The Lees

in Panam

Key Areas of Ministry

Summer 2014

Theological Education
Coaching & Mentoring
Discipleship Training

Member Care for

MTW Latin
America

Community Outreach

The aim of Member Care is to

ensure that our teams in Latin
America and their leaders
develop a loving culture whereby
each person (missionary,
spouse, or child) is nurtured by
the gospel of grace with the
result that the entire team lives

Panam: a new mission, a gospel opportunity.

I had been told that Jos Vargas, a young
school teacher and father from Arraijan, and
key leader in the church, was very quiet and

out this reality in community as a

reserved, and that I was quite likely not to get

testimony of Gods love for the

much from him during our afternoon interview

World.

at Caf Plaza. However, when I simply asked

Member Care begins with the

him what his vision was for Panama, he

acknowledgment by Mission to

erupted with such deep conviction for the

the World of the need for holistic,

condition of his people and their need for the

supportive care and nurture of

gospel that he spoke with great enthusiasm

our field missionaries and their

and passion for over an hour.

families, and recognizes the

necessity of long-term,
continuous encouragement from
MTW while simultaneously
embracing the reality of sacrifice
and suffering.
Tricia and I are now the MTW
Coordinators of Member Care for
the Latin American region. Our
role in addition to serving in
Panama is to be a resource for
our MTW Missionaries serving
across Mexico, Central America
and the Caribbean, and South
America by assisting them in
finding the right kind of care,
whether it be spiritual, physical,
or mental, when they need it.

Seeing the great passion of Jos, I was surprised to

discover that Mission to the World has never had a
mission in Panama until recently. I was also
surprised to find that in a country of nearly four
million people that there are only two Presbyterian
churches in the entire country. One of the churches
is a Korean Presbyterian Church located in the
coastal Caribbean city of Coln. The other is the
small mission church located in Panama City in
which we will be working, Iglesia Presbiteriana de
Panam, or the Presbyterian Church of Panama.
After successfully serving in Monterrey, Mexico
alongside so many highly competent Mexican
nationals like Andres Garza, Jorge Aleman, and a
host of others, and then to witness first hand the
extraordinary need for the gospel of grace in
Panama, Tricia and I concluded, how could we not
help these people? So it is that in July of this year,

and with the blessings of our former team that we

accepted an invitation from Marc Summers, Team
Leader for Panama, to join this brand new work in
Panama City, Panama.
Our role in Panama will not change significantly
from that in Monterrey. Marc has asked me to
coordinate the theological training, coaching, and
mentoring of the key leaders like Jos in this
nascent church plant. In addition, we will join Marc
in establishing and growing relationships with local
Panamanians in the El Congrejo neighborhood of
Panama City where we will live, and along the
nearby Via Argentina seeking to make disciples
from these relationships. Of course, Tricia will apply
her nursing and interpersonal skills to outreach
ministry as soon as possible.
We are both very excited about these new
opportunities to share Christ and assist Christs
church in Panama. In addition, we look forward to
continuing to partner with you and share with you
how God is moving in Panama.
Our goal is to be in Panama at the beginning of
2015.
In Christ,
Michael & Tricia Lee

Panam

 mtw Panam vision

Our desire is to glorify God as we assist Panamanian nationals in the development of healthy churches.
confident Christ is building His church around the world and in Panama.

We are

We believe in the centrality of the local church as the primary instrument for advancing Gods Kingdom. Gods intent
has always been to form a worshiping community for himself. The church is important to Jesus - in a discussion with
His disciples, Jesus said: I will build my church. (Matt. 16:18)
God has always worked the same way - through a divine process. He takes great pleasure in working through His
people, the church. Church Planting is of paramount importance. Starting new churches is a crucial part of fulfilling our
Lord's Great Commission.

Pray for the Lees

For our children, their spouses,
and our grand children:
Hannah, Amber, Jacob, Buddy,
Justin, Tegan, & Hudson
For a successful completion of
Home Mission Assignment
For sufficient funding to move
to Panama
For a smooth transition to
Panama
For the church plant in Panama
City, Panama

The Great Commission can only be fulfilled by church planting. . . . It is not enough for people to hear the
Gospel, or even to receive Christ as Lord and Savior; they must be grafted into the church - the body of Christ where they can share in its sacramental and corporate life. V. E. Norvak
Mission activity does not end with conversion. Our goal is the establishment of a vibrant, worshipping community, the
church. From the beginning each church will be encouraged to become self-sustaining. This is important to us and the
long-term health of a church or ministry. If a ministry is not self-supporting, it cannot be self-governing and will not
become self-propagating. An intentional declining scale of financial support will be established and clearly
communicated with local pastors / church planters. Were committed to extending Gods Kingdom by advancing
gospel-centered, discipleship oriented, and locally-led church-planting movements.
The Local Church is invaluable to any who are seeking to grow closer to God and who want to learn more about the
Christian faith. The local church is essential it is Gods plan, without it a believer may not grow or become fruitful for
God.
He (God) takes great pleasure in using personal witness and giftedness as well as programs of local churches in
fulfilling the Great Commission.
Because of the Bibles example concerning church planting, we must and will make it the primary focus of our missions
effort in Panama.

Mic hael & Tricia Lee

MTW Missionaries to Panam
MTW #14461

Costa Rica

Panam

For e-donations call:

1.866.373.6133
Send correspondence to:
200 Jackson Lake Rd
Clover, South Carolina 29710
803.222-5733 (vonage)
Michael: re4merz@gmail.com
Tricia: mercgivr@gmail.com

bi
lom
Co

Mission to the World

PO Box 2589, Suwanee, GA
30024-0982

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