Yes, yes this really is heaven. This week flew by, and we had some cool experiences to fly by with it. There still aren't any buses due to the roadblocks, but things might get better. We were worried for a second because, if things got worse, we wouldn't have transfers (meaning I would be in Buena Vista for 6 months while only having 2 companions.) It should all turn out fine though.
José Fajardo
First off, we met one of the star players for Panamá's national soccer team! He is really cool and absolutely ripped (refering to his muscles for those who aren't quite up to date on the slang the kids use these days.) We got a few photos with him and then just talked with him and the family. He showed us some of his highlights which are amazing. He also plays for D.C. United. His "mother-in-law" and "wife" (not actually married but say they are) are both members, though, due to an interesting situation, both are inactive in the church. Very sad. We tried to share a message with him, but, alas, he was not the most interested guy. Still super cool.
Zone Conference
We finally were able to leave our area and go to the city! It was a great Zone Conference and we learned a lot. I was able to talk and do some practices with a missionary who is just an all around Christlike guy. We made a balloon animal for an object lesson. It was supposed to end up looking like a dog, (mine never really ended up looking like a dog, more like a chimpanzee sleeping.) We had our interviews with President and had some great conversations. He told me if we have transfers I will probably be transfered out of Buena Vista. He still is going to pray about it, so we'll see. I met the cousin of Elder Fergus which was fun. He's waiting for his visa so he can go to Mexico. (I met Elder Fergus in the MTC and apparently everyone in Panamá knows him. He's an awesome guy.)
English Class gone wrong... again
Well, I would like to say this wasn't my fault, but it was. Sorry mom. I managed to convince the branch that Ariana Grande is my ex-girlfriend. It started out with writing random sentences to have the class translate into English. They wanted a hard one, so I gave them a hard one. And here we are. In my defense, I didn't think they'd believe me.
Thanksgiving!
It was the first Thanksgiving on the mission and was a great day. Being able to focus on gratitude is always an amazing experience. We talked a lot about being thankful for Christ and His Atonement, even though no one here knows what Thanksgiving is, it's the thought that counts. We got a great dinner of rice and chicken to satisfy our Thanksgiving meal cravings, so it all turned out all right. I also was able to call the family which is always awesome. They're growing up so fast... Mckay is going to be taller than me (very soon,) and Hunter has already passed me in the race for the best hair (I don't know 100% about that one, this buzz cut does make me look like a very good looking old man...) The fact that McKay will be in high school soon and Hunter is getting ready for his mission is crazy to think about. Time works different on the mission. It's like you cram a week into a day and a day into a week. That doesn't really make sense.
Birthday
Another first on the mission! It was a great day full of hard work. Elder Johnson kept telling people it was my birthday which lead to one of our friends to having her cousin making a Nutella cake and bringing it to our lesson. I won't complain. We had some really cool activities and gave out A LOT of pastries from the bakery to the members of the church and then just random people on the street, telling them they had to remember Jesus Christ. We gave a study class to one of our members named Hector, and it has been really cool to see his progress. When I got here he would sleep through church and never take anything seriously. Through time and some experiences he had with the Spirit he has become so much better. He asked us to come by regularly to teach him how to study with the Gospel Library app and how to study in general. He also made a cake which was really good. His family is so awesome and are just amazing people. His son is 4 yrs old and is my favorite. The kids here just make you smile.
That's pretty much it. We have a friend named José who is doing well. He agrees with a lot of the things we teach and wants to come to church. Sadly, sleep won him over yesterday, but we have hope for next Sunday. Mahali has come to church 3 times now and loves the doctrine about families. She has even made some good friends (especially a girl named Made, because they both speak decent English.) And Nayeli is consistantly coming to church and has a good friend as well. This branch needs a lot of work, but both God's plan and timing are perfect. God loves everyone perfectly, He has prepared a way to return and live with Him (which requires effort and sacrifice,) and has given us the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, so that we can acccomplish this plan in His divine way. I know these things are true. I invite anyone who may not have Christ at the top of their priorities to make it so. (Meaning daily efforts to have the Spirit and become more like Christ.) Love y'all!
Elder Nelson
