June 3rd to June 6th, Panama Public Affairs trip, Comfort Ship and Panama Canal locks at Gatún

The USNS Comfort is making its tour through Central America from Belize on down.  We had been in Belize and was privileged to get aboard the ship for a tour.  It was quite amazing.

This is the USNS Ship Comfort in Panama.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has donated a good deal of materials for the Comfort Ship to the amount somewhere in the millions.  In Panama more pallets of supplies were welcomed aboard the ship as donations from the Church.  All members of the Church can donate to the humanitarian fund for the church to purchase such supplies.

While in Panama, a member of the first presidency of Central America, Elder Alonzo received an invitation to the reception on board with the President of Panama and several other dignitaries.  From the local church leaders there was Luis Vallarino, the Director of Public Affairs for Panama and President Muñoz, a Stake President also invited.  President Alonzo and the Panama President Juan Carlos Varela were able to converse about the presence of the Church in Central America.  President Varela asked many questions such as, "How many members are there in Panama, How many churchs are in Panama and "Is that a Temple I see in Panama with a statue on the steeple".  The point is to help others know of us and to let Public Opinion Leaders understand that the church is a Christian Church and believers of Christ and to help put the work forth in the name of Christ, doing good to all people.

Elder Alonzo

While we were there we communicated by phone and email to those who would pick up Elder Alonzo and take him aboard the ship and to be representatives of the church in their own country. We would go to the ship if there was value but it was more important to have the local church leaders there than have missionaries from the United States there.  We are not an American Church, we are a global church, so a back seat did we take.  We mostly sat in the hotel room emailing and phone calling and being on stand by if needed.  The interaction with the President of Panama and Elder Alonzo went very well and friendships were made.  We are so glad it worked out this way.  It´s the way it´s supposed to be.

On Friday, we took some time to go to the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal.  We had seen the Mira Flores side but had not seen a ship come through the locks. So since we were in Colon, we decided to visit the locks.  It rained like crazy but it was so worth while.

 This is a museum piece of an old car that pulls the ship along in the canal

 Freighter cargo ship coming through

 This gives a strange illusion as if the ship is going up hill, but if you notice there is what is called a mule car that helps stablize the ship and pull it along.

Its moving along.

This is how it works

Raining cats and dogs

We caught a commuter train back to Panama City.  The train has two traveling times, 5 am and 5 pm. It was less expensive than a taxi ride and ever so much more comfortable.  The road between Panama City and Colon may look like a good road but it was a tough ride on concrete.

 View on the train