Don't Forget
Missionaries Simon and Lavonne Challinor made a difficult trip to visit several Naso communities in Panama and to distribute the final copies of a dramatized recording of the Naso New Testament.
The trip was arduous and Lavonne noted that though they’ve made trips to the Naso villages for more than ten years and were used to packing and preparing, on this trip they forgot more things than on any previous trip.
"Saturday evening we found ourselves hiking up the side of a mountain in the dark. To make matters worse, it began to rain so the trail became a gushing stream," wrote Lavonne. "I didn’t have my rubber boots, and my Crocs soon began to feel like a pair of skis trying to take me the opposite direction."
Lavonne decided to take off her shoes and continue up the mountain balancing a flashlight and umbrella, Simon followed close behind carrying a birthday cake for their host family.
When they arrived at their destination they were served a delicious meal of rice, boiled green bananas and chicken. After a pleasant morning with friends, they headed down the mountain toward another Naso village.
"Along the trail, I asked Simon if he had brought the keys to our house. We both had forgotten, making it impossible to get into our house upriver," wrote Lavonne.
The couple made a call to Lavonne’s dad, Norm Slaymaker, who retrieved the keys and went to Panama City to send the keys on a flight to a near-by city.
"We had intentionally tried to pack light in order to be able to carry everything between the two of us," Lavonne wrote, "but I didn’t realize how light until I went to put some food away."
She then discovered that she hadn’t brought anything to make sandwiches except bread. Their Naso friends met the need by supplying oranges, plantains, bananas and tangerines.
In spite of forgetting so many essentials they saw God undertake for them. They were able to give a copy of the audio Naso New Testament to a friend in one community.
After they arrived home Lavonne wrote, "He called us and told us that they were listening to it and enjoying it -- faith comes by hearing. Please continue to pray that God’s Word will penetrate the hearts of the Naso people and more will come to know Christ."
The trip was arduous and Lavonne noted that though they’ve made trips to the Naso villages for more than ten years and were used to packing and preparing, on this trip they forgot more things than on any previous trip.
"Saturday evening we found ourselves hiking up the side of a mountain in the dark. To make matters worse, it began to rain so the trail became a gushing stream," wrote Lavonne. "I didn’t have my rubber boots, and my Crocs soon began to feel like a pair of skis trying to take me the opposite direction."
Lavonne decided to take off her shoes and continue up the mountain balancing a flashlight and umbrella, Simon followed close behind carrying a birthday cake for their host family.
When they arrived at their destination they were served a delicious meal of rice, boiled green bananas and chicken. After a pleasant morning with friends, they headed down the mountain toward another Naso village.
"Along the trail, I asked Simon if he had brought the keys to our house. We both had forgotten, making it impossible to get into our house upriver," wrote Lavonne.
The couple made a call to Lavonne’s dad, Norm Slaymaker, who retrieved the keys and went to Panama City to send the keys on a flight to a near-by city.
"We had intentionally tried to pack light in order to be able to carry everything between the two of us," Lavonne wrote, "but I didn’t realize how light until I went to put some food away."
She then discovered that she hadn’t brought anything to make sandwiches except bread. Their Naso friends met the need by supplying oranges, plantains, bananas and tangerines.
In spite of forgetting so many essentials they saw God undertake for them. They were able to give a copy of the audio Naso New Testament to a friend in one community.
After they arrived home Lavonne wrote, "He called us and told us that they were listening to it and enjoying it -- faith comes by hearing. Please continue to pray that God’s Word will penetrate the hearts of the Naso people and more will come to know Christ."