How do you measure success as a missionary?

We have had some wonderful experiences while here in Panama, especially seeing preparing and helping Young Adults go on missions and families enter the temple. Here are a few pictures we would like to share and have you enjoy our experiences with us.

This is Yendri Guzman Bram. She left on her mission about 3 months ago for Costa Rica. She told us that we could not go home until she came back from her mission. Not sure about that! She is serving for 18 months. 

This is Romel Espinosa. He left last month for Mexico, AquaCaliente mission and will be serving for 2 years. He is a remarkable young man, who served as ward mission leader and branch clerk. He spent alot of time at our home, and was like one of our sons. We are saying goodbye to Elder Espinosa at the bus station. It was hard. 

This is Isidoro Montezuma. No, this is not his mission call. It is a get well letter from our granddaughter, Sydney. Isidoro is preparing to go on a mission by the end of the year. He is also a great young man, and has been serving as the branch YM president. Soon, we hope that he is holding a mission call in a picture like this

This is Elias and Carmen Sanjur, who were sealed in the temple. Their 16 year old daughter, Kristine, was also sealed to her parents, but she escaped from the picture. Carmen is the Primary president, and Elias is the 2nd counselor in the Branch presidency. They were the first family we met here, and he was inactive at the time. What great progress!

This is Jose and Angelina Carrera. They were sealed in the temple. They are a young couple, and walk many miles to come to church each Sunday morning. They are of great faith.

This is Matt and Rezah Nez, along with their daughter, Abby. They are some good friends here in Boquete, and were sealed together. She is our activities director, as well as primary teacher, and Matt is the Young Men's president now, after serving as the branch mission leader. We enjoy teaching them and having family home evening together.

I am also the seminary teacher to some of the youth who live near our home. I did this for 6 years at home. I teach at 7:45 in the evening since the kids don't get home from school until 7:30 pm. One goes to school in the morning at 6:30 am, and it just makes it a challenge to have them all together, so this time worked best for all. Here, as usual, I am telling a story to make a point.

During this particular seminary class, Isidoro, my missionary in training, asked me if he could teach part of the lesson. He did a great job. Looking at him with interest in Eniar and Nena Pettit, and with their backs to us is Moises and Mariella Montezuma. And yes, there is a can of Spam on the table, which I had used for a visual object lesson! I always try to keep it interesting.

It is mango season and the mangos are falling off the trees in hundreds. Every day I go outside and sort through the mangos that have fallen, looking for the good ones and throwing out the ones that have either worms in them or have been bruised so bad they split open. Lynda seems to get irritated with me when I come in, just a little dirty. Not sure why....I thought I wore Mango well ;-)

I made a quick trip out the front door and in about 5 minutes had an armload of mangos. I have a great recipe I have made for Mango/Pineapple chutney. I have also made smoothies, have cut and frozen many for future use, and have eaten more than I can count, as well as given away bags and bags to friends and neighbors. Sure glad it is almost over. There is a constant smell of mangos, many of which are rotting, all about our yard. But they are really good. These are called Mangos de Pina,and are excellent!

Hermana Presley is always at work here, being what she does best, being the Mom to many of the young people. If she is not cooking treats and tasty meals, she is fixing wounds and cleaning them up. Here, she is putting bandages on Moises Montezuma after he fell off his bike while coming down the mountain road at top speed. She will be truly missed here. The kids really love her!

While getting some immigration work done last month, we ran into our good friends and missionary sisters who had worked previously in Boquete, Hermana Valdez and Hermana Herrarte (closest to Lynda). They were there with some new missionaries as senior companions, so we had a chance to talk with them while waiting for the people to call Lynda in for her renewal of her cedula (like a green card)

Traveling in downtown Panama City. This is such a shock to us, as we live in a small rural town 8 hours from this crowd of crazy drivers. I just don't like the law of survival while trying to drive in this. Traffic laws here are not rules, they are only suggestions!

If you have ever rode a public bus, I am sure you feel crowded at times. Well, we are on the local bus, an old yellow school bus, that is packed like this most of the time. People sit so close together that they actually hang out over the edge of the seats, and it can be quite a trick manuvering through the aisle to get on or off the bus. you can see this woman trying to find a seat after just picking her up. You really get to know your neighbors!! No personal space here!