San Blas Islands Week #2 “Ti Cantiki (water that runs quickly)”

I think the biggest culture shock would be the bathroom. Ours is super fancy

because its made of cement. (Haley can't send photos yet but these are borrowed a sister missionary's blog who served on that same island and most likely lived in the same house - Thanks Alexis!)

the others are just made of bamboo sticks.
(Photos stolen from Google)

Noegambi Familia!

This week has been the best week of my life I think.

Monday till Friday Hna Canedo and I just chilled in the city. It was like we were on vacation, we just went to malls, and tourist sites and all kinds of stuff that normal missionaries cannot do. It was soooo fun! We tried going to San Blas on Wed, but they wouldnt let us in because we only had photo copies of our papers. haha oops. So that's

what led up to vacation time! Then Friday we finally got to the Island!

I sure felt like the weirdest missionary ever because we went on a 3 hour boat (they're called pangas) trip to get there. Our island is suuuuper tiny, it takes about 5 minutes to walk from one end to the other. In some parts you can even see the other end. 

I think the biggest culture shock would be the bathroom. Ours is super fancy because its made of cement, the others are just made of bamboo sticks. But its basically a hole that sticks out over the ocean. On Saturday I had to go poop, but there were a ton of children playing in the water and were coming under my toilet hole haha. I felt so weird and Hermana Canedo was screaming "just go! They're used to stuff like this". I was freaking out, but had to poop so bad! haha. Lets just say they had another amigo swimming around too about 5 minutes later.

This Sunday I had my first 3 baptisms! Neftali, Obiselio, Liselio. Three brothers, who always come to church, but never wanted to get batpized, even up to the baptism. Haha, it was too funny because Hna Canedo basically dragged them to the other Isla (its the baptism Island), but once they saw the clean white clothes, they were super pumped!

I am so excited to work in the Island, before I got here, everyone was telling me the work in this Island is basically dead and everyone is already baptist and things like that. President and the Assistants had a little talk with me and told me I cant think like that, because this is the only island that is not having success. I am so excited to try it out and change some things! No time to write it all, but we are already having wayyy more success than ever before! We are going to plan a baptism day out here and baptize todos!

Love you all sooooo much!

Hna Hallsted

Answers to Mom's questions:

There is exactly one computer here, with terrible internet, so it   hardly works. It's in the church and there is only electrictiy on sunday and Monday and its only in the church. 

So basically we cook with a gas stove and eat our food that has to last for at least 6 weeks without a fridge haha

I'm sleeping amazing! My hammock is super cool, and super comfy. I dont think ill be able to go back to a bed! It gets a little cold at night, but i just put on some socks. 

The day time there is one or two hours of just raging heat, and super burning sun, so Im putting on plenty of sunscreen. 

The mosquitos are not bad at all, but the ants attacked me the other day, so my poor feet are covered in red welts haha. My fault, I walked in their pile, but it was nighttime and there's no light, so how was I suppose to know?? But basically I loooove it here! 

No impetigo problems, nada!