Not all, but a few of the Students at Chame Mission School, Panama
During our time in Panama, we had the privilege of being “Dorm Parents” to twenty- two children and young people. We were located in Chame at the Mission School. Their parents were interior in tribes and we were entrusted with their care. We had specifically asked for all the siblings of a family, rather, than having all same age high schoolers, all middle-school, etc. Consequently, we had groups of siblings (ages 7-17) which helped us see patterns and needs more readily. What a blessing and learning experience those two years were.
“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.
And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to the children
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
lest I come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4: 5-6
This was the verse the Lord gave us as we committed these precious ones to Him for the short time, we had with them. The ultimate challenge in terms of making our lives truly count for God’s purposes was how to successfully pass on our life-lessons, experiences, victories and failures to others so they would build on them rather than devalue, reject or misuse them.
How then, in our personal lives, dorm families, etc. would we communicate the inheritance of our hearts for the success of these placed under our protection?
Training others to carry His heart was our job description from day one. We did not want to get to the end of our time and say, “I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Ecc. 2:18-21
It was this journey of building our lives and values in such a way that they formed a secure bridge between our two generations that we found God waiting to bless us all. Malachi is told by God that when the heart of the father’s and children are separated, they are living under a curse.
How many people do you know who are living in homes with separated hearts?
Families with divided-loyalties?
We need people to capture God’s vision for families
and embrace the original purposes of
the “passing of the baton” to the next generation…
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
