This guest post was written by Lee Lannom who is currently on our J103 Project 4:10 Mission Trip to the country of Panama:
The waters of the Panama Canal have carried countless tons of cargo for many years, but today, it has a special mission: deliver the J103 mission team to the village of Gamboa. This village was described to us as very primitive and as we floated closer, its thatched roof structures peaked through the trees confirming what we had heard.
The plan was to install multiple solar-powered lighting systems in what the villagers called their pavilion. It was centrally located in the middle of the village and was a place that family parties were held, as well as community events and church services. It was a good sized pavilion that displayed some pretty impressive and creative construction techniques. It was very functional: it shaded the sun, kept them dry, and provided permanent seating. The one thing that it was missing though was lighting. That's what we were there for.
As a believer, it is a calling and always an honor to share the gospel with the lost. It's actually an act of love to shine the light of Jesus into a dark and dying world. Fortunately for the village of Gamboa, local missionaries have been discipling this village for quite a while. The eternal light of God has already been seen here, but there still remained a need.
The team worked for a few hours installing three solar panels, battery boxes, and seven LED light bulbs. Most of the villagers were there watching and some helping with the process. We finished just before sundown. It was now dark.
As the lights came on, it was a great time for both the villagers and the team. Smiles were on every face. The villagers said that it was an answer to many prayers for several years. We quickly moved into a time of distributing a lot of donated items such as rice, oil, and sugar.
The people of Gamboa were very grateful for what we did for them...what God did for them. They could now come together, at night, and worship the Lord God. As the team slowly left the village by way of the canal, it was getting darker and darker. We could see from the boat into the trees as the pavilion lit up brightly. The darker it got, the brighter the lights appeared. It was a reminder to us that Jesus, in His sovereignty, reached out to us, brought us into His marvelous light, and called us His own. We will never be in the dark again.
