The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Over the last four years, former Waitsburg Schools Superintendent Carol Clarke has spent significant time in Panama City, Panama. She began working with Crossroads Christian Academy (CCA) after close friends shared that the school was hiring.

"When I retired from Waitsburg Schools, I knew I wanted to keep my home in Waitsburg. I also knew I would need something to keep me occupied and engaged," said Clarke. "But I didn't want to teach due to my hearing impairment. I thought, well, I can't knit, can't do needlepoint, but I'm good at running a computer! I prayed about it and came to the point where I felt strongly it was God's call for me to go and experience it."

It wasn't long before Carol accepted the role of Curriculum and Instruction Coordinator, a role she has fulfilled working in Panama City and remotely from her home in Waitsburg. She began working with the school in July 2017.

"It was hard leaving my home, but I know God had His hand in my doing this."

Crossroads Christian Academy, located on Panama City's outskirts, was founded as a ministry of Crossroads Bible Church (CBC) in 1997 by a small group of missionaries, pastors, and other parents primarily from the United States. The non-denominational Crossroads Bible Church is located on the same campus. There was an exodus of Americans in Panama after the country regained sovereignty of the Panama Canal, leading to the academy's decision to increase outreach to the community. It has grown from the original 29 to over 200 students today.

The student body is diverse, comprised of Panamanian, American, and international students. English is the primary language for instruction, and enrollees must be proficient in the language to apply; Spanish is taught as a second language.

"It really is a unique place," said Clarke. "It's the only American International Christian school in Panama. And the city really is a first-world international center, operating in some ways in a third-world infrastructure."

When she arrived in Panama, Clarke discovered that there were many exciting things to do in the area, in addition to her work at the school. Opportunities included interaction with indigenous people from outlying villages, including the Embera tribe.

"We were sent to work in a village that had running water but no electricity. One of the men asked if I knew anything about fixing toilets. As a matter of fact, I did!"

With help from a young teacher from New Jersey, who had just arrived on her first teaching job, Clarke got to work on the village's plumbing.

"I told her, 'We're going to work on toilets, and let me warn you; we're going to get dirty.' After that, we helped repair holes in the goal nets at the soccer field there."

At the end of the day, the village plumbing did not include showers, so they bathed in bleach water.

When Clarke is in Panama, she lives in an apartment not far from the school. It's also about an hour's drive from the Chagres River, where she and other school and church members load all the tools and supplies needed for a mission trip onto a small boat for a 45-minute journey upriver.

When in Panama, she attends the Crossroads Church on campus. Since being home this year, she has been viewing the pastor's messages via YouTube, which he delivers both in English and Spanish. Part of Clarke's spiritual education has been witnessing the level of devotion and sacrifice she's seen in the Christian community in Panama, particularly missionaries.

"They give up the comfort zones of their lives to help and serve others," she said.

In March 2020, the school had approximately 280 students before the world began to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Clarke. Since then, enrollment has dwindled to just over 200 students. Students have been working remotely, with elementary students struggling the most to keep up. Clarke keeps in touch with the staff remaining in Panama City to get accurate information about needed supplies and support for children.

The Panamanian Ministry of Health has confirmed 330,985 total cases of Covid-19 in the country as of February 12, 2021. Panama City has a population of 1.8 million, almost half the country's total population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Embassy have issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Panama at this time. To travel to Panama now, air passengers need to have a negative COVID-19 test no more than three days before the flight. After arrival, passengers must quarantine for two weeks. These restrictions may change by the time Clarke hopes to return in April.

Meanwhile, she is busy ordering materials for the next school year and waiting to receive her COVID-19 vaccinations. When the time comes, she will be ready to return. What was true for her four years ago is still true: "I believe God calls me when He's ready."