Benjamin on San Blas (week 39)

Hey friends and fam! 

Luckily it was just general conference last week so
they fixed the internet at the church but it is a dead slow connection.  So wow, this week was pretty
crazy to say the least. The island life is way different than the
mission life in Panama City.  Really mellow but we still work super hard in finding people
but its week two for me here and I pretty much know everyone on the island who
can speak Spanish hahaha.  Wow, from the Colombian pirates to these
crazy Kunas to fresh lobster and fish every day my mind is just totally
confused.  I’m living in the middle of the freaking ocean hahaha.  So as far as
the work goes it’s been awesome!  The Kuna people are so loving and kind
and so open to the gospel which is awesome.  So we had three baptisms
that were awesome this week.  The baptisms were kids of 12, 11, and 10 years old.
They’re super great kids and were super open to the church.  The hardest part
is their parents aren’t members and it gets rough when the parents don’t
want the gospel but the kids do.  So a member helped us talk to them in their
native tongue and everything worked out.  So wow it feels like I’m
starting my mission over again.  The language aspect is a little rough
because there’s not much Spanish on the island.  Around 60 percent of the people only
speak Kuna and so communicating is pretty hard.  So right now were are
trying to open up an island that’s like 30 minutes away in a canoe from our island.
Its called Tigre and the church hasn’t been established there.  So we
have been going to talk to the sylas (chiefs) and they are chill but there
is one secretary who is baptized who is corrupt and hates us.  So its
frustrating because the sylas are like 90 and say its chill but this young
guy is telling everyone that we are breaking traditions and we are
killing their culture and we shouldn’t be let on their island so we will see what
happens.  All this week they are having a festival because the head syla (chief)
just died so they have a week long straight where they drink chicha
fuerte (homemade alcohol) and smoke the pipa de paz…lol.  So I’m telling you
about this island because I want you to all pray for me because if we get
accepted to work on this island we will be able to baptize hundreds
because they all are new to the church and want to get baptized.  So
pray for me and I’m praying that a miracle happens.  Today was chill
because we went fishing with the kunas and I’m about to go back to the hut and eat it
along with some fresh lobster some members caught for us today too.  Hammock sleeping is so far
so good, and drinking river water hasn’t gotten me sick yet.  I have a
rash the size of Nevada on both my legs.  Some of you know about firey bung hole
and it suuuucks but I’ve got to grind through it though lol.  I’m going to Carti and
Nargana this week (other islands) so I’m pumped…taking the lancha por
alli!!!   So many details about the islands that I wish I could share but I’m out of time.  I really wish I could write a
better email but I’ve got to go eat some fresh fish and fresh lobster right now!    

Love you all and please remember to pray for me…I’ll pray for you.  Love, Elder Call

 oh and my comp is chill. hes been hear for 6 months and u can tell.
hes super tranquilo. lol imma come back dang tranqilo from here. and
patient lol these kunas aare the best people in the world but dang
slow to teach hahaha.

Benjamin goes to San Blas (week 38) He couldn't write last week...

Hey friends and fam!

Wow…first wanna say sorry for not writing anyone lol I don’t have
internet really and I only have like 20 min right now to write.  Last
week was changes and I’m now in San Blas ayyyy…sooo awesome!! When I got
the call changes night I honestly just went to my bed in tears and sat
and thanked the Lord for a solid hour.  This has been a dream of mine
ever since I could think for myself.  I will never forget my dad
telling me about San Blas and his mission here and showing me pictures
and telling me all about the people.  What an honor to be where my dad and
grandpa were before. 

So it’s been pretty crazy this past week and so much has happened.
So long story short; I packed a little garbage bag with like 4 shirts, 3
pairs of pants and literally nothing else, not even shoes, and I headed
out here to San Blas.  First we had to cut through the whole Panama jungle in a 4 wheel

drive vehicle and then I got on a tiny little boat that took me to my island hahaha…so sketch. 

The island where I am is called Tikantaki and it’s in the middle of nowhere
and was like a 2 and a half hour boat ride from shore.  It’s sooo
beautiful but the boat ride was sketch…that thing was not even a boat…just
like a tiny little trunk with a motor lol.  On my island I’m living in a
hut and sleeping in a hammock.  My companions name is Elder Cak…lol his
name always gets me…but he’s from Guatemala and speaks Kecchi (dont know
how to spell it) but yea he had to learn Spanish.  He’s like a Kuna but from some indigenous tribe in Guatemala.  So the downside about being on San Blas is that I have to learn the Kuna language.  On my island right now very few speak good Spanish so I’m going to have to learn another language which is rough.  I will probably be in San Blas for a really long time too because you have to learn the language and culture and
everything that goes with that.  So this place is a straight grind.  I washed my clothes for the first time yesterday with a seat and a bucket of water.  I shower with a
bucket of water every night and there’s no bathroom…gotta poop on the beach in an outhouse over the water…lol you can’t have pena out here baby and all the fish eat your poop after.

Sorry I can’t send pics right now but if I could you would just see me with my rolled up
pants, flip flops, and a bucket hat looking skinnier already hahaha.  The
islands have tropical blue water and there’s all different tropical fish that you can always see.  The water is so clear you can see the bottom of the ocean easily like 20 feet
or more down.  Well, that’s the life I’m living and we’re going to baptize a ton out here so I’m pumped.  In my area we also have other islands we can visit by canoe
like Isla Tigre and a couple of other islands that are close by.  I’ve got to go now but love you all and thanks for the b-day wishes hahaha.  For my birthday I just celebrated by sitting in my hammock and drinking a coke…didn’t have time to do anything nor do they have anything to eat out here.  Well, I love you all and I’m 20 now…growing up fast!

Peace,

Elder Call

Fall is almost Here (Week 36)

Hey friends and fam! (the usual title every week lol) 

Well, this week was dope and this next week is the freakin last of changes which i can't even believe.  Life has been good this week and the mission is amazing hahaha. I'm learning so much every day and my testimony just gets stronger and stronger.  I also have 8 months in the mission today...hahaha...so crazy how time flies.  This week was another good one and we continue having so many miracles.  We had two baptisms this week which were dope.  We baptized a girl that's like 26 and we also baptized Ofelia's son.  Ofelia is the lady we baptized last week.  Super awesome stuff and we just continue to see blessing and miracles.  Well today was one of the dopest days that i have had here in Panama not guna lie.  So the 1st counselor of the stake presidency knows my comp cus my comp was in this same zone before.  So my comp talked to him and he said he'd take us in his car up to his house where there are amazing views.  So we talked to our mission leaders and asked if we could drive in his car up to his house.  It's a miracle that we got permission to go, and that it all worked out, and he took us in his car all the way up to his house which is in a place called Cerro Azul.  This guy, Pres Gahona, is the freekin man!  He took us exploring all over this huge mountain where he lives all of today.  It was soo dope...we got to see the view of both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans together.  We also got to see a view of the whole city and all of the surrounding cities that border Panama City.  We also had a great view of the canal.  Soo awesome and we just chatted, laughed, and drove around up there.  One of the highlights is Pres Gahona was telling me that there are a bunch of sloths up there but we had't seen any.  So at the end of the trip we got out of his car and started looking in the trees for sloths when these gardeners pass by us and ask what we're doing.  We told them we were looking for sloths and they just drove off and left without saying anything.  About 15 min later the gardeners came back with a huge sloth in the back of their truck that they caught and brought back for us...hhahaha...it was the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life.  That's why i love this place...some dirt broke Panamanians went wayyy out of their way to find a sloth, catch it, and then bring it back to us.  It totally made our day. The people are so humble and nice and are freekin hilarious...hahaha...these guys just had a freekin rope around this sloth in their crappy little truck and were just messing around with the sloth with us hahaha.  Well, love this freekin little country and love you all too.  The sad thing is I didn't have my camera with me during that part of the day but luckily my comp did and he's going to send me the pics later.  I'll try and send some pics of the sloth out to you next week.  Love, Elder Call  

Birthday month (week 35)

Hey friends and fam! 

Well this week was a little slower of a week but it's still awesome just being out here.  The mission is the freaking best and I'm still hanging in there hahaha.  My Comp is a really good guy and I can't believe it's almost the end of the change...only two weeks more to go.  Time is flying and I can't even believe I almost have 8 months here in the mission...so crazy.  Well, we had some baptisms this week.  We baptized a lady from Nicaragua who's been living here in Panama for like 10 years, she's in her mid 40's, and we also baptized one of her sons who is 9.   Her other son is going to get baptized next week, which should be exciting, and he's 12 years old.  We found her and her family in a tinnnnyyyy little shack in our area and I'm talking literally a shack.  My room is about as big as her house where she lives with her five small kids.  She's struggling toooooons and doesn't have work right now so she relies a lot on the neighbors for food.  So she only eats like beans and a little rice and her kids are always complaining about being hungry.  She literally doesn't have very much money at all.  So we found them and started teaching them the gospel and she was sooo humble and open to the church.  She has a lot of faith and is honestly just sooo awesome.  I love her and her family so much. So that's the big news that happened this week and not much else.  We're just working out here trying to serve and survive day by day hahaha.  I can't send photos right now but I will make sure to send a bunch out next week.  Love you all and thanks for the continual support!!!! 

Love, Elder Call

Carmel (week 34)

Hey Friends and Family!!

Well, this week was another huge success and the mission is going great right now!  All is well and my comp continues to make me laugh.  This guy’s a character and I hope we have another change together but we’ll just have to wait to see what happens.  We work really great together and are having a ton of success.  We had some baptisms last Saturday which was awesome because we had been working with these two girls for quite a while.  There was an old lady who would always take the girls to her church and would give them food and stuff.  That old lady is the worst and it was quite a trick getting them to leave her church.  The old lady got so mad that we were teaching them and started saying to these poor girls that we worship Joseph Smith and a bunch of other stuff.  Then this old lady told the owner of their house not to let us in so we couldn’t go past the fence of the house to teach them.  So we had to teach them outside of the house in the freaking jungle and it was all crazy.  So we postponed their baptisms until this past Saturday because they were doubting.  So we told them pray about their doubts and we helped them work through their concerns.  Satan was working extra hard against us on these baptisms.  Originally we were going to have three baptisms this week but one fell through so we just had the two girls baptized.  Awesome though and the girls are real happy.  The only problems in the mission right now is that our ward is mad that we are baptizing too much…lol…I never thought I would hear anything so crazy as the missionaries are baptizing too many people.  They’re mad because it’s more work for them with visiting teaching and home teaching.  But we are trying to teach the ward that fellowshipping and integrating new members is the ward’s job lol.  The only bad thing that happened this week is the computer I was on last week gave my camera some type of virus and I lost all of my pics.  I’m in the process of trying to recover them all so hopefully that works out.  That’s all I’ve got for you this week. 

Love you all and miss you all tons!!! 

First pic – lol, we went to a wedding reception of some members in the ward and it was sooo fun.  They are from Nicaragua and they gave us huuuuge plates of a tradional Nicaraguan food.  It was chicharones, which is fried pig skin, with cabbage and yucca.  They gave us    soooo much pig skin that I almost threw up afterwards but it was super delicious…hahahaha. 

Second pic -  baptism of the two girls

Summer lives on (week 33)

Hey friends and fam!!

Wow, this week was nuts with tons of stress and lots of work but it was super awesome.  My comp is the absolute man and we die laughing together.  He’s so funny, like I don’t get it, but we also work really hard together and are having a ton of success.  So this week the highlight definitely was that we finally married a couple who has wanted to get baptized for a while.  So the guys name is Jimmy and he could only get off work one day.  So we had them married in the morning and then we baptized them that night which was followed by cake and a marriage and baptism celebration.  This couple is the absolute best and it’s a true honor to have made such an impact in their lives by sharing the gospel with them.  Sooo awesome…they are probably some of my favorite baptisms so far and I’m definitely going to keep in touch with them.  We’ve been grinding and I can’t believe it’s already the start of week three since changes.  Time is flying but the mission is still as hard as ever.  But it’s moments like this week’s baptisms that are priceless and I’ve never been this happy in my entire life.  Well, that’s like all I’ve got for you this week.  All is well and nothing has really changed with life in Panama.  Love you all and just remember to keep Jesus in your thoughts and to always look outward in helping others.

Peace fam!!

Much love, Elder Call

La La Land (week 32)

Hey freinds and fam!! Wow well this week was awesome and full of soo many amzing miracles and good times with the new comp. NEw comp is the man hahaha but somethings to note are---- This man thinks hes a good singer and always want to sing in lessons and hahaha he straight belts it out and it sounds soooo bad but he doesnt know it and its soo awkward with investigators hahaa ima break it to him soon. Allso apparently he plays pianoand he litterally has gone up to every member and asked if the ward needs someone to play piano when he knows darn well they have someone. Lol he looves talking about it cracks me up. Also wow this man is the grossest eater hahaha like when were with members this boy puts half the plate in his mouth and i swear u can here him chewing ffrom outside the house. But lol hes the man and we are killing it together. Super funny guy and we laugh a ton together. Also work really hard. Had two awesome baptisms this week and should be excpecting more to come next week. They are kuna and super humble (nothing changes) so ya thats that. Life is good and the mission is a grind as usual. Love it tho as hard as it is and everything is going along ok. BTw shout out to my momma on the big 48th bday! u dont look it momma dont u worry. Love u to death and ur the best person in the world dont u ever dout that. Well yeet thats it peace.---Elder Call

Pics_--- baptisms,

me, and the area hahaha