this evening reflecting as a group on our week of Panamanian adventures.  Some highlights mentioned included bonding time with peers and leaders, experiencing a new culture, stretching and improving Spanish skills, and experiencing how Christ’s love spans different cultural barriers.

We are so thankful for this week spent together, the connection we’ve made with the students and the unity that God has allowed us to build as a group.  There have been lots of moments of laughter, as well as reflection on the work that God is doing in each life in Panama as well as in our own hearts.  We are excited to take home our experiences and share them with you.
 
As leaders, it’s our prayer that God continues the good works that He’s begun in our students’ lives, and that He continues to equip us with the tools and words that we need to meet each student where they are in their personal walk with Him.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve alongside your students this week and this year.  We have so enjoyed each moment with them and look forward to what next year holds.  

Dana & Laura