A lot has happened in this week and a half and sadly my memory is comparable to that of a baboon so I don't know how chronologically accurate this email will be.
Personas Bendecidas
Best for first, I extended two baptisimal invitations and they both accepted! One was with Elder Long during an exchange. His name is Ernesto and he is very cool. I extended the invitation and he was very firm in his desire to be baptized. It's amazing how this gospel changes lives and builds faith! The other was with a friend named Yair. We have been teaching him for my entire time here and he has learned so much! He really wants to change his life and begin God's covenant path. He also was very firm in his desire and even shared his testimony of this gospel with us! He is amazing and has persevered through a lot. I can testify of God's power and hand in this work! Though I have improved a lot in my Spanish, it still isn't the best. Whenever I teach or extend invitations I know what I need to say and my Spanish improves immmensely. Missionary work is the best!
Ice Cream guy!
So we get ice cream twice a week now. That may not have been the original goal, but somehow we just find ourselves there. The super cool thing is that we're teaching him! Kind of! He has a lot of questions and he is interested in what we do. We've taught him about who missionaries are and what we do. We've taught about hymns and the power of good music. We've taught him about the characteristics of the Holy Ghost and the importance of His guidance in out lives. His church has told him a lot of things about us which are so far from the truth. As we answer his questions he keeps saying, "Wow, you guys aren't crazy. You're actually kind of normal," or "that makes a lot of sense. I've never thought about it that way." He really likes what our church is teaching and is going to study our teachings through the Gospel Library app!
Stake Conference
We had stake conference this past sunday (the whole district of Colón meets to hear from leaders and talks given by members) We had 75 people from our branch attend which is way more than the amount that usually comes to church, so that was a miracle. We rented a Diablo Rojo (American school buses painted and called "red devils,") to help members make the trip out to Colón, which was weird because it was blasting christian music. I say that they should do that every time, so while your losing your hearing you can at least have a good message. There were so many people that we filled up the chapel, the gym, the stage, and two overflow rooms! We were scrambling all over trying to fit as many chairs as possible and there was still more people. President Forsberg (our mission president) gave a great talk and even introduced himself to our recent convert Jhunior and to Yair as well! The stake patriarch gave his testimony in Spanish and Dulegaya which was so cool. Overall, 'twas a fantastic conference. On the way back our diablo rojo made a noise like a gun shot and the entire bus shook. The driver just kept going, and we arrived back to the church fine, but we were tilted at a 45 degree angle the entire time. He had blown a shock and so we were all leaning to the right the entire trip. What made it even worse was that a friend of some members took that opportunity to start flirting with me. If you have blue eyes here, your going to get harrassed. If you have blue eyes and blonde hair, they tend to be very forward to say the least. Good thing I don't understand Spanish. My companion told me that basically I don't want to know what she was saying.
A long walk
We went out to do contacting before lunch and we decided to go down a street called Santa Cruz. We made a lot of good contacts and decided to keep going until a Diablo Rojo came. Our plan was to work until one passed by then take it back to the house. The problem was is that as we walked further and further down the street, there was no diablo in sight. Finally after 2 hrs of walking and sweating more than an ape on a Tuesday, we found out that there really is an end to Santa Cruz! We could be the first missionaries to grace that area! The problem was that we were in the middle of the jungle with a house every 15 min or so... A Diablo decided to show up right before we had lost all hope and it took us back. Probably wasn't the most intelligent of ideas.
Intercambios
As I mentioned earlier, I had exchanges with Elder Long and learned so much. He is our Zone Leader and is a cool guy. He plays for BYU lacross and teaches really well. Also, this area used to he an hermana area but they moved to a different area. The elders there got to move into their apartment and it is NICE. They have a couch and a nice bathroom! It was nice to have water pressure (or water in general) for a day. We taught a lot of great lessons and I was able to experience the great area of Cristóbal.
Soccer Guys
We play soccer with some locals each morning, and this past game I channeled my inner Messi and scored a hatrick
They are super fun to play with and we got a good picture with all of them. Our zone also got matching custom jerseys for recuerdos!
They are super fun to play with and we got a good picture with all of them. Our zone also got matching custom jerseys for recuerdos!For p day this week went to Puertobelo which is an old fort and museum with a ton of cultural artifacts and exhibits. It is right on the ocean and the water is deep blue. It was so cool and we got to see a lot of the Panamanian culture. I wanted to buy a hand-carved oar, but my mom said no. Makes sense, it was $98. I'm guessing the $500 congo del diablo mask is also a no 
. That is a really cool part of the culture that I can't explain, so you can use your imagination. Another awesome thing is the sombreros pintados. They're special hand-woven panamanian hats that every cool missionary has. Alas I am not considered a cool Elder. Yet. They're $210 for a good one...
. That is a really cool part of the culture that I can't explain, so you can use your imagination. Another awesome thing is the sombreros pintados. They're special hand-woven panamanian hats that every cool missionary has. Alas I am not considered a cool Elder. Yet. They're $210 for a good one...Mola!
I ordered three mola ties from a Kuna member named Marquesa and am so excited! Im getting a BYU tie, Georgia (UGA) tie, and a Panamá tie! It's too bad that I won't be able to wear them for two years, but the chance that I'll be in Colón again is very slim. (It is a lot harder to order ties from other zones. A very long process.)
The mission started off so hard, but now I am so happy and am loving the work. Everything hasn't become perfect and there still are anxieties and hard times, but I have learned to love the Lord and adjust to the circumstances He gives me. I love being able to be close to my Savior and to be able to serve Him every day. My studies have helped me learn so much and constant prayer has allowed me to have so many powerful spiritual experiences. I'm so blessed to be in the position that I am and am so content with being on the Lord's errand! I have been trying to read all of President Russell M Nelson's talks and it has been so spiritually edifying. Each talk increases my testimony that he is a prophet of the Lord and directed by Jesus Christ. Definitely recommend studying his words!
A lot more definitely happened but I can't remember so hopefully this will suffice. Thanks for your love and support!
Your's truly,
Elder Nelson
The soles of his boots totally fell off in a rain storm.
And a chicken...
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