Panama is getting warmer...

When I arrived in Panama, the rainy season was finishing, and I have been told that for the next few months it will get hot and stay hot until around august. But I don't think that it will bother me too much.

Yeah, so I am still in Alcalde Diaz zone, in the area Caimitillo. I have seen several tarantulas on the path to Nuevo Caimitillo. That part of my area is the farthest from the city. All my area has not too good transportation, but it doesn't bother me too much.

Today, well last night my comp and I spent the night in La Cabima (the area of my zone leaders) because this morning we went to Cerro Pinon? to take pictures (and my comp and I wouldn't arrive on time if we left from Caimitillo)... then we played soccer. And now internet, then McDonald's (as usual).

This past week there was a multizone conference where Elder Clark and his wife came to talk to the missionaries. I think I learned a lot that will help me be a good missionary. Right now there are some things that my companions do that I would do differently to try to be effective missionaries, but as I am still the junior companion, so I will follow their directions and learn what I can...

My ''mother'' in the mission is Hna. Chevez, and she gives me pretty good advice. One of my zone leaders finishes his mission in two weeks...

Well, I hope everything will continue to go well for all of you North Americans. Until next week...
Love,
Elder Niendorf

From Bruce:January 18, 2010

My area is still moving pretty slowly. The assistence went up to 55 in diciembre, but yesterday we only had 23 attend...
My companion is pretty good; sometimes we come home early or leave late, but otherwise we have been working pretty well...
My spanish is progressing. i can understand the majority of conversations now; before i understood enough to know what they were talking about...

I have been feeling pretty good spiritually, like i have been given more light in my mind...
I have more confidence in my ability to preach the gospel through the guidance of the holy ghost...

Well, until next week...
Love,
Elder Niendorf

From Bruce: January 11, 2010

Hello todos.Yeah, so this week seemed to move a bit slow. we had a few days in my area where most of our appointments fell through and we weren't able to teach much.
But I am very much enjoying being able to focus so much time in spiritual things.

today we played soccer and had a meal made by the sister missionaries.
It was really good... I am planning to learn how to make gallo pinto, or rice with beans (red beans, i think)

Actually, nothing really different happened this week, except one of our investigators with a baptism date had his daughter visit (who is a pastora along with her husband) and told us in our last visit that he isn't going to change his religion.

I hope all is going well. I am enjoying my time here in the mission. I am learning so much and feel with great abundance the love of God for all of his children, especially for me as I work in His work.

I haven't eaten anything too wierd at all... I love the patacones, which are fried bananas (a different time of banana called guineo, i think).
I have had fish, puerco, y conejo... Lots of rice!

I really feel close to the Lord. I know there will be many people who aren't really as focused in the work as they should be, but one just has to puch forward doing what one knows to be right...

you guys can send me emails, but I cannot guarantee that I will have time to respond to everyone...maybe all in one email if i have time after writing to my family...

But I am grateful for all your support and help as i am becoming who the Lord wants me to be.

Cuídanse!

From Bruce: January 4, 2010

This is a picture of me and one of the 4 tarantulas i have seen on the most jungly paths in my area...
My new companion is Elder Espinoza. He is also from Nicaragua, but from the southern part, sort of at the border of Costa Rica. I think he is pretty cool. He sort of deosn't talk too much, like me, but he seems to be able to work more effectively.
Yesterday we came home early, so i napped e bit too much. But it was because i had been trying to fast, but i hwas feeling weak, and an hermana offered me a drink, so i ended my fast early.
I have been enjoying my time. I realized that i have more i can do, but at this time i still seem to defer a lot of talking to the senior companion. I am working on being able to converse a little better, but it is difficult for me to talk about anything other than the gospel (or video games/anime)

they are feeding me enough. my area is small, so we only have one meal a day with members about 5 days a week. Though, sometimes others offer us food when we visit.
One experience with a couple who had baptism dates is their daughter came to visit, and she and her husband are pastors. I think they confused the parents about scriptures other than the bible being the word of God... but we will try to work with them to gain a testimony of the restoration and the Libro de Mormon.

From Bruce: December 28, 2009

I am still in Caimitillo, but my companion (Elder Velasquez) had a transfer. My new companion is elder Espinoza. I haven't had the chance to talk to my new companion yet, but I hope to work hard this change.
We have been playing soccer a lot on P-Days, which is pretty fun.
We also eat a McDonald's for lunch for some Pdays.

From what I hear, in Managua small earthquakes are not uncommon, and there are 3 active volcanos...

I hope all is going well in Oakdale, and that you are all enjoying yourselves. I had another dream that I finished the mission and that i was hanging out with Jonathan and Joshua... My comp told me that these type of dreams stop recurring around 6 months in...

Anyhow, I think the time is still picking up speed. I am not feeling as much homesickness; that started my first week in the field and started to dissipate around the 4th or 5th week.

From Bruce: December 14th 2009

Yeah, things are going alright.

last week we had zone conference, and i got pretty pumped.
I also had divisions with an Elder Miller from hawaii. he has about 5 months left. he likes anime, so we talked a lot about that. he sort of gave me comfort about my companion troubles, as well about spanish, and basically mission anxieties in general. I sort of actually look forward to training someone... he also told me something, that helped me feel closer to christ, that we sort of have to suffer in order to understand a least a little better what Christ went through. a missionary is in many ways similar to an apostle.
The 8th was mother´s day here in panama.
today we played soccer again as a zone (two districts)
I think the time is starting to go by faster. In a couple weeks i will have been on the mission for 2 months and have 22 left...
I love all you guys. tell everyone to always try to invite the spirit and improve.

From Bruce: November 3, 2009

Tell everyone that I miss them and that I am doing fine here at the MTC. It gets a little hard for me because pretty much all of the people in my district are fluent (most of them are native speakers). My companion is Elder Vega. He is from Las Vegas, and he will also be going to Panama. It turns out I don't need a visa for panama, only the passport. So the 17th is my most likely departure date.

(This picture is of Bruce and Lisa Summers, one of my closest friends from college so they know each other pretty well. They entered the MTC on the same day :)

The Beginning...and stuff

So Elder Bruce J Niendorf first recieved his mission call back in May of 2009. We had been on the lookout for it for a while but for some reason, we had missed it on Saturday the 23rd. Just for kicks, the boys checked the mail on Memorial Day and lo and behold, there it was. So on May 25th 2009 Bruce opened up his mission call with the family and the sister missionaries. When Bruce read that he was going to serve in Panama City, Mom wasnt as excited as some would expect :)

So then we began making those phone calls to family and friends and it became more and more real. Crazy...I don't think anyone guessed or expected him to get called to that country.

Over the several months of waiting, Bruce began learning more about the country he was going to spend two whole years of his life working in. He dedicated himself to learning more of the Spanish language and becoming more familiar with the lessons and principles he would be teaching the Panamanian people.

Bruce entered the MTC in Provo, Utah on October 28th 2009. He then spent three weeks studying with other new missionaries who would be serving Spanish-speaking missions.

On November 17th Bruce left for Panama! It was so crazy that he was already entering the field so soon.

I am Bruce's older sister (only sister despite what Bruce might argue :). My name is Erika Marie and I decided it might be a good idea to keep a sort of record for Bruce, as well as a fast, easy way for people who want to know more about his mission and keep everyone updated on his progress and experiences. Hopefully I will be good at keeping up with this blog and making sure that I am able to express his thoughts and comments accurately.

I just want everyone to know how proud I am of my little brother and how much I love him. He is a pretty awesome guy and those who get the chance to know him are very lucky people indeed :)

K, enough out of me...lets just enjoy Bruce's Panamanian adventures and progress over these next couple of years and hopefully give him something he can use to look back on someday.

THANKS FOR READING ABOUT AND SUPPORTING BRUCE!!!