Hola familia!
So it´s really late and we still have to send the mission number reports to the church website. But I feel like all of you are more important than that right now. I need to share one of the best experiences of the week. Starting saturday...Elder Robinson, an elder in Alcalde Diaz, had an accident in a service project so his companion was with me yesterday in the afternoon. We were contacting in a nice neighborhood looking for a family to teach. We had prayed to have success there and I felt the need to look in an area that we had never been in before. We saw a young guy with his security work uniform on an decided to talk to him and a guy he was standing with. The kids name is Eladio. He told me he was from Almirante, in Bocas del Toro. He said that he had talked to missionaries before, and with a couple of questions we found out that he actually had a baptismal date but he had to leave Almirante to find work. He has been here in the city for a while.
I asked him about the missionaries that he knew...if he knew an Elder Stoddard, one of the missionaries in our district in Bocas. He said YES! That HE was the one who had taught him! Elder Stoddard had told me a really long story about a kid named Eladio Molina who was going to be baptized but had to go away to an island for several months. Elder Stoddard was way excited about this kid and said to know that he had suddenly left to go to that island. It was a really good experience for me to know that God does guide us. To know that this really is His work. I am glad to form part of it. It is a demanding work. President Ward said in zone conference last week that Panama is "not for sissys!"
Speaking of zone conference, Elder Martino from the area presidency came to a mission tour this week. We had a meeting with him and President last Monday night about mission needs. It was a very spiritual week with him and built my testimony to see him and his wife working and testifying. Sister Martino is helping out in the dental brigade so I still see her every day. Also, the area president, Presidente Falabella, was their today. There are so many amazing leaders in the church and it builds my faith listening to their testimonies of Christ and watching them share the Gospel with everyone. They are great examples for me.
Thank you all for your support! I love you a TON!!!
Elder Henrie
Querida mom,
What a week eh? First point...people avoid breaking their toes by being born with smaller toes haha sorry that´s a bit mean. Yeah I met Dr. Roundy! Really a nice guy! And we´re all enjoying the cookies in the ´dental office´ in the chapel in San Miguelito. I liked the note you sent with them so thanks a lot. We´ve done a lot this week. Saturday night the dental brigade started. So we´re there helping to translate during the day. I saw some people from my first area...El Empalme. Ceferino Castillo was there! He´s going on a mission soon! He wants to go to El Salvador I´m excited for him. Jotam should be going with his brother Wilfredo tomorrow. Wilfredo blessed the sacrament yesterday and did a really good job. Church was great! Sister Ward brought her hair dresser to church (she´s from Columbia and wants to know more about the church). And we had an investigator there named Olinda who wants a book of mormon.
Last night we were contacting in a tough area. NOBODY wanted to listen to us. NOBODY. It was kind of interesting. Elder Ortega was wondering if we weren´t in the right spot. But I told my him that we were GOING to find a family before going home. We had prayed specifically for that blessing after dinner and we had worked for it all day without ONE lesson. We kept walking and everyone was either catholic or asleep. Finally we got to a house that rejected us and then President Ward called with some bad news about some missionaries in Bocas del Toro...as my comp was talking to him we saw a girl pull up in her car in the neighbor´s house and her dad came out to help her with some things. I felt like it was them...the family that we wanted...la familia Jaen. We went up and just had barely started talking to them when the dad said "sure come on in! Let me get you some lemonade it´s kind of hot inside." Wow...we sang Family´s can be together forever and started talking about families. I told them how deeply I love my family and why. We then started asking if they had heard about the book of mormon. They had lots of questions and the spirit was just strong in their home. We didn´t even have to ask if we could say a closing prayer, because the father said we should end with a prayer! We put an appointment for wednesday and he said that his wife would also be there to listen to the message. Pray for them! Our goal is to get them to church!
I love you mom...thanks for your encouragement. This week has been a little tough. Sometimes I feel like I have to be absolutely perfect...and looking back at things I know I´m not. But it´s good to know that we can repent...and to know that I´m trying as hard as I can to work and obey what God wants me to do. The mission is good. I feel peaceful still. I need to keep trying harder. I think maybe it´s hard because being in the office I have a hard time finding the hours needed to really study the scriptures. Example...we left early this morning and until now I´m writing you. Well...I love you. Thank you!
Elder Henrie
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