Panama Part 3: The Garden

   One day while we were in Panama, my team headed to Boquete (a town an hour away) for a day of VBS in an indigenous community. Panama was wonderful and it was so cool watching God provide, but some days just hit you hard. That morning was one of those days. After the hour bus ride, it felt like my team was having to be peeled off the seats just to get off the bus. Exhaustion is a great way to describe it. Mentally, physically, spiritually… we needed a fresh wind. 

   As we got off the bus, we crossed the street and spotted a coffee shop and decided to stop before our ride got there. We walked into the coffee shop called The Garden, completely unaware of how God was going to move. We were looking at the menu and an American women walked up to us from behind the counter. She said, “Well this looks like an special group of girls. What are y’all doing here?” (She spoke English! It’s weird meeting people who speak your language fluently after not meeting many of them over the past few months.) I explained how we were on the World Race and that we were doing ATL in Panama. Her name is Romsey and the coffee shop/restaurant is her family’s. Romsey runs it with her husband, Andrew. She said that she knew something was special about us and had actually met World Race teams before. As we were headed out, she made eye contact with us and started pouring out prayer over us. Not just a blessing but Holy Spirit-filled, powerful, prayer. 

   Romsey prayed that “in Jesus name we would be protected and be a light that is sent out to every nation, tongue, and tribe. That when we went back home the honeymoon phase with God wouldn’t end. That we would continue to fall in love with the Lord. That we would have the knowledge that we will continue to fall in love with Jesus by in His word and listening to His voice, even in the busy. In Jesus, He would be our top priority.” It was powerful and encouraging in ways I didn’t know I needed. God used Romsey to encourage us and provided a fresh wind in a moment I truly needed it. 

   Her prayer made me think, what gets us out of the honeymoon phase with God in a world where our feelings are truth but in reality our feelings are fleeting? When we feel far away from God, our feeling is valid but its also not truth. God doesn’t walk away from us. When we feel distant from the Lord, it is often because we aren’t spending time like we used to with Him. Falling out of love with the Lord often looks like not spending time in His word and in His presence. When we draw close to the Lord, He says He will draw close to us. 

   I pray that this encourages you to spend time in the presence of God and to continue to fall deeply in love with Him. Thank for reading part three of Panama! 

Here‘s the sweet family from The Garden!