Jack & Suzy Krumroy
Missionaries to PanamaWe’re working with YWAM Panama!!!
Okay, here’s the scoop on YWAM. Suzy and I were sitting in our church one Sunday, and we heard an announcement that the youth were organizing a trip to Panama to visit a member who, at the time, was an intern at YWAM. We were so excited about the trip, but we had one small problem. The date for the trip was just a few days after the projected date of the birth of our daughter, Marisol. We were very disappointed that we would not be able to go. However, soon after the announcement, Suzy told me that she was thinking that I should go on the trip anyway. At first I thought she was crazy (and so did my family), but she insisted. So shortly after Marisol was born, I went to Panama with our church group. While at YWAM, much to my surprise, one of the places we were able to visit was Suzy’s mom’s village in the Darien. It was a great chance for the church to see where Suzy had come from. I even had the honor of leading the program at the church in the village, and seeing a group of really great kids be transformed by the experience. We even went to another village (different tribe) in another area 0f Panama to minister as well. It was one of the most awesome experiences of my life. The staff at the base were so friendly and helpful, I really enjoyed talking to them and getting to know them. Just before leaving, I shared Suzy’s story with them and they suggested that we come to visit and think about becoming staff members since they currently do not work in the area where Suzy is from. It appeared that God was opening a door.
Needless to say, I returned a few months later with Suzy and a three month old Marisol. We were welcomed as family, and I remember how Suzy fell in love with the people there and Marisol even made a few friends. Suzy and I both helped with several work projects on the base, then went out to visit Suzy’s family in the jungle. We both enjoyed our time on the base and it felt like a good fit for both of us. Since my first visit, I had felt like God was leading us to work with YWAM, but I wanted to see if Suzy came to that same conclusion. I was so excited when she told me that she was feeling the same way. As we were getting ready to leave, and saying goodbye to our new friends, we were informed that we had been accepted into their Descipleship Training School (DTS), and after the successful completion of the DTS we were welcome to remain on staff to work with the Kunas. What an honor!!
YWAM Panama has a lot to offer anyone who is interested in learning more about world missions. I would encourage anyone with a passion to reach the Nations for Christ to check them out. The staff is friendly, caring and extremely helpful in answering questions and encouraging young people to serve God. Also worthy of mention is the new Hogar School. They are training up the next generation of leaders for Christ, and making higher education available to those who might not otherwise have a chance. For more information on YWAM Panama, we have included a link in the links part of the blog.
The Road to Life Church team at YWAM Panama (April 2008)
Jack & Suzy
