Weekly email baby!

What a flippin week, let me tell ya.

 

I've never felt such a wide range of emotions in such a short amount of time. All from fun, laughing, singing with Elder Clarke my new Penonomé friend that replaced Elder Pfister; from those fun emotions to absolute fury, annoyance, wanting to rip my mini missionary's head off, haha. It's certainly interesting. But I'll get to that all later, I won't tell you all the details of that, that's for my journal and God in my prayers only.

 

On another note, I've gotten really good at making funny faces at little children on the buses. People naturally stare at me anyways just for being a white guy in a sea of brown, so I might as well give them a reason to stare, (just like my mom says.) SO when the little kids look back at me and don't look away, I'm constantly sticking my tongue out, just overall making faces that look inhuman, haha. I can usually get them to laugh and play along, which is the general goal to make the bus ride pass faster. I enjoy it and they love it, so it's a win-win. Then other people start to stare at me as I'm making faces at little kids, and they either laugh as well, or think I'm some kind of pervert, hahaha. Oh well, who doesn't want a creepy tall, blonde, white dude making weird faces at their little children?? :P

 

I've thought quite a bit lately, because of the conference messages that we hear every 6 months from the Prophet and his apostles, the importance we have to recognize being literal CHILDREN of God. Because He allowed us to come to this earth to be tried and tested, we have the godlike potential to become like our Father in Heaven. We can ALL become gods, each and every one of us, if we follow and keep the commandments that He has placed and keep the sacred covenants we make with him. And we keep those covenants for our ENTIRE life, not just a few years, or every once in a while when we feel like it. We need to keep and protect those promises we've made with our Heavenly Father every single day of our entire lives, no debate. I've met too many people on my mission that take these covenants so lightly, like "oh yeah I was baptized, mhmm..." or "Yeah, back when I was Mormon...". I'm sorry, there is not "back when I was a Mormon". You make a covenant with God to be faithful to the end of your days and represent our Lord Jesus Christ at all times and in all places. We have the potential to be like unto our Father, just as any kid wants to grow up to be like his mortal father. If I grow up to me half the man my father is, how loving and caring he is to everyone, I will be a lucky man. Obviously this life is tough, we all know that, and some people have lives that are tougher than others, but who cares? If we put our faith in Christ and believe that they will be "solo por un breve momento" like He promised to Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, we can be exalted and triumph over our enemies, whomever or whatever they may be. We must endure in patience as well, never losing sight of the finish line. But in reality, in God's plan there is no finish line, nor starting line. It's not a race from one point to another, it's a circle. We must carry on and keep our eyes fixed on the non-visible finish line, back at the start. To go forward, we must go back to the start. Pretty trippy huh? ;). The first commandment is to love the Lord thy God with ALL of thine heart, and after is to love thy brother as well. I know there are people that really make me angry, as of recently it's easier to discover who they are, and it's hard to love them, but the Savior told me I need to love this street hoodlum from Panamá, so I need to do my best to love him.

 

What's cool about coming on Christmas time here in Panamá is that everyone paints their houses for the holiday season, and wild and crazy colors that us Americans would never think of doing. I like the individuality of these people, just deciding one day that you re going to paint your house like bright blue and green, just because you want to. It certainly makes it easier on the missionaries to find your house, when someone tells you to look for the "bright orange fire-colored house with the white trimming" haha.

 

I told you all before that I was made DL here, so I've decided to do divisions with Elder Clarke to get to know him better and check out his nice area right next to the church. He's a sweet dude, from American Fork, UT, and him and my old comp Elder Paskett were not only comps in the MTC, but they re from the same city, knew each other, kind of were friends, and dated the same girl, hahaha. So we've been talking a lot about Paskett lately. Also, he sings really well like Jensen, and we sang a hymn in a lesson, sounded so amazing. I haven't been with someone that sung that well ever on my mission, because Latins are all tone deaf. I'm going to try and see if Clarke, Jensen and I can sing a trio at the Christmas party with President as a zone, coming up soon. He reminds me a lot of my old ZL back in Panama Whitcomb, because they were comps together. They re a lot alike, hard workers that are constantly looking for ways to improve their teaching methods, self analyzation, stuff like that. I've never really analyzed myself so much, but I really should, see if I'm teaching to the very best of my ability so that my investigators develop a strong testimony and can learn and grow.

 

We passed up Thanksgiving last week, here in a country that barely even eats turkey, and definitely doesn't celebrate it. I am very thankful for many things this time of year: being on the mission, giving many thanks for my family. I don't think you all realize how much I actually love you. It's a lot. I want you to all know that, from the bottom of my heart. No wait, why would you be on the bottom of my heart? You're more like on the top of my heart. I tell you all that, from the TOP of my heart.

 

We did 2 cools things today, 1 was hiking up a mountain with the Institute and Seminary people and our sweet branch president to hoist up "el estandarte" like Captain Moroni did in the Book of Mormon, you know "For our country, our freedom, etc". We made a flag and planted it at the top, super fun trip, high up the mountain, and I got to play the role of Moroni and read the scripture.

Also today I realized how much I love America, as I cut grass with a machete. The lady was laughing at Clarke and I as we did so saying that it's so easy for us Americans back home using our fancy machines and what not. Dumb woman, lawn mowers were revolutionary inventions, people in Panama are just way behind the times. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen lawn mowers in this country. Using a machete is just so much work and it looks terrible at the end. I've gotten really patriotic being in Panama, like Max says, we really do live in the greatest country in the whole world, without a doubt.

I have my normal scriptures for you all, 2, with a bonus one just because, YOU WIN! Mosiah 4:11 which says how we're unworthy creatures compared to God. Alma 5:37-40 which asks us if we are God's sheep or the Devil's sheep, cool. And lastly Mormon 8:19-22 says that he who judges will also be judged accordingly. Read verse 22 specifically.

Love you all, have a wonderful week, I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN; WHERE AT LEAST I KNOW I'M FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!