April 13, 2004

Dear friends,

Happy Easter, everyone.  Once again, we’ve been busy doing many different things.  In January, Michael worked on preparing the Diocesan Convention in Bocas del Toro the week of Feb. 9 through Feb. 15.  He was in charge of planning the liturgies, preparing the space, getting the bulletins made, among other responsibilities.

We drove to Bocas with our friend Elizabeth Leigh, who was a delegate for St. Simon’s Episcopal Church in Gamboa.  We spent the night at Finca Suisa, a small and wonderful Inn, to cut the stress of the 9 hour drive.  On our arrival in Changuinola at 1:00 pm Tuesday, Michael learned he was supposed to have been in a rehearsal.  Bishop Murray took him to the Universidad Tecnológia where the convention was to be held.  Lizzie and I were on our own until the choir rehearsal later that afternoon.  Michael was in meetings until 12:30 A.M.

On Wednesday, I went with the ECW to the local prison, a block away from where most of our group was staying.   The prison is at the police station in an area about the size of a basketball court.  It’s outside and surrounded by a cyclone fence with circular barbed wire on the top.  Their sleeping quarters were plastic handmade lean-tos next to the fence.  It looked like they made their own sleeping area.  Three women were incarcerated and about 60 to 70 men and teenagers.  We had a prayer service with the prisoners seated across from us. We invited them to participate as readers and a couple of them volunteered immediately.  They’re used to weekly visits by the evangelical community and said they were happy to participate in our service.   After our service, we passed out chicha, which is like a punch, cupcakes and empanadas to all the prisoners and guards.  We also handed out tee-shirts and shorts to each prisoner.  Bocas is located in the rain forest so it rains almost every day.  Even when we have the dry season, Bocas has rain.  I couldn’t imagine living in the conditions those prisoners live in, home made plastic lean-tos with lots of holes in them and the lack of privacy.  Some of them have many years left before being released.

While we were at the prison, Michael and the rest of the clergy went to Almirante for a Holy Eucharist service which included two baptisms. Then they went to Isla Colón for clericus and a day on two islands.  They hurried back for the Healing and Revival Service, held at Iglesia Transfiguración in Changuinola in the evening.  Michael helped organized the service and played bass guitar.  We sang lots of songs, had testimonies and thanksgivings from people in the congregation.  Revdo. Francisco Hernandez from David in Chiriqui preached, and the service ended with Anointing with oil and laying-on-of-hands. It was standing room only and really a joy to participate in.  On Thursday the ECW Eucharist was held at Transfiguración and the ECW Convention at Universidad Tecnológia in Changuinola. Michael was Master of Ceremonies for that service, too.

The rest of the week was filled with convention voting and discussions.  Saturday night was the big   Eucharist.  Michael and his Committee turned the convention space into a church in only about an hour!  The hardest part for Michael was getting someone to get the keyboards and amplifier from Transfiguración’s rectory and answering everyone’s questions.  He refers to it as “putting out fires.”  The acolytes that Anne helped train in January were there and did a fine job.

Our niece, nine-year-old Colleen Castillo, came to stay with us for the semester.  She’s attending Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal as a forth grader.  Melanie, Michael’s sister, brought her and stayed for about five days, long enough to buy the uniform and school supplies.  Colleen doesn’t speak any Spanish, but is starting to learn it.  She has a half day in English which makes school less overwhelming for her.  This is a real challenge and she’s doing very well with it.  Luckily she has the personality, intelligence and determination to enjoy this challenge.  She says it was her idea to go to school here to see what it was like.  She’s been to Panama several times since she was seven so already knew a little about it. We’re enjoying her company and it’s fun getting to know her better.

Michael’s Lenten series was about the spirituality of the Primitive Church. We discussed the various spiritual practices and the mystery cults that existed in the Mediterranean area of the first-century, and we also looked at the spirituality of the first Christians as shown in the Acts of the Apostles, the Letter to the Ephesians, and the Didache.  It was very interesting and well received by those who attended.  He typed up notes for
us to take home and read, and so many people have been requesting copies of the notes that he is preparing them as a single package.

When we were visiting California in October 2003,  we told people about Thelma Welsh, who was hit by the bus and had tire burns on her legs.  She was in the hospital for two months and had skin grafts.  We shared her story as an example of the kind of attitude and faith people have in Panama, at least in our church.  She never complained about what happened to her and trusted God to do his will which she would accept.  I visited her in the beginning of February and was happy to see that she was walking and looking terrific.  She says she takes walks in the morning for exercises and is doing very well.  Her leg isn’t strong enough to climb into the van that often gives her and her husband a ride to church on Saturdays. (They’re members of St. Simon's in Gamboa.) Michael and I now see her and her husband sitting outside in front of their home when we go on our evening speed walks.  It’s good to see her home and looking great!

I was ready to send this newsletter off, but I wanted to discuss Holy Week and Easter. All our Holy Week services were bilingual this year. Michael, Colleen, and I also attended a Seder with our friends the Levis and Maduros on Wednesday night which helps put everything in persepective.  We had a lovely Easter Vigil on Saturday night with one baptism, and then a Sunrise Service at 6:00 AM in English, and an Easter Service in español at 9:30 AM Sunday morning.  Later Easter Day, Michael, Colleen and I went to St. Christopher’s ECW fundraiser: “Easter Hats on Parade.”  Michael did the invocation and the benediction.  It was a wonderful program with some of our ladies modeling some of their wonderful Easter Hats and beautiful dresses.  Some of the clothes were made by the person who modeled them.  A group of kids (ages 5-12) modeled, a couple of teenagers, and then the ladies of the ECW.  They were all really expressive on stage and fun to watch.  We had three judges who chose three winners in each group.  Good music was provided by the Coro de las Americas.  It was a successful fund raiser and it was wonderful to be a part of.

We use this newsletter as a way of keeping in contact with you all and letting you know what we are doing,. However, we would like to make a request for funds.   Our daughter, Anne, will be graduating from Emerson College in Boston this May, and we would like to attend the Commencement. This is a very important and exciting event for us.  So we are requesting donations to our Missionary Fund at St. Francis Episcopal Church so that we can afford the air fare. Any help with this is greatly appreciated.  We want to thank those who have already contributed, but we’re still short a few hundred dollars for plane tickets.  Thank you for any contributions.

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

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' web site at
www.stfrancisepiscopalchurch.org, which includes an archive of our letters
and pictures of our mission.