Our Companion: The Episcopal Church of Panama FYI: Frederick Regional Council Partnership with the Diocese of Panama - 2004 Report Posted by The Companion Diocese Committee Of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark Episcopal Church of Panama + Companion Diocese Web Links + Report to 2007 Convention Companion Diocese Home Page + Diocese of Newark home page Report of the Frederick Regional Council Of the Diocese of Maryland On its partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Panama - 2004   PANAMA -- FREDERICK REGIONAL COUNCIL PILOT MISSION TRIP The Story of the Abundant Heart By The Rev. Kay Rice In the words of a great spiritual teacher,The Right Reverend Julio Murray, Bishop of Panama, said to his congregates,ÒYou will prepare yourselves to live out your baptismal vows.Ó His words, not mere suggestions, but spoken with the clarity of one anointed by God were: That the congregations of the Diocese of Panama would become missionary churches. What they lacked in financial means to raise themselves up as mis sionary churches would be compensated for by their faith that God would send them abundant spirits to help them. And, perhaps most profoundly, they were told that they were never so poor as to have nothing to share. The Frederick Regional CouncilÕs (FRC) Panama mission advance team was the beneficiary of these pearls of wisdom. Last March, as the advance team traversed their way through the interior of Panama, they were Panama City, the Bishop stopped to say goodbye. As he returned to the car he had a twinkle in his eye and simply said,ÒWe are having our dinner with this gracious family tonight.Ó The family had gathered root vegetables from their garden, picked beans from their meager bean harvest and killed chickens to make a wonderful meal of chicken, rice and beans for 11 guests. It was here, among the spirit-filled community of Arenosa, that God called the FRC into a pilot missionary trip this last August 2004. Representing the region was: Dr. Sandy Fowler, Dr. Debra Fedor,Tim Hentgen, Marty Hildebrand, Dan Lajewski, JoEllen Nutter, R.N., Cam Overs, Julia Overs, Clayton Putnam,The Rev. Kay Rice,Wil Rice,The Rev. Jim Seale, Robin Taylor, P.A., David Taylor and Jose Velazquez. The multi- level pilot mission partnership objectives were: to begin to build a mission partnership with the Diocese of Panama and the Panamanian Ministry of Health while providing medical care to the 31 communities that surround the Arenosa Medical Station; and, to support the vision of Bishop Julio MurrayÕs Operation Nehemiah, to rebuild selected structures to strengthen the churchÕs presence. It is within this context of partnership that the Ground Missionary Team provided medical care to over 1000 patients and added a much-needed addition to Iglesia Episcopal San Andrés. Critical to the success of the mission was the incredible FRC Home Missionary Support Network. This network of Frederick area Episcopal churches raised the money for the clinic pharmacy inventory and the construction materials. In addition, the regional churches along with The Bishop Claggett Diocesan Center collected a cornucopia of school supplies and toothbrushes. They collected so much that Panamanian Customs delayed the processing of the supplies until they received verification that these indeed were gifts for the people of Panama. They could not believe that any one community could have such an abundant heart! Our pilot mission trip is prayerfully only the beginning of a long-term partnership with the Diocese of Panama. Robin Taylor, P.A., perhaps summed up the experience for many of the team. ÒIt is impossible to share in a single statement how my personal experience affected me. How do you describe how profoundly a group of people has changed how you regard the world? I feel blessed to have been a part of this group; to have worked with all of you (team); to have met the patients and their families; and to see how the partnership between the church and the community can be lived out. Thank you for this incredible opportunity.Ó FRC participating members: All SaintsÕ, Frederick, Catoctin Parish, Thurmont, Church of the Transfiguration, Braddock Heights, Grace Church, Brunswick, Grace Church, New Market, Saint James, Mount Airy, Saint PaulÕs Point of Rocks and The Gathering,Walkersville. Another par- ticipant was The Bishop Claggett Diocesan Center The Rev. Kay Rice is a deacon at All Saints' Parish, Frederick, and director of the FRC 2004 Panama Mission.   Reprinted from the October-November 2004 Maryland Church News, Diocese of Maryland This page was posted on December 13, 2007