Hey
everyone!
This last week was
awesome! We were able to go to the temple
with one family from our branch and their two little girls, and our Branch
President, T. The family was getting sealed, and all three adults got
their patriarchal blessings. So, to get
to and from Panama City and the island, we first have to travel three hours in
a motorboat, called a panga, and then travel two to three hours in a car to the
city. The road to get to the dock is the
windiest, roller-coaster-iest road ever! I even started to get carsick!!!
We got to the city on Wednesday
morning, and camped out at the AP's house till the session on Thursday. I saw the new movie for the first time. I learned a lot from the new movie! It was so good to be able to go through the
temple again. Then, we got to go into
the sealing! I had never seen one
before, and it was really great. The two
little girls were really reverent and happy, and the husband and wife knew that
what they were doing was eternal, and that their family would be together
forever. The spirit was strong. It was humbling to see the sacrifice it took
for them to get to the temple. There
were only the three adults, the two girls, and my companion and I. They are now saving to get back to the temple
again soon. It makes me feel blessed to
be from Utah, where we have a temple within a half hour in every direction of
our house.
This last week, we were
able to get some quality lessons in with our investigators. We have been thinking of ways to be able to
be guided more by the spirit. We decided
that right before every lesson, we would say a prayer outside the investigators
house, going over the lesson plan quickly with God and asking for help. We do it with our eyes open reading our
agendas, and in English, so it was a little strange at first. I can't even pray in English anymore, it is so
hard! After every lesson, we do the same
thing, just thanking God for sending us the spirit. The spirit is offended easily, and I would be pretty offended if I helped two young missionaries teach some epic lessons, and
they didn't thank me. We have felt the
increased companionship of the spirit lately.
We have a baptism this
weekend! An investigator named E. He is seventeen, and he has a strong
desire to follow the commandments. It is interesting teaching here, we have to
teach things really simply, or sometimes they don't understand because they
don't all speak perfect Spanish. For that, we have a Kuna book and are trying
to learn the dialect a bit.
Culture is interesting
here. The island has three governing
chiefs, (sylas) and they hold Congress with all the men on the island every
Monday and Thursday. Also, the chiefs do not let us preach after dark, so that
is a bit tough, but it gives us lots of good study time!
Mom, we shower in a
concrete stall with a bucket, we cook our food on a propane stove, and I do not
believe there are any poisonous snakes in the river. But, I have seen some starfish, lobster,
jellyfish, and dolphins out here. We have electricity from six to ten at night,
and there is a PVC pipe with water from the river on the mainland that is
shared between three other families, and if it rains, there is not water in the
pipe, so we have lots of gallon jugs we fill up and we wash our clothes and
cook with that water. And yes, having a
machete is pretty flipping sweet.
Well, it is about time
to get going. I hope you are all doing well! Dad, that is awesome that you are in Young Mens
again! When I come back, I may just be
going with you guys on some campouts, teaching jungle survival skills to the
young men. haha! I love you all!
Love,
Elder Austin Michael
Kipp
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