August 3-August 7, 2023-Week 13-Guadalupe

Hey all!! Just to clarify, my pdays are almost always Monday, but at the end of transfers it is Wednesday!! But it has been having a really fun week getting to know Hermana Hatch. She is from Anaheim and went to BYUI for two years and wants to be a teacher. She is really funny and we get along really well. Panama loves to be moody and we experienced Polar opposites within 24 hours. On Saturday, I got so burned. The worst ever on the mission. Maybe in my life haha. Everyone was commenting on it and Panamanians think that sunburns equal death haha. Then the following day we got advisories to stay in our house because of a terrible rain and lightning storms. Luckily, we stayed in a members house but literally lightning was striking all around us. Our power was out for 7 hours! Kind of crazy how Panama changes so fast. I have honestly been a little stressed this week since I received a new companion, I have to direct us where we are going, plan our days almost solo since my comp is new, and begin our lessons and remember peoples names. But, it has been good and my companion is really reassuring and she says I'm doing well. My Spanish is still progressing super well and I hope by the end of these six weeks I will be able to talk well in all normal conversations, not just about the church. My tender moment of the week is that I was asked to translate for the mother in law of President Forsberg at stake conference. I came into conference excited to just absorb and not talk to anyone or be bothered for two hours, but I was ready to serve her as well. And God really blessed me for it! It was so cool to see that I understood everything, and really it is all thanks to God for His aid. And, God blesses us so much when we do his will. She reminded me so much of the love my grammy and grandma and aunt Marsha have for me and it felt like another piece of home! My funny moment from the week is that we were contacting this women and she starts explaining how she has been messaging this American from Seattle who is in the military in Irán for 2 years. She says they are super good friends and asks us to pray for him. Then she adds he is asking her for thousands of dollars hahaha and that her kids keep saying he is using her. He keeps saying he wants to move to panama and marry her. We just sit there and laugh but are really like, uhhhh listen to your kids. He is trying to rob you blind, woman. But, oh well. Pobrecita. Something that always makes me laugh is people cat calling in English, especially out their windows haha. They always say "hey how are you? I love you!" That's all folks! Make it a good week! I love you all!

 

Hermana Hatch!!

I love the sun!

Bus rides to Capira

Duros!

Gifts from a cute little boy named Daniel! A cross and flowers

Terrible sun burn

No power for 7 hours!!

Her first chicheme from Las Abejas

July 25-August 2, 2023-Week 12-Guadalupe (Wednesday P-day Because of Transfers)

Title: Our consecrated 40!

So my mom says I need to write some more, haha, so I shall try!

I serve in Zona Chorrera, Area Guadalupe A. I got a new companion, who i will meet tomorrow, Hermana Hatch. It was so said to say goodbye to Hermana Anderson. The people and friendships made on a mission are so inspired and special. We had an awesome huge despidida party last night! The members really love her and the missionaries, they really do feel like my own Panamanian family. We ward share with Elders as well! The ward is really huge and we cover so many little barriadas, or neighborhoods. Within the barriadas, we walk, but bus to and from each different neighborhood on Diablo Rojos -- aka jacked up school buses totally decked out and spray painted.  The buses play the most explicit music and lowkey have porn on them. But, we contact lots of people on them! 

I usually do an intercambio, or an exchange with another Hermana, every two weeks. I did one this week with Hermana Guarin, from México! I went to her area Thursday and it was a lot of fun! She is very nice and I love her urgency for the work. She gave me really good advice too. I expressed how sometimes I'm like, "wow November 5, 2024 is a longggg time away" (my return date) and it's not like I'm counting days but thinking about that just baffles me. She told me to pray to not count the days. I have been and it has been so uplifting and I love being a missionary! 

I really am learning about who Christ really is. Especially charity and humility and patience. He really is and was perfect. I am not sure how he did it. I imagine Christ was so tired and he still faced all the challenges of mortality and more -- like being discouraged by life, feeling lonely, just wanting to rest, desiring to do things his own way, fed up with people, hungry and hangry, insufficient -- and yet He endured with perfection. Whenever I feel any of these, I think about Him. Because He could endure well, I can too, but only through His help! 

I also want to testify the Lord knows you! As I was saying a very tearful goodbye to my comp, she pulled out something i had been wanting: a mini book of mormon in Spanish. A lot of times I give mine away throughout the day or share mine in lessons and don't have my own to read from or reference. She told me when she was at the temple distribution center in May, she felt prompted to buy one, not knowing why. Now she did. I am so grateful for angels in our life, like Hermana Anderson, who heed weird promptings from the spirit with exactness. I felt so loved and so known by God, that He would tell another one of His daughters to bless my life!!

Now, for the title, for Hermana Andersons last day, we decided to have 40 contacts, which is double the mission goal! It is a big goal! In the morning, I was like "well I know God will provide that many people to talk to, but i will have to do my part". AND WE DID IT!!! We talked to people on the bus, moved on the bus, talked at the chicemito stand, contacted in the stores, and talked in the streets. On top of that, we really were only out in the streets proselyting for less than 4 hours because we had to pack up hna Anderson, go to her farewell party, and clean the church. God provides. This had me thinking about the significance of 40. Jesus fasted for 40 days; Elijah did as well; Ammon and his men wandered for 40 days; the children of Israel for 40 years; and the Salt Lake temple took 40 years to build. When we pray to God, express our desire to serve Him and follow Him, He is going to lead us, help us, and guide us through our trials, testing, and interdetermine 40. God consecrates our noble efforts!! 

Some other fun things:

- running through rainstorms and looking like i just got done swimming

- MARACUYA drink every Thursday

- i think im becoming Panamanian because i get cold at night and like chicheme...but i don't fear rain like all them. They literally do its so funny. They always say "don't go out in the rain you'll get sick". Fake news

- drinking a lot of kist fresa, or strawberry. Sorry to my dentist...i will be coming home with the need for dentures, but good for his bank account

- we ate so much this week and of course hermana anderson was sick for a lot of the week which meant i ate her food as well a lot...mmmm rice

- watching hermana anderson give her "last" testimony 5 times and me crying every time

- bestie COLE CLARK AND I WILL BE IN THE SAME ZONE THIS NEXT TRANSFER

- painting a members house

- cleaning the church for three hours

- working out to youth music every morning

Painting a members house

Nube dresses!!

Ultimate batido

Apples and juice in Capira

Duros de piña

Dinner at Glorias

Gloria and Mosiah Bonnett

After the baptism of Sofia

Hermana loves the mets and this is the first time seeing mets gear

Hermana Martha Salzar

Lesson with Yarichell, Irichell, Junior, and Jair Castillo

Hermana Nimia Cueto and her dog, Meredith

Natali Corba and ?

Family Cueto! We love them!

Hermana Fatima -- hermanas "mom" from Arijhan

Tarde de Hogar with Hermana Angeli. She made homemade tortilla chips!!

One last aguacerro (downpour) for Hermana Anderson

Pizza bar after district counsel

Some good Hawaiian pizza

New friend, Amada

Khadir, an awesome recent convert

Last morning together

Hung out with another companionship in the city after I said goodbye to Hermana Anderson and while I was waiting for my new companion.  We rode the causeway again.  

July 18-July 24, 2023-Week 11-Guadalupe

It was another good week here in Guadalupe! I had to go to the city early Tuesday morning to do my first batch of migrations to get my visa for panama (wayyy early at like 3am!!!), I did exchanges again with a Latina and experienced a new area as well, And went to presidents house for hna Anderson's final interview...and lets just say he has the most amazing penthouse with a view of all the city and the ocean too. 

My lesson of the week that I was able to come to learn more fully about the scripture that when you lose your life for Christs sake, you shall find it. This scripture has kept coming to my mind all this week. I think this has been one of the hard things of the mission -- to really be set apart from the world. I put my education on hold and am far away from those I love. Which are both good things, but right now I am in such an isolated environment to leave behind who I was. Before the mission when I would think about who I am, a lot of things would flood to my mind: I am Katie Christensen. I love basketball, hiking, skiing, the temple, being with my friends, wake surfing, tanning on the beach and spirit lake, books about WW2. I clean houses, I care a lot about my grades, I love my memory foam pillow, climbing trees, weekends with miss Marsha, shakes at Grammys, card games, all the likes. All those are great things, but all are things that have been set apart and away from me right now. But the thing that never changes is that I am a daughter of God; I am a child of the covenant; and I am and forever will be a disciple of Christ like Pres. Nelson has taught. So, when I am thinking about home and the way things used to be, I remember that my core core identity will never, ever change and I am so much more than words can ever describe. 

Now my favorite funny moments of the week:

We went to go talk with one of our friends, who sadly and sweetly, is not quite all there since she has 80+ years haha. She lives in a three generation home and we had been more seriously teaching her granddaughter, who is much much more all their in the head. As we are talking through the barred doors -- because everyone has bars as their "screen door" equivalent (not sure if that makes sense) but she begins talking and telling us how she went to a pool today. Then suddenly, she starts stripping off her shirt, mid conversation. I was laughing so hard because the sun was always down and it was the coldest day I have ever had in Panama, only 80⁰ (lol but really it feels like a 60⁰ Spokane day now). Luckily she had a bra on!! 

With that, I send my love and smiles and laughs and heart!

Hermana Martha!!

Late bus ride back from the city after doing stuff to get my Visa.

Day in Panama City! We got to go into the city for Hermana Anderson's last p-day before she goes home. We rode bikes, did some site seeing, and souvenir shopping.

Living my best sound of music life on the causeway in the city.

Catedral Basílica Santa María la 

Antigua

Panama cities skyline.

Noche de Hogar en la Valdeza (FHE)

At President's house for interviews in the city