PEDASI, Panama — When Cristina Sosa de Hopkins closed her medical practice in Costa Rica and moved to Panama, the last thing on her mind was starting a church. She was more concerned that her license to practice medicine earned from a school outside Panama was not acceptable to the health ministry.
Despite her professional setback, she began to treat patients in her new home city of Pedasí by providing first aid and free diagnoses. Recognizing the potential to run afoul of the government health services regulations, she is careful to not overstep her authority. Still, she is not reluctant to serve town people as an advocate when they visit the doctor. Because many are uneducated and lack the ability to accurately communicate their symptoms, she often accompanies them. She has proved to be such a blessing that “Dr. Cristina” is known throughout Pedasí.
Cristina Sosa de Hopkins (left) chats with Virginia Baptist mission leader Sue Smith in Panama recently.
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Her husband, Jeffrey, a diver, found the waters off the town of Pedasi on Panama’s Pacific coast much better for his purposes, so they moved to Panama. Or, as she says, moving her fingers in a walking motion, “I followed my husband to Panama.”
“I was angry in the beginning,” she admits. Until moving to Panama, medicine was her life. Her father had also been a physician, as was her first husband before their deaths, and one of her children. But gradually she began to see new possibilities. Beginning with those she had helped, she invited people to worship and they came. The pastor of a Baptist church in a nearby Las Tablas agreed to preach for them if they would meet on Friday evenings. Soon a Tuesday evening prayer service was added.
Sosa continued to witness to those she saw medically and the church continued to grow. Most people in the church are not there because they have medical needs, however. “They come to hear the gospel,” says Sosa. “I am thankful to God, for it is an opportunity! I never planned it, but, this is what God has done,” she rejoices.
But God was not finished surprising her. Last year, when the Las Tablas pastor experienced health problems and had to resign, Sosa reluctantly stepped into the role. “I have wondered many times about my doing this, since I am a woman,” she confides, “but, there is no one else to do it.”
And evidence of God’s blessings are abundant. Since July 10 of last year, the church has rented two small rooms which connect to a larger area rented by a university. Since the university does not use the space on Sundays, the church gets to use it without cost.
“It’s kind of ugly,” she says of the building, “but at least we don’t have to take everything with us and set up everything and take it all down every time we use it, as we did in the community house.” In their previous meeting place, Sosa explains, “We had to set it up all from scratch. Bibles, chairs, everything.”
They meet now on Tuesdays for a prayer which is led by a young layman in the congregation. On Fridays, Sosa leads a Bible study. And, on Sundays they meet for worship. Another woman in the church leads the praise worship and Sosa provides the exhortation and proclamation. “I have to study almost every day,” she says. Two women in the church teach the 30 children who attend. Last summer 80 children attended their vacation Bible school. Weekly attendance numbers about 50.
“It is important for you to know that these are new Christians,” she says, speaking to Virginia Baptists. She describes the frustration of a pastor in describing the movement of church people out of the community. “Also,” she says, “some of the strongest Christians in the church work during the day and have little time to devote to the work of Christ in the church.”
Sosa also wants Virginia Baptists to know, “It is important that we have people from the States to come and evangelize and share their faith so our people can go with them and learn from them. We have new believers in our church and they don’t know what to do.”
But the spiritual immaturity of her congregation is only one complication. “The work is very difficult here,” she says, “because the historic Catholic tradition is very strong.” Also, making evangelical Christianity difficult is the celebration of “Carnival,” a party atmosphere in which drinking and lasciviousness prevails. Since the people have been taught that a visit to the confession booth will erase any transgressions they may have committed, the people see little need to refrain from immoral behavior. The gospel Sosa proclaims puts her squarely at odds with the culture of the country.
The church has located property and the members are wondering if they should buy it and build a building, but they are uncertain about taking this step. She asks Virginia Baptists to pray that they will receive guidance from the Spirit in knowing what to do.
Dr. Cristina Sosa de Hopkins never imagined she would face the opportunities and challenges she has since coming to Panama. But as she considers what God has accomplished through her efforts, her face lights up and she asserts, “I am not afraid!”