May 1, 2005

Dear friends,

The last four months have been extremely busy for us so I’ll just briefly go over some of the highlights. January was an incredible month with a great Epiphany service put on by our wonderful youth group. Our youth group, Luz de Mañana (Morning Light), put together the wonderful Epiphany service for Jan. 6. This year they dressed in Típico outfits, which are long three-tiered skirts called polleras and Spanish style blouse for the young girls, and the boys wore guyabera shirts and Panama hats. They performed a really sweet play for us about the birth of Jesus. We sang lots of Christmas Carols in both English and Spanish. We’re really pleased with the work the kids are coming up with.

We also had several visitors from the States, we finished moving into our new home, Michael went to summer camp as Chaplain (he wrote all the Bible studies again this year) and then went to Diocesan Convention, where he was in charge of all the liturgies. In February we were busy with Lent and school. March was one event after another through to April. Most of my time was taken up with my studies and the Altar Guild, which I joined in February.

While Michael was at camp, a group of six came to Panama from Newark to visit the Diocese for the week end. They are on a committee to see if they would like to become a companion diocese with us. I’m on the Diocese of Panama Companion Diocese Committee, so two of the gentlemen stayed with us.  Our new house has two extra bedrooms so we now have room for guests. We went early to the Dioceses Center for orientation with Bishop Murray, Walter Smith and a couple of others who are also on the committee. The day was also packed with trips to the Former Canal Zone, the Canal and other places. We divided them up into two groups sending one to the Darien and the other to Colón. We had hoped to send a group to Bocas del Toro, but it was flooding there and flying out of Bocas would have been a problem. I had a wonderful time with all of our Newark guests. I hope we can eventually make our plans to become a Companion Diocese with them a reality.

The youth from our church (Luz de Mañana) went around the neighborhood and invited 73 children for Vacation Bible School this February. Michael was at the church every morning before 8:00 to help with chapel and the singing.  He also led the singing at the worship service at the end of each day, which included an “Ask Padre” session. Those kids had some amazing questions! It ended with all the children coming to the Spanish service on Sunday to receive their certificates. We had a wonderful team of teenagers and young adults working this year.

Our Lenten series this year was “Exploring Different Styles of Prayer.” Michael taught about praying with Icons, the Jesus Prayer, and the different rosaries, including the Anglican Rosary. We learned about Ignatian, Augustinian, Franciscan and Thomistic styles of prayer based on different Myers Briggs personalities. We also learned about Labyrinths and praying with the Hymnal. It was well attended and informative. Michael drew a labyrinth on a large white sheet that we laid on the floor. We’ve used it not only for the Lenten series, but for the Altar Guild Quiet Day and after the Good Friday Service. It seems like the more we use it, the more people are comfortable in walking it. We’re really happy to see so many people enjoying this kind of prayer. Michael led a Quiet Day for the Altar Guild of St. Christopher’s and a Quiet Day for the Episcopal Church Women of St. Alban’s in Paraíso during Lent.

Every year men singers from various Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist, Seven Day Adventist and Roman Catholic churches in Panama City and Colón form a choir and perform in the two cities. Michael sang a solo with the group in Panama city this year. The Choir is called the “MCCA Panama Circuit Men’s Commission Choir” and the show is called “The All Male Extravaganza,” which Michael told them means something entirely different where we come from!  Michael’s solo was so well received that he was asked to perform in Colón, too.

I just finished my second semester at the university and am preparing for my trip to the States. Michael and I will be in the Bay Area in May and we hope to see you then. We have a very tight schedule, but I will be at St. Francis Willow Glen in San Jose on May 22 and both of us will be at St. Mark’s Berkeley May 29. Hope to see you there. Unfortunately, we can’t go to all the places we want to go due to lack of time.

I also want to thank those of you who sent us donations in the last couple of months. It’s been difficult to make ends meet and we really appreciate any help we can get. Michael’s discretionary fund goes quickly to help the poor and Michael is always helping people out of his own pocket. Michael feels like a second century Bishop giving out food and alms to the needy every week. He has a small pantry in his office with food for the hungry.  There are still a lot of people out of work and living in shacks and Michael tries to help.

We will be visiting the States to attend our daughter Tara’s marriage blessing at St. Mark’s in Berkeley. This is a very special occasion to which we are looking forward. As usual, we will be shopping for items we can’t find in Panama. I plan on getting several “Altar Guild” books. There are none in Panama for new members and besides myself, we have two others who recently joined. If you have an extra book lying around that you no longer using, I’ll be happy to make good use of it. Thank you, again, for all you have helped us with already.

I would like to encourage all of you to buy the video that Philip Carr made about us and our ministry. It’s only $5.00 through The Episcopal Parish Services. It’s called “Window’s on Mission - Vol. 8 VHS” item number 74-0412. You will get to see our house in Paraíso, meet some of our congregation, go with Michael and the ladies on a visitation, see me with my girls at the girls home, and hear what people say about us! We want everyone to watch it and to show the members of their congregation. Michael and I are pleased with the results.

Also, I would like to ask you to pray for our six-year-old nephew Daniel who has been struggling with a cancerous brain tumor the last couple of months.  We are hoping that he will be able to walk, run and play like other children again one day soon. We were just told that the tumor is diminished but he will continue to be on Chemo. I hope to learn more when I see him in a couple of weeks. Please, keep him in your prayers.

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.