Monday morning the deposit was paid to the apartment. The deposit is for the extra work they do to notify everyone that there is someone moving in, designate one elevator for the move, and pad that elevator. Tuesday morning the guy who was supposed to bring the truck for Thursday cancelled. Wonderfully right before lunch, Mary let us know she had found another man that they had used to move things before. He promised to be at our house this Friday morning at 7:00 a.m. So we notified the apartment that the day will be Friday. If it's not done on that day, the deposit will be lost.

Please pray:
That the truck does indeed show up on Friday.
That it doesn't rain.
That we can load and unload all in one day.

I am so ready for this to be behind us. Disorder in the house bothers me so much! It drains my energy. Every room right now is such a mess. Plus the house is dirty because there were too many things all over the floors to really clean. We plan to come and clean it from top to bottom when we have everything out of it.

Two more sleeps and we will at least have everything under one roof. Well, almost everything. We will need to return for a few things that just don't need to go over right now because they would be in the way. Then I can just deal with the clutter in the new place! ☺

Finally the video uploaded on You Tube of the typical dancing and music from Panama while a ship passes through the lock in the background. Takes about 8 minutes! Just copy and paste the address below into your internet browser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDKpuX2loYk

This morning I gathered up more things to take to the apartment and we took that load over. I was also washing the mattress pad, quilt, and sheets from our bed as well as all the towels and floor rugs. I had already done the other bedding because I wanted it all to be clean for the new apartment. Just before lunch we took that load over and then Rick carried off all the things we had gathered for Goodwill. While he was gone, I got another load ready for the car and continued the laundry. The plan was for us to take one more load today. However.....

I had just about had it with moving stuff. I was tired and just couldn't face doing another trip today. Just before bed last night I had seen an ad for an special, free event at the Panama Canal this eveningl Rick was all for going so when I told him I was just done for the day, he immediately turned off his football game, got a shower and off we went.

We had never had a chance to go to the Canal in the evening. They close the observation tower at 5:00 so this was going to be a real treat. We took a "selfie" on the way in:

And two more attempts once we were inside:

We aren't the best at this!!

We were excited to see our apartment building from the locks:

The first ship we saw when we arrived was going through the lock on the far side:

Let's zoom in and get a closer look at those men on deck:

Checking their phone, looking pretty laid back!! ☺ I guess this is where a helicopter could land:

The ship was carrying a few tires that were HUGE - bigger than a container:

Then came another ship:

Let's zoom in on those people on the front deck:

Tried to see what one guy was reading:

You can see this ship has no extra room on the sides:

This is how much room as at the front of the lock:

Before a lock opens, there are walking gates across the top:

They go down before the gate opens:

Partially open:

Open all the way, flush with the sides of the lock:

More ships were waiting to come through:

Some guys on the side of the ship:

I spy some more guys there:

Zoomed in on them, too - not too clear:

Rick noticed some of the containers were refrigerated.

So I zoomed in to see the generators on the bottom of each one:

Then it was out to sea:

The evening sky was getting really pretty:

There were folks in special costumes all around the building. These guys needed some help in building the Canal:

And there was special music and dancing:

I will have a video to post soon with this dance:

We had never seen the "clown" part before. These photos aren't too clear because we were on the 4th floor deck:

All the decks were full:

More pretty evening lights as we left.

It was a very wonderful and much needed date with my sweetheart!

Basketball season is nearly over and we have not seen nearly as many games as we wanted to. We really wanted to support the two MK girls on the team this season but it seemed like every week a conflict would come up that prevented us from going to the games. Today we planned everything in order to be free for the game this afternoon. It was to start at 3:00 so we left our house at 2:20 to be able to find the school. It took a little driving around but Rick with his great navigational skills did a great job finding it. The girls had games on Tuesday and Wednesday also and they had lost those. We were pulling with them for a win today since it was the semi-final games and they did it!!! The final score was 33-28. Here's the team photo after the victory:

The two MKs are top-left and second from top-right. They are sweeties. Sharing the joy:

We hope to be able to see the finals this weekend! We did not let up on our moving job either. As soon as the game was over, we came back home, loaded the car and took the stuff over to the apartment. We were very blessed in that we were going the opposite way of all the heavy traffic so we did it in record time!

In October of last year we attended a pastor's retreat that was held out at the Baptist camp.

A very significant thing that came from that was meeting this student, Masai:

Before the month was over, we met her for lunch near the University of Panama campus. Later she put us into contact with one of the campus ministries called Comunidad Cristiana. That led to us meeting the director, Marina, in January and she invited us to their camp:

And then life happened. We had some guests in March, I traveled in May, we went to the D.R. in July, I traveled in Sept, and in between all those events we did our daily work - prayer letters, matching students with ministry opportunities, studying and practicing Spanish, finding the local church we could be a part of, being invited to help at UMIP, exploring and learning about the country. All good and fine things, but nothing back on the campus of the University of Panama.

Then this evening, out of the blue, Marina called just to asked about us. I talked with her and she told me she is still very much interested in a relationship. I explained we are moving late next week but after that we would connect with her. I was pretty blown away. One. because so much time had lapsed. Two, and this is the bigger thing to me: she sought US out. That doesn't happen very much in our experience.

At first I was thinking that maybe we weren't very faithful since we did not follow through after the camp. Then something in my spirit said that perhaps this is the right time to follow up on that initial contact. I'm not trying to give us an excuse but as I look back at how the year has gone, I don't see a specific disobedience in us. I feel like God is putting us on the path when we need to be on it. Masai has been gone for months to the U.S. and has just recently returned to Panama. I just sense that some pieces are coming together.

So maybe in addition to UMIP, we will have an opportunity to do something with U de P students also. God knows our hearts and He knows we are open. We just want to follow His leading and work where He would have us. I'll keep you posted!

We got to make two trips to the apartment today. This morning we loaded the car before going to English practice at UMIP. It's on the same side of town so it was a good opportunity to get some more things moved. Evidently it wasn't a good opportunity for students because no one showed up for practice. Too bad they missed out on the brownies I made this morning (actually they are now in the freezer to wait for next Tuesday). We waited over 30 minutes and decided to go on to the apartment and unload.

We got home much earlier than expected so we decided to make a second trip. As we loaded the car that time, I decided to take some of the freezer stuff since the freezer is empty in the apartment. While we were there we got our second surprise of the day as Mary called to tell us the electricity will be turned off until it can be put in our name (this has been debated back and forth between several people in the whole rental process). Conveniently I had the cooler with me so we loaded the things back up and brought them home. We also got a glimpse of the sunsets we may be seeing from the apartment - I think they will be pretty impressive!! Can't wait until I have my camera with me. ☺

Today began with great promise. I had three goals: do a week's worth of laundry, defrost the freezer, and pack as much of the kitchen/dining room stuff as I could . So I began at 6:00 putting in the first load of clothes as I sat down to have my quiet time. Everything proceeded very well. I got 4 loads done and had the 5th one in the dryer, the freezer was drying out, and I had enough boxes packed to take over to the apartment. Ever mindful of being efficient, I had been carrying things downstairs with each trip that I made so they would be ready to put in the car. I picked up some clothes in one hand and then picked up my sewing machine which I had packed away in its case last night. That's when tragedy struck!

Yes the plastic case actually broke and the machine came out of the bottom and tumbled down the cement stairs! It was a HORRIBLE moment watching it be destroyed as I stood there helpless, holding the top of the case.

The awful thing was that I immediately flashed back to last night when I was packing it away. I KNOW that God gave a warning to my spirit because the thought came to me, "This plastic case is getting pretty old." I should NEVER have taken a chance that it would hold. I should have picked the whole thing up from the bottom, not from the top. You would think that I would be oh so careful with something that meant so much to me. But no, I was just thinking there was another thing I could carry down the stairs and have ready.

And thus I have ruined that faithful machine that has been with me for over HALF of my life - 36 years. Some of you have heard the story before. It was bought when we were in seminary. Rick had been given $200 for speaking somewhere. That was a small fortune to us while we were in seminary and he so generously gave me that money to buy a machine. He knew I had been wanting one. I went to Sears, got a Kenmore, and took 8 lessons. From that time till now that machine has given me countless hours of enjoyment and not one minute of trouble.

Oh, I know we aren't supposed to put value on material items but how could I not be attached to that little machine. It started with me in Texas, then went to California, Mississippi, Tennessee, Mexico, Tennessee, Barbados and finally Panama! I can't help but feel a deep sadness, largely for my carelessness, but mostly for the loss of such a great machine. It was all metal and they don't make portables like that any more.

That wasn't the end of my accidents for the day. We took a load of things over to the apartment and I was placing things in the kitchen cabinets. I was about to put my last glass in and I was just thinking how nice all the blue looked together when I dropped the final one!! Now blue glass is all over the new kitchen. I can't even remember the last time I have broken something and now I have done two things in one day. So the broom and dustpan will be in the car for our next trip over! I think I will just pack clothes and other non-breakables this evening!

Since we signed the contract on Saturday and have our keys, I feel free to show the photos of our new apartment. Here's the building:

It is in the area called Clayton - near the U.S. Embassy, the Canal and UMIP!! We love the location. It's out of the city just enough to make traffic and noise SO much less. Here is the lobby:

The living and dining room area is pretty spacious:

This is the view (the netting will be coming down soon when the balcony is painted). Yes, that's the rain forest!

Our little balcony is big enough for our grill and a small table and chairs.

The kitchen was very important to me. Some apartments just have galley kitchens and that just wasn't going to work. This one is not nearly as big as mine now and I will be giving up LOTS of cabinet space but I like it:

Here the appliances all come with the apartment - I never knew that. The laundry area is just off the kitchen - convenient for me!

I think my desk will be going at the end of that space. To the right is the washer and to the left is a room that we will use for storage.

There are a total of 3 bedrooms - the only one we were shown that had three. This is the guest bath:

The master has a nice closet:

And a nice bath:

I am NOT a brown person but almost all the apartments had brown closets and cabinets. Oh, well. We were thankful that all the windows have shades:

There is a gym downstairs:

And you can get a glimpse of the pool next to it:

There are some pretty areas nearby for walking:

And a nice eating area near the campus of FSU where we hope to be able to start some ministry:

Yesterday afternoon I packed up my books, some towels, sheets, clothing and decorative items. We took that load over late this afternoon. One down....many more to go. Now this house is all torn up with things laying around everywhere upstairs. I really don't like that part of moving - living in the clutter is very depressing. Tomorrow I will start tearing things out of the kitchen to pack. Then I will make a real mess! I'm trying to stay focused on the good that will come out of doing this - happy husband with no bug bites! ☺

On Wednesday evening after we dropped the team off at their hotel, we went with Dave and Libby to the Gamboa Resort. This is quite a magnicent place in the rainforest which the photos will show. I won't have to add many words!

I was amazed by this HUGE tree!

There was a nice sitting area on one side of it:

Our room:

Our door:

Each one had such pretty artwork:

View from our room:

Our balcony:

Loved these windows:

The inside was so beautiful, too:

Loved the banners:

This was gorgeous!

Thursday morning we sat here and had breakfast, soaked up the beauty, and brainstormed about the March trip.

The food was delicious!

This appetizer was called a Cayuco Race after the long boats that have races here:

Thursday evening we took a night tour around the grounds. The guide showed us the largest rodent in the world, the Capybara:

A tarantula:

And a sloth (couldn't get good photos of him):

He was moving around because he was feeding. They sleep 18 hours a day:

Friday morning we had an early breakfast and headed out to see some of the rain forest. This is a termite nest:

Symbiotic relationship:

There were some beautiful hummingbirds at the feeders:

Then we climbed the observation tower, 32 meters high:

To see the canopy:

Large birds!

There were some other higher points:

Dave and Libby have been great friends for a very long time. We loved having their 3 children in the youth group when we were in Cleveland. They both have such a heart for missions and for being used in Kingdom work anyway they can. It was great to catch up with news about their family and talk about so many things. Since we will be moving soon, this was a fun time to just relax and get ready for the ride to come!

We have had such a great week. I just got 555 photos off my camera! I promise not to put all of them on here. I'll see how far I get in this first post. Please keep in mind that I am posting the "fun" photos. There really isn't a way to show photos of the "work" that went on but believe me it did happen! The group arrived on Sunday evening and we all spent the night over near the Canal. First item of business after breakfast Monday morning: see the Canal!! We were so happy that a cruise ship was going through!

Michael thoroughly enjoyed it!

Next was a cargo ship:

Michael and Brian had to step in and lend some direction:

Jim and Rick were needed, too:

Holding the ropes is rough:

Some extra help was needed there as well!

A favorite photo spot:

We drove on up to El Valle which took about 2 hours. We stayed at Hotel Anton:

It had a restaurant in the front part named Bruschetta:

View from the restaurant:

Our first lunch there:

St. Joseph's Church is just across the street:

Pretty garden on the side of it:

Interesting pruning:

And gorgeous mountains all around the valley:

We spent several hours chatting with Robert who now lives in El Valle and will be helping us find housing and projects for the youth group coming in May. While we did that the rain poured down so we did not do any exploring that evening.

Tuesday morning the sun was shining brightly so we checked on some possible housing options. We also went to Theo's woodworking shop to introduce the group to him. He was at a funeral so we looked around a few minutes:

This gorgeous bush was in his yard:

Just as we all got in the van to leave, Theo came walking down the road!! God was so good on that timing! He showed us the tools and the method he would use to make this into a chip and dip tray:

And he showed us some pieces that would become table tops:

Then Michael presented the Spanish Bible which had been sent to Theo from Cleveland. Rick translated the inscription. Such a sweet moment:

Theo shared his story which culminates in 25 years of sobriety! He leads AA meeting every night on his property right here:

I loved the chairs:

We had lunch in town:

Check out this serving of chicken and rice:

There were some beautiful birds on the property:

Look at the personality in this little fellow!

Then we went to the market and it was time for a coffee break:

We had just enough daylight left to hike out to El Macho waterfall:

When I say we have big trees, we have BIG trees!

Dave and Libby are such a great couple!

El Macho!

The group:

Lots of posing:

Three FBC Student Ministers:

Another hike...

Across another swinging bridge..

...to reach the pretty pond.

Something had a snack:

Hike is done:

Next stop - pathway to the painted rock:

First, a look at the beautiful flowers along the way:

And the pretty stream:

There it is!! The rock painted a thousand years ago, as a map of the valley!

So pretty:

Wednesday morning was absolutely gorgeous - beautiful, clear, sunny skies. Photo time!! Trying to get Rick to do the prom pose was NOT a success!

This was better:

Final look at the mountains above our hotel:

Deep discussion:

Libby found a great way to keep cool:

On our way out of town we drove by Restoration In Christ Church:

About halfway down the mountain:

"Welcome to The Grapes"

We drove back to the city, crossed the Canal by the Bridge of the Americas and drove up Anton Hill for this gorgeous view:

Interesting part of one of the trees:

A lady was so kind to point this out to us!

Michael Holt took this close-up shot:

Then we drove out to the Causeway for lunch at El Ranchito and got one last group photo:

Next we took the group to the hotel where they would spent the night in order to catch their early morning flight. Rick turned in the rental van and returned so we could say our goodbyes. Great group of Cleveland folks. We enjoyed our time with them so much!