HOGAR JUCUM
Welcome to San Juan de Pequení, a small Emberá (one of the 7 indigenous groups of Panama) community on the Pequení River. The inhabitants here live very much like their ancestors did 500 years ago when the first European arrived. Poverty is a daily reality and many of the smiling faces that you see know what it’s like to go to bed hungry. Parasites are commonplace, due to unsafe drinking water drawn from the river.
Beneath the physical need is one even greater; the heart that does not know God. While many here have met Christians, or been to churches in other communities, most have never had the gospel presented in a way that’s understandable to them. Fear reigns in their hearts, the fear of the countless spirits they perceive all around them.
Look closer at the families. Little girls abandoned by both parents to indifferent relatives before they even knew how to say “mama” and “papa”. Women wearied by the constant physical abuse that is so common when their husband drinks too much. The 10 year old boy whose dad left for the city and never came back, leaving him to fend for himself. The 12 year old girl taken advantage of by an older man, and now left pregnant, alone and very frightened.
Countless young people in this community and so many like it, one by one their God-given dreams are being snuffed out by the dark reality they see around them.
After years of outreaches into this and other communities like it, we began calling out to God for a way to bring lasting change and God’s hope to these communities. Hogar JUCUM was the answer to that prayer. It was an idea born out of times of intercession and seeking God’s heart for the indigenous communities. It is a place for God’s dreams to come true in them.
God has called Hogar JUCUM to raise up the indigenous young person to be trained physically, socially, intellectually and spiritually, for their growth and development.
We are called to give training and opportunity to the indigenous young people, so that they may continue their junior high and high school studies, and to create biblical models of discipleship and development that can then be multiplied in their communities. We realized that to truly make an influence we would have to emulate godly family atmosphere where they could be discipled on a daily and regular basis. The young people live on our base with godly staff and are involved in all of our worship, intercession, and other base activities as well as assist in many of our external ministries on base.
Objectives:
To form young people who:
- Have a biblical world view
- Have a firm understanding of the Bible
- Have a solid and complete education
- Live lives that reflect positive and biblical values and principles
- Have confidence in their own intelligence and abilities
- Have a healthy appreciation for their own race, language and culture
- Go on to be professionals and agents of change in their communities
- In the future form healthy families
- Bring lasting change to their people and nation
This ministry is not limited to our base staff alone. It is an opportunity for many families outside our base to open up their homes for these young people to be discipled. We are in need of full time, mature and godly people who can serve as mentors and "parents" to these young indigenous students, while providing them with a school where they can further their education. These students would function as part of the family. What an opportunity! Spanish would be an essential to effectively communicate with the students but we are open to anyone who has heart for indigenous young people in Panama.
If you are interested in being involved in this ministry please let us know and further information will be forwarded to you.
contact us: ywampanama@gmail.com
