After a 1.5 hour bus ride, and a 1.5 hour boat ride, we entered the jungle village of Incandi. This is a Kuna village with nearly 1,000 people in the tribe. Several of our team members visited this same tribe last year, and were welcomed by familiar faces. We stayed in the village for 2 nights and 3 days, and God did an amazing work in our lives and in the Incandi village. One night Lee Cooper and Katie Branscum helped lead our team in song and testimonies before we presented the drama. One huge praise is that the village church has doubled in size since our team was there last summer. The gospel is moving forward with great success.
We arrived back to our campground in the city about 30 minutes ago and are so excited to take a shower and clean up before heading into town for a day of sightseeing and shopping. We are all excited to come home tomorrow to let you know what great things God has done.
Aaron
Tonight the group came home weary from a day of ministry. Today, we finished out where we had begun on Sunday at Cinco de Mayo. What a difference four days have made in these students! We had one student who led another student to the Lord while waiting in line for the urinal at Kentucky Fried Chicken, another group of students who had a man come and beg them to tell him how to have eternal life, and the stories go on and on. From gang leaders to the seemingly innocent at heart, we have seen them bow their heads and invite Jesus to be their Lord and Savior.
We were two hours late getting back tonight because of so many divine encounters. Some of the students sat down to dinner tonight, laid their heads on the table and went to sleep. There is nothing like being worn out from well-doing. As I type, we are all going to bed. Tomorrow we get up at five, leave at seven and head to the jungle. Please pray for the village of Icandi and the Kuna people group. They matter to God and they matter to Central Baptist.
Since we were so late getting in, we didn’t get a chance to post any more pictures. We will do so when we get back from the jungle on Saturday. Continue to pray that the team will finish well. Thanks for your prayers and the investment of your students’ lives into this wonderful country.
Walker Moore
Awe Star Ministries
Hello, all! Today we visited three schools in the city of Colon – one high school; two elementary. The night before, Brother Walker spoke to us about a key tactic of the enemy – crucifying a person between their past and future. Satan loves nothing more than to tie a person to their past with shame and guilt while encouraging the person to worry and have fear about the future. The enemy loves nothing more than to make one think that God cannot take care of the sins of his or her past or be the loving navigator for the future. If one doesn’t believe and receive the promise that God has the power to wash the past whiter than snow with His forgiveness and love - if one doesn’t believe He has a divine purpose for His glory in the future – then one doesn’t believe He is the Almighty God of the present. We saw this tactic of the enemy in full swing today as we visited the schools of Colon. The enemy wants nothing more than to give each young person there a past they will regret and a future to dread. We could see spiritual darkness in these kids’ and teens’ faces and words. Through this, God taught us much about viewing the spiritual battle as something of utmost seriousness and importance. He taught us more about how to call on Him for empowerment to do ministry. We cannot rebuke the enemy on our own……but He can. This is our prayer as we visit Panama City again tomorrow to do ministry in the crowds. Today, Katie Nelson and Tre’Vontae Hassell gave outstanding personal testimonies in front of the students. One could feel the presence of God as our students shared how God changed their lives. Please pray that God will push back the enemy as we attempt to glorify him again tomorrow. As we go to be tonight every one is healthy and happy! Thanks for all of your prayers, keep them coming the battle is in full swing for the souls of the people of Panama
What an honor for God to let us catch a glimpse of His glory today as we saw several lives changed forever! We started off the day with breakfast and a devotion before joining a local church for their Sunday morning service. Tracy Clayton and two others from a different mission group gave a testimony before the congregation, and a small worship band led powerful praise music sung in English and Spanish. After a peanut butter and jelly lunch, we joined with another mission group who was to present a different drama in the city that day. With this group, we went to a street called Cinco de Mayo and presented our two dramas back to back. Before our drama, Tye Mason and Katie Branscum presented their testimonies before the crowd. Several people came to know Christ today in between the two dramas and after the dramas were presented as teams of three and four went into the crowd to share Jesus. Most notably, there was a man who came under great conviction of his sin and walked away from the teams briefly. He returned, however, and pulled the missionary pastor of the Panamanian church aside, asking to talk with him. He revealed to the pastor that he was the head of a gang, numerous members of which were armed and walking the street where we were. He said that this gang frequently killed people (Cinco de Mayo becomes extremely dangerous after about 5 p.m. because of gangs). The leader of this murderous gang was convicted by the Holy Spirit of his sins and the sins of the others he led and condoned on a regular basis. He informed the pastor that he wished to give his life to Christ at that moment! He realized that he mattered to God! Who knows what persecution he will face because of his new decision? May God humble us as we have the privilege of spreading the good news! He is so faithful. We are about to go to bed now. Thanks be to God for allowing us to be part of a fruitful effort to glorify Him before those who do not know Him…..as well as those who do. Keep God’s work in Panama lifted up in prayer! Good night.
Dear Parents,
Sorry for the delay in getting the pictures up on the Internet. Most of the time in a foreign country the conveniences of the Internet are not as readily available as in our own. We think we have the problem solved on this end; thanks for your patience. Your students are doing a fantastic job and we are seeing many come to Christ. We have seen everything from gang members to alcoholics and families come to Christ. Keep on praying!
Your servant,
Walker Moore
President/Founder
Awe Star Ministries
Good morning, brothers and sisters! Our group landed and arrived at the camp safely last night. Glory to our Lord Jesus for everyone’s health and safety so far! We are inside the church this very moment, and the group is stretching and doing physical warm-ups to prepare for the drama performance in a few minutes. Our central focus this week is the truth that everybody matters to God. May we truly humble ourselves this week as we seek to love others – to make others the theme of our trip. May we make those in our path eternally enthralled with making God’s glory the central aim of their existence – in turn pointing them toward that which will grant them salvation, eternal joy, and peace in the Lord. Already, Claire Cooper and Scott Bass have had opportunities to share the gospel on the planes, and Pastor Aaron and Don Jenkins received the opportunity to share in the airport. We were spoiled last night with McDonald’s! It was a new experience for some to have to order a McCombo in Spanish. The accommodations provided us have been truly generous. We are staying in one building at a camp. The guys have one big room with bunks, and the girls have another………..rooms with air conditioning!!! This was an unexpected treat. We have been in the Word already this morning, and we pray that God will be glorified through every effort, action, thought, and desire of our team today. With the opportunity to share the gospel, spiritual warfare is already upon our team. We implore you, fellow servants, to ask God’s divine protection against the enemy and his tactics for halting God’s work here in Panama. May we think and pray before we speak. May there be unity in the team and church, and may God knock on the doors of the lost in an unprecedented way in their lives. May we exhibit servant leadership, and may the gospel of the blood of Jesus be spread. Thanks to each of you for being part of our team as you join together in lifting us all up to our Master and Creator.
P.S. – Happy 18th birthday, Tye!!!!!
We got a call from the team this morning that all have arrived safely, got a good night’s rest and ready for today. They will be attending church this morning then doing ministry this afternoon. Please continue to pray for the Lord to prepare the people they will encounter and watch for an update tonight or tomorrow on what He is doing.
Awe Star Ministries
