Hey,
Sorry I didn’t email yesterday, we were gone all day.
So lots happened this week. I had divisions in Nargana for
two days at the beginning of the week. Nothing happened there but I saw some
big fish.
On Thursday, I think, I was fishing at the muelle and two
pangas pulled up, full of white people. It was terrifying. I ran to the first Kuna
people I saw to hide because I didn’t want to talk to the mergi´s and ended up
good friends with them. But eventually I had to talk to them and they were a group
of Christians of some sort that came to do an activity. Everyone in the pueblo
was afraid of them because they would
walk up to people and yell at them to repent because Jesus was coming today.
And they gave bucco candy to whoever came to their thing. We were hanging out
with some people by where they were doing it and all of a sudden there was a
bunch of shouting and confessing of sins in this big prayer circle and the Kunas
were freaked out and so were we so we went to the chapel to watch Mormon messages
and prepare for Institute. It started raining super hard while we were in there
and we could hear thunder super loud so we were talking about how cool it would
be to see lightning strike like close by. And a few minutes later I walked
outside the office and was looking out over the water and like 150 feet away, lightning struck the water and I fell over it was so loud… ha ha. It was so not
cool. And the rain was coming down sideways so I ran back to the house to close
everything up and it was already half flooded. So I got some kids and we ran
around to all the houses in the pueblo to see if anyone needed help. We mostly
moved stuff off the ground or built up sand around their house or caught pigs
that were running away. We were literally running around up to our knees though
so I had boardshorts on and lightning kept striking super close. Like you’d see
the flash and instantly hear thunder. I’m sure it struck the island a few
times. And there were two tornadoes over the ocean! So sick but so sketch! The
best part of it was that everyone blamed the white people for bringing the
storm because it doesn’t rain here that often.
I have never prayed harder that I wouldn’t get struck by lightning.
Also I was reading in the Liahona this week about how they
translate the Book of Mormon into different languages and how it takes like ten
years, but it’s super important because it is said that everyone shall hear the
gospel in their native language. So we tried to do lessons this week using the
Kuna Book of Mormon. Only it was translated in Ustupu, on the bottom end of the
Commarca, and Tikantiki where they speak Dulegaya. Here in the upper Commarca,
they speak Dulegaka. Basically the same thing but they’ve got lots of
differences so the book isn’t super accurate for the people here. They still
thought it was funny, us trying to read it, and we met a lot of the older people
on the island who only speak Kuna.
We’ve also been trying to do more activities, so on Saturday
we had all the niños come to the church to play Kuna games. We had like every
kid in the pueblo there and they all had a ton of fun. The next day at church
almost all of them came so it was hectic. Now we just need to get their parents
to come too.
Yesterday we had the dopest P-day. Our branch president owns
a couple of tourist islands way out there so he took us and a bunch of jovenes
out in his panga. First we went way past the islands to this sand bar in the
middle of the ocean where the water was like 2 feet deep and we hung out there for
a couple hours playing volleyball and what not before going to the big island
which was sick. Kinda like the backside of Tikantiki, just a ton of coco trees
and playa. We were there for a few more hours and we were all starving because
nobody had eaten anything and we brought no food. So I went fishing and the
sand drops down at like a 45 degree angle in the water so it’s like 50 feet
deep 15 feet out, and there’s like every type of fish out there. So I caught a
diece little one right quick but then my line broke and I had no more hooks.
But luckily a cayuco pulled up with a bunch of fish. A lot of the Kunas go
fishing way out there then bring them to the tourist islands to sell to the
white people. So I ran up and bought three beast sized fish they harpooned. Ask
them how much in Spanish and they’ll probably say $30, but I asked them in Kuna
and got all three for $10. Seriously the most useful language I’ve learned yet.
So we headed back to Carti and we all went over to President’s house for dinner
to eat them.
It was a sick activity but I wish we had gotten more people
to go because a couple of less active members came and I think it really helped
them feel like they have more of a place at church. Like everyone already knows
each other here but I think the best part of doing activities like this is that
they’re all super good friends by the end of the day so they want to come to
church more.
And we’ve been getting a lot more rain the last few days.
But the water’s still not running on the island. I think the pipe broke
somewhere back in the monte so they’re still working on fixing it, but were
mostly filled up on rainwater now and it tastes better than well water.
And fish is my favorite food right now. I think I’ve eaten
it every day I’ve been here. We always bring it to Zobey because she knows how
to do everything but she’s been in Panama the past week so it hasn’t been as
good.
Anyways sick that you’re the new seminary teacher, mom. I’m
glad that I am already done with that. My advice is don’t be annoying. If you
play movies don’t leave the lights on so that people don’t fall asleep…that’s
annoying.
Send lots of pics from Kate in Tonga when she goes. If I don’t
live here after my mission, I’ll probably go there.
Love y’all!
Elder Green
