The Panama Canal

The Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal wait for ships to pass through

The Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal wait for ships to pass through, as seen during our Panama 2024 trip.

During our stay in Panama, we crossed the Panama Canal several times by bridge, going from one side to the other. But near the end of the trip, we went to the Panama Canal Visitor Center at the Miraflores Locks.

I was amazed by the Panama Canal, partly because of its scope and partly because of its history. More than once during our short visit, I said to Laura, “Did you ever think we would be at the Panama Canal?”

It is difficult to capture the Panama Canal in a photo, or even in multiple photos, but we were both excited to be there.

A crane barge in the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal

During the time that we were there, the only ship going through the locks was actually a large crane barge. And at the time I took this photo, the crane barge was using its crane to unload a smaller crane. I was wondering if that smaller crane would then unload an even smaller crane, and so on, but it did not. When we were arriving, a cruise ship was going through this part of the canal, but I did not get a photo of it.

The Visitor Center of the Panama Canal

The Visitor Center also had an IMAX 3D movie about the Panama Canal, narrated by Morgan Freeman. It was informative and also visually interesting. I might have liked to learn a little more about the actual design and construction of the canal, but I might be in the minority there. But I was glad that we got to see it.

A panoramic view of the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal

To try to capture a little more of the experience, I used my phone to take a panoramic photo of the Panama Canal. You can see the crane barge at the left, and the Visitor Center building at the far right. These types of photos always distort things just a bit, but I still like them.

The two of us at the Panama Canal

And here is a photo of us, just to prove that we really were at the Panama Canal. It already feels somewhat like a dream, but it was all very real, and I am thankful that we had the opportunity to go.

Panama Trip 2024
See more from our Panama 2024 Trip!

The Real Reason

However, the real reason for our trip was not to visit the Panama Canal. The real reason was that we were with a group from Bartlett Woods Church of Christ to visit the Iglesia de Cristo Panamá Oeste, which translates as Church of Christ - West Panama. Various members of our group helped with a community fair, a marriage seminar, a youth leadership seminar, a worship service, Bible classes, a young adult gathering, ladies’ prayer time, ladies’ devotionals, home visits, food distribution at a hospital, house construction, facility maintenance, and probably a few other things that I am forgetting. It was a wonderful week building relationships with those in our group and with the people of Panama, and I was glad that we had the opportunity to go. It was a blessing to us, and I hope it was a blessing to the people there, too.

Sometimes, loving one another means getting out of your comfort zone to do things for other people. Maybe just talking to strangers is out of your comfort zone. Maybe leaving home is out of your comfort zone. Maybe going somewhere where most of the people do not speak the same language as you is out of your comfort zone. But doing something like that can make a difference to others, and it can make a difference to you. You will end up feeling loved just as much as, or maybe even more than, the people to whom you are showing love.

Sometimes that first step can be a bit difficult, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Get out of your comfort zone and show love to others. You will be glad that you did.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:18-20

Love One Another

About the Photos

As I mentioned above, these photos are a mixture of my Sony camera and my iPhone. The first three are camera photos, the last two are iPhone photos. Because of some of the things that we were doing, I did not always have my camera with me on this trip. But I did have my phone with me, and I probably took more phone photos than camera photos. It is great to have that option available when you need it.

Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Raw Therapee.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II, iPhone 14 Pro
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: October 10, 2024
Location: Panama Canal, Panama

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About Burnsland
Burnsland is Steve Burns, with generous help from his lovely wife Laura. Steve is a husband, father, photographer, webmaster, writer, podcaster, artist, Christian. Steve enjoys sharing his photography, art, and stories through Burnsland.com, from the Burnsland World Headquarters in Tennessee.