January 9, 2005

Dear friends,

The New Year is finally here which for us means summer has arrived.   The Diocesan Convention is coming up soon.  Michael is, once again, in the committee to organize it.  It will be held in David this year, so he’s had to make a five hour trip to Chiriqui to begin setting up the Summer camp is also just around the corner and like every year,  Michael has begun working on the Bible Studies for the Jr. High Camp among other duties at the church.

Over the last year, I’ve been working at the Girls Home with several different girls.   When I first started working with a couple of first graders,  they didn’t know most of the alphabet, so I made cards for a memory matching game with letters to help them learn the alphabet.  The girls loved playing this and we would play 3-4 rounds with sometimes as many as six girls.  Johana, a darling indigenous first grader, has a terrific memory and would win much of the time.  Last month I was told she started picking up books on her own and reading them. The other day, she and I worked alone, and she read a second grade book to me.  This was such a surprise.  She read quite nicely considering her level.  She was very careful about pronouncing all the syllables correctly.   She’s very bright and a sweetheart to work with.

I sang my second solo at St. Christopher’s during our Lessons and Carol’s service the last Sunday of Advent.   I sang “Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion.”  It was quite a challenge to learn and with the help of my terrific teacher, I did it.  I started taking singing lessons from a wonderful teacher from Texas about three years ago.  My first solo was just a few months ago when I sang “How Beautiful are the Feet of Them,” also from the Messiah.  It was really nice to hear all the compliments afterward.  Lessons and Carol’s is one of my favorite services.  It was a pleasure participating in it like that.

Michael was extremely busy this month.  Not only did he officiate at a closura (graduation) for our Christmas decorating class, but had two weddings in a row the weekend before Christmas.   As I stated above, he’s been very busy working on Bible Studies for the Summer Camp as well as other diocesan responsibilities.  He did all this while we were in the process of moving to a new home in the Chanis area in Panama City.   We got all of our things into the new house the week before Christmas, but we’re still settling in.

The house is only a quick four minute drive to St. Christopher’s Church.  This will enable Michael to be more available to the congregation and enable me to become more active in our parish. We have been living outside the city near the Canal.  The commute was between thirty to forty-five minutes depending on traffic.  As much as we enjoy living near the canal and the tropical forest, we find it necessary to live closer to the church in which Michael is the rector.

Every year, Michael gives several scholarships from our Missionary Fund to see to it that each of the kids at St. Christopher’s can participate in Camp.  Our youth are very active in participating as campers as well as counselors.  We feel that it’s important to support our young people with positive experiences in the church.  Memories of going to camp are treasured though out our life, and we would love our kids to enjoy those wonderful
memories, too.  Our funds are on the low side to help out this year.  If you are able and feel called to do so, please help us by sending scholarship funds for our youth.  Camp is $55.00 per child and councilor.

I would like to encourage all of you to by the video that Philip Carr made about us.  It’s only $5.00 through The Episcopal Parish Services.   We welcome anyone to watch it and to show the members of their congregation.  Michael and I are pleased with it and would love for everyone to see it.

We hope your Holidays were filled with joy and love.  Many blessings to you all.

Your missionaries in Panamá,
Mona and Michael Dresbach
mgdbach@hotmail.com -Michael
mldbach1@yahoo.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.