Kerry-Ann visits Panama
Kerry-Ann’s first visit to Panama ended today
Well I hope she is in Jamaica by now. She got a wonderful Panamanian parting present at the airport. After she completed checking in with Copa Airlines, she was told to proceed to the gate and wait until everyone had finished boarding, then the attendant at the gate would tell her if she has a seat. Well Kerry’s face suggested she was about to have heart failure.
After some argument, that thankfully didn’t get heated..only warm – the attendant calm as you please explained that Copa Airlines overbooked the flight to ensure they have full capacity and so Kerry unfortunately does not have a seat. After some encouragement she got her supervisor who went on her computer and a seat and ticket appeared out of nowhere! What a final memory…
Nonetheless, even if it had ended otherwise I do not think it would prevent Kerry from returning to Panama. She had too much fun since her arrival in Colon, Panama on December 26th. Unfortunately, she does not yet have a blog so she gave me permission to tell ALL her secrets here as she will be reading it when she gets home. But there’s too much to tell…
She met my infamous taxi-driver Vicente and by the next day when he took us down to the church office she was in love with him and for obvious reasons. He really is in a class by himself – very quiet (except for the newsclips), polite, and has a wicked sense of humour – the dry kind of wit that has you popping up while he is dead serious. So Kerry got a good dose of him and went ‘oooh he’s the one you wrote about’.
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After we stayed up chatting most of the night into early morning, we had to get moving to head into Colon. It was Wednesday, the day of my regular Bible Studies. We continued our series on Women in the Ordained Ministry. She also made the observation of how staunchly feminist my elderly female members were.
You see, we have been socialized never to use the ‘f/feminist’ word and that it sends a bad message. However, once you defend women’s liberation and rights that is essential what you are. Like everything else, there are extremes and persons choose whether to swing extreme left or extreme right or stay on middle ground.
Later on, I took her to the restaurant where I had ordered the ‘pecado y aroz’ if you remember that. She enjoyed her meal and I could tell that all thoughts of her diet went flying out of her head as I can tell you – Kerry enjoyed Colon and Panama City food!! [Well she did say I can tell you everything..]
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Kerry-Ann visits Costa Abago, Colon
Thursday night we packed supplies for Rio Indio (Costa Abago) and Friday morning at 6:45am we left home for the Costa. As usual, we have to wait for the ship to pass through the Gatun Locks, Panama Canal then we go across.
Unfortunately, we had to skip breakfast and Kerry got sick halfway into the journey. By the time we got to Rio Indio though, she began to feel much better. Until she saw the river and the boat.
I’m sorry but I had a good laugh. Poor child, she tried to put on a brave face but failed.
Quietly, she asked a deacon who had accompanied us – ‘so if that is the boat for the supplies where is our boat?’ [mi nearly ded 
] He replied, that’s our boat we are all going in the same boat. Suddenly, Kerry was behind me saying..”go ahead Pastora, I will wait until you get in. Show me how its done’. Since I knew she was buying time to compose herself I got in. She then followed like this…
Hey, I was laughing at her but I do not forget the deep breaths I took when I got there the first time. So we got into the boat and Miss Kerry whispered.. Rev. I am going to ask a stupid question..where is the life jacket? I whispered back, not stupid at all, but there is none. She went, ‘ok then’. And before she could climb back out, we were off.
I had to keep a sharp eye on her, as she wanted to make off with several of the children of Chilar and Buenaventura (Rio Indio). I felt as she did. I wish I could just take them all.
There was much for her to see, and eventually on her way back down river she commented, that this past Christmas the visited a Children’s Home in Kingston, Jamaica and it was a touching experience, but it was nothing compared to this. This has been far more moving. I knew exactly what she meant.
New Year In Panama
The rest of her trip included participating in worship service on Sunday and experiencing the joys of New Year Panamanian style. Don’t say I told you, but you know who did not object to Dinner on New Year’s morning in Arco Iris, Colon. The sorrel was plenty, and we had more than enough jokers and story-tellers in attendance to keep everybody awake.
I leave her to tell you about the shopping spree. Nowhere that I know of compares to shopping in Panama. It’s something you have to see to believe. Nonetheless, Kerry-Ann is an economist by profession, so she and I had some very interesting conversations about the Panamanian economy. What a difference it makes to have a living and practical faith undergirded by deep social consciousness.
So Copa Airlines botched my attempt to keep Kerry here a little longer It was good to have her, and to have some company in the house for a while. Well apart from the croaking lizards and rat bats. The bats were unusually quiet but a lizard came down to greet Kerry her first day. I nearly had to call an ambulance!
I look forward to the next visit of Jamaicans coming by next Summer. Anyone else would like to visit? Drop me a line marvia(at)marviaspanamajournal(dot)com and let me know. I will even arrange for Vicente to pick you up [for a special price of course!!]
Until next time,
Peace and Love
Marvia
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January 2nd, 2007 at 9:16 pm
I find it interesting to note that the older female members are the feminist that’s great! You must have a very progressive congregation.
Kerry and the children (yea that’s big sis she loves children)
Kerry and the food! Kerry and the boat! Kerry and the lizard! LoL
January 2nd, 2007 at 10:34 pm
lol… I am glad that marvia and kerry got on the boat…. many times i had to go on roaring–actually, another person did ‘most’ roaring–…, it takes six times longer…and u were also ‘lucky’ u didnt get the boat that has inlets on the sides…lol…on that boat while you move you need to be throwing the water out with a cup…. for the boat not to sink….lol… it takes corageous people to do missions…. its also lots of fun…it worths the risk….i challenge some of my jamaican friends to take up this invitation to do some ‘adventurous missions’….. u will not regret it…