Hey! how are you all doin?! Ive been doing a little of thinking lately. Ive been thinking about the place Im in. It looks like an island paradise, and everybody in the mission wants to come here. But, nobody realizes how hard it actually is. The work here is hard, we have to work through crazy native american traditions, and these people have no sense of time so most lessons fall everyday xD its just crazy.
Anyways- here goes my week-
Tuesday- We started divisions with Ukupa today. I stayed and hung out in my area with Elder Sharp. We had a good couple of days. We still didnt have water, so we had to carry water for the hna. to wash clothes and to cook with, and carry our bathing and drinking water (we carry water from a well on the other side of the island... its "bathing only" but we boil it and assume its ok...........)
Beacuse of all the rain, the river in Ukupa overflowed and flooded a lot of the houses in Ukupa. So we helped the Panama Support group load food and stuff to take over to Ukupa. Im not sure why they are donating $100`s of dollars of food to the pueblo... they all have food and the only thing is that they have water in their houses xD The only thing they really need is drinking water, because the river is dirty when it rises like that xD
Wednesday- Today some guy walked up to us and said his name was Luciano Muñoz and that he would go to church on sunday, and he wanted us to visit him on saturday. I asked Timoteo who he was, and he said he died like 10 years ago. (Saturday we went back to the house... the family told me the guy died like 10 years ago.. I guess we are supposed to teach his family)
Today was started drinking rainwater from the roof. and... our roof is kinda made of leaves and is like 15 years old xD so the water was yellow. I filtered the water through a shirt, to get the bugs and floaties out of it, then boiled it, then filtered it again... still tasted funny... xD
Thursday- Well, today we finished divisions, and Ustupu came to our island because Bartleson is headed home so they came to drop off mann to be our companion for the next few days. we split up into 2 companionships for the day and doubled worked out area :) It was dope. We got tons of work done :) It was nice working with bartleson one last time before he went home
Friday- We took Bartleson to the airport super early in the morning to get him home :) It was sad seeing him leave. We had a little bit of extra time at night.. soooo... we used our time ranking the entire zone on Zombie Apocalypse Survival xD we rated the zone based on intelligence, strength, dexterity, endurance, and then added up their numbers to figure out who is best equiped for a zombie apocalypse xD Me and Perkes tied for first place xD
Saturday- Most of our lessons kind of fell today.. it was kind of lame :/ but whatever,
Sunday- Well, we went to church and stuff like normal :) I love going to church. Ive been consistantly blessing the sacrament every week since I got here :) Its a cool opportunity. I havent been able to do it for a long time :)
After we had ward council :) we have gotten ward council started :) its great. Our little branch has progressed a lot because of that simple meeting to discuss the needs and everything :) Its great :)
Monday- This morning, since we are sure elder Perkes is leaving, he wanted to go up and hike in the jungle for the last time before he heads out of here. so we hiked for about an hour to a spot with a really cool view and then went back :) It ws great. And now we are emailing :)
Well... This neext week Im headed out to the city wednesday, to get stuff for the zone. so the next time i email will be mostly about the city trip :) love yall :) stay strong in the gospel!
Remember, members are missionaries too. I forgot who said this but "if you dont have a name tag on your chest, now is the time to paint one on your heart" help out the missionaries- we need it! more people get baptized from member referrals than from our own efforts.
Well... we are finishing up our last week of the change... Next Tuesday I head to the city to buy food for my zone, and to help any other new missionaries come out with us. We arent sure whether my companion is going or staying, but we need to figure out changes sometime this week to organize divisions and things for companionships who have someone leaving... All over the mission elders are sometimes left alone for a few hours during changes, but in our zone elders would have to be left alone for 2 or 3 days.. which is way too much time. So we have to figure out divisions and things in advance to avoid that :)
Monday- Our Zone Conference went pretty well :) We had kind of a Zone Council and it went pretty well. The electricity ran out in the chapel, so we had to finish it at home xD kinda lame but oh well :)
Tuesday- We went out to the monte with our man Igwa :) he is probably the most legit and hardest worker here on the island. We helped him canoe out to his farm, hiked 30 minutes to get to it, and then chopped out forrest for 4 hours. and in the end, we helped him carry back the fully grown platanos (those things are heavy) It was fun :) I love the monte
We went back to have a lesson with a guy named Nigga, but we realized when we tried to teach him how little spanish he actually spoke. the first lesson we somehow got through without realizing. Sooo... we need to work on getting a translator. I can tell this guy is super prepared for the gospel- we just need to overcome the language barrier with him. Its crazy that he absolutely knows he can barely understand a word, but recognizes us as respresentatives of Christ and accepts us in to talk to his whole family. that takes a lot of faith to legitimately desire to hear a message that you cant understand.
Wednesday- Well. It was mainly a slow day. We went around between lessons and when lessons fell to talk to the ward leadership to invite them to our Branch Council Meeting on sunday.
There was some random gringo guy walking around our island that morning, slightly lost. We gave him directions, and found him on the way back home, walking in the wrong direction. So we took him to our little store on the island, and talked with him on the way. At this point in time, all we learned is his name is John, and he´s from Wyoming, and he ws driving a motorcycle from Chile, back to wyoming. But, there are no roads between panama and columbia, so he hitched a ride cheap with his motorcycle from our columbian boats that pass through here.. although to this point in time he has taken 3 weeks to get from columbia to panama xD
Thursday- I headed out to Nargana, and do to ponga complications, we were stuck me, Stracener (nargana elder) and Bush (Tikantiki elder). It was fun :) I love those elders. We had a great day together. We helped stracener out with his area. Bush needs to be a Zone Leader somewhere- hes a great missionary.
That night i went to do the Baptismal Interview. My first :) The kids name is Eggbert, and hes super legit. He is definiely prepared to be baptized :) I love that kid. Hes originally from Ustupu. Hes in Nargana for school or something.
Friday- Well, me and bush went to the docks to get our ponga bck home (him in tikantiki, and me in playon) but the ponga was delayed by 4 hours... (very very normal for pongas) and.... our gringo friend with the motorcycle happened to be there! We talked for like the entire 4 hours about his story and everything. He was going to college in Seatle Washington, and he was bothered by the atheism and stuff in the science department. So, being sick of that, decided to "find God" and loaded up his backpack, and started walking. After a few months he wound up in Texas, and decided to go to mexico. he stayed with a family and helped out on there farm for food, and was with them for 2 years. When he decided to leave, the grandfather gave him a donkey and a new pair of boots. he hiked down toward south america with his donkey, and somewhere 5 years later, in the jungles of Peru or Paraguay, a snake bit his poor donkey, and he put the backpack back on his own back. he stayed in chile for a while, and worked construction, and decided to start making his way home. So he bought a motorcycle, and started driving up through Brazil and on up here. Hes headed home now. I asked him why he decided it was time to go home. His emotion and words were the same ive heard from every missionary ive known going home- "I love it. and ill miss it. But its time for a new chapter in my life"
I wish you well John. I hope you find the church again in the states :)
I got back to my area, and we got to work (After some rest, lunch, and showering) but most of our day kind of fell through. it isnt too bad i suppose. We had problems with an less active member who was upset we didnt show up, but it wasnt our fault. He isnt even home 90% of the time when we have appointments with him.
Saturday- Saturday, pretty much everything fell, and it was weekly planning. So we did what little we could, and then went to plan our week :)
Sunday- We had an INSANE thunderstorm during church. We were positive lightning was going to hit the chapel (luckily it didnt...) the rain was so loud that we couldnt hear the speakers even with a microphone. Our appointments all fell through because of the rain, so we tried contacting houses and everyone in the street. Everybody rejected us xD we gave up around dinner time and went to go eat dinner, and then left again to talk to a few less actives. We read scriptures with them, and luckily they were home and willing to listen :)
DUDE I JUST REALIZED. Christmas is right around the corner :) my favorite time of the year :) Im gonna buy a baby christmas tree for our apartment xD itll be cool.
Anyways. I need to get going. I love you guys, and hope you have all had a great week :) We week was super tiring, but it was great :) things are rough, but Im always happy :) Remember, Christ suffered for our pains and sorrows too, not just our sins. Yall have a good week!
An wisi Bap machi mae (I know the Son of God lives)
Well... another week has gone by. holy cow time goes super fast! Im so busy all the time that the weeks just fly by anyways. My time is getting short fast, and im just trying to be the best I can in the time that there is left.
Tuesday- well, Tuesday we had a bunch of lessons and stuff set up, but just about all of them except for one fell. Im starting to see just how hard this area can be sometimes. Ustupu ws great and people were always there when they said- but here people are impossible to pindown. "elders, come back tomorrow at 3" show up at 3... and nobody is home.
We were going oto go on divisions with Nargana, but we felt Carti and Tikantiki needed a visit more, and Nargana didnt need it, and we had already done divisions with them.
Wednesday- Wednesday was Mission Leadership Council... we usually try to wtch it through skype, because we are so far away, but it didnt work out this time xD sooo it was basically a waste of time. Other than that, it was a really slow. we also prepared our travel to carti/tikantiki.
Thursday- We headed out. I went to Carti. Literally within like 30 minutes of arriving... President Carmack showed up at the Elders´ house. that was crazy xD he came to drop off some snacks for the elders. that was pretty cool :)
The day in Carti was great. those guys are doing pretty well :) Im proud of them- they are working a lot harder now than they were before.
Friday- well.. We traveled back. the ponga that i chose... well.... one of the 2 motors exploded partway. so it took forever to get on our island xD dang it. i have terrible luck with pongas. Our day went slowly.. I had lessons SET for every 30 minutes. like that we had talked with people before hand and set the lesson. Literally, every one fell through. we found a few people to teach, but those were spontaneous lessons. we did find a few new investigators though :) a guy named Nigga and his family :)
We also sent our suggestions for changes to president... we both feel like my companion is probably goign to leave this change... we will see what happens. we also sent our suggestions for everyone else in the zone.
Saturday- Not much happened today either.
Sunday- I gave a talk in church about the family :) it went really well. the other guy before me took almost the whole time so i essentially just bore my testimony.
not much happened either.. we had a few lessons that went well, We had one lesson that got interrupted but everything is fine now. but ya :)
Monday- well, today is zone conference. so we are getting all the missionaries here to do the meeting. this is my first zone conference as a zone leader. it should go well :) I will bring it in my next email :)
Well... that is pretty much my week this week :) Im super busy and stuff all the time now, but Im glad for the opportunity i have to love and serve all the missionaries in the zone. things are going well for me :) Im grateful to be a missionary, even though my area is a little hard at times, its just great :) I love this people. Anyways. im out of time, and we have other missionaries showing up that we need to help out. love you all! talk to you later!
Another week out here on Little Big Beach (the name of our island translated). its been a pretty good week, a little stressful, and a little bit tiring. but as always, im enjoying myself out here :) Im happy doing the Lords work.
Tuesday- Tuesday was a rough day. we had lessons lined up for all day, but literally every single lesson fell through. Ive never had that happen to me out here. The people here in Playon are a little harsher than Ustupu, so people arent always there when they say, and some of the time wont even listen to us. So we spent about 7 hours walking back and forth trying to find anybody to teach. but every plan and back up plan fellthrough. but thats alright :) we were at least trying.
Wednesday- Well, we were going to help Igwa start building his new house, but he had to go fishing so we rescheduled for the next day. Today, we got some better work going. Most of the people we wanted to visit wer ehome, and willing to talk with us :)
Thursday- Well, at 7, we started work helping Igwa to tear down the kitchen at his mother in laws house, so he could build his house there. (the tearing down took probably 30 minutes xD) Tule houses are built with 12 super heavy thick logs (two in each corner of the house, and 2 supporters in the middle) so we spent 5 hours that morning digging the holes, and putting in 15 foot logs into the holes, just the 3 of us xD it was really hard work, but i enjoyed it.
That took a really big part of our morning and stuff, and we werent able to study in the morning. so we did what we could during the day, and when congress started (we cant teach during congress) we went back home to study.
Friday- We helped Igwa put in all the other posts. My official job was the hole digger. i dug all the holes for the posts :) and then helped raise the log in. it was really fun work. Our work day was really busy and all over the place. we had people change appointments, not show up, and all kinds of things, but we got to teach pretty well. We taught a cool old guy named anostasio about the plan of salvation, and it seemed like things started to click for him a little bit :) He came to church on sunday (hes a less active)
Saturday- Our Branch President, Timoteo, needed some help in his finca in the monte. So we went with him to go help out there. we were there from 7am until 2pm. it was super hard work. when we got home, there was no water, so we had to go to the other side of the island and carry buckets of water back to the house to bath xD but it was fine. That did kind of interrupt our plans for the day though... we had to go and explain that we had no water to everyone.. normally it wouldnt be bad to go and teach without showering first... but we came from 7 hours of heavy monte work cutting down trees and stuff.
we had a great lesson with a guy named Miguel. He seems like he could be a great investigator. he agreed with everything that we said, and whe nwe invited him to church, said he would go :) (he didnt go :()
Sunday- Fast sunday :) It went well. I cant understand anything that happens, so I caught up on journal writing during that time :) we had a few really cool lessons and stuff.but it was mainly a tranquilo day :) things went well.
Thats basically my week :) for once i didnt have to travel at all! super happy about that :) able to work in my own area with my own companion. Sharing the gospel with my Tule brothers and sisters :)
Anyways. I hope you all had a good week, and will have a good week to come :) Love you all! Fight through the hard times to make it to the good... the Lord will always bless us if we try to do whats right and endure to the end
