Companions and Rain Storm

River Trip

Temple Trip

October 13, 2014

Hello Family! I hope you`ve all had a marvelous week :)

This has been a full and exhausting week, which is wonderful. There are few things more satisfying that getting home at the end of the day and being so tired. This week Hermana Caniz and I have continued searching for new investigators and following up with some of the positive ones that we were able to find last week. I know that many good things are happening and will continue to happen here in Barrio 3.

I believe that my feet have been wet more than they have been dry this week. This October rain is incredible! In an instant it begins to pour buckets and then has the audacity to do so for hours upon hours. I love the rain, it continues to fascinate me, and it cools everything down, but it makes it much more difficult to be outside. Not to mention that all of the Panamanians hide in their houses when it`s raining and don`t like opening the door for anyone. Difficult, but not impossible. We Mormons are persistent buggers :) And the work of the Lord won`t be frustrated by a bit of drizzling!

Next Sunday our new chapel will be dedicated! We`ve been meeting there for about 2 months because they received special permission from the Guatemala offices to do so before the dedication, but all are extremely excited for the event. On Wednesday evening begins the open house, which will last until Friday. On Saturday we will have a beautiful cultural night, full of singing and typical dances. Then the dedication on Sunday morning. It should be another full week, but we`re all looking forward to it.

To end, I`d just like to share something that was shared in our Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. ``EL TESTIMONIO SE VIVE``. In other words (English words haha) A testimony is to be lived. It is to be lived every day, every moment, in the home, at work, at school, when we`re alone, and especially when it seems inconvenient. We cannot be content or comfortable with living day to day without living our testimony.

Well my time is out! I love you all!

Go Foward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev

October 6, 2014

Hello Family!

What a wonderful conference weekend, right? I absolutely love General Conference, simply listening to it makes my heart feel good :) I remember being little and thinking that conference sessions lasted an eternity. I now have a hard time believing how quickly each session goes. Although many topics were mentioned, the one that most stood out to me was that of sustaining our prophet and leaders. One of my favorite things to teach investigators is that we have a living prophet in this latter days who communicates directly with God. I have a firm testimony that President Thomas S. Monson is a righteous man who has been called by God. He communicates directly with our Heavenly Father. He is a special witness of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that as we listen to his counsel, as well as that of his counselors and the twelve apostles, we will be directed to happiness in this life and in the eternities. I love President Thomas S. Monson and trust in him completely as a called prophet of God.

In other news, I have a new companion. Hermana Rosales left David after 6 months and was sent to Pedregal Tocumen, my old area. I am now companions with Hermana Caniz, another companion from Guatemala. She has been a member all of her life, and is the youngest of 5 children. She is the first missionary to serve in her family. She has 14 months in the mission and is a great missionary. She is much quieter and more serious than Hermana Rosales, so the house has a different, calmer atmosphere to it now. I´m grateful for her willingness to work hard with me because we have only a few weeks to get to know the area together and build up a large base of investigators. We´ve found a lot of positive investigators this past week and plan on making return visit these next couple of days. We both know that there is much to be done here in Barrio 3. Also, an elder who is just beginning his mission is now serving in the ward with my District Leader, Elder Santizo. His name is Elder Juarez, from Mexico. I´m not sure I´ve ever met a more eager elder. He´s brought a lot of life to the area. He is also extremely determined to learn english. Every time we see them he has a long list of questions for me about pronunciation and wants to practice his english. I think it´s great that he wants to learn so bad, so I do what I can to help him out. 

I think that´s it for this week. I hope you all have a marvelous week and can see the differences in your lives as you apply the beautiful truths taught to us in conference. I love you all!

Go Forward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev

29 Septiembre 2014

Hello Family!

I hope that you have all had a marvelous week. It´s been a wonderful week here and many exciting things have happened. 

To start off, I went to Costa Rica last Friday! Yup, true story :) Hermana Rosales had to take care of a problem with her bank card, so she took advantage of being so close to the border and got permission to take care of it while still in David. We took a 45 minute bus ride to the border. She was giddy with excitement as she explained to me everything that was there, all of the stores, the flags, the food, everything. We were only there for about an hour, but she enjoyed her time, was able to fix her bank problem, and I was able to visit yet another country. 

We´ve also been able to work a bit more this week because Hermana Rosales has been feeling a bit better. I feel much better when we´re out working. I´ve had a number of very spiritual experiences this week that I hold very dear. One in particular occurred while testifying of the Restoration of the gospel. This lesson used to be very intimidating for me to teach, for a variety of reasons. However, as I´ve learned more, I now look foward to teaching this lesson and absolutely love it! We were visiting an investigator who had been struggling quite a bit with understanding the Restoration. After explaining everything very clearly, I began to testify. As I began to testify, my heart began to swell and words just began to come out. I could feel so strongly of the Spirit, and I could see in his eyes that he could as well. I love testifying of the things that I know to be true. Being a missionary is a beautiful privilege that allows us a little ´´umph´´ when we share our testimony. I have such a testimony of the Restoration, I know it all it true.

To add to the spiritual highlights of the week . . . Pedro was able to be baptized yesterday morning. As usual, we were running to make sure that everything fell into place until the very moment that the service started, but it was a wonderful experience in the end. Pedro is such an example to me. I can honestly say that the missionaries were simply there to get the baptism set up, he is so good and was completely prepared from the moment that he was invited to the church. He has a big heart, great faith, and I know that the Lord is so happy that another precious soul has opened the door to exaltation.

I´d like to share a thought that I had yesterday in Sacrament Meeting in regards to the importance of attending church each Sunday. We can learn from Doctrine and Covenants 65 that the kingdom of God on earth is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The purpose of the church is to prepare the saints to live for eternity in the kingdom of God, in His presence. As member of the church, our long term goal is (or should be) to obtain eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom. Church attendance is a preparatory step towards this eternal goal. Making the effort to attend all of our church meetings each and every Sunday is necessary to attaining the kingdom of God. May we all remember the importance of our Sunday meetings and the sacred ordinance that takes place in week, and may we all make the effort to keep this essential commandment of God.

I love you all dearly! I believe that is all for this week. We´re currently waiting for news about transfers. We´re almost positive that Hermana Rosales has changes, but you never know. I´ll let you all know next Monday :) Have a fantastic week!

Go Foward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev

15 Septiembre 2014

Hello Family!

We received some exciting news this past week in Barrio 3. Our brand new chapel will be dedicated on October 19! The ward has waiting for a long time for dedication day and were all thrilled when the anouncement was made. Now, many preparations are being made for the open house and the cultural celebration that will take place the week before. This will be a wonderful missionary opportunity and we have every intention of taking advantage of it.

The past weekend my companion and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the temple with the members of our ward. Being eight to nine hours away from the city, visiting the temple in a rare opportunity that requires much preparation and sacrifice from the members. I admire each one of them so much for their understanding of what a blessing a temple is. My love and testimony for the Lord´s house is now even stronger. 

On Friday morning, before the sun even thought about rising, we all crammed ourselves into the small bus that would haul us to the city. Many hours and leg cramps later we emerged from the bus. While reminded ourselves how to walk we looked up at the temple. Upon seeing such a beautiful sight all fatigue from the trip seemed to disappear. 

We quickly got settled and ran to enter the last session of the evening. Upon finishing the session I took a moment to say a prayer of thanks to my Heavenly Father. I then opened up to a chapter in the Book of Mormom and began reading the first verses that caught my eye. I read no more than three verses before my heart was full of peace and my eyes full of tears. Few times proior have I received an answer so clear and direct from my Heavenly Father. I testify that the temple is a sacred piece of our divine home and that it is there that our God communicates without restraint with His children. 

The next morning we arose at 5:30 in the morning to enter the first session of the day, doing our best to overcome the heavy and sleepy eyes. Not long afterward, we all begrudingly boarded the bus once again and began the trek back home. We arrived, exhausted and spiritually full at about 9 o´clock at night. 

Family, I love each one of you so much and am so grateful for the sealing ordinances that take place in the temple that bind us together for the eternities. I would exhort each one of you to take advantage of the blessing to have a temple so close and do all within your power to be worthy and attend as often as possible. I love the temple!

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Go Forward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev

8 Septiembre 2014

Hello Family!

It´s been a good week here in David. Panama continues to be hot, it rains a lot, and I still eat a lot of rice. It´s been relatively eventful, considering the fact that my companion and I remain under ´´house arrest´´. 

Each Tuesday, after Zone Meeting, we have a ´´rescue´´ activity. All of the missionaries of the zone travel to the area of one companionship and we spend the afternoon contacting or with members from the area. It helps a lot with the unity of the zone and we always leave with some wonderful experiences. This past week we headed to Boquete, the paradise of Chiriquí. Some elders are opening the area there this change, so we decided to head there to help them out. 

Upon arriving to Boquete we divided up. The elder explained that to the North, East, and West there were small neighborhoods, where groups could go contacting. Then he said, half jokingly, that to the South there was a mountain. He asked where I wanted to go. I responded, half jokingly, that I´d take the mountain. The four of us headed toward the mountain. 

We contacted a few of the houses at the bottom, then started climbing. Then we kept climbing . . . and climbing. We were able to contact many of the houses, including one where we found a woman living in very humble circumstances with her six young children. Further up the mountain we found some orange trees and were lucky enough to find some low enough to pick. We had some great expereinces, along with a few adventures :) It was a much needed adventure for me, since it´s been a little difficult for me to be stuck in the same house for so long. 

As we got towards the top we could see all of Boquete, in a valley surrounded by beautiful green mountains. Before too long, it started raining hard. We started heading down and were blessed when a nice man stopped his truck and offered to take us to the bottom. Overall, a very good day :)

Another highlight to the week was Friday evening, when we had a group night for the ward. The ward recently moved into a brand new capilla, and we´ve been working to get the attendance up after the move. The activities have helped people get the know the area where the chapel is and feel comfortable there. The activity included a simple spiritual thought, then some group games afterward. The excited moment of the night happened as we were all enjoying our refreshment. A mischevious little boy pulled the fire alarm, not knowing what it was. The alarm could be heard from a few blocks away, and nobody had the keys to the box that held the off switch. We ended up having to leave before they could get it off. When we asked the bishop on Sunday how long it took to get it off he just started laughing and told us that they didn´t get it off until the next morning.

Also, despite the fact that we haven´t been able to leave much, we´ve been able to continue seeing progress in our investigators and are planning on a baptism this Sunday. On Friday and Saturday we will be with the ward for their semi-annual temple trip. It should prove to be another good week.

I love you and miss you all!

Go Forward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev :)

01 Septiembre 2014

Dear Family!

Today as a zone we went to a place called Gualaca. After about 45 minutes in a little bus that drove off into the middle of nowhere we arrived to a beautiful landscape that included a large river. Shortly after arriving I became curious about what was further up the river. I started exploring and my short exploration quickly turned into a zone hike. We ended up at a beautiful area where we could all sit on the large rocks. 

Though I must admit that I was at first a little uncertain that I should have had changes when they told me I was leaving San Blas, I can now say that I know that I need to be in David Chiriquí. I feel like I have a purpose here, and I already love the people. The ward is wonderful and everyone has been so sweet and kind to me here. The David Zone is incredible as well, we are all extremely united and we love being together. To put it simply, I feel very good here and I´m happy.

My dear companion, Hermana Rosales, unfortunately has been diagnosed with a strong case of dengue. She has been sentenced to 15 days of complete rest in the house . . . meaning that I too have been sentenced to 15 days of rest in the house. I would be lying if I didn´t say that it´s been a challenge for the both of us. We both have strong desires to testify of what we know to be true, and it´s difficult for a missionary to spend so much time closed in. However we have both remained positive throughout the experience and look for what we can learn from the experience. We´ve been able to arrange divisions occasionally with some ward members, one who stays with my companion and one who works with me in the area. Even though we are a little limited, the Lord continues to bless us. The other day I found an 18 year old named Daphne who came to church yesterday and is extremely positive. Also, yesterday I was able to visit some investigators with a young woman from the ward and we put a few baptismal dates. I know that as we continue to do all within our capabilities and remain positive, the Lord will continue to bless us with miracles and opportunities to testify. The work of the Lord will not be frustrated. 

In other news, I was able to cheer up Hermana Rosales last night as she ended up on the floor from laughing so hard when I was scared by a giant cockroach. Long story short . . . the beast ran across my hand, all dignity was lost, and I probably woke up a few neighbors. Also, there are very large grasshoppers here in Chiriquí, some about the size of my hand. Each one is full of different colors. They other day we were waiting for the bus to pass when I saw a big one with bright orange, yellow, green, and pink. I innocently wanted nothing more than a picture. I got really close to take the picture when the grasshopper decided to fly away . . . towards me! I screamed and ran, and once again, Hermana Rosales was dying of laughter. What more can I say, I suppose I should be used to these experiences by now. 

Also, I was recently told that my first area, Santa Librada, is soon going to become an elders´area because it has been labeled as too dangerous for the hermanas. I was a little saddened by the news, but at least there will still be missionaries in the area. 

One of my favorite scriptures has always been Alma 5:19:

19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?

I love the idea of having the image of God engraven upon our countenances. What a beautiful thought, that God is such an integral part of our lives that is it recognizable in our countenance. I think of someone´s coutenances as being their collective being, their appearance, their thoughts, their everything. That means that they reflect God in simply being them. As Children of God we have the divine ability to reflect the divinity and love of our Heavenly Father. We can do this as we live righteously, share our testimony, and simply smile. 

Well, I´ll try to send pictures when I´m given the chance. I hope that you all have a marvelous week, one full of tender mercies and mighty miracles. I love you all so much!

Go Forward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev :)

25 Agosto 2014

¡Buenas tardes familia mia!

Well, to start things off, I am no longer in Carti Tupile. I received
news that I had changes at about 2 o´clock on Tuesday afternoon and
had to leave early on Wednesday morning. I spent all of Tuesday night
saying goodbye to my many loved ones on Tupile. I would be lying if I
didn´t say that it was one of the most difficult things I´ve ever
done. I consider Carti Tupile to be my second home and many there to
be my family. After institute on Tuesday many of the youth and other
members came to the church to see me. They were all upset that I was
going, but I explained (through many tears) that it was the will of
the Lord and that the next hermana could help them more than I can
now. It would be impossible to express through a mere email all that I
learned and the love that I had in Tupile, so I would prefer to not
attempt. The Kunas of Carti Tupile occupy a very large space in my
heart and will never be forgotten. I know that the Lord will watch
over them and that I did what I needed to do there.

I am now in (drum roll please) . . . . David Chiriquí! I am now in the
interior of Panamá, ironically the name of the areas furthest from the
city. That means that I´ve now hit every extreme of the mission. I
began in the ghetto, went to the city, headed to an island, and now
I´m in the middle of nowhere in the fields. Though each one has a
special place in my heart, it is very beautiful here. After two hours
of driving through the mountains from San Blas, I almost immediately
got onto a bus and travelled for 9 hours to Chiriquí. The changes are
done differently lately in order to save money, so I was travelling by
myself. I arrived in David at about 11:30 pm to be greeted by my new
companion, Hermana Rosales. Hermana Rosales is 23 years old and is
from Costa Rica. She has 8 months in the mission. She actually began
her mission in 2012, then returned home because of health problems,
and has recently returned to continue serving in Panamá. She is very
sweet, and I´m excited to be working with her. Unfortunately, we
believe that she has dengue. She recently recovered from a case of
dengue that kept her in bed for about a month. We are headed to the
hospital after we finish up here in the internet cafe to do the
medical tests. We´re hoping that it´s nothing too serious. We both
have desires to work really hard, so being stuck in a house may drive
us both insane. We´re hoping for the best.

Well, David is famous for two things . . . many nice people and lots
of food. The people here are incredible, I love many of them already.
The ward is very strong, and I have loved watching the Lord´s
organization in action. San Blas was wonderful, but the branch was
still being built, which made some things difficult. The members here
are wonderful and the bishop is fantastic. We serve in the ward with a
companionship of Elders who are wonderful as well. There are many good
things happening here, and I´m excited to be a part of it all. I feel
very comfortable in the area; I have met many people here that I feel
like I already know, perhaps in the premortality? And the food . . .
Panamá in general is known for eating lots of rice, then there is
David, which is on a whole other plane. The plates of food that they
give me here are enormous! It´s been a bit of a rough transition,
coming from San Blas, but I pray during each meal and the Lord helps
me to finish it. On the up side, the food is absolutely delicious.
After 6 months of tulemasi and fish I had forgotten what I was missing
here in Panamá.

The house that I live in is great. The man who rents it to us is a
police officer who takes really good care of us. They other day he
called us outside because he had just cut down a large group of pipa
from the tree in our backyard. He opened up a few for us with his
machete, then continued cutting until we ended up with a large bowl of
fresh pipa and coconut water. Very tasty!! On the downside, I was
studying the other day when I found a hand-sized spider right next to
me under the desk. I´ve dealt with many creatures here in Panamá, but
spiders continue to terrify me. I got up from my chair and was on the
other side of the room so fast that I scared my poor companion.
Fortunately, she already loves me and killed it for me. I promised her
I´d kill the next cockroach that we found in our room . . . it didn´t
take long to fulfill my promise. That same night there was a monster
under her bed. Don´t you know that killing monsters together is one of
the best ways to build unity in the companionship ;) . . . . we are
VERY unified!

I´m happy and healthy. I´m excited to be here in David, where I´ll
likely be finishing my mission. A personal goal that I´ve had for my
entire mission has been to take nothing and give everything. I try to
give all of myself in each area. The odd thing is that I often leave
feeling that the people have loved and taught me more than I did them.
The beautiful thing about love is that it is limitless. Each time I
feel like I´ve loved with all that I´ve got, the Lord blesses me with
more people to love. It just keeps growing. My heart is so full all
the time! I absolutely love being a missionary and representative of
Jesus Christ.

Well my dear family, I believe that is all for this week. It sounds
like a big thunder and rain storm is coming, so I think my companion
and I are headed out soon. I love you all so much and am grateful for
each one of you!

Go Forward With Faith!

Hermana Falslev :)

18 Agosto 2014

Hello Family! 

I hope you've all had a marvelous week. I loved seeing the photos from Manti and Alyssa's birthday. Alyssa, you look so grown up and different! I couldn't believe it! I hope you all enjoyed the cake, it looked delicious :) 

It has been an eventful week here on Carti Tupile. Each year Tupile hosts a basketball tournament for all of the school children ages 11-12. It's a pretty big deal here. Our kids have been practicing every day for the last 5 months, and everybody gets excited about it because Tupile has a reputation of winning. Well, the day finally arrived and our tiny island was suddenly filled with mountains of children. The tournament began on Friday and lasted through Sunday. The games would begin at 7 o'clock in the morning and generally went until about 6 o'clock in the evening. There were so many people! And each time that the Tupile children were playing everybody was there, screaming and yelling. Both the boys' and the girls' team playing very well, but we fell just short of first place. It was a little disappointing for all, but we all enjoyed the tournament nonetheless. 

More exciting news! District conference is coming up at the end of the month and it's on Tupile this year! Since the San Blas branches are all so far apart, there are two separate district conferences. We share ours with our closest islands, Tikan Tiki and Nargana, though both are still at least 2 hours away. District conference has never been held on Tupile before, so we're excited for the opportunity, it also means that more of our members will be able to assist.

As part of the conference we have been preparing a small choir of some of our seminary and institute students. We will be singing a hymn in the Kuna dialect! There aren't many hymns that have been translated into dialect, but there is an older member on our island who translated a handful of them with another man many years ago. We found them on some hidden away pieces of note paper and asked if we could make copies of them and sing one at the conference. He was really excited about it. It sounds beautiful and it has been fun to learn it with them. 

I recently began reading the Book of Mormon again, with the goal to finish reading it in Spanish one more time before finishing my mission. Each time that I read about Nephi I am astonished at his unwavering obedience. He never questions the Lord, he just does. He acts with a sure faith in God and with a hopeful attitude. The other day I was paralleling Nephi's obedience with that of his brothers, Laman and Lemuel. Something occurred to me . . . Laman and Lemuel were always obedient as well. They did was their father asked them to do. They left their home in Jerusalem and traveled into the wilderness. They even obeyed and went back to retrieve the records, as well as Ishmael and his family. They were obedient, as Nephi was. However, their attitudes differed greatly from that of Nephi. They always complained and acted begrudgingly. They did not understand the will of the Lord, and much less were searching to align their own will with the Lord's. 

Obedience is necessary, without it we cannot progress or reach any eternal goal. However, we must watch our attitudes as well. Our actions may be obedient, but are our hearts equally obedient? Is our will aligned with the will of the Lord? An obedient heart makes for a happy disciple of Christ. I know that as we obey, with a willing heart, we will be granted a greater understanding of the Lord's purposes and a stronger testimony of the gospel. 

I love you all so much! I am so grateful for each of you! May you all have a wonderful week :)

Go Forward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev

11 Agosto 2014

Hello Family!

Let's see what I have to tell you all about this week. 

We have continued to visit our neighboring islands. We've decided to focus on the biggest neighboring island, called Sugdup (Soo-e-doop). We only visit it about once a week, seeing as it is difficult to travel between islands. The branch counselor has been kind enough to lend us his canoe the past two weeks, on the condition that someone who knows what they are doing accompanies us. This past week, our friend Roderick volunteered to help us. Roderick is a 19 year old who is visiting his grandmother here from the city. He's always been a good friend of the missionaries and was happy to help us. At first, we were a little unsure about him rowing the boat . . . he is a Kuna, but he is still a city boy. Once he got the hang of it all again we departed from Tupile and made the quick trip to Sugdup. While there, he helped us with some of the older members who don't speak Spanish. It was a great help to us, not to mention great practice for when he becomes a missionary himself. 

Another highlight of the week is when we had a sports day with all of the youth and the branch president. We all ended up playing kickball. At the beginning of the day it was extremely hot, but then, in a split second it seemed, we were hit by a short rainstorm. It cooled down instantly and made running the bases a little more interesting, but fun nonetheless. Within 15 minutes the sun was out and we were all sweaty again. I love playing sports with the youth here. Everybody gets really into it and has a good time. 

Another day worth mentioning is the day that we got to eat pineapple AND watermelon! One might think that we get lots of fresh fruit out here, but we actually don't get much fruit at all. There are very limited resources out here. Our only hope is when a shipment comes into the island port. The other day, while visiting Lily, one of the port workers came in huffing and puffing. He told us that a new shipment had just come in and that it had pineapple and watermelon. The goods tend to go quickly here on the island . . . there was no time to waste. We jumped up from the hammocks and went directly to the port. We were one of the first. We bought one of each. We then headed back to Lily's and shared with her, her grandchildren, and a few lucky enough to pass by at the right time. They all loved it and just kept asking for more. Mu, Lily's mother, was especially excited. It truly is the small joys in life. Who new that a few slices of fruit could make so many people so happy.

Speaking of the small things, I'd like to reiterate something that I'm sure I've mentioned previously. That is, the importance of daily scripture study and prayer as well as weekly church attendance. I know that these things may seem so minuscule and are easily looked over in our busy lives, but we MUST make time for them. With an eternal perspective they are grand and life changing things. It is these same divine daily decisions that will make all the difference in the eternities to come. We cannot allow the daily tasks that the world hands us to overshadow these daily tasks that the Lord has given us.  Put the Lord first . . . before co-workers, friends, a messy house, or any other item on your to-do list. It will not be in vain, I promise you that. I testify that as we read and pray daily and attend all of our church meetings weekly our testimony will be strengthened and the divine guidance of the Holy Ghost will be more easily recognized. 

I hope that you all make it a marvelous week, full of divine daily decisions :) I love you and miss you all!

Go Forward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev

4 Agosto 2014

I hope you've all had a wonderful week! It's been a good week here. Today began with a small parade around the island of all of the younger school kids. Today is a cultural day, so all of the school kids are in their mola, the traditional Kuna attire. They were adorable! Then we had a wonderful turn out for seminary, as we taught Alma 40. After teaching seminary in the morning I spent about 2 hours washing all of my clothes. Afterwards I was tired, hungry, and my knuckles were a little raw. However, my clothes are now all hanging to dry and smell like spring :) Then we went to visit Lily, who shared one of her fish with us. It was a good start to the day.

This past Saturday we visited Sugdup, a neighboring island to Tupile. The rule here in Blas is that if you can see it, it's in your area. Missionaries hadn't visited the other islands for a very long time. My comp and I decided to change that. Unfortunately, we do not have a boat, so I was left to use my persuasive skills to convince an hermano to lend us his canoe. When I asked him at first, he looked at me skeptically and asked me who would be going with us. I told him that it would just be us. He just raised his eyebrows. Fair enough . . . two gringas in a canoe by themselves could end badly. I could understand his thinking. However, we needed to get to the other island. After some smooth talking, and perhaps some help from the Spirit, we got him to say yes. Then we ended up convincing a youth to go with us, so he felt a little better about it.

We arrived with nothing but a list of names that we had found in the church system. We arrived and started asking around and exploring a bit. You'd think it'd be easier to find people on an island . . . false. Kunas aren't very helpful when it comes to such an endeavor. However, we were determined and persistent. We found many less-actives. We found an older woman who was one of the first Kunas to be baptized. She is rather ill and really enjoyed the visit. Then we found a younger woman who got baptized with two of her brothers when she was a teenager. She now has a family of her own. Nobody else in her family is baptized. We're really excited about working on the other islands. They are completely unexplored territory. Sounds like time for some adventures :)

Shortly after arriving to the island and coming up short with some people searching (it's like a treasure hunt really) we found ourselves standing in one of the little short-cuts of the island, debating what to do next. Out of nowhere a little girl comes up, stops, and looks up at me. I smiled at her and said hello. She grabbed onto my hand. I asked her if she had talked to missionaries before. She nodded yes. I asked if her family were members. She nodded yes. I asked her if she could take us to her house to visit them. Her hand still in mine she started walking, pulling me with her. We followed her around a few corners. 

Then she stopped. I asked her if we were at her house. She shook her head no. I asked if we could go to her house. She shook her head no. I looked at my companion, both of us slightly confused. Hermana Niebla asked me if she had been guiding me or if we had just been walking together. I told her that she was definitely guiding me. The little girl then looked up at me, said goodbye, then skipped off. Perplexed, I looked around, we were on the other side of the island, next to an old library. We walked a few steps, then found an old man who ended up guiding us to the house of one of the members that we had been looking for. 

Perhaps she was just a little girl who wanted to walk around with us, but I've learned here on the mission that coincidences don't exist. I told Hermana Niebla that I thought that the little girl was supposed to lead us. Whether it be toward the old man or away from some sort of danger, I know not, but it was a cool experience nonetheless.

Well, I just heard the call for the 'congreso' meeting, which means I must go. I hope that you all have a marvelous week. Remember to always search for the tender mercies of the Lord. I love you all!

Go Forward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev

Building houses after a hurricane with new companion

Holding a live shark and the centipede that almost got her :)

Kids

Fish for Dinner

Beach Activity

Last Night with Hermana Hastings

Cake Fight

28 Julio 2014

Hello Family!

I hope that you have all had a spectacular week! Can you believe that July is gone? The months are racing by, each one seems shorter. Sometimes I feel like my letters each week are repetitive. This week I built some more houses, I washed my clothes in the river, ate some strange food, and continued living this insane life that has somehow become normal to me. As I've watched my new companion adjust to this life I've been reminded once again that it's strange how at home and comfortable I feel here. I have no clue why because I'm a little white girl from Utah and this place is so distinct from anything that should be familiar to me. It has been that way since the beginning, I have some strange connection to this place. However strange it may be, I continue to love it. 

I have some wonderful news for you all! Do you all remember Leandro and Maxima, two converts from my first change in San Miguelito? They were baptized on August 4th of last year. This coming August, as they reach a year of membership, they have plans to be sealed in the Panama temple!! We set that as a goal directly after their baptism while I was there. I've kept in contact with the missionaries in their area periodically throughout my mission to see how they're doing. This past week I finally found somebody who could give me Hermana Maxima's new phone number, so I gave them a call. She was so excited to hear from me and instantly said, "And when are you coming to visit, mi hija?" They both always called me "mi hija" while I was there, and my heart swelled with joy as I heard it again. We talked for quite a while, and they told me that they are in the process of putting a specific date with the temple for their sealing. 

Few things are more rewarding than being able to see the progress that those that I've taught and come to love are making. They both accepted the gospel without restraint and their lives have been changed as a result. I am so excited for them to take yet another essential and eternal step! It makes my heart happy! 

Earlier this week we visited a family that we love so much. They are incredible! They are so kind and are always sharing with the entire island. As we were leaving they called out to us and then handed us a large fresh fish. I just looked at the sister and grinned . . . they know that fish is my favorite ;) My companion looked a little concerned. She kept asking, "And what are we supposed to do with this?!" I assured her that I would show her and that we were going to have a tasty dinner.  We took it to Lily's house to cook it. Upon arriving I sat down on the log and started cleaning the fish. I looked up at my companion and saw that she still had a concerned look on her face. Not to mention that she now looked completely repulsed as well. After a few seconds she walked away and told me that she'd wait to look at it until after it was cooked haha. Needless to say, we all ate well that night :)

This week I have spent a lot of time studying the Christlike attributes found in Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel. I decided to do a deeper study of how the Savior was the perfect example of love and charity. I read Moroni 7:45, with which the majority of us are familiar;

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

As I read this verse I substituted the name of Christ for the word "charity". And Christ suffereth long. Christ suffered longer and harder than any of us, and his suffering was all for us. Christ is kind. I imagine that Christ was one of the most pleasant people to be around, constantly offering a kind word or act of service. Christ envieth not and is not puffed up. Though the one worthy of such praise and faith, He was never once envious of the pharisees that had all and were praised by all. He was the Son of God and was higher than each one of those that He served, but never once boasted or demonstrated His power for show. Christ seeketh not His own. While here, the Lord never once sought anything other than the salvation of the rest of the world. He was not thinking of Himself as He hung upon that cross. Christ is not easily provoked. Many tried to provoke Christ. The pharisees, King Herod, the soldiers that mocked Him, and the devil himself, but never once did the Savior give into their provocations. Christ thinketh no evil. Even while hanging on the cross and looking into the eyes of his accusers and tormentors, Jesus Christ plead to His Father to forgive them. He held no hatred towards them. Christ beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. He bore and endured more things than we can comprehend. He has seen the worst of men and suffered for the worst of us all, however, He continues to believe in us and hope for our repentance and salvation.

Christ is the perfect example of charity. He loves us perfectly. I testify of Him, that He lives. It truly is through Him that we receive forgiveness and redemption. I testify of the power that He has been given by the Father to save each one of us. Turn your sins and sorrows over to Him and welcome the relief and joy that come as a result. Let each one of us strive to be as charitable as our Savior was and continues to be. 

I love you all so much! I miss you and frequently send good wishes your way :) Make it a marvelous week. 

Go Foward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev