And it 'Twas a Happy Ending

Welp everyone this is the last one! As always I hope that everyone is alright and well and happy :)

This last week was a fast one, a sad one, and full of lasts.... I dont know what else to say about this week except that. Its not easy to say goodbye. These people have changed my life through their examples and through their amazing spirit and testimonies. 

I have learned and grown and changed. This is the true Church of Christ! How amazing and reassuring to know that our Savior who loves and atoned for our sins, Is the one to lead the Church! We have such a wonderful Prophet, Thomas S Monson, and he is truly inspired by God. There is no power more powerful than the Priesthood. It truly is the power of God and protects us daily. We are saved through the Ordinances that we are able to do through the Priesthood in the Temple. And last of all the Book of Mormon is word of God and the most correct Book on this earth. The little things matter and are most important in helping us grow and progress spiritually. Our Heavenly Father loves us and has a perfect plan. We must trust in Him and our lives will be happier. I share this short but sincere testimony with you in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

I love you all and will see you all soo soon! Thank you for all your love and support! The Prayers and love were very much felt through it all! See you all!

Les quiero mucho!

Por la ultima vez

Hermana Garcia

Photos: Just a flash back to just a few things from my whole mission. Misión Panamá, cuidad de Panamá. Siempre Fuertes, Señor Creo, Obediencia, Diligencia y con Visión

Theres a first for everything even at the end!

Hello Family and friends how has this past week been treatin you?? 

My week was a good one. We are still having a little bit of a dry spill in our area but hey there is always a bit of a dry before the rain right? 

Our investigator Yika actually is awesome! She is accepted a fecha!! She accepted to be baptized the 8th of october! WOOOHOOO! So maybe its not super dry! haha We will be visiting with her tomorrow with some members so I am way pumped! One because she accepted and 2 because a member said they would come!

Friday our volleyball nights are really becoming a success! Its been so great and we have just been seeing more animo en los miembros and everyone just seems a lot more interested in la obra misional! We even had consejo del barrio! It was the best! and actually really productive that it got our ward mission leader into gear and he had a meeting with us yesterday! We have plans to start helping the members for an hour every week to visit families that our less active and need support for just an hour! It should be a good one!

Yesterday I was able to bear my testimony for the last time here in the mision at a fast and testimony meeting and it was a really neat expercience.

I wanted to share one last thing with your guys to get you thinking for the week. Today we went to Chicá again and it was jsut gorgeous as always and well we actually did a legit hike. Once at the top we were able to take the time and have our personal and companionship studies. I was able to read the general conference address given by president Uchtdorf called "He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home". I absolutely loved it. It talks about the way to repentance. That no one is really lost. There is always a way back. on part that struck my attention was when he says:

 "Because He loves you, He will find you. He will place you upon His shoulders, rejoicing. And when He brings you home, He will say to one and all, “Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” He loves us and He will search for us always. We are the onces that must first turn to Him. accept his invitation and He will then lift us up and carry us home. This week think of those you love who may not have made the best choices and who may not at this moment be on the best path. They are not lost. Love them as our Savior loves them. Have Charity and extend you hand out to them. They will see the light and warmth eventually. We must first give them the option."

I love you all so much and hope that you have a great week! I will be seeing you all so soon! Make it a good one! Thank you all for the love support and Prayers!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Fotos

1-  Familia Ramos we have noche de hogares every Wednesday and they are just the cutest little kids ever! Elianys. Neymar and Fabian :) 

2- Me and Elder Alejandre. He  has been my ZL for 6 changes! Thatss half my mission! haha

3- Went to Chicá for Pday again but this time an awesome hike and this was the view! Panama is gorgeous!

4- On our way down it started to pour and we got soaked! 

5- Selfie just for you mom! We did our studies up there this morning :) 

Where'd all the people go?

Hiya everyone! Hope all is well and that your week was a good one! Man my week was just super long! Literally feels like 3 weeks have passed since the last Monday but NOPE! I'm going to have to try real hard to break it down! haha

Tuesday- walking in circles which is always so much fun! hahaha 

Wednesday- Divisions so walking in circles but in another persons area! hahaha That was fun! Got to get to know some more of Chorrera!

Jueves- We had our District meet and well we had an activity planned for Sunday and it was to street contacts in a park but our brilliant ZLs also decided that two people would be dressed up as a BoM and a Bible....So we made the BoM... It also rained and it poured and we couln't even go outside! But when It finally died down we were able to go visit Fam Tejada and we shared a talk from the past General Conference with them and there are just so great and the spirit is always so strong!

Viernes- Well Jueves we made the BoM so we had to finish the Bible... But its alright! We also had TWO Dinners! We passed by Fam Tejada to see if there were going to the activity that night and then they gave us Tacos. We then passed by Yika and she is so positive and we taught her about profetas and the Hna Elvia... Hna Elvia is a non member that gave us our meals on Fridays and she is leaving for the interior for a while! SO it was my last dinner with her and so that was our second dinner! And it was delicious! Then we had our ward activity that they started after out 5th Sunday lesson! It was great every Friday they play volleyball at the church and this Friday they had 11 nonmembers!! It was the greatest! 

Sabado- Peña Blanca day! We went and Nayelis was leaving so we were able to do a quick follow up with her and then we went to a new Less active that we contacted earlier in the week. She was home but also had 2 other friends there that weren't members. On named Gabriel was super awesome! He had so many great questions and it was so great! Sadly he doesn't live in our area but those elders are dang lucky because he knows what we have is the truth man! After we visited the some members that are active that live way out there and they gave us dinner will cena1 then we went to visit Crystal and Hna Josefina and she gave cena 2! And then right after that we had our actual cena!! THREE DINNERS! Man I was so full and the blessing of the day was that we have rides both to AND from Peña Blanca and that never happens! We usually walk 3-4 miles just to get there and that day we didn't walk nearly has much! Man I was stuffed.

Domingo- Bueno we did the activity and actually contacted some super positive people not from our area again but hey its ok! Someone needs to find them :) And no worries no one had to wear the box :) 

I just would like to testify that I know that we are always put in the place we need to be. We never understand why or how but the Lord really does have a plan and it may be to just plant a little seed but we just need to follow the spirit and He will guide us to where we need to be.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you all and thank you all for the love and support and prayers!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Fotos- Me and the Box with Hna Pollard and another with Hna Mora (not worn in public) Hna Elvia and Nayelis! (she looks just like Nikki! My cousin ahah)

2 is better than 1 so naturally 3 is better than 2!

Hey everyone!

I hope everyone has had a great week and this finds you all well!

So I feel like I have finally resigned myself to the fact that not a single week this change will be normal! This past week we were in an unexpected trio! So the comp of Hna Denning (Hna Mora I don't know if I've talked about her but she is super fun! Shes from Costa Rica and Speaks English and just fits in really well with us! Practically Gringa :)) had to go to Costa Rica for a day to get a new stamp on her passport because her visa still hasn't gone through. She was supposed to leave on the Tuesday and come back Tuesday night but she didn't get permission from the area seventy to leave until Friday and we picked her up Saturday in the morning! So that left the 3 of us in charge of 2 areas! It was hard! hahaha We had so much fun though and we worked really well and really hard with each other! 

We found a couple of new investigators and a handful of mean people as always but we shared some good experiences! We taught a lesson with Moises this week and there a a girl her name is Zulay and we actually visit her every once and a while. She has special needs and well she was visiting Moises and the woman who is renting a room there as well! SO we went to share a message with Zulay who was ticked because we haven't visited her in a while and was threatening to ruin the BoM and we invited Yika (Jaika)! She is super positive and was super interested so I am pumped to see how she progresses!

Something I really learned this week is just service. When we really apply the atonement in our lives we are being more charitable and reaching out to those in need! I love the talk given by King Benjamin in the Book of Mosiah! So my invitation this week would be to Serve! Are there any elderly that need help? Are there any less actives that could a friend? Pray about those you can serve and then serve!

Here are some pics! Me giving Hna Pollard a piggy back ride home because she could barley walk with a huge blister, Our trio and we had to take a break so why no go swinging?? And the Baptism of Fam Tejada!! :)

I love you all very much and hope you all have a fantastic week! Thank you for all the prayers and support!

Cuidense y les quiero!

Hermana Garcia

Conferences!!

Hey everyone! Hope everyone has had a good week and all is well!

SO this week just flew by! So crazy but fun! We had a ton of conferences! We had a Multi Zone Conferences and our stake conference this week! They were both great! We also found a couple new super positive people so we are way pumped about that! One catholic family and two part member families! 

Our Multi Zone conference was on Thursday and it was super fun! We talked a lot about referrals from our recent converts and working with them to continue to find those that are ready to receive the gospel! It was even cooler because Hermana Pollard and I actually had set that as our goal for this change! Making goals by the spirit is the way to go! So it was just even better to get some more ideas on how to do it! Every convert has 5 friends and those 5 friends have 5 friends so as you can see the pyramid just keeps going! 

Our stake conference was awesome because we got had an area 70, President and sister Current, AND the Temple President! They were all fantastic and super amazing and talked about la obra misional! They told the members that they needed to set aside at least 1 hour to come out and do visits or let us teach in their houses! It was great!! Huge machete but so great! President and Sister current are just so great and so sweet! We love and I love them lots!! 

Here are fotos from the Zone conference and Stake conference with all the Elders wearing a red tie not planned with President Currents and then all the Hermanas with President and Sister Current! I also saw Elder Mann from the MTC! That was fun!

I know this church is true! I know that Prayer is extremely powerful and the if we ask for guidance from the Spirit we will receive it! We just have to listen to it!

Love you all tons and am so grateful for you love and support and prayers!

Les quiero mucho!

Cuidense!

Hermana Garcia

The Beginning of the End

Hiya everyone!

Welp its officially my last change has started! This week was pretty crazy because we had to pick up Denning's new comp and we ended up going to Albrook twice! It was craziness! But my last time really! I am so looking forward to just killing it this change and going out with a bang! If my body will permit it of course :) 

This week were able to focus on a couple of people and Fam Tejada of course was one of them! Thursday we got to their house for dinner and our Noche de hogar and their friends were over and they were just casually sharing and inviting their friends to church! It was great! We are hoping to get a lot more out of them and their awesome excitement for everything!! 

Yesterday we had a huge baby blessing fest! 5 blessing yesterday! 4 of them from less actives and our converts!! It was the greatest! A less active that we have been teaching came to church yesterday and they were just so cute!!!! Their son got blessed and her sister who is not a member but her "husband" that is also blessed their baby boy! And then of course fam Tejada!! It was so great!

Oh and remember last week about Invitaring and what not?! SO many References!! This is going to be a great change I can just feel it!!

Fasting truly is a amazing and I know that if we fast for something with real intent and questions we will receive answers!!! I love you all so much! Hope all is well! Thank you for all that you do and your support!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Heres my last group of girls I will live with! We have lots of fun :)

INVITAR!

Alo!

Hope everyone has had an amazing week! This week has been a good one! We were able to find a couple new investigators so we are hoping that this week they start progressing and that we may be able to have even more success!!

SO this week (to explain the funny pictures) we did a service project helping make tamales! Not just any typical Mexican tamales but full blown Panamanian tamales! I can't even explain the full process because it will take way too long! They are great though! Super yummy! We had to grind all the corn to make the masa and you also have to cook a ton of chicken! That's me stirring the pollo with a stick! We also are wearing the doo rags because well there was a lot of smoke and corn and sauce splattering everywhere so what better way to protect your hair! I'm not going to lie it was way fun because I felt like an old school Panamanian women! 

Saturday Fam Tejada was baptized!!! It was probably the most exciting and happiest thing ever! We  had whats called noche blanca where there are a bunch of other people from the Zone get baptized! So for a special treat President Current and Sister Current and also the stake Presidency! It was really special and yesterday when they received the H.G even better! I just love this family so much and I know that even more lives will be blessed with this Gospel thanks to their example and their strong faith!

Yesterday we had church themed on the Missionary work! It was great I was blessed to give a talk in sacrament meeting and then because it was 5th Sunday we also gave the third hour lesson! We really focused on the missionary purpose for members! It was actually way fun and really great for the members! Some have already offered to come to lessons and meet our converts and Investigators and we are hoping for a super attendance next Sunday! It was great a member in our ward just got home from being a mission President in Guatemala so he totally helped us out and it was fantastic! The members really enjoyed it and I am excited to the miracles that come this new change!

Here we go one change left and man does time fly! I am so grateful for this chance I get to meet so many people and be able to be apart of a conversion so beautiful! This church is true and I don't think I will ever take it for granted again. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and we can find so many answers and revelation by reading its words.

I love you all so much and am so grateful for all your love and support!

Have a great week and Invite someone to church and Invite a less active back to church! Do your home and visiting teaching will ya! 

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Food Poisoning.... But we wrote a book!

Hiya Friends!

Welp this week will be kind of short... So you know how we live 4 hermanas to 1 casa?? Welp 3 of them (myself included) got this lovely sickness called food poisoning! Yup you read right! Food poisoning is such a lovely thing! NOT! It super bites actually! So to say the least this was a rough week! I learned to not eat Mcdonalds in Panama and that bread is mans best friend :) Medications make you crazy and when you get locked in a house for long enough you eventually will be creative enough to write a book!

Loza didn't get sick because she was fast and welp she was really great moral support! The pictures below are of Loza waiting in line for us at the clinic because we couldn't stay standing for more than 5 minutes at a time and then our food storage and drink fridge for the week! Our district Pday went from Making tacos with a member to the elders coming over and us playing card games in our little front patio :) 

I know though with out a doubt that this church is true and can I just say that the Book of Mormon is flawless! Everyone needs to read it and if you ever have any doubts about the church just read it more! There is not denying the power behind it! I love it! :)

Familia Tejadas baptism was moved to this week! Its gonna be great! There will be like 6 other people getting baptized and our Mission President will be giving a talk :) I am so pumped because they are so ready!! They even brought us soup yesterday because we were sick:) I just love this family so much!

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

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Electricity!

Hi everyone! I hope you all have had a great week!

This is going to be kind of short I have a great spiritual story and a fun story :)

Bueno We had a family home evening lesson with Fam Tejada and we watched Meet the Mormons with them and they loved it! We are actually going to have a huge Noche de hogar with them tonight where they invited a bunch of people and we are going to watch it again! Anyways afterwards we were discussing it and they actually had a lot to say! SO Hna Tejada related a lot with the missionary mom in her life story. It was really powerful the impact that the spirit had in the room. She was asking about such a perfect question about the Plan of Salvation. It was beautiful. I have never felt more leaded by the spirit than I did in the moment. I was able to testify and bear witness about the power and divinity of the Temple. How families really are eternal and how children that have died were just needed here to get a body and are waiting and cheering us on on the other side. The spirit was so strong and I was practically crying and so was she. The spirit is so powerful and I know that when we speak boldly he will too and will convince those we teach the truth of what we teach. We need to open our mouths and we need to be confident. We have to the truth! I invite you all to do this this week with a family friend. Really and truly open your mouths and be bold! 

Okay so there was a storm this week with lots of thunder and lightening and well it struck out pole in front of our house so here are some pictures of crazy panama stores and it may or may not have been just a tinie weenie bit dangerous :) No worries only one dog got electrocuted but he lived! :) hahaha 

Love you all so much! Thank for all your love and support and prayers always!

I hope you all have a great week!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia

Abel Got Baptized!

 Alo! Hola Buenas! Hope that everyone is doing well! That you have all had a great week and are happy and smiling because we've got the Gospel man!

This past week was another very looonnnggg week full of (como siempre) lots of walking! yay! Fun stuff haha It wouldn't have been so long though if all the people we were looking for would have just been in their houses! It was pretty hard in that aspect I guess. Either no one was home or no one wanted to listen or they dropped us... Now that was super hard... 

On Friday we had to go into the city because mi hija had Immigration! What fun to wake up at 3:30 in the morning! hahaa No but really we actually had a super successful day! That day we found everyone in their houses and only got rejected once! :)

I have got to say that Saturday was the best day by far! ABEL GOT BAPTIZED!!! I was so happy! It was the greatest!! He was so happy and the best part was that his mom (she is super inactive and says that the church is for men... don't understand pero bueno) She came to both his baptism AND his confirmation! o sea SACRAMENT MEETING!!! So awesome! She escaped right afterwards but she came! Abel is so cute and when he gave his testimony at the baptism he said "I just want all the kids to feel as happy as i feel right now" Roughly translated asi :) So adorable! Here are some pictures for you all! Abel and his Baptism, A glimpse into what my area looks like and Jessica... (she was so sweet and yet she dropped us this week :( RIP Jessica)) Oh! I got a package! 

I am so grateful for this work and this sacred privilege I have to be apart of it! This church is true! Read the Book of Mormon! It will honestly change your life! I love you all so much! Hope everyone has a great week! Thank you all for the and support and prayers!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Garcia