Trip to Far Bongo - Sept 12-16, 2018

Praying for the household.

 Hello brothers, God bless you and your family. 

As some of you know we just finish a trip to one place call Bongo, for us is a 2 full days hiking (in theory), I was supposed to go with 3 more Indians (Bernabe, Alexis, and Martin).

Allow me to give a background of this trip to Bongo.  Two years ago we heard about a place that is deep in the rain forest, we started to try to find a guide to take us to that place but we didn’t find him, we needed to find one for we did not know our way there. Then , if happened, Bernabe found one man that has family in that place, so Bernabe planned the expedition to Bongo.  At the beginning there were 10 Ngobe signed up for this, but as I like to say, emotions burn fast, at the end just 3 stayed in the plan, as well as myself.  

We where excited with this new expedition, personally it was one of my dreams to be able to go deep into the rain forest and jungle sharing Jesus to others that don't know about Him, when I met the guide, the first question a made was, Do you know who is Jesus?... and his answer was, I just heard His name but i don't know who is he, my heart just got sad and happy at the same time because people are getting lost, but happy that God put this team together in order to sent them to that place.

The trip was this past Sept the 12th to the 16th, we where ready to go, but I couldn’t make it.  This past  June I hurt my ankle in a mission trip and since then my ankle is not ok, I thought I could but it was not going to work.  After two hiking hours it started to hurt, so I thought “two hours hiking vs two days hike?”, so I took the difficult decision to let the team carry on, I talked with Bernabe the situation, gave him my camera, the GPS and batteries and asked him to take every information about the place and I returned with a heavy heart. But....

When they left I saw the answer to one of my prayers to God, to see more Indians disciples reaching their own and go to difficult places, places where neither latin or foreigners can go.  Please keep praying for these disciples.

Now the report from the trip. 

That day the guide’s family received the Lord, the name of the guide is Eliberto, a total of 6 people conform the family and all of them said “Yes”, therefore a house of peace is in place, where the new church can start to blossom.  There are 200 people in the village and there are more in the surrounding villages.  The team was able to visit 3 different villages in this trip. Names and geographical coordinates are at the end of the report, you are welcome to visit them.

Now the plan for this place is as follows.

The plan is that in the next trip we may be able to send more natives, Bernabe will search for true disciples, ready to become a SEAL team for the Lord for those places, the ministry is to provide for their travel expenses and what is needed to complete the task and surely I will try my best to join them next time. 

Blessings,

David Vega

edited by T.Vega

Geographical coordinates as follows: 

Bongo: N 08º37.932’W 081º48.197’

Canoa: N 08º39.998’W 081º48.191’

Guayacan: N 08º40.628’W 081º48.077

some videos from the trail.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ohdtkXMEEJQdkMoil57sezY66ALtZNwX

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aV8To1NZUkv0xMtgps0mh5qEp3hL4D_8

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UlovSI-Z_DS_oa5CVwzVvkZLvfz1moKM

video from the village

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1iyXl5cUS_zNUQV71E2jDShwHe-L-A-QS

video of Bernabe 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AfNwWA_njJ95SNz-f775i0zbO--5gb97

Pictures: 

You can see how difficult is the trial in some pictures and will see Bernabe and his team praying for people and share Jesus, they took these pictures.

Bocas del Toro - Daira 2, Centro Daira and Guabal Report - July 2018

DAIRA 2, CENTRO DAIRA AND GUABAL

Hello my brothers in Christ, we love you and sorry for the delay on writing about what God is doing in our country.

Two weeks ago, came back from a mission trip with a dear partner church from the USA to the Bocas del Toro area in two places for a full week of work and the last day we came to Guabal as our meeting place. 

Daira2. 

God is doing something very interesting in this place, we saw how people believe in Jesus but they are afraid to place their faith in Him for eternal life. In the area lives a person, his name is Rogelio and his family, they trusted in the Lord and were baptized last year, they are the ones that are taking the lead on preaching God’s word, while we were in the area we were able to see how he works hard to study the Bible and tries his best to understand more and more the Bible.  Remember that their educational level is not that high.

In Daira 2, the team was able to share the Gospel 78 in the 20 homes visited in the area.  The group of men and women had a constant attendance of 12 to 15 in each group.  Working with the kids is always a joy, for they are so open and the only POF in the night meeting was of a young boy that came forward and attended the men’s group.  

Centro Daira. 

We worked with the men, women and children, in the men meeting around 35 men came every day to the meeting, and we have strong conversation of who is God, and what kept holding them from taking the step to follow Jesus; some times the talk went on for 3 hours, about the Bible and them making questions.  

The children were a blessed time to work with them, sometimes I think that it will require a new generation like this kids that are growing with a different way of thinking, been exposed to teachings about the world and the Word of God.  The work will continue through the disciples that are been raised in the area.

Guabal

Guabal is doing very well is amazing how the church in Guabal adopted the vision of mission and how hard they work for it, the church is healthy and strong. Our missionary Mateo, God has given him a very beautiful ministry, please pray for him a lot he needs all our prayers.

Even though there were no POF in this area, there were about 7 people getting baptize, all of them youth that opened their mouth giving testimony of their determination of following Jesus.

We thank the Lord for the team of disciples that Mateo has developed in the area, the vision casted to the Church in Guabal and for the schools, they have always opened the doors for us to stay, to use the kitchen and in some cases the teachers allow us to use their shower (this is a big plus).  

The portable equipment received last year was used to show the Jesus film and the life of Paul as a way of showing how the early church started.  I spend two days in each village with the purpose of getting the taste of both and showing the film.  My mom served in Dayra 2.

Blessings,

David / Mission starts with you.

Edited by Talsidia Vega

Mission to Hacha - June, 2018

HACHA REPORT - JUNE 16-24, 2018

God bless you.  It is good for us to be able to give this report.  

Last year around this time of the year a team from Alabama came to join forces with the ministry in Panama in order to go to Hacha, a small village that is about two hours hiking from where the road stops up on the mountain chain of Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro.  They   went with us trusting in the information given to them, that is one step of faith, camped and ate with the nationals; there was a small number of believers that through years have been getting together to hear the Word in the midst of a  village to be MamaTata.  

By the end of that week a piece of land was donated, that is another miracle.  Through out 2017 another piece of land was donated which was almost in the middle of the village, now that is a big miracle, for the first piece of land was way too far.  The news was given to the USA church and they got to raise the funds to consider the possibility of building the house of prayer in Hacha!!!  It was muddy and cloudy but the work was done.  Only one day the sun came out as to give the time to try hard to finish, Aleluya!

This year another youth team got together and made the trip to Hacha with MGPanama with the purpose of sharing God’s love through the work with kids, the women and men but mainly to start building the so long awaited house of prayer.  The weather did not help much but was generous enough to allow the team (USA, nationals and Latins) to finish 90% of the building, the rest would be finished by the mother church that has been coming to  Hacha for several years now and the group that follows Jesus in Hacha.  The USA team took turns on the outreach and on the building.  God is good.

The result was awesome, 7 POF from all the visits made and the last day 2 took the brave decision of getting baptized in the river that passes through the village, the water was very cold but that did not stop them.  Loudly gave testimony of what is to follow Jesus.  The church that helped us to build the church is committed to send a pastor to look after this baby church that has been established now. 

Being able to come back from the mountains with all the team in one piece is always a blessing.  We had 14 from USA, 13 of them got sick but God gave them strength to keep going and work hard to share Jesus.  On the last day we were able to hike back out, no one was left behind, Praise the Lord!!!!

Your prayers were of great value and we deeply appreciate them.  Thanks once again for your faithfulness to our King by praying, giving and as time allows, going.

Blessings

DAVID VEGA / Mission starts with you

Edited by Talsidia Vega

Bible Institute Update - May 31st to June 4th

BIBLE STUDY METHODS - Module #3

Getting together to go over teachings. 

Hello everyone is a joy to write again about what God is doing in the mountains of Panama.
The Bible Institute was just an amazing experience; around 40 attendants between pastors, leaders and future leaders came to learn more about the Bible.  In this occasion the module Part I that the group studied was Bible Studies Methods.  Being such a long module it has been divided in two parts, Part II will be studied on Oct 17-21.
Three full days, deep into God’s Word was a challenge for some, an eye opening for others but at the same time a very enriching in the knowledge and understanding of His Word for our lives.  God blessed us by having 4 teachers from Costa Rica and 4 from the partner church in the USA.  At the end, they prayed for the teachers and a safe travel back home.
Pastors and Leaders were deeply grateful with God by sending the teachers and us and partner with them by bringing the Bible Institute to them in order to learn more and understand more.  
I wrote this report after our last mission trip two weeks ago to Bocas del Toro where the Lord allowed us to meet some diamond workers in the Lord, God willing they will join us for the Oct Bible Institute where they hope to be polished in order for Jesus to shine in them and keep working hard spreading the good news.  

We had problems with the equipment, for no reason the computer appeared to have lost the power point and the material been taught.  That meant that we needed to go the old fashion way, no problem for that, but David did not give up and spend until 1:00am trying to recuperate the information and of course God was in control, he was able to have the equipment ready for the team to use next day, Praise the Lord.  Some times we thing what is our service in a team? God knows how He places people in the proper place, in the proper time.

Thanks so much for praying

DAVID VEGA / Mission starts with you

Edited by Talsidia Vega

January - April Update 2018

Hello my brothers I hope you are okay.

In April God allowed us to see lot of things.

In personal life, we finally moved to our apartment I am sending a few pictures of it, thanks to everybody that God has touched to support us and for being part in this new step in my family. I send a big hug from Panama.

At the south side of the mountain(Pacific side), we have the following report to share:

Bernabe Morales:  He serves at the church in Balsa and at the moment he 6 people that are being discipled, we don’t have a picture yet, but we promise that by the end of this month we will have one or maybe two, hahaha just kidding more than two. 

He started to teach in the church so the disciples may see how he does it so they can learn more. God is giving more strength to his church, for those who doesn’t know, Bernabe is more than a disciple for me he is my friend, he has been for years by my side working.

To share a little history of the church he is serving at (Balsa), nearby where Bernabe lives a pastor sinned and abandoned the church, the church tried to survive without a leader, holding a service as often as they could.  Last year the church was destroyed in a storm (can you imagen how they felt?).  Last year a team came to rebuild the church in less than one week!! (https://mgpanama.squarespace.com/news/2017/6/27/balsa-report-rebuilding-the-church-building-june-27-2017), and then the Balsa Church realized that they are not alone, that God cared about them too.  

Besides all this, and after this, a church from one of the team that I consider my friend too (that is another story), adopted Bernabe and now Bernabe has started to disciple them and try to train a new future leader for the community.

Bernabe is also attending the Bible Institute at Cerro Miel in order to gain more training.

Simon Abrego. oh! my brother Simon…

He is just amazing, he has been our friend for almost 10 years, he started working with kids around 3 or 4 years ago besides pastoring the Church in Raton https://mgpanama.com/news/2018/1/9/january-update-2018.  He with his team have reached around 3 thousand kid for Jesus and counting. He has been adopted by another Church that supports him through MGPANAMA.  This year they will be hosting a team coming to strengthened the church and do some repairs to the structure. https://mgpanama.com/news/?category=Community+Transformation

Enrique Javilla

Enrique is a new member to the team, we have known him from years and years.  He was one of my father’s disciple, joining him to several trips to the mountain.  Due to one training, Enrique felt called to start planting churches. As part of our team we are praying and waiting for someone or a church to adopt him. Today, he is a church planter, have started his ministry where he has developed a team and 17 churches have been started and 8 of them are where there are no churches. In the plan they are planting 6 more this year.

Part of the team are Pastor Heitor and Pastor Rey Camilo, who serve as trainers in different areas.

In North side of the mountain.

At this side of the mountain there is a courageous missionary, we pray that God will send more like him, his name is Mateo.

I know that lots of you have heard about of our friend Mateo, but now is not just Mateo, God has given him true believers and disciple that they believe in what the Bible say and want to change the communities nearby.

Monte Lirio Baptism

Monte Lirio is one of the areas he looks after.  Monte Lirio was a place where teams have gone several times until we felt to stop sending teams but, rather to start a Bible Institute in order to train the 5 to 9 sporadic members.  Sometimes we give up on things but not God, the Church belongs to Him and He looks after her.  

After our return from the States, I traveled to see Mateo and share some good news in reference to the work he is doing in the area.  We talked about Monte Lirio and I told him to give up on the place, but Mateo told me “David, something is happening there, the church is growing, for there are 20 people gathering and 3 have been baptized.” So, I told him to keep going there for now is when they will need help in guidance and training. Praise the Lord. 

in MGPANAMA

1. Our ministry have started the last processes to be a tax deductible.  This has been a process of one year.  As soon as we have more news we will share it with you.  

2. In the month of April the mission trip that I did was mainly for preparing the missions trip in every area. This year we have around 4 international mission trip, little by little God is bringing more servants, to work in the mountain.

3. I have also met with Mateo, Bernabe and Pastor Simon in order to be with them and plan for this year’s work.

4. We are working in new ways to help and support our national partners. The ministry is growing not just in the spiritual side but is growing with more people that need tools to do their work better for Jesus.

5. We have met with pastors that Pastor Heitor have trained in order to serve them better, therefore a mini campaign has been programmed for August but before that the training will be strengthened with them.

We are so grateful for our trip to the States where we were able to share about the work being done in Panama but also to strengthen our relationship with Churches that support financially and through prayers, the ministry in Panama.

Know that your prayers and support are deeply appreciated, trusting the Lord for the provision He has in store for you.

Blessings and we will see you next time, if He does not come back before that.

Written by David Vega / Talsy

B&PSchools - Bible Institute Jan 28-Feb2, 2018

Bible Institute

In this occasion we had more students than expected and others for strong reasons were not able to attend but are committed to catch up with the module.

Telling the Bible Story - Nitzia Javilla

Pastor Jim and Mickel are good exponents of the Word of God and open to answer any question the students might have.  This group of students is more proactive, they are not afraid of asking questions and they are good questions, one of the things we tell them is that it is very important not to go home having doubts, better to ask than to keep not knowing.  So that is what they are doing.

Participation - Bernabe.  Oops we have a dog in the class.

Pastor Enrique, who is the one coordinating the place to stay, the cooks and did the invitations supervises many of the pastors attending the Institute therefore he follows up with them in anything they need in reference with the Institute and materials needed.

We appreciate your prayers for the next class that is programmed for the end of May and in this opportunity the Church that sponsors this Institute will be sending a few teachers, among them is the Senior Pastor, brother Todd Calaway.  So also keep them in prayers, for any need there might be with their trip.

May God keep you and bless you as you serve Him in the calling He has given you.

Talsy and David.  

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Eph 6:18[g]NLT

January 17-24 Update / 2018

We had the blessing of having a small team (4) that came to be a blessing.  They are dear friends from long time ago (15 yrs), we met them when Crossridge Ch used to be Little Elm Baptist Church and they came to bless the mountains with a medical/construction team.  They came for a week and joined us in the outreaches that were programmed for January, besides that, they did some repairs at our home.  So we have broken the report in short sections:

1-  More of Christ Celebration - We went up to Raton as part of the Christmas celebration done with Elconix but this year the pastors coordinated everything.  The blessing of seen 170+ come and hear the Gospel with the program that Pastor Simon has is unmeasurable.  We learned a different way of sharing God's love and make the classes interesting.  The same day a similar Celebration took place at Alto de Jesus with Pastor Rey Camilo and reported around 45 kids in attendance.  Praise the Lord!.

Virgina, Pastor Simon' wife.

2-  Women's Teaching - Grace was the main theme of the retreats and sharing we (the team and I) had with the women at Raton, at the Women's Jail and a small church led by Pastors Joel and wife Jennie.  Teaching about Grace, Faith, Love, takes back to the Cross, for you get to learn new things you did not see or did . not get the first round, such as a deeper understanding of 1 Cor 13 and the description of love; take each word and share about it is always a learning/dying process.

3-  Home Repairs - Since time was short no big project was done but enough as to repair things that needed to be change such as door frames (termites), door replacement, putting up a new door where needed, things that otherwise I would have had to look for somebody to do them.  God blesses us by placing loving people in our life's, and through time they become part of you by the love that bounds us in Christ.

Thanks be to our Lord for this time of sharing, teaching, learning and serving.  In Him always,

Talsy