26 de marzo

This week we had a zone conference in the chapel situated in Los Andes. It is a really strange stake center because it is sitting in the corner of a shopping center. The zone conference included the zones of Paraiso, San Miguelito, and Alcalde Diaz, so our group was pretty big. The topic of the conference was the Book of Mormon. It seems like I have been reminded from time to time in my mission what a powerful tool it is.

I especially enjoyed seeing my "kid" Elder Bentz who is a district leader in Alcalde Diaz. He is so awesome, and I am so proud of him. The assistants thought it was a good idea to let me know I was conducting the conference about 10 or 15 minutes before it started, so I was scrambling around before it trying to fill in a program (opening prayer, hymn, etc). The conference was really good though.

The zone leaders from Alcalde Diaz shared a funny object lesson where we had to tie our hands together with our companions and try to escape without cutting/untying the strings. Everyone ended up in a tangle. Afterwards they showed us how to free ourselves. I think they connected that with companionship unity or something like that haha. President Ward bought us all pizza yummmm.

 

We have this really cool investigator right. The elders before us had been teaching him for several weeks before we got here. He was a reference from one of the hermanas in the ward. First of all, he is an atheist (is that number 5 or 6?). We have had some really neat lessons with him. He is super intelligent. He teaches sociology at one of the universities here.

It has been so neat to see the big changes he has been having in his life since he began meeting with us. He has been reading a chapter from the Book of Mormon every day. He comes to church every Sunday and participates in the classes. The Gospel Essentials class is helping him out a lot. The first classes talk about God and Jesus Christ. I think it is great that dad teaches those classes in our ward. They make all the difference for the investigators. Recently, he told us that he has come to believe in God and wants to follow the example of Jesus Christ. He accepted our invitation to prepare to be baptized, so we will be working with him to help him feel ready. He still has a ton to learn, but I am excited for him.

 

Thank you for all of your letters and packages. They are truly appreciated. I love you guys. Have a great week.

 

Love,

Elder Whiting

Zone Conference in Los Andes

19 de marzo

 

I had an interesting experience this week that left us kind of shaken. I had just finished a baptismal interview for a lady preparing to get baptised in the zone. She passed the interview just fine and offered to take us home. She was driving like a taxi driver, but by now I am used to it.

We decided to have her drop us off a couple blocks before the house without knowing why. We did not need to stop by anywhere before heading home. It was already late.

 

As we approached the house, we saw a bunch of traffic and spectators in front. As we approached the car I recognized it as being hers. I ran around the side and asked her boyfriend in the passengers seat how she was doing. She was pretty delirious and drifting in and out of consciousness. She had flipped a u-turn and did not make it all the way. A pickup truck had come along and t-boned her car. The car was really smashed up on the drivers side, and there was broken glass everywhere.

We jumped in the back and gave her a blessing. We were so close to being in the car with them, and I was sitting on the drivers side. She is fine now, just shaken up.

 

This Sunday we had stake conference. It was a little different than usual because it was broadcast to us. Elder Packer spoke along with the second counselor in the young womens, and an area seventy. Are they broadcasting stake conference in the states too? I enjoyed President Packers experience with a "street urchin" in Central America and how we should all have more charity. As he held the boy in his lap, someone leaned over to him and said "you are holding a generation on your lap" and related that to the amazing growth of the church in Central America.

 

On Wednesday we had consejos in the Presidents house. They emphasized working more with the members as being the key for more growth. I agree.

 

I love you guys. Take care.

Elder Whiting

 

Zone Leaders Council

12 de marzo

I was surprised and disappointed that I had changes this week. I really loved Colon and was sad to leave. I did not say goodbye to anyone either because it was a really unexpected change. Now I am opening up a new area and organizing a new zone. My area is called San Miguelito 1. Parts of the Panama and San Miguelito zones were cut out to make this new zone we are organizing called Paraiso which means paradise.
The zone only has 13 missionaries, so it is pretty small compared to other zones.

We are also opening up our proselyting area which means my companion and I have never been here and do not know anything. We have been pretty lost. Its funny how everything has its little purposes. You may remember that I visited this area a long time ago for one day with Elder Mapa right before he went home. I do not remember too much, but every once in a while I will get strange flashbacks and deja vu.

The members have been really helpful showing us around and giving us advice on where to work and where to avoid. The previous elders left lots of telephone numbers, meal calendars, teaching records, etc so I have been digging through those. This area is really close to Marcasa and Juan Diaz. The ward is really strong here.

Elder Mendez is a new zone leader that I am training. He is from southern Honduras and has 15 months in the mission. We get along well, and he seems to be a good elder.

It seems like whenever I start to get comfortable in the mission, new challenges and assignments are thrown at me, and I must respond. The mission tests us in so many ways, and there are lots of opportunities to grow.

Thanks for everything. I hope everyone has a good week. Happy birthday dad. I love you.

Love,
Elder Whiting

5 de marzo 2012

On Friday we were heading off to an appointment with one of our new investigators. We saw a big column of smoke before we even arrived and quickened our pace. On arrival, we saw his yard engulfed in flames with the fire quickly moving towards the house and nearby jungle. My companion and I just looked at each other and rushed into the flames. The investigator was running around like a wild man throwing buckets of water onto the flames. We shouted at him to find out if he had called the firemen, but he said no because they would fine him.

I joined into the bucket brigade and took up position in front of the house since that was our priority.

Once we had saved the house from immediate danger we raced off into the jungle which was quickly burning up. We ran buckets to the outside of the fire moving in towards the center. I walked over what I thought was a cleared area to hit the heart of the fire when an old mattress caught fire and blew up behind me. Luckily I had not thrown my bucket yet and was able to calm a part enough to leave. My companion and the investigator also saw my predicament and came to the rescue. Thanks to our efforts and the general lack of dry material here, the fire eventually sputtered out leaving a bunch of smoldering land. I asked him afterwards how the fire had started, and he told me he was burning some garbage in his front yard and things had gotten out of control.

Luckily no one was hurt, and no real damage was done. Understandably, he told us to come back another day. My companion and I have decided that we do not know why we even bother showering in the morning. We usually look trashed before lunch most days.

 

We ended another week well with baptisms. The service was really special although not as many people came as I would have liked. It was a little more difficult to attend than the last one because we held the baptisms in Colon Centro rather than the stake center due to request. We had to hold the service earlier than usual because the area is semi dangerous. A member told me a couple tourists from the US were robbed recently. I have not done divisions there this whole change. My companion did not seem to mind going though.

 

Changes are this Wednesday. I am pretty confident I will be staying in Colon. I hope my companion does not leave. Elder Echeverria is really cool. I think that is all the news I have to report. I hope everyone has a great week. I love you.