Our Missionaries
Our missionaries are normal people from all walks of life who have dedicated their lives to serving and following Jesus wherever He calls them. Want to meet them? Check out our Missionary Directory.
Ministry Description
We ask for your prayers! In the ministry of Word of Life Panama, Hugo and Yarineth want to develop in their full-time work with the counseling and development of leaders who reflect Christ and who can grow in integral discipleship.
About Hugo
Hugo Ortega: It is a great privilege to tell others about what the Lord is doing in our lives. During my childhood I had a lot of losses in my life which caused a lot of grief and anger. My father had died without my ability to know him, and my sister passed away when she was five years old. My life was a mess. And at the age of 11 years old, I recognized that I needed a savior, and that my proud and angry heart needed the love of God, it was at this point in life where I trusted Jesus as my only savior. After that, however, I did not change anything in my life. I was hoping for more tranquility in my teenage years. However, everything kept falling apart. During the summers at Word of Life camp, however, there were many moments where each of my counselors guided me through the Word of God. It was at a campfire that I decide to dedicate my life at 17 years old and serve the Lord full time. Many years have passed after meeting my wife Yarineth and we had our two daughters Idiel and Leah. At 29 years old, the Lord reminded me and allowed me to have that desire of full service to him again. The Lord allowed my family and I to go to Seteca Theological seminary in Guatemala. Later, because of COVID, we returned to Panama. With the desire to continue serving, the Lord gave us an appointment with the organization Word of Life, where we saw a beautiful platform to reach youth in Panama and the world through the formation of leaders and an intentional, integral biblical counseling.
About Yari
Yarineth de Ortega: I was born into a non-believing house hold and when I turned 11 years old I began to have many questions and doubts about who God was. Whenever I would ask questions about my doubts and no one had the answers to my questions, I began to search and look for answers on my own. Nothing seemed to make sense, so I decided that I was an atheist until one day Hugo invited me to his church. I continued to attend, and over time a sister in Christ asked me if I wanted to do a Bible study. Honestly, I didn't know what it was about or what to expect. I remember that afternoon we started the study and from lesson one some of my doubts were answered and clarified. As we progressed each week, my heart was breaking, and I did not understand what was happening. I began to feel grief for my sin. I realized that if God existed, I was a sinner and I needed Him as my Savior. In my fifth lesson, I accepted the Lord as my personal Savior.
The Lord has given us two beautiful daughters Idiel and Leah who are part of our small team, and they love to be involved we thank God for their lives.
Life Verse
Efesios 2:8-10 Porque por gracia sois salvos por medio de la fe; y esto no de vosotros, pues es don de Dios; no por obras, para que nadie se gloríe. Porque somos hechura suya, creados en Cristo Jesús para buenas obras, las cuales Dios preparó de antemano para que anduviésemos en ellas.