Email Update 2

Hope you catch this e-mail. we´re back in Panama City. flew back today. flight was a non-interesting flight out of the rains that were coming down in boca del toro. when it rains there it really rains. we ordained betty there this morning. went to the lawyers and signed the corporation into existence at the notaries and
jumped on the plane at 3:30. arrived at Panama City at 6:30. ate supper with a christian customs agent who brought us up to snuff on how to bring things into the country. also ate with the lady who handles samaritan´s purse-franklin graham´s program. she gets 48,000 shoe boxes a year to distribute-its quite a program-we got to give some out, i have the pictures. makes a great story. joe and i are going to the panama canal tomorrow to see the ships pass through the locks and to see old panama. flew over the ¨bridge of the americas¨ that connects south america with north america-pretty amazing stuff.

Update from Joseph

Update from Joseph -

The taxis are old cars and trucks. It's like driving on a bad two lane West Virginia road with no laws. The drivers swerve into the opposing lane even if traffic is coming.

They rode in large dugout canoes to get to the island. The canoes are around 40" wide. Joseph went out on a smaller canoe with another teenager. The water is crystal clear and beautiful. He went snorkeling and fishing; he caught a red snapper. He also got sunburned. Playing baseball with the local kids is very different; its played with a ball and stick.

When they visit the Indians, theywill be handing out 50-80 small boxes to the children.

The weather is like a very humid summer day in Tennessee. It has rained two times. Bananas are very different tasting; the peels fall off. The mangoes and papaya are also very good. A local lady has baked them two coconut cakes.

They will be flying home on Friday.

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Email Update

Hi, Here is an email from George.

It's friday. Came to Chinguaranti. Found an internet store, dashed off an e-mail. These spanish keyboards are murder. Preached Sunday at the Methodist church Tuesday at the Independent Pentecostal, Wednesday at the Church of God. Preached Thursday to the Guyamie Indians, Friday back at the Church of God, Sunday will preach for the Baptists and then Monday upriver to the Guyamie Tribe-isn´t that cool?

Breezes come off of the carribean-we have 2 hot hours every day. The outside is about 85 degrees incredible!

- - Kathy McDowell - -

Preaching

The preaching schedule to-date:

Methodist Church Sunday morning and night - March 19

Independent Church - March 21

On Monday March 20th they went to see the island after leaving the hotel in Panama City.

Boca del toro

We recieved the following message:

"...they held our plane for 20 minutes for us to make the transfer at Miami. We are at Costa Inn in Panama City...getting ready to go to a museum before we catch our plane to boca del toro.
all is well. take care. "



Local History:

bocas del toro" (mouths of the bull).

The archipelago of Bocas del Toro in Panama is situated on the northwestern coast of Panama in and around the Bay of Chiriqui.

The people of the province are made up of mainly indigenous tribes, many of which still live in small isolated villages scattered throughout the islands.

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About Panama

General info about Panama

In case you didn't know....

• The US dollar is the currency.

• Panama has two seasons- the ‘dry” season and the “green” season. The dry season is from mid-December until May and green season from May until December. “Dry” means it rarely rains.

• Size: 29,208 sq. miles, about the size of North Carolina

• Panama is on EST from October to April and CST from April to October when daylight savings goes into effect in the States.

• Panama’s position as a narrow land bridge connecting two continents has endowed it with some of the world’s most pristine and biodiverse rainforests. It’s national parks cover five million acres. One key indicator of its biodiversity: Panama has 944 recorded bird species, more than the US and Canada combined. One of the most exciting aspects of nature hiking in Panama is the many kinds of animals that can be readily seen: monkeys, sloths, the tropical neque and gato solo, alligators, armadillos and an unparalleled variety of birds.

• Panama Weather forecast for this week:
  Saturday 84 ° 77 °
  Sunday 82 ° 77 °
  Monday 82 ° 77 °
  Tuesday 80 ° 77 °
  Wednesday 80 ° 77 °
  

• Panama has:

- Beautiful beaches along 1000 miles on coast on both oceans and on fifteen hundred islands with hardly a soul in sight.

-Seven living Indian cultures with their own unique legends and traditions.

-Forty-eight fascinating historical monuments.

-954 bird species in vast National Parks

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Panama Missions Trip

And they're off...

The group has left Nashville and is headed for Atlanta for the evening. They will visit with Dean King. They will fly out of Atlanta tomorrow morning at 9:00 with a quick layover in Miami then into Panama City.

The group is comprised of Emmitt and Shirlene Atkins, George and Joseph McDowell and J. Talmidge.

A little history...

The purpose of this mission trip is to minister to the churches and people in the surrounding area, as well as some of the local Indians. The ultimate goal will be to establish a Bible/vocational school. So far enough money has been raised to establish the corporation that is needed. This is the second trip to Panama for Emmitt and Shirlene.

We will continue to update you as we find out more from Panama. Keep them in your prayers.

God Bless!
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