Elder Jakob Lutze: Semana 71 (Feliz Ano Nuevo)

Buenas!!!

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas!! We had a really fun time! We went caroling, drank hot chocolate in 97 degree weather, and enjoyed our day! Caroling was the highlight for sure! We went singing at inactive members' houses. We even made a few cry! Whether they were crying because they felt the spirit, or because of how bad our singing was, they were still brought to tears!

Feliz Año Nuevo!! 2024... that's kinda weird. Time on the mission goes by too quickly sometimes!

This week was great! If I'm being honest, I don't remember much, and writing in my journal has just been progressively getting worse...

But the highlights were the Noche de Hogares that we had! We had some really fun families to share with! And they cooked really good food :)

Had exchanges with the APs. That was a ton of fun! I got to go with Elder Tarbet. The guy is a machine! Also one of my best friends in the mish, he is super awesome! Anyways, we had a really fun time together!

New Year's Eve is fun! Basically everyone just gets crazy drunk and parties all day/night. The fireworks are cool too! Last night literally sounded like a bunch of bombs going off. For 30 minutes it was just "BOOM BOOM BOOM.". It's because, in Panama, they make life-size dolls and fill them with fireworks. Then ya know, BOOM! The dolls are cool, but also kinda creepy.

Sometimes I think that Panama can't get any weirder. That I have seen it all. Yet somehow, people just keep proving me wrong! For instance, I saw a guy cooking barbecue... with a machete. That's pretty normal I guess. Today I saw something REALLY strange, but it's a little too descriptive to tell.

Spiritual thought for the week comes from John 15 when Jesus says "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you."

This one is hard for me to express my thoughts on, but I'll try. This verse is really impactful when you think about it! Jesus will always be with us. He is always here to help. Yes it's important to accept Him. But the reality is that Jesus has chosen US. He has called us to do His work, and to be His friends! We shouldn't decide everyday whether or not we are gonna follow Jesus, because He has already chosen us! Whatever role Jesus wants or needs from us, we should be there to fulfill it, because He has chosen us!

I'm just saying that it's pretty dang cool that the perfect, most amazing, wonderful, fantastic person has chosen the non-perfect, not always amazing, sometimes (usually) wonderful, weak people we are. Christ trusts in us. He sees us as His friends. So we should act that way! Obviously show respect for Him. But love Him as our friend, and do what He says. Think about it!

Anyways... love you all! Thanks for all the prayers! Keep praying for my zone and area! Until Next Week!!

- E. Lutze