January 13, 2003

Dear friends,

We hope that your Holidays were filled with joy and blessings.  Ours was busier than last year.  Michael performed two weddings during December as well as the usual Advent services and activities.

Just before I sent my last news letter, we had the privilege of meeting Harold and Jan Hill, a couple from St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Sunnyvale, who are staying on their boat in Pedro Miguel's Boat Club.  (Pedro Miguel is a little community within walking distance from Paraíso and where one set of locks on the Canal are located. The Boat Club is next to the locks.)  They read about us in the Mission Bell and contacted us before coming down to Panama to work on their boat.  We are enjoying having neighbors from our home diocese.

Jan has been coming with me to El Hogar de las Niñas (the girls home) and works with Rosa Mari, a six-year-old (who is more like a three-year-old) and a couple of other girls.  In the beginning of November, we helped the girls make Christmas cards which they drew and colored themselves.  All the cards were darling and went with Sue Williams to the States to be sent to people who have been making contributions to the girls' home. The girls went to stay with their families during Christmas and New Years, but came back in time to go to Summer Camp, which started on January 5, 2003.  Even though it is summer vacation, Jan and I will continue to visit them each Monday either
to play educational games, or work with them on reading and math.  I was happy to recently learn that Eveliana, one of the girls I usually work with, has shown improvement in her grades.  Sue and I also started swimming lessons this week at the Paraíso Pool with the girls.  This year we hope to give the girls two lessons a week instead of one.

The biggest event this year at Saint Christopher's was on November 17.  Bishop Murray, bishop of Panama, visited to confirm thirty-one persons and baptize seven. The church was packed; standing room only and some people had to stand outside. The service was bilingual and lasted three hours!  The exciting part was many of those being confirmed or baptized are students from Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal (the school started at St. Christopher's  Church in the 1960's).  This was the largest group of students to ever be confirmed at St. Christopher's.

Once again, we celebrated Mothers Day on December 8 with a bilingual service that lasted three hours, due to the many presentations.  The Mother of the Year was selected by the Men's Fellowship and was giving a large bouquet of flowers and other gifts.  The
Youth Group, Luz de Mañana (Morning Light), presented a play, and the children sang and recited poems for us.

Also before Christmas, we had a graduation (Clausura) for the ladies who took a class in making tembleques.  Tembleques are the beaded head dresses worn with the polleras that I discussed a couple of news letters back.  The beads are strung to make flowers, scorpions, butterflies and other lovely designs.  They are usually white, some with gold trimmings, some with silver and others are made with pastel green or blue beads.  Mrs. Acuña, who is in charge of all the classes, surprised me with a beautiful gift of a soft
turquoise tembleque that is designed to cover the ears.

Our daughter Anne flew down for Christmas Vacation.  As always, it was great to have her back home with us.  Unfortunately, she had to return to Boston early due to a job in the theater.  She did have a chance to see the youngest girls from El Hogar de las Niñas prepare to leave for summer camp at the diocesan center.  She also came with me to El Hogar de las Niñas on the Monday before she left to visit with the other girls.

St. Christopher's parish gathered enough food this Christmas to make up 105 Love Baskets designated to families in need.  We had a little prayer service and sing along just before the committee took the bags of food to each family.  St. Christopher's has been doing this for years as part of their outreach.

We had a Christmas Eve service at St. Christopher's for the first time in several years; it was well attended.  We also held the traditional New Years Eve Mass.  It's a Panamanian custom to be in church at Midnight on New Years Eve, for God's blessings throughout the year.

We wish you all a very happy 2003 with many blessings.

Your missionaries in Panamá,
Mona and Michael Dresbach
mgdbach@hotmail.com -Michael
mldresbach@hotmail.com -Mona

The Inn is always open; if you need a place to stay while visiting Panama, please contact us at the email addresses above.  If you would like to make donations or a monthly pledge to our mission, please contact St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1205 Pine Ave., San Jose, CA 95125, 408-292-7090.  Please feel free to check St. Francis' website at www.stfrancisepiscopalchurch.org which includes an archive of our letters and pictures of our mission.