A Month of Community Service

It is already going to be February, which will mark 6 months on this wonderful experience. This past month has been a wonderful experience, which reminded me why God has given a path for each individual. For three weeks I had the pleasure of supervising two groups that had to do community service. I was accompanied by a wonderful teacher who teaches Spanish. After the three weeks, I accompanied a mission group from Trinity Wall Street based from New York.

Let me start off with the amazing experience I had supervising the two groups. I was a little nervous because I was going to be working with 12th graders, especially because I have only worked with 8th and 9th graders. I initially thought the two groups were not going to want to do anything — but I was proven wrong. We went off to the Fundacion hogar de ninas de la Capital. The girls home is an institution of the Episcopal Church in Panama, which offers a short or long term home for girls in at-risk situations. The home is responsible for the education, training, health, nutrition and spiritual guidance for the girls. We painted most of the place. I enjoyed helping out because it’s a wonderful program needed in Panama. It also needs help with funding, so being able to help out was a blessing. The home also reminded of me working for Good Sam. Good Sam will always be a part of me and it felt good hearing about the non-profit in Panama.

The teacher that was with me was a Spanish teacher and has worked with this community service site for about ten years. I was a little scared because my Spanish is not the best, but I can get by. The teacher only knows Spanish (most of the teachers at St. Christopher’s are bilingual). Well, I’m proud to say I had not one, but a lot of conversations with her and she said that my Spanish has been really good from the first day I got Panama. I also found out that she has a sister that lives in McAllen, TX. Here are some pictures on what we did.

After the three weeks, I was greeted by a group from Trinity Wall Street. They have had a partnership with Panama for about 5 years. I did not go with them for two days because I had a duty for the school but on Saturday and Sunday I was able to join them. On Saturday we went to a rural community that the Episcopal church has a presence in. It was the community of Tres Hermanas in Capira. The program from the Episcopal church is a agriculture project that helps the community to show how agriculture can help the family and the community. Below are some pictures.

It was in the middle of nowhere.

They were talking about the program.

We walked for about 20 min to get where they plant crops.

One member for Trinity working to harvest.

Surrounded by the forest.

Walking back to the car.

This was most of the group

Panama and Trinity at the Bishops house.

Panama Group

Yes I helped.

This month has been a great month and I am so blessed to have witness the community service that the children do and the relationship that the Anglican and Episcopal church has in the world.  I want to leave you with a prayer that was given to me when I was taking an online class from Bishop Michael Curry from North Carolina. I believe this sums up what I pray for everyday. Thank you for reading and God Bless.

O God, let something happen to me,

something more than interesting or entertaining or thoughtful. 

O God, let something essential happen to me, something awesome, something real. 

Speak to my condition O Lord, and change me somewhere inside where it matters, 

a change that will burn and tremble and heal, and explode me into tears 

or laughter, or love that throbs or screams, or keeps a terrible cleansing silence, 

and dares the dangerous deeds. 

Let something happen in me which is my real self, O God. 

(Ted Loder)