Dancing, Singing, Music and Blessings.... Week of 10-21-13

I am sitting here, having the desire to just get up and dance, because I am simply just that excited to be here. I have already been here in Las Tablas for a month. Changes are next week (I REFUSE to leave!) and I can´t believe it has gone by that fast. Hna. Rodas and I were on the bus the other night, and I looked to her and said, ¨What am I going to do when I go home?¨ Life before my mission seems so fuzzy right now...and life after...well I don´t want to think about it. I have awhile before I have to worry about it, jaja. Life here is so many things. Its full of laughter, wringing out soaked skirts due to the rain, falling asleep during morning prayers, getting locked out of our house, getting stuck on a bus, eating a RIDICULOUS amount of rice...but then its full of other moments. Singing with an investigor, seeing them cry and thank us for the words of ¨Yo Se Que Vive Mi Señor¨, teaching a piano class and seeing our students´eyes light up with the play something right, having someone tell us that that we are teaching them things they have been searching for, hearing the testimonies of the members here. So many precious moments...its a beautiful experience. Not all moments are the best, but the good definitely outweighs the bad. I wouldn´t trade it for anything. Sometimes its hard, when I start to think about events I am missing, people I love that I haven´t seen for awhile...but I know that its okay. I was sent here to Panama specifically to share the plan of happiness and the gospel of Jesus Christ with people who may have never heard of it otherwise. I have the opportunity to see my family and friends in such a short while...I feel like I have so much work to do before then. Work that I am more than excited to go and do. 

So. Cool experience! Our Distrito (group of missionaries in areas around Chitre...there are 12 of us, I think) made a goal to look for escogidos (chosen) every week with the specific goal to invite them to baptized the following weekend. Its really great, because it gives us such a motivation to work and seek for those who are prepared. The meeting in which we discussed this idea was Tuesday. On the bus back to Las Tablas, Hna. Holland (yeah, they are two of us ¨General Authority¨ Hermanas here, haha) handed me a reference, and I stuck in my agenda. Later after lunch, Hna. Rodas and I were looking for exactly where we wanted to go. We had appoinments a little later in the afternoon, and had some time to make visits, or simply contact. We were walking down the road, and I remembered the reference from Hna. Holland. We made the phone call, and it ended up being this 21 year enthusiastic girl from the bus! She told us she wanted to learn more, and gave us her address...which happened to be in the same road we were already on. Of course. We found her, and she said she had actually seen us before. We had sat on the same bus before, only she had had headphones on...so we didn´t get around to talk to her. We had talked to a guy on the other side of us, telling him who we were, a little about the church, and that was it. Just a simple contact that didn´t go any further than just that. Or so we thought. She remembered what we had talked to man about, because she was listening, and was interested. We taught her three lessons last week, and she seems to be retaining everything, and likes what we have to share with her. Sometimes guys, life is just so wonderfully fantastic. (I am losing expressive words in English...lo siento, jaja) 

Another thing! Yesterday in church, my back started to spasm really bad, and I started crying without being able to control it. The branch president´s wife asked if I wanted a blessing, and I couldn´t even really answer. Less than 10 seconds later, President was at my side, gesturing me to follow. He and a member in the presidency gave me a blessing, and my back pains subsided. For the rest of the day, in every prayer that I was given, I heard the words of asking for the health of ¨Hermanita Scott¨. All day, members were coming up to me and asking me how I was doing. They are so loving, and truly care about us. Many of them have started to say tiny phrases in English, como, ¨Good Morning!¨ or ¨See you Thursday!¨ Its so awesome. I love them all so much. Hna. Rodas and I started the first Las Tablas choir ever last week, and both times, we have had about 20 people stay and work hard the entire practice. They are such a wonderful, supportive group of people...Hna. Rodas and I bore our testimonies at the end of the practice yesterday, and there wasn´t a dry eye in the room. Their belief is so strong, and they strengthen me each and every day. They are such examples for me...I couldn´t ask for a better first area. It doesn´t matter that our church is a house. It doesn´t matter that our attendance was 35 yesterday. The Spirit of the Lord dwells wherever His people gather. I truly believe that. I have a testimony of this gospel. I feel the love that the Lord has for His children. I love everyone here. I have such a desire to tell everyone that He knows everyone, that He loves everyone, and that He and our Heavenly Father are always there, always listening. 

I love you all. I hope this week has been going well. Keep it up! I will write again in another week! 

Con amor,

Hna. Scott