This is me

This is me

Monday, January 26, 2015

A Baptism!

This week included a baptism!  Such a blessing!
Elder Meine's Testimony:

I know that this work is inspired of God, and that we are His true church in these Latter-Days. I know for a surety in my heart that He loves all His children, and wants them all to return unto Him. That's why I'm here. To help Him with that. I love you all, and I hope that none of you ever forget who you are, or from what divinity you come from.







Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Another Week goes by!

This P-Day marked 5 months that Elder Meine has been in Panama!  He seems to be doing well and enjoying the people and culture there.  This week he answered a few more questions for us!

1. Where and how often to you get your haircut?
I've gotten my haircut here twice.  There are a million little barbershops that you can go to to get it done.


A picture of me in front of one of the bajillion barbershops in my area.  This one had a Bob Marley Minion one though so it looks the coolest.  Never actually used it though.


2. Who are you District and Zone leaders again?  We just cannot seem to keep it straight!
Right now Elder Ismael is my district leader.  My ZL's are Elder Estrada and  Elder Hernandez.

3.  How often do you go to the migrations office? What do you do there?
I'm not exactly sure when we go to migrations haha they just call us  the week of  and then we go.  We just get our ID's to live in Panama finalized and renewed  and all that stuff so we are legal. I'm not exactly sure what they do, I just show up, haha!

Me and the Amazing Hermana Ochoa!  She was a companion of Denise Mills from Middleton!!
4.  What has been the hardest thing about your mission so far?
I couldn't pick the hardest thing exactly  about the mission....And we are advised to only talk about good things with our families anyway, Sorry ;)

5.  When was the last time you had an opportunity to sing?  What and where?
I sang after our service project because the Hermanas asked me to!  Haha.  I sang Mas Cerca Dios De Ti, or Nearer My God To Thee.
Hermana Johnson cooked for us after the service project!
I can tell this made Hunter happy because he LOVES french toast and eggs!!


Our Service project, we cut down a tree with a machete and a hatchet! 





Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Pinatas and Compost!

Another great week in Panama for Elder Meine!  He said a lot of pictures this week and answered some more of our questions!

Questions first!!

1.  Do you have any inside jokes on you mission?
I'm sure we do, but they  are probably hard to explain hahaha.... Like one of the Elders calls me Princess, and another one always touches my ear when I see him.

2. Are there any street vendors in your area and what kind of food do they serve? Have you eaten at any of them?
There are quite a few, but I haven't gone to very many. There is a really good empanada stand outside the migrations office though.

3. What has been your favorite Pday activity so far?
When we went and had the Multi-zone activity when we got to play basketball and a ton of other sports and I got to see all the Elders from the MTC for the first time!  It was soooo much fun!

4.  What is your favorite this to smell in Panama?
Anything but outside because there is trash everywhere  and it smells horrifying!

5.  What are some of the local sayings?
Que Xopa  (slang for wasssup) Que lo Que (What's Up) Que Pritty (That's cool) , Chuso (coolness)
Chuleta (Cute girl "porkchop")

6. Is it still just you and Elder Ismael in your house?
Yep! And it's great!

7.  Did you meet any new hopeful investigators this week?
I hope so.... I'll explain more in my big letter soon!

A little bit of Water Balloon PDay Fun!!



Elder Gomez. He went home last week because his 2 years were up.  He was my first Zone Leader and stuck it out with me til the end of his mission!


Elder Quinanilla

Giving Elder Hernandez a Piggy Back Right (Look home much Elder Meine is sweating!)
Elder Tuesta being the Pinata man

Pinata Fun!

Mario Pinata

We got a Pinata With Elder Gomaz' face on it for his last Zone Meeting!
Elder Ismael pretending to be a white American Girl on the Internet with some meat,
being photobombed by one of the youth in our ward.
This is the bishop's daughter.  She tried to get me to dance.  Had to tell her "Whoa!  Nope I'm
a missionary!!"

Ma and baby Cocobolo! That's just his nickname, but he's adorable!!
 

One of the acts at our Ward Christmas Party. Hermano Chavez has my guitar , but he
has no idea how to play it!
One of the party games for the kids in our ward.



Our amazing service project this weekend....Digging a hole and filling it with
disgusting compost,  to bury it again!


Hermana Ochoa "working"


Missionaries and Service invoke magikal powers!


Monday, January 5, 2015

Feliz Año Nuevo!!

Happy New Year!

We asked Elder Meine some questions this week!!

1. Did you and the other Missionaries do anything for New Year's?
New Year's Day we had 3 zones gather in one church building  to have silly relay races  and play sports  and all that stuff.  We actually got to play basketball in an indoor gym which was awesome!

2. Who is the most interesting person you met this week?
We met a guy this week who I've only talked to one time before named Oscar.  He's really cool, but the reason this is also interesting  is that he  invited us to his birthday party already!  Haha! He said he wants all of his friends of all religions to show up without arguing  about stuff  and just enjoy  a good time together.

3. What I one way that your mission has changed you so far?
It's gotten me in a good habit of prayer and scripture study in the morning, which is something I want to do for the rest of my life.  I also know Spanish now which is a plus! Haha

4. What is your favorite thing to read during personal study time?
I have the book Jesus the Christ by James E Talmage and it is AMAZING!

5. When you do your personal study time do you read your scriptures in Spanish or English?
I'm reading them in Spanish  to learn faster and because I want to finish the Book of Mormon in Spanish.  But I also have the English ones right next to me to translate or clarify things whenever I don't completely understand.

6. Is there a food that you had in Panama that you wish they had in Idaho?
Look up 'batidos' on Google. It's not a food , but it is delicious.  

7. Who has been the biggest influence on your mission so far to you and why?
I couldn't really pick one person. My first ZL Elder Arismendi, my first Bishop (Diaz), Hermana Ingrid from Santa Librada and President Carmack all make the list so far.


This week Elder Meine sent pictures but forgot to capture his face in any of them.  He was scolded and will do so next week haha!

New Year's Fireworks in Panama


A little game we did at our New Year's Missionary Party



Arcade time for P-Day!



Elder Mejia posing in the middle of the road.





The caption for these pictures said " I hurt my finger. Don't worry mom."