Family & Mola Ties

We just had transfers, I am happily serving in the same area and now with Elder Arriaga. Elder Franco got sent off to be a Zone Leader in Arriajan in my old area. I have no doubt he will do great things there. He's an excellent missionary and I really enjoyed the time I had with him it was always upbeat and fun. He is the most American Latino you will ever meet and I hope I will get another cambio with him. 

This week was really great, we baptized a young Kuna boy named Brian. It was so cool, these kids are so serious at times it feels like I am I'm talking to an adult and then they say something that reminds you they are only kids. This family is genuinely really amazing, and Brian was really excited to be baptized. His family all knew me by Igi Sugi and the younger brothers all crowded around our feet and our legs like I was telling a Christmas or Bedtime story, anytime we gave a lesson. I don't think I can forget that family and the joy it brought me teaching them. On hard days they always turned it around. His mother made me a mola tie to say thank you. (White with the Bird) I love it, and my new companion Elder Arriaga brought the tie I specifically asked for in Arriajan with Elder Vela. (Blue with the Turtles)

We have been working harder and harder and instead of focusing on our most important investigators everyday ping-ponging throughout our area we focus on everyone in one part each day. Then the next day we go to a different area which has been successful. One night this week we felt like we should go to this family and visit them. Right as we got there they were preparing for Family Home Evening, which was great because it was my first Family Home Evening in Panama. (For those of you who don't know, Family Home Evening is one night a week where the family sets apart time to be together, play games, and teach about the Gospel.) Now that was really really fun. I miss having Family Home Evenings. They had popcorn and ice cream and they set the kids in charge of the lesson. We played hot potato to decide who would answer the questions which reminded me of home.

Sadly they don't celebrate Halloween here in Panama, but I decided to bring it here by sporting my orange tie to show some Halloween spirit. We had divisions that day and I was with Elder Banister. We went to the supermarket and bought M&Ms but that wasn't a very successful day. The only thing that seemed like Halloween was when we ran into a real deal Jamaican witch doctor during the week. That was about as eerie of a Halloween as I will ever need. I am excited to see what Panama has in store for me on the following Holidays.

The great news is that my cousin arrives today in Panama to serve for the next year and a half. How cool it is to have another Irizarry serving in Panama!  What are the odds?