Every little Blessing

Well Hi everyone! I'm back, I mean in Panama haha. And I can say I did NOT miss this heat and humidity! But boy have the blessing just flooded in! Starting from the security line at the airport. A guy from Utah and well Dallas was behind me and we talked a ton, he was so cool and served in Portugal. while talking to him I saw the lady named Dana who worked at Maaco with me! So crazy! Totally gave her a hug and after remembered... I'm a missionary now.. whoops haha. Well then when I sat down at my gate and totally realized I forgot my Spanish scriptures right on my counter. I asked the guy next to me if I could call my mom and he shut me down, haha. 

  So when I got to Panama there was a pretty good welcoming party for me. Elder Dahstrup was lucky enough to be in the city and not on his island and came to see me! And my 2 good buddies are assistants now too. On the car ride to their house they told me my area and companion! I'm in Vista Alegre in Arriajan with Elder Rivera!! He started his mission with me and is awesome. Plus Vista Alegre is the area where elder Miene served in! The next day I met with president and he was so happy to see me and then we went to eat in the terminal. Then another blessing hit me, we got pizza hut and they just gave me a free pizza. No idea why and I tried to say no but they said to take it! Then we headed to our area. Btw our house is awesome!! our room even has tiny air conditioner!!! Our area too seems to have so many people ready to hear the gospel! Friday we taught a girl named Pamela and she was so positive! Then Saturday we watched conference all day! In English! I loved it! Sunday was just another blessing having 3 investigators at conference! We brought Pamela with us! There were so many other little blessings that came this week. As there are in all of our lives, if we look for them. the Lords hand is in everything we do. so keep an eye out for it. One of my favorite talks was Elder Neil l. Anderson, about faith in the priesthood session. 

So that sums up my week other than dogs running loose and sweating my brains out! haha. Have a good week! 

Elder David 

1. The welcome committee 

Hot, humid and humble

Well this week has definitely been a challenge with the heat here. I feel like I'm in an oven here that is preheating at 350 degrees. No but really it is hot. I can't wear dark color pants almost because it burns.. The area where I'm at is the hottest and most humid area in all of Panama, and when there's clouds it is worse because it keeps all the humidity trapped inside. I make the joke to my comp all the time that we are stars of the movie Holes 2 because of how hot it is and it NEVER rains here. Even when there is clouds which is rare it doesn't rain. 

Also as you might have heard, OBAMA WAS HERE. Haha just kidding. I'm not really that excited about it. But everyone here made a huge deal because thats the only thing on tv. They even shut down the bridge that crosses the canal just for him to cross. It was shut down for almost half a day. I had various people tell me that my president was here. They would expect me to make a big deal about it which made me laugh. 

So Right now we are teaching a couple who are in there 50s and knew little about the church but quick to judge and talk about the bad. Its been about a month and a half now and I can't believe how much progress we've seen. So honestly the wife she's a little wacky and just tries to argue about stuff sometimes but her husband wow, yesterday we had an amazing lesson with him. He told us before the lesson about a problem with a loan he got from some Columbians. Yes that sounds bad just from the start doesn't it. We really had no idea what to say or how to help, nor do we know how serious the problem is either. So we let heavenly father answer. We asked him to say the first prayer asking that he might find the answer or help during the lesson. After we asked him to open the Book of Mormon up to any page and we would them read that chapter. He opened to 3 Nephi chapter 4, I think it was, and he was shocked. The spirit was so strong and neither he nor I could deny it. Well that was the amazing part of the lesson and then his wife came out.. and then it went down hill with what she was saying about what she had read because she was confused. All it is with her is she can't except that God would give us more help with another book that testifies of Jesus Christ. The funny part was that her husband showed her a scripture that basically says, Who are you to judge the work of God; and I just laughed with amazement that he did that. 

The power of the Book of Mormon is real, It's the word of god and it's power is real. I've seen it change not only my life but many others. As I said last week, the book of Mormon will bring us to an ultimate happiness that we've never had. And all we have to do is read it, Ponder it or apply it to our lives and ask God to testify that it is true. You will see miracles in your lives if you do so, with your families, jobs, feelings and how you go about life. So this week I hope you can do the easy part and read, and Heavenly Father will then do the hard parts. Have an amazing week!

Elder David 

1. One morning this dove camped out at our house because its wing was broken and while we were studying he came in and joined us, haha. My comp just crabbed him. He wasn't there the next day 

2. Making concrete mix for the pigs today during preparation day. 

3. Final Product 

Our search for happiness

Happy Monday everyone and Happy Easter. Hope you all were able to spend it with your families, because some people are pretty far away, cough cough, me. 

It was great being able to watch conference here, but in SPANISH which honestly was exhausting putting all my energy and focus into understanding for basically 10 hours. But I got so much out of it and hope you all did too! So this week it was again tiring, we built a concrete floor for more pigs at with the families help, which means we made the concrete mix, by hand and shovel.. That left me sore, haha.

So to be frank these past few weeks have been very difficult here in the mission with a mix of a lot of things. Ya the mission is nothing I had ever imagined it would be and Heavenly Father loves to remind me of this frequently. We have been working hard still and been doing great good, but inside I just wasn't as happy as I have once been here. And I'll tell you the joy I have felt here in the mission has been greater then any joy in the past. So I have been a little down but this week I had an amazing experience. In the mornings here we have the chance to study and read the scriptures and I remembered one day about a book I had. This book was still packed away in my bags sense changes and I totally forgot about it. It's called "our search for happiness". Is that not exactly what I needed. As I started to read it again, not remembering exactly what it talks about I realized something. I was thinking the book would talk about how to be happy and all that jazz but no, It talked about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Ya its so simple and I was caught a little by surprise, it was just a big slap to the face. Its not that I didn't know that this gospel is the key of happiness but I was searching for it in other places in which true happiness doesn't come from. That really just changed my week around one million percent. I know this gospel really is the key of happiness. If it wasn't I wouldn't  be here. Just having Easter Sunday was the greatest celebration of that happiness through Jesus Christ. If you don't feel happy where you are, the only way to change that is through Christ, in the scriptures, church, and you will see a change. Mormon or not a Mormon you will see a change. We are all children of god and the happiness of Christ is for all of us. 

Always remember that principle and try to apply it.

Elder David 

1. Today for p day we went to volcan again! The super nice and cold place in the mountains! We did a tour of ancient ruins here in Panama from about 600 years before Christ! Us imitating a statue hehe. Feat. Elder Tiechert from Wyoming.

Divisions Always

Well this was a very fast week and as you read from the title I have been on divisions again this week which makes time fly by here! For three days I was on divisions with Elder Weston! We were in his area and its such a nice break to be somewhere that's actually not as hot as a volcano like puerto. The only bad thing is they don't have even a single fan in their house to sleep with... Its a rough night of sleep here in Panama without a fan. But it was so fun getting to meet some more people in his area! Basically by now I almost know all the people there because of so many divisions and I love that! 

So on Thursday I was also on divisions AGAIN because we had a leaders meeting in David with all the people from the interior! So you know what that means.. I saw ELDER DASTRUP and ELDER GARCIA! Plus Elder Rasmusson was there too because he's in a place called bocas del torro which is just above where I am at the edge of Panama. 

It was a great meeting, we got to hear President talk about some stories he has while serving in Argentina! Hearing some of those definitely is humbling to where I am now. After the meeting we went to eat at the best hamburger place that I've been to here so far in panama. Its called Java Juice and is just on the edge of being American but that is as good as it gets here. 

We then all went back to Concepcion Towait for President to get there and we all had interviews with him! Then right after off to puerto for the first time this week! We got home late so just went to the house. 

Saturday the youth in the district or stake had a big activity called super Salado and it was held here in puerto. There was quite a big group that came and from far away too! They held a few activities on the beach and finished with a scripture scavenger hunt all around puerto which sounded like fun. We just showed up to lunch after they finished and a few of the youth talked about it. Its weird still being 18 here and having people older than me go to youth stuff. I feel like such a kid haha but no one here ever believes me when I say I'm 18. They usually think my comp is 18 though haha. 

Well it was a great week and I'll talk to you all soon!

Elder David 

1. Elder Dastrup and elder Garcica"s hand there in the back 

2. me and that delicious hamburger 

3. So today we came to Concepcion and there were people protesting on a bridge because they don't want them to finish it, Don't ask me why, so the bus let us off and everyone had to go cross under it ant then get on another bus on the other side.   ¿Loco Huh? 

Just Cruising

So this was changes week that just passed and guess what!! We are still in Puerto, haha. I knew that but we did have some changes in the zone. You all remember my last companion Elder Rodriguez right. Well I guess Heavenly Father still wants me to learn some more lessons because he is now my zone leader here in Concepcion. How awesome....Well This week has all been a blur. There really wasn't anything that happened out of the usual that I can remember. Just working, sweating, and walking here like usual. Right now our investigators here have all just hit a wall with progressing so we are hoping this week will be different. 

      So today for preparation day a super nice family invited us to come over and hang out. They basically have a beach house but to get to the beach it is behind the house and through a little grass trail. When we showed up my companion said whenever we go there we just hang out, drink coconut water that he cuts down, eat lunch and they hang hammocks up for us to lay down in, so we showed up in our normal missionary clothes. BUT they ended up putting us to work which I loved. At their house they have pigs, and its law that to have pigs you have to put concrete floor in where they live so they don't make mud and get diseases. He already has one part of this little house done where the pigs live now but he wants to finish the other side to separate them so they don't fight and kill each other haha. It pretty complicated. To make concrete here they use rocks or sand and little concrete to make floor. We went with big potato bags to the beach, filled them with sand and rocks and carried them back and boy they are heavy! My back and shoulders were hurting. He supplied us with shirts to use so we didn't get all dirty. They fed us a good meal of fried fish, rice, beans and some peace of pig which was really good! They are super nice and I think we go back Saturday to actually start making the floor. So at home you all are enjoying this nice spring weather out there, even though I would have no idea here, haha. Have a good week! 

Elder David 

1. Here is our church building 

2. The usual sunrise from the porch

3. Today we are going to the beach for sand to make cement 

4. Yo

5. Playa

6. Puercos! Yummy 

4. On the way to Volcan in the bus!

5. Looks kinda like Colorado right??

6. Haha... This sheep was so friendly no joke, it screamed like a girl though.

7. Elder Rassmuson and I, It guess its always lightly sprinkling up there, 

8. Elder Bush from Utah 

Right now we also have these question cards to give out to people and each card has a inspired question. I've seen these cards really made a difference in meeting and teaching new people. One day we were walking down this super long 2 lane road and there's not very many houses. My companion and I said we were going to contact the next house we got to. At the next house there was a guy sitting outside listening to music on his phone so of course we talked to him. He pick out one of the handful of cards we have and just read the card in silence, didn't look up, but just thought. He then began to tell us that 8 months ago he got in a motorcycle accident and the doctors said he might never be able to walk again. Its been 8 months and he's already back to work now. His question was ¨how can I learn from difficulties in life?¨ We were let right in and had an amazing lesson with him and son after his wife showed up to join us. They are one of the couples we met who are actually married!

 

There's a member here who gives us lunch once a week who has a parakeet named Lora. Which just means female parakeet haha, but she is so cool! She says hello, run dear, and also does the "I'm checking you out¨ whistle. Some things I don't know where she learned but it's so funny. At first she tried to bite me a lot when I would pet her but now she loves me. Whenever we show up for lunch she knows when I walk in and starts screaming and whistling.

 

So every Saturday here we have an English class for whoever wants to come! Usually not very many people show up, like 2 or three but this week 13 people showed up!! All of them were just teenagers who need help with their homework or who want to learn and play games in English. I helped 4 of them with questions they have on homework.

 

Also I forgot to explain that in this time like 30 years ago just in this one área there use to be 3 branches of the church, 3 different church buildings. It was its own district which is like a stake but only with branches instead of wards. But when the company closed most moved out or just went inactive. It was just a big mess. Anyway there is also a huge rumor about Mormons that started here in puerto. I guess its Tongans culture that eating dogs is normal. Well like 12 years ago 2 Tongan missionary's thought it would be okay to kill a dog in the Street and go cook it on the beach to eat. As you can imagine the people here did not like that and henceforth   the people thought that Mormons eat dog. Even until this day people still bring it up. Dumb Huh?

 

Well yesterday we went to a área called Vulcan or volcano which is super high in the mountains, super cold and just beautiful!! Here's some pics!

1. The parakeet that loves me, named Lora

2. Look! Am I as cool as Talan now, because we have tea too...

3. Just a mini alligator by the house soaking up the sun 

I ONLY HAVE 5 MINS

So this was an amazing week! I don't know how much I've told you about the area I'm in right now but I'll explain a little bit. It's honestly a harder area in the mission just with it's past history and I'm finally starting to see why this week. So in Puerto Armuelles about 30 or so years ago there use to be a huge American banana factory or plant that was centered right here. At the time almost everyone worked there and the company was the center of everything. They built the workers houses out of wood, paid for people to go clean them, paid their bills and even sometimes their food. It was a very prosperous time here. From many biblical stories and from the Book of Mormon also we remember that when groups of people prospered in the land they started to forget about God and his commandments leading to iniquity. Well Puerto is a modern day example of that. The people had multiple wives, adultery and party's ect... Valuing anything else but Heavenly things. So after, I don't know how many years this company ended up falling into debt and closed down. So many people went without jobs, almost more than half the population left. This leads to percent day. It has gotten so much better than what it once was but you can tell the history by being here. So this is why it was such a great week, because we found so many family's that are actually bonded by matrimony. So that's where the, Do you have 5 minutes?, come in. The people are super nice so we just would ask that and so many people let us in! 

Internet is closing so i'll finish tomorrow or tonight sorry!

DIVISIONS

So first I'll say sorry because I forgot the paper where I write all I'm going to say so I'll try to remember good! Well we had a service on Wednesday morning and we went to be farmers basically and planted plantain or platanos trees at a members house! We just cut them off of the main tree and then re-plant them so they don't fall over and get better nutrition alone. Then, after we started a 4 day divisions with the zone leaders that day. I went to the city of Concepcion with Elder Rassmuson who's from Oklahoma! It was an amazing few days of working and it went by so fast! Plus we had great results of our work in church Sunday. We visited a lot of less active and investigators. It's been nice being with someone with expearience in the mission so we were on the same page while teaching. Saturday there is a member who had a bone deteriorating desease and is in a wheel chair who can barely do anything. So every Saturday they go and bathe him and help him get ready for the day becuase the girl who does it every day gets really tired and doesn't receive anything for doing it. It was not an easy task and we had to carry him a lot and lift him up. He's a nice guy and pretty funny too. It was a really humbling experience for me. So on Sunday here we had 5 investagators in church and a bunch of less actives! Its a bigger branch here too, about 90 members came to church! And they are just a great help with the work here and that made all the difference. I felt so happy being here in this area and wouldn't be surprised if I end up serving here in my mission. Well that is the best I can do from just my memory right now so sorry. My memory is just loosing it here. Have all a good week! 

Elder David 

1. A teenager we are teaching has a parakeet. 

2. Feat. Bird 2

3. This 14 year old I met while on divisions named Anthony. No joke he was Austin's twin and HUGE too. Way         weird.

Without the downs there wouldn't be Ups

This week has been stacked full and busy but somedays were harder than others just with the out comes, but I'm just as grateful for those as the good times. 

I had divisions with Elder Rasmusson who's from Oklahoma for a couple days this week just because it's so far away. We visited Hno Zapata! And guess what!? He got a prosthetic leg! I was so surprised and he seemed so happy! He has to practice a lot with it still but he stood up with is and showed it off, haha. He was so grateful and looks at it as a huge blessing from Heavenly Father. 

While we were contacting that day there was a little 7 year old on a tiny bike going door to door selling this type of bean called wandu. He stopped and talked to us and then asked us if we are interested in buying some. Such a smart kid, We couldn't resist and bought a bag for a dollar twenty-five. Then he kept going door to door asking everyone. He was a champ. His name is Gorge Manuel. With the bag of wandu we just gifted it to the next people we talked too and it turned out to be a great contact! 

So one day we were getting back from Concepcion when we changed back companions and in the Chiba (bus) we told him to stop at the church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints. They knew which one it was and so while we got off some guy on the bus made a comment saying ´oh Joseph Smiths Church´. I turned around with a smile and demonstrated the words it says right on the side of the building in big bold letters and I read it out loud. The Church of Jesus Christ. I don't remember his face but I felt good knowing I helped someone learn something, haha. 

Well Sunday came around and that afternoon while walking I was a little down and I asked my companion where are all the people that the Lord had prepared. Well, Our next lesson was with a girl named Ester, and Thursday when we had a family home evening in the church she just walks in and walked right up to my companion and I. She said she had a feeling we could help her with her situation because her health is not very good and she asked us to pray for her or anything we can. I was shocked she came right to us. So Sunday we went back to visit them and they live right next to the church. And oh my gosh it was am AMAZING lesson. We taught her and here husband and they are actually married! I've learned here that sometimes Heavenly Father makes us eat our words and for sure I know he tests us before letting us have the blessings. 

Well today a group of the zone all went to the costa rica border to walk around and look at the funny little stores they have. There was a ton of foreigners there so it was fun listening to their accents. Well I hope you all have a good week and enjoy the snow while you can! Before you know it you'll be begging for it like I am... haha. 

Elder David 

The zone of Concepcion. 

 Gardening at a members house, this is a vegetable called uka. you eat the roots of it. 

 Border Patrol  

Went to go see the border as a zone.

Getting to visit the beautiful city of David!

So this week starting off was a little difficult being that it was still the time of carnivals up until Wednesday which means there was literally no one in there houses. It was basically like labor day weekend for us in the States. Well everyone here either goes to Panama City or to the beach or to a city called Chitre where they have a big party for 3 days straight. It's funny to because everyone tells me a bunch of hippy gringos always travel here to go to that party. That made me laugh because I know its true. 

This week we had a zone conference with all the zones here in the interior, because  we are so far away from the city, me being the furthest. Elder Duncan was coming to talk to us who is the 70's, who presides over all of Central America. 

On Wednesday morning we had to travel to Concepcion central for a meeting and also had to stay the night because the Zone conference was held in DAVID about another hour away. That's right, its about time I'm going to David, haha, everyone was making jokes about it. 

Well  Wednesday night we had a dinner with a familia from Guatemala, p.s. Guatemalans are the shortest little cute people every, haha. And they were super awesome! Just a really humble family that has a huge love for the gospel. We sat on the floor as we ate an amazing dish from Guatemala. Every day here its a humbling experience seeing that people don't need all this cool stuff to live with. They have the gospel of Jesus Christ  and that fills the gap of any cool toys. Never thought I would say this and I'm eating my words what I always told Leslie Julian, haha. 

That night we slept in the house of the Elders in Bugaba Central who have a few other mattresses. Also I want to inform you I had my first shower with warm water in MONTHS that night!! haha. They have a electric shower head with a water heater that does work. Great waist of 30 minutes.. haha. Kidding, more like 15. 

So the conference we had was really amazing. He answered so many questions we all had and  he gave a lot of advice on how to help out branches. My favorite thing Elder Duncan said is that here in the mission things are either good or their good. That definitely changes my perspective hearing that being in this new area. It is either good or good. After I got to see Elder Garcia!! He's actually training again and so we took a trainers picture with our trainees. 

Well I have just a quick story to share this week. We had a lot of lessons fall through  this week because people were ¨busy¨ but on Saturday we went to teach a girl named Aura and when we got to her house her dad was laying down in his hammock outside, her dad is also really Catholic. We asked him to get Aura for us and he just screams at the top of his lungs ¨ÄURA THE MORMONS ARE LOOKING FOR YOU¨. Just shocked my companion and I. We just looked at each other and could help but break out laughing. The look he gave us after was the best part. That made the day. Saturday morning I had a family call me saying that they were going to be busy and weren't going to be there for the lesson but the hno said that he needs to talk to us because he had questions stuck in his head for some reason. This was the husband of Diana who came to church with us last week. Well they promised to be at church the next day to talk. Sunday came around and 0 of the 7 people that said they would come show up to church. We even went to help this teenager come too and he was sleeping with his phone off so it was a disappointing day, but just like what Elder Duncan said, "Its either good or good." I know Heavenly Father was trying to teach me something this week with that. Also I was suppose to give a talk Sunday and I had it all prepared but they said never mind right before I spoke and had the wife of the branch president speak. I was totally okay with it, haha.

I hope you all have a good week!! 

Elder David 

 

 

1. Training picture with my trainer and our trainees

 

2. Burning all the trash in the back yard. so satisfying cleaning the house.

 

 

3. Another cool Bridge, well it almost isn't a bridge..

 

 

4. solo una Vista

 5. A goofy hat they use here, felt like a grandpa

 6. The usual fisging boat, well..  fishing

 

 

 

 

Just Burning My Soul

So its been a great week here in Puerto Armuelles. I'm still getting to know the area because it's HUGE. Plus the heat is deathly here. Being right next to Costa Rica and having the salty ocean so close makes for a salty hot and humid combination. You would think there would be a good ocean breeze too but there almost never is one. Now I can say I've never sweat so much in my life. here we live about 2 hours away from everyone else or the city of Concepcion where everything is. So we have to go there every week for meetings.

It's very different here from parts closer to the city. The people actually are a little nicer here, like a small farm town type of nice. Most of them are elderly and everyone has bikes. It's a little funny to see a 90 year old guy riding a bike but the people are in crazy good shape here! And some bikes or most don't have working brakes. 

 In the states some people want to see how many people can fit in a car, right? Well here the question is how many people can fit on a bike, scooter or motorcycle. There is always someone riding with someone sitting of the bike frame or they have a little holder behind the seat that they sit. It just makes me smile, haha.  This week I don't have really any golden stories but I'll see what I've got. 

So here the missionaries do everything because there aren't very many members, so we teach all the classes and do all the activities and everything which mean the members don't  have us over for meals too often, so we have to cook. Yes cook and I'm   getting the hang of it now.

Right now we are visiting a guy who lives alone and is around 50 years old and had one of his legs amputated a few years back. He's is awesome. In his wheelchair he does everything. It is like a mountain terrain wheelchair too, so he can make it round his yard to pick fruits and vegetables in his garden. Plus he rakes the leaves, cuts the grass and everything.  The first time we taught him we left him a pamphlet of the restoration at the end for him to read. As we left I turned around to shut the gate and when I did I saw that he had pulled up to the table outside in his wheelchair, put on his glasses and began to read. I got my companions  attention to show him and the feeling we had seeing that was so joyful. 

Every Thursday night here we have a group night in the church for all the members to come and we are in charge of it. We just share a short message and then have a fun game after which this week we played team hang man and as I told you the branch is pretty elderly here and it got very intense. Old people love their hangman! haha, almost just as much as bingo. 

We spent Saturday basically walking all day and it was the worst heat I've felt in my life. We have to walk around with umbrellas from the sun because it's so bad. There is never anyone in the street walking here without an umbrella if the suns out. At the end of the day the hermanas in our branch had a baptism! They asked my companion and I to sing a song during. It was the when I am baptized song from primary, its called cuando me bautice in Spanish. 

It was a really good week and the work is just warming up out here. The truth is some days it's a little hard walking literally right next to the ocean and not being able to go swim. Its pretty nice to look at though haha.

When Sunday came we were so happy that we had fruits of our work for this week. We walked 30 minutes to go help and investigator come to church, her name is Diana and her son Richard who's 4 came with her. Well when we almost got there we realized we totally forgot money to pay for a taxi to get to church. After searching our bags we found a dollar which is only enough for one person in the taxi. So we sent her in the taxi and told her we had to go pick up someone else so she didn't feel bad that we had to walk back. She had a great time at church and said she felt so peaceful. We are working with her and her husband right now to get married. Here in panama it's such a pain to get married so I understand why no one does it even though it's a commandment. 

So sorry everyone it took me a few days to write this week. Right now there is these huge festivals called carnivals here in Panama but in the city of chitre. So right now everyone has a few days off from work. The people either head to the carnivals or everyone goes to the beach and we are the only people left here, it's like "who wants a Book of Mormon" but we will find someone to teach . So the internet place has been closed until today. I hope you all have a great week there in the U.S. of A!

Elder David

 

1. What we have to do to visit some people here. Just the casual bridge!