Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) missionary to Panama, Tara Kenyon, recently appointed as Central America Area Director, has been involved in ministry her whole life. “I grew up in the local church participating in the student missionary movement, where we had Bible clubs on our campuses. That was what you did if you were a Christian teenager in the ‘90s,” said Tara. Youth ministry was also a part of her husband, Gerritt’s, life. Having grown up as a pastor’s kid, he and Tara met serving as youth leaders in a local church while attending North Central University (NCU).

Individually, God had placed a call to missions on Tara and Gerritt’s heart. After serving in youth ministry in El Salvador, AGWM leadership asked them to come to Panama to establish and facilitate student ministry in this country.

During their first year of ministry in Panama, the Kenyons began organizing school assemblies and preaching God’s Word. One school assembly with more than 200 students stands out. Before the assembly began, Gerritt taught students about praying for others and believing in the Lord’s transformative power through prayer. During the altar call, there was a holy move of the Spirit. “It was from the back of the room to the front. A tall kid came to the center of the room to walk forward, and he just dropped to his knees and cried. As soon as that happened, everyone in the room began to cry,” Tara recounted. This stirring of the Spirit moved in the students’ hearts. Students held their peers in their arms and cried and prayed with one another.

As the power of the Holy Spirit moved students to tears, a handful of Panamanian girls pulled Tara over to their group. They wanted her to talk with one of their friends who was not crying. “This girl told me the most horrific story that I’ve ever heard. I was speechless. My mouth was probably hanging open; she was cold — hardened to the horror of things she had been through.” As Tara attempted to guide her to a place of healing, the Spirit prompted her to pray specific words over the girl. “This crumpled, little girl whose humanity had been taken from her, began to break, and she fell in my arms. We cried, and in that moment I was like, No. No more. No. Enough is enough.”

After Tara’s encounter with the girl, she sought privacy behind a large stage curtain and fell on her face before the Lord. “I just cried out to God. Is this what you brought us here for? Are you kidding me? This is too big. What can we do in this?” A few moments later, Gerritt found Tara behind the curtain and locked eyes with her. Neither one spoke; both had just experienced the same horror. It was then that the Kenyons decided enough was enough.

In their assemblies, the Kenyons discovered that despite bullying, school was a safe place for many children. Children are most vulnerable in the hours before and after school, when predators have the greatest access due to family members working or commuting. “If they have domestic violence in their homes, or if a parent struggles with substance abuse, school becomes a safe place. School is an optimal, familiar place in which we can minister the gospel to students,” Tara explained.

The school schedule in Panama is atypical, with two or three different blocks of school during the day. One school building is often used for two or three completely unique student bodies. Tara and Gerritt knew they would need a safe physical space for students, regardless of what time their school was scheduled.

The Kenyons began researching information on human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. Seeking advice from those educated in the field, the Kenyons decided to direct their efforts toward prevention by being in schools, giving students resources, and discussing their value as image-bearers of God. “This is where you get the most bang for your buck, the most value for your investment of time. You’re going to affect more lives in these big crowd opportunities,” Tara noted.

To cultivate a safe place for proclaiming the gospel, in 2016 the Kenyons developed an after-school ministry called El Refuge. Here, students can study, work on homework, and connect with other students in a safe, protected environment. There is an ebb and flow of students who visit El Refuge, averaging around 20-55 students throughout the day. Students at El Refuge can access the many resources it offers such as computers, a printer, craft materials, and project supplies.

El Refuge has two full-time employees and Tara and Gerritt circulate through the center, as able. Typically, El Refuge has five to seven volunteers who help. Students also help. “Some students who have been around the longest are part of the place. We have taught them to be welcoming, so they host newer students; they have ownership of the place. They take good care of it and, as if they were volunteers or staff, they welcome the newcomers. That’s a beautiful way for things to work organically and indigenously to be able to continue forward,” said Tara.

El Refuge recently graduated its first class of students who began attending in early middle school. “I think about how those lives were impacted, the path that they were on when they came to us. Not all of them have made decisions for Christ, but many have and are now part of our discipling team,” said Tara. As El Refuge expands, it is benefitting from the Panamanian volunteers who help. However, the Kenyons still need missionary support to help the young people of Panama. “[Reaching young people] is not yet a priority in your average church here in Panama, but we’re doing all that we can to disciple other Panamanians to carry on the work, to have a heart for young people, and to see this as a ministry to commit one’s life to … that’s what we’re praying for the Lord to do in these next couple of years,” said Tara.

When reflecting on the continued spiritual needs of Panama, Tara emphasizes the importance of laborers and missionaries coming to Panama to serve. Many faithful missionaries have served Panama over the years. Still, Panama needs new laborers to reap the harvest. “We want to see some of that good work handed off to … new lives investing in particular areas of opportunities. That would ring very true for Panama,” said Tara.

By Holly A.V. Knapp