Schools and Carnivals

Dear Family,

 

School started last Monday for everyone from kindergarten to college. Every school has their own uniform, but for the most part it includes a white dress shirt and dark pants. As you can imagine, they look a lot like missionaries. We keep getting stopped by the police and asked for identification because we get mistaken for students ditching school. Most stores will not let us enter until we explain that we are actually missionaries. It used to be really easy to spot other missionaries when we get together, but now we have to come up with a really specific meeting place. Their school buses are the same ones we ride around (diablo rojos), so they are even more packed. A few smaller yellow airport shuttle looking buses also make their rounds to pick up the younger children.

 

Carnivals also started and lasts until Thursday. I would describe it as a mixture between Lord of the Flies, Spring Break, and Sodom and Gomorrah. During these four days or so anyone can legally throw water on you. They also walk around with eggs and other projectiles to throw. Even with my extensive knowledge of back roads, alleys, and member safe houses, we still get pretty messed up. We do not mind though. The water was actually a welcome refreshment. My area is not too bad. Most of the action takes place in the interior in places like las tablas and Chitre. I think they even take missionaries out of Chitre for the week. Mom and I also took every precaution to get the most waterproof stuff available on the market. I thought it would come in handy for the rain. Who knew. I have not taken that many pictures and the craziness for obvious reasons. The picture I did snap is of a checkpoint set up by a group of kids in Sector Sur (Sector South) to get anyone who passes by. Everyone has this time off of work and school.

 

Dad, I did not know what I was passing by at least four times a week until you gave it a name. I am referring to the Tocumen marsh area. I think you would like it. During the day it is alive with all sorts of birds and at night the noise is deafening with frog croaking. There must be thousands of them. The birds here really do not look that much different from the ones back home and in Utah. Are there any spotted woodpeckers here? I saw a bird going at a telephone pole that sure looked and sounded like one.

 

The Mullens package got here. It was amazing and had exactly what I needed. I am working on a letter to send them, but I would appreciate it if you would let them know it got here safely and that I am thankful for it.

 

Three missionaries are leaving from the ward here this week. They are all very excited. The ward threw them a crazy going away party with music, food, and dancing. We dropped by since our dinner appointment at the same house.

 

Anyways, I hope you have fun with the girls at Disney World. Will you be stopping by the Kennedy Space Center at all? I certainly have good memories from both places. Disney is so fun with little kids.

 

Love,

 

Elder Whiting