As I hiked through one of Panama’s four comarcas (semi-autonomous regions), I asked myself, “How could there still be tribal areas basically unreached for the Gospel just a few miles off the Pan-American highway?” Panama has had missionaries since the early 1900s. The American influence with the canal and international highway is obvious. But in some of the seven tribes in the four comarcas, the Gospel is just beginning to advance. On the north shore are the Guna Yala people. Of the 365 islands in this archipelago, 36 are inhabited. Each has its own government and norms. The pristine waters of the Caribbean and the simple life of the people have attracted ecotourism, giving the people some income. Oddly, it’s very primitive and very expensive!

A missionary friend is training some of the young men who want to be preachers, but the current strategy is to take them to facilities on the other side of Panama. Moving between islands and the mainland is time-consuming and costly. As a pilot, I’m always thinking about the difference an airplane would make! Another missionary friend recently completed an airstrip outside one comarca to help reach that group, but his Zenith 801 isn’t going to do much for the islands. I believe we have sufficient contacts with the local governors as well as an opening with the aviation authorities to consider the possibility of using a float plane to move among these indigenous areas and carry out the Great Commission on these islands. Would you consider this need?

by Jonathan Latham

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