Spire Spring 2017

While ministering to the people of Kuna Yala, the BC team stayed on an island, where the men slept in hammocks in the church and the women in hammocks in a local pastor’s house. There, they lived as the Kuna lived, sharing meals, taking boats from island to island, and learning about the Kuna lifestyle. “It was a very humbling experience,” said Spencer. “The Kuna people are so grateful for every breath they receive, every break of day they get to experience. They are not worried about what is going to be occurring in the next hour or next day or week. They are just grateful to be alive, living in a place that most United States citizens would not dare go.” The experience, the students said, provided them the opportunity to learn more about not only the Kuna culture, but also God and each other as they grew closer to one another throughout the week working toward

The universal language of music and dance helped BC students overcome the language barrier to connect with the Kuna children.

a training institute to equip pastors, teachers and missionaries, and have asked visiting professors from Bluefield College to come alongside them to help train those leaders, which will begin first with Pastor Clary returning to lead short-term courses. “I can honestly say that I experienced a new freedom in Christ while I was in Panama,” said Johnson. “It is so easy to let the pressures and struggles of life tear you down and discourage you, but God offers an unexplainable peace through it all. God does not expect us to be perfect; he expects us to be willing. If we can take that first step, God will meet us where we are and use us even in our brokenness. It is through our weakness that God’s strength shines through.”

the common goal of sharing the love of Christ. Each member of the team, they said, brought a different skill set to their ministry, and they were able to advance the kingdom of God, despite the language barrier. “We were given so many opportunities to serve the Lord, develop and cultivate wonderful Christ-centered friendships, and really witness how big and inclusive the family of God really is,” said Ivester. “It’s kind of hard to grasp that God is the God of every person and every language, but truly seeing that in action, I don’t think I could ever forget that.” And while the Spring Break mission trip is over, BC’s work with the people of Kuna is not. Leaders of the association of Kuna Baptist churches have formed

Story by BC student marketing associate Whitney Browning.

Christ-centered

Kuna Baptist youth greet BC students as they begin their mission to share the Gospel in Panama.

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