Hola Familia,
We are on the north side of Panamá, toward the east; only part of this are is ''city''... We just got back from an adventure in a place called Portobelo. It is an old historic site where some of the pictures are from. We climbed a mountain and were dripping as we reached the top due to the humidity of a jungle. There was also one point where we saw some huge looking spiders, and as we were leaving we saw one that looked half dead on the leg of Elder Savio. That was a fun adventure.
This week we had been working pretty hard to get people to conference, but not one of our investigators went... But we were able to feel great joy because after the second session (which had some great talks for less active people) we saw the mom of a less active family we met this week. She went! it was interesting meeting her because most inactive people can barely talk about the restored gospel, but she seemed like a strong member only recently inacive....
Elder Harmer and I have found a few new positive people. Hopefully they will progress, but it looks like there really isn't anyone else that I will be able to baptize before I leave.. We will probably move the baptisms of the two children to next Saturday though in order to finish reviewing the lessons...
We had done divisions on Tuesday, the newbie, Elder Zimmerman from Utah came with me. I think he will be a great missionary. Oh! did you guys know that the guy James B Martino who gave the prayer on the Sunday Morning session is the guy in the photo? now you do! I thought that was pretty exciting.
Hey, 2 questions...: Do you guys know when I will be released? and my license expires on my birthday, so I don't know if there is anything need to be done for that...Jon, I don't really know what places from memory, but I trust your judgment. Do you know when I can sign up for classes?
Bueno, I guess that's all until next week...
Love,
Elder Niendorf
Monday, October 3, 2011
September 26th: Still Here!
Hola Familia,
I did not have changes, and neither did my companion. This means that Elder Harmer should be my companion 'till the transfer is over. I will be here in Cativá for another 6 weeks. We are both very excited for General Conference as well. We hope to be able to get lots of people to attend. There were a lot of changes in the Zone during transfers...We now have sister missionaries in Colón. Another exciting fact about transfers was that I saw and was able to converse with a convert I baptized a year ago; she served a mini mission in Santiago, Veraguas and just finished. She isn't sure about a full time mission, though...
This week we haven't really had too much success in getting the positive people we have to progress. We do have two baptisms lined up for October, though; they are the grandchildren of an active member, and they attend with her every week. The family we were really hoping to baptize this change hasn't gone to church yet, but we had a good lesson with them about the first 3 principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We had a wall of rain attack us yesterday, wich was pretty fun. It is rainy season, and just about every day we get a lot of water...Thanks to Jon for verifying that, hopefully I'll be able to be his roommate. When should I be able to select my classes and stuff? I don't really know my password or anything (I think I still have my I-number though). I will need a job as soon as I get home too...
Love you all tons...
Elder Niendorf
I did not have changes, and neither did my companion. This means that Elder Harmer should be my companion 'till the transfer is over. I will be here in Cativá for another 6 weeks. We are both very excited for General Conference as well. We hope to be able to get lots of people to attend. There were a lot of changes in the Zone during transfers...We now have sister missionaries in Colón. Another exciting fact about transfers was that I saw and was able to converse with a convert I baptized a year ago; she served a mini mission in Santiago, Veraguas and just finished. She isn't sure about a full time mission, though...
This week we haven't really had too much success in getting the positive people we have to progress. We do have two baptisms lined up for October, though; they are the grandchildren of an active member, and they attend with her every week. The family we were really hoping to baptize this change hasn't gone to church yet, but we had a good lesson with them about the first 3 principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We had a wall of rain attack us yesterday, wich was pretty fun. It is rainy season, and just about every day we get a lot of water...Thanks to Jon for verifying that, hopefully I'll be able to be his roommate. When should I be able to select my classes and stuff? I don't really know my password or anything (I think I still have my I-number though). I will need a job as soon as I get home too...
Love you all tons...
Elder Niendorf
September 19th: Love!
Hola Familia,
This week went by so fast that I hardly realized that it was p day again. Life is pretty great working with people that really have sincere desire to change. It is also great but a lot tought when people just have the desire to change but they can't bring themselves to put forth works of repentance. We are teaching a few families, but only one mother and her daughter went to church. At least we can help them to progress pretty soon.
I am glad to hear everything is going well in the family. I talked to Elder Warburton last night to say happy Chilean Independence day. He is also half chilean on his mother's side, and he was my Zone Leader 2 and 3 changes ago and now I am his last Zone Leader (he goes home on Thursday.)
We are working well with the zone. We have been doing probably two divisions every week. I went to the Barriada Kuna's area, where there are obviously a lot of Kunas. I had been there last year for one day when my companion Elder Rodriguez was finishing his mission. A few people actually remembered me too.
Well, once again this computer does not have the ability to read my SD card, so pictures will have to wait...I haven't taken any good ones though...Hey, Jon, I was wondering if you had been able to check up my status at BYUI....
Anyways, I love you all tons. See you in six weeks...
Love,
Elder Niendorf
September 12th: Next Wednesday is changes...
Hola Familia,
I hope all is going well. We have had an interesting week. We got three baptisms, one the husband of a member, and another couple that we got married also got batpized. This computer is pretty wack, so I don't know if I will be able to send any photos of the baptism. But I had never been so nervous before a baptism. Everything went very well, I baptized the Hno. Franco, the new husband. My comp. baptized the husband of the member (a big guy), and the new wife's brother, a 19 year old recent convert, baptized her. Oh, also I did my second confirmation in my life, the husband of the member had asked that I do it. I love my life, so many new experiences.
So their marriage was quite an ordeal, there were so many problems that came up that we almost thought that it had failed. At the very end, the judge who is a member said that we HAD to show up before 5 pm and it was 5:01 when we saw the husband near the building (he had just gotten off work at 430 and the bus wasn't going to leave, so he walked.) We rushed upstairs and everything turned out well.
The only bad news is that one of our most positive families had some members in our last lesson. But the dad, who was into the message, told us last night that he needs time to think due to some commentaries he had received that he wouldn't tell us about... Other than that we don't really have anyone positive progressing right now. I still have my journal updated up to every day.
My area is called Cativá, in the zone/province of Colón. We had some problems with missionaries, so President Ward came out to try and sort everythign out...But me and my companion Elder Harmer are loving our ward and the work here. We are probably going to have to focus on finding new people this week though, some investigators seem to just slip through our fingers and there's nothing we can do about it...
Joshua never writes me
but I still love him.
Love you tons,
Elder Niendorf
I hope all is going well. We have had an interesting week. We got three baptisms, one the husband of a member, and another couple that we got married also got batpized. This computer is pretty wack, so I don't know if I will be able to send any photos of the baptism. But I had never been so nervous before a baptism. Everything went very well, I baptized the Hno. Franco, the new husband. My comp. baptized the husband of the member (a big guy), and the new wife's brother, a 19 year old recent convert, baptized her. Oh, also I did my second confirmation in my life, the husband of the member had asked that I do it. I love my life, so many new experiences.
So their marriage was quite an ordeal, there were so many problems that came up that we almost thought that it had failed. At the very end, the judge who is a member said that we HAD to show up before 5 pm and it was 5:01 when we saw the husband near the building (he had just gotten off work at 430 and the bus wasn't going to leave, so he walked.) We rushed upstairs and everything turned out well.
The only bad news is that one of our most positive families had some members in our last lesson. But the dad, who was into the message, told us last night that he needs time to think due to some commentaries he had received that he wouldn't tell us about... Other than that we don't really have anyone positive progressing right now. I still have my journal updated up to every day.
My area is called Cativá, in the zone/province of Colón. We had some problems with missionaries, so President Ward came out to try and sort everythign out...But me and my companion Elder Harmer are loving our ward and the work here. We are probably going to have to focus on finding new people this week though, some investigators seem to just slip through our fingers and there's nothing we can do about it...
Joshua never writes me
Love you tons,
Elder Niendorf
September 6th: Hoy es P-Day
Hola Familia, I hope all is going well. I think I forgot to tell you guys last week that this week we were going to the temple, so yesterday was a normal work day and today is pday (as you can tell). So this internet here in the city works super well, so I think I was able to eliminate the virus and have now uploaded photos. Hna. Ochs, Elder James B. Martino with my companion in the Consejos with the other Zone Leaders at President's house, my last companion, and A Nice Sunset photo. Apparently one of my converts last year is on a mini mission in Santiago, Veraguas, another province. They had sone a project here in Panama that they had done in Centro America. It was called Sonrisas para Panama. She went to that and in preparing to go on a mission in 2 years. There were 0 baptisms Saturday, but 3 of them were just moved to this week, one for sure and 2 if the marriage goes well. The other one is going to have to wait until she goes to church more...But we are super excited because the one for sure (if tomorrow's interview goes well) will probably be a future bishop, he is well off, and had lived in Brooklyn for maybe 10 years... We have several other investigator, some more interesting that others. One, the father of a family came to church and apparently cried during fast and testimony meeting. Another asked us a weird question that made us laugh about the law of moses and touching the Book of Mormon. I will share more as they progress, but I am really loving this area, I can hardly believe that there are only 2 weeks left in this transfer.... Anyways I will continue organizing the flash drive and SD memory that is now clean... Love you all tons, oh, and early HAPPY Birthday DAD! Thanks for being a great example and helping me reach where I am now. Love, Elder Niendorf
August 29th: 22 Months!
Hola Familia,
This week has been really good, and this month has passed by faster than any other on the mission so far. Yesterday I completed 22 months, and in about a month is General Conference.
Saturday was a baptism of a young Kuna girl of 15. She would probably get a long well with Joshua....just kidding. I cannot send photos AGAIN because this stikin computer also doesnt want to read my card...hopefully this is not due to the virus on it...
Zone Conference was Thursday, and it was super good because Elder James B. Martino and his wife came. They talked a lot about obedience and getting investigators taught in the houses of the members, giving the statistic that 2 of every 3 here in latino america that are taught in members' houses get baptized. So we are looking forward to helping all the misisonaries progress in getting more baptisms with the help of members. Consejos, or mission counsel, was held the day after in the mission home, and Elder Martino was awesome in that too. I got a picture with him that I will try to send whenever it is that I find a decent computer here in Colón....
I can't really think of much else to write, the rest of the week was pretty much the same. just a few problems in the Zone are causing a bit of stress. The rain will be coming more and more rapidly soon, in the last week it has only rained a bit a couple of times...no new news; the next week we should have 4 baptisms, the next Saturday...
Well, that's all folks.
Love,
Elder Niendorf
This week has been really good, and this month has passed by faster than any other on the mission so far. Yesterday I completed 22 months, and in about a month is General Conference.
Saturday was a baptism of a young Kuna girl of 15. She would probably get a long well with Joshua....just kidding. I cannot send photos AGAIN because this stikin computer also doesnt want to read my card...hopefully this is not due to the virus on it...
Zone Conference was Thursday, and it was super good because Elder James B. Martino and his wife came. They talked a lot about obedience and getting investigators taught in the houses of the members, giving the statistic that 2 of every 3 here in latino america that are taught in members' houses get baptized. So we are looking forward to helping all the misisonaries progress in getting more baptisms with the help of members. Consejos, or mission counsel, was held the day after in the mission home, and Elder Martino was awesome in that too. I got a picture with him that I will try to send whenever it is that I find a decent computer here in Colón....
I can't really think of much else to write, the rest of the week was pretty much the same. just a few problems in the Zone are causing a bit of stress. The rain will be coming more and more rapidly soon, in the last week it has only rained a bit a couple of times...no new news; the next week we should have 4 baptisms, the next Saturday...
Well, that's all folks.
Love,
Elder Niendorf
August 22nd: New Week!
Hola Familia,
It sounds like everything is going great with all of you. I am glad to hear about what is going on with you guys. Here as a Zone Leader there really aren't too many changes as a missionary. There are just more responsibilities. I like the fact that I don't really have to worry about district meeting as much in the sense of having to teach every week, and this week we have Zone Conference with an area 70, E. Martino. As Zone Leaders we are also going to have mission counsel with him the day after. My companion E. Harmer has about 3 months less than me in the mission, and he is a pretty good leader, and I am learning a lot from him. He is my 5th American companion.
Anyway, we have had a pretty good work week. We have found about 5 families, a few of which seem pretty positive. This saturday we have a baptism with a Kuna girl, 15 yrs old. There is a sector of my area that is full of the Kuna indigious people. Another family is from the 'waymi'? indiginous group... There is a lot of ánimo in the ward to help the ward grow, and hopefully everyone will be able to apply that desire and convert it into work.
I had a question: Normally, how much does it cost to buy garments in the US? here it is 1 dollar a piece...
Well, there are more problems with my USBs, but it looks like things can be cleared up, I will just spend a bit of time right now in that. I will try to send another email with some photos. Remember that I am always praying for you guys, and hope that everyone is happy.
Love,
Elder Niendorf
It sounds like everything is going great with all of you. I am glad to hear about what is going on with you guys. Here as a Zone Leader there really aren't too many changes as a missionary. There are just more responsibilities. I like the fact that I don't really have to worry about district meeting as much in the sense of having to teach every week, and this week we have Zone Conference with an area 70, E. Martino. As Zone Leaders we are also going to have mission counsel with him the day after. My companion E. Harmer has about 3 months less than me in the mission, and he is a pretty good leader, and I am learning a lot from him. He is my 5th American companion.
Anyway, we have had a pretty good work week. We have found about 5 families, a few of which seem pretty positive. This saturday we have a baptism with a Kuna girl, 15 yrs old. There is a sector of my area that is full of the Kuna indigious people. Another family is from the 'waymi'? indiginous group... There is a lot of ánimo in the ward to help the ward grow, and hopefully everyone will be able to apply that desire and convert it into work.
I had a question: Normally, how much does it cost to buy garments in the US? here it is 1 dollar a piece...
Well, there are more problems with my USBs, but it looks like things can be cleared up, I will just spend a bit of time right now in that. I will try to send another email with some photos. Remember that I am always praying for you guys, and hope that everyone is happy.
Love,
Elder Niendorf
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