I´m deciding to copy and paste part of what I wrote to President Carmack in my weekly letter to give a bit of an update on the area and how I´m doing: 

Hermana G. and I have been trying to work with less active members and investigators at the same time. It´s been really hard for a few different reasons. One reason is because our area is huge. We've been trying to focus on five less active members every week, like we've received direction to do. One of the families that we work with is the P. family. They live in Maria Chiquita. We have problems getting a bus to go there and getting a bus to come back. We had to cancel our dinner last week because we were stuck up there in the night and we understood that it was basically impossible to leave. But miraculously there was a bus that left from there...he was already done working so he didn't stop for anyone else and told us that we didn't have to pay. It was a miracle for us.

The attendance in the church plummeted this week...I´m hoping it's just because people are out of town...we´ll see what next week is like.

I´m trying to be really obedient because I know that with obedience comes blessings.

I just finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish today...which is quite an accomplishment to me because I've been working on it my whole mission...ever since the MTC.

I´m trying to seek more guidance from the Lord to know what we should do. I've been discouraged because we don´t have progressing investigators right now.

There´s a lot of things that I feel like I don´t know what to do...but I will continually try to rely on the Lord.

---

So you know roughly where the places are that I took pictures of, the place with the bridge is a place called Barriada del Rio. The place where I´m on the fence is called Maria Chiquita. I´m convinced that we have the most beautiful area in Panama...it should at least be in the top five most beautiful areas....maybe in the whole world!! 

Now for an update on this week:

Monday-We went to Albrook where I attempted to find a black skirt and crocs...and didn't succeed...but I´m saving the money for when I do find those things. (I found the shoes that I want but they weren't in my size). When we left the terminal we had to run to the express (the bus) because it went to the wrong part of the terminal. This day the buses were really unpredictable because it's a national holiday and everything's crazy here on national holidays...that's another reason why we went to Albrook to be able to use the internet. When we got back to the area, we went straight to the house of the S. family where they had this beautiful cake for me. It was really sweet and I felt very loved. Then in the evening I opened my birthday cards and the Christmas package. I decided to save one of the shirts for Christmas...not wear it until Christmas days. The other ones I´m already using because I needed clothes. I felt so loved in the night opening the letters and the package. Thank you so much <3

Tuesday- We had our district reunion where we celebrated my birthday and the birthday of Hermana B. which is also the 4th of November. Afterwards we went to visit some less active members. They really needed the visits  especially one of the sisters...she seemed so sad, but afterwards she seemed more chipper. We went all the way out to Maria Chiquita to be with the P. Family, who invited us to eat at their house because of my birthday. They´re a less active family that we´re working with. The Dad came to church on Sunday..he´s come three Sundays in a row. We really want him to get stronger...strong enough that he won't fall again and that he´ll lift up his whole family. Our ultimate goal is that they can get sealed in the temple. Then we had some other lessons in the evening. One of which was really hard because we came to the conclusion that we can´t visit them anymore. I don´t like it when that happens, but sometimes people just aren't ready. 

Wednesday- We paid a visit to the Relief Society president. We gave her a lesson about the purpose of Relief Society using "Daughters in My Kingdom." I absolutely love that book. I know that it's inspired. We also offered our help with putting together a visiting teaching list...I emphasized that the way Christ ministered among the people was one by one, person by person. I think that visiting teaching will really strengthen this ward. In the evening we had a family home evening with another less active family...we went with our missionary leader and his wife and his kids. It was really great..but the sister didn't come to church on Sunday...but we´ll keep working with them. 

Thursday- We visited more less active members. We shared a DVD from the Book of Mormon presentations with some young men that are less active. We want to encourage them to serve missions and this video talked about the repentance of a young man before he left to serve a mission. In the evening we had our meeting with our missionary leader. 

Friday-We visited some grandparents in the afternoon. They´re really darling. They were a reference from the Mom S. who helped the sister out with her grocery bags one day. They are really old and really cute. He reminds me of Gordon B Hinckley when he was really old...only he looked healthier than this man looks now. I taught one of the sisters piano..still hoping that she´ll be able to take over my job as pianist when I leave. Then we had a really serious talk with one of the S. girls...she had a date for her baptism this weekend but she said that she needs more time. We might have to stop teaching her...it might not be the right time for her...Then in the evening we had our group night in the church. 

Saturday-We visited the friend of a member with the member. It was a really neat lesson. The Spirit was really strong. In the evening we had a service project in the church where we cleaned the whole building...or at least we tried to...all that we had to work with was two mops, two small brooms, a trash can, some rags, and water....so the church still isn't clean but it looks a little bit better. 

Sunday- The bishop's daughter had two little buses from the high school which they used to take us and our investigators, recent converts, and less active members to the temple. There we were able to hear a message and musical numbers by...I think her name is Ginny...something like that....she´s the singer that does the young woman songs....sorry I don´t really remember very well. [Jenny Phillips-- I found out on the mission president's photo blog] She and her husband came here to Panama. It was absolutely beautiful and the Spirit was really strong. Afterwards my S. brother was impatient to be able to walk in the gardens of the temple. His excitement made me feel really happy....he was baptized when I was with Hermana C. The president gave a little tour of the outside of the temple and we took pictures. The Mom S. said that she felt a peace and tranquility that she´s never felt before. The Spirit was strong. It was a really beautiful experience. After the tour, Hermana Carmack came over to me and we were able to talk for a while. She gave me an update on her family. Before she left, she gave me a great hug and told me it was good to see me. That made me feel really happy. It's been hard to not really be able to get to know her, her husband, and their daughter. But even though I don't really know them and they don't really know me I feel their love and I hope they feel mine too. 

Today in the evening we´re going to surprise a less active young woman counselor with a visit to her house with the young women. I hope that it works out! 

I´m happy and doing well. I am hopeful that things will progress here in Colon...slowly but surely. One of the missionaries here said that to activate a family in the church all you need to do is visit them for three weeks and let them know that they´re important....so maybe next week we´ll see more people in the church.

So this is the end of my weekly email! 

Send my love to everyone! 

Yours truly, 

Hermana Hannah