Climbing a Mountain in Panama

As we climbed up a mountain in Panama, we had an incredible view. A photo actually does not capture it well, believe it or not.

On this particular day in our Panama 2024 trip, we went to visit some of the church members in their homes. One of the homes was way up a mountain. Perhaps the title of the post is a little misleading, in case you thought we went mountain climbing, but maybe not quite so much…

There were vehicle roads going up the mountain, but we did not try to go up by vehicle, because it would have been strenuous on the vans that we were using. So we walked. But at times it did feel more like a climb. And as with the view in the first photo, this photo probably does not do justice to the steepness of the road. Believe me, it was steep. For me, going up was easier than going down, too, because it was a bit of a struggle not to go down too quickly, as in falling. For some reason, going up seemed a little easier in the not-falling category. But it was all good.

And here is my climbing companion, Laura. It is always good to be together in adventures such as this one. While having fun was not the primary goal of this trip, we definitely had fun being together, as well as being with the others on the trip, too.

See more from our Panama 2024 Trip!

Encouragement

As I mentioned earlier, our purpose in climbing this mountain was to encourage people from the church who lived up there. We did not have any grand words to say, and we did not bring any gifts with us at all. We said what we could, and we hoped that those words, along with our presence, was an encouragement to them.

However, they were also an encouragement to us. The family welcomed us into their home. They showed us the various plants that were growing around their house. They showed us around the inside of the house. And they even took us to where we could have an even better view of the scenery around them. So I hope that they were encouraged, because we were definitely encouraged.

Many acts of service are simliar to that in their outcomes. The ones who are being served are blessed, but the ones who are serving are also blessed. That is the nature of good, honest service. If the server is not trying to get anything out of it for himself, he often is blessed by it as well.

When we love others, we feel love in return. Not because we are seeking that love, but because it just comes naturally. Which is all the more reason to keep on loving others.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:36-40 ESV

About the Photos

If I had an ultra wide angle lens or a fisheye lens, I might have been able to better capture the views that we saw up on the mountain, but even that might not have been enough. I was happy with the photos that I got, but partly because they remind me of the even grander view from being there in person.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Raw Therapee and GIMP.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: October 6, 2024
Location: Panama City, Panama