Hola Familia,
Yo he completado 3 semanas en la tierra de los panemeñas y es bien loco haha.
That is the extent of the Spanish I'll use cuz I'm already running out of time on my email. Updates, the weather here is crazy hot everyday, I've never sweat so much in my life haha. This is their dry season, for like 2 months, then the rest is non- stop rain which will be interesting. I wrote down some points to touch on this email. There is an Hermana here, Hermana Carpintero who is really cool, misionera regrsa who feeds us really good food and when we go to her house she always says ¡élderes, no olviden a lavar sus manos ahorita! haha, which is nice that someone cares about cleanliness here. She told us something that I really liked which I will write in Spanish and y'all get to use google translate or whatever to figure it out if you don't already understand, she said "Elderes, prediquen que ustedes viven. No prueden predicar lo que no viven" which is really basic but true. I like her cuz I can understand almost everything she says even though she talks really fast.
So I'll also write about our investigators, we have a few but this area the people are very hard - hearted and don't care much about what we have to say. One guy I like in particular is a big guy about 70 years old, who has an incredible testimony, and has attended church for a year straight, but he can't be baptized cuz he is married to a lady he doesn't live with and is trying to get divorced but doesn't have the money and it's apparently a long process here. And the lady he lives with he's lived with for like 25 years haha. But hopefully I'll be around when he finally gets divorced, then married, then baptized cuz that would be awesome.
So last week, we went to that parade, Desfile, and it was pretty sweet. Lots of big floats and high school bands and parade stuff. There were only 54,000 plus people there! Crazy crowded.
Oh the big news I can report on is we're having an apostle for the first time with Presidente Ward. Russell M Nelson, who I just saw in the MTC haha but it's gonna be awesome, on the 19th I believe. Jarquin will still be here, he leaves like 6 days after, so lucky. And the fireside with him is only for the elders that are closest to Panama City. So I am lucky enough to be one of the like 125 elders who will be there.
Oh another awesome thing this week, I bought a Panama bolsa, which is a cool bright colorful bag that I use as my backpack now. I feel like a real Panamanian now, and it's way easier to use on the bus, cuz last week I kept hitting a lady in the head with my backpack haha.
Oh one more thing I want to talk about is Spanish hymns. In the Spanish himnario, there are certain hymns from English that aren't in it, and also some new hymns that aren't in English, which is weird. But one I found that is like God Be With You Till We Meet Again, called Plancentero no es trabajar, is really cool. Too bad everyone here is crazy tone deaf, its pathetic. The white elders like me seem to sing perfect and all the people in our ward like wale the songs haha, but it's all good. It's funny, you definitely can't do a direct translation of the hymns, cuz the melody would not work at all, cuz Spanish is a lot longer of words.
This P-day not really sure what we're gonna do, but hopefully we go to the temple next week or soon. If we do we would shift P-day to Tuesday just so you all know, cuz the temple here isn't open on Mondays.
But all is good here in mi ciudiad de San Miguelito. Spanish is progressing, I talked with the family of the recently released bishop in Spanish, and I actually talked alot, and people always say this one phrase that I dont know if I've mentioned but it is "Oh, pero usted habla bastante español" which just means like, "oh wow, youre pretty good for a gringo already", haha, which I like. Seriously like 15 people have said that too me. And the thing is I know quite a bit of Spanish, but knowing and speaking are 2 different things entirely, and understanding haha, that part is tough, but progressing everyday.
Barely got any sleep en la noche del Año Nuevo, with all the people and their fireworks haha. But all the festivities are over now and it's time to get back to work for them and for us elders. This year is gonna be good, the only time in my life unless I go with my wife years down the road where I will be a missionary 24/ 7 non stop for an entire year, that's pretty crazy to think, but I'm sure excited.
Oh, and we have another baptism coming up, another niñita same age, 9, on the 21st, hopefully. I have 2 scriptures for yall, one especially for my mom and dad, to remember me in their prayers, Moroni 8:3, and other one I thought was funny which makes me glad I'm not rich, Matthew 19:24.
Love you all have a wonderful week, ¡Felíz año nuevo!
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