The Name Game

Some of the Kuna names are ridiculously hard to pronounce. The recent convert list in the ward includes normal names like Manuel, Ronny, and Aaron and then comes the more traditional Kuna names like Yaiginio, Diogenes, Ilasob, Wiguiguiña, Niniquiler, Tumineley, Nodab, Kaplueir, and Kankibe; just to share a few.

Right now, we are teaching Anigkibaler who is 15 and will be getting baptized on Wednesday. Griseida has not been to church for a while and so we are hoping that she will accept baptism. Aneida is the mother of a recent convert that we happen to be working with as well as two other families. Surprisingly, with how small this island is, we still seem to find new people to teach all the time. 

This week I have been craving hojaldres (a Panamanian fried bread that’s similar to fried dough, but is usually eaten at breakfast time). There is a guy that sells them every day and every time I have gone out looking for him this week, he has already come and gone. Finally, I found him after I booked it outside and chased him down. I threw some Nutella on top of it and it just made my day. It tasted like a donut-like pastry. 

Waiting to get a hojaldres all week long, reminded me to be patient. Just like with the families we are teaching, it is all in the right timing. As we continue to show faith in God, he grants us the ability to find new people and open their hearts, which always leads to great things.

On a funny note, on the island this week, there was a grand clamor as a group of people was praying in public. Apparently, during this prayer meeting, someone ended up giving birth, so the tribe leaders decided that this time it was okay to have had a public prayer.  The successful birth was due to having strong prayers.

As a side note, I have decided that when I do finish my mission and head back to the states, I will bring back with me many great new traditions I have learned from living on an island. I plan to stay in an apartment that will allow me to sleep in a hammock, have a pet iguana and have sand (or dirt) covered bedroom floors. I hope that this will be okay with my new roommates.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Our branch president (Calixto) here on San Blas is a super mellow laid-back kind of guy and he loves this work. Living on an island all his life, it is fun to teach him about computers and electronic devices. In return, he is especially happy to help us out in any way. This week we saw him pass by us while we were teaching a lesson and so we called him over. We started sharing a bit with our investigator and as soon as he sat down, he asks a 9-year-old member to go and grab him, what sounded like the Book of Mormon in Dule Gaya. We were very excited because he always has such great scripture insights. He can relate them back to their culture and since they have heard similar stories all their lives it is incredible. Unfortunately, when the young boy came back, he did not have a Book of Mormon but instead a puppy in his arms. Calixto held this puppy throughout the rest of the lesson. It was just hilarious, but I guess life sometimes just catches you off guard like that. 

At times I have so much that I want and need to do that I feel like a speeding freight train rushing to its endpoint. I've learned that hard work is essential but it is also good to make sure that we are aware that life can take little twist and turns. As we get thrown by breaking up the daily routine with unexpected events, we have to learn to go with whatever comes our way. I remember reading a story in the New Era when I was younger about making the best out of each situation in life and always looking for the blessings all around me. On a mission, I have been blessed every day as I have looked for those small miracles and have found them.

In the Book of Mormon, we read a story about Nephi and his family. They were commanded to build a ship and travel across the seas to inherit this promised land.  To get there they had to build a ship which was not an easy challenge. After seeing the great power of God and all that he can do a ship was built and they took a journey across the ocean. Some on board, after being on their journey, started to murmur and soon forgot who led them there. They started to lose focus on the big picture. Personally, I know how God has guided me daily in the mission. I know that he will guide us as we ask in faith. Don't forget God in your life! If your prayers have become repetitive or lack meaning, take the sufficient time to change that. If your daily scripture study has turned into a nap time or social feed scrolling, make a habit to refocus as you read. If going to church seems hard, remember the blessings offered through the holy sacrament and the blessing you receive by remember the atonement of Christ. One thing I like to also ask myself is in what ways I can improve my dedication to God, and then remember that if we ask and are humble, He can teach us what we need to know to guide us throughout our lives.

I am thankful for the blessing of being able to serve a mission and have loved seeing the amazing blessings all around me daily. 

Enjoying the unexpected.

The Knights That Say, "Moon."

Sunrise on the island

Last week, we decided that we were actually going to take our studying of the language a more seriously. Genuinely we know very little Dule Gaya and feel that we get very lost very quickly. We have made a genuine effort and now are adding flashcards to our work and it's coming slowly but surely. Anyway, my favorite word of the week is 'Ni' meaning Moon. For any of you Monte Python lovers out there, we have been making jokes all week long.

Since church has shortened from three hours to two hours you would think that it would be easier getting people there. However, here in San Blas surprisingly this means that they are stepping up their game and actually trying to get to all two hours; it is a new year’s goal. Normally, it lasts about forty-five minutes here, where we have sacrament meeting and a few talks. Two hours just seems so long to them and half the people don't understand and just leave early. So...

It is funny no matter where we have been that we hear some of the same excuses from people. We have been trying to take this guy to church who has been so excited to go but has made excuses the last few weeks. This Sunday, we saw this 60-year-old man happened to be hiding behind a tree. His wife tells us, “yeah, he's not home; he left.” We called her out on it and then went over and said hi to him. (Oh’ silly Kuna’s, this isn't my first rodeo!) One thing they hate is rejecting you for some reason so they come up with just the most ridiculous lies. For example, once we heard, “I'm busy right now,” which then turned into “I'm about to leave.” (No…. You’re in your underwear sowing mola.) And then they say on top of it, “I'm cooking.” (How can you be leaving and cooking?) But besides rejection as long as you keep a positive attitude and just keep chugging away like things are normal, everything just seems to fall into place.

Fresh Seafood

It has been nice that we have been getting a few meals from the members this week. It is always great as a missionary when others take a little time to make a little extra. This is one of those small daily miracles. Sometimes you're just a little tired, but those small blessing just perk you up. Especially, when you don't have to cook for yourself. This week we've had Dule Masi, Chicken wings in Dule Masi, Arroz Liquada con rabito, Arroz liquada con pescado, and Langosta. However, the Langosta they just boiled it all up. It was really great but the only downfall was that they don’t clean out the intestines. It is just filled with what they call a special 'salsa,’ which tastes a little bit like dirt. Fresh seafood just tastes so much better!

We did have two baptisms this week. Manuel who is fifteen and Yaiginio who’s 27. Yaigino always talked to missionaries and never wanted to get baptized and he's the only one of all his extended family who hasn't been baptized. We asked for a reference from this family and they were hesitant about him, but they told us actually there is somebody that comes to my mind. We get there and invite him to get baptized, and he just says yeah, it’s time. The family has just been praying and fasting for him for the last month and he's opened up. It’s crazy, I mean how God interacts with people and things just all come into place at the right moment. It was literally a miracle.

We went to Congress for one of the first times this week. They all just sit in hammocks and chant. It is like a traditional prayer. We don't speak the language yet... so, it was a very nice quiet time. Until the traditional screamer comes in. He goes around with a stick and yells DONT SLEEP!! or LISTEN!! and just screams it to wake up everyone and hits them with a stick if they don't wake up. The other Congress with the politics was just a city fight where they talked about all the money they've made and how much they owe. One guy comes out when they're debating over something and just screams 'Justice is Late, but it ALWAYS comes.' Then goes into full on screaming in Dule Gaya. It was like a Kuna soap opera, in which I didn't understand a single word, and so, I enjoyed imagining what they were fighting about that much more.

But yeah spiritually this week I've just focused on the Santa Cena and the blessings of Baptism that can be renewed from them as I have been reading in 3 Nephi 18. It is genuinely a blessing every single week.

By the way, my new companion Elder Nelson is from Yuma, Arizona. He is pretty country and fits in perfectly on San Blas. We work great together and have been quoting Zac Brown Band all day.

Hard Work & Happiness

Bridge to Heaven!!!

The Scooters from off one of the ships taking on water in December. 

The kids on the island received these for Christmas and are now 

leaning  how to ride them on the sand.

This week was interesting as the New Years came. On the island there are many, many things to do to pass the time. The sports are all divided by street, so all these little kids have their 'street gangs' (like los lobos or los mosquitos) and the streets go head to head in soccer, basketball, or volleyball. All these kids now have scooters and roller skates. Many woman sow mola. Many of the men go shooting up in the monte. On New Year’s Eve and day, there was a lot of drinking. I was surprised when we saw people the next day 12:30 in the afternoon still going. That added up to be at least thirteen hours.

My new comp Elder Nelson came this week. I knew him before when I was back in Boquete, so I was like what a crazy unexpected twist of events. He is a great missionary and has improved even more since the last time I saw him. It is great, as we are working hard to find and invite people to come unto Christ and get baptized. We found many and by Sunday morning we were just scrambling to get them all  to church. Many made excuses but we had five new investigators at church. One who had been so nervous that her husband and family would make fun of her that we literally had to walk in with her almost pushing her from behind. She had been wanting to go for a while now and will be going back next week. Another investigator was the cousin of a recent convert and he brought along his best friend. The last two were our neighbors who came to the island to visit. If everything goes well, a majority of these people should be baptized this week.

Nothing is more exciting than seeing people taking some of these first promises with God, coming to repentance, and taking upon them the names of Christ to always try their best to follow him.

This week the scripture that hit me is Moroni 7:33. "And Christ said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." Sometimes this means stepping out of our comfort zone or doing something hard. If we turn to the Lord, he will help us if it is his will and his work. We've been helping a lot of investigators learn and understand this concept this week and its helped a lot.