Simon and Lavonne Challinor Serving the Lord in Panama among the Naso people Dear Friends,
As I sit at the desk to update each of you, nothing outstanding comes to mind to write/tell you. I guess it is also known as "writer’s block." I do not claim to be a writer, but writing and communicating do seem to be the second full-time job of a missionary. And the fact remains that our desire is to let you know what is happening in our lives as we minister to the Naso people of Panama.
Sometimes our thoughts are difficult to consolidate into tidy, communicative paragraphs with all the loose ends neatly tied up. Sometimes, life just seems to be moving forward so quickly that it becomes hard to keep track of where all the time went until it is gone, never to be retrieved.
The past few months our ministry has had some really low points as well as some encouraging times. Since coming back to Panama, it has been difficult for us to get the young believers to meet on a consistent basis. It seems as if they are playing tag team with each other much of the time. This has been frustrating because the Bible lessons build on each other.
At the end of October we attended the baptism of Tito, a relatively new believer in Christ. It was such a blessing to hear him express his testimony as well as his desire for his own people to understand the message of God’s grace.
Recently while visiting with Tito, he mentioned that his mother, the former queen, had also trusted in Christ for salvation. He expressed that his mother used to be a very angry person, but now, because of the positive changes in her life, his brothers are asking what is going on with "mother."
Regardless of our own emotions or feelings about our situation, God is faithful always to encourage us in Himself and who He is. The boys are all doing well, growing like weeds, and seem to be hungry all the time. I feel like a mother bird trying to keep my babies fed while they chirp with their mouths wide open. It seems like I spend a good portion of the day cooking, and then after I put a meal on the table it is devoured in 10 minutes.
This is just to say that we are so thankful for the health they have enjoyed over the past 4 months upriver. It is a gift from the Lord. Since we are in town for a few weeks, the boys are logging lots of miles on their bicycles as they pretend the bikes are horses, race cars, or whatever suits their fancy at the moment. We will be in town for a couple more weeks, heading back upriver at the end of December.
Our visas are up for renewal, but it looks like we will have to get a 3 month temporary one again while we continue to wait for our year visa. We also are doing our supply buying, going to dental and doctor appointments, working on correspondence, and hopefully having a few days to relax.
We are planning to share Christmas day with some of our missionary co-workers that live in town. As we look into the new year we are believing God to continue to work in our own lives so that we will bring glory to Him. It is so easy to base our personal encouragement on "visible" results rather than on God and who He is.
The church that God is building among the Naso is His work, and we are the privileged ones whom He has sent. Pray for the Naso. Pray that the believers will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Pray that the many unsaved will be spiritually awakened and desire to hear the Truth.
We are planning to start an evangelistic outreach in January, focusing on the children, but with Bible teaching for the adults as well. Pray that this outreach would be received well and the Truth heard, understood, and believed.
I guess a few thoughts did come to mind, but without much of cohesive train of thought. Thank-you for your part in our lives in ways that only eternity will tell. We value your friendship, encouragement, and prayer.
God Bless,
Lavonne for the Challinor family
