Una Gringa en Panamá: Panama stands for PAdre Nos AMA,

Hi everyone, here is Alyssa’s latest email. She seems to be doing pretty well!

Here is the link to the blog with the pictures

Okay my notes:

Hard rock was closed, they either moved locations or it’s just not there anymore…

I found a dead cockroach in my bed on Saturday…

We found two giant spiders in the house, on one day…. I will send pictures.

Apparently two years ago, Elder Russell M. Nelson came and spoke to everyone and he said that the missionaries that are called to Panama are the most valiant of spirits and that they were the ones at the front of the battle field defending Christ’s side during the war in Heaven… kind of awesome!!! An apostle said that… let’s just let that sink in!…

When Pres. Monson dedicated the temple here he told the people that Panama stands for PAdre Nos AMA, Or Father loves us, kind of cool.

This week we didn’t do very much because Hna. G’s knees have been hurting her due to the hills. So I did a lot of studying this week while she rested. Her knees have been super swollen and on a scale of 1-10 they have been hurting her a 7 most of the week.

3 Nefi 13:24-27, does that sound like you could relate that to the story of the 3 little pigs or what?? (I think this may be a typo somewhere because I cannot relate any part of that scripture the 3 little pigs, I will get a clarification for next week)

We went to the temple on Saturday.

I lied apparently they open all the packages, so be careful about what you send. (ok I guess we are back to easy on the candy??)

Did Zoey ever go on her mission?? (Zoey, will you send Alyssa an email, I am not sure when you leave – Alyssa.wandell@myldsmail.net)

Tell Sarah to bring a backpack and a shoulder bag, buy some of those crocs, bring tennis shoes for p-day/service projects, bring vitamins, and start practicing the lessons in Spanish now. Bring a light jacket because some of the areas are cold and some get cool at night. Also the bus can get really cold sometimes. She will use the jacket more than she thinks. I hope that I get to train her, she sounds awesome!! I will keep an eye out for her.

Okay so we live in a part of a member’s house. We have two rooms and a bathroom and she has the rest of the house, her kids live 10 feet away in another house. I don’t know how to say her name. Hna. Fransua or something like that, it’s French.

So we don’t have changes but we are trying to get that changed because Hna. G. can’t handle the hills for another 6 weeks. So the AP’s email the ZL’s and then the ZL’s tell us. Those who are being changed go to the temple (not really the temple but there is this building there and a chapel that we meet in and the temple just so happens to be there as well. The building is where we stayed the first night. ) If you are getting changed and are close to the city then your comp usually goes with you, but if you are in the interior your comp can stay home with another set of missionaries. (I asked how the transfers work)

Hermana Gonzalez, Elder Fajardo and Alyssa

They don’t take both people out of an area at a time unless they are closing the area or switching it from elders to sisters or vice versa. The reason is because if you take both out then the people there after you won’t know the area. They won’t know where the church is or the members or anything. So they keep one person there to show the new one around.

Bowling was fun, we went again this Pday because hard rock isn’t there anymore and we had nothing else to do.

No Cherry Diet Cherry Limeade (Abby asked if they had that in Panama)… I am excited to see her costume too!! I am glad she is feeling better as well. I loved her hair for crazy hair day too.

No they came from costco!! Love it!! Haha!! (Funny Abby story, I was reading the story on the back of the Hi-chew candy bag about how a guy in Japan invented them and Al asked so did these come from Japan? And Abby replied, “No they came from Costco”)

So while I was reading the whole thing about the court case at first I was reading it but it was all numbers and what not so I just skimmed it and then I got the good part. I cried the whole way through it. I am so glad to hear that everything went well. I am so grateful for prayer and fasting and the whole shazam!

I am so glad to see that you guys are receiving blessings. But I honestly don’t think it has anything to do with me, especially after we didn’t do much this week. That was all you mom. It was your faith and honestly I would venture to guess your character. You are so kind and patient and I could go on and on. I could write a 20 page paper on it. I am so glad that things went well. Tell everyone congrats for me and that I hope they are all doing well. Give Garreth a great big hug and tell him thank you for me!

I miss you guys to pieces, I love you and think about you everyday. Tell my Abby that I love her and I miss her and that I can’t wait to talk to her on Christmas. I pray for you guys every night. I find it funny that last week when the elders gave me the priesthood blessing that Elder Kipp said during the blessing “Heavenly Father wants to you to know not to worry about your family, because they are fine.” AHHHH THE CHURCH IS TRUE. Okay I love you I love you I love you!!!

TTFN!!