Wednesday, May 20, 2015
"Hermana There Is A Chicken In Your Washing Machine"
Hello family!
This week was another good one! We have been working hard these past 3 weeks and this week we were able to see the blessings! We taught some awesome lessons to new investigators and saw some great progress in our old investigators! A few experiences that stood out this week-
We had an appointment with an investigator named B and as a goal we are trying to have a member in every single lesson we have with investigators. We called everyone we could think of but no one could come with us so we went to the lesson by ourselves. We taught the restoration and she was really attentive and had good, sincere questions. We were just about to finish the lesson when we see our ward mission leader come running around the corner. He had told us that he couldn't come but he felt prompted that he needed to be in that lesson so he left work early and ran up the huge loma to her house! Turns out they are actually long time friends and he bore a really powerful testimony about the restoration and at the end she said ¨you know I dont think I would have accepted the missionaries but I knew that you were a member and I have always admired how faithful and true you were to your religion so I decided to listen to them¨ Just a reminder that our examples do matter and people are watching us and they see that we are different.
She was supposed to come to church on sunday but didn't make it. She seemed really sincere when she told us she would come so we went to go visit her after church and we had the plan of salvation as a lesson plan. Turns out she didn't come to church because her uncle died and she had to go to the funeral. It was the perfect timing for a lesson about the plan God has for all of us and the spirit was SO strong when we talked about the spirit world and that right now her uncle is learning the exact same things that we are teaching her right now. The gospel is SO real and I am so grateful for the lessons we were able to have with B this week!
This area is a little different than my last. There are more churches here and the people are tired of hearing about churches and religion so the contacting is a lot harder. Last night we had dinner with the 1st councilor in the bishopbric. He is super excited about missionary work and he sat down with us and made a list of all of the part member families that he knows about. He got really intense about how the ward isn't excited about missionary work and how we need to help the members help us. Then he told us a whole bunch of stories when Jesus Christ taught with authority and he reminded us that we have that same authority.
¨Ok hermanas you are going to share a scripture with my family and commit us to find you a new investigator this week. I want to see how you teach with authority.¨ Woah talk about pressure. But we shared a really awesome scripture in 2 Nephi about the importance of sharing the gospel and they committed to find us one new investigator this week.
It really made me think about the most effective way to do missionary work and it isn't knocking doors-it's working with the members and I am so excited to apply this new animo and find tons of new people to teach! He said something that I hadn't thought about- that the scriptures say that when we bring people to the gospel we have sins forgiven. So when we try to do missionary work without the members not only are we working ineffectively, we are also keeping the members from recieving the blessings and forgiveness. I am super grateful that we have a ward full of faithful members who are excited about missionary work!!
My favorite moment of this week was a fhe we had last night. We walked in and I noticed a chicken just chilling under the clothes in the washing machine. I thought it was funny but actually kind of normal becuase there are just so many chickens all over this house. We taught the lesson, sung the himno, finished, and then I remembered i had seen the chicken so I go ¨Hna, hay una gallina en su lavadora¨ and she goes ¨what?!¨ and runs to the lavadora and pulls out a chicken and surprise! 2 eggs along with it! I dont know why I thought that was so funny but I had a really good laugh...welcome to Panama!
2 little miracles- -we went to pick up a less active for church and she saw us coming from up the street and came out all dressed up with her 2 grandsons too!
- A really awesome couple in our ward brought a very prepared friend to church. Can't wait to start teaching her!
Well that's all I got from Biancheri this week!
Hermana Smith
Chichemito 4 dayyzzz
Hey family...just talked yesterday so I am not sure what to tell you...but here are a few funnies from this week that I forgot to tell you-
1. We went to the temple on Tuesday (not the funny part) It was super nice and I hardly even noticed that I was doing it all in Spanish! The funny part is that when the whole ward was all in the bus about to leave from the chapel in Chorrera we all went for a quick bathroom run and my shoes were a little bit slippery so I slipped on the stairs getting out of the bus and ate it HARD. All of the little old ladies in the ward kept coming up to me and lifting up my arms and my shirt and looking for the bruises.
2. I can't remember if I told you this last time but some of our recent converts asked me if I see differently out of my eyes..like if everything is blue and green haha! It has been over a year since they have had a gringa missionary in this ward so I´m kind of a big deal...jk it just means that everyone is used to sisters who speak perfect Spanish so they correct every little mistake which has helped my Spanish a lot. But I do get a lot of comments about my eyes- mostly that they want to rip them out and use them for a day, which I guess in this culture is not creepy but in fact totally socially acceptable to say.
3. I went on divisions with my sister leader on Thursday and we taught this lady the first lesson and she had to repeat everything at least 3 times before she understood it. Somehow she had heard about the angel Moroni and she was really fascinated but also very confused. Our conversation went a little like this ¨so moroni was a prophet?¨ ¨yes he was an ancient prophet here in the americas and he is the angel who came to joseph smith¨ ¨so he was an angel¨ ¨yes he was the angel who apppeared to JS¨ ¨so he was an angel, but who was the prophet?¨ and we went on like that for like half an hour. We finished the lesson and the only thing to do was laugh. It was also a really nice time being with a companion who spoke English...I love my latina comps but everyone loves a little English every once and a while!
4. I am addicted to chicheme. There is a cute little chicheme place right next to the stake center so every time we go into Chorrera I get myself a big old chicheme and hojaldre. One of the many good perks about being here in Chorrera and I love it! We did a lot of contacting this week and have a week full of plans to teach so hopefully next week I will be full of stories about all the prepared people!
Loved loved loved loved loved talking to all of you yesterday and seeing your faces! It was hard to say goodbye but it wasnt sad because
a. I will see you all in less than a year
b.I love it here
c. the gospel
til next week!
hna smith
La Chorrera
Woah it feels like forever ago since I last wrote! So on Tuesday morning we were in the chapel teaching K one more lesson before her baptismal interview and our DL walks in and goes "I know transfers. Do you want them right now or after? They are good and bad." And I knew right then that I was getting transfered. We finished the lesson and then went in to find out what was gonna happen. My companion stayed in Santiago and is training, they closed one area of elders in Santiago, and I am in La Chorrera! I was super sad to leave Santiago and especially to miss K's baptism on Wednesday but I am also super excited to be here closer to the city! I packed up all my stuff, said some tough goodbyes, and took the bus to Albrook.
Miracle- Hna Patrick was also waiting in Albrook and we got to talk for a while which was really nice, I miss her!
Then I got on the bus to Chorrera with another hermana and we met our companions and our zone for zone meeting. My companion is Hermana Chamul. She is from El Salvador and has one transfer on the mission and she is really quiet but she is a really good missionary. She has only been here 6 weeks and doesnt know the area too well so we are going to to a lot of walking and contacting this week to get ourselves started in the area. A little bit about the area- we are in a WARD! A real functioning, happy ward! The members here are incredible, incredible! We have lunch and dinner everyday and they are super excited to work with the missionaries. Our area is out of the main part of Chorrera in a ward called Biancheri and it is all lomas (hills) tons of hills. We had a talent show on friday night and that was a ton of fun. People actually showed up! We have a ton of youth in this ward and they are all willing to go out and work with us which rocks! Basically I am in love with Chorrera. Also Chorrera is famous for this drink called chicheme which is literally just milk, sugar, and corn. Sounds super gross and I tried it once in Santiago and it wasnt that good but they do it different around here and its actually pretty delicious.
Yesterday we went to something called a rescate or rescue in one of the other wards. Everyone meets after church and the missionaries and the members split up and go out visiting all of the less actives from the ward. It was a fun experience and cool to see the whole ward working together to "rescue" all of the lost members.
Today we went and played sports with our zone and then walked around the city for a little bit. We ran into some other elders talking to some gringos outside of pizza hut. It was a retired couple from Tennessee who are living in Costa Rica but want to move to Panama so they are here looking for houses. They were super nice and bought us a pizza yaaa!
Not much else for right now....I will talk to you on Sunday!!!
Hermana Smith
Oh funniest moment of the week- it is nice and cool here so they leave the doors open at church and I was playing the sacrament hymn and I look over and there is a dog just chillin in the chapel and everytime they chase it out he just goes around to the other doors and comes back in haha tons of dogs in this area...but not the good kind, they are kinda scary
End of Transfer 3 In Santiago
This transfer flew by and I am anxious anxious anxious to find out whats going to happen in this coming transfer. This last transfer has been easily the hardest on the mish so far but in the last couple weeks I have seen a change in the branch here and it seems like we are finding more and more people who are so obviously prepared for the gospel. Our district is working hard and gaining the trust of the members and we have a pretty good time together. We will find out transfers tomorrow morning and I have been praying all week that I will get to stay one more transfer here in Santiago. Obviously I will go wherever I´m needed but I have come to love the members and our investigators and I am going to be a little sad when I have to leave.
Speaking of investigators- so the kid that we contacted 3 weeks ago who showed up to church with his cousins? we went and taught them on tuesday and they are the cutest family ever. About 10 years ago the mom and her oldest daughter had listened to missionaries and loved it but with school and work somehow they got busy and lost touch with the elders. K is 15 and doesnt remember the missionaries but she shares the same love for the gospel. When we showed up her first question was ¨what do I have to do to get baptized?¨ and when we started teaching she knew all of the answers because she had already read and highlighted a whole bunch of chapters from the gospel principles book. She came to church again yesterday and because she wants to be able to go to the temple with the branch on saturday her baptism is scheduled for this Wednesday! Her mom and sister need a little more time before they get baptized but her mom is already talking about what amazing missionaries her daughters are going to be. K is AMAZING and I am so stoked about the idea that I get to go to the temple with her this week and that maybe in a few years I will get to write her while she is on her own mission. My testimony about missionary work grows every single day and I have come to realize that it is all Him. I work as hard as I can so that when the Lord places the people he has prepared in my path I will be ready and worthy to help them come unto Him. Pretty awesome job amiright?Birthdays, Zoos, and Lots and Lots of Miracles
This week has been really really good. It rained a lot. Like so much. Yesterday we got caught in some crazy fuerte rain and I was drenched! And all of the houses have metal roofs so when it starts to rain you have to yell to be heard and then it will ease up and you realize you are screaming so you feel awkward and go back to normal but then it starts all over again.
On Tuesdays we have our usual district meeting and correlation and this week we took our super super old ward mission leader out visiting with us. Turns out that that was exactly what needed to happen! We have a family that we have been teaching since February and they are progressing but very slowly. About 30 years ago he talked with some elders and almost got baptized but not quite. When we brought Hno O to their house he recognized him from 30 years ago when he went to church (Hno Obando is pretty unforgetable). We had a really awesome lesson about the spirit and without any real prompting from us this investigator told us this analogy about a man who is drowning and he prays to God ¨save me¨ and then a plane drives right by him but he does nothing. He prays to god ¨save me¨ and then a boat goes right by but he does nothing and then he drowns and when he gets to heaven he asks God ¨why didnt you save me!?¨ Then he said that he missed the plane 30 years ago but that he wasnt going to miss the boat this time and that he thinks its about time he was a latter-day saint. WHAT?! I just about cried I was so happy and just shocked. We are so happy and so excited to help this family prepare for baptism!
That was our big miracle for this week and could we really ask for any more?
Saturday was my comps birthday but one of our elders was going on divisions saturday so we had a little surprise party on friday night. When your comp is the only one in the whole district who doesn't understand english it is way too easy to plan surprises. The cakes here are all really not that good so we splurged on a real ice cream cake from dairy queen and it was totally worth it! The rest of the birthday celebrations were fun! Saturday was actually another really good day. I taught english class which I havent done I think at all this transfer and it was the first time that I could really tell how much my spanish has improved with a native comp. The class went really well and we found some new investigators. We had a whole bunch of people who told us they were coming but didnt show up. why? because it was raining! are you kidding me people? you have got to come up with a better excuse than that because it rains everyday for over half the year in this country, you cannot tell me you couldnt leave the house becuase it was raining.
Also on saturday we needed a few more contacts to reach our goal so I decided to contact a bus. This bus at this time usually has like 10 maybe 15 people so I waited until right before they were about to leave to get up and ask the driver if I could talk. Right as I stood up, all of the people who were waiting outside the bus started to get on and wouldnt you know that tonight they filled the whole bus (a giant shcool bus) so full that there were people standing up inthe aisle. But I had already asked the driver and he turned off the bus so people could hear me so I had to do it. I started off with this classic line ¨buenas noches, si puedo tener un minuto de su tiempo. Yo soy la hermana Smith y yo se que estan pensando pero no, no soy de japon¨ ["Good evening, if I could have a minute of your time. I am Sister Smith and I know what you are thinking but no, I'm not from Japan."] As soon as I said Japan I had everyones attention haha.
Today was the zone pday and we went to a zoo in a place called Valle Anton. Lots of cool birds and a really giant pig...pictures and videos to come. It is the last p-day for both of our zone leaders and one of our z-ellas (sister leaders) which was sad for me because they have all been super awesome and helped me a ton to transition into this mission. Our zone is super fun and I have come to super love a lot of the hermanas!
One more miracle for the week- remember those youth that came and brought their sisters last week? well this week they showed up with their mom too and they are all super stoked to learn!
I seriously could not be any more convinced that this is truly the Lord´s work and I feel so humbled and so excited to be a part of it!!
les quiero mucho!!
Hermana Smith
This Week In Santiago
K Xopa familia?!
This week was long and HOT! Probably the hottest week I've had so far here in Panama. During the week I was honestly just thinking how ready I was for the week to be over but last night as we looked at our numbers and what we were able to do this week it was really awesome to see all of the miracles, tender mercies, and prepared panamanians!
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