This week we worked worked worked and we were able to find a lot of new people. We had lots of lessons. Yesterday I got a call on the phone that made me very happy. The woman that we've been helping to get ready for her wedding called and said that I can´t have changes because Hermana Gomez and I are her bridesmaids and we have to be there for her wedding. She is an absolute sweetheart. We find out about transfers today. I really don´t think I´ll be leaving but you never know.

Missionary work is hard...it really is work...and there's often times of disappointment and discouragement. But I always try to focus on the positive and I know that I´ll be okay. So don´t worry but please keep me in your prayers. 

Today we find out about transfers. We´ll see who leaves and who comes. I´m a bit sad because one of my good friends will most likely be leaving but I´m hopeful that maybe I´ll know the people that come. We´ll see what happens! 

Yesterday there was a stake conference. A member of the seventy came and President Carmack was there too! The chapel was fullll to the point where there were people without seats! My companion and I gave up our seats for a young mom with two little kids. We found refuge in one of the rooms upstairs that were "overflow" rooms and had a television and speakers so that we could see and hear the conference. I had a hard time concentrating for some of the talks but all in all it was spiritually rewarding and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to getting the General Conference Ensign to be able to study the General Conference talks. 

All in all I´m doing really well. I´m hopeful that this coming transfer our hard work will bare fruit! 

Have a great week! I love you all! 

Love always, 

Hermana Hannah

 

One of the less active members that we've been visiting has come to church two Sundays in a row!!! And this most recent Sunday she came with her mom! I`m super happy excited about that.

Something that I`m learning and seeing here is that people can change! This week I've heard a lot about the conversion story of the bishop here in Pilon. It took him 12 years to change his life but it was a dramatic change...like black to white. He is such an example to me. I know that he has an incredibly strong testimony of the gospel and the atonement.  

This week we've started working with the members more. We had more than six lessons with members. It's harder to work with members because you have to sacrifice your schedule for theirs, but ultimately I really think it's worth it. The members here are more excited and motivated about helping us. On Sunday the bishop announced in church that our stake is in the red zone...meaning we`re in trouble. There is an insane amount of inactive members. One of the problems that I've seen here is people have to work on Sundays. So my companion and I decided that we need to baptize the leaders of the members jobs so that they will make Sunday a free day..aka no work on Sunday. 

We've been working a lot with the S. family...I think I sent a picture of them a while ago. They are like my family here in Colon. Tonight we`re going to have a family home evening with them. We want to watch the Joseph Smith movie for the lesson...it's long but it's absolutely amazing and we hope that it will help the spirit bare testimony of the prophet. 

Yesterday I had my "monthday" aka I now have 8 months in the mission. Super crazy right? The time is going by so fast. It's really amazing. 

My Spanish is improving...I think haha. It's hard for me to talk in English now because I speak Spanish 24/7. I`m still teaching English on Fridays. It's been really fun and kind of hard. It's hard to explain why we do this or that because I just grew up doing it!! But it's super fun to help people learn English...and in the process I`m learning more Spanish!! :D 

My health is good. I haven`t had any major problems for a while. My legs are really ugly because of bug bites...but not like super dramatic. The weird thing about my legs is I have what looks like scratches from falling...but I haven`t fallen. My companion thinks it's because I scratch my legs...bad habit. 

We`re still having problems with water but we`re learning how to cope. I`m learning how to shower with just a little bit of water haha. I`m also learning how to choose between washing my hair and shaving my legs...cause I never have enough water to do both haha. 

We have a mouse in the house...I think...I haven`t seen it for about a week so maybe it left. 

The mission continues to be exciting and interesting. Last week we went to a beautiful park on P-day I`ll include photos in another email. 

Now for a spiritual note....so I`m learning that fear is the opposite of faith. Sometimes it's scary to open my mouth and say the words that God wants me to say...but when I don`t follow the Spirit things are impossible....literally. Last week we had a lesson where I didn't follow the Spirit and say what God wanted me to say...and my Spanish left me...it was awful...a horrible feeling. So the moral of this story is....follow the Spirit!! And don`t be afraid!

Sorry this email is a bit shorter.  I`m not really sure what else to write. Just know that I`m doing really well. I`m happy and healthy and positive.  And I loveeee sour gummy worms. 

I love you all! 

Love,

Hermana Hannah

Hermana Hannah's Address

Panama Panama City Mission
Carrasquilla Entrega General AP 0834
Ciudad de Panama,
Provincia de Panama
Panama

This week has gone by really quickly. We've changed our focus from the investigators to less active and inactive members. The mission president has been focusing on the members because there is such a huge problem with inactive members. It's been really really interesting. I´m learning that every single person has a need...something that we need to find and help them with. One of the inactive members that we've been meeting with really really wants to get married. We're helping them prepare for that. Their marriage date is the 16th of November. It's fun and rewarding to see the look of excitement and the glow that she has in her eyes when we talked about how she´ll be able to take the sacrament again. She said that it's been ten years. We´re really excited for her. I can´t wait to see the glow in her eyes again. Her husband isn't a member...we've had a couple lessons with him but realized that we need to focus on both of them....and what both of them really need is to get married.

Tomorrow we have a meeting with the bishop to talk about the plan to reactivate the members.  Currently there are 500 members in our ward and there were 95 that went to church on Sunday. We need to rescue this area. Something else that I've thought about is that out of the 95 members that go to church there are many that are struggling with problems. I know that we can help them...we´re still working on how. It's hard because there's not a "rescue the members" manual and "Preach my Gospel" doesn't really help with teaching inactive and active members. So we´ll be studying the scriptures and praying a lot to know what to do. 

My health has significantly improved. The main problem that I have now is we don´t have water in the house. The only time that it works is when we don´t need to use it...well at least it seems like it. Thankfully we've been able to fill up the bucket in the shower (by keeping the water turned on all night) so I've been able to "shower."  I´m missing the blessings of running water. Thankfully I haven´t been having too many problems from dehydration. 

I continue to learn more about myself and the gospel. I also keep learning about how much I need to change about myself. But along with that also comes accepting things about me that can´t change. I need to embrace the idea of the scripture and make "weak things become strong."  I know that some things that we view as weaknesses can actually turn out to be great strengths. A lot depends on how you look at it. Something that I struggle with is caring about what other people think...and there are some people that can´t see the slightest bit of good in me. I guess the key is  to care about what the people that matter think. It's like the saying "those that matter don´t care and those that care don´t matter."

 

So here I am...in Panama..learning...growing...and trying to save the world one inactive member at a time.

I love you and miss you family and friends <3 

I´m really not looking forward to this coming birthday...I have a feeling that I will be celebrating it in an area that I don´t know with a companion that I don´t know....I hope not...transfers are October 31st (there are some missionaries that are going to go to changes in their costumes haha.) 

Okay this letter is officially over and out. 

LOVE YOU!!

Happy Conference

Okay so the highlight of my week was GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! It was absolutely amazing. I truly heard the Lord's voice answering my personal questions and concerns. I know that God really does know us and he hears our prayers. I've resolved to be a better person. I've also resolved to make more efforts to work with members. As missionaries I think we need to have high expectations regarding the members. The standard has now been raised to the members!! I was surprised that there was not a single word on Sunday about the announcement by President Monson about how the members are being called to be equally yoked with the missionaries in preaching the gospel. I am super amazingly excited about this announcement and I really hope that the members take this call to action seriously....the members are needed in this work...as a missionary I see it and in the future when I´m a returned missionary I want to be a member missionary. This work matters!! I can see it. 

But don´t worry about my health Mom...when things are hard I pray and my prayers are heard :) Thank you for keeping me in your prayers. 

I love you guys <3 I´m going to start working on writing more letters...it's hard but I should make time...with more time in the mission comes more responsibilities...same goes with life I guess...but know that you are all important to me and you all matter and even if I don´t always write to you on paper your names are written in my heart...yes I know I´m cheesy :P 

Love always, 

Hermana Hannah

Our back sink got clogged...that morning we left the house with the water turned on because the water wasn't working and we forgot to turn it off...when we came back there was a good two inches of water in the back room...oops :/ but I now know how to fix a clogged sink!!

Recipe for amazing El Salvadoranian goodness...just fry this and you´ll understand.

Here are some pictures of our house...the back room is scary right?? It kind of gives me the creeps...but remember as servants of the Lord we have nothing to fear!!

 

Fried yellow platinos...super good (when I first got here I didn't think so....but I've already gotten used to them...and I really liked them this way!

 

Haha here's the back room..didn't fit before.

The finished product!! Yumm

General Conference in English!! Soooo happy!!!