WEEK 41- FELIZ NAVIDAD!!

Feliz Navidad!!

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and that everyone was able to stay safe and enjoy time together as a family! It was so great to be able to skype home and talk to my family on christmas morning! Isn't christmas the best?!

Christmas here in Panama is mainly celebrated on Christmas Eve with lots of parties and loud music! At 12 in the morning Christmas they shoot of so many Fireworks and everyone goes from neighbor to neighbor sharing food and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and then open their presents and eat there big meal as a family! It was really neat to be able to celebrate christmas here and to see such a difference in cultures! I loved it even if it wasn't exactly like home :)

We were able to find these 3 little Old ladies this past week! Carmen and Theodora are the daughters of Publia and they are just the sweetest! We left them a restoration paphlet and the read it and then we had an awesome discussion with them on Prophets and the Book of Mormon! It was so great! They are always to welcoming and want to talk with us and always pray for us and out families! Hna Publia sends her hellos to all the family! She is just so cute! 

Gissi decided to push her baptismal date back to the 16 of January so we are here praying that she continues to come and become strengthened enough to be self sufficient on how not to rely on going to church with her aunt!

Familia Vargas have their papers and are going to get their medical exams this week! Hopefully they will be baptized within the next week or so!! We also talked to their oldest son and he said that he wanted to be baptized with his family as well!! It is just going to be so beautiful! 

Thank you all for your love and support! I love you all so much and hope each and everyone of you have a wonderful New years!!

Les Quiero Mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Picture of me in a huge hole :) We started helping the Elders with this service project of digging two 10ft holes for a member. Thats me 7ft down picking aways at the dirt! So much fun! In the to Corner Elder Hernandez from Honduras.

The other picture is me saying goodbye to Patrick at the airport :) 

WEEK 40- Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!! 

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Holiday season and all that it brings! It is so great to be remember the birth of our Savior and all the blessings we have in our lives thanks to His birth! 

Bueno This week was a long one! But then again when you are working everyweek is! 

Wednesday we were able to go to the Temple with recent converts and investigators and The recent converts were able to do baptisms for the dead! Our Recent Convert (well from when we came to the area :) ) Danilo went to the temple for the first time and it was the greatest thing to see him enter the temple and feel the powerful spirit that is there! :) He absolutely loved it and man was it worth it going to watch him enter! :) 

Thrursday was fun because we got to celebrate Hermana Kofe's birthday and did a littler surprise for her! She is from Oakland California and it was really neat to do something like that for her! 

Yesterday something super awesome happened! One of the billions people we have talked to in the street and invited to come to church actually came to church! His name is Jorge and it was so amazing! He was asking so many questions and we were able to answer them and He even said that He had asked these questions before to other priests and no one has been able to answer them before!!! He was so positive and want to learn more! We are so excited to be able to teach him more!!

We were able to be apart of the Stake Christmas Devotional here and we as missionaries sang two songs and man was it rough! It was really neat though to see so many people come to see and hear and learn more of our Saviors birth! 

I would like to wish you all a very merry christmas and that you may also remember our Saviors birth among all the gifts and food. Remember that He came here to Save you and give you the chance at Eternal Life and to return and live with our Heavenly Father again. 

Feliz Navidad!! Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

WEEK 39- Oh But its HOT outside!!!

Hello! Buenas buenas buenas! 

I hope all is enjoying this Christmas season and the nice cool weather! I know it may not be super cool but por lo menos its not summer! 

This week was a week of very hot hot weather and lots and lots of walking! We have been getting to know the area a whole lot more and it has been fantaastic! Half way done with getting to know all our area!! 

La familia Vargas is so amazing!! They are so ready to get baptized and want to do so but the stinkin papers that they need to do to get married take a lot longer with the Christmas season and all the parties... They are so active though and help out so much and just want to learn so much more!! We are hoping to have their papers by friday! We are praying for this friday!! That way they can be baptized before the new year!

Another one of our investigators came to church with us as well this sunday! Her name is Gissi and she is about 22 years old! Her aunt is a member and she is a less active member but has been very helpful with teaching Gissi. She has acutally had the lessons about 2 years ago and we had lunch there one time and decided to teach her as well! Well the first lesson she didn't really want to be baptized because she was baptized in the Catholic church and she had a conection with her Godfather who passed away. Well everything was cleared up the second lesson when she said that she knows that this is the true church and we told her she wouldn't need a new Godfather! It was that easy and now we want to move it to be before The new years her baptism! She is so sweet!

 Welp lots of walking and talking and sharing about this glorious christmas season and the Birth of our Savior is something quite beautiful! I encourage you all to remember Why we celebrate Christmas and all that we have thanks to the birth of Christ! It will change your look of Christmas this year :)

I love you all so much and am so grateful for all your love and support! This church is true! Tengan a feliz navidad! 

Les quiero mucho,

Hermana Garcia

WEEK 38- Talking with EVERYONE (I really mean everyone)

Hey all!!

This week has been a great one full of walking and finding and getting to know the area! hahaha 

This ward is fantastic and really support us! We had a member


almost every single day this week come and leave with us to help us to know where members, less actives, recent converts, and even some investigators live! It was so great! We were able to do divisions this week with some of the young women and it was so adorable to see them contacting people and wanting to serve missions as well!

Yesterday we left the house with a goal to street contact 50 people and even then were very apprehensive to do that many... After lunch we asked one of the young women (Kimberly) If she would like to come with us and that our goal was 50 and the jokingly we said that we would do 100 because why not?? You want to know how many we did?! We did a 101 street contacts yesterday! We were talking to every single person we walked by on the street and invited them to the Christmas devotional last night! It was so great and man was it so amazing to see.

We worked so hard knocking doors and finding people that we could teach and see others that would progress to baptism. The Lords hand has been with us and helping us remember where everyone lives! We haven't gotten lost yet and We find the house everytime! 

This Christmas season remember the Lord more! remember His sacrifice for us and also that He was born just for us. He came to the world to save us and and because He was born we can be clean again. We have a Savior who loves us and knows us perfectly and we can remeber Him more this in this beautiful Christmas season! 

I love you all and thank you all for all you love, support and prayers!!! Merry Christmas!! o sea Feliz Navidad! 

Les quiero mucho,

Hermana Garcia

Also there is a young women here named Kimberly and she goes out with us a lot and we go contacting and what not! She is so great and so fun!!

My ZLs and the Elders we share a ward with! Elder Martinez next to me from Paraguay (Hes the one that gave me the really awesome blessing) Ane Elder Alejandre from Mexico...

    

Boyd carrying her laundry home after washing clothes this morning

Me and my scraped knee because I am a super clutz and fell hard playing soccer on concrete.... Don't post this picture I look high

Lunch today with some other missionaries from the Zone!! KFC hahaha

 

Week 37

Hey all!!

So changes happened and I am no longer in my ghetto of Colon! Sometimes I say things here and people just laugh because I say it as if I were in Colon and it is very very VERY diferent there than the rest of Panama.... Whoda thunk?! 

My new area is El 24 de diciembre in Tocumen, Panamá. Not only did I get changed to a new area no no no that would be to easy my first change in the mission but I get to pink wash the area too! Man oh man is that stressful! My new companion is Hermana Boyd from Farmington Utah! She is really great full of energy and always has a smile! We may not have a lot in common but I have already learned so much from her and I know that this will be a great transferre! 

SO this week has basically been the longest week of my entire life! First I said gooodbye to a good friend who went home and then the next day was my first thanksgiving away from home and we got changes! I then had to say goodbye to my comp who has become my best friend but also to my converts and new family... man was that rough! Then I got a super eneregic companion when I was not energetic and super stressed out to remember everywhere we were going so that we wouldn't get lost or anything! a tad frustrating but still good for me! SO friday we got to the area and cleaned the house because the Elders left it very dirty and then we unpacked! 

Saturday we woke up and did our studies and were at a complete loss because we had no Idea where to start or what to do! So we called to see if we had Lunch and we didn't so then we decided to just study opur area book to know what investigators lived in what area and then the map of our area to know where these parts were! After about an hour of that the Relief Society President called us said she would be picking us up and taking us to lunch. From that lunch we met one of the progressing investigators and the low down on the ward! 

Sunday church starts at 8 in the morning so we were rushing out the door so we weren't late and we made and man was it awesome! MY bishop is a good ol gringo from utah who served his mission here in Panama and married a cute little panamanian and have a cute little family. The ward here is really amazing they even had printed programs! WHAT?! Craziness. After Secon hour we were organizin with everyone our meals for the weeek (They roatate every week kind of like the states) and then also for which member would leave with us each day this week to show where other member and where our investigators live! It was so crazy and over whelming and such a blessing!! After that we went back to the house study the area book even more and then went to lunch. After lunch the RS President took us with her presidency to show us every single house for our meals this week! It was super helpful! 

Today was P-day so we shall see how this week goes! Thank you so much for all the prayers and support! I am sop grateful for you all! I love you and miss you all! I know that the Lord knows our doubt and fears but He works with exactly what we need to get over them! I know that though it may not be what we want it is what the Lord knows we need and we can always learn and grow! THIS CHURCH IS TRUE!! 

Les quiero mucho!
Hermana Garcia

Week 34

BUUEENNAASSS!!! 

Sorry everyone thesepast couple of week have been busy! One week we had immigrations and then the next day Elder Snow from the 70 and Elder Duncan the area President and Brother Turley the church historian came nd did a little conference for us!! It was really so great! I learned so much! It also was in English so that was really nice too! hahaha

 I learned that no matter what we can be a part of the avalanche. Everything we do as missionaries is a rock rolling down the mountain and as I roll down the mountain I hit other rocks and they begin to roll and Hit more rocks until it is a great big avalanche. At times I may not get the rocks to move. Sometimes it may be just a little nudge but that nudge can lead to loosen up that rock so that the next rock to hit it knocks it loose. He started this analogy (Brother Turley) Because he said that his father served in the Panama mission back in 1950.. Ya that was when the mission was al of central america hahaha He said that his father served in mainly GUetmala and Costa Rica and there wasn't hardly any members there. He was serving in the Brach Presidency and where there were these tiny branches are now Temples in those two areas... He is still alive and was able to see such a great change in his areas... It may not seem like we are doing very much but over time we can that our little job we did could have been the start of a great avalanche. We should alos keep a record so that other may be to learn and keep on going to keep the work in motion. They encouraged us to keep a journal of all the things we have ever learned in our missions both spiritually mentally and emotionally. 

Last week as a mission we won the opportunity to watch the movie Freetown. It was so powerful and I encourage you guys to watch it. It was to me a tremendous example of Faith and trust in the Lord. It made me reflect greatly on What it is I am doing that If I was to be put in their situation I would be able to rely 100% on the Lord and know that He would protect me. I know that He love each and everyoe of us and that He is always there. It may be difficult to see it at times but with Thanksgiving coming up it is a great time to reflect on what it is we are grateful for. Say a gratitude prayer. Get down on you knees and thank the Lord for everything He has ever given you and don't get up until you can't think of anything else. You will come to find it to be a very long prayer. 

Sunday I had a really really neat experience. We had a Family History activity as a Zone and had to invite investigators and recent converts to come learn how do to family history. There was a man there that wasn't a member and my ocmpanion and I were able to talk to him (ALL IN ENGLSIH) He has manty many doubts about relgion but has faityh there is a God but wants a church that can answer his questions and not just say have Faith. As we were talking to him he kept coming up with examples from science and I loved it!! The spirit was so strong and I felt like I didn't really answer anything. All of my resposes caused him to think and take a step back. The Lord really knows what it is we need and what we can do to be strenghtened. He will answer our questions and strenghten us if we are willing to listen to the spirit and its guidance. I needed that moment of talking with him just as badly as he needed those answers.

The mission is a beautiful work! I am so grateful to be apart of it! I love you all!! Thank you for all your prayers and messages!

Les quiero mucho

Hermana Garcia

Week 31-Apostasy

Hey ¿Que lo que?

Well everyone something very interesting happened this week and it all starts with Black Jesus.... Yes its true here in my area (Portobelo) There is the Cristo Negro and he is called the saint of criminals.... I really encourage you guys to research it further because it is quite a thing but basically every October 21st there have a parade and it starts at 6 and they have an imagine in a church and they take 3 steps forwards and then 2 steps back... Everyone dresses in purple and on Tuesday they walk all the way to Portobelo!! Some all the way from Panama City others from Sabanitas!!! It was so weird to see all these people walking by on the street. There were a lot of Police officers because some people even escape from prison to visit the Cristo Negro and recieve forgiveness or even ask for favors to help them.....There was just so much apastasy and it was just so sad that it rained all day Wednesday and I am very sure that Heavenly Father was very much sad... 

Anyways this week we had some success in finding more people to teach! It was great we visited our little Old Xenia and as usual had an amazing and powerful lesson with her! She didn't accept a date for baptism until the next day but then she finally accepted! She said that after the blessing everything got better for her. That she had less pain her vision was clearer and that she comprehended everything better! When she accepted she asked what it is she had to do to be baptized and We said come to church... We went by on Sunday to pick her up for church and she said no.... We asked her about next sunday and she said no.. Sad thing is we don't know what happened but It hurt so bad. She is so ready and she is just one of those that Satan worked on so hard, We are going to visit her this week one last time to see what happened.... Man Satan just really is the worst!! 

We met Armando this week and it was a little weird but Hey what are  you going to do! Everyone needs the gospel even those that are a tad creepy... It was actually really hard because he really doesn't have any knowledge of Religion which was a first here in Panama his brother Armario though does have a knowledge and was able to help us out with regards to the Bible They both have a date for the 14th :) 

This week I really was able to learn more about the atonement and how I can really apply it more in my life. Jesus suffered everything for us. He literally did it for US. He did it so He could better understand how to help us and to know what it is exactly we need to do in times of need. We may ask continually for help and to just have all of the trial take away from us but really we just need to ask for the strength to endure, to learn, and to grow. He know us perfectly and can help us if we ask Him specifically what it is we need to do to help us in that time. I know He lives and I know He loves us. He atoned for me and He did the same for each of you. 

I love you all so much and miss you like crazy! Thank you for your prayers and your support! I hope all continues to go well with everything!

Les quiero mucho!

Herrmana Garcia

Week 30

Hello all! 

First allow me to start off by saying sorry about last week and not writing I just hae been really sick and its just no fun to write about nothingg....

Bueno! Two weeks ago we had Stake conference and man was it awesome! Elder Alonso came and just for our stake and man did we need it! It was a kick in the pants for everyone but it really so beautiful. Something that was really great was that He started off by asking why everyone was so serious. We should all be the happiest people there are because we have the greatest thing in the world! We have the true church so SMILE! You have the gospel in your lifes and there really should be no reason to be sad! That is something that I hadn't ever thought about before. We really do take the gospel for granted sometimes but we should never do that. It is a blessing in each and everyone of our lives and Man do we get blessed for it too. I realy loved that so much! 

This past week we have changes and guess what! Hahaha I got to stay! My 5th change in this area and my 3rd with Hermana Patrick! I must admit this is a ton of time in one area but I think I will be here until she goes home in December so that means at the very least one or two more changes! hahaha Half my mission here in good 'ol Colon! I am so grateful for the opportunity the Lord has given me to continue on here in Colon and with these people. I know there is something more for me to do and I need to figure out who or what it is! 

One miracle this week was we had a new Investigator in church on Sunday! He said his grandpa and aunt are members and that he has seen us walking around and wanted to know more! José Manuel! What a blessing after a couple rough weeks! There are always miracles! 

Also with regards to what I have. I have Gastritis Which is caused by a bacteria and it casue my stomach and intestie lining to become inflammed and makes for lack of appetite, pain, and nausea.... It honestly is so painful and I have lost a lot of weight but this week regardless the Lord comes first and I can be baby when I get home! hahaha 

Thank you all for you prayers and support! Love you all so very much! Take care!

Les quiero mucho! 

Hermana Garcia

WEEK 29-- HAPPY MARRIAGE AND BAPTISMS!!!

Hey all! I hope all is well and so sorry for not sending out an email last week! So I got myself a little parasite and we haven't really been able to work because we haven't been able to leave the house but I do have a very happy ending to a long told story! 

Carol and Hadid got baptized!!! Which mean that Carol and Niño got married!!! I have basically been waiting for those 2 days since I've gotten to Panama! Miracles do Happen! 

So 2 weeks ago the happy couple got married and man was it so beautiful! Everyone was crying even tough little Niño! He was so happy and man I felt the spirit and I know that they will be so happy. Now all he has to do is stop working Sundays so that they can all go to church as a family and then in a year be Sealed for time and all eternity!!! 

Great way to start off a general Conference weekend was the Baptisms of Carol and their oldest son Hadid! It was really so beautiful and the spirit was so strong! It has been such a blessing to see these people who I love so much enter into the waters of Baptism being clean of their past and being able to start anew. Niño cried then too and it was so special! I love these people so much! 

Now after this beautiful General Conference weekend I hope we are all spiritually enpowered and ready to fight the temptations that may come our way. I felt a theme for me was always being worthy to have the spirit and to feel its promptings. That as long as we are actively remembering the Savior and applying the atonement in our lives we will be spiritually strenghtened and a light to those around us. We already have this light so let us shine even brighter! Let us spread this joy and truth that we have! Families are eternal and we can be clean and forgiven for our sins! To be shy open your mouths!! 

Sorry there wasn't much having the parasite we really couldn't leave the house but this week we will be getting back to working hard! Last week of the transferre got to go out with a bang!  Thank you all for all your love and support! 

Les quiero mucho! 

Hermana Garcia

PS The beautiful happy family before a very special baptism :

Week 26

Holy smokes did this week fly by! We were working super hard which was a tad difficult at the beginning of the week with so much rain! But hey when it rains it is so much cooler!

On Monday we had our noche de hogar with Carol and...... SHE GOT A RING!! It was so exciting because it was a completely surprise!! He got home from work and gave her a piece of bread for her to eat and she took a bite and was weirded out that it was so hard and it was a really pretty ring! She came out to show us with tears in her eyes!! SHES GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW!!! I have been praying for this day to come for a long time and it is finally here! She even came to church yesterday!! So many blessings!! 

Wednesday the Elders came with us to give Xenia our cute little old lady a blessing to help with her pain. It was really powerful and the spirit was so strong. She cried again and I love how strong the spirit is with her. We passed by her house yesterday to pick her up for church but she unfortunately still had so much pain she couldn't even get out of bed... We are still working with her because she is so amazing and so sweet. She just needs to get to church so she can be baptized!

Thursday we had our district meeting and it truly was a testimony to me because wow the Lord really does answer our prayers and is there for us in our times of need. It was really amazing to see how these people knew nothing about my problem and yet I felt they knew exactly what I needed to hear! The Lord works in mysterious ways! After this we got lunch and then went to contact a new area and contacted so many people! It was really hard and exhausting but it sure felt good! 

Friday we kept on contacting. We have been trying so hard to find new investigators so we have been showing the Lord our willingness to teach! I also now have 6 months! Wow it is so weird how time flies! I am a third of the way done and got a year left. As my compa said "One year to do a lot of things". It is going to go so fast so I just need to remember to do it one day at a time. 

Yesterday we had a great turn out investigator wise at church! It really has been fantastic and then we spent to whole rest of the day contacting yet again! I even contacted a bus! It was so crazy but it was not as hard as I was expectinG. We have the truth I can't be afraid to open my mouth! Entonces, all in all we had 204 LPE (contacts or lesson to find).... That is a lot of people and they now all have a chance to hear the Gospel!

This church is true! The Lord knows us all one by one personally! He really will answer out prayers when we pray with Faith and He knows exactly what we need to hear. He has given us so much the least we can do is give it to others! Don't be afraid to open your mouth!! 

I love you all so much and am so grateful for each and every single one of us!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Week 25

Hello all! 

This week was a very long week! We literally were traveling all parts of Colon and man was it exhausting! 

Tuesday we had a Multi Zone conference in the city with President Carmack and as usaul it was amazing! We talked of ways we can find the lost sheep and show our love for God. I believe you guys could apply this as well to all that you do there at home. It is really important that we are always opening our mouths and be open about our beliefs. You should never be embarrassed for believing in the true church! WE HAVE THE TRUTH! You can't forget that everyone around us are our brothers and sisters and need this gospel just as much as we do! There are also those that have has the truth but got lost on their way, Fellowship them! Do your home and sisting teaching! Helps those that may not understand to remember and invite the spirits into their lives again! You can do it! 

Thursday we went super super early to help Carol and Algis (futuro esposo of Carol) get their blood tests for their marriage! Woohoo! So great they are so close and yes!! It is finally happening and she is going to get baptized and I am so excited!!! POR FIN!!

Friday we had our district meeting super super far in buena vista ( 1Hour away...) but it was really good so no big deal! After that we had to go to Carol's house to pick up a paper so that we could go to Colon Centro (another 45 minutes away( by bus here with lots of traffic..)) to pick up their processed papers for marraige and everything! SO yeah that made it even more official and holy smokes was it exhausting! 

I cannot even tell you guys how grateful I am for the Lord and also for this mission. I learn constanly and I have learned the importance of scripture study and prayer. Without it we cannot live happy lives. Without them we cannot grow and become more like our Father in Heaven and that is our ultimate goal! I encourage you all to continue to read and pray and look for opportunities to serve and share with your fellow brothers and sisters what you know. The Blessings are unimaginable. 

Thank you all so much for your love and support! I love you all and miss you all like crazy! Stay safe and Remember the Lord always!! 

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Here's a picture of our awesome group that I played soccer with today! I also didn't suck so that was good! Holy cow it is so HOT!!! ( only 3 gringos... 2 of them hermanas hehe!)

Week 24-Baptism

Que lo que mo?

This week was transferre week and I got to stay!! Woohoo what a blessing! I am so grateful because I don't want to leave! We are starting out this tasnferre with a big bang! 

Wednesday we went with Carol and we started all of their papers! Woohoo they just need to do a couple more things and then her and Hadid can be baptized! Grated it took us basically the entire day (mostly because we were waiting for her to get ready for a while) to get everything done but hey! It was totally worth it! 

We also have a date for Elizabeth and William!! Ahh I am so excited because there are going to be 2 weddings!! Woohoo! If anyone has easy cultural hall wedding ideas please let us know because we are all for ideas!

Saturday Bayron was baptized! He is Elzabeth's and William's son and they didn't want him to have to wait for them to be married for him to be baptized! It was so beautiful! He was so happy and William and Elizabeth were also so happy! They were just so prepared and understand everything and I am so excited for them!! 

Sunday we had both Bayron and Jose confirmed! Jose even received the aaronic priesthood! This week was just so amazing and I can't even begin to conveye how grateful I really am to be able to stay in this area! It is so great and the people here are so amazing! They are so welcoming and loving and there is never a dull moment! 

With this last transferre the zone is really different and the hermanas are fading out! They whitewashed two areas! Now there are only 6 hermanas and 12 Elders! It is super crazy! The  mission wont be getting anymore Hermanas until January!! Super crazy but what can you do?

The rain has picked up and is starting to flood!! Everywhere there is water and Everything is just wet It is so crazy! Umbrellas dont even work! You walk out and get drenched from head to toe! Our house has a coupke of leaks and the front door area sometimes floods but atleast when it rains there aren't any bugs! See! Blessing in everything!

I love you guys all so much and hope you are enjoying a very nice and sunny labor day! Thank you for all your love and suppport! This church is true and this is the Lord's work! every memeber a missionary! You guys can feel His love for His children by opening your mouths as well! 

Les quiero mucho! Cuidense

Hermana Garcia

Bayron's Baptism! Elder Nelson was able to baptize him :) 

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Week 23

Well hello there!

This week was a really great week! The majority of our investigators are progressing!! Woohoo its such a blessing! I am kind of freaking out because there are transferes this week and we find out soon whether or not we have changes and I really hope I don't!

Wednesday we had an awesome lesson with Annett on the plan of salvation! She even read what we left her! I love how serious she is taking it and really am praying that the Lord is sending her the spirit and that she is really and truly seeking it. Next step is to get her to church! After her we had a lesson with Xenia who is this super old but flipping adorable woman! She is kind of lonely and tad loca but every lesson we have had with her she has felt the spirit. The problem is that she can't go alone... we had a lesson with her on the Sabbath day and just how great and important it is to go to church. We mentioned how it is like a big family and everyone is there to support one another. She loved it so much and she even started to cry when we mentioned the family part! It was really quite touching... Unfortunately she did not come to church yesterday but we will see what happens!

Friday we did this super cool service Project! we made panamanian tamales! (they are not nearly the same as mexican tamales.... they may look somewhat the same but the taste really isn't there...) But anyways we as missionaries were in charge on making maíz or the dough for the tamales by grinding up the actual corn into the paste..... we walk in and we see these two big coolers full to the rim in corn! It was crazy! We only had one machine to grind it all up and at the beginning it was going really slow but then we picked up the pace and man we finished a whole cooler before we had to go! It was exhausting but actually a lot of fun and a really neat experience!

Saturday we were supposed to have another temple tour with out investigators! The temple has been closed for maintence and so they cancelled it! Then (since we had already paid for the bus) we were going to have our APs do a Little tour and talk about missionary work and then we were going to stop by and see the temple from the bottom.... then the bud got cancelled as we were waiting for it to pass!!! We were waiting with William, Elizabeth, Bayron, and Derek (Bayron's friend who has starting investigating the church!) and Carol with her futuro esposo (Yes still aren't married...) were on their way! They were all so excited to go to the Temple so we took them anyways because they each had cars! It was great! They even let us walk on temple grounds and around the temple! Although we didn't get a tour we were still able to have these two families feel of that beautiful spirit and to know that families can be eternal. They both aren't married but they were able to be reaffirmed in their desires to really get married so they could be baptized and enter into the Kingdom of God. we are already planning Elizabeth's and Williams wedding! They even started the process today!! I am so excited for them!

Elizabeth and William didn't want Bayron to have to wait for them to get married so this saturday he will be baptized!! I am so excited for them and for their diligence and understanding! It really is a beautiful thing to see!

This work is amazing and everyday I know with more surety that this church is the true church of God. I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to serve here with these people and to be able to grow closer to the Lord and to gain His trust. I am humbled daily that the Lord has placed this responsibility in my hands to help bring more of His sheep back into the fold. Please remember to always open your mouths! Don't be scared! The worst they can say is no!

I love you all so much and thank you so much for all your love and support! 

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Week 22

Hello all! 

What a busy week it has been! It really just flew by! EVERY SINGLE LESSON WE HAD PLANNED FELL THROUGH!!! (except for 4...)  Needless to say it was pretty frustrating! We did not let that get us down though! We worked hard contacting literally everyone on the street walking the majority of the time to everything! We were exhausted but we actually got some pretty hilarious stories out of it!

So we contacted this lady by knocking doors and we gave her a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and she was pretty religious (She was super religious) and she was also very nice. She was saying "Amen" and "Halleluja" (I don't know how to spell that...) to basically everything we were saying, so we decided to give her a Book of Mormon and set an appointment to come back the next day. We returned the next day and she came out to the gate to greet us but said she read the pamphlet and the Book of Mormon but didn't think it would be a good idea if we were to come in.... That really hurt because she didn't want to listen to our message of the Restored Gospel because it was just "different then her beliefs"... So as we were kind of standing there not exactly sure what to say because we didn't want to fight or argue all I felt like I needed to do was bare my testimony to her of the Book of Mormon and how I know that if she will continue to read it that it would change her life. We then left her with one more chaptture to read, 2Nephi 29. She was very nice in her rejection to us. It definitely was the nicest rejection I have ever had but It till hurt.

We had a lesson with Linda this week who has been an investigator for a little while but has not been progressing at all. We had a lesson on the Book of Mormon with her and promised her that through this book she would find all her answers and that she will want to follow the commandments and be baptized if she would just read it. We then said that the Lord would answer questions and she could open to whatever page and read whichever verse and there the answer would be. So she tried it there with us and opened to Jacob 6:7-8 and there was an answer alright! It reads  

"7 For behold, after ye have been nourished by the goodword of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit,that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?

 8 Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject thewords of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?"  It was a fantastic kick in the pants with her and tomorrow we will see once and for all if she is really and truly progressing to baptism.

On Thursday we had a lesson with José who is supposed to be baptized this Sunday! We just need to finish teaching him the rest of the lessons but we are having a difficult time finding times to meet with him because he lives in an area that we actually can't enter into with out the elders or a priesthood holder. So the Elders were with us and we taught José Lesson 3 the Gospel of Jesud Christ and right as we were leaving it started to just pour rain! It was extremely unfortunate because it was already 6:45 and we had to get going to make it to dinner at 7. Well the rain was so bad we had to wait for it to even kinda ease up to run through it. (Umbrellas were completely useless in that rain). We ended up waiting for about 15 minutes talking to this group of teenage girls who just thought we were hilarious. Then we ran through the rain getting drenched all the way to the bus stop! We were soaking wet and were still getting wet from the rain and the wind as we were waiting for yet another 15 minutes for the bus. We were very blessed that there was still a bus running because those Diablo Rojos are very unreliable! Needless to say it was an adventure for us all and was really entertaining! Los pobrecitos elderes got sick though so it just proves that Las Hermanas just have stronger immune systems!

Saturday was our day in Portobelo again and all those sitas fell through as well... We ended up having a very entertaining street contact with a very drunk guy on the word of wisdom after he offered us beer! It was quite hilarious especially after he said that he didn't need us to tell him the word of God because he used to be a pastor. Hermana Patrick pointed out the six pack of beer in his hand and he got all defensive saying " Before, before!" (I am sorry it is just a lot more funny in Spanish!) We left him with a pamphlet of the Word of Wisdom and then walked away. I honestly thought he was going to fall over he was just swaying!

On Sunday The Alston Family came again to church and stayed all 3 hours and it was fantastic! Unfortunately attendance yesterday was low "because of the rain" but its rainy season so this will be rough... Anyways so they came and it was fantastic and they are just such a blessing! We has a lesson with them later after church on the Plan of Salvation and the first question we asked was "What do you think the plan of salvation is?" or something like that because I said it in Spanish! Elizabeth ended up answering and she basically gave the whole lesson! It was fantastic and the whole lesson was so great! Before we could even invite them to be baptized she was talking about how they know they need to be baptized so that they be an eternal family and they know they need to get married so that they can be baptized. Hermana Patrick and I were just dumb struck! It is so fantastic and they have a fecha for the 5th of September! We just need to get all the marriage stuff done before that! Pray that all will go smoothly with them! They are so prepared!!

I thought I would just share a little thing that I loved on Humility. I feel like everyone is always saying that they need to be humble but we never really realize what causes pride. I have been focusing on this a lot this past month and have learned that humility is directly tied to our obedience. When we are obedient we are showing the Lord our humble heart. We are showing to Him that we will do whatever it is He asks us because He knows best. When we aren't obedient it shows that we think we know better therefore showing the pride of our hearts. I have really loved learning and searching more on this subject and have learned so much and realized just how proud I really am. I am working daily to have a soft and humble heart to really prove to the Lord I am His servant and I encourage you all to do the same. The blessings that come will be many.

I love you all so much and thank you all for your love, support and prayers!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia