Hermana hannaH in Panama: First Week in Colon

I think that it's really important to count the blessings that we have in our lives!! I`m learning more about seeing the positive side of things rather than viewing things negatively. Really the same thing goes for people...we should always look for the positive aspects of people and forget the negative. One of my companions told me that we should try to see people as God sees them: see only the good. I don`t know if God really only sees the good in us but I think that he always sees our potential.

So I am now in Colon in Puerta Pilon 1. I was called to be the senior companion this change. Super strange!! My companion is Hermana Chavez...maybe you`ll remember her? She was my companion in the airport! I sent some pictures with her in one of my first emails. She`s from Guatemala and I absolutely love her. She is a very loving fun person. She is super talkative and she`s super social. I think I`m going to learn how to socialize more with her.

The area is right by the Atlantic Ocean. Our area is really hilly. We have so many beautiful views. As we go up one hill we can see the ocean. The way the trees surround almost all of the water makes it look kind of like a lake. It reminds me of New York. Absolutely beautiful.

We are helping a family get baptized on Saturday!! Well three of the kids...it's a little bit complicated because the Mom is ready to get baptized but they aren't married and her husband isn't really interested in the church at this point. It's kind of crazy because this family has already had all of the lessons but I`m the one that will be helping them get baptized with my companion. It's the first time where instead of doing the sowing I`m doing the reaping.

We've been running outside in the mornings which has been really interesting. There are a lot of dirt roads here...and it rains...a lot. So my shoes have gotten veryyy muddy. The other day my shoe got stuck in the mud...that had never happened to me before.

Our house is smaller than the last one that I was in and we've had problems with not having running water sometimes. We have water from 10 at night to about 10 in the morning...but sometimes we have water all the time. So we keep water bottles in the fridge (which freezes everything so its more like a freezer) and we have a huge bucket in the shower which we fill up every night just in case we need it to shower in the morning.

Our house doesn't have as many problems with bugs which is definitely a blessing.

At this point I am super confident in my Spanish. I've gotten to the point where I`m focusing more on helping my companion learn English than on me learning Spanish. It's been really fun. Today is English Day!!! I`m only speaking in English to her. It's been super fun and super hard at the same time. It's more natural for me to speak in Spanish here. I've slipped up a few times.

I've been eating fish more here...I guess since we`re right next to the ocean it's more popular. I've learned I really like fish!! Before the mission all I really had was tilapia...no idea how to spell that. The other day a member gave me only the end sides of the fish. The members like messing with us here they`re pretty funny. But I ate those tails!! (not the very end that's gross but the rest of it). The members are super nice here. The Sundays are a little crazy because we share our church building with another ward. The chapel and the Sunday school room are separated by a room divider thing so with the microphone its impossible to hear the teacher in Sunday school and relief society...which is definitely interesting.

Yesterday we went to a service where we were rescuing inactive members (taking the contact list and dividing it among missionaries and members to find people and have a lesson in an effort to get them to come back to church...we also try to get to know them and find out why they aren't coming to church anymore). So we went to Colon Central...it was kind of scary. It's the most ghetto ghetto of Panama and the saddest place I have ever seen. The apartment buildings that were there are literally falling apart. We passed the rubble of a house that had fallen down. Two of the houses that we went to visit weren't there anymore because of a fire. The members that we were with told us that these people are so poor that they literally cant pay to live anywhere so they live in these ancient houses. It was really crazy. As we were walking back there were tons of kids rollerblading in the street. In the street where all the cars and buses pass through..the main road. INNN the street. NOT on the side of the road. REALLY dangerous but I guess when you have fifty of your friends with you you can get away with it.

So here I am in Colon. I`m really happy here. There's a lot of natural beauty and the members and people are really laid back and nice.

I LOVE YOUUU!!!! I`m going to send some pictures now.

Hermana Hannah