Week #25 in Panama!

I have an hija!! Im training a brand new missionary! Her name is Hna M. and shes from Puebla, Mexico. Shes whiter than I am though so everyone thinks shes from the states haha. She doesnt know any english, which Im really loving because I missed speaking Spanish with my comp. Shes super sweet and doesnt even have a month in the mission yet because she was only in the CCM for 15 days. Shes the best and Im really blessed to have her as my hija! I was SOO excited when they told me Id be training because I knew itd be super cool to be doing it at the same time as Corson. Its been quite the transition though going from being comp menor to a comp who was finishing her mission to being comp mayor for the first time to a comp who just entered the mission field. Definitely not easy, but its an awesome learning experience. Im learning a lot of how much I really do know with the languge and the lessons, which makes me really happy. The gift of tounges has also helped A TON this past week, like Ive been able to see a literal difference. And its cool because itll come and go, so I know Im not just speaking or understanding from my own knowledge. So I went and got her on Tuesday and we started working right away on Wednesday and had a pretty good starter week for her. We did have to drop a few investigators, but this week we are really going to search hard for new, prepared and chosen people to teach. We know there are a lot waiting for us, we just have to do our part to find them! So on Saturday we had our monthly stake temple trip and M. was able to go and do baptisms for the first time! It was a really great temple vist for me personally, because I could feel the spirit so strongly and I really did not want to leave. The temple is such a special place. And then when we came outside after spending about 4 hours inside, we came out and found M. sitting alone under a tree on the temple grounds. We walked over to her and she asked if we were coming to sit with her. Of course we were and we found that she had been reading her new triplet she had just bought. She was reading D&C 89 about the word of wisdom. She told us she just didnt want to leave and also that she wants to get started on the work for her parents. It was a really special experience to sit there and share with her. I just love her! We also talked more about her mission. She looked at my comp and she told her shes going to go on a mission in just 4 years and she looks at me and shes like si or no? It was great. When they say that, its kinda like saying isnt that right? We had a really good day that day. The week itself was a little slow because I was a little trunky with J. and N. going home on Thursday. They were both just here a week ago with me and now theyre in the states! Super crazy and super trunky haha but I think the trunkiness has finally passed today haha. I spoke in Sacrament yesterday, for the second time. About missionary work. I think it went okay. Thats about the jist of my week! I love you all lots and hope you all have a fantastic week!! =)
Han. Anderson

Week #24 in Panama!

Hey guys!!

So since Hna J. is leaving along with my comp this week, we are on divisions so J. could come say bye to everyone in Nuevo Mejico. Im super excited to be able to do that with her. It should be a really good day. Im super sad that shes going to be leaving the misión this week though!! But thats how it Works I guess haha. You come you serve you go home. Craziness. Also, Ill be getting a new comp in a couple of days so thats exciting! Still in Colon though, but thats good too. =)

 

Sooooo Ill share about this awesome baptism weekend we had!! So M. was baptized on Saturday night. It was amazing. The spirit was SO so strong. I couldnt believe it. Ive never felt anything like that before. And then again yesterday when she was confirmed. It was amazing. I cant really write much about it because I cant put it into words, but it was a wonderful experience. That night I was thinking as I was writing in my journal how she was never our convert. She was always the Lords convert because He has prepared her soo much to make this covenant. Its like he just said okay hermanas heres one of my precios daughters who I have prepared, will you baptize her now? For real though, so perfectly prepared. Theres a stake temple trip this saturday and she got her recommend yesterday so she will be going to the temple for the first time!! Super exciting. And this past week when we would teach her she would just tell us that her dream is to go on a misión. We were like WOW! shes only known about the church for a month and she already wants to serve. Shes the best. Ill send pictures!

 

Nothing can really top that this week, so Ill just leave you all with that. But I love you all and hope you are all doing well!!! Miss you lots!!

 

Hna Anderson

Week #23 in Panama!

Well we are officially in the last week of the change. Super insane. I dont know how that happened. So my comp will be in her house next week along with Hna J. I remember talking to J. about it being 4 months away and now its next week! The mission goes too dang fast! You really cant afford to waste any of the time you get.

Anyway, this week was a great one. So we didnt get to teach M. all week until Sunday because she wasnt home since all that had been happening with her tia, so when we finally were able to teach her on Saturday my comp and I wanted to talk to her about her baptism and whether or not she felt prepared for it to happen in a week. We asked her and she said yes (because shes so stinkin prepared already by the Lord) and then we made a plan to go teach her every day starting Saturday until the day of her interview which will be Thursday so that we could make sure we taught everything to her clearly and thoroughly. So she will be ready come Saturday at 6pm! Im soo stinkin happy. My first baptism! And shes incredible! So chosen. They announced it in sacrament yesterday, which was super cool. Yesterday, we taught her after church and another one of her tias came in during the lesson and my comp asked her to join us so she did. We were teaching the plan of salvation combined with the law of chastity. It was a great lesson and by the end of it we had a fecha with the tia as well! Its great. So I have to tell you guys this. Theres this little part in our missionary schedule that I havent been very diligent in keeping during my mission. Its the part from 6:30-7:00am when we are supposed to work out. I had convinced myself that it wasnt so much a regla as it is a suggestion haha so I didnt always do it. Mostly never actually. Then we had an AWESOME capacitacion on Wednesday with President and the APs and we talked about the schedule and how every part is important and we should be obedient to ALL of it. So I decided from then on out that I would do everything I could to follow it exactly, including working out. And I did and the difference I have felt since then has been incredible. I feel like Im a lot more in tune to the spirit and I can understand so much more Spanish! My teaching flowed a lot more smoothly, too. My comp starting doing the same thing, following the schedule more exactly and as a companionship we have already seen so many blessings from it. My testimony on obedience has grown SO much this week. Its SO important. 

This change has really changed everything for me. The way I look at things is so much different. I had a dream last night that Corson and I went home just for like a week long visit, because I have those dreams everyone once in a while haha, and I was sitting at the table with Whit and shes like I dont know what to talk to you about because youre so different now. Hahaaa obviously thats a little depressing and wont happen, so dont worry whit. BUT I do feel like Im changing a lot and hopefully all for the better. As I learn more and more about the gospel I just have a stronger and stronger desire to be better. I love it and I know that the Lord still has soo much for me to learn. The gospel of Jesus Christ is SO true and the Lord can and does change hearts!

I love you all so much and I hope you have a fantastic week!

Hna Anderson

Week #22 in Panama!

I tell my comp I just want to sleep at least once a day. haha. For so many reasons this change has just been wearing me out! Its good though, because that means Im progressing and the work is going. Lets see. 

So on Thursday we had a movie night planned with the YW and our investigator M. While we were at the members house waiting for the girls to get there, I called M. to see what time she would be getting there and she answered crying saying she couldnt because her aunt died. So we went straight over there and it was super weird because she was really upset but none of her family was acting phased at all or paying much attention to her. Not in a mean way, even though it seemed that way. We found out later that the aunt of R. that M. lives with is her grandma, not her mom like we thought. Her parents actually both died when she was really young. And the side of the family that she lives with isnt the same side as the one that the aunt who died is from. If that makes sense. So we ended up going to her grandmas house, from the aunts family, with her so she wouldnt have to go alone. My comp knew exactly what to do and say to the family when we got there so even though it was a really sad situation, we felt the spirit so strongly and we could tell they did too. It was really good that we were able to go there with her. She didnt come to church yesterday because she was still over there with her family, but she came back last night so we should be able to visit her tomorrow. We now understand a little better why shes soo prepared for the gospel. 

We left for Panama that same night and got to the hermanas house at about 10. We went to the temple the next morning and spent the day up there in Panama afterwards. We went to a baptism of a little girl in the Cardenas ward that night, which is the mission presidents ward. Its bilingual because theres so many gringos in the ward. There was a lot of english being spoken there and it felt like a ward in america. It was super weird for me. haha. I actually didnt like it, probably because it wasnt the Panama Im used to and it was pretty trunky for me. The baptism was great though.

We went to the temple again on Saturday because it was Colons temple day. So two days in the temple last week! It was great. Thats about all I can think of right now. It was a pretty busy week!! I hope you all have a great week this week! I love and miss you tons!!!

Hna Anderson

Week #21 in Panama!

I cant believe its already the 12th! This change is going so stinkin fast. I also think its because we have a TON of investigators and a lot of stuff has happened this change and also because my comp is <completing her mission and going home soon>. There are a few things I wanted to tell you guys about this past week though! It actually went super slow, ironically. It feels like last Monday was a lifetime ago. It wasnt the easiest week of my mission, thats for sure, but I learned so so much.

So lets see. First of all, we had four fechas all last week, which was super awesome. Its the most I've had at one time since Ive been here. Its great. We have like 11 people this week that we are going to ask to accept a fecha, so we are really excited to see what the week has in store. Anyway, of our 4 fechas, only one of them stayed in tact because only one came to church yesterday. But shes GOLDEN! Shes 15 and shes a cousin of one of the members and she is SO prepared!! The first time we taught her was a couple of weeks ago. Her name is M. When we met and taught her for the first time, we were actually there to contact her mom, because her cousin the member gave us the reference for her aunt. If that makes sense. But her mom was not interested haha so we taught a super brief lesson to M. and her older two sisters. The two older sisters were fun, but not super serious about listening to us, but when we asked if we could come back M. spoke up out of nowhere and said yes when are you coming? She is super super prepared. We were a little worried about her not understanding our purpose as missionaries and what it means to be a member of the church. But in our third lesson with her, we taught her alone and we could tell that she totally gets it and is so excited to accept the gospel into her life. She has a fecha for the 31st of this month, and she was the one who came to church yesterday, so shes progressing super well and super quickly! Her mom gave her permission right away, so we are just going to keep teaching her and make sure shes ready by her fecha. We are so excited. We are having a movie night to watch the prince of egypt with her and the other YW this thursday. Its going to be great. 

We have a lot of other really positive people that we are working with right now, too, so we are really feeling things happening and changing in this area. Its amazing. We have found some families, too, which is so great! Im excited to let you know more about them next week once we teach them again. We are going to the temple on Friday!! Yay! So far Ive been able to go at least once with all of my comps, so its been pretty awesome having the temple so close. My comps members from the island she was at before are coming in to do all sorts of different things there on Friday, so we will probably be there for the majority of the day. Perfect. We are actually going up to stay with the Hnas who work in that area on Thursday night after the movie night so we dont have to wake up so early on Friday. Its going to be great. 

Well thats about it for now. I hope you all are happy and doing well!! I love and miss you all TONS!!! 

Love,

Hna. Anderson

Week #20 in Panama!

Hello all!

We are officially in 2015. How cool is that? I love it. Im super excited for this year. Its our mission year Corson! One full calendar year that we will have in the mission. And its gonna be a great one. So Im going to send a lot of pictures today since I didnt get to last week and Ive taken a ton these past two weeks. But Ill just give you a brief little update on how things have been going.

My comp is teaching me A LOT. Its really great, even though its hard because sometimes I wonder what the heck Ive been doing for the last six months because theres sooo much that I still dont know haha. But Im working on being patient with myself and just learning as much as I can right now. We worked hard this past week and placed two fechas. One with H., whos the neighbor of the bishop. Hes in his twenties or so and its just him, he doesnt have any family here. Hes soo receptive and we are teaching him tonight again at the bishops house. He came to church yesterday, too, which was great! The other fecha is with a joven named A. Hes 18 and hes super receptive too. We only taught him once, on saturday, but he understood the restoration really well and we are excited to teach him again this week. He didnt come to church, but we know he will come this week! We have some super intense goals for this week. We have a goal to place 19 fechas, or at least ask the question because we cant control how they answer. We can only have faith that they will accept! We have that many investigators who have the potential of being baptized so we have made it our goal this week to teach all of them and attempt to place a fecha with each one. We should be VERY tired by the end of this week, but it will be a really great tired. =) Like after a day at the beach.

Okay the rest I can show you through pictures and tell you a little more about my week that way. I hope you all had an awesome new years and that youve all set some great new years resolutions!

I love and miss you all tons!

Love,

Hna Anderson

Week #19 in Panama!

This was the LONGEST week of my mission. For so many reasons. Mostly because it was Christmas week and my leg was nasty. Anyway, I will start at the beginning. On tuesday we had a normal work day and my leg was kinda hurting but not unbearable. Then we got home that night and it started to burn. Like fire in my leg. Then it started to burn in my ankle and I realized the infection, which started in my knee, was moving down my leg. So we called the mission nurses and asked them if we should be concerned about the pain moving down my leg and my leg swelling a ton. They said that we needed to go to the hospital right away and not wait. So I started to get nervous tummy because Ive never gone to the hospital like that for something. and we are in a foreign country. So we had to call the ZLs to go with us because it was super late and we were going to ghetto Colon where the hospital was. But we went and they gave me an IV and a prescription for antibiotics in pill, cream, and butt shot form. So I was good to go. So when we finally got home we had to call the nurses back to let them know what happened and they banned me from working. That was sad. So I wasnt allowed to work for the rest of the week. On Wednesday, we had a zone meeting so we went to that and then went to the rey to buy christmas eve snacks and the lines were terrible and I about died standing there forever and then I understood why they banned me from working haha. So for the rest of that day, we were in the house studying spanish and just trying to pass the time haha. We were supposed to go do the caroling but I couldnt so we just went to the christmas dinner at the members house the night. Then we came home, ate junk, and opened gifts. At midnight the fireworks started and we went outside along with quite a few other people in the neighborhood to watch. Everyone was all feliz navidad feliz navidad! it was fun. Then the next day we skyped! Yay! That was fun. A little tough. but it was cool. It kinda takes you back to that world for a bit, which is hard, but it was good to see and talk to everyone. I wasnt satisfied afterwards though, but everyone tells me all missionaries feel that way after their first call haha. So apparently Im normal. So friday was a blah day. The day after Christmas always seems to be that way. And its even worse in the mission. Still couldnt work. Saturday we spent the whole day in the chapel for an activity for the ward. We helped decorate, we were there for the actual activity, and we helped clean up. So it became an all day thing. It was great though and a lot of people came. Yesterday we got to work!!! So that was great. We had a few really good lessons. And now we are here! So Im ready to begin a new week and I am SOOO excited to 
start 2015. I cannot wait to get out of December. This month has been sooo stinking long. Im ready to move on! So I was talking to my comp this morning and we were talking about her going home in like a month and a half and I was saying how something I imagine will happen when I finally hug my parents after the mission is that I think I will physically just collapse because on the mission you just feel so strained in every way all the time so that moment when it comes to an end will just be like letting out a big breath. I dont know if that makes sense haha but it totally did to my comp. Anyway, thats about all I have for this last week. It was long but it was quite the experience. I hope everyone had a GREAT christmas!!!

Hana Anderson