Changes

 Packed and ready to leave Tocumen

Dear Family,

 

You guessed right. I had changes this last Wednesday. I am in Chorrera now. The area is called La Seda, and we live in Tuliweka. My new companion is from Guatemala and was interested to learn I have traveled there. His name is Elder Estrada. We get along just fine, but he is not as big of a talker as my previous companions.

I really like the area I am in right now. There are tons of hills. Next week I am going to send a picture of the hill that makes all of the missionaries cry. Tocumen was a relatively flat area. That is probably why they built the airport there. We have been walking through a lot of mud because it has been raining practically non-stop since I got here. It looks like we have officially entered the rainy season. There is a lot of clay in the mud here so it sticks to our shoes and forms a second sole making our shoes significantly heavier. I never thought I would say this, but we have been freezing this week. The rain is uncharacteristically cold right now and there has not been any sun due to the cloud cover. Usually it is hotter when it rains because it promptly rises as vapor. This area looks and feels more like Costa Rica than Panama.

We share the stake center with two other wards. We meet at 945 in the morning which is an unusual time for me. The ward I am serving in has an attendance of about 110 members. I really like the bishop here. He is a young guy, about 30. He served a mission here in Panama¨when Panamanians were still serving in their own country. He is really organized and has good ideas for us. Our mission leader is only 19 years old and preparing to serve a mission. He taught a really good lesson in the investigator class this last Sunday. There are a lot of enthusiastic young men that are willing to go out with us here.

There is a stronger interest here shown by the people here to learn English. I had five different members walk up to me at church and ask me how to pronounce a certain word or how a certain phrase is formed. I think part of my assignment here in the future will be teaching English classes. Some Elders in the other areas already have classes. Also, no one knows how to play the piano here, so it has been sitting there collecting dust. It looks like I will start playing again.

I hope everyone has a good week.

Love,

 

Elder Whiting