14 - The Week of Knee Problems

 

Well, it's not just a cyst. The growth on my knee is a full on bone. I got x rays of it and there is a bone that grew out and started growing up. It hurts like crazy. My leg is swelling up lately so I can't really walk very long, like maybe an hour at the most and that's with advil. Like I'm taking advil just to get to our meals. And the president said I shouldn't really go out much because it just starts swelling and hurts really bad. You know I've been through painful things but this really does hurt. But one member had this spray stuff for pain. So if I really do need to go out and do something I just spray it a little and it lasts for a few hours. So that's a last resort if  I have to.  I feel like grandpa right now. I can't even walk through the dang store without almost killing myself. But I think it might just be today or it could be until I get my leg fixed. We will have to see. The doctor I went to said I need to get it removed in surgery. So I started praying about it and the only way I wanna do it is if I go home to the U.S. for surgery. I don't know why but that's just the answer I got and when I think about that I feel really calm. So I will talk to the doctors and president about it. But they want to send my x rays to Salt Lake to see what some specialists think about it. So maybe I will know what I'm doing in about a week. I would probably be home for the 4th!!!!!! AMERICA!!!!!!! HAHA I don't  know if you knew this yet but I have an America tie that I got here. I was kinda stoked about it!

I'm just gonna tell you an overview of the cool things I remember now. I've painted members' houses, I've fixed a car with my comp. I've chopped up a few back yards with machetes. And for zone service we pretty much just loaded dirt and moved it somewhere else. But that's about it.

This last week was pretty fun. First off we caught a crocodile. Yes we caught it. And killed it. Now we have the meat in our fridge. It tastes exactly like chicken! So that was cool. And I have more pictures for you too! Oh, I bought a pillow today. I've gone these 3 months without one so my neck hurts a lot! But now I have one so I'm really excited for tonight!

I've realized some things. Never again in my life will all my worries be just about chilling with my friends and doing nothing that involves any responsibility at all. Except if I go to BYU Hawaii of course!!!! haa That would be fun though. 

We go sight seeing every once in a while. But we haven't gone for a while because it costs quite a bit of money to go do stuff like that. And because it's the rainy season it rains every single day. And I mean every single day! I swear it's crazy! But it will be weird after my mission to not see rain clouds all day every day. But the good thing is before it rains it cools down quite a bit and the wind picks up a bit more, which makes it a lot of fun. But if you haven't been on a red devil  (bus) during a rain storm you have no clue what extreme heat and humidity is. There are like 60 people there and all the windows are closed. It sucks! But I got over my little claustrophobia real quick here! So that's a good thing! 

There are so many cute little girls out here! Like the level of cuteness is almost unreal! They do learn a little English, just like numbers and a few phrases. But there is this one RM in our Ward. he took an English class last semester so he could speak a Little bit more. This other guy helps me with Spanish and I help him with English. I help a lot of people learn a little English actually. It's kind of funny. Like this little Kuna Indian girl, Kimberly, I taught her like 10 words and she was like 'I can speak English now!' It was so cute!

I have played soccer a lot here. But I found that people in Panama have amazing foot work but if they have to pass the ball everything falls apart. It's like something in their brain. Like kids in the street and professional players all do that. And just so you know Panama lost to Brazil 4 to 0. And Brazil was playing about the level of my team for Fusion. So yeah. Not good.

But I'll try and find out what is up with my knee and I'll let you know as soon as I find out. But still. I do like my mission, it's pretty dang fun! I get to know people pretty well out here. I feel like I can make a difference out here. It is hard sometimes but yeah.

10 - The worth of One Soul

Well this week, since I talked to you two days ago, has been great! It was so good to see all you guys on Skype! And just so you know, I do miss you guys a ton, I just don't want you to worry about me! I miss you more than I let on! But I decided I do need to take charge a little more. I'm going to try and do more to be an example and follow the rules even more closely. Tell dad and Marcus I said thank you for telling me how important it is to do that. And for me to push to be even better. I have been okay with just average, and I shouldn't be. And tell dad I love him. He was so quiet during our Skype, I thought he was kinda ticked for some reason. So tell him I love him and I hope I didn't do anything to make him mad. I swear I'm turning into Grandma because even thinking about dad possibly being mad at me makes me almost cry! Haha

So technically google maps doesn't have our house. It was taken before our house was built. But if you can look at the mall, it goes through a little neighborhood thing, then there is a space and it hits another neighborhood. We are right in the middle of those. But thanks for looking!

I have realized how much I really want to help people. I want them to feel even a little bit of how I feel. I was reading in Helaman today, and it was Nephi the son of Helaman the son of Helaman I think. And he was on his tower crying to the Lord because of the iniquity and sin that was among his people. I started getting really sad because so many people in the world aren't doing very good, and I'm a missionary. I need to be trying to help in any way I can. But remember the scripture that says how great is the worth of one soul in the eyes of God and how much greater are more than one. Okay, I got my whole spiritual montage out of the way. Haha

But I decided I'm just going to have to shower morning and night, and do exercises in the morning. Regardless of how badly I want to stay in bed. It's been raining a lot lately here. Actually right now our clothes are getting another wash. We thought it would be okay because the wind was moving the clouds away and it was super hot! But that's Panama for ya I guess. Yesterday me and my comp had an hour between our lessons and dinner, so we went home. Then he said one of our investigators needs our help so we went there. They were trying to figure out their son's math homework and were getting really mad. So while my comp helped the mom understand one of the harder ones, I helped the son (Miguel) with one of the easier ones. It was a little different in Spanish but it was still pretty easy to explain to him. 

But I actually saw a crocodile come up this morning. I remembered from the show Swamp Wars what to look for! haha! I saw the bubbles and then I saw its eyes pop out of the water. It was kind cool that it actually worked!  Other than that, things have been pretty good here! I got 3 National jerseys today- Argentina, Brazil, and Real Madrid- for like 10 bucks. It was pretty awesome.

I wanted to say thank you to dad, for all you have done for me. There was a kid at church on Sunday, he was with his dad in Elders Quorum. Everything his dad did, he did, if his dad would fix his tie, his son would pretend to fix his tie. He did every little thing and it made me really grateful for everything you have done for me, dad, and the example you have been for me. I hope that I am making you proud. If I can be half as good of a father as you I will be pretty happy with that. I love you dad.  

But I love you all. I hope you are having a good week. Tell everyone I love them and hi to anyone who is reading the blog! Are people reading it? I love you mom.

Video Hello from Jake!!!

We got our Mother's Day call with Jake a day early! He looks awesome and is doing great. He is getting to know Panama and is having the time of his life!