New families and more parties

Our major work here in Panama is strengthening the members.  We work with the local leaders, serving and helping where we can.  We also visit the members who are active and those who are less active.  We have seen the Lord work in the lives of many people.

We love the people here.  It is very humbling to be accepted into a home and share very personal struggles with someone.  The people have been loving, accepting and receptive to the message that the Lord is sending them.  It truly is an incredible experience to be instruments in the hands of the Lord.  Our message is simple.  Heavenly Father loves you.  He wants what is best for you.  He wants to bless you.  Turn to Him.  He is there.  He will be with you.

Our goal before coming was to strengthen testimonies.  We knew this would best  be done through encouraging and studying the scriptures.  When someone immerses themselves in the scriptures they truly can come to know the Lord.  They truly come to know and experience the atonement of Jesus Christ.  One of my favorite scriptures is in the Doctrine and Covenants that states, "...and I, Jesus Christ, your lord and your God, have spoken it.  These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man; ...Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words."

I love that last part, We can testify we have heard the voice of the Lord, when we read the scriptures.

We've had lots of parties activities since my last post:
Noche de Grupo (Group Night)
The Lesson was to write something you wanted someone to do on a paper and indicate who should do it, ie. act like a model, do push ups, sing a song, etc.  When it came time to do it: the person who wrote it had to do it instead.  The lesson: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Fiesta de dia de la Madre (party for Mother's Day)  The men did a great job honoring their wives and mothers.

Christmas Party-- this was so special.  Sister Katy Salinas planned the program.  It was traditional dance, dress and even the nativity.  Everyone dressed in traditional clothes.  The primary acted out the nativity.  They used the costumes they had, so there were butterflies and sheep.

 I had polleras made for me and Megan.

 Hermana Liceth did a fantastic job as MC.

 Dulce y Alejandra sang.

 The youth danced and then pulled the kids and Mark and I up to dance with them.

 The Young Women always sing.  They are like angels.

 Katy and Thomas Salinas.  So very talented musically.  They planned everything so it would be so special.

 Juan y Ekatarina danced the Rooster and the Chicken....  we followed.

The best part was the nativity acted out by the Primary.  They were fantastic.  The costumes were incredible.  I loved it.

The tender mercies of the Lord

I love this quote from the Book of Mormon.  1 Nephi 1:20

"... But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

Elder Bednar described what he thought were the tender mercies of the Lord.  He said,

 "...I have reflected repeatedly upon the phrase "the tender mercies of the Lord."  Through personal study, observation, pondering, and prayer, I believe I have come to better understand that the Lord's tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ."

The key words are personal and individualized.  Heavenly Father reaches down from the Heaven's to bless us personally and individually.  He knows us.  He knows our needs.  He loves us.  He blesses us.

I have seen "tender mercies" from the Lord here in Panama.  Actually, almost weekly.  I have seen His tender mercies in my life and in my service here.  I have seen His hand in the lives of many people here.  In the lives of many of the young missionaries.  Their stories are so inspiring.

Here are some of my experiences:

I love our missionaries.  We have missionaries from Argentina to Mexico to the US.  Mostly our missionaries come from central America (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, etc.)  The highlight of most missionaries week is the email they receive from home.  Many of our missionaries don't receive emails.  Their families don't have internet, or they don't live near internet cafe's or they don't know how to use it.  I am amazed by the missionaries with little support from family, who work every week, work hard and do the best they can.  Some have no parents who support them- they have a grandma or relative they left behind.  The tender mercies of the Lord are truly with them as they serve.

One of our recent missionaries is from a very strong family.  His parents served missions.  It's a great legacy to have children brought up in the gospel.

It is impossible to relate the impact this family from Venezuela has had in the Santiago Branch.  They served as leaders, visited so many families, encouraged and uplifted.  Sometimes when people are only going to be in a place for a short time, they don't get involved.  Not the Sanguinos.  They jumped right in and worked up to the day they left.

Another great family is the Gonzalez family.  Ekatarina and Juan Diego have a beautiful young family.  They came here a year ago and are a strong committed family in the branch.

 One of the first assignments from the Branch President when we arrived was to work with some families that were having marriage problems.  Some had even filed for divorce.  It has been a sweet experience to see the tender mercies of the Lord touch hearts, comfort and heal hurts, and make a marriage stronger!!  Heavenly Father has been so kind to bless these families and bless their children.

The sweetest tender mercy I've seen is visiting inactive members and seeing them want so badly to come back.  The Lord was preparing them.  He was helping them get over past hurts, past pains, and past forgetfulness.  He needs them to build His kingdom here.  He has prepared them, He is bringing them back.

I love Elizabeth Rodriguez Barria.  She was in the church for many years before her family slowly fell away.  She left home, joined the police force and found her true love.  We visited her parents, eventually met her, was invited to their home and proceeded to teach her husband.  He had never been interested in church before but listened, prayed, studies, and decided to be baptized.  Elizabeth is like she never left.  She had been preparing her three daughters.  Her and her mom, Raquel, had taught them Primary songs, taught them to pray.  I wish I could bottle Jocielys and share her enthusiasm and energy.  In two weeks her father will baptize her.

Jose, the dad, is strong, firm and ready.  He is a captain in the police force in Panama.  He comes home on his days off.

Estelda and Ruben Madrid are the best of the best.  They had been gone a long time from the church.  The Lord has healed their wounds and is blessing them.  Last Sunday their son, a member, came to church with his wife who is taking he discussions.  I could tell the first time I met Estelda that I would love her.  She is bright, happy, radiant.

The first time we visited Elmer, he told us he wanted us to meet his girlfriend, Digna.  Elmer was a less active member who hadn't been to church in a while.  Digna was visiting her family so it took a couple of weeks to finally meet her.  From the beginning, she was receptive and open to our message.  Our challenge was in teaching Digna.  She is deaf and mute.  Coming from the "campo" the boonies, she hadn't had much education until she went to the special school in Santiago.  There she learned sign language and was on the winning volleyball team!  This is a big tender mercy.  I had learned sign language years ago when a friend went deaf.  I learned some signs.  I cannot say that I had any great skill.  Now, over 30 years later, I'm signing to a deaf woman in Spanish.  This truly is hard to explain. We were able to get a book on signs for Panama but it is very limited.  There are very few signs for religious concepts.  I knew the church had specific signs for the church concepts so I found that.  When I had to teach a concept with new signs I would teach Digna the sign for the church principle.  I had tears in my eyes as I signed the blessing she received when she was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

The picture below happened a few months ago.  We had been working with a few of these men to encourage them to come to church.  This particular Sunday Mark looked around and realized we had 8 former branch presidents at church and the current branch president on the far right.  They are lined up in order of service.  They aren't necessarily consecutive.  Some who had served as branch president are missing, some have passed away but these all came the same day.  It was very emotional actually.  Of the nine in the picture, 4 were inactive last year.  This truly was a tender mercy or maybe even a miracle.  We truly saw the Lord's hand in getting everyone there that day.

 My health has been the biggest "tender mercy" so far.  It's hard to believe that a year ago I was facing a fourth cancer that could potentially end our plans to go on a mission.  Instead, here I am 9 months later, feeling great, with great medical reports and "forgetting" that I really do have a fourth cancer.  I figure if it's not bothering me right now, I won't worry about it.

Heavenly Father has truly blessed my life.  I have a wonderful husband, three great children and I'm able to fulfill one of my life long dreams- to serve a  mission with Mark.  We are busy, we are working hard, and we truly are blessed "more than we deserve".

My favorite part of being a missionary

I love being a missionary.  My absolute favorite thing about being a missionary is getting to work with this guy every day.

If I tell you all he does for me each day, you'd ask, "What the heck do you do, Cheryl?"  He is such a support and help-meet right now.  He does all the ironing.  He make breakfast more than I do.  He does most of the driving.  He is incredible.  He continues running at least three times a week.  There are hills here, which he didn't have in Illinois.  He's adjusting.  When he returns from running he does 120 push ups.  He does three sets of 40.  He is the studliest senior missionary around.

I love when he is teaching and talking with the people.  In a movie, you can picture a shot of someone teaching and all leaning in with interest and desire in their eyes.  Music is playing, you wish you were there and hearing the words and feeling the spirit.  This is how it is in my heart.  It is sacred.   I sit back and marvel at his ability to teach and uplift.  I enjoy the moment and wish there was a camera so others could see how incredible it is to be involved in this work.  

Mark is so encouraging to everyone.  To our young missionaries, to our new mission president, to the branch president, and to other members who struggle to be strong while trying to balance work, church service, illness and caring for their families.

So often we'll visit someone who is sick or discouraged.  He uses his priesthood to give them a blessing.  It is such a power that we have with us wherever we go.  To be able to bless in the holy name of the Savior.  He is also knowledgeable of the scriptures.  He seems to know them all.  We mention a topic and he turns to the scripture that is just perfect in teaching the concept.  His insights into the gospel doctrine is such a strength to all of us.  Members are so grateful for his insights.

The little things I enjoy don't compare with having Mark as my companion.  We always say that we planned "some day" to go on a mission and our "some day" is here.  We are living the dream!!