Adventists visiting from Guyana transport and distribute loaves of bread during a community outreach initiative in Panama City, Panama, in late April 2026. [Photo: Guyana Conference/IAD]
One thousand loaves of bread, prayer, and acts of compassion reached vulnerable communities during a mission initiative in Panama City.

June 9, 2026 | Panama City, Panama | Royston Philbert and Inter-American Division News S taff

Dozens of  Seventh-day Adventists from Guyana recently brought hope and practical support to vulnerable communities in Panama City, Panama, through a large-scale outreach initiative that distributed 1,000 loaves of bread, offered prayer, and connected with families living in underserved neighborhoods.

The outreach, known as “Loaf of Love,” took place in Calidonia, one of Panama City’s densely populated districts, where residents gathered in the rain to receive bread and messages of encouragement from volunteers. Organizers said many recipients expressed gratitude for what, in some cases, became the first meal of the day for their families.

Adventists from the Guyana Conference hand out bread and supplies to residents in an appartment complex in Panama City. [Photo: Guyana Conference/IAD]
Volunteers also visited the Red Cross Adult Center and Aldeas Infantiles SOS in Panama, where they distributed toiletries, food items, and bread while offering spiritual encouragement to children, adolescents, and elderly residents.

“We encountered individuals who have gone through very difficult situations, including abuse and abandonment,” said Pastor Andrew Chichester, executive secretary of the Guyana Conference, who participated in the outreach. “This helped me understand how much people need both material and spiritual support. People need hope, companionship, and someone willing to listen.”

Volunteers participating in the Guyana Conference Sabbath School Retreat and Mission Trip unload loaves of bread during a community outreach initiative at the Red Cross facility in Panama City, Panama. Photo by Guyana Conference. [Photo: Guyana Conference/IAD]
The initiative was carried out by 100 Sabbath School leaders and members during the Guyana Conference’s first Sabbath School Retreat and Mini Mission Trip in Panama, held April 30–May 4, in collaboration with local Seventh-day Adventist leaders and churches in Panama.

Organized by Nicola English, Sabbath school director of the Guyana Conference, the mission initiative combined spiritual renewal with community engagement, bringing together participants from remote communities such as Aishalton in the Deep South Rupununi Savannah of Region 9.

Adventist leaders pray with a director of an adult care home after delivering bread and toiletries for residents during a community outreach initiative in Panama City, Panama. [Photo: Guyana Conference/IAD]
Throughout the five-day program, participants took part in devotionals, prayer sessions, worship services, consecration programs, and seminars focused on discipleship and mission. Organizers said the retreat was designed to strengthen members spiritually while emphasizing the importance of practical ministry.

The bread distribution initiative was made possible through contributions from participants in partnership with the Caribbean Union Conference and the Guyana Conference. Local coordination in Panama was led by Carlos Brown, a lay member and his wife.

Bread, toiletries, and toys were delivered to a children’s home during the community outreach initiative in Panama City, Panama. [Photo: Guyana Conference/IAD]
Shortly before the outreach began, heavy rain flooded sections of Calidonia and threatened to disrupt the distribution effort. Despite the weather, volunteers continued the initiative as residents gathered around buses and vans carrying the bread, organizers said.

Participants distributed bread to mothers, elderly residents, children, police officers, and pedestrians throughout several underserved neighborhoods often referred to locally as “red zones.” Many recipients also received prayer and messages of hope attached to the bread packages.

“In less than 30 minutes, all the bread had been distributed,” Brown said. “What may seem simple to some people became a visible expression of God’s love for many families.”

Sabbath School leaders and members from Guyana participate in a spiritual retreat and discipleship seminar in Panama City, Panama. [Photo: Guyana Conference/IAD]
The experience reminded participants that ministry must address both spiritual and practical needs within communities, said English.

“The church must respond to the needs of people in the community, and we must be good, cooperative citizens,” she said. “Jesus ministered to people’s needs and loved them before He shared the Word with them.”

Johana Garcia contributed to this article.