Una Gringa en Panamá: Assignment #2

Hermana's Navas, Wandell and Elizondo

Notes: My comp has changes. (she should have gotten her new companion on Wed.)

We have 11 baptismal dates but probably only one of them will actually get baptized. We are supposed to set a date on the first lesson so that’s why.

So there was a fair in town this week and oh my goodness there were no taxis so we had to walk like 2 miles to get home..

We don’t have a washing machine or a dryer right now..

I have come to the conclusion that when I have my own house, I will have a hammock. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I will have one.

I have shelled so many peas....

I am teaching English and Spanish (English is easier)

Okay so there is this tradition here that the Panamanians paint their house every so many years so they can change colors. Well it is kind of like a right of passage for a missionary to paint houses... I have officially been initiated into the club!!

So when we had to walk home because there were no taxis I was super bored because my comp never talks to me, so I started waving at all the people in the long line of cars and I was laughing the whole time because they were all honking and what not. Well my comp was walking like 5 paces behind me like she didn’t want people to know we were together because she was embarrassed.. Life is for living.. So live it. Do something fun and loosen up a little bit.

I am craving a Cafe Rio pork salad like it is no one's business...

My heels keep cracking so I am using lots of neosporin and curel...

So the other day we were at this store that a member owns of a bunch of souveniers... well I saw this purse (satchel) and I fell in love... well you know my rule how I will only buy it if I keep thinking about it, well everytime we stopped by the store I would look at it again but I didn’t want to pay 20 bucks for it... Well finally I gave in, but I paid 18, and I really don’t care. When I bought it the girl that works there (the one I think that will actually get baptized) said to my comp, she is in love with that bag isn’t she?? And then when I handed her the money she said and now you have lived your dream. Haha it’s cute I will send a picture.

This is the bad thing about being in a tourist area, all the cool stuff!!

I don’t like the scriptures in Spanish... they don’t have the bible dictionary, the topical guide and the index, they have a super summerized version of all three. English is better. It is the language of the restored gospel (:

Okay now your email

Okay assignment number 2: People of the world!! Tell your Heavenly Father that you are going to vow to do something nice for the missionaries because honestly they are under appreciated.. I don’t care if you make them cookies, or go on visits with them (that’s the best option) just do something to help them and to show them that they have your support because not all of us are that lucky...

Q. How far is your church from where you live?

A. I will take a picture at the church. It is about a mile's walk from our house. Maybe a mile and a half.

Q. With your last area, I got so many details about the people in your district and zone and so many pictures that I feel like I kind of knew those people (as weird as that sounds) but now in Boquete I don't really know anything about anyone except Hna. Valdez, the Presley's and Elder Kipp (he was in her district in Alcalde Diaz and I know his amazing mom). Hna. Koehler is in your zone, she is the one from Cottonwood Heights that her mom is on the missionary mom email. I saw her in one of the pictures you sent. Other than that I don't know anyone or where they are from.

A. It is because our area is an hour away from the rest of our zone and I thought Koehler was from New York?? Hinckley is from Wyoming and his grandpa is Pres. Hinckley's brother. Arismendi is from Argentina.

Elder Romero (Argentina), Vaca (Bolivia - his name means cow), Cruz (El Salvador), Arismendi (Argentina), Rosales (Colombia he always practices his English with me and he is super nice), Alfaro is the kid squating that isn't really in either of the two rows and he is from Costa Rica,

Next row, I don't know her name, Kipp (Riverton), Barrie (Idaho Falls, new zone leader), Juarez (mini missionary from Panama waiting for his mission call.) , Hinckley (Wyoming, district leader) , I don't know her name either

next: Koehler (Cottonwood Heights), Flores (Nicaragua), me, Choto (Cali) , Curtis (Provo) , Tryon (AZ). Bonilla (El Salvador) , Solis (Peru - my step sister because Chavez is her mom), Quispe (Peru)

Front: Valdez (Guatemala), Mendez and I have no idea, Elizondo (Costa Rica) , Navas (Honduras, other Z ella) , and Chavez (Guatemala but not as cool as my Chavez)

Hinckley, Wandell, Valdez, Solis, Quispe and Romero

It’s a good idea but there are no post cards from Boquete that I have found and there are none from Alcalde Diaz, that’s like trying to find a post card from Sandy, Utah... (I asked her about sending us postcards from each of her areas)

Q. Who do you go on divisions with?

A. We do divisions with our z ellas (sister leaders)

Hna. Bonilla and Hna. Wandell

(she is from El Salvador and her English is awesome, she is going to BYU when she gets home from her mish, my Z ella)

Q. When is Hermana Chavez’s birthday?

A. So it is really easy to remember when Hna. Chavez's birthday is. Both of my sisters have the same birthday. My Guatemalan sister and my older sister. Feb. 20. I made her a case for her hymn book for her birthday and yes she got her Christmas package. I am sure you will meet her one day since I offered her my house when they come for vacation. She offered me the chance to marry her brother.. haha yeah he is hot... I’d be cool with that. I would have an awesome sister in law!!

Q. What do you want in the next package I send you?

A. I am good on vitamins for now, and more Disney movies maybe?? But send them in a smaller case that I can throw away because I have a cd case I can put them in.

Q. Do you guys eat a lot of fruit?

A. There are little fruit stands but we don’t have a fridge still so we don’t buy a whole lot of fruit because it will go bad.

Q. Did you get your package from Grandpa yet?

A. I won’t be getting my packages because the zone leaders aren’t going to changes... so I get to wait like 3 more weeks! But whatever it’s not the end of the world.

I plan on going back to panama with you and Abby one day. I just don’t know when. But I think we should do a Disney cruise through the canal and a few years later go to panama.

Tell Kallie hello and that I love her stinking guts!!

The following is what happens when Abby does talk to text as a letter to Alyssa - Alyssa, did you know that I hurt my leg and this is why because I am always like I had this much room and Emily had this much room and I got tripped and then she got in my way and I like really really want to take a couple days for it to feel better and like now I walk slow. I'm going to give you lots and lotsa hugs when you come home and I'll be really super excited so um I've been wondering have you switched to another companion? I'm really really miss you and I can't wait to you come home and see I was wondering if they have french fries in Panama? Did you know that I have T-rex's? Did you know that my dinosaurs are plant eaters and they dont eat other dinosaurs? Alyssa, did you know that I have a little baby dinosaurs. I love you, love Abby.

Abby, did you know that I am sorry that you hurt your leg and that like I hope you can learn to walk fast again. And like I am going to give you lots of hugs too because I like love you more than most and like I will have a new companion this week and like yeah we have French fries here, they just aren’t very good, and Abby I am so glad to hear that your dinosaurs are plant eaters and that they aren’t eating other dinosaurs!! I love you more than most, Alyssa

BAHAHAHAHAHA she needs a handicap sticker!! Love it!! (Abby told me she needed me to get her one of those handicap things for the car until her leg was all better)

Yeah Yendry showed me that she put it on Facebook.

I know exactly what you mean. For the first time in my life I am proud to say that I can’t watch the Superbowl this year because I hate both teams...

Pictures: a little boy and his mom, they are super poor and they don’t have electricity and they live on a dirt floor, there are 6 kids in total but he is the cutest. The clouds were like right on the ground and the case I made for my Book of Mormon.

I love you I love you I love you!!! Hug my Abby and chao for now!!