Week 2 Training

I watched the Relief Society general meeting in Spanish...I was having a hard time understanding because they spoke so amazingly fast. Thank you for sharing what you enjoyed about it :)

I guess it's important to remember that missionary work doesn't have to start in the mission. It can start at a young age. One of my teachers in the MTC was converted when he was 13. He said that he was feeling lonely at church and so he helped convert all of his friends and family!! Young people can make a huge difference!! I think that the most important thing that members can do to be missionaries is MAKE FRIENDS...don`t focus so much on the words that you share when you`re talking about the gospel...be the best of friends with the investigators that come to church, invite them to your house and other activities, and invite your friends to come to your house so that they can see the difference that the gospel makes on a family. I`m really learning that it's not so much the words that we say but the example that we show that speaks the loudest. I really want to be a member missionary when I get home...and the most important part of that is just being social. Sometimes we get caught up in our own routine that we don`t think about visiting a neighbor or a friend, or going to a church activity...but the reality is if we don`t go we won't be able to make a difference in the life of someone else. And every person can make a huge difference. So don`t be afraid to speak up and get out and be social! Also it's fun!! We want to follow the example of Jesus Christ...how many people do you think that he talked to in one day? Let's make friends and talk to people!! Haha I hope you enjoyed my pep talk :) 

This week has been absolutely amazing. I am seeing so many blessings in each day. In our nightly planning session with my companion we've been talking about the little miracles that happened during the day. I've been writing them in my agenda with a red pen. I've begun to see a correlation with obedience and success. The days that we obey with exactness...sticking with the schedule and everything...we have so many more little miracles than the days that we slack a bit here and there (now everyone knows I`m not perfect :o) haha but really obedience with exactness makes a huge difference. 

We`re beginning to see so much more member support in this ward. Last Sunday I was able to be in the room when my mission leader was set apart. That was definitely a unique experience. Before he was set apart we had zero communication with the bishop and the members...okay we were communicating but it was a lot harder. The mission leader is ESSENTIAL!! and it's amazing how much they can do when they put their minds to it. We've started having meetings every Thursday. It feels so good to be able to report our progress to a ward member. He is super excited and animated and willing to work work work even though he also has his own work. (He works at the Canal...super cool right??)

It was sooo neat to see that the Relief Society meeting was focused on missionary work...well I know that it was mainly about covenants but how neat to have the missionaries sing all of the hymns...it was so beautiful and they looked so empowered...it was really neat. I think that it was a great prelude to the meeting that we had  on Sunday.

Our sacrament meeting was focused on service. When we serve others we are really serving God!  One of the people that spoke is a recently returned missionary. One of the things that stood out to me that he said was that there can be inactive active members! We have to make sure that we do everything with real intent. He shared the scripture in Genesis 3:8-9 and shared that frequently he asks himself, ¨Donde estás?¨as a reflective question....like ¨Where am I?¨and ¨Where do I want to go?¨ I think that it's important to frequently have a little self analysis. Like...¨Where is your heart..what are you focused on...how are you using your time?¨ Something else that he shared that I really liked was the scripture in 1 John 2:3-5 which basically says that you can`t know God if you don`t keep his commandments. A lot of the time people claim that they know God, that they have religion, that they don`t need to change...but they`re not keeping the commandments. It just doesn't make any sense. To know God, keep his commandments!! 

In the second hour of church we had our first Doctrine of Christ class!! (before our investigators were just going to the other classes, or we were teaching the class) It was put together and organized by our mission leader. What a blessing!! We had two investigators in the class. One of them, the mom of the family that is like my family, and the other was brought by a member that doesn't even go to our ward. (That made the miracle list at the end of the day!) During the second hour we gave a DVD to a member to give to the bishop for the third hour...why? because the night before he asked us if we had a DVD about service and if we could bring it to the church...so we brought ¨Work of Love¨.....well I can`t really remember what the title is in Spanish so I just tried translating the title into English but I dont really know...but yeah anyways so it turned out to be absolutely perfect for the lesson. The lesson was focused on missionary work and service. The bishop asked me and another missionary (The other Hermana Chavez...the one that wasn't my companion before) to talk a bit about what its like to be a missionary. It was a great experience!! 

After church I was super pumped to get to work and do some service!! We went to one of the farthest away parts of our area to get to know more of our area, contact, and find a less active family. Along the way we found a lot of really positive people...and ran across some guys that were wandering around alone looking drunk...but we talked to them and gave them pamphlets about the Word of Wisdom and we didn't get robbed so all is good!! 

I want to share a spiritual experience....so I have a really bad memory and it's super hard for me to memorize scripture references...I've got the doctrine down but finding the scriptures to back it up is a wholeeee other story. So yesterday in the lesson that we had with the less active family I wanted to share a scripture but I didn`t have one in mind...so I flipped open the scriptures with a prayer in my heart andddd I opened right to Jacob 5....buttt I knew that this chapter was the story of the olive trees. At that moment I felt in my heart and in my mind a feeling of great comfort and I felt more than heard, ¨You know this¨...to me meaning that I know the scriptures...and so I opened up to 2 Nephi 9 and found a scripture to share with the family that was absolutely perfect for them...all this in seconds and in a foreign language. Blessings from the spirit?? I think so!!  

Another experience from yesterday...we were on the bus headed to dinner...I asked the man sitting next to me a few questions about what bus stop he came from and we chatted for a bit...it was a super neat experience. I learned that he is from Columbia and that he likes traveling. He said that Columbia is the best country in the world because there are no rules. We had a great friendly conversation where I shared what I think about rules...that they`re there to protect us. He said that he likes having fun...he talked about how in Columbia you can drink and party and have a great time....I talked about how I think there are two different kinds of happiness... there's the happiness of the world which is temporary, and then there's the happiness of God which lasts forever...I told him that I prefer the second. Then he asked me what the difference is about my religion compared to others...so I talked about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of this. I talked about baptism and how its important to be baptized in the way that Christ was baptized and by someone that has the authority and power to do it. It was a really neat experience. I have no idea if he`ll ever meet with the missionaries....but I think that it was important that I talk to him. 

So there you have it, just two of the many spiritual experiences that I've had this week....trust me there are many more but these are the ones that stood out to me the most. 

Well folks I`m about out of time...so I LOVE YOUUUU!! Mom please send my love to everyone! 

I miss you guys and am thinking of you...but not too much haha I have lots that I need to focus on here...but loving your family and friends isn't bad :) 

Lots and lots of love haha 

Hermana Hannah

FOUR Posts in One Day! (More pictures just arrived)

Zone.

My family. 

Giant umbrella that they let us borrow haha.

Three Posts in One Day (This letter arrived several hours after the 1st two posts. Crazy Internet.)

Let me know if I send too many photos...it's just so much has happened and I had to catch up! 

I still have my cold...it's been a little over a week now...but I think that I´m gradually getting better. I officially don´t have any more cold medicine. I still can´t believe that I've been so sick here! In my first area I had stomach problems at least once a week to the point where I went through a whole thing of Pepto, my second area I had that awful fever and thought I was going to die, and here I've had this cold. Haha but still I'm happy and things are going well. 

Okay so update time!! On Wednesday I met my daughter!! Her name is Hermana Gomez and she´s from El Salvador. Her brother...I think his name is Adrian Gomez...served his mission here in Panama and he left here just a few short months before she came!! Definitely crazy! He was a popular guy! Everyone that meets her asks about him. Thankfully, she´s okay with that. She and her brother are a year apart and they grew up sharing the same friends. They are still really close. It's been really fun to get to know her and her family. She is a great missionary! She´s hard working, humble, super smart, and super excited to be here. I´m super excited to be her mom! I know that she will do amazing things here in the mission...she already is!! 

We have already seen so much progression in this ward and in the people here and it's only been five days! We've been really good at obeying with exactness. The mission here is known to be the most relaxed mission. That is changing!! President Carmack and his wife are lovingly and gradually tightening up the ship....haha. I don´t even know if that's a real expression but it sounded cool. I don't think that he wants to send anyone home, but we´ll see what happens in these coming months! He´s a great man and I´m really grateful to have him and his family here. I know that they´re ready and willing to help and get things into shape. 

Colon is as beautiful as ever. I´m getting to know the people more. My Spanish has come to a bit of a plateau...meaning it's not really getting  better...but Hermana Gomez is super willing and ready to help me with my Spanish!! I´m excited to start some hard core learning...but not starting today because today is English Day to help her with her English...and anyone else that I talk to because today is ENGLISH DAY!! It's been fun and nerve-wracking so far. Thankfully the computer guy speaks really good English! haha. I think that people will be grateful to have someone to practice their English with...EVERYONE wants to learn English here. 

I´m excited for General Conference!!! Honestly I can´t even wait :D 

Well I´m not really sure what else to say....I´m happy everything's good...haha well we haven´t had water in the house for a long time so my hair hasn't been washed for four days...thankfully I remembered the advice that you (Mom) gave me before the mission to use wipes...I bought some a week or so ago...but my hija and I smell like baby bottoms cause I didn't know what kind I should buy so I got baby wipes...I miss dry shampoo (I ran out in the MTC because I was using it after sports...and they don´t sell that here...or it's just really really hard to find and I haven´t been able to find any). Today we´re going to the church in Cativa where they have water!!! We´re going to bring shampoo so that we can wash our hair in the church sink...we´re desperate don't judge :P The plan is we´re going to buy pizza and play with water balloons. Super excited!! We´ll see if I´ll be able to communicate...it being English day and all. 

I´m sorry I haven´t been including more stories about investigators and the ward...I guess I don't really know what to share. I absolutely love the people here with all of my heart. We´re meeting new people and making new family (more than friends....don't know what other word to use...) and I am really happy with all of the progression. We´re looking forward to two of our family members getting baptized!! We've been doing lots of service and working hard...with exactness!!! woohoo!! :D 

Lots of love to everyone!! 

Ohhh Mom I got the birthday card and the family letter :) Thank you!!! It made me super happy!! I can´t wait for the next one :D 

Love always, 

Hermana Hannah

Photos This Week (MORE photos added a couple of hours later)

Really it's just been a while since I've sent photos and a lot has happened...trust me I have a lot more photos than this...it's hard to decide what to send...sorry that you have to choose what to put on the blog...

We were invited to lunch as a zone...it was fun.

Family photo!! My trainer aka "Mommy/happy Grandma" (Hermana Molina), me, and "my daughter" (Hermana Gomez). 

Service project in the jungle...why not??

Group service photo 

Cute familia. 

My family (the two youngins maybe you remember from before...they´re recent converts...this is their family...missing two).  

My grandma here. 

We made it to the canal but it was closed...long day...crazy story...but eventually we made it back (we walked for three hours because there weren't buses to get back...made it to a church...and then took a taxi to our house) along the way an elder was saving our lives by opening some coconuts (the green ones).

Crazy day continued

Mission President's Photo Blog: a Preview for This Week

Hermana Hannah's mom here. We're excited to hear from Hannah today. I just noticed some pictures of Hannah from last week's transfers meeting on President and Sister Carmack's blog. I'll write in a few tips about where to find her in the pictures. HERE is the link to the Carmack's photo blog. The pictures are bigger there if you click on them and there are a few more pictures of Hannah, but they are mostly of her back.

You can only see her back in this one, but Hannah is on the far left sitting next to her new companion she is training. 

Here she is sitting just to the left of the guy standing in the aisle.

She's sitting right in front of where President Carmack is standing. 

 Here she is with her new companion! We're excited to find out more about her week. 

Continuing in Colon

I`m having a bit of a problem focusing right now. I`m sick again :( this time I have a cold. I wasn`t able to sleep hardly at all last night..which I guess is part of the reason why I`m having a hard time focusing right now.

We`re using a different internet today so I can`t send any photos today...I`m sorry about that. 

I found out about changes!! My companion is leaving and I will be training here in Colon!! Crazy right?? I`m super nervous but I know that God will help me...I mean he qualifies whom he calls right? Things have been progressing very slowly here in Colon. We just got a missionary leader! Which is absolutely wonderful because it means that we`ll finally be able to communicate effectively with the ward...well hopefully that's what it means. The missionary leader is ESSENTIAL. 

This week has been interesting. We had a conference on Friday where a member of the seventy, Elder Ochoa, came and talked to us. It was the highlight of my week...and maybe of this whole change. The spirit was sooo strong from the very moment that I walked in the room. He had some wonderful things to say. He focused on the key problems in our mission...finding the problems of the investigator, not being afraid to commit people to action, and being obedient. I loved what he said about President Carmack. He said that this mission will reach new heights that could not be reached with any other mission president. I know that President Carmack was called by God and that he has a great work to do here in Panama. He`s very different from President Ward and he`s not perfect but he has a purpose here and I`m very grateful for him and his family and their sacrifice to come here. 

Today we`re going to the canal!! People say that it's really boring...nothing to do and really nothing to take pictures of...but we`re going to find out. 

I`m sorry this letter is short I had a lot to read through and respond to this week. 

The zone is waiting on me to go... 

I love you! 

Hermana Hannah

From Puerto Pilon

Last week we went to the temple as a zone. It was a really wonderful experience. I felt a lot of comfort and peace. The temple really is a wonderful escape from the world. I know that the temple is the house of the Lord and that we can receive revelation there. I`m very grateful that God has provided a way for our families to be together forever. 

I have had so many different experiences here in the mission. It`s crazy to think that I`m already one third of the way through. I just have one year left in the mission. A year is a long time, but the time has been flying by. 

There's a story behind the picture of the soup...I`ll share that in a bit.

I don't know if I explained before, but there are two other missionaries that are in our ward here in Puerto Pilon. Hermana Wilson and Hermana Chavez are the other two sisters. The day that we went to the temple Hermana Wilson took a spill and was stumbling a bit afterwards. Well this week she fell again and now she has a cast. She has to have the cast for three weeks. Because of this she isn't supposed to leave the house. That makes it kind of hard to work. For now she`ll be able to stay. My companion and I are praying for her.

Okay, so now the story of the soup...

On Fridays we have dinner with the other two hermanas in the house of one of the members....but since Hermana Wilson can`t leave the house as much as before we decided that we would bring them their dinner. So we went to the house of the member and she was willing to give us the food in containers so that we could take it to the other hermanas and the four of us could eat together in their house.

So we asked what she had made for us...she said it was ¨Sopa de pata con rabita¨ sorry I don`t know if that`s spelled right. Rabita is pig tail (which I`d already had before without knowing...Hermana Chavez told me wayyyy after the fact) and pato is duck so I was super excited because I hear that duck is really delicious. She asked if we eat  pata, Hermana Chavez said, "No," and I said, "I don`t  know I`ve never had it before but I hear that it's good." So the hermana gave me a sample...it was really...chewy and hard and realllly hard to eat...to be continued

Okay so we took the food to the other hermanas' house...when we got there two other hermanas were visiting Hermana Chavez and Hermana Wilson. Hermana Chavez told them what we brought to eat...all of the missionaries except for me and Hermana Wilson made faces and one of the missionaries made a gagging face...at this point I was starting to question what it was that I was eating. I served myself some soup without the meat and everything was good...Hermana Chavez served herself a plate of rice and chose not to eat the soup. 

So as we were walking back to the bus stop I asked her about the soup. Eventually I came to understand that pata isn't the female version of duck...like I originally thought. Pata...as I now understand it to be...is cow foot. 

Soooo I have had pig tail, cow foot, and cow intestines here in the mission...but I hear that people also eat cow tongue here and I bet I`ll get to try that at some point. Joy...haha....sometimes its best to not to ask what the meat is.

That's a huge blessing that Dad still has his job!! My companion and I have been praying and fasting for the jobs of our fathers. 

I`m really happy to hear that Grandpa is doing better :) that is also a huge blessing. I've been praying for him too and all of your names are in the temple here in Panama. 

I`m looking forward to getting the most recent letter from you guys. I`m glad that Sarah chose to write too. I really would like to hear from her. 

It really is true that everyone has challenges. Something that I think is important to realize is that when people are really upset about something that we think is little we should take a second to realize that in their eyes its a big deal...especially with children. Children's worlds are smaller than ours and things that are a big deal to them seem small to us...but to them it's huge. I don`t know if I really said what I wanted to say there..haha hopefully the thought gets across. 

I love you!!!! I look forward to Christmas when we`ll be able to Skype again.

I found my calling card!!! I don`t know if I told you that I lost it haha...and I also found my driver's license which I didn't realize I brought with me. A daughter of a family here is serving her mission in California. They told us that she had a car in one of her areas!! What an amazing blessing!! We take buses haha. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to serve a mission in the states. In a lot of ways it would be easier...but then its super awesome to be serving in Panama ;)

The next transfer is coming up. This is the last week. Transfers are on September 18th...we`ll see what happens...

4th Week in Colon

OK...So the little poops were definitely cockroaches. I took out all of my dressers and found one big huge one and a little one. They are now in insect heaven thanks to a magical thing called RAID. 

On Sunday we had an "Àctividad Rescate" which I`ll write a little more about later. My companion and I helped put together hot dogs for everyone...super hard to cook for people when you`re fasting...but hunger does remind us that we`re fasting and thinking of that reminds us what we`re fasting for. Thank you for teaching me to fast for specific things. Fasting is really a blessing...it's super hard sometimes but there is no doubt in my mind that it works miracles...God works the miracles because we make the sacrifice to fast. 

DEAL in SPANISH!! I thought you guys (my family) would appreciate that. I had to take a picture of it for you. 

Speaking of which, last transfer I found MARIEL in the street...and I can`t remember if I sent that photo or not...its her name written in concrete.

Coconuts!! We went to Maria Chiquita, which is part of our area, which is right on the beach. It's sooooooo amazingly beautiful and I`ll have to take pictures. There were two youngins...two young teenagers that were helping us find a less-active family. It was fun and beautiful. The kids were absolutely crazy. At the end of our visit with the less active member, as we were "waiting for the bus" we read one of the missionary pamphlets with them at a park bench. So it turns out that one of them was lying to us because she wanted us to stay there longer...kind of cute and kind of annoying haha. No I absolutely loved them and they were funny.

They cracked open the coconuts for us by hitting them against rocks. Totally normal for them.

 

Organizing the rescue activity was super stressful...as these photos clearly show. But it was a success! The 18 missionaries in our zone showed up...minus two so really 16...and we went to visit lots and lots of the inactive and less-active members. I ended up working with a member in the area of the other Hermanas...it was a super spiritual uplifting experience. I know that God was helping me with my Spanish. The member was my companion for two hours! One experience that I`ll share from this...my member companion knew before we went to visit a house that the member had already moved to Colon Centro..aka the city...but we decided to visit the house anyways. There we met his brother. We chatted with him for a while. He told us that the missionaries were always passing by his house but they never stopped to talk to him. He said that if they talked to him and invited him to church he would go. So I said in Spanish "Here I am! I`m a missionary and you are invited to church on Sunday." Then I told him when we meet and at what time. He said he`ll be there.

 

HOT DOGS!! for the activity. A huge thank you to the members that helped us!!! After I took the picture I told them they`d be famous. 

Can you send me the link to my blog?

Missionaries waiting for the activity to start...me with my ZL...me with my gringo buddies. 

 

I love this adorable couple! They've had us over for dinner twice. They`re super fun and super strong in the church. I really enjoy going over to their house.

 

I hope I haven't been sending too many pictures...I`m not really sure about what pictures I should send and which I shouldn't...oh I forgot to send the one of my crazy cockroach experience...just two more photos...

 

So I`m officially living out of my suitcases...

I like sharing these experiences and photos but I wonder if I`m really sharing what I should be sharing. I have been having many spiritual experiences, many opportunities to learn and grow. The mission is absolutely crazy, absolutely amazing, absolutely stressful and hard, but 100% absolutely worth it. And I hope that people really get that when they read what I write.

This week I`m going to think about why I chose to come on a mission, what the things are that motivate me, and how I feel serving in the mission field. I will be sharing what I learn in my email next week. 

As of always, if you have any questions...or anything that you would like me to share let me know!

Love always, 

Hermana Hannah