Week #2 in Panama!

Hello all!!!

I cant believe I will have already been here for two weeks tomorrow. Dad, it does feel like its going fast in a way. So much has happened since Ive left home though so it kinda feels slow in a way too haha. Regardless, its wonderful. Im going to try and be smarter with my email time and share the important parts of my week first and then do details later if I have time. I didnt bring my journal this time because I realized how sad Id be if I lost it between here and home somehow so Im just going to keep it at home from now on and just try to email based on memory haha. But dont worry, anything I forget to tell you I wrote about in my journal so you can just go back and read it in a year and a half haha.

So first of all, I realized that last week I didnt tell you anything about the food here. Its actually super nice because we only have to provide breakfast for ourselves and then members make us dinner and lunch every day. I love the food here. It could be because Im so hungry by the time we eat that anything will taste fantastic to me, but either way I really love the food. Im going to get so fluffy here. I can already feel my body expanding from the mountains upon mountains of rice that we eat almost every meal. Im pretty sure Im going to always have to have rice in the house when I get home because I am in love with it right now. Either that or Ill be so sick of it that I wont even be able to look at it haha. But my favorite part of the day, aside from bedtime, is when we are walking to or from dinner at night and the streets are just filled with the smell of rice cooking. I love it. I love Panama. I hope I always love it this much. So we eat a lot of pollo and rice and pasta. However, Ive already had fish twice haha. The Lord helped me a lot during those two meals because it literally looks like they chop the fishs head off, fry it in a pan, and put it on your plate. It wasnt bad though because one of the elders showed me to just squeeze a lemon over it and all you can taste is the lemon because theyre so strong here. A member gave me three lemons yesterday and it made me so happy. AND she had salt so I was able to have salt for the first time since Ive been here. They dont use salt here at all haha so thats been rough. Sugar is also pretty scarse haha. Nothing like the states. But its fantastic.

Okay now about church. The chapel is actually fairly normal. The actual chapel has air conditioning which is wonderful. But the classrooms dont. And neither does my house by the way mom. We each have our own fan though so that helps a lot. I have not had to bear my testimony in church yet. Probably because theyve all already heard my testimony over and over because its the only thing I can really say in lessons when we teach haha.

Corsons house is way nicer than mine by the way haha. But I love my house and feel super comfortable there. Like I said, the Lord is helping me SO MUCH. We have only cold showers and will always have only cold showers. Be grateful for the warm ones that you have Corson! However, I dont mind the cold showers because its a relief from the heat.

I sweat a lot here so thats why Im always shiny in my pictures haha. Im constantly sweaty. And as a result, my skin hates Panama. But good news! This is apparently a problem for like all gringos here and my comp is taking me to a dermatologist that they go to tomorrow so Im super excited for that.

I love the rain here. The thunder is my favorite and it rains sooo hard. I love walking in it. I just smile the whole way. The rain is the greatest.

I made a decision this past week to try really hard to just always be happy while Im here on my mish. Im going to face some really challenging things, I know that, but I also know from talking to other missionaries who are older in the mish that your attitude makes all the difference. So Im determined to have a positive attitude and to make the best of every situation. Im not okay with looking back on my mish after Im done and having regrets so Im deciding right now just as Im getting started to make it as great as it can possibly be.

We read in my comps journal last night of the entries from when she first got here and it sounds almost IDENTICAL to mine right now. It really inspired me and helped me to see that everything Im feeling is absolutely normal and that nearly everyone feels the same way when just starting out. Shes so great though and I asked her if she is happy with her mission and she said she really is. I want to be able to say that when I turn a year old.

My Spanish is coming slowly but surely. This week we are going to work really hard on it. I realized earlier this week how much I miss talking to people and connecting with them, so Im determined to learn this language so I can do that again!!

Well I think thats about the jist of my week. I hope I answered all of your questions! I want to send a few pictures and possibly respond to you guys a couple of times if youre on.

Also. You can send packages here, mom, to the address my mission mom sent you. So I was wondering if you could send me a few things sometime this month. Can you buy (with my money) the cheapest ipod shuffle that there is? I say cheapest because they charge you dues here if you ship in stuff thats worth a lot. So just the cheapest one that they make. And before you send it, will you load it up with uplifting music, church music, talks, and my 2013 EFY CD that should be in my stuff somewhere please? My comp has one and a speaker and we listen to it every morning and I love it so just in case my next comp doesnt have one Id really like to have one of my own. And I can get a speaker here so dont worry about that. Also, in the same package, can you send me some more skirts? like 4 or 5 from goodwill or like half price day. Maybe just bring whit with you and if they go to her mid calf, they should be a good length. ... Buy all this with my money including shipping. Thank you soooo much. And let me know when you send it so I can watch out for it.

Whit, whats your email again? I keep wanting to attach you to these but I cant remember your email address. Also, its now september so Ill be expecting my next batch of pictures of my nephews!!! You can send them in moms pkg for me if you want :) please and thank you!!!

I love and miss you all so much and I hope youre all doing GREAT!

Love,
Hermana Anderson