Panama Missions

ooops! Much-Needed Updates!

2012-01-03T09:17:00.003-06:00

Greetings!

Most of our supporters get their reports from us via e-mail, so I sometimes forget to upload them here to our blog site as well. My apologies! The list at right is now up-to-date. Good thing, too! It's time to write the next one!

We're committing to another five years, so.... keep reading!

Happy Holidays to all!
David and Lisa

The Well-Established and the New!

2011-09-20T18:00:00.002-05:00

Greetings All!

This was a month of a 25 year-old tradition, and visits from two groups that are new to Panama. Read all about it!

Cheers!
David

A Month of Firsts!

2011-08-17T00:06:00.001-05:00

See all the things that happened for the First Time - Read the August newsletter!

Another Door Opens for Service!

2011-06-15T14:10:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

If your heart is touched by children, we know you'll be excited about a new aspect of our work we wrote about this month.

Cheers!
David & Lisa

So Many to Thank!

2011-05-02T23:36:00.002-05:00

Matthew is home from Afghanistan, and so many of you have a heart for the work in Panama! God is good. Read all about it in the May newsletter.

Cheers!
David & Lisa

University Students & a New Church Share a Great Week!

2011-04-02T14:57:00.002-06:00

Students from the Univ. of Tenn (Chattanooga) and Mississippi State Univ. spend a hard-working week helping the church in El Valle de Anton serve their community. Then they head up-river to spend a night and a couple of days working in a village of the Embera people.

We're all exhausted, but we had a great time, and did a lot of good, too.

Read all about it in the April newsletter.

Cheers!
David

Contest Won!! More Coming!

2011-03-07T22:59:00.002-06:00

Read the March 2011 Newsletter to see who won the Caption Contest from February, and to see the new contest! Stakes are really high! Your name in lights!

The following entries were tied for 2nd on the caption contest:

"Now, was that one scoop or two?...I lost count!" Juliette in Mt. Dora

“Chicken WHAT ??” Jill in Tennessee

“Lisa shares her favorite, little-used recipe for 'stewed stump'". Robin in Altamonte Springs

Miriam: “What is that? Is it supposed to look like that?"
Lisa: “This can’t be a good thing” Donna in Orlando

Lisa: "Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog"
Miriam: “Lisa, those cooking classes are really starting to pay off”.
"Lisa, you have eleven toes!" Karin in Guatemala

Big, Giant Contest !!

2011-02-03T20:29:00.003-06:00

Greetings All,

Wow! Over $10k in flood relief donated by YOU! God bless you all!

Read about some of the good things your funds are accomplishing.

Cheers!
David

P.S. There really is a contest in the Feb issue!

Christmas is Delayed

2011-01-24T20:03:00.003-06:00

You probably expected to be seeing our report about our participation with Larry Brady's Operation Christmas Joy 2011 this month, but Panama has had 315% more rain than normal this year, resulting in unprecedented flooding. This flooding has put the delivery of Christmas gifts off while we help take care of people who have lost everything!

Help if you can!

David

Looking Forward to a Busy 2011

2010-12-03T10:50:00.004-06:00

Greetings All,

Six groups coming down in 2011! New church in El Valle going strong! Read all about it in Dec. 2010 report.

As hard as I work on these newsletters, you'd think that I'd never forget to actually upload them to the blog. But when I arrived here to upload December, I realized that I never did post October or November! My apologies.

Most of our supporters get these newsletters by direct email. If you would prefer to be on that mailing list - rather than downloading from this site - please let us know. You can email Lisa (the keeper of the list) at LLCHBS@yahoo.com, or call 407-429-0287 and leave a message.

Cheers!
David

The Best Week Yet! NEW & IMPROVED VERSION

2010-09-02T20:04:00.007-05:00

Greetings All,

Our apologies to those who had trouble downloading the original 8-file format of the photo-intensive Aug-Sept report. Try the new single-download version at right! (Click it, then choose "Download" on the next screen.)

The Aug-Sept newsletter is a very special report about a very special week with a very special group of people from Atlanta!

The report this month is twice as long as any previous report. It runs to 10 pages! But don't worry! Only a few pages are text. The rest is all captioned photos. We know that you don't have time to read all that we have to say about this great week, so we're relying on the Chinese to be right about the thousand-word value of a picture.

Please print and share with any group who might be looking for a place to spend a week or two in service to others.

Cheers!
David & Lisa

A Variety of Activities

2010-08-07T15:37:00.001-05:00

A busy summer begins...Read all about it in the July 2010 Newsletter.

Carters on Three Continents!

2010-08-04T16:24:00.002-05:00

I was in the U.S. for nearly three months back in the Spring, helping Matthew get ready to deploy to Afghanistan. (He transferred from the Navy to the Army last year, in case you missed that bit of news and you're wondering what the Navy is doing in Afghanistan!) He is now there, and is able to phone home on a regular basis. Please pray for him.

While in the States, I was privileged to visit with several churches and tell them about Panama. Many thanks to all who invited, listened, encouraged, fed, and helped to finance!!

In the meantime, Lisa and Michael were carrying-on the work in Panama, AND moving us into a new apartment, as our previous landlord decided it was time to TRIPLE our rent on the old place!

I have finally returned to Panama, but we're still unpacking and settling-in to the new place. We recently had one of the best weeks of our four years in Panama, hosting a group of amazing workers from Atlanta. But that's a story for NEXT newsletter.

Thanks to all!

You ARE busily making plans for your group to come down, right?!
David

Medical Mission at the End of the Road

2010-04-08T22:11:00.003-05:00

Read the April 2010 Newsletter to see what we were doing that required a heavily-armed, 24-hour paramilitary security force!

Ready to Die! (That's what he said)

2010-03-08T21:27:00.003-06:00

Greetings All,

Nico has finally done what he has been dreaming and praying about for 15 years! He has learned how to "follow the Jesus way". Last weekend, he learned how that baptism is described as a death, and his response was immediate!

The young Christians of the Panama churches are - hopefully - less fearful than they were prior to the Youth Convention.

Read all about these two stories in the March 2010 newsletter, available in .pdf format.

We will no longer be posting our newsletters in .doc format. The .pdf format has become the standard for distributing online documents that are readable across all platforms. If you do not have a .pdf reader, they are free, and easy to install. Go to http://get.adobe.com/reader/. If you have a special need for the .doc format, let us know and we can provide our newsletters in that format.

Cheers!
David & Lisa

Lisa goes Native!

2010-02-12T23:35:00.003-06:00

Greetings All,

Lisa had a chance this month to visit a very remote village with our friends Kim & Keith. You may recall my visit there a couple of years ago, and how it nearly did me in. Read this month's report to see how much tougher Lisa is than me!

Cheers!
David

P.S. We've had some changes in mail and phones lately. But I've just edited all the contact info in our heading photo, above. It's all correct and up-to-date. We'd love to hear from you!

Operation Christmas Joy 2009!!

2010-01-03T21:33:00.004-06:00

I've tried several times, but I just cannot write as good a report about Operation Christmas Joy 2009 as Erik Tryggestad, Assistant Managing Editor of the Christian Chronicle, did for that publication. So, for the full, professionally-written story, go to this URL:

http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158964~A_mission_of_joy:_Church_members_deliver_presents_in_Central_America

If you're not a reader, open the format of your choice for Jan 2010 here where I've given the basic facts and lots of pictures. And for even more photos, see this link to Lisa's Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049091&id=1381569386&l=bc88c8805d

Cheers!
David

We love having Visitors!!

2009-11-30T22:41:00.003-06:00

Read all about the cool stuff we did when my baby sister, her hubby, our first elder, and Mrs. Elder came to see us!

And don't forget! We still have hand-made, recycled paper for sale for all you "make your own" Christmas Card buffs out there! Send Seasons Greetings, Save the Planet, and help the poor in Panama all at the same time.

Email me! DLCHBS@Yahoo.com

Paper and "Nana" Time

2009-11-11T22:06:00.003-06:00

Greetings All,

Lisa enjoyed a much-needed visit to our son, Matthew, this month, which provided her first real opportunity to spend some quality time with our Grand-daughter, Gaby. She also had several good meetings with several of our supporters.

David is developing a process for making new paper from office rubbish, which he hopes to teach to some very low-income Christian friends, as a way to supplement their income. You can help with this project by making your CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM THESE HAND-MADE PAPERS! See the photos. There are currently only about 150 sheets available, in a variety of colors, at $1 each (8" x 8"). Email David to arrange a purchase. All proceeds go toward the development of this project. DLCHBS@Yahoo.com.

Cheers!

Spanish Spanish Spanish & a "Godincidence"

2009-10-22T14:28:00.004-05:00

Teach your children a second language now!! Don't wait until they're 54!

Nico...Wow! Was he amazed at the "coincidence" of God's intervention in his life?!

Read all about it in the October 09 report. Choose your preferred format at right>>

Cheers!
David

The end of the road!

2009-09-02T09:15:00.003-05:00

Greetings All,

The big event for this month had the hair on the back of my neck standing at attention. We went as far as you can go by car toward the Panama-Colombia border...the town of Yaviza. It's a pleasant-enough little backwoods town, but it is the last outpost on a hostile frontier. Read our September report to find out why we did this crazy thing!

Cheers!
David

P.S. We have a new Orlando, FL-based phone number! Call us at 407-429-0287

LST Going Strong

2009-08-15T20:30:00.002-05:00

The first Let's Start Talking session at the new location was a great success! Julie Dancer (from the LST staff in Texas) and Katie Hall, a university student from Montana, spent three weeks with selected students from Instituto America - a prestigous high school in Panama City. This was the first time LST has been invited to this school, and it was a great success, with follow-up visits immediately requested and planned. We are still active at UDELAS, the university near our home.

Read the details in the August report.

Cheers!
David

Up-to-date on Working...Behind on Reporting

2009-07-07T18:28:00.007-05:00

Greetings All,

We've been busy since the May report was posted, but I have not posted the reports until now. Read the June newsletter to see Lisa on horseback in the Darien, while I wield a paintbrush in Texas - proving the lengths I'll go to in order to get someone to agree to move down and help us!

The Panamanian churches lost one of its greatest workers in June. Please honor the memory of Walter Leonard by reading his funeral program.

After months of work on the new clinic in Sanson, we finally were able to put that facility to use. We had a great medical mission week! Read all about it in the July report.

And for more pictures, see Lisa's Facebook page. Or see them at Walgreens Photos by pasting this link into your browser:

http://photo2.walgreens.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1239539006/a=35572066_35572066/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=walgreens/

Wow! It's really getting to hard to tell about everything!

2009-05-02T16:11:00.002-05:00

So much is happening! And summer isn't even here yet. Mark and I went back to Sanson for another phase of work on the clinic (which is scheduled for its first med team in June). A local helper on that project was baptized! Read all about it in the May report.

Cheers!
David

The latest from Panama

2009-04-08T19:23:00.003-05:00

It seems that more and more is happening all the time down here! We hardly get finished writing one report before we're bursting with news for the next one!

Thanks for all the encouragement and support!

Cheers!
David & Lisa

Your Old Laptop can be a Missionary!

2009-03-15T09:17:00.002-06:00

Our laptops are our lifeline here in the mission field! We use them to make phone calls to the U.S., to communicate worldwide via email, to locate resources here to help in our work in Panama, to keep up with the news back home, to prepare Bible lessons, to create documentation that keeps the LST program going at the university, to manage and edit the photos that make our work known to you, and to make our reports about our work. We each (me, Lisa & Michael) had our own laptop - and they were all in use constantly - until recently...

Lisa's has CRASHED. Michael's was STOLEN! Now three of us are sharing mine, which means that we're each reduced to a third of our former computing capacity.

Perhaps you have an old laptop you are not using. Let it become a missionary! We don't need the latest and greatest. All we need is a properly functioning, Windows-based laptop with at least two USB ports. Please email us at DLCHBS@yahoo.com if you can help.

OR, we would be thrilled with one of those tiny, new "Netbooks". The Acer "Aspire One" and the HP "Mini 2133" are both going for about $300 in the U.S.

Thanks!!

A New Congregation!

2009-03-12T21:51:00.002-06:00

Two house churches combine to form the new Metropolitan Church of Christ in the city. If you're visiting Panama, and your Spanish isn't so hot, you'll appreciate the warm, bilingual reception you'll receive!

The new school year begins at UDELAS with a record number of Let's Start Talking folks!

Read all about these two items in the March newsletter. Choose from MSWord (.doc) format or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.

Cheers!
David & Lisa

Feb 2009

2009-02-11T21:35:00.003-06:00

Greetings All!

Three major events this month:
1) The Uptons join the team.
2) David & Michael help build a clinic in the Darien.
3) Lisa helps with a medical clinic. Check out the video clips from her trip!

READ ALL ABOUT IT!!

Cheers!
David

Jan 2009 - A Great Trip Home!

2009-01-16T11:02:00.006-06:00

Well, the holidays are over and we'll be heading back to Panama in a couple of days. It has been great seeing our kids and all of Lisa's family and so many good friends from our home in Central Florida! Thanks so much to all who fed, housed, loaned cars, made introductions, threw parties, encouraged, contributed, and made plans to come down and visit the work first-hand!

During our first week back...
..David goes to the Darien to help build a clinic,
...Lisa goes back to volunteering at the local Christian school,
....We start gearing up for the new semester of LST work at the university, &
.....Mark & Miriam Upton arrive from Texas to become full-time partners with us!

See our latest newsletter, at right, in MSWord or Acrobat format.

Cheers to All!

Dec 08 - Feliz Navidad!

2008-12-08T17:15:00.004-06:00

Greetings All!

I am currently in FL, making reports to several churches, while Lisa and Michael are in the jungle helping to distribute some Christmas presents to kids in several small communities.

Lisa & Michael arrive here on the 16th, as we anticipate a great holiday with the Lipford clan!

Thanks again for all your support and encouragement! Enjoy our latest newsletter, if you have time between holiday festivities! May God bless you all!

Cheers!
David

The Latest

2008-11-10T16:52:00.004-06:00

More and more is happening all the time! See the November Newsletter at right. It is available in two formats: Microsoft Word (doc) and Adobe Acrobat (pdf).

We will be in the states for most of December and the first half of January, enjoying the holidays with family and friends, AND sharing the work with any who don't yet know about Panama. If you know of any churches, foundations, businesses, clubs, rich uncles or recent lottery winners who are looking for good ways to "lay up their treasures where moth and rust do not corrupt", please put us in contact with them. We have many projects - something to fit everyone's budget and areas of interest - classroom materials, woodworking tools for the kids at the orphanage, medical supplies, gas money, and (oh yeah) even the mundane things like groceries and rent.

Cheers!
David

We're Finally Blogging!

2008-10-13T16:29:00.003-05:00

Hi Folks!
This blog has been up for several months, but few knew about it, because - frankly - I had hardly had the time to look at it myself. My sister, Rachel, and her husband, Jerry, set it up for us after several of our supporters said they were having a hard time opening our emailed newsletters in pdf format. Hopefully, this site will now give us an easy way to make the newsletters available to you in at least a couple of different formats.

Thanks so much for your continued support!

Cheers to All!
David

Visit with David

2008-08-08T20:45:00.002-05:00

David and Mark made a quick trip through the South last week, sharing information about their work and seeking additional support for the new opportunity they have with Let's Start Talking. Take a minute to look at the PowerPoint video that we loaded: Synopsis of First Two Years. He talks about this exciting new avenue for spreading God's Love in Panama.

Also, if their Internet is up and running now, they will be taking over these posts. So, hopefully, you'll hear directly from them soon.

--Rachel

Welcome to Panama Missions

2008-07-06T16:03:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends, Family & Supporters,

If you have found this site, you are probably well acqainted with David and Lisa Carter. We are working to develop this site to keep you all informed on the wonderful things the Lord is doing in Panama.

Feedback welcome!
Rachel Welborn (David's sister)