May 2026 Update: Beyond the Journey - Lessons from Panama & Costa Rica

Meeting People Where They Are

During the month of May, our Introduction to Maritime Missions (IMM) team spent four weeks in Panama and Costa Rica learning from long-term missionaries who serve among indigenous and isolated communities. Our students were challenged to think beyond simply going to the nations and to consider how we effectively share the Gospel once we arrive.

One of the most impactful lessons centered on understanding oral cultures. Many indigenous communities around the world pass down knowledge, history, and values through stories rather than through reading and writing. In these cultures, storytelling is not just entertainment. It is how truth is remembered, shared, and preserved from one generation to the next.

As we learned how to tell Bible stories in ways that are easy to understand and retell, I was reminded that effective ministry begins with listening and learning. If we want people to truly hear the Gospel, we must be willing to communicate it in ways that make sense within their culture.

One of my favorite moments came during a children's ministry outreach. As we introduced ourselves, the children immediately began creating short rhyming songs for each of our names. Throughout the day they continued singing them every time they interacted with each of us. It was their storytelling culture in action, helping them remember and connect with people. As someone who struggles to remember names, I should adopt their method!

It was beautiful to see our students understanding of missions expanded beyond reaching places that are geographically remote to learning how to genuinely love, understand, and serve people within their own cultural context. Seeing God deepen their hearts for the nations has been one of the greatest joys of this school.

June marks the final month of our Introduction to Maritime Missions course. The students are back on the water, continuing to develop their sailing and seamanship skills while preparing for what God has next. It has been encouraging to see not only their practical growth but also the ways God has been working in their lives throughout these past 3 months.

Above: Some of our class times. When out on the islands our classrooms got really creative, mostly involving being outside and trying to find shade somewhere. 

Below: Working in some of the indigenous island communities in Panama. These communities can only be reached by boat.

Above: Sometimes getting to the villages involved some adventures, such as walking these logs over a ravine. 

Below: We spent a week in Costa Rica working with a ministry learning self-sustainability for remote communities... basically learning farming, water purification, proper sanitation, hygiene, etc. I milked a goat and helped take care of the chickens and pigs (not pictured). 

Also pictured below was our learning how to plant a garden in a sack for places that don't have land or good soil. It is filled with small rocks in the center that was surrounded by composted soil. Here you see us filling the sack, me watering if after we planted lettuce and basil in it, and then what it looks like two weeks later. They had other sack gardens that were several weeks old and covered with produce. Pretty cool.

Below: Just a few fun pictures from our time in Panama & Costa Rica, including a picture of a ship traveling through one of the locks of the Panama Canal. That was a fun experience for our students. 

🙏 Partnering in Prayer

Thank you so much for your continued prayers. They truly make a difference.

Please join me in praying for:

• Pray that the IMM finishes strong and that God gives each student clear direction for their next steps.

• Pray for wisdom as our staff evaluates this first IMM, helping us know what to keep, improve, or adjust for future schools.

• Pray for God's provision. I am still trusting Him for the remaining funds needed to cover the Panama and Costa Rica trip, along with upcoming maritime recertification requirements and other ministry expenses.

• Pray for YWAM Ships Corpus Christi and all that God is doing through this growing ministry.

Thank you again for your encouragement, prayers, and support.