Every year since 2003, CLC Panama has had the privilege of participating in the Panamanian International Book Fair. This is the largest book fair in the country and this year (2023) there were over 100,000 people in attendance.
The theme of the conference was Identity and Origin, and the seven Panamanian native tribes were highlighted. International authors and visitors are drawn to the fair each year, giving us the opportunity to reach people who would not normally shop in one of our bookstores.
A team of 25 individuals worked day and night to make sure our stand was ready to go before the fair started. Our space was visible and attracted attention thanks to the publishers who sponsored special banners for our stand. We had a large selection of materials available for customers. We praise God that all the shipments arrived on time for one of our largest events of the year.
The Panamanian Book Chamber invited Omayra Font, pastor and author, as one of the guests and speakers at this year’s fair. We are a distributor of Omayra’s books. Attendees were excited to see her, get their books signed, and to speak with her briefly. A large number of Christians in Panama read her books so this was a very special and memorable experience for our customers.
Andra Lino, a member of the Emberá tribe and a leader of her region, visited our stand, purchased a book for her children, and shared with us that she was really encouraged by the knowledge we imparted during the book fair. She was especially excited about our work through our social foundation. We praise God for the many opportunities and divine appointments we were able to have at the 2023 Panamanian International Book Fair. Please pray for the 2024 Fair. May we be able to reach even more people and provide the materials our Christian brothers and sisters need.