4th Week's P-day from Panama

¡Hola mi familia amorosa!

This week has been an interesting one for sure. I'm gonna talk about a few things but hopefully the highlight of the blog will be the pictures that my mom will post up on the blog that I sent her. Proof and highlights of a bit of my adventures here in Panama.

1st let me talk about the temple. I actually got the chance to go there 2 times this week, which is pretty sweet. The first time which you'll see from the pictures was with an investigator family. The son is 16 and was baptized in November, and hasn't really gone back to church since. His mother is the investigator and in my companions words she is "bien dura" because she just listens and listens and accepts pretty much everything. She's already received her answer about getting baptized, and she just won't make that last step to be baptized. So we thought it would be a good idea to take her and her family to the temple, and let the Spirit do the converting mwuahaha! She said she really liked it. Said it was really pretty and calm outside, since we could only show her around the outside. That was a great experience with all of us there, and we thought it helped alot. But we've visited them since and they aren't going to church when they say they will, and I don't want to say it, but I think they need to be dropped because we're just wasting our time there. If she has heard everything, we've used so many incredible scriptures, testified, the both of us a bagillion times of how much the gospel has helped us PERSONALLY in our lives, and she just won't do it, so I don't know.

But today we got to go to the temple, and do a session there and that was so cool. We actually got to do initiatories first before the endowments and that was cool too. It's crazy hearing everything said in Spanish. Such a testimony builder knowing, hearing, seeing, and living the gospel in a different language. Knowing that this has all been done by the graceful hands of Heavenly Father, blessing all nations, in their own tongue to hear His gospel. It was definitely something I will remember for all my life, and I'm definitely positive I'll go back multiple times more before my mission is over.

So let me talk about some Panamaña slang words which I have adapted into my vocabulary haha. These are the ones I've heard and pretty much use all of them: chuso, chuleta, ponchera, trambolo, chalavida, y otras. Chuso and chuleta are both like the equivalent of wow or crap or something like that haha, hard to explain. Ponchera is a term for people who are acting disobedient haha. That's one of my favorites cuz I say it to Jarquin when he looks at the chicas "Ay ponchera loco man" haha :) Another term is tronkey, which is like for all missions everywhere, which means someone who talks about going home from their mission, or counting down the days, kinda like homesick I guess, pretty funny. Also used alot with my lovely companion, cuz he goes home in 2 weeks haha.

I also want to talk about my last name, Kniff. People certainly cannot pronounce it here either. I had so much hope for these people and "mi apellido" which means last name, but alas, my hope was shattered. I've heard more variations than I thought possible haha, Kanees, Knife is used alot, Niff, and my favorite, "Chalavida, ¡como se dice eso?" haha :) But it's all good, I've been blessed to carry the name Kniff in my life.

So last p-day was awesome! Right after I wrote my email home, we went to get food and I ran into Goodson! So sweet, he's doing really well, had a baptism last week actually and he got to do it, 14 year old girl. Then right after that I saw Clark! MTC reunion! It was really great to see those guys again, it seems like forever since I've seen them, and it was only like 3 weeks haha. I've almost been here a month now, this week voy a cumplir mi primer mes en Panamá. It's actually gone by really fast.

Another point to address, loved ones, all who read this, don't be surprised when I return from my mission and I've ballooned up to 300 pounds haha, I already can tell I've gained weight, even though my legs are rock hard from all the massive lomas we climb every day. I'm sure I'll have to buy bigger pants haha. But I dont want to think about that, I'll probably just sweat it all off.

What else...Jarquin is certainly ready to go home haha, and I know I will be too at that point in the mission. I wonder who my next companion will be? Weird I'll have 2 trainers, which isn't normal. I wonder if it will be a gringo or another native? Probably a Latino again, because my mission president told me "¡Élder, estoy muy imprecionado con su progreso y Español, buenísimo elder!" haha. So I'm sure he'll stick me with more Latinos that speak no English. But that's ok with me, that's the best challenge I can ask for. It's sad to look at companionships of 2 gringos that talk to each other completely in English.

Oh, another note, Roy this is for you since you are in charge of music for the ward; use Hymn 335, either in Sacrament or in Priesthood meeting, it's way good.  I heard it here in Spanish, it is a men's choir song though.

Last point I'll touch on was my first real rejection as a missionary from an investigator. We went to meet with a family to teach a lesson this week, and the son comes to the fence and tells us "Mi mamá quiere que ustedes no regresen" which simply means, get lost haha cuz we dont want to hear the Mormon stuff anymore. It was pretty sad actually, I've only taught them once, on my 2nd day, but to be told that is like, bam slapped in the face. But we really need to find more people to teach, I wish we had more referrels, cuz getting a baptism from contacts is next to impossible, cuz this area is crazy Catholic, like devout Catholics. But as our motto in the mission says "¡Siempre fuertes!" and that is what I will be.

I love you all. Hope you had a great week, and this week can be just as good, better, and the best of your life! haha that's quite a statement :)

Love, Elder Gregg Kniff