Word of Life Panama was started in 1992 in a rental facility by Mirko and Traci Delibasich. In 1994 the Lord gave them their own property in the city of Chame. Mirko and Traci’s prayer is that some day there will be Word of Life staff ministering full time in each of the 9 provinces in Panama. This vision has begun to be realized with the addition of Juanpi and Celia Mul who are now working in the Chiriqui province. Presently the WOL ministry team consists of 8 missionary couples and 6 singles.

The main focus of WOL is centered around the camp program. Every summer more than 1,700 youth come to experience summer camp (January-March). The gospel is preached in various ways throughout every week of camp, resulting in many, many decisions for Christ. There are weeks for children and youth, including 2 scholarship weeks for orphaned and under privileged kids, Carnival week for college and career, and sports camps. There were 3 different weeks this year when the camp had more kids than beds and had to put out mattresses down by the pool. What a great problem to have…not enough space for all the kids that want to come to camp.

WOL staff members also share their faith through puppet shows, musicals and dramas in public schools. They visit hospitals, jails, youth centers, orphanages and Indian villages also, all the while sharing the hope of the gospel with those they come into contact with.

The Delibasiches and Muls have relationships with several different Embera Indian villages throughout Panama. The tribes are very open to the gospel and have even sent some of their villagers to the School for Evangelism and Discipleship for Bible training, in order to reach their own people. Our women and teens have also ministered in some of these villages on past mission trips.

The Bible Chapel has been working closely with Mirko and Traci to open two Transition Homes early next year, one for boys and one for girls. We are excited to provide these much needed homes to abandoned and orphaned children.

The WOL camp also holds an annual Family Picnic in April. This year over 650 people attended. The gospel was shared, with many people hearing it for the first time. Also in October, the camp holds a Women’s Conference, which The Bible Chapel women have helped with for the past 3 years.

In 2011, WOL ran their first year of their School of Evangelism & Discipleship Training and 8 people successfully graduated. Last month they started their 2nd year with 12 students, including The Bible Chapel’s own Kurt Werner.

For the past year, WOL staff has run a Children’s Club in a government-sponsored center in the poorest and most dangerous neighborhood in Panama, where gang violence is an every day occurrence. They have now been asked to start a program in another high-risk area.

• Opening of Transition Homes, fill staffing needs, identifying children for the homes.
• Purchase a building in Panama City to be used as the main office for the ministry, as well as a discipleship and counseling center.
• Open doors for additional Bible Clubs.
• Finish camp projects.

Despite the fact that this family is not the adventurous type, afraid to fly, and chronic worriers, they have been very obedient to God’s calling of them to serve in Spain (which is said to be the most secular nation in Europe). In 1996 they traveled to Costa Rica to learn Spanish, followed by them moving to and living in Madrid from 1997-2000. In 2000 God led them to join a church planting team in the Province of Guadalajara. However, this team went their separate ways after several members of the group they worked with had to return to the states due to family issues. Federico and Lucia lead a small house church and started working with the Muckle family in 2009. Ken and Carolyn support the church planting efforts of this couple. Since 2001 Ken has been teaching part-time at the SEFOVAN Seminary. They continue to engage in theological training and personal evangelism in Spain.

An Evangelistic Campaign lasted from August 30 to September 10; about 40 believers from our church association helped us to reach out to three towns in our area.

The main activities were the Musical, “El Castillo de La Gracia” (Castle of Grace), and an inflatable jumping Castle for the kids. About one thousand people saw the musical, 9,000 pieces of Christian literature were distributed, 400 children received the “Wordless Bracelet,” six prayed the salvation prayer with one of our workers and 50 people filled out a form saying that they desired more information about Jesus Christ.

• Successful follow-up of the contacts from our Evangelistic Campaign.
• Financial support for Fede and Lucía.
• Housing and car arrangements for our six-month home assignment.