Jack & Suzy Krumroy

Missionaries to Panama

Outreach

October 12, 2009 at 3:50 am · Filed under 1

P1000224Well, we have made it to the outreach phase of our DTS.  We would like to apologize for the two month delay in updating our site, the internet here is not very reliable and we could not get a long enough connection to upload anything.  But it is working well tonight so here we go!  So far we have been able to travel to various locations/provinces of Panama, and have had the awesome opportunity to do some prayer walks and intercession in the city, as well as take part in a multi-cultural church service in the mountains of Chiriqui province.  We even had a moble classroom where we learned about spiritual warfare in a remote Embera village.  Our teachings have taken us on a journey of hearing the voice of God, to Spiritual Warfare to techniques for reaching the lost.  P1000219

P1000026We were also blessed to have mom Maria come with us to the YWAM base in Chilibre for a week to hang out with us and Marisol.  It was a great time since she had not been out of the village for a very long time.  Everyone got to learn a little of the Kuna language as well.  We even took her to the supermarket to buy some supplies to take back to the village with her.  It was fun watching pick out what was most needed by herself, all the while looking around at all the sights.  It was a blessing to let her have a week to bond with her grandbaby Marisol, and we were incredibly blessed to have her with us as well.  What a great week!!100_3886

Now that the outreach phase has begun, we will be doing ministry all over the country.  It has been decided that the entire outreach phase (two months) will be in Panama (except for a week in Costa Rica so we can renew our visas).  First, we will spend two weeks in Panama City, then a week in Bocas Del Toro before heading up to Costa Rica.  Then we will work our way back through Panama stopping in each province including Colon, Kuna Yala, and Darien.  We will also be spending four days in Pintupo, Mom’s village!  Very exciting!  We will be using various methods to reach the people depending on the area we are in.  These will include dramas, one on one ministry, work projects, prayer, mercy, etc. P1000034

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P1000140We will try to keep the site updated as often as we can and hopefully add more pictures as well, so keep checking back.

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We Have Arrived!!

August 1, 2009 at 4:44 pm · Filed under 1

Mom's hut

Mom's hut

After a safe arrival in Panama, we got to spend a week in Mom’s village visiting family before beginning our Discipleship Training School.  The week went by very fast, and we found the family doing well.  We even got to meet the newest member of the family, Marinelis, who is Marinelia’s daughter.  Mom was very happy to see us and she made Marisol her very own mola to wear!

When we visited, we discovered that it’s the time of year for the big Tilapia harvest, and we both got to try our hand at catching some.  We did it the way the Kunas usually do:  in a dugout canoe using huge nets.  It was all we could do not to tip the canoe and we managed to catch five fish!  (all this during a thunderstorm too!!)  We had a great time!!
The dugout used for fishing

The dugout used for fishing

Marisol in her new mola

Marisol in her new mola

 

 

 

 

Our hope is to travel to Pintupo to visit the family often during our downtimes at the DTS school, and we would very much like to bring some more medicines and supplies next time as well as some books for the school children.  Presently we have just completed our first week of the Discipleship Training School, and it was an intense yet very fulfilling time with God.  Please check back with us often as we will be posting more information on that first week in the coming days. (Our digital camera has stopped working so we need to purchase another finish the post!!)  Once again, we would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support.  Together we are impacting an entire generation for Christ!!  Please take a moment to enjoy these pictures of our week in Pintupo!!!!

Suzy's sister Marinelia holding her new daughter Marinelis

Suzy's sister Marinelia holding her new daughter Marinelis

Taking a leisurely stroll thru downtown Pintupo

Taking a leisurely stroll thru downtown Pintupo

Marisol chillin' with mom and grams

Marisol chillin' with mom and grams

Dos hermanas

Dos hermanas

 

I thought I'd catch our dinner

I thought I'd catch our dinner

silly kids

silly kids

our new family portrait

our new family portrait

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Just one of the many things God is doing in Panama!

May 6, 2009 at 6:04 pm · Filed under 1

                                                                                                                                                                                
Felipe's Daughter, Evelyn holding Marisol
Felipe’s Daughter, Evelyn holding Marisol

 

 

 

 

    
 In Hosea 4:6, God says “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”  Nowhere is this more evident than in the jungles of Panama.  The Kunas live in a world of stick huts, open fires, and ancient superstitions, yet they are well aware that they are surrounded by the modern world.  A world that seems to be governed by money and power.  In the villages, there is a spirit of lack and of poverty, where families try to sell whatever they can to pay for simple medicines or school supplies for their children, often forced to choose between the two.  Selling fish, bananas or their prized molas may only yield a few dollars, so families usually have very little.  Felipe lives on the shores of Lago Bayano, and every morning he gets up before the sun rises (between five and six o’clock) and gets into his little boat and heads out looking for whatever work he can find.  Sometimes its fishing, sometimes, if he’s lucky enough, he might lead a group of tourists through the rain forest for five or ten dollars.  He can speak English reasonably well so he is a perfect candidate for leading groups on “Eco Tours.”  By evening he is extremely exhausted, yet somehow finds the energy to play a short game of baseball before heading back to work, this time, running the general store by the main road.  He works here well into the night before retiring to bed around eleven o’clock.  It’s the same routine day in and day out seven days a week.  There are no holidays either.  No days off.  No sick time. 
Meanwhile, in another more remote village on the other side of Lago Bayano, Marinelia holds her little boy as she works away peeling plantains, chopping up fish and pulling up yucca.  Her husband is away hunting and gathering bananas to sell.  She wonders if all the bananas he collects will be enough to pay for the medicine her son needs as he has developed a bad cough and is now running a fever.  She shudders as she remembers holding her newborn daughter in her arms a year ago and watching her fevered body breathe her last breath while she sat there helpless.  It is an hour ride by dugout canoe to get to anyone with any kind of medical background.  And there was simply not enough money to buy a simple bottle of children’s Motrin.  (not available at the general store either)  Deaths like these are so common in the jungle that many children are not even given a name until two years of age.
Now for the point of this story.  You see, Felipe learned to speak English and to read and write from a missionary who happened to be working in the jungle.  Over the years, he passed this simple education onto his daughter, Evelyn, who is now preparing for an education at the University in the city.  She wants to be a doctor and operate a clinic at the main road on the shores of Lago Bayano.  She grew up there and knows all too well the poverty, and the heartbreak of watching her beloved cousin Marinelia lose her baby girl.  Felipe works from sunup to sundown to pay for her tuition and uniforms, but that is all he can afford as he has a wife and two other children to provide for as well.  Her books are often purchased by missionaries or other people who are aware of the plight of her people.  There are schools in the jungle, however without funding, and with parents who cannot afford uniforms, books, and fees, few children can take advantage of the education that at best gives them the U.S equivalent of a sixth grade education by the time they are adults. 
One of the things Suzy and I will be doing with YWAM is to give children the opportunity for an education that enables them to have have the skills necessary to compete for a University education and give them the abilities to provide for their families in meaningful ways.  Who knows, maybe there is another child who dreams of being a doctor.  Or maybe someone wants to become a pastor of a church in a remote village.  The possibilities are endless, but only if we as the body of Christ stand together and do something about it.  Evelyn is doing very well in her studies, and visits her family often.  Suzy and I have even spoken with her recently and her English is improving!  She is a shining star, and we’re so proud of her!!  Praise God!!!!!!!
Felipe and his son, Ray

Felipe and his son, Ray

 

 
Felipe, with his wife and three children on the shore of Lago Bayano

Felipe, with his wife and three children on the shore of Lago Bayano

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The Fire

April 16, 2009 at 3:04 pm · Filed under 1

panama_flagface-290x210Becoming a missionary to a foreign country is quite a journey.  It takes you from being  just an ordinary person to someone on fire;  someone with a purpose.  You won’t always know what the next step will be or have all the answers, but you just know that you’ve been called, and at times, that is all you have when the going gets tough.  I have a lot more respect for missionaries than I ever had before because I now know what they go through as the calling takes shape.  It is not always easy to give up everything you’ve ever known for the sake of the Gospel.  Aside from the physical realm of giving up all your worldly posessions and shedding your former life, there is also the emotional side.  Some people are excited and supportive, others are offended and hurt by your decisions.  Every decision is made carefully and with much prayer.  I must admit that I have come a long way.  I was once in a place where I was beginning to question the call, and had even thought of giving up because it was a lot of work and tremendously stressful.  But somewhere in the midst of all the struggles of trying to balance family life with support raising, selling the house, dealing with a sudden job loss, and trying to pay off bills, I discovered that there is one thing that kept me from losing my mind.  It was the fire!  The fire is that burning passion inside, that will not let you take no for an answer.  It is that force that propels you from one day to the next, that thrusts you out of your comfort zone and onto the platform where you give your testimony and share your vision with others.  It is the strenght that makes you all the more determined when certain people get offended or tell you that you are crazy.  It is the peace that surpasses all understanding when you wait for the finances to come in or when deadlines loom in the distance.  It is the love of Jesus Christ inside you, which gives you compassion to love the unlovable, to give hope to the hopeless, to heal the sick, to give love and mercy, or your very last breath so another might truly live!  That is the fire!  It is all consuming.  It never dies, and God does not take it back.  Learning to trust, obey, and kindle the fire inside is something that every missionary must do.  It is hard, but the rewards are great.  And for me nothing is better than to see God move in a mighty way and realize that nothing will stop Him from loving and reaching out to His people.  And it is an honor to be a part of it.  If God is for us, then who could be against us?  Let’s get up, go out, and spread the Good News to all the Earth!!!!   Thank you, Lord!

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God is faithful!!

March 23, 2009 at 1:25 pm · Filed under 1

panama-2007-2-0431We are praising God for His faithfulness!!!!  On Sunday, March 22 we spoke at South Bend First Church of the Nazarene, sharing our vision for Panama and the Kuna.  We are so pleased to announce that we have MET OUR GOAL of raising the $4,000 needed to attend the Discipleship Training School at YWAM Panama in July.  We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to the entire congregation of South Bend First for your loving support, and to Pastor Dave Bartley for giving us the honor of addressing your church.  We love and appreciate each and every one of you!   We can make a difference!!  Lets go and touch the World as Christ touches our lives!!!!

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Much to celebrate in March ’09

March 10, 2009 at 4:37 pm · Filed under 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first picture I ever saw of my future wife!

Celebrating six years together!!!! (3-17-2009)  I cannot believe how fast time goes by!!  It seems like just yesterday……. I saw a picture on my best friend’s refrigerator door and commented on how cute she was……the next thing I knew, I was driving her home from our first date (a demolition derby!) asking if I could see her again…. now I rember the warm summer night driving around on the country roads in my Jeep at 3 o’clock in the morning talking and listening to the raindrops falling softly onto the roof….. then walking down the aisle with her, my best friend and soul mate forever….

Suzy is gonna kill me over this one!!

Suzy is gonna kill me over this one!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lot has happened in six years and I thank God every day for every moment I get to spend with her!!  I wouldn’t trade a single thing we’ve experienced together for anything in the world!!!  I’m so glad that she’s the one God chose for me to spend the rest of this life with!!!!!!

There’s another reason to celebrate too!!!!!!  Guess who is turning one this month (3-21-2009)????

Stylin'
Stylin’

I also want to thank everyone for their comments and words of encouragement.  It means a lot to us and we also thank you for visiting our site.  Remember to check back often as I feel it is extremely important to keep everyone up to date on everything that is happening in our ministry.  We will update this site and blog often!!!  God bless you!!!!!!

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Image Gallery(to see full size image click picture once to bring to front and click again to see full page view–enjoy!!)

March 6, 2009 at 2:48 pm · Filed under 1

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We will arrive at our intended destination on time!!!

March 5, 2009 at 1:53 pm · Filed under 1

We were visiting some dear friends in Arkansas a few weeks ago and they are so excited about what God has been doing in our ministry.  Waiting for the house to sell has been very difficult, and we needed to put aside our work, and just relax, hang out with them, and let God speak.  Then they told us about this prayer that they would always use when they were in the process of starting up their church in Arkansas.  It was “I will reach my intended destination on time.”  Its not just a prayer, it’s also a statement of faith in a mighty God and what He has called each of us to do with our time on Earth.  I must admit, when things are not looking good to me, it can be one of the most difficult prayers to say.  But I say it aloud every day, and slowly, my faith has been turning around to the point where I can honestly BELIEVE that no matter what the housing market looks like, no matter what the economy looks like, we WILL reach our intended destination on time.  To God be all the glory because he is faithful!!!!  If God has called you, he does not take it back just because of the economy, or what is happening around you.  He does not lie.  He will be faithful.  Our job is to just believe!!!!  God bless you all and thank you for visiting our new site!!!!!

A typical bus in Panama!! Riding one of these something EVERYONE should experience at least once in their life!!!!!

A typical bus in Panama!! Riding one is an experience like no other!!!! :)

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