10 Junio 2014

Once upon a time a naive little girl was sent to a far away island. Each morning, while the island was still asleep, she lifted herself from her high-hanging hammock and walked over to the open walls to take in the sunrise-filled ocean. She fell in love with that ocean.

Outside of those open walls lived a peculiar people. They spoke a different language, wore different clothing, and ate strange food. Though from different worlds, each moment of her day was spent in the midst of those people. She taught them, she served them. They taught her and they served her. She fell in love with those people.

Some days were hard, fruitless, and seemed to be without end. Sometimes she was tired and simply didn't understand the hearts of the people. However, upon counting the victories, big and small, she understood that the work was not her own. It was the work of a grand and loving Father. It was a marvelous work which changed the lives of those that she had learned to love. She fell in love with that work. 

At the end of each day she climbed into her high-hanging hammock. Listening to the ocean, thinking of the people, and satisfied with the work, she drifted off to sleep with a grateful heart and a simple smile. 

Occasionally, I feel like I'm living a fairy-tale. I sit and contemplate this incredible experience that the Lord has blessed me with and am filled with gratitude. Obviously the cultural experience is right up my alley, and I enjoy every minute of it. However, even more so, I thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me to meet these wonderful people. I have loved people in all of my areas, but never before in my life have I felt such an all-encompassing and overwhelming love for someone like I do for the people here. My connection to them is so strong, and I can't help but think that they are all the reason that I needed to come on my mission. I needed to meet them.

The Lord continued to bless us this week. We've had unbelievable amounts of rain in the last two days (which is why I'm writing on Tuesday instead of Monday . . . solar power complicates things). We recently improved our water collection system to be even more efficient, so we now have all of our water jugs filled with drinking water. I started playing with some of our seminary kids during the last giant rain storm. We started out playing soccer, then it turned into a game of splashing and puddle-jumping. We had such a good time together. I think one of my favorite parts was when I looked over and saw one of the grandpas watching us with a giant smile on his face. I love playing with these kids. 

In other news, this week I tried something called "cambombia". I don't honestly know what it is called in English. It's a strange sea creature that lives in a big shell. It didn't taste too bad, but our jaws were tired after eating it because it resembles the texture of a rubber tire. Yet another bizarre food to add to the list. All part of the experience I suppose :)

Unfortunately, the battery is beeping at me, so it appears that my time is up. I miss and love you all! Make it a marvelous week!

Go Forward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev

2 Junio 2014

Hello Family,

It was great to talk to you and see you all on Skype even if it was a bit postponed. Better late than never I suppose.  Skype creates an otherwise nonexistent connection between my two worlds that is a bit strange for me, but good nonetheless. It's good to see that you all seem to be doing well, and it was fun to be able to sing to Nathan for his birthday. Like I said, it was one of my seminary student's birthday as well on Saturday. We had a small celebration with him and some of our other students and his family. Kuna celebrations vary quite a bit from those in the states, but the general idea is the same. 

To be honest, this week kind of feels like a blur, and I'm not entirely sure what to write about. Maybe if I just start typing things will come to me :) Here it goes . . . so earlier this week we went to the river again. We went to do laundry and visit the cemetery once again with Lily and Miriam. We really enjoy going to the river, but the rainy season has made the bugs almost unbearable. At the river there are millions upon millions of a little tiny bug called "chitras". They are microscopic and appear to be nothing more than a little black spec. However, small as they may be, they bite . . . and they bite hard. They suck your blood and leave little red spots on your skin for a while. Fortunately, they don't seem to bother me as much as Hermana Hastings. Mine go away completely within an hour or so, but my poor companion suffers for a few days. I think she has some sort of allergy or something. Poor girl. The silver lining to the river is always the tasty things we find in the jungle. I think I ate a total of 5 delicious mangos that day as well as two cacao pods. I'm convinced that cacao is similar to the manna sent down from the heavens . . . it is so tasty. We have to be sure not to bite into the seeds though, or else our tongue gets covered it a purple explosion of bitterness. That was learned by experience, but will never happen again. 

Remember Ata, Lily's husband who died about a week and a half ago? Well, they've been investigating his unexpected death and have found a few mysterious and intriguing details. As you already know, the drug trade frequently travels right up past Panama and through the San Blas islands. It's hit our little island pretty hard. Well, Ata was part of a group of leaders from our island that put a stop to one of the bigger movements from one of the other islands. They recently found out that the alcohol that he took with him fishing was poisoned. They are all in the process of clearing up the situation, but in the meantime many of the leaders here have left to Panama. That story wasn't to concern you, we're perfectly safe where we are, but it certainly was an unexpected twist to the situation. You just can't make these things up.

Hermana Hastings and I have made it a habit to assist the island's government/religious meetings once a week, called Congreso. We've been trying to gain a bit more support from the Saglas, the Kuna leaders, so we've been working hard to give them support from our end as well. It's all in Kuna, so not much is understood for the span of two hours, but it's the thought that counts, right? Many people bring something small to entertain themselves. I've begun re-reading "Jesus the Christ", my companion this last week took to watching a spider spin it's web on the ceiling, many Kuna women sew mola, and we were very pleased to see that many youth that attended brought their Books of Mormon to occupy themselves! Nothing makes me prouder than seeing the youth walk around with a Book of Mormon in their hand. Many of them are finishing up reading it completely for the first time. Oh it is wonderful!

Speaking of the Book of Mormon, I'd like to restate my admonition from last night on Skype. While talking to you I received a very strong impression to invite you all to read the Book of Mormon if you are not already doing so. I know it seems simple, but I have gained a firm testimony that consistently reading the Book of Mormon is one of the most important things that we can do to strengthen our foundation in Christ. Each and every time that I've watched somebody fall, we ask them if they are reading their scriptures. Their answer is ALWAYS "I don't know what happened, I just have a really hard time reading them now." Read the Book of Mormon each and every day. It is our armor, quite literally. We cannot afford to go without it. I know that the Book of Mormon is a true and inspired book, written specifically for our benefit. I promise each of you that as you read it each day, you will be protected from the fiery darts of the Adversary. Put it to the test.

I miss and love each of you! Thank you all for the support and example that you provide me!

Go Forward With Faith,

Hermana Falslev

Kids Playing in the Rain

May 19, 2014

Hello Family!

It's been a good week here in Tupile. It's cooled down a tad because we've had a lot of rain, which I love! The storms in the middle of the ocean are unlike any other. I love thunder/lightning storms, but they're slightly overwhelming out here. I've been woken up a couple nights from a heart stopping crack of thunder. I don't even know how to explain it to you guys, you are literally in the middle of the storm. It is awe-inspiring really . . . and slightly startling sometimes. We love playing in the rainstorms though. The kids love to play in the rain. Last Monday night we played with them for about 2 hours. We were just splashing each other and running around, but we made a beautiful memory that I'll never forget. I remain convinced that it's the simple things that matter most :) Another day I had gotten completely soaked from filling up our buckets with water. I finally changed and got all warm and dry and headed outside. The youth were all playing soccer in the water filled court as it continued to pour rain. My intentions were only to watch them from my dry refuge, but they all started calling for me to come play with them. When I was hesitant, a couple of them came up and pulled me onto the court. I ended up playing with them for a good hour and a half . . . I was soaked again, but I love playing with them. My companion always just smiles and shakes her head at me. What can I do? :)

Our break-in problem has eased up a bit, but we're still having a small vandalism problem. I've sealed up the majority of the break in points. I also have quite a few booby-traps set up. They don't really keep anybody out, but they would make enough noise to either scare them away and/or wake me up. Call me crazy, but I kind of like the challenge of out-smarting them :) My companion frequently switches between calling me a monkey and MacGyver because I'm constantly climbing in the rafters and creating solutions with things like half a hanger and a button. 

I wish that you guys could meet all of the people here. There are so many that I'll never be able to forget. One of them is a 12 year old boy named Juan. He is so sweet and funny, and we love playing around with him! The other day he was visiting us with some friends. He came up to me and said "Mama!" I said, "Who?" He said "You! You're like my mother! I love you!" Now every time he sees me he runs up to me and yells, "Mama!" It melts my heart and makes me so happy!

Before closing I want to share a highlight from one of our seminary lessons this week. We talked about how as we choose to follow the Lord, we choose to change. Have you ever felt that you have the need to change something spiritually? If so, did you do it? If you have experienced a change, have you maintained that change until now? Elder Bednar taught, "Indeed, the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through our reliance upon 'the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah' (2 Nephi 2:8). As we choose to follow the Master, we choose to be changed--to be spiritually reborn." This gospel means nothing in our lives if we do not apply it each day and utilize it to change what we need to in order to become better. I testify that this gospel is for the perfection of the saints. I want to invite each of you to give heed to the promptings of the spirit and take yet another step towards your divine potential. Choose to follow the Savior and choose to change for the better.

I love and miss you all! I'm looking forward to seeing you all on Skype next week!

Go Forward With Faith!

Hermana Falslev 

Kids playing in the rafters, Juan

Waiting out the rain

Parrot Fish for Dinner