NEWSLETTER FROM THE ALVARADOS FEBRUARY 19 TH, 2014 THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH OF CHRIST IN PANAMA CITY ENJOYING SUNDAY WORSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP AT THE OMAR PARK- FEB.9, 2014 As most of you know by now, Panama s summer season is from January through March, and we try to pack as much into these months as possible before the rainy season begins in April. As you will see, we have indeed packed more than we thought possible into these few months, and God has blessed us richly! There is no way to fully describe or recount every detail of the work here in Panama, so again, I will give you the highlights. I can say that, in some areas of Panama, the seed was planted, and in other areas, we were blessed to reap a wonderful harvest. To check our mission, vision, faith and activities, visit our webpage: www.iglesiametropolitana.com To watch our video, check on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn8u-vp0x6s&feature=youtu.be
A Summer of Activity in the City of Panama At the Metropolitan Church, we have been focusing on building families of strong and enduring faith. Our topics are on Christian principles and the Christian Home, making our families and home life stronger and better able to withstand the pressures of the world. Our adult Bible classes, led by both my ministry partner Elio Vergara and by me, have been going through the New Testament and concentrating on the foundational principles. Starting in April and continuing through June, the men and women will separate and both groups, led by me and my wife Betty respectively, will seek to apply these Christian principles to our daily family lives. Then, starting in July, we will move towards reaching out to non-christian families in Panama City. Once we have made our families and homes stronger in Christ, we will be better equipped to reach the lost of Panama City. Our Christian School of Biblical Studies (Escuela Cristiana de Estudios Bíblicos- E.C.E.B.) began its second semester in January of 2014. This summer (from January to March), Brother Wade Bedwell, from Tulsa Oklahoma, Elio Vergara, and I have been teaching the book of John, the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and the Pentateuch, respectively. Seven new students are enrolled in this second class of the 3-year program which began in August of 2013. Members from the Metropolitan church and other congregations also participate in the Bible classes regularly. Two of the un-enrolled students are Kira Borelly and Miguel Angel Gardaix. They both have been attending our local congregation for three years. Emma and Wade Bedwell have been the marriage advisers and spiritual mentors of this wonderful couple all these years. And the mission effort of the Bedwells has been rewarded: Miguel Angel was baptized by Bro. Wade! Now, Miguel Angel is a faithful member of the Metropolitan congregation. Kira and Miguel Angel not only attend the ECEB classes but also have opened their home to develop a small group Bible study. Raul Jr. is currently leading the Bible study at their Miguel Angel was baptized by Wade Bedwell house on Wednesday evenings.
The drier summer weather here in Panama City allows us to take advantage of the beautiful outdoors, and last Sunday we were able to again worship in Panama City s large and popular Parque Omar. After a time of worship, singing, praying, studying God s word, and taking the Lord s Supper, we enjoyed a time of eating and playing. Last Sunday was the Day of the Children, and we enjoyed every minute of it. Approximately 80 members of Sunday worship & fellowship at the Parque Omar- Raul Jr. leading the Lord s Supper were able to join us, but the wonderful blessing of this event was having people from the park stop and sit on park benches or lie on the grass and listen to the gospel of Christ. We have taken advantage of the popularity of this park in the past, and with similar results: people from the community hear the word of God. the Metropolitan congregation A Summer of Activity in Mission Work The indigenous tribe of Embera Puru continues to bear great fruits. This congregation, which was established two summers ago, had seven more conversions in January and February. Brother Emiliano Mepaquito is an incredible servant who shares the gospel to great effect. Let me give you an example: On the first of this month, two young men named Julio and Oscar, twins aged 16, came to Embera Puru (north of Panama City) from Jaque in the Darien province (east of Panama City) to visit their relatives. Emiliano used this opportunity to share the gospel with them. Eventually, I got a call from Emiliano asking me to come to Embera Puru to baptize these twin brothers. In the past, we have used as our baptistery a natural pool formed by a
Emiliano leading the canoe toward the waterfall to baptize there in this paradise in the middle of the forest. While we were worshipping, we noticed another canoe approaching us. In the canoe was sister Esilda, a woman who was baptized three months ago, and her husband Eliezer. Esilda explained that Eliezer wanted to hear the gospel, so, with a rock as my pulpit, I shared the gospel with him, and he too was baptized there in our natural baptistery! Witnessing this were Eliezer waterfall of a tributary of the San Juan River, the main river that moves through the forest. You may remember that Emiliano chose this place to baptize his brother Diego two years ago. Words cannot describe how beautiful this place is. When I told Emiliano that he could do the baptism, he said, no. He wanted me to participate in this great joy! After the baptism, Emiliano, his brother Diego, Julio, Oscar, and I prayed and sang songs Julio & Oscar and Esilda s four young children. Words cannot describe the awesome beauty of that day! Words also cannot describe the dedication and love for Christ that is evident in Emiliano and his wife Diana. On December 22, Emiliano and Diana, along with their next-door neighbor Rosendo, lost their houses and all of their belongings to a fire. Now Emiliano, Diana, and their three children are living with Emiliano s parents. All this has not caused Emiliano and Diana to lose focus; they continue to share the gospel with those Julio & Oscar being baptized at the San Juan waterfall around them, and they are a great example to all of us, especially to the Embera community.
Eliezer, Esilda and their four kids - Thanking God for the conversion of our 3 new brothers in Christ * Mission work in Meteti, Darien. While our congregation at Metropolitana is small, we are, at heart, a missionary church that seeks to help those struggling congregations around us. The church in Metiti in the Darien (east of Panama City) is a congregation of about 34 members. This congregation is benefiting from the spiritual support of Bro. Norberto Lasso, and Bro. Carlos and Sis. Melida Lopez, faithful servants from our congregation. Norberto Ruben Castro Fidencio Rodríguez Norberto Lasso teaching at the Meteti church and Carlos and Melida rotate going to this congregation to encourage them and meet the needs of this congregation and last month, two elderly people were baptized into Christ! Gabriel Vega (69) and Fidencio Rodriguez (89) are now newborn members of our Christian family in Meteti. Ruben Castro- who is the local leader of the Meteti congregation- is working hard to disciple these new brothers.
*The congregation in Chepo, a town located about 40 miles northeast of Panama City, is another congregation that benefits from the spiritual support of the Metropolitan church, with Norberto going there one time a month to worship with that congregation. We are delighted that their number has grown to 55 members who worship together. In the October 2013 newsletter, we shared how the congregation in Puerto Caimito (the city of our famous baseball player Mariano Rivera, about one hour west of Panama City) was started through the efforts of our sister Josephina who had relocated to that area only to find there was no congregation there to worship with. With the help of my ministry partner Elio Vergara and his wife Serafina, this congregation has grown! Last Wednesday evening, 43 members met in one of the member s house for mid-week services. In the last 6 weeks alone, nine people have been baptized! This congregation is on fire! *The congregation of Llano Largo in the city of La Chorrera (about 75 minutes away from Panama City and close to Puerto Caimito) is working with the Puerto Caimito congregation and the two congregations bus their members to each other members from Puerto Caimito go to Chorrera for Sunday morning services, and then Chorrera members go to Puerto Caimito for Sunday evening services. It s a wonderful arrangement, with both congregations under the spiritual guidance of Elio and Serafina. Many of you have been praying for our miracle baby, baby Angeli. She was born two and a half years ago and her parents Alfredo and Eneida were told to prepare for her imminent death. At that time, Bros. Mike Hawkins and Scott Blackwell from Julian Scott the Park Plaza congregation in Tulsa, Oklahoma were Yanelys Angeli visiting the Hospital del Niño and met Angeli and her parents. Immediately, these two brothers began working with Park Plaza to get special nutrition sent to Panama City for Angeli. As a result of God s work in all of the lives involved, last week when Scott visited, he was able to love on and laugh with our beautiful Angeli. More importantly, we were able to share the gospel with Eneida s mother, brother, and sister, and Eneida was baptized into Christ! Words can t describe the great joy Scott and I felt to witness
Eneida s conversion and how our Sovereign God acts in mysterious ways. Please continue praying for Angeli s father Alfredo. Alfredo is listening and we know that God is mighty to save. Julian Miranda- the minister of the Santiago church- will continue teaching the Word to Eneida and Alfredo. Eneida's baptism Feb. 13, 2104 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts (Psalm 105: 1-2) A Summer of Activity with the Youth The National Youth Convention is always held during the week of Carnival a time of worldly celebration in many Latin American countries, and a time of worship and fellowship for our Christian youth in Panama. This event, led by the J.O.S.I.A.S. group, the national leadership group that ministers to the youth in the church, is always very popular and well attended, and I look forward to bringing you news of what God accomplished in and through the young people in this time.
The Mission team from Harding University will be coming to Panama from March 8 through 16. This team is led by our son Isaac Alvarado and will be focusing on Panama City and the neighboring communities. Last year s trip was extremely fruitful, and we pray this year will be equally so. One of the blessings of working for the Lord here in Panama is that there is always something to do! The flip side to that is that there is not a lot of down time. We are so grateful for your continued prayers as we seek to serve the Lord and reach others for Him. One prayer request we have is the following: We have been meeting at the Instituto America since this congregation began in May 2009. This is a large high school with a student body of over 3000 students. The school year starts the end of February for public schools in Latin America, but this year, the school is not reopening due to remodeling. God willing, we will be allowed to continue meeting at this school on Sundays, and may even be able to meet during the week for various projects since there will be no students, but the difficulty of meeting in a facility that is being remodeled is great. The need for our own facilities has become more and more pronounced, and we pray that God will provide the funding needed to build on the property He has allowed us to purchase. Keep us, and all the work here in Panama, in your prayers! Dios les bendiga! Raúl & Betty Alvarado