I really don't think you'll guess it right. This gift will live on for a very long time, depending on a number of variables. The food he eats, the exercise he does, etc. No! I didn't get a pet puppy! I wish. Even better. A Kuna woman in my ward here just had a baby like a month ago, named Aaron. One of her little daughters comes up to me and starts whispering in my ear and says "So, my mom wants to know if she has your permission to name my little brother after you..." HAHA! YES! She said that she loved the name Kniff when she heard it, (Kuna's are weird like that.) So the new boy's name is literally Aarón Kniff Pérez. Can you believe that? I have a little Kuna kid named after me. That family will never forget me now, because my name will live on through that little munchkin. Awesome. The whole situation was just really funny, I loved it.
I'm officially an adult now, 21 years old. I can do anything the world offers me, too bad I don't care about any of those things. I felt the love on my birthday, that's for sure. I got lots of cards from all of you, my family; a package, people calling me here from my last area, members taking me out to dinner to celebrate. It was awesome. That was my second and last birthday in the mission, weird to think that. My last one was on San Blas dancing around and eating a chocolate cake that I made myself that turned out pretty ugly, but tasted delicious. I love you all very much, thank you for being so diligent in your letter and email writing. I have the reputation in this mission for the missionary that gets the most mail. Awesome right? That's your guys' fault. :)
This was a great week, last full week for my comp Elder Meyer. He's ready to go, and not, at the same time, just like every missionary. His thought is that "I'm ready to stop being a missionary, but I wouldn't mind sticking around in Panama for another month or so." I don't know how I'll feel over the coming weeks; that I can now count on my fingers! AHH! I told him that he's starting out the week in Panama, but ending it in Texas, that's a weird thought.
I meant to talk about something last week, but I forgot. Remember 2 weeks ago when I talked all about wearing crosses? Well, that guy Luis Carlos, no longer wears it to church. When we went over to his house again, he told us that he thought about it a lot and talked to the bishop for a long time. He decided that he is officially a member of our church now and doesn't want to be one foot in the LDS church and the other in the Catholic church. He told us that from now on when he goes to church "que la cruz se queda en la casa". When he said that I just felt this great feeling come over me. He's realizing that he doesn't need it to be a true follower of Christ, and he told us that even. This whole experience has really taught me what it means to be a disciple of Christ, in appearance and in works. It's one thing to say you are by throwing on a big necklace, and another to show people you are by how you live your life. He's progressing really well.
We have a Nicaraguan couple that we're teaching now with members that live right next door because they rented the house out to them. They're cool people; have a baptismal date for the end of this month. To help them and the family next door who is a bit less active, we've started doing weekly Family Home Evenings every Saturday. They're really fun, sharing a short message/video, and then playing this sweet drawing game that I think I've mentioned before. Doing so ensures that this couple, her baby boy (who now loves me, and before wouldn't even shake my hand!), and her baby on the way, have friends in church and will stay active after baptism and missionaries changing areas. Working with the members almost is guaranteed success, if both parties put in the effort.
At church I started flipping through my New Testament question-answering Bible, and landed on the story of Pontius Pilate and Christ being presented before His crucifixion. This story is like the modern day example of exactly what peer pressure is. Here this guy, says "I see no fault in This Man...", but fearing the opinions of his "peers" and followers, he conceded and sent the Savior to His death. He at first defended Him, knowing that by law he really had done nothing to deserve to be sent to death. But he feared. He didn't want to disappoint the people. He put God back in his head, and sent His Son even farther back behind his own conscience. Everyone, learn from this example. Do not care what the majority vote may be if the answer from the Spirit has already confirmed to you that you are to defend the truth and right. Don't fear man more than fearing God. He will ALWAYS be right, and man is imperfect. Don't drink just because "well, everyone else is doing it...and I want them to accept me". That's exactly what Satan wants you to feel, the need to be accepted by man being more important than God's acceptance.
I've learned a lot lately from a little book that my aunt sent me by John Bytheway called "How to be Totally Miserable". It's a great book with lots of wonderful quotes. One that caught my attention was "It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him." Abraham Lincoln said it, and last time I checked, he wasn't a Mormon (at that time at least, haha). We are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, direct descendants from His presence. Never forget that either. Hard to feel unimportant and unnecessary when you realize that you are a child of God, the greatest being that exists in this entire universe.
I invite you all to read that chapter that I was talking about, John 19:1-16, and Moroni 9:8-10 is super creepy. The last few books chapters in the Book of Mormon are incredibly sad because we watch together with Mormon and Moroni the fall of a once great nation, leading them to eventual destruction and even cannibalism. Reading the Book of Mormon in English or Spanish is one of the most rewarding times during the day, do it.
I love you all again. Have an excellent week, you decide whether or not it will be.
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