Day 5-Saturday, January 14th, 2012

Day 5- Saturday January 14th, 2012

I woke up today with a crazy rash around my neck…my sister's necklace that she let me use cause I couldn't find mine, is apparently giving me an allergic reaction. This is NOT good since I always have a necklace and its kind of like the thing I need to have with me at all times. Nervous tick…maybe, yeah. Either way when I came to Panama I couldn't find for some crazy reason my necklace so my sister let me use a random old chain that she had and I put a pendent on it. Well I have a very itchy rash now. :( Last night I didn't sleep good, there were about a billion bugs in my room. And it was cold at night. And I don't have but one blanket and like 2 sheets. I was contemplating putting my huge jacket on and pants, but I didn't either way I woke up a few times. :( Definitely something I DO miss from Mexico and the States for that matter is the Hot water. Another ice cold shower. :( 

Part 2 --After Service--

I want that ice cold shower now. I seriously have never sweated as much during service as I do here. And its not just me…EVERYONE that went out today is all sweaty and gross. The whole hall. And I brought sweater-shirts and jackets and boots and high socks. HA!! Well they say that in like a month or two it will be very muddy and cold because it will rain. So… I will be ready when the cold weather comes until then tho. Tssss!! (if you don't understand that sound, ask someone from the Queretaro Sur Ingles hall. They will tell you. And man! My feet are burning! I seriously made walked through 5 different blisters on my feet, today. WALKED THROUGH 5!! Then with all the dust I got dirt in them so I have to wash them… :( Thats gonna hurt something fierce! Plus I forgot to put on my leggings today. Ladies what do you get when your walking in humidity for a long period of time and you don't have leggings or shorts on? … EXACTLY!! And let me just saw Oww!! I drank all of my water-bottle fast and didn't have anymore water for about the last 45 minutes of service. But now not so painful news…. I placed magazines at the first door. bug the guy fue un creepy so I will probably not go back alone. Good news is I didn't completely butcher my first real Spanish door in over 9 years. Congratulations to me! :D I worked today with a sister named Tatiana. Pero MUY Fresa!  She critiqued me on everything and I almost used Sandy's "Ay no!" But I didn't. She is also on the route here but from Panama City. Thats where everyone else on the route is from, in this hall. They said that I have traveled the furthest and am staying the longest. So I will probably have lots of studies by the time I leave…. I said ok. :) I am supposed to drink 3 of my water bottles each day… I see no reason why that won't happen. Oh! I found Cashews here!! :) We passed by 3 little creeks today and I wanted to pull a 'Gerber' and just JUMP IN! If Anja Eklund was here we would have, skirts and all!  :) Thankfully now though I am finally cooling off. Luckily, I don't sweat as much as the other brothers and sisters BUT my face gets red. I guess its either or. I didn't take my hat today and I have a huge headache now. :( I didn't get to use my presentation today either  but I did say "Natore!" So a lady she smiled and walked away…I think she spoke only Spanish. Oh well, I tried! Tomorrow we have our meeting and the Welcome Party. Then Monday no one goes out in service so I will take the bus to Rio Sereno and talk with my family. Then I will walk to Costa Rica and look for a razor. Again! I don't understand why shaving you legs isn't done here…its weird no? the indigenous people tend to live all together in what they call here "Campos Indigenous" which is Indigenous camps. It took like one semi long building, with a tin roof and about 10 different doors. Each door is like a little house but its one room. They eat together in the yard, cooking from a pit. And their bathroom is away from the house. So their "houses" are really just bedrooms. No windows just the door. Their babies crawl around in the dirt and mud and today I saw one baby napping with the dogs in the grass. There brooms are large branches cut off of trees and they rap weeds to one side and tie them on with plastic. That's the broom they use to sweep away extra dust from their house. Their children's hair is matted and stuck to their necks and faces from sweat. The little faces, hands, and feet are filthy, and they play with pieces of garbage and trash as toys. The husbands go off and work in the cities and bring home the money. The wives stay home and take care of the house and children. The wives are timid, they don't like talking to people they don't know. And when we walk up to us they have fear in their eyes as if we might do something to them and their children. But once we explain we are there to talk to them about God and the Bible their whole countinence changes. They KNOW then that we are not there to hurt them but are there to help them. The sisters here say that it takes them a while to become more open and not so suspicious of our activity. IF their husbands are home they won't talk to us. They know their husbands might say no, so picking up on the facial expressions and body language of these women is very important. We really have to use discernment here, since we don't want to cause problems for them. The Panamanians are very amables. They will invite you in to sit. If you stay long talking with them and they are interested they will invite you to eat with them, and talk more after. But again, many women here will not talk much when their husbands are home. The women here live in fear of their husbands, its very sad. Its very rare they say that the husbands have problems with their wives learning about God. Very rare. But the wives are still VERY cautious they don't want to make waves and either do we so we respect their space. 

Today we have our first official English class. We have decided to start with a welcome for the Neals when they get here. Even Milady who can't hear is trying to learn some English. She doesn't know it at all, but she inspires me to keep trying. Can you imagine being deaf in a voice congregation and being able to pioneer?! I can't I think I would give up and go to a sign hall, but she works hard to read lips and facial expressions. She can have a full on conversation with anyone. You just have to make sure to unnunsiate your words properly and she understands, and will respond back. She is a very happy person, always smiling as if nothing in her life has ever gone wrong or been messed up. She is a great example, and an amazing asset to this hall I believe. :) Im seriously considering changing my bath schedule to the afternoons after service. Wouldn't that be a quick way to cool down? After walking in humidity and heat for the morning and you come home and almost get hypothermia from the water… I think so! :) I have to remember when I go into Rio Sereno that I need to try and find an Optical shop. The hinge in my sunglasses from Itzel fell out. :{ And good luck finding that tiny thing here! If their isn't an Optical shop here then I will ask Brother Nixon if I can go with them to pick up the Neals in David. They will have a shop there…I also want to go pick up the Neals. :) Win-Win-WIN!! I have a small stash of goodies here in my room for when I am for instance: writing in my blog, watching a movie or show, studying for the meeting, writing a story… Just a small stash, but I am running low on rations seeing as I didn't have barely anything at the beginning. So in Rio Sereno Imma buy more Stash-Rations. :) I don't want anything like chocolate cause that will melt. Hmm any ideas? So far everything is good. People are amazed at my English skills. :) So I guess thats good. Tomorrow is the welcome party where apparently we will dance…they dance traditional music here which I will be totally lost for, :P Oh well. So far that's it. I think I am going to be a bum and take a little power nap. We will see… Day 5 to be continued…

Part 3--After Dinner--

So… you know how I said I wanted to come back a different darker color? Well, its not brown…its red. DARK MEAN RED! Oh yeah AND I got heat stroke. I'm so tired! But I am not sure if me being tired is worse then my HUGE headache, or if my head hurts worse then my crazy sun burn, or my burn hurts worse then my necklace rash, or if my necklace rash hurts worse then my blistered feet, or if my blistered feet are worse then my nauseous-ness, or if my nauseous-ness is worse then my legs, or if …nope never mind that its. :) YAY!! Happiness! :)  Anyways, unexpected visitors came to the families house today. Its awkward everyone knows everyone and Im like the 5th wheel…well….in this case I am like the… 15th wheel…yeah its THAT awkward.  I am not sure if I should be happy I have heat stroke cause I get to use it as an excuse to go to my room. :) Don't worry the dishes are done, I did them all. YES! For 15 wheels…people. :) DAH! My head hurts so bad. Oh well. *sigh* Once I go to sleep it won't be so bad…but I have to study now…in Spanish! That will take a while. AND I still have my Bible reading for today. Good thing that is in English, or else my brain might explode. :{ I would very much like to show and just wash today off, but HA! No hot-water so not happening until tomorrow. Also I think that maybe Panamanians are LOUDER then Mexicans….yeah I am pretty sure that is true. I want to go explore. SHANNON MILLER! Where are ya when I need ya?! Come explore at night with me in Panama…actually no thats not a good idea. We have panthers up here in Monte Lirio. And the other day the dogs were barking like crazy cause there was a panther outside. Scerrrrry no? Nah! Anyways, all is bueno. Sure having a HUGE headache, crazy mean sunburn, necklace rash, blistered feet, nauseous-ness, leg hurt-age, 15th wheel-ness, panther-ness, and loud Panamanian-ness isn't IDEAL. BUT whose it for? Jehovah! So onward! Bring on all the HUGE headaches, crazy mean sunburns, necklace rashes, blistered feets (this shouldn't have an 's' right?), leg hur-age, 15th wheel-ness, panther-ness, and loud Panamanian-ness, I can take it! :) This whole trip is a privilege so I guess all this is too when you look at the big picture no? So… Thank you?? Meh what the heck, THANK YOU for letting me have all this WHEN I am on a mini-missionary tour of my own in Panama!! :) When you look at the big picture its not all bad. :) And it all can be taken care of :) HUGE headache,nauseous-ness, and heat stroke-ness can be dealt with, with A HAT! Necklace rash…DON'T WEAR THE NECKLACE YOUR SIS GAVE YOU :(,  Bistered feet?! …answer pending…, e.g. hurt-age… LEGGINGS! …. 15th wheel-ness… GET TO KNOW THE OTHE 14 WHEELS! Panther-ness…DON'T GO OUTSIDE AT NIGHT! oh and shut your door!, loud Panamanian-ness? … EMBRACE THE CULTURE!! :D Ta-da! Solved! Except the feet… We will worry about that later…as in Tuesday when I go back out in service. NO!! Tomorrow for meeting. Hmmm…. KNEE-HIGHS!  Ha! beat that Sherlock! 

Oh gross the kids outside are hocking luggies. I want to yell out the window "Have you no shame?!" But 1) That would be rude. 2) They wouldn't understand me. 3) That would be really rude! The heathens!  :( Why is everything SOO loud?!?! And why are there so many scriptures in the Watchtower? Oh wait I guess there are only 17… Hmm… but they are in Spanish. Which is probably why they look like at least double. :{ Yeah…thats probably it. Watchtower excerpt paragraph 3: "At God's invitation, Margarita Palacios gave up the comforts of the city life of Queretaro of the Mexicans and accepted the challenges of living as a nomad in a foreign land." Wait… I don't think I read that right…or did I? :)

That Watchtower wasn't to difficult to do…but I am saving the scriptures for the morning cause my brian feels like its about to explode. And Im so tired, and itchy, and ow!! :( Tomorrow is our welcome party.  Do you think I could go in jammies? Cause I really want to. Oh yeah! I am going to empty my camera and try and see if I can make a video of the whole trip to the kingdom Hall. :) We will see if my camera space lasts. :) I hope so. Ok now time for bed. My head is throbbing! Side note: Today I saw a monkey. :) … OH NO!! My stash bag…its moving! Something is eating my stash! ..False alarm that wasn't my stash bag. :) The stash is still safe! :)