January 2008

^KJV 1 Corinthians 16:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Greetings from Panama! The Lord has been really good to us here, and things are going well.

I am happy to report that Brother Alex Gordon in Colón has surrendered to be a missionary in a closed country where we have an on-going ministry. He announced it to the congregation in Colón, and they are excited about what the Lord is doing. He is planning a trip there the first three weeks of April. Please pray for him as he takes these first steps and that he will have the financial resources necessary as well.

Another blessing is that we received a container full of literature that is destined for this closed country, but it will be positioned in Colón until the country opens up. We are thankful for the work of Metropolitan Baptist Church for having a vision and for sending this container full of literature announcing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wide Morgan wet from a hiking trip

A huge unexpected blessing is that Brother Wide Morgan, here in Penonomé, has surrendered himself to valid baptism and plans to be baptized on February 9th. He chose this date because it was when he received the Lord. I am truly astounded at what the Lord can do! I did not think he would come around, but he told me that the Lord has been working on him and that he really wants to follow the truth and serve the Lord. He has shown this desire by starting the evangelization plan that I had in mind to start. He and his team (consisting of friends and family) have already walked a significant distance to pass out tracts in fifteen different villages in the Coclé Province. He is also taking over the correspondence ministry here in Penonomé. It is exciting to see his zeal in getting the Gospel out. I would ask that you continue to pray for him as he ministers to his family and friends who do not understand why he has left the ”Assembly of God” denomination. He is also working on discipling a man named Jorge Castillo, who is a devout Catholic. Jorge is seeing the errors and shortfalls in the Catholic church, and has even accompanied Wide in his evangelistic trips. Please continue to pray for Wide, and please pray for Jorge to get saved.

My family and I have been working hard to prepare to leave Panama for our return to the United States and future arrival in Colombia. We almost have everything packed up except the essentials. We have sold almost all of our furniture and are all sleeping on the floor—on mattresses, of course! The family is excited to go back to the States for our four month visit, but is sad to leave Panama. I will continue to have a part in the ministry here even though we will not be living here. We will be arriving in the United States on March 4th. I hope to visit supporting churches that want me to come report on what the Lord has done. I already have a few appointments set up, but I am open from March 9th-16th and April 2nd-June 18th. We will be headed for Colombia on June 24th. We are excited to see what the Lord will do in Colombia.

As always we appreciate your prayers and support. God bless you!

In Christ,
Michael Lea and family