Missions Blog @ Covenant UMC, Dothan

Larry Kelley (56): Larry is joining the Panama mission for the first time. Larry shared that, when he saw the Panama

trip advertised in a brochure at his church, he knew immediately that he wanted to participate. He had participated in one previous mission trip to the Yucatan Peninsula, and he knew how much impact such a trip can have.

Larry is a Produce Director over a chain of grocery stores in the Dothan area, but on the mission field, he has been happy to help with odd jobs, including digging, painting, and laying the foundation for the clinic addition. While many people might spend their money on their own wants, Larry believes that serving on the mission field “is more satisfying than money.” Larry, a member of Covenant UMC, not only sees God at work among the Ngobe people, he sees God already shaping and molding his own life through the experience.

Judee Peterson (49): Judee is joining the Panama mission for the second time. Judee has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 25 years, and she shares that joining the Panama mission team has been a

good opportunity for profound new experiences now that her children are older. She encourages others who are looking for God to touch their lives to consider giving themselves to God’s service. She says, “It will change you. I guarantee it.” Through serving in mission, Judee, a member of First UMC in Dothan, has discovered that such work energizes her and connects her to God’s profound purpose in life. “This is exactly what Jesus told us to do in the Great Commission, and that is why we all get so much out of serving here.”

Tom Brown (53): Tom is joining the Panama mission for the fourth time. Tom shared that working with the Ngobe people brings a great sense of satisfaction because “when you give to these people, you know immediately that they really needed the help.” Tom, who is a medical oncologist, works daily with the medical concerns among the Ngobe, but he realizes that something as simple as bringing a ball for young children to play with brings joy. Even this evening, Tom went to the dollar store after dinner to buy several soccer balls for the children who will

come to the clinic tomorrow. Tom’s greatest frustration is that he cannot provide more extensive care, which some of the Ngobe patients desperately need. “We do what we can,” he said, but doing all that we can is better than receiving no care at all. Over the past five years, Tom, who is a member at Covenant UMC, has noticed that the quality of life has improved for the Ngobe, but there are many more needs yet to be met, and he encourages others to consider the calling to come and serve with this team in the future.

Matthew Wambles (19): Matthew is joining the mission to Panama for the first time. Matthew recalls the profound impact that a youth mission church camp had on his desire to serve in mission, eventually leading him to participate in the Panama trip. Matthew, who is a biology major at Samford, shared that coming to Panama is helping him to gain valuable experiences for whichever career path he might choose.

As Matthew drove down the roads of Panama for the first time, and as he saw the lush forests and flowers, he could not

help but to think about our amazing God “who has the ability to make something this beautiful.” As beautiful as the countryside of Panama might be, Matthew realizes that God has called us to reach the wonderful people who live in this land. He said, “We are called to go out into the world,” and by being obedient to this call, Matthew knows that God is shaping him through this experience. On the mission site, Matthew, a member of Covenant UMC, has assisted in a variety of jobs, including construction and assisting in the medical clinic. In the future, Matthew hopes to study more Spanish so that he can return to Panama next year and be more effective in reaching out to the Ngobe people.

Tags: Judee Peterson, Larry Kelley, Matthew Wambles, mission, Panama Mission 2009, Tom Brown

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