Chepo Good Shepherd School
By Rod and Sherry Boyd

We remember when Pastor Salomon Sampson came by our offices a few years ago to talk with us about his vision to open a school in Chepo. Chepo is a city of 25,000 located about an hour east of Panama City, along the Pan-American Highway. Pastor Salomon and Coralia have been pastoring Centro de Vida Cristiana (Christian Life Center) in Chepo for 25 years. This long-tenured pastor has seen how a church school can be an effective outreach into the community. But he needed help to turn his vision into reality. The school opened in 2008 with 56 pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade students in crowded church facilities. The school now has 153 students through 4th grade. Construction began two years ago on the new school, a three-story building that will include 12 classrooms, offices and library. When completed the school will offer through 9th grade and have a capacity of more than 400! In 2009, a building team led by Missionary Nelson Lugo completed the first classroom and half of another. The church completed the second classroom in time for the 2010 school year. The church built the third classroom in time for the new school year that began the end of February 2011.  To date, two MAPS teams have continued the construction. First Assembly of God, St. Charles, MO sent a large team of 40 to minister on three fronts. The construction team worked to fill and level the floor and block two classrooms, then to form and pour the intermediate columns and large support beams that support the second-story floor. They also worked on the foundation of the stair/restroom area. Bethany Assembly of God, Agawam, MA spent seven days continuing construction on the Chepo Good Shepherd School. This is Bethany’s third trip to Panama. Ken Bryars, music pastor at Bethany, led two previous teams, working at the Canaan School in 2000 and at the Las Mananitas School in 2002. The team visited both of these schools on our tour day and was able to see the return on investment of their earlier construction. The Canaan School has grown from 350 in 2000 to nearly 900 today; and the Las Mananitas School has grown from about 550 in 2002 to over 775 students today. The Bethany team focused on blocking walls for two new second floor classrooms and blocking and building support beams in the first floor stair/restroom area. Fourth Classroom Completed... The church and school completed the fourth classroom, which is the first of the two rooms on the lower level.  The third grade class that was next door moved into the new room.  Their previous classroom has become the computer lab for the school.  Little Davey brought another team to Panama in May and installed 12 new computers! Continued Construction.  Construction was delayed for several months because of a property line dispute.  The school has now received permission to continue.  They have now completed about two-thirds of the flooring structure are are working on the final third near the stairwell and restrooms at the end of the building. Please pray for continued construction. Pray that additional teams will come to complete the third floor that includes the roof and blocking the classroom, library and restroom walls. Pray for needed funds to complete construction. If you would like to give to the Chepo School Project, please send your offering to: Assemblies of God World Missions Chepo School Project 14456 1445 Boonville Ave Springfield, MO 658022

St. Charles MAPS Team Ministers in Chepo (3/2011) Agawam Continues Construction at Chepo School (5/2011)