Almost Moving Day
We are soooo close! We have been working, pushing and wanting to move now since we started the construction in December 2012. Well, now it looks like we’re moving at the end of the week. What a construction journey this is, huge ups and huge downs but in the end the Lord’s plan prevails. We are so excited to build deep relationships with our new neighbors, to start reaching out with Community Health Evangelism, and Lord-willing, opening a medical clinic. Please be in prayer for us, this journey is taken its toll on us, we are worn out, many new gray hairs for me (Bobby), and down to our last dollar – trusting God daily for His provision, which He has always provided. We are so hopeful for the future, may God shine His light from this place piercing through the thick darkness! We are so excited to continue to reach out to greater numbers of people and share God’s love!
This is a short and sweet blog post due to the fact we are in the middle of packing and wrapping up construction at the new property… we’re moving over into more camping like conditions, should be fun. 😉
Now bring on the photos!
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- The kids love their care packages
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- Ethan loves his Lego ‘barco’
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- The kids are always capturing photos of interesting things
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- Our wonderful Bella-dog
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- Our wonderful Bella-girl
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- Calypso Joe singing to us as we eat in Old Bank
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- A very local restaurant in Old Bank
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- Old Bank, authentic Afro-Caribean life
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- More Old Bank
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- Welcoming the Bowls family!
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- Ellie found a baby duck in the creek
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- We love the constant stream of animals here
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- Darren, Gloria, Macy and Kabrina Bowls coming to help us – awesome!
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- Our main boat broke down so for a couple of weeks I traveled using our 46′ long cayuco. Parking was quite a challenge
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- Taking the new owners of the house we are currently in to Los Secretos. They are YWAM Panama, Allen, Terry and Rich – great guys.
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- God’s Promise
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- Ellie and Macy love hanging out playing Legos and doodling
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- Ethan always finds, and smells new treats
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- He likes cookies
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- Fun at the beach with the kids
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- Ellie body-surfing with Macy
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- Bella’s always finding beautiful flowers and weird bugs, here’s a mini-snail like thing
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- It’s hard to see from this picture but we found a 8′ long + snake on the patio, here’s the snake running away
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- The new property
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- The entry path
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- The multi-purpose building, trading post, trainings, faith-building movies, potential medical clinic, education, worship, prayer, lots of stuff
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- More of the path up the hill from the dock
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- No floor yet in the multi-purpose building, the struggles of getting wood here are huge and the number one problem is, alcoholism
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- The upper house
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- The second house
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- Multi-purpose building
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- Inside of the second house which has two apartments and one medium room. Jairo, Delphino and Gene all True Christians.
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- Second house, finishing up
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- Apartment in the second house
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- Ethan inspecting our toilet drain
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- Second house inside
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- Looking down at the multi-purpose building from the upper house
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- Second house on the left, multi-purpose on the right
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- Inside of the upper house
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- Our neighbors on one side
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- The bay
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- Ethan walking on future walls
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- What a cutie!
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- The solar powered water pumping room
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- Solar system to power it all
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- Chris and Darren plumbing away
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- What great guys, we are so blessed by those God brings our way
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- Delphino, lives near the bat caves, travels almost an hour by cayuco to get to work here by 7am each day
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- Gene, my Ngobe brother, we’ve been through thick and thin, praise God He sent Gene into our lives
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- Ellie’s 10th birthday! I can’t believe she’s ten, wow time flies!
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- She wants yuka cake so Simon is showing her how to harvest the yuka
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- More harvesting
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- Shirlene can make anything taste good using any ingredients
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- Yuka cake – we all love it!
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- The cake was a hit!
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- Snorkeling for Ellie’s birthday at a local mangrove
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- We set up a petting zoo in the boat for Ethan as we snorkeled
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- Everywhere you look there is incredible life around, God is super creative
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- Ellie takes such good care of her brother
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- Bella… my sweet Bella is always ready for quality time
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- We then ate at Gene’s house, they opened a restaurant
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- Wow, good food, tacos, chicken salad, hamburger
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- This hamburger was so good and seriously had about 1lb of beef on it
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- More pictures of their place
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- The little building in the back is their gas station
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- They also have horseback riding
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- The woman leading the horse if Gene’s wife, Aneth
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- Ellie is a farm girl, we really need to start raising animals again
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- Ellie and Bella off in the distance for a trial run
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- Ethan is a wild man
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- Gene’s son, Daniel
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- Gene’s family property, up on the hill is his brother’s house, his green house on the left, restaurant in the middle, gas station on the right
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- On our way out the dolphins said happy birthday to Ellie
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- Awe, our sweet kids (most of the time) 😉
We love and miss you all, maybe we’ll see those of you up in Washington soon… we’ll see. 😉
Love to see all the photos and get an update from you guys!!! Sooooo excited to see you soon!!!! It’s been way too long. Love ya’s! Mom – Grandma
Bobby and Shirlene, it’s always sooooo great to hear from you and yes, to see all the pictures. Just love them. Your family is simply beautiful and you two are amazing for what you have accomplished down there. The Lord has certainly blessed your efforts to serve Him in this area. It will be wonderful to see you here for a visit and I hope to be able to hear first hand about all you have done and plan to do in the future. I am praying for you all.
Wow you guys have made awesome progress. I can see there has been a ton of sweat and tears gone in so far! Gotta admit that it tugs at the heart-strings and that I would love to be there right now! Thanks for sharing the photos and giving us a glimpse into your lives. Im sure your super excited about moving in. I am, for you!! Bless you guys. Praying for ya all. Love you heaps!!
P.S Where is the pic of mommy on the horse??
Hi! What fun you kids have! Boating, swimming, horse back riding, etc. Did you ever hear of anyone horse front riding? So excited to see all of you when you get to Wa. Buckets of love & Blessings.
It’s so nice to see you guys are doing well. It looks like you have great friends to encourage you. I’m glad you are safe and healthy. I will be praying for your ministry. Let me know when you come to Washington and maybe speak at Cherry Grove Friends Church. So proud of you guys. Love, Alice
Dear ones, You, all five of you, have certainly proved that you are “true missionary grit” over and over throughout your Panama journey..(house to house to house) with all manner of “adventures” along the ever-surprising trails!!
How wonderful the way you have persevered through it all! A testimony of Father God’s faithfulness, provision and loving care for the details to all who have been involved, and all who have watched you along the way.
I apologize that I’ve not sent love and encouragement notes to cheer you on for these many months. Know that I did send missives heavenward… of praise and thanks for you, all that you’ve done, and how you have done it despite the daunting tests!
Now you are in motion of a great culmination of your constant prayers, gi-normous amounts of work by you and so many others…Waaaa Hoooo! Glory to God who has brought you to this “broad place!” “The lines for you have fallen in pleasant places!”
Glad to hear that you will be in the area sometime soon-ish! Hope to see you if possible! sent with love, andrea
Oh yeah! These photos are simply amazing- all that the Lord is establishing just thrills my soul! I am praying with you! Both to finish strong this transitional phase and for a much-deserved respite! May the Lord establish the works of your hands! Your posts always humble me and also thrill me! I can’t wait to hug each of you and tell you how much I admire and love you!
So excited to see how far things have come for you all. Bobby I can still remember the first time you mentioned Bram’s property to David and showed us the web-site. Awesome to see how the Lord has truly brought it all to pass. We are so excited that you all will be able to go home this summer. We just wish there was a pitstop in Virginia (but we know your VA connection will be with you in WA!) We trust that our paths will all cross again one day soon. Have a great time at home and please try and relax (if you can!) xoxoxo Love to you all.
Wow wow wow! Way to go God and you! Together you’ve made great things and I know are accomplishing much more in the hearts of men than is visible to our human eyes. Your trailblazing adventure is one to be admired and greater courage and strength than we will ever truly know. May He give you strength and grace work the many details in final preparation these last days before you come home to enjoy much needed rest, loving and BURGERS! 🙂 Praying for you and Love you mucho! oxox from us waiting with open arms to give you hugs in person… can hardly wait! 🙂
It is so good to see all the photos. You have done SO much work!! We are super proud of you. So wish we could come and visit. Sending MUCH
love your way, Lyn