Hey family!
Life is good in Panama. Hearing about how cold it is over there makes me grateful to be here-I have to admit I haven't really missed snow or the cold at all... :)
I can't really remember what we've done this week because I'm still stuck thinking about yesterday. I don't have time to write you everything I want to, but yesterday afternoon we had one of the most powerful lessons I've experienced so far. It was with a joven named Jonathan we found sitting outside his house December 31. He's 24 years old, and when we first met him he was wearing dirty shorts, flip flops, and a shirt with cut-off sleeves. His hair was scruffy and longish, he had several bracelets with Bob Marley/marijuana leaves on them and alcohol bottles lined the shelf outside his house. He was friendly and we taught him about the Restoration. He asked a few questions and marked the scriptures we shared in his copy of the Bible. We didn't really know anything about him but we both felt that he was struggling with alcohol and wasn't happy. Then he talked to us about how he's been depressed, he doesn't know what to do and he's tormented by his thoughts. I shared with him the scriptures in Hel 5 where it talks about how the Lamanites prayed to have the cloud of darkness removed, and it was only their faith in Christ and their prayers that made it disappear.
We came back a week later and shared the Plan of Salvation, and he expressed the same sort of feelings. We went back to teach him again but haven-t been able to find him at home for two weeks until yesterday. He'd gone to another part of Panama to work but the job didn't work out so he came back. He didn't remember about the restoration so we taught it again and asked him if he'd prayed. He said he had but hadn't received an answer, so we explained more how to prayer, how God answers through the spirit, etc. I bore the strongest testimony I've ever shared and I don't even remember what I said, just that I knew absolutely without a doubt what I was saying was true and that God loves him so much more than he can even imagine. His mom was listening from the other room and suddenly came out and started talking about how he's lost his faith, about all the problems he has and everyhing he's doing wrong. You can tell she's just concerned and frustrated with his decisions, but I wanted her to go away because you could tell by his face and body language that she's said this to him hundreds of times and I could tell that he just shut off as soon as she started talking. When she finally chilled out 15-20 minutes later, my companion talked about how there are two ways to learn: by experience, when we choose wrong and are hurt by the consequences, or by obedience, when we see the blessings that come after. She said that he needed to have the desire to change, that he needed to open up his heart. Then he asked us almost desperately "But how to I open my heart??" We explained that praying and reading the Book of Mormon will help him to change and open up to God. He said that he would cut his chest open and take his heart out and hand it to God, just so God would believe him and answer. It seriously hurt me so much to see him like that, because I remember feeling that way and I remember how hard it was. Ahhh I don't have more time to explain but basically I felt and incredible amount of love for him, a pure love that I know came much more from Christ than from me. I saw how much he was hurting, I saw his potential, and most of all, I felt how much God loved him. When we ended the lesson, he prayed with such desperation, earnestness, and pain, asking for God to heal his soul and to help him change. Right before we left he was talking to us more about how he felt helpless, how he wants to do a 360 turn but doesn't know how. I told him to pray and ask God if he loves him and he said he will pray until God answers. Sorry I don-t have more time to explain, but basically it was the most powerful lesson I've ever been in.
I know Christ loves us and can heal any pain, and wound we have. I know through him is the only way we can be happy.
I love you guys!!
Love,
Hermana Dance
Luke 15:11-24Mosiah 7:19 (first part)1 Nefi 8:11-12. 14-15
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
I don't have time to think of a cool title...
Hey family!
News of the week: Our washing machine is fixed and we now have running water again-wahoo!! After day 8 we finally broke down and waited until people came to fix it. Before it hadn't gotten fixed because they never came before we left for the day but we decided it was worth it to wait until they finally came at 2.
Other exciting news: In our Pday de Zona last Monday my soccer team won twice in row. Not that we kept score or anything...err....oops. I'm turning Latina inside and out because my skin is getting darker and I'm learning how to play futbol again. :)
Oh and another exciting bit of news: my latina bff Charlyn started filling out her mission papers this week. Yayy!!
Thanks for all the tips Dad. I'm just going to print out your email so I don't feel all rushed reading it. Also, I got your "And my father dwelt in a tent" talk in DearElder on Tuesday. I glued it in my journal and wrote "And my father dwelt in a tent" with a sweet illustrated picture :) Seriously, who else has parents who write sweet talks/emails to them on their mission? Uhhh ok maybe a few other ones but the talks probably aren't as good.
This week we fasted a couple times for our investigators and the positive investigators in our district. It's interesting to see how the Lord answers our prayers. The people we prayed for are still progressing slowly or have stopped progressing, but we've found new people who are ready to come back to church or be baptized quickly. I don't think it was a coincidence (uhh sp?) that after fasting and praying we had three families at church yesterday. Wahoo! Two of them are families where one of the parents is an inactive member and now has older children and a spouse so we're working hard to reactivate and complete families.
Wednesday is our zone conference with Elder Clark, the area president of Central America (or a counselor, I'm not sure which). I'm sure it's going to be awesome. Ahhh there never seems to be enough time to tell you all everything I'm doing. Basically things are going well, I'm learning and trying my best to be a good missionary and to make my Heavenly Father and my earthly parents proud. And all my future childrens who are up there watching. Haha.
I love you all, and thanks again for all the news, advice, and words of encouragement.
Love you!
Love,
Natalie
3 Nef 5:13 Soy una discipulo de Cristo :)
News of the week: Our washing machine is fixed and we now have running water again-wahoo!! After day 8 we finally broke down and waited until people came to fix it. Before it hadn't gotten fixed because they never came before we left for the day but we decided it was worth it to wait until they finally came at 2.
Other exciting news: In our Pday de Zona last Monday my soccer team won twice in row. Not that we kept score or anything...err....oops. I'm turning Latina inside and out because my skin is getting darker and I'm learning how to play futbol again. :)
Oh and another exciting bit of news: my latina bff Charlyn started filling out her mission papers this week. Yayy!!
Thanks for all the tips Dad. I'm just going to print out your email so I don't feel all rushed reading it. Also, I got your "And my father dwelt in a tent" talk in DearElder on Tuesday. I glued it in my journal and wrote "And my father dwelt in a tent" with a sweet illustrated picture :) Seriously, who else has parents who write sweet talks/emails to them on their mission? Uhhh ok maybe a few other ones but the talks probably aren't as good.
This week we fasted a couple times for our investigators and the positive investigators in our district. It's interesting to see how the Lord answers our prayers. The people we prayed for are still progressing slowly or have stopped progressing, but we've found new people who are ready to come back to church or be baptized quickly. I don't think it was a coincidence (uhh sp?) that after fasting and praying we had three families at church yesterday. Wahoo! Two of them are families where one of the parents is an inactive member and now has older children and a spouse so we're working hard to reactivate and complete families.
Wednesday is our zone conference with Elder Clark, the area president of Central America (or a counselor, I'm not sure which). I'm sure it's going to be awesome. Ahhh there never seems to be enough time to tell you all everything I'm doing. Basically things are going well, I'm learning and trying my best to be a good missionary and to make my Heavenly Father and my earthly parents proud. And all my future childrens who are up there watching. Haha.
I love you all, and thanks again for all the news, advice, and words of encouragement.
Love you!
Love,
Natalie
3 Nef 5:13 Soy una discipulo de Cristo :)
Monday, January 11, 2010
Turns out Boy Scout adventures are only fun for a few days. . .
Hola family!!
Ahhh sorry I only have like 5 minutes today because I had to clear out my mailbox so it wouldn't return emails.
I'm glad you finally got my card-I guess regular mail is a lot slower than we thought :)
This week has been a little crazy. Today is our sixth day without water in the house. Luckily there's a little stream next to our house so we've been hauling water up in buckets to bathe. It was sort of fun the first couple of days because I felt like it was some sort of a mission rite of passage to bathe with a bucket of river water, but now it's just time consuming and inconvenient. And dirty, haha.
I was talking to my companion about how I felt like we were passing off merit badges. I already have washing clothes by hand because our washing machine broke last week, now I have bathing with a bucket of river water, and I'm just missing cooking dinner over a fire, haha.
We have water bottles with filters so we've been drinking the water, but I got really sick on Saturday throwing up all day and night so I'm not sure if I really trust the filter anymore, haha.
Otherwise life is good.
We have several new positive people, but many of them are progressing much slower than our investigators from October and November.
Eek well I don't have more time, sorry this letter is so lame.
Thanks for your letters and emails, I promise I'll write better next week!!
Love,
Hermana Dance
Hel 6:3-5 What should happen when someone joins the church...
Ahhh sorry I only have like 5 minutes today because I had to clear out my mailbox so it wouldn't return emails.
I'm glad you finally got my card-I guess regular mail is a lot slower than we thought :)
This week has been a little crazy. Today is our sixth day without water in the house. Luckily there's a little stream next to our house so we've been hauling water up in buckets to bathe. It was sort of fun the first couple of days because I felt like it was some sort of a mission rite of passage to bathe with a bucket of river water, but now it's just time consuming and inconvenient. And dirty, haha.
I was talking to my companion about how I felt like we were passing off merit badges. I already have washing clothes by hand because our washing machine broke last week, now I have bathing with a bucket of river water, and I'm just missing cooking dinner over a fire, haha.
We have water bottles with filters so we've been drinking the water, but I got really sick on Saturday throwing up all day and night so I'm not sure if I really trust the filter anymore, haha.
Otherwise life is good.
We have several new positive people, but many of them are progressing much slower than our investigators from October and November.
Eek well I don't have more time, sorry this letter is so lame.
Thanks for your letters and emails, I promise I'll write better next week!!
Love,
Hermana Dance
Hel 6:3-5 What should happen when someone joins the church...
Monday, January 4, 2010
Woot, it's 2010
Hello family!
Sorry I don't have much time today but HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I feel like we're in a cyborg decade writing 2010-I don't know why, it just looks weird.
Tonight I have to ride on a bus from midnight until 6 in the morning because I have to go to immigrations. Ew. So far I've been here somewhat illegally because they never called me to immigrations to get some sort of card that says I'm legit. I guess we have to go every 3 months or so.
Sounds like your zone conferences are going to be fun this round. WEll, I'm sure they always are but even more this time. Things are good with my new companion. She's an awesome missionary and has served in tons of different areas, I think because President Madrigal wants to spread her influence throughout the whole mission haha.
Today I was studying in the Book of Mormon in Alma about the wars between the Lamanites and Nephites. There a part in chapter 57 where Gid left to take all the Lamanite prisoners to a different city, but they ended up rebeling and escaping. I remember every time I read this part before I always thought it was a bummer that they all escaped, and this time I started wondering why the Lord let that happen when Helaman and the Nephites were being righteous. The answer came when I read verses 17 and 18, which talk about how all the men who had been guarding the prisoners returned and saved the rest of the Nephites when they were about to fall into the hands of the Lamanites. The Lord let the prisoners escape because He knew the army of Gid was needed to save the rest of the Nephites from losing the battle. It's the same in our lives. Sometimes we ask the whole "Why do bad things happen to good people?" question, and here is a perfect example. God knows more than we do. We just need to trust in Him like the Nephites-especially the armies of Helaman-did and things will work out.
Oh, and I forgot to verify when I talked to you all on the phone. Entonces, will you each read a fresh Book of Mormon and give it to someone as one of your goals for this year? I am expecting an email from each of you telling me yes or no so I can follow up and respond to doubts and concerns. Haha.
Oh no, I'm already resorting to missionary jokes...and I only have 5 months here!
Ok I'm out of time but I love you all and hope you're doing well. Talk to you next week!
Love,
Hermana Dance
Alma 57:17-18, 21-22
Sorry I don't have much time today but HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I feel like we're in a cyborg decade writing 2010-I don't know why, it just looks weird.
Tonight I have to ride on a bus from midnight until 6 in the morning because I have to go to immigrations. Ew. So far I've been here somewhat illegally because they never called me to immigrations to get some sort of card that says I'm legit. I guess we have to go every 3 months or so.
Sounds like your zone conferences are going to be fun this round. WEll, I'm sure they always are but even more this time. Things are good with my new companion. She's an awesome missionary and has served in tons of different areas, I think because President Madrigal wants to spread her influence throughout the whole mission haha.
Today I was studying in the Book of Mormon in Alma about the wars between the Lamanites and Nephites. There a part in chapter 57 where Gid left to take all the Lamanite prisoners to a different city, but they ended up rebeling and escaping. I remember every time I read this part before I always thought it was a bummer that they all escaped, and this time I started wondering why the Lord let that happen when Helaman and the Nephites were being righteous. The answer came when I read verses 17 and 18, which talk about how all the men who had been guarding the prisoners returned and saved the rest of the Nephites when they were about to fall into the hands of the Lamanites. The Lord let the prisoners escape because He knew the army of Gid was needed to save the rest of the Nephites from losing the battle. It's the same in our lives. Sometimes we ask the whole "Why do bad things happen to good people?" question, and here is a perfect example. God knows more than we do. We just need to trust in Him like the Nephites-especially the armies of Helaman-did and things will work out.
Oh, and I forgot to verify when I talked to you all on the phone. Entonces, will you each read a fresh Book of Mormon and give it to someone as one of your goals for this year? I am expecting an email from each of you telling me yes or no so I can follow up and respond to doubts and concerns. Haha.
Oh no, I'm already resorting to missionary jokes...and I only have 5 months here!
Ok I'm out of time but I love you all and hope you're doing well. Talk to you next week!
Love,
Hermana Dance
Alma 57:17-18, 21-22
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