Semana 60 (Star Fruit! Eclipse? Axes)

Buenas!!!

This week and a half was super good! But also super sad. I don't remember a whole ton, but I'll hit the highlights!

We had a Multi-Zone Conference with Elder Giuffra of the Seventy! It was a super awesome experience! He gave some great advice to us all, and helped us really see our calling as missionaries! Then I got to have an interview with him which was also really cool! Only about 4 of us were selected.

We had a service project on Saturday which was really fun! I got to put my raking abilities to use! This was funny because it's technically fall, but Panama only has two seasons and the leaves don't fall. What happened is that there were a bunch of people mowing the grass with weed wackers (they don't have lawn mowers), and we were in charge of raking the grass to clean it up. Fun times!

I had some good food this week! Ate with the family Farias which meant delicious Peruvian food! Tacos. Lots of desserts for some reason. Dulce de Leche is absolutely the bomb!

I tried Star Fruit for the first time! IT'S SOOOOO GOOOD! Definitely my new favorite fruit. Not only because it tastes good, but it looks cool too!

Coconut water

Apparently there was an eclipse? I was outside the entire day, and I didn't seem to notice a thing 

We had a zone council which is different from the Zone conference. It was fun to see all my friends!

Then this week there were a lot of goodbyes. It was really sad! I said goodbye to lots of the members and my friends. I said bye to Hermana Fernandez which was sad too. She and I had arrived in Penonomé together, and she really felt like a sister to me. But she's on her way back to Perú! In total I had about 6 months in this area/branch, so everyone felt like family. Goodbyes are for sure hard, but that's how you know there was love and joy!

I am very excited for the transfers tho! I'm going to La Zona Arraiján! I'll be in Vista Alegre 2! I have some fun assignments this transfer, and I'm looking forward to working hard!

For the spiritual thought, I was thinking a lot about a story.

Two men are in a competition to see who can cut down more trees in a day. At 6 in the morning they began chopping away! The first man kept chopping and chopping, and never took a single break. But, he always saw the second man walking away to take breaks for about 10 minutes or so. The first man thought to himself 

"He has taken so many breaks, there's no possible way he can beat me. I've been chopping trees all day without letting up!"

The day finally ended! Both stopped chopping, and it was time to count the trees. To the surprise of the first man, the second man had cut down many more trees than he had!

"How is it possible?" the first man questioned. 

"I chopped all day long while you took many breaks throughout the day! What were you doing?"

The second man responded, "Oh, I was going to sharpen my axe."

This story has a lot of applications to our lives! But I personally like to think of the Spirit. The Spirit helps us to do many things. It helps us "cut trees."  But we can't just cut and cut and cut without end. We must sharpen our axes. Or we must do more to have the Spirit with us! To put it very simply, the Spirit literally is a part of the Godhead. It's very very powerful. We can't simply do nothing, and then think that we can receive its power in our lives. We have to work for it. We have to want it more than anything else. We have to care like blazes! God will always bless us. But we are the ones who choose to sharpen our axes or not.

It's hard to explain the whole thought process of it all. But just think about it! Then think of what you can do better to more fully enjoy the power of the Spirit in your lives! You gotta want it!

Love you all! The church is true! Please pray for my people! The people of Vista Alegre 2! Until Next week!

- E. Lutze

Zone Conference with E. Giuffra of the Seventy

Zone Council

Farewell to Penonome and Hna. Fernandez

Coconut Water

Delicious Dessert

Star Fruit is AMAZING!

Mom's personal favorite. She agrees 'It is the bomb!'

Semana 59 (Tacos and Baby Showers)

Buenas!!!

Hope everyone's well! This week was really amazing! So here's the highlights!

Tuesday absolutely poured rain! But it felt so good! The miracle of this day was Yajaida. That night with Elder Tarbet in exchanges we felt impressed to knock on someone's door. We never knock on people's doors, they hate it. But, we met Yajaida and she was really excited! So then we taught her for the first time, and it was a crazy good lesson! She loved it so much. She then started crying, and explained that in the very moment we had knocked on her door she had started talking about God. Pretty neat experience.

Wednesday we had exchanges! I went with our Zone Leader Elder Griffiths! That man is literally a tank. Physically and spiritually. We had a super great day! We talked with every person we saw! We had some really good lessons. Then we passed a house that was closed, but we saw someone through the window and paused. We thought about it for about 10 seconds, then we said the most Panamanian thing possible "Como no." We taught the family inside, felt the spirit really strongly, and put down some baptismal dates! It was super awesome!

Thursday was wild! After consejo and everything, we decided to start working in Rio Hato for the first time. As we left, we realized we forgot something at home, so we hurried back, and then we finally left for Rio Hato. We didn't want to just start going around blind, so we asked for some references from a member. We headed to the general area of the reference, and we saw a bunch of people outside talking, so we decided to talk to them. They all were really surprised, but really excited to talk to us! They had a million questions, but we kept telling them we had to start at the beginning. It was a long, long, loooong lesson. But it was really good! At the end of the lesson, they explained to us that we arrived at literally the perfect time. Things apparently were super super tense right when we got there. And to make the explanation really short the mom told us "You saved my daughter's life." Which may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but not really. Let's just say that God's timing is real. Lots happened so that we would get there at the house at that time.

Friday was seminary. Hype! And then the members gave us tacos! THEY WERE SO GOOD! To top it off they gave us what is called a Dona Rellena. It's basically a cream filled donut but better because the cream is actually Dulce de Leche which is so so so good. Turkish Tela Novelas are also the bomb.

Saturday we went to a baby shower held by members for a nonmember that we are teaching! It was so fun and awesome! We didn't know, however, that we would be directing the entire thing and that we were in charge of the games. But we made it really fun, and everyone had a really good time! Then later that night we got to go play some basketball which was really fun too!

SUNDAY WAS SO HYPE! First of all, Humberto, my Abuelito/favorite human, finally came to church. He has been inactive for a long time, and when I found out I was coming to Anton, my first goal was to get him to church. And he finally came! He gave me a massive hug when he got there, and he gave an awesome testimony! Then, after church, I got to go be a part of Blanca's baptism! It was so amazing and special! Especially to see everything from the beginning! Her daughter Idelka got baptized, then Yasmina a few months later, and now finally Blanca! I learned, Blanca isn't actually her name jaja. All 3 of them were crying and so happy. Their little family is complete! Then there was a birthday party for Yasmina, and a ton of members came, and it was a really fun time!

As for my spiritual thought, I have been reading a book called His Holy Names, and I've had some pretty inspiring thoughts from reading that. But I'll explain more after I finish the book. A scripture I love is 2 Nephi 25: 26

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

Christ truly should be the center of what we do and say. It should be what we teach to the children and others. Our examples, and what we say really makes an impact. And it's even more important that all can know that Christ is the source of their salvation. I encourage you all to read this scripture again, and to take a little bit of time to think about it!

Love you all! Hope life is treating you well! Have a great great week! Keep praying for my people of Anton! Until Next Week!

-E. Lutze

A Cat Hat?

Cats Love Elder Lutze

Blanca's Baptism

E. Lutze Blanca E. Keck

E. Lutze Blanca E. Rendon

Semana 58 (Lemons!)

Buenas!!!

I hope you all enjoyed conference weekend! I know I did! Overall it was a great week in general, so let's get into it! Warning in advance, this will be long.

Wednesday we went to visit Obdulia! She lives suuuuuper far away. But, she's our recent convert and we love her, so we love visiting her! (Not to mention she gives us lemons.) Those lemons were, in fact, used to make Chicha (essentially juice) for our leadership party in the branch. It was a fun time!

Thursday we used the last of our money to go to Zone council in Chitre which is also suuuuuuuper far away. It was really fun tho! Fun to see the whole zone and to talk! Then the traveling AP's came to work with us for the day! And by "for the day" I mean for 3 hours. They weren't expecting such a long expensive trip to get back to Anton. But, nonetheless, it was an amazing 3 hours full of miracles! I went with Elder Tarbet, who in fact was one of my old Zone Leaders, and we are great friends. We did a TON of contacting and lots of catching up! Overall it was a really fun time!

Friday we got to teach our youngins! It was a super fun class this week! They are all learning lots! The highlight was definitely when we were making a list of good and bad things we can do, and one of our students said, and I quote "Robar el Chinito" which essentially translates to "Rob the little Chinese man."

The biggest highlight of the week was definitely conference! SO GOOD! I loved all the talks! But, something special happened Saturday. We ended up going to Penonomé to watch the evening session with one of the investigators I know and love (Blanca). It was a good time, and by the very end we were all feeling the spirit so strongly! We all shared our thoughts about conference, and the spirit was just getting stronger and stronger. By the time I shared, I invited Blanca to move her baptism date sooner. She said "I was gonna make it a surprise, but I want to get baptized on the 8th on my daughter's birthday." It was such a special moment, and all of us were so happy! It's been so special to see this whole family, one by one, come to God! And I'm so happy I'll get to be here for Blanca's baptism!

As for my spiritual thought, my Pday is ending, so I don't have time. I'm sorry! Next week I'll be sure to write something neat. Just go and watch President Nelson's conference talk again or for the first time! Think Celestial folks! Or in Spanish it would be more like "Think Heavenly" which is kind of a cool thought.

Anyways. Pray for my people of Antón please! Love you all! Have a great week everyone! Until Next week!

-E. Lutze

Oh to be a cat...

We love LEMONS!

Vivero Yuli

Zone Council

Semana 57 (My New Friend Eduardo)

Buenas!!

Hope everyone's doing well! Not much time today, so Imma hit the highlights!

Wednesday one of the 70s showed up to Antón! Not sure what his last name is but he's my new friend Eduardo! He was here because of the seminary stuff we are doing. However, we also went to visit some families with him! He bought us lunch, and we got to eat and talk with him! It was a cool experience!

The rest of the week was pretty normal! On Friday we ate with some members tho! They were watching a Turkish telenovela. That's right folks! Turkish telenovelas are a big thing here in Panamá! I'm not saying I'm a fanatic or anything, but they are soooooooo good! Super, super dramatic! But so good!

Then Sunday was good too! Not many showed up to church, but I got to hear a lot about how Hermano Cardona was filled with gasses! He's an old man and the group leader. Not sure why I shared with the entire world that he was full of gasses, but in his words he was "LLENACITO DE GASES." 

The work continues here in Antón! I love these people to death, and I'm grateful to be able to help them!

The spiritual thought is about the prophet this week. Cause ya know, General Conference... but it's important that everyone of us have a testimony that he truly is a prophet! I mean how cool - we have a man sent from God to teach us and guide us! God talks to us in these latter days through His prophet! I encourage you all to ponder that, and to really ask yourselves if you know President Russell M Nelson is a prophet of God! Start preparing yourselves now for conference! Just ask yourselves the question "How would I listen and trust if Jesus was speaking right now?" Well, it's the same with the prophet, his words are God's words! 

Love you all lots! Hope you all have a great week! Enjoy conference! Secret Lutze family traditions for conference to try are pizzart or face cookies. I would explain what they are, but it's a secret.... 

Keep praying for my people! Until Next Week!

- E. Lutze

Visits with E. Eduardo R. Mora of the Seventy

It must be delicious?

Pen story?

Semana 56 (Professor Lutze)

Buenas!!

Saying goodbye to the members of Penonomé was tough! But I won't be too far away from them 

This week was awesome! We had transfers on Thursday, and I got my new comp Elder Rendón! He is super awesome! He's from México, and we get along really well! We are already great friends! We joke a lot, and teach each other English and Spanish. I also know a lot of slang now! I'm really excited to work with him!

We arrived at our new house, and it's quite something! It's actually really nice, just the color makes me laugh every time. A nice pepto bismol pink! At the beginning we didn't have anything, so we slept on our cardboard couch/bed on the floor. It was quite nice. But now we have all we need!

Well almost, we don't have an ironing board, so I have been ironing my shirts on my bed! Life hacks!

The work has been good! There was nothing here, but we are making progress! Opening an area is fun, because you just get to go crazy at the work! We have already seen a bunch of miracles!

For example, at church 3 non-members pulled up! They are the family of one of the members here in Antón. So we are gonna go teach them soon!

More and more miracles are happening and will keep happening here! We're gonna turn this group into a branch before ya know it!

The other funny thing that happened this week is that me and my comp have been assigned to be seminary teachers! That's right folks! I'm a seminary teacher! We get our teaching materials on Wednesday! I'm actually super excited, and curious how this is gonna go 

As far as the spiritual thought goes, my comp reminded me of something I had read before. It's that God owns everything except for two things. There are only two things that are truly ours that we can give which is our hearts and minds. Whatever we focus on is what we are gonna do and follow. So if we focus and give to God, we are gonna follow Him and be filled with light and truth. But if we choose not to, well the opposite starts to occur. In a very simple way, we decide who and what we become!

There is no chance, no fate, no destiny that can control or hinder or circumvent the firm resolve of a determined soul!

Choose now! It's gonna take some work, but you can slowly start to give more of your hearts and minds to God!

Love you all lots! Please pray for my people!! Until Next Week!

- E. Lutze

The Peptobismal House

The Cardboard Couch/Bed

E. Rendon & E. Lutze

Semana 55 (Goodbye, But Not?!)

Buenas!!

This was a good last week of transfers!

We had a really fun zone council! Got to see everyone, and say bye to lots of friends. We all had a fun time talking!

We taught Alan and Henry this week which was good! They both are progressing really well! And it was a pretty powerful moment teaching Henry about repentance, how it works, and how we can always keep trying no matter what! 

We taught Blanca this week too! She's gonna come to church this week, aaaaaand she is completely ready to be baptized! I'm so excited for her! She just needs to choose what day she wants, and badabing badaboom.

Other than those highlights, the week was chill! We were mainly just waiting for the transfer news.

My next area I have to go suuuuuuuuuper far away! Super duper far. Taking a plane and a boat to get here. (*Note the sarcasm*) For the next 5 weeks of my life I will be in Antón! I'm going right next door to Penonomé. 

It will be cool to open an area tho! Me and my comp Elder Rendón will be the first set of missionaries in Antón! And we will get to establish lots! It's pretty unique for me too, because I was here when the group became established! So I just get to help it out that much more!

Spiritual thought is about meekness. Many of us, probably all of us, hate to ask for help. Hate to say things aren't ok. I for one am as stubborn as a mule many times. But, we are all here to love and help each other out! So don't be afraid to open up to people! And ask for help! This week I decided to ask Elder Keck to give me a blessing and it was quite special! I really, really didn't want to ask him, but I did anyway, and I'm happy I did! God loves all of us! And that love many times is shown through other people! So let God and others love you!

Anyways, please pray for my people in Antón! Shoutout to the boys Cal and Maddux for already hitting their 1 year marks! Shoutout to Diver (My adorable nephew) for being a stinker and turning 2!

Love y'all lots! Until Next Week!

- E. Lutze

Our District

Diver's Birthday!

E. Keck, E. Lutze  and Las Hermanas

Humility

Our Zone