Before leaving Arraijan! The District!!
Hello family,
I am happy you guys had such a good week! I hope the wedding and reception went well.
I have to say, that I haven't had a week like this in a long time... It was a really hard, stressful week. I think just everything with the area and the responsibilities I have are just kind of weighing on my shoulders. With living in a house with 5 other elders that might not be as obedient as they should be, it is hard to be the one trying to set the example, especially when you feel like your example isn't really doing any good for them. The area is pretty good. I shouldn't complain, but I guess going from an area like my last, spending 6 months there and seeing so many baptisms and improvements, and always having progressing investigators, and then coming here where there aren't even that many less-actives to work with can take down your enthusiasm a little bit.
Here in this area we have 6 missionaries. Well, in the ward, a sister companionship and 4 elders. Our area has the least amount of members, and we hardly have any less-actives to work with. All of the investigators we have aren't really progressing. We are already 2 weeks into the change and I feel like I have been here a day, then again I feel like I have been here for a year. It is so hard during the day because in this area they are all rich, and they work all day, so they get back at about 6. We almost don't have anything to do until then. I kinda stressed myself out last weekend... well, a couple days ago because of that. It is so hard when you want to work as hard as you can to help an area, but you don't even know where to start. I really didn't take into account how amazing my area and the people were in my last area. I am glad that I have learned this lesson, yet it hasn't been easy. Sometimes I think we just walk and walk and people aren't home, appointments and lessons fall, and everything... I don't want to make this email sound really negative, but I would like to hear ideas of what to do. I am trying to think of productive things to do with our time.
My Spanish is improving every day. Elder Gomez is the fastest speaker in the mission. He speaks so fast and it's helping my Spanish a ton. Sorry I forgot my camera again. I will be sure to send a picture next week.
My health is doing alright. My face is clearing up quite a bit. I have gained weight here in the last two weeks because there are no hills, they feed us better than the Indians did in my last area, and sometimes they drive us home after dinner because almost everybody has cars in this area. Isn't that crazy?! Sometimes I will look at a house and think that I am in Utah because of how nice it is. The members are really nice. I am just finding myself in this area. I will probably be here for 6 months, so I will start getting to it.
Please pray for us here in Panama; the missionaries, the church, the people. We need all of the help that we can get. Sometimes I feel sad for how much we have to do and how much the church is suffering here. We are so blessed in Utah. Keep the fellow members of the church here in Panama in your prayers.
This week we are going to put a lot of fechas and help them to progress. I am excited! The zone is doing alright. We need tons of help, but with time and God's help we will be able to do it!
One spiritual thought that I would lke to share is from the scriptures again. I love reading them so much. They have such power. I was reading the Introduction to the BOM with an investigator and we were reading the last paragraph. Then I had the stirring thought in my heart - truly all that I hold dear in this life depends on the Book of Mormon. If the Book of Mormon is true, then all of it is true. The Church that I love is true. Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of my soul. My parents and the words they have taught me all growing up are true. Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and we have a prophet in our day who guides us. We have the Priesthood. All of it hinges on the Book of Mormon, the keystone of our religion. So I have decided to pray about it more and gain a rock hard testimony of it.
I love you all so much and hope you have a great week! Love you, Mom!
Love, Elder Bitter
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