Tell Me About Panama?
Please be praying for our Rockpoint Student Panama team that will be serving down in Panama July 11-20!
To learn more about what a short-term team can do in Panama check out that video update. Or to learn more about Rockpoint’s history in sending teams to Panama check out one of our very first updates telling that story.
In April, I sat down with Word of Life Panama director Jon Fowler and talked a little bit about Panama to share more with you.
I asked, “Talk to me about Panama? What's its story, what are some facts, what's the weather like, the people, the language, the faith, etc.?”
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is by far Panama's most valuable resource and what it is best known for. If you learn the story of the Panama Canal you will understand much about this little country, it's strategic value to the rest of the world and the Panamanian people.
Completed in 1914, the Canal has never had a day off. It is the economic engine for the country and for that reason more than 60% of the population of the entire country lives near the Canal. In many ways the world has gathered in a very small place in Panama because of the Canal.
If you are a reader, you can check out… ‘The Path Between the Seas’ by David McCullough.
Weather
There are two seasons in Panama… summer and rain! Dry season and wet season, though all year long it is hot (like between 85 - 95 Degrees Fahrenheit). Dry season is the most comfortable. It runs from Dec-Apr, and it is hot but there is a nice breeze. Wet season (May-Nov) is sticky and humid and it rains almost every day. And when it rains, it REALLY rains.
People
The people of Panama are like a candy that has a rough exterior but a chewy caramel center. Meaning, at first their reaction is to not like something and push it away, but once they open up, you’re in. It’s like an upside down cone, once you’re in, you are really in relationally.
‘Expats’ are also a significant part of the people of Panama. An ‘expat’ is anyone living outside of their native country. Panama has become a popular destination for expats from all over the world. And this dynamic is constantly changing the country.
Money
Panama uses the American dollar and a dollar coin called a "Balboa" which is equal in value. Therefore there is no need for a currency exchange. Panama is still mostly a cash society, though credit cards are accepted.
Panama is also a glaring example of the ‘haves and the have nots’. There is a population of extremely wealthy people. But not too far out of Panama City the drop to poverty becomes very apparent and is a significant percentage of the population. And then there is a tiny sliver of middle class.
Language
The Spanish spoken is known as Panamanian Spanish. It shares similarities with the Spanish spoken in other Caribbean regions like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.
Faith
Panama is very open spiritually speaking. There is a Catholic shell being a Latin country, but with the diversity of people that have come from representation all over the world, there is not only the openness to spirituality, but the syncretism of many religions that come with it.
There is also the presence of a religion called Santeria, which is an Afro-Cuban religion that blends Yoruba spiritual traditions with elements of Catholicism and indigenous practices.
Jon’s summary thought…
For Panama, I believe the best is yet to come! It has a history of being a global city because of the Canal. It is significant that ships go through to all the world everyday, connecting everybody. And the spiritual side, Panama really can become the launch pad for a global missionary movement. It is the ‘buckle of the Bible Belt in Latin America’ that can commission missionaries and church leaders all around the world!
In the words of a recent youth pastor who took a team to Panama… “The harvest is plentiful in Panama, and can always take more workers! Panama is open to God, but not always access to the Gospel. The Word of Life team has the means to share the Gospel in powerful ways in Panama! By bringing short term teams to Panama opens the door for them to do that and you get to join them in it!”
For those wanting see our Rockpoint Commissioning Service from June 22, you can watch the whole thing HERE, or if you just want to see the commissioning moment go to time stamp 52:00.
