Being on a Temple mission is a different kind of mission, not one to easily write about since so many of our experiences are evolved around being in the Temple. Leon and I have been very busy this week learning new things. You would think that after 3 weeks we would know everything, but since everything is in Spanish, it is a little harder to learn and remember things. Just when I think they will let me just practice what I know and give me time to solidify my knowledge, someone teaches me something else or they push me to learn something new.
At this point, I have memorized most of what I need to memorize to get by. There are other things I can read if I haven't memorized them. However, I have noticed that sometimes it is difficult for me to see with my glasses, so I have realized it will ultimately be better if I have everything memorized. We have been here 3 weeks so I feel like I have done well. I was thinking maybe the rest could wait until next month, but I might as well keep myself moving and challenged.
This Thursday, there will be a new couple arriving from temple training in Salt Lake City, just as we did almost 4 weeks ago. The day they arrive, we will have been here for 4 weeks! It has been a very busy 4 weeks!! This couple is from Canada. Sister Boren, the Temple President's wife, thinks that the Sister knows some Spanish, but the Brother doesn't know as much. It will be interesting to meet them. I don't know how much temple experience they have, but it is probably a lot more than Leon and I had when we came. We will probably be glad that we had a little bit of a head start by getting here when we did so that we will be able to keep up with them!!
Last Monday, we went to Portobelo with President and Sister Boren and with President and Sister Martin (2nd Counselor in the temple presidency). You probably read "Martin" as "Martin", but actually, you pronounce it as "Marteen". The Martins are from Argentina, and are wonderful people. Sister Martin has been so loving and kind to me as she teaches me in Spanish how to do things in the temple. A few years ago, Brother Martin was released as Stake President, and they moved to a small village where there was only a branch of the Church. They went to Church one week, and the next week he was called to be the Branch President! He went from being President of a Stake to being President of a Branch. He was only released when he was called to come here on a mission!! He is a very humble man whom you would never know was a Stake President at one time. This is the nature of our calling in this land. We brush shoulders with former Bishops, Stake Presidents, Mission Presidents, and a General Authority, and they are such humble people, who never wear their callings on their shoulders.
Back to Portobelo; it used to be a Spanish fort, and still has old, rusting cannons all around the old, crumbling fort. People have taken up residence all around it, and probably in some of the old buildings. No historical society has done anything to preserve it so it continues to crumble and decay. There is a Church there with many Catholic statues and carvings including a famous Black Christ. It was very beautiful and very old. I enjoy seeing historical places, but this place was almost sad because everything wasn't kept polished and clean.
On Wednesday, we went with the Mohicas, another temple missionary couple, and President Garcia, 1st Counselor in the temple presidency, to Ancon Hill. It was beautiful, but a lot of uphill walking!! Brother Mohica and President Garcia went up and down the hill twice! Sister Mohica and Dad and I just barely made it to the top and took a couple of pictures and it was time to go back down the hill! We left here at 5:45 a.m. and started walking about 6:00 a.m. It took us about an hour up and down the hill. It was a long way up and a very high hill!! President Garcia has a farm on a hill, and he likes to keep himself in shape for his farm by walking up and down the hill. This next week he will return to his farm while he has some time in order to supervise the planting of his farm. He will be gone for about 2 weeks, and then he'll leave his farm to his family and return to the temple. He is a very humble person and has the most beautiful shy smile. "Leon and I love him to pieces" (quoting Leon).
We have been asked to speak in Church next week, one of us in Spanish and one in English. In this Ward, the Cardenas Ward, everything is in Spanish and English! We sing some songs in Spanish and some in English. Usually the Sacrament prayers are one in each language, but today they were both in Spanish. The same goes for talks; two talks today were in English, and one in Spanish. Sunday School has a lesson in English one week and Spanish the next; today was in English. Relief Society and Priesthood lessons are in Spanish, though. Very interesting and fun Ward.
Today they celebrated Mother's Day with a long stemmed rose for the Mothers and with a Mother's Day talk. However, Mother's Day in Panama is really December 8th. So I get two Mother's Days this year!!
Leon says I wrote enough so I'll quit for now!!
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