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PANAMA - Panama City Region - 1-2 Week Custom Trips Available Year Around - All Ages - Groups of 5+

Jan - Dec 2024 | Merge

Casa de Pan Church 8.jpg

Trip #25727

PANAMA - Panama City Region - 1-2 Week Custom Trips Available Year Around - All Ages - Groups of 5+

Trip #25727

Casa de Pan Church 8.jpg

Merge Peer reviewed & demonstrates proven compliance to best practice standards - MissionExcellence Accredited Member

Location:

Panama, Central America

Dates:

Jan - Dec 2024
Lasts 1 week to 2 weeks

Activities:

Construction, Medical/Healthcare, VBS/Bible Clubs, Sports, Evangelism- Friendship/Discipleship,

Cost:

Approximately $900 to $1000
** See Financial Information Below
Includes: Lodging, Meals
Agency: Merge
Location: Panama, Central America
Dates: Jan - Dec 2024
Lasts 1 week to 2 weeks
Activities: Construction, Medical/Healthcare, VBS/Bible Clubs, Sports, Evangelism- Friendship/Discipleship
Cost: Approximately $900 to $1000
** See Financial Information Below
Includes: Lodging, Meals
Inquire about the trip

The Global Church is inviting you to participate in what God is doing in the Panama City metro area, Panama. Our partners include Iglesia Casa de Pan in Pacora, a suburb of Panama City, and Iglesia Emmanuel, located in Panama City. The church in Pacora is located in a low-income housing development, and includes both a church and a school. The church in Panama City is very urban and near a high-rise apartment complex and businesses. Teams would be engaged in community-based ministries led by the church and church ministries for the congregation. Any age group is invited, any time of year, for any length of time. Trips are led, staffed and implemented by Panamanian Nationals.

Map Panama
Emanuel Church 1.jpg

What the Mission Trip Will Be Like

Emanuel Church 1.jpg

The Global Church is inviting you to participate in what God is doing in the Panama City metro area, Panama. Our partners include Iglesia Casa de Pan in Pacora, a suburb of Panama City, Iglesia Emmanuel, located in Panama City, and Iglesia Monte de Sion in Panama City. The church in Pacora is located in a low-income housing development, and includes both a church and a school. The churches in Panama City are very urban and near a high-rise apartment complex and businesses. Teams would be engaged in community-based ministries led by the church and church ministries for the congregation.   Any age group is invited, any time of year, for any length of time. Trips are led, staffed and implemented by Panamanian Nationals.

An additional opportunity posisbly could be to spend time in camps with immigrants who had just crossed the Darien Gap, a traumatic stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama. Your team's participation depends on when visits to the camps are available.

Panama City is the capital of the country and located on the Pacific Ocean, and close to the Panama Canal. The city is being gentrified, resulting in the building of dozen of high rise buildings, but also the displacement of lower-income families to the outskirts of the city. Both churches are focusing on ministry primarily to low-income families. The Panama City metro area is home to about 1.5 million people. Pacora, as a suburb, is located near the airport and has a population of around 50,000. 

 

The following are the primary ministry opportunities in the Panama City Metro region of Panama:

– Youth Ministry

– Children's Ministry

– Sports Ministry

– Construction

– Marriage Workshops

– Parenting Workshops

– Community Development and Financial Management

– Outreach and Evangelism

– Dance and Music

– Women's Ministry

– Medical Ministry and Health Workshops

 

Besides these options, there are more. The goal would be to find out the skills and interests of your team and match them with the ongoing ministries of church partners in the area.

Trips are Mutually Designed with local partners utilizing your skills for ministry, learning from the Global Church, and building relationships with believers in the region.  Any age group is invited, any time of year, for any length of time.

All trips are led, staffed and implemented by Panamanian Nationals and Latin American church leaders. Merge is an organization directed by a leadership team made up of non-American Global Church leaders from around the world. Once your team sends in a deposit, the Merge Coach of Panama, Jennyfer Valdes, will contact your team leaders and work with your team, and the local church leaders, to develop an itinerary, ministry focus, and develop learning activities for your team. Local nationals will be hired as interpreters, guides, ministry coaches, cooks, and construction supervisors (if needed). 


Housing – Hostels, Churches and home stays are all possible housing options. 

Food – Usually teams are fed two-American/Canadian-style uncooked meals each day, and one cooked Panamanian meal made by local cooks, although more Panamanian meals are possible. Purified water is also supplied for teams. 

Flights – teams would fly to Panama City, Panama. 

Ground Transportation – Merge will hire local bus companies to drive your team around Panama City, and from the airport. 

Learning – Learning activites with local church leaders and Merge staff will be designed into the itinerary.

Cultural Activities – Panama City has various historical sites, including Panama City's Old Quarter (Casco Viejo) and Panama Viejo, which includes many of the oldest building in the area. Nearby are the Miraflores Locks for the Panama Canal, which is a fasinating place to watch ships pass through the canal and learn its history. There are also beaches some distance away from the city on the Pacific Coast. 

 

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Relation of Opportunity to National Church and/or Long-term Goals

Merge is an organization directed and led by Global Church leaders, not North Americans. This gives Merge a Global lens in preparing and implementing short-term trips.

All Merge trips are directed, organized, staffed and led by the national church. All Merge custom trips are mutually designed by the national partner in communication with the short-term trip leader. Teams learn FROM the local church leaders and pastors. The local church/ministries are inviting teams from the United States and Canada to participate in what God is already doing in their communities. Teams PARTICIPATE in ongoing ministries within the community of the local church and organization. The goal is to do ministry WITH local partners, not FOR them.

Merge trips to Panama are created by Panamanian nationals in partnership with the local churches in order to create an opportunity for the team and local congregation/community members to do ministry together, learn from each other, build relationships with each other, and further the ministry of the local churches.

Additional Trip Information

Region:
Central America
Country:
Panama
Other Location Info:
Panama City, Pacora
Participant Age:
Elementary, Jr. High, Sr. High, College, Adult, Senior Adults
Eligible to Go:
Groups only
Other Financial Notes:
Does not include flights to Panama City
Training debriefing
Pre-trip training includes a training manual with recommended meeting outlines and an IN PERSON interactive training at your church by Merge trainers for teams of ten or more. In-person training covers three general areas: appropriate motivation and implementation of short-term trips, cultural intelligence training led by national leaders, and ministry preparation coaching. Teams also receive one-hour online virtual introductions with your Global partner called "Merge Connect," which are designed to begin dialogue, learning and relationships in advance of the trip. During the trip our staff will offer to lead your team in morning devotionals and evening debriefings written by Global Church Leaders to give your team a fresh new perspective regarding how God works in the world, your journey in your relationship with Christ, and Global perspectives on social justice issues. Post-trip debriefing includes a post-trip manual with meeting recommendations and outlines, virtual interaction with Merge Coaches from the country/region you will be visiting, plus a Merge Connect with community and church members your team interacted with during your trip.
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Mission Trip Offered By Merge

The GLOBAL CHURCH INVITING North Americans TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT GOD IS DOING AROUND THE WORLD. Merge is directed by a team of Global Church leaders from five continents. All Merge trips are organized, led, and staffed by the Global Church. This gives Merge a UNIQUE non-North American perspective on short-term trips.

THE GLOBAL CHURCH INVITING – the initiative and leadership are from the Global Church, not the North American church to GO and lead
TO PARTICIPATE IN – the participation is active involvement and learning through what the Global Church is already doing. The focus is on involvement WITH, not doing FOR – active learning involves participation as well as reflection
WHAT GOD IS DOING AROUND THE WORLD – Missio Dei – God is actively involved around the world – North Americans can discover what God is already doing through followers of Christ around the world

OUTCOME – for participants from North America and the Global Church to be strengthened in their relationship with Jesus Christ, increase in passion for inter-cultural relationships, to implement God-inspired behaviors, and initiate new ministries and social change in their church and communities

Primary Values include:

LEARNING – God is doing amazing things through the global church. There is so much to learn about ministry and how God is working around the world. Come and learn!
RELATIONSHIPS – The kingdom of God is built on relationships, which are the key to a successful mission and ministry. Come and connect with followers of Jesus from around the world.
BRING IT HOME WITH YOU – When you return home, we want your vision and passion for your church, your community, and your own life in Christ to expand

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