Semana 109 (One Last Time!)

Buenas!!!

Well this is it! One last email. Super weird. But this week was great!

I went with Elder Christensen in Caceres. He's a beast!

Then to the Dos Mil with Elder Martin. We go home together, but we had a super fun time working!

On Thursday the Arraijan Zone threw a farewell party for me and Elder Martin! It was really nice of them. Then I went with Elder Cook to Loma Coba! It was super fun!

We actually saw a really cool miracle! So we were teaching two people that are definitely ready to be baptized, but they didn't want to commit. So we had a really long lesson on lots of different things. We explained how the Spirit works and how we can recognize it. And at the end we were like, "We are gonna ask God in prayer if you guys should be baptized on October 12th."

So we said a prayer together, and the Spirit was super strong! We asked them how they felt, and they said they felt really good. We told them that was God telling them they need to get baptized. We specifically asked God, and they received a specific answer! So they agreed to get baptized! Such a miracle!

On Friday we got to go to the temple! Such an amazing experience! The spirit was so strong! The temple is also so beautiful. I truly felt like I was in heaven! It was also really cool to be able to understand everything in Spanish!

Then I had my final interview with President. 

Then we traveled to Darien! Darien is as far down in Panama as you can go! It was awesome! I was with Elder Dobson!

Then to Palmas Bellas with Elder Calderón! Then we traveled back to the city.

It's been a crazy transfer! But the Panama Tour has officially come to an end. I feel I have used every drop of energy I had left. I've never felt so exhausted and tired in my entire life. But there's no greater feeling than feeling that you gave it your all!

I'm gonna miss the mish. And I'm gonna miss Panama even more. But I'm so grateful for all the wonderful things both have brought me! All the memories, friends, happiness, trials, weirdness, sickness, testimonies, and more.

I would like to share one more testimony with y'all.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know He loves us and knows us perfectly.

I know that Joseph Smith was called of God to be a prophet and that he restored the true church of Jesus Christ.

I know President Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of God.

I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. That it truly is another testament of Jesus Christ. I know, because everytime I read the Book of Mormon, I can feel peace and love from God.

This gospel has truly changed my life. And I'm so eternally grateful for my loving Heavenly Father who has helped me, and been with me in every moment of my life.

This is the greatest work to ever exist. May the restoration always continue!

I know all these things are true, and I share them in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Keep praying for Panama! Love y'all lots! See ya soon!

- E. Lutze

I love Panama!

Despedida de Zona Arraijan

I love sharing the Book of Mormon

Panama City Temple with President & Hna. Forsberg

And the Final Tour of Panama comes to an end!

Semana 108 (Colon Centro, C3!!!)

Buenas!!!

This week was super good! Monday we went to Brisas del Golf which is just a really rich part of Panama. It was cool tho! I went with Elder Falslev. We saw a really cool miracle! We found a part member family, and they gave us soup! Awesome!

Then we took a long bus ride to Chepo. I was with Elder Henderson. Love that guy!

After that, we started our journey to Colon! I had never been there, so I was really excited! It was like a fever dream honestly. Just such a crazy place. Basically it's super dangerous and ghetto. But it is also kind of jungly there. All the women just cat call you non-stop. Every Diablo Rojo blasts music. It was awesome! Colon did not disappoint, that's for sure!

I went with Elder Ence in Cativa. I love Elder Ence! It was so fun to be with him again. We worked like crazy!

Then to Cristobal with Elder Clark. Also another old comp if mine! We went to a place called Colon Centro. I kid you not, this place looked like Call of Duty. Just a ton of apartment buildings that looked abandoned. A ton of druggies. Rats the size of Texas. This place was awesome! I was just in shock the entire time. But it was so much fun!

Then I went with Elder Chamorro in Buena Vista. It was a good day! Elder Ixen and I also went detective mode while we were there and we found out some crazy things that missionaries were doing here a few transfers ago! So crazy.

Then we went to Nuevo México. I was with Elder Banks! It was good. We got an awesome video with a guy we call "COMPA!" We all did what is called a Saloma which is basically something Panamanians do here that is kind of like yelling but different.

Then Sunday we went to the Stake Conference in Colon. It was soooo good! Elder Mora from the 70 came and spoke! Super spiritual!

That same day we went to Puerto Pilon. I went with Elder Hyer. We saw a big miracle! Elder Hyer is new so I was helping him contact. We contacted this one lady. It turned out a bunch of her family are members, and now she and her daughter want to get baptized! I love miracles!

Well, here it is. My last full week in the mission! Kinda weird. But Imma give it my all this week! This last transfer I've thought a lot about a certain phrase. That it doesn't matter what we have done, whether it be good or bad, but what matters is what we do now and in the future. These 2 years have been really special. But what matters is what I do now. Time to finish strong! Same for you guys! It doesn't matter what you've done in life. What matters is what you do now!

Love yall lots! Pray for Panama a lot please! Until Next Week!

- E. Lutze

Beautiful Panama!

E. Clark & E. Lutze

E. Emce & E. Lutze

E. Lutze & Ixen with Los Elderes de Colon

We LOVE splits!

Hide n' Go Seek?

I will miss you Panama!

Panama at Night

President & Sister Forsberg

We love Panamanian food!

Hurrah for Israel!

We LOVE our Savior!

Semana 107 (Dog is Delicious!)

Buenas!

This week was super crazy! Basically everything in the mission went spiraling out of control. The entire week we were just trying to keep things held together.

First I went with Elder Ferrin in La Arena! He is a new missionary, but he is super awesome! The whole day he was trying to contact and talk to people. We weren't having much success, but then we found a golden family. We taught the restoration, and the spirit was so, so strong in the lesson! It was amazing!

Then I went with Elder Jewkes in Arraijan 2. Another crazy miracle happened! We were looking for a young man that had gone to church recently. We literally had no idea where he lived. As the day went on we felt impressed to contact this one house. Two ladies came out, so we talked a bit,  and then asked if we could share something. Right as we were about to share the message, a kid came running up the hill. It was the kid we were looking for! 

It turned out we were at his house and were about to teach his mom and his mom's cousin. So, we taught all 3, invited them to be baptized, and they all said yes! Huge miracle!

Then I went with Elder Flores in Pacora. More miracles!

I went to Pedregal with Elder Dorman. He is also pretty new, but it's always fun to watch new missionaries try their hardest!

I went with Elder Olsen in Tocumen.

I went with Elder Crockett in the 24 B. Also a new missionary! Honestly the new missionaries are so awesome! They are such good missionaries!

We bought Salchipapas, and they were delicious! 

Then we went to the Tocumen stake conference! After that, I went with Elder Japa in 24 A. We had a good day! But my favorite part is the fact that his comp is Tongan. Elder Vainoka!

He is so funny! He doesn't speak much English or Spanish, but he just shouts out random phrases! It's so funny! I'm proud of the fact that, at lunch, I beat him! I ate faster than a Tongan! Also, there is a story here in Panama about Tongan missionaries. The story goes that one day they cooked and ate dog at the beach! There haven't been Tongan missionaries since in Panama. Elder Vainoka is the first in years!  He makes me laugh a lot because he talks a ton about how tasty dogs are! I died laughing when we saw a really fat dog, and Elder Vainoka started licking his lips. He is just a big and happy guy.

Today was fun too! We played a game called Padel. Then chilled with a bunch of missionaries in the mission at President's house. It was a fun Pday!

As far as the whole mission being a mess thing goes, to sum it up ~ half the mission is apostate, 4 missionaries are going home early, and one of the zone leaders in the heaviest zone got sick. It's been kind of a rough week. So we have been doing a bunch of CPECs in the mornings which means waking up at 4:30 every morning, and because of traveling we don't get to bed until about 12 each night.

It's safe to say, we are tired. But there's a scripture I love in Doctrine and Covenants that I have really seen in my mission.

33 For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.

I truly have seen that when we magnify our callings and do what God wants, that He will bless us with the energy and power to do it! There's a lot of days I'm tired, but when I go to work to fulfill my calling, I feel a renewal of energy!

Anyways. Love you all lots! Keep praying for me and my mission! Until Next Week!

- E. Lutze

We LOVE Splits!

E. Ixen & E. Lutze on the Bus

E. Ixen Napping

E. Lutze Napping

Sharing the Gospel is Joyful!

Yea, I'm a little too tall for the bus!

We love our missionaries!

E. Vainoka of Tongan!

Delicious Salchipapas!

Scary Smile?

Tocumen Stake Conference

Semana 106 (Tacos and Buses Don't Mix Well)

Well, I think I'm officially old now. I hit 24 months on my mission! Honestly, it's kind of unreal. I'm literally the oldest missionary here in Panama.

This week was super fun and eventful!

We went to Fatima, and I was with Elder Vail.

Don Bosco with Elder Molina. We had a funny comp goal! We were having a competition to see who could give more handshakes in each contact. It was hilarious! Every person we talked to we would shake their hand like 6 times each in the conversation! I was laughing the entire day.

We had a leadership conference where Elder Godoy from the 70 came to speak! It was super spiritual! So awesome. The best part was the tacos tho. They were sooo good :)

That night we also got to eat with Elder Godoy and our mission President! We ate Peruvian food. It was a really cool experience!

The next day we had a mission wide Zone Conference! It was crazy! Everyone came to hear Elder Godoy speak. And we were in charge of trying, and I emphasise the word "trying", to keep reverence and order. But man did he give us a machetazo! It was awesome!

After that, we took a long bus ride to Santiago. I was with Elder Christensen! He is a very reserved person. But we saw lots of miracles and had a lot of fun together!

We then went to Anton. Wow. This was kind of an emotional rollercoaster. Antón is the area I opened. And it has a super special place in my heart. I was with Elder Verry. He is from New Zealand and is a super funny guy! 

I was so happy to see a ton of members, recent converts, and friends. We even got to eat dinner with some members who are basically family to me here in Panama. I was super happy, but so so sad at the same time. We said bye and got on the bus to leave, and I may or may not have cried a wee bit. Like I said, just an emotional roller coaster.

Went to Aguadulce. I went with Elder James, and we had such a fun day! Elder James is a new missionary, but he was super excited to learn! We had some really cool "wow we were really led by the spirit" moments! We somehow found our way to a member's house, taught the member, then walked out, talked to someone who turned out to be an inactive member, testified to him about God's love and eternal families, felt the spirit very strongly, and he was super grateful that we were there. God's timing truly is a wonder and a beauty.

Anyways. I'll let that kind of be my spiritual thought for the day. Love you all lots! Keep praying for me and Panama! Until Next Week!

- E. Lutze

Beautiful Panama!

A suitcase full of Gatorade

Here's to Panama!

I love and will miss my people in Anton ~ the area I opened!

E. Taylor G. Godoy and his wife Carol with E. Ixen and E. Lutze

Panama Mission with E. Taylor G. Godoy of the Seventy and his wife Carol

Traveling APs love splits!

Semana 105 (Corn Milk and S'mores)

Buenas!!

This week was a lot of fun!

After Pday we went to a place called Boquete! It's kind of a harder area to work in, but the weather there feels sooooo good! Elder Pollock and I had a ton of fun together! We literally ran about 2 miles just contacting people and teaching lessons! The best part at the end of the day, we made smores with the electric stove! So yummy :)

Then we went back to Mountain Land! Good ol San Felix! It was fun to be back there and see a bunch of old friends and members! I was with Elder Aguilar, and we enjoyed the day up on the mountain. At night Elder Aguilar made us a special dish from Peru that was probably one of the best things I've ever tasted! Latinos are awesome! (Lomo Saltado)

I also got to go to my favorite bakery in David for the last time! I got a Costilla de Guayaba. So so good.

After our trip in Zona David, we headed on over to La Chorrera! About an 8 hour trip! There is 1 thing that I absolutely love about La Chorrera. CHICHEME!! It's so stinkin good!! It's a type of drink. It's corn milk, but it is very sweet. It sounds weird, but it's so good!

We had exchanges in La Chorrera, I was with Elder Vasquez.

Then in Las Mendozas, I went with Elder Rivas. It's a new area, so we spent the day just contacting every house we could find! It was a lot of fun though! We met some super awesome people!

Then in Biancheri with Elder Rees. He is new, so I had fun making him talk to people!

Some missionaries refused to do exchanges with us because "There isn't time to see miracles. And you don't see miracles on Sunday." I didn't say anything to them, but I got very. very angry. Come on, have a little faith here. Don't be saying that God can't create miracles.

So instead of going with them, we went to El Progreso. I went with my good friend Elder Richards! We have been in the mission pretty much the entire time together. And guess what? WE SAW MIRACLES ON SUNDAY! Lots actually! In the little time we had, we were able to contact a ton of people, and have a super spiritual lesson which resulted in the person wanting/agreeing to be baptized!

As for my thought, I'll share a scripture from Ether 12:12

"For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith."

I've really seen this in my mission! When we believe and trust that God is a God of miracles, and then work hard to see those miracles happen, God pours down His blessings! But when we doubt, or don't work to see miracles, they don't come. Just like our prophet has said, "Expect Miracles!" So, I invite you all to do so! Expect miracles and work hard to see them!

Anyways, I hope everyone has a good week! Keep praying for me and Panama! Until Next Week!

- E. Lutze

I ♥️ Chicheme!

Splits with E. Pollock in San Felix

Corrupting the Missionaries ~ The Smolder Look

Expect Miracles ~ Finding the ONE!

We love splits!

E. Aguilar's delicious Peruvian food!

Salchipapas

San Felix

We love the Book of Mormon!