In July, Bridging the Gap (BTG) ventured to Panama City, Panama, to help facilitate the Ilumina Girls and Boys Conferences with missionaries, Gerritt and Tara Kenyon.
We partnered with volunteers from Minnesota (Homestead Community Church in Farmington), New Jersey, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, California, and Panama. Together we hosted public school assemblies, handed out free conference tickets, and facilitated two days of performances, speakers, worship, food, and fun zone activities for students.
- God performed miracles as He worked through 325 volunteers—in a short amount of time—to execute two multi- faceted, simultaneous events.
- Love filled our hearts as God brought 1,015 girls on Friday and 1,250 girls on Saturday for the fifth life-changing Illumina Girls Conference.
• Gratitude overwhelmed us as our doors opened for the first-ever Ilumina Boys Conference, and we witnessed more than 680 boys streaming in to encounter Jesus, salvation, and Holy Spirit baptism.
• Hope overtakes us as we think of God’s plan for the future of Panama’s youth.
We want to say a huge thank you to Kristie Kerr for her extravagantly excellent design of the program and décor for both conferences. Thank you to Jen Meyerson and Kristen Ostrem for their work leading volunteers, and thank you to the many who prayed, gave, or volunteered with us.
We invite you to consider joining us next summer as we return to serve in Panama!
– Carol Lund, BTG Director
