Pan American
Lectures,
Attending the Pan American Lectures has been a life
changing event for me. I have
learned so much from these lectures. It has open my
eyes to the powerful presence
of God. One of the lectures was about “Quo Vidas?”
Where are you going. The next
thing I knew my wife and I were doing Medical
Missions in South and Central America.
We fell in love with the people. We had 4 different
international students live with us to
attend the university in the US. Two of them
graduated while living in our home. I will
always be grateful for the spiritual feast of the
Pan American Lectures.
Cal & Jan Beck
Pueblo, CO
"As young missionaries to Costa
Rica, my wife Linda and I attended our first PAL in
Panama in 1978 (year?). It was so encouraging to us
to hear exciting speakers and
to receive the warm support of Christians from the
USA. We met many people who
would later influence our lives. Some were
administrators at the Baxter Institute, where
we would later work. Another was veteran missionary
Howard Norton, current Baxter
president, who encouraged me. Through the years we
met many other missionaries
and Latin American church leaders and those that
support them. We also became
acquainted with needs. At the PAL in Medellin,
Colombia we learned from missionaries
Harland and Catherine Rall of the need for workers
in that country, where we later
moved. The Ralls became our nearest American
missionary friends (300 miles away)
and we traveled to the PAL in Manaus, Brazil
together. The PAL has also allowed us to
become acquainted with other success stories in
Latin America. We attended the PAL
in Quito, Ecuador and got to know Kent Marcum and
the work in that country, and we
were present at the PAL in Toluca, Mexico the Sunday
they appointed elders. And at the
PAL in San Salvador, I presented the concept of
getting behind native Latin American
mission teams and began conversations with Continent
of Great Cities which led to our
current work. When I think back on it, I am amazed
at the difference the PAL has made
in my life."
Calvin & Linda Henry - McAllen, TX
"The Lord has blessed his church
with growth in so many places in Latin America but
few people seem to know about it. I am so grateful
to the Pan American Lectures,
moving from country to country each year and
highlighting what the Lord is doing in that
location. If you are not participating in the
lectures each year not only are you missing
inspirational messages from faithful brethren, you
are also missing out on seeing how
God has worked in these countries to spread of the
Word to people so desperate for it
and so receptive to it. Don't miss another!"
Randy & Kathy Short - Recife, Brasil
For the last 10 years Donna and I
have looked foward each year to be at the Pan
American Lectureship, as we do this year. We have
only missed one year during this
time and that was because Donna was to have surgery.
Each year we would put it
on our calendar in January so we make our schelude
not to conflict with PAL. PAL
provides the opportunity of renewal and
encouragement with spending a week with
those of like minds for both our Lord and Latin
American. That is what PAL means to us.
Benny & Donna Baker - Jinotega, Nicaragua
PAL is important for Latin
America for several reasons. Here are few of them,
as I see it.
1) PAL keeps mission work in Latin America focused
and updated.
2) PAL keeps information on Latin America mission
efforts, up to date, to all those
missionaries who attend it.
3) PAL offers the opportunity for "time off" to
missionaries, even providing opportunity
for knowing other Latin America countries. I would
never be able to know Machu Pichu
had it not been through a PAL in Lima, Peru.
4) PAL offers the opportunity to get to know other
missionaries to Latin America.
5) PAL offers the opportunity to even listen to
other preachers and teachers, a change
from the fact missionaries often preach and teach.
6) PAL offers the opportunity to know even new
methods and ideas being applied in
mission work in Latin America.
7) Usually we attend lectureships in our own
countries and even those having to do with
global outreach. PAL provides the opportunity to
know what is going on between local
and global outreaches.
Mel Latorre, Sr. - State of Sao Paulo, Brasil
The Pan American Lectureship have
been a wonderful experience. It gives
a glimpse into the life of mission sites and folk
who are so valuable to the
kingdom. The fellowship with native brethren is a
delight. The Lectureship
itself is great because it features some of the
outstanding preachers in our
brotherhood. Singing is always a part of each
session. It has been my good
fortune to travel to most of South America and all
of Central America which
has become invaluable to strengthening my ties to
Missions in our world today.
Blessings,
Charles Sheppard, elder of University church of
Christ, Abilene, TX.
Former Missionary to the Philippines
