Vista Alegre #16 Feliz Navidad

Hola Familia!

First thing it was soooo fun to see you on Sunday! You are all so dang good looking haha. Well, I will see yall again in 6 months!

This past week was a little bit slow because it was just kinda like waiting for Christmas. Not very successful either cuz Panamanians just go crazy for holidays.

Cool Story! I had to deal with my infection again, but we had a miracle happen with that. On Tuesday I recieved a priesthood blessing and in it the Elder said if I prayed fervently, the Spirit would tell me what to do. After that blessing my infection got super bad. My comp told me it looked as bad as it probably felt, so I decided we would take a ten minute break at the house and see how I felt. We got home and I prayed pretty fervently. After that Hna Canedo was eating baby food that she likes (a little weird I know haha) and I had a strange prompting that we should put it on my face. She felt the same thing, so we put it all over. After about 5 minutes, we washed it off and my infection was gone! Just a little red, which was perfect timing because we had a mission activity the next day that I had to sing at. I am so blessed to be in the true Church that has the Priesthood power and the tons of bessings I can recieve from that power!

And that brings us to our mission activity. I sang with three other hermanas and I was sooo nervous, I just about pooped my pants. Well, dress. But it went well and it was actually fun practicing and stuff!

The rest of the week was just waiting for Sunday. I tried really hard not to think about how I was gonna see my family, but it was pretty hard. Especially becuase of the lack of success. My first Sunday without an investigator. Boo. But then I got to talk to you guys and it was great so I am ready to work now!

Things from talking with you guys:

Herm, I still think you were faking with your man voice. But I do believe the armpit hair tho lol.

Hannah you are just wayyy to smokin. Nothing else.

Brynn and Micah, didn't actually get to talk to you guys but hey watching you kiss was cool too. And nasty. What? No I'm kidding you're both beautiful.

Amanda and Quinn and also Derek I was so sad I didn't really get to talk with you guys, but thanks sooo much for singing to me in the car! You two make some cute babies, that's for sure.

Ammon looked way fashion in his sweater lolol

Breton get a haircut.

Mom looked smokin in your new glasses! My dear Hna Jessop saw you and was like, "that cannot be your mom. She is way to good looking" and I was just like "I knowwww right" haha

Dad, it was sooo good to talk to you!! Ugh I miss you so much! Oh and of course, you were smokin too :)

Welp I love you all to the moon and back (and let's be real a lot farther than that haha)!

Love,

Hermana Hallsted

Vista Alegre #15 “I'm dreaming of a rain-free Christmas!”

Hna Canedo making something Mexican. She looooves her food haha!

My last day with my mom in the mission Hna Vanini!

First Sunday with Hna Canedo! also shoutout to Christine for photobombing like a champ!

We got lost in these trees that some members sell and it was so funny that we couldn't find our way out, so we had to take a picture.

Our favorite recent converts, familia Perez

The cunitas labeled our glasses cuz we drink their chicha all the time haha!

Dear familia!

This week there was a giant parade in our area with a million people, and we thought we would go ahead and contact the crowds before it started. It was awesome. I was kinda nervous at first to start talking to everyone, but we just started somewhere and suddenly like a million people were listening! I felt like one of the missionaries of old on a street corner proclaiming the word! We got like a million contacts from doing that and a toooon of references. It was seriously one of the coolest experiences I've had on the mission.

This week was great in the mission, mostly because I have never worked harder before. Hna Canedo and I have been teaching, walking, working, and learning nonstop this week! She's so great! I also really love training. I think I am learning wayy more than she is, which is just great!

Hna Canedo is really great at helping me improve. I learned a lesson to always be positive in training because ayer I didn't feel too great (I got that infection on my face again, and I forgot how to say this is English, but I have sueno with it, so I was a little bit grumpy haha), and I was complaining. She was like, "where did my super mama go? Cmon, let's go to work!". That was super awesome to hear her enthusiasm and got me pumped up again. I know I have that responsibility to be more dedicated, but was so grateful that she was equally as dedicated even when I wasn't. Of course, that won't happen again!

We really are working so hard, and it is so incredible the miracles we have seen. What's hard is that we have investigators who are so positive and then just don’t show up on Sunday. But we did have one investigator there, Marta. She and her sister Minerva are the sweetest old ladies ever. And they loooove church, so I hope we'll be able to see them make the covenant with God soon! Also our convert Carlos is doing soooo well! I gave him a photo of his baptism and he was crying and stuff it was so awesome to see how far he has come! Our other convert, one eyed Satornino got lost again on his way to church. So we talked with the Bishop and someone will be helping him get there every week! Woohoo!

Ili agreed to a date to be baptized this week! And then went shopping instead of coming to church, so we'll have to work on that.

Enoc, still our super positive lil guy, broke his foot, so didn't come to church.

Our family Gomez told us they are for sure gonna be baptized, which is so awesome! But they told us they won't agree to any day until they feel ready. So we talked about what we can do to help them feel ready and they decided they would be super good at coming to church... And then they didn't come to church.

People are so funny. Just trying to get ya to the Celestial Kingdom.

But I know that it is all in the timing of the Lord and it isn't necessarily my decision cuz if it was, they would already be members haha! I am definitely learning to be like Ammon in the Book of Mormon and deal with all the afflictions with patience! (alma 26:27) And that through patience we are gonna see a ton of huge miracles! All in all I love working hard!

I love you all so much and I'll talk to you in 6 days!!!!

Love,

Hna Hallsted

Vista Alegre #14 “I had a daughter”

Hello Family!

This week was exciting!

On Tuesday I went to the city to get my "chichi" (which, don't freak out, is baby in Panama - some others may know a different translation)

(Baby = greenie)

My new companion, Hermana Canedo is awesome! Mexican, loooves her food and is gonna make me fat (her words, not mine haha). She has a really strong personality, but is really loving and friendly to everyone. She has already learned so much and is learning to be a great teacher. She's really good with sharing her ideas with me and her goals, including the awesome unrealistic ones from the MTC (her first question after planning was "why can't we teach 32 lessons a day?" :) ). She is super enthusiastic and super ready to work hard. I think we will get along just greatt!

And as for me I know a lot more than I thought I knew. It is really cool to see how I really do have the Spirit and I really can use it, especially with the gift of tongues. I only have 5 months of learning the language, but I can have conversations about the Gospel in Spanish. It really goes to show how this is the true Church.

As for la obra, we found the coolest 11 yr old named Enoch. He is a kid genuis. Like I'm serious. He's smarter than me. He's also graduating Highschool in 4 days. But he is suuper positive! I have high hopes for the lil dude! (actually he is pretty chubby haha).

We are still working with the familia Gomez, but they went to the beach this week, so didn't come to Church which kinda stinks. I am hoping we can put a date for their baptism this week!

Everyone a little reminder how much I freaking love you. Like a whole lot. And God loves you even more (not entirely conviced that's possible, but ya know). I will always be here for you even though I am in Panama!

Scripture of the Week (not a thing, but here ya go)

DyC 18:10

Love you all soooo much!

Hermana Hallsted

Vista Alegre #13 CAMBIOS CHANGES CAMBIOS

Dearest family, (sorry no pics this week)

This week I got a little sick (not surprising as we don't eat the greatest food here), but then I got better and so it's all good!

Oh and we had changes. Hna Vanini and I are still together, on for our fourth change together... Nah, I'm just kidding, Vanini went really far away to David and I.... (drum roll)..... Am training! And am super surprised! I will have two companions so far the mission, my trainer and my trainee. I'll be honest I'm a little nervous, BUT I know there is nothing better than being tossed in the refiner's fire, not know what you're doing for a while to really grow and really become a better missionary! So really I am so excited!

Really cool miracles this week...

We had 6 investigators at Church, all four of our recent converts and 2 menos activo families! How awesome is that??! I am soooo happy that we are having such great success! Just hope I can keep up with it all, haha.

One of the less actives is Stifen (15 yrs old). Stifen hasn't been to church since he was a kid, but I ran into him today and asked him how church was. I wasn't expecting his answer at all. He told he will be there every Sunday and he will be reactivating his family too and he wants to serve a mission! Haha all from yesterday! Well that was awesome.

Andddd then I visited Hna Dayre Gomez (mama of the Gomez Family) and asked her how church was. She told me it was amazing and then told me how grateful she was for me and for all my help to her and her family and for the Gospel and wow, it was awesome! That family is so darn special! I sure love them a lot, haha.

Soooo from all these cool experiences from this week, we can learn at least one simple truth. The church is true. All you need to do is go and feel that Spirit who will testify of the truthfullness of the Gospel in your heart, and you will find your way home to your Heavenly Father. I know  la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias is the church that has it all and it is God's church. I wish the whole world would come to church and feel that Spirit and take the steps to come to Heaven where our Father and His Son are waiting. I love the Gospel! and I love being a missionary!!!

Suuuuure Love Ya!!

Love,

Hermana Hallsted