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Just Another Week In Panama

It was a fun week with lots of different kinds of days.  We had a few days that were just lessons non-stop, boom boom boom, other days of pure contacting, and then another filled with members and ward activities.  Makes for a good week!

We did two different divisions with hnas from the zone to help them reach their goal of contacts so it was just hours of straight walking and contacting and guess what...I loved it!!   I dont know where it changed cause I used to really not like contacting but I actually really enjoy it now!   One of the divisions I was with a sister who got here like 2 weeks ago from the MTC and doesnt speak a lick of spanish and it was a tiny fulfillment of my dream to train and we had a ton of fun together!   The other one we were in the city and literally just contacted bus stop after bus stop.  I am really grateful for my area, even with all its hills:)

In a month a kid from our ward is leaving on his mission to brazil so to help him raise money the ward had a fiesta!!   All of the members donate a plate of food and then the whole ward and people from the stake come and buy food and dance!   I really wish we danced more in america.  Like why dont we ever have parties where the whole family goes and dances to fun salsa music?  lame.  We even got the abuela to dance but she would only dance to typical music which sounds like a dog barking but she was loving it!  We made no bake cookies (they were a hit, obviously)  and everyone bought us like 8 plates of food!   

Victor came to church and is progressing really well and we had a few other investigators come to the noche de grupo (its like family night but with the whole ward).   There are tons of good things happening in these next few weeks so im sure Ill have something more exciting to write about:)   Love,

Hna Smith

Weavels And The 7 Dwarves

Awesome week!

So this week we were actually able to teach some lessons and feel productive after the holiday slumps.  Tuesday was an awesome day of lots of lessons and on wednesday we saw Victor and this kid is loving the Book of Mormon!   We were planning on finishing the plan of salvation but then he started talking about the small plates and large plates and Lehis dream and he totally understood all of it and had read it all by himself cause we didnt assign it to him.  Awesome kid.  

On Thursday we ate our normal dinner with our very favorite family and we ate fried rice and salad and then went home and slept until 12 when we were woken up again by a million fireworks!   Friday we knew was going to be a bum day because everyone was either hungover or drunk all over again so we decided to make some no bake cookies for all of the members who give us lunches and dinners so we spent the whole day making cookies, walking our whole area, and running away from drunk men!   And it was a success because everyone loved them!

On Saturday we had a day full of plans but then we somehow got caught up in the middle of the primary activity taking care of kids which is definitely not what we are supposed to be doing and I was a little frustrated.  Then a couple little girls come in and tell us that there are boys throwing rocks at them through the gate so we went out to investigate and there was a little band of 7 boys on their bikes teasing the primary girls.  We talked to them for a little while and told them to come to english class and church.  They left and we didnt think anything more of it.  until.....

About halfway throught sacrament meeting I looked out the window and saw 7 little punks ride up on their bikes.  The 2nd counselor also saw them and hurried out to make sure there werent any problems and then he came back in and 7 little boys between the ages of 10 and 13 filed in behind him.  The whole ward just turned around and stared haha.   They told hno otero that they were there for english class and that the blond  and the short haired girl had told them it was today!!   So we taught them a little English class during the second hour and then for the 3rd hour they went to ym and primary and they loved it!!   They actually live in the area ofthe elders so the elders will go start teaching them an their families this week!   It was a sunday we (and the rest of the dos mil ward will never forget)

Waiting painfully for transfers so I will update you next week!

Love you lots,

Hna Smith

Santa Brought Us Rice

I hope you all had a very merry, white, jolly, Christmas!   We were dreaming of a white Christmas and santa answered our dreams by bringing us 20 pounds of white rice!!  We ate sooooo much!  

Panamanians celebrate in a pretty simple way.  There arent a whole lot of gifts or crazy parties.  They set up a cool nativity, a real tree, and eat a really good dinner on the 24th.  Then at midnight all of burunga explodes with fireworks!   We were already sleeping and for about an hour I was awake listening to all of the fireworks going on outside!     

Yesterday we were really able to get back on our grind and start teaching because most people were back from travelling.  Victor came to church and we found a couple who are really interested and they are legally married!   We are going to work really hard this week because transfers are coming and we arent sure whats going to happen with us....hopefully we stay together but anything good happed this last transfer!  

Happy New Year!!

Hna Smith

Christmas Time In Burunga

Ok so this week was a little bit just lost because EVERYONE and there dog goes to the interior for Christmas so we didnt get to teach a whole bunch but we did have a couple insanely awesome moments-

- THE ABUELOS GOT SEALED!!  So remember the abuela that I told you about a couple weeks ago?  She and her husband got baptized about a year ago and on saturday they got to go to the temple to be sealed!   We got permision from president to go to the sealing and it was amazing!!   It was my first time going to a real sealing and it was so cool and also crazy funny haha the abuela was SO excited and she had all of us laughing the whole day.   They got sealed at the same time as another couple from our ward ( the famly that made us arroz con marisco last week)  and they were both just so happy.  I know they arent my converts but I was so happy for them and for the missionaries who baptized them cause that really is the dream, to see your converts sealed in the temple.  We went right after the sealing to get some big pictures printed out for both couples because I was the designated wedding photographer and then we went to the abuelos house for a big food fest!

-  Last night we went with a few families in the ward to go sing Christmas carols to the less actives and it was maybe the funnest night of my whole mission.  We all piled in to hno Barrias little pickup truck and drove all over Burunga singing and laughing and I just really love this ward and these people and I am so grateful to be here in Burunga, especially for christmas!

so thats all I got time for but its fine cause I will just tell you all about it in 4 days!!!   cant wait to see you and talk to you all:)   eat a really good fish taco for me!

Hna Smith

Arroz Con Everything

12 days til christmas!  Things actually dont feel anything like christmas around here because summer in panama has officially started and it is SO HOT!!   But it was a good week as usual.  Not a whole lot to tell but here are the highlights-

We had the coolest lesson ever on monday night.  We had done a contact at the house and we went back and yelled from the street and we could see a whole bunch of people inside but they were all looking at us and then calling to make someone else to come out and talk to us which is pretty normal so we figured they were going to come out and tell us they couldnt see us.  but then one of the guys came out and invited us in and then the whole family turned off the tv and listened to us.  What?!  That never happens!   And it gets better because one of the couples is married and the other couple is the daughter and son in law of one of our favorite members!   They were awesome and we are going back tomorrow to teach again!

We went on saturday and ate arroz con mariscos (seafood)  and we ate SO much of it!   And then that night was the ward christmas/mothers day  (happy panamanian mothers day btw) and we ate so much more rice!!!   Thats really how you know christmas is coiming in this country....no white snow but lots and lots of white rice:)   

One of the primary kids got baptized and we had helped the mom a little bit in her baptism prep and so they invited us to the baptism.  And guess who got to give a talk on the spot!!   

We get to share the new Christmas video with everyone and I really love it!  My favorite part is that at the end it says Averigua Porque.   And I think thats the key.  When we really find out why God gave his only begotten Son for us, personally, is when we find the peace!   Thats all I got for this week, cant wait to talk to you all soon!!

Hermana Smith

The Drought Is Over

What a crazy, awesome week!  

So we had some kind of meeting or adventure every single day this week and it was nuts!  

On tuesday we had our first district meeting with our new district leader.  Its his first time being a dl and he is one of the best Ive ever had.  He calls us regularly to check up on our investigators by name and sincerely prays for us and our investigators.  It has been really refreshing and just the boost we needed!

On wednesday we had to go to the city AGAIN to get my VERY LAST RABIES SHOT!!!!!  surprise, I got attacked by a bat and had to get a series of four shots so weve been going to the city every wednesday for the last 4 weeks.  Que pereza.   But this was the last one!  and the nurses had to give their schpeel to the new missionaries so we met them at presidents house and got to see all of the newbies!   And remember that it was just about a year ago that we were on that roof for the first time with our trainers and our panama dreams....pretty crazy how time flies huh?

On thursday we got to go back to the city for consejos!  Sorry that the only pic on the blog is me with my eyes closed...shocker I know!  Consejos were so good and not just because hna carmack made us cafe rio salad.  We talked so much about repentance and it was a little bit of a wake up call for all of us.  One elder asked president what he could do with some less actives that werent progressing even after everything they had tried and taught.  Presidents answer was simply "arrepientase".   The atonement only atoned for the sins we repent of.  We also got the new christmas pass along cards for the new christmas video which is awesome!

On friday we had our zone meeting which is pretty normal.  We thought that rainy season was coming to an end but another surprise, its not!   it started pouring rain right as we walked out of the door and we got soaked to the bone!

Saturday we had the christmas devotional/party with a few zones and president carmack.  We listened to some good messages, ate a delicious lunch, watched an intense movie and went to an orphanage nearby to sing and play with the kids which was so fun!  oh and I got MUDDY BUDDIES!  and a usb with awesome music.  thanks:)   It was really fun to see 5 of my 6 comps from here in panama and pretty crazy to think that hna patrick goes home next week!    After the conference it poured rain again and the lightning was striking the towers right outside our house so we couldnt leave for a little while.  By the time we got out we had enough time to teach two lessons- the first one was hard because we realized that one of our favorite investigators just isnt ready and isnt progressing so we will probably have to put her in the area book and keep looking.  The second was with victor and carlos, two brothers who live right next to the church and who understand SO WELL the things we are teaching, its incredible.  The lesson went awesome and they both promised to come to church.

Sunday- VICTOR CAME TO CHURCH!!!   He came to church and the drought is finally over!!!  We finally have a progressing investigator and he is incredible!!  The young men in the ward were great and welcomed him right in and invited him to all of the activities.  He is planning to be baptized the 26th of December!!   It was a miracle and really a relief to see that all of our hard work is paying off.  We talked about it and we just feel so happy.  We are working hard and meeting all of the goals we really have control over and the last 7 weeks have strengthened my faith a lot.  

I am trying to set some goals for the last few months but I want ideas....dad, danielle, anyone else....what are some worthy goals you all set?   

love you lots,

hna smith