PANAMA | Bekah

This was my third mission trip to Panama, and I’ll keep going as long as I can. I’ve always felt called to mission work, and these trips let me share the gospel through my actions. It’s the purest blend of both—meeting physical needs while pointing people to the hope of Christ.

My most powerful moment wasn’t in the clinic—it was during worship at the Buenos’ church. For the first time, I raised my hands in worship, not because I felt I should, but because I was truly overwhelmed by God’s presence. During that same service, a woman gave her testimony about feeling God’s call to go back to school. She had worried about how she would pay for it, but after prayer and taking the steps she could, God provided.

After the service, I spoke with her in my broken Spanish, thanking her for reminding me that God’s plan is bigger than my fears. She responded in her broken English: “When we hear God’s calling, we just have to trust Him.” That moment felt like God speaking directly to me. I came home with a renewed faith that if He calls me to something, He will equip me for it—my part is simply to say yes.

Bekah Alvino, Panama 2025