Elder Jaden Hawes in Panama: Week 11 in Veracruz

Jaden's email 1/2/2017:

"Hey everybody!! I hope everyone had a fun New Years. This week has been pretty good, Me and my comp had 3 baptisms this week. That was pretty sweet. 2 of them were the couple that we helped to get married (the Martinez family). The other was another of our investigators named Anelba from a part of our area called Chumical (its really far walking). We originally had another baptism planned for our investigator Alberto but I didn't feel he was ready so we pushed his date back. I feel he needs to attend church at least one more time. Another cool thing about the baptism, our mission president came. The assistants to the president are under my district and they told president that we would be having 3 baptisms. He and his wife showed up for the special event. That was pretty cool. It has honestly been a pleasure to help the Martinez family progress. We've had the privilege of helping to get them married as well as baptized. They talk often about their desire to become sealed together as an eternal family. They even talked about that following their baptism and having the opportunity to share their thoughts and a small testimony. It was great. Also, our investigator Anelba that got baptized is awesome. I actually found her old teaching record in the area book kept by past missionaries. It was nearly 2 years old and I felt the necessity to go there and see if we could teach her. I'm still surprised I felt as prompted as I did to find that house and teach her. The only information I had was a small picture the missionaries had drawn showing the home, nothing else except her name. The drawing just showed a small white house next to a catholic church and palm trees. haha!! Thnx..that didn't really help (All of panama is like that)However, we searched and somehow found the house and her . We found out that her father was actually sealed in the temple to his wife. However, his wife died when all of his kids very very young. The man became less active due to the loss of his wife and his children haven't had the opportunity to hear the gospel. We taught Anelba and she felt the need to listen and learn about the church that her mother was so faithful to. She had been taught by missionaries in the past but didn't accept the changes in her life. Luckily, she made those change as we taught her and she had the opportunity to get baptized. Were also visiting and teaching her father, Anelba's children, and Anelba's brothers and sisters. Its a HUGE family. Were hoping that a domino effect has been put into effect and that the rest of her family will fall in line with gods commandments and expectations as well. This work is amazing and we never know the good that we do. I imagine those past missionaries would be very happy to see the result of them having taught her so long ago in the past. Though they didn't see the fruit, they planted a good seed and in the seeds due time it has grown and become strong. She comes to church by herself each week and is helping her son to understand more so he can become a member as well. I hope the best for this family and we are doing all that we can to help them come together eternally. In addition, we have another baptism planned for this upcoming week. An investigator we've been teaching my whole time in Veracruz. Shes the hermana Ramirez and has a son in the mission. Shes came to church nearly without fail for 3 months however, hasn't accepted a baptismal date. I figured that she had planned to wait for the return of her son to baptized. Believing this to be the case, I took advantage of the opportunity that missionaries have to call home for Christmas. I had some friends of her son email him so that he could talk to her about baptism and its importance. That way he could tell her what he believed to be the best. Awaiting his arrival, or accepting and performing baptism now. He told her it would be best now. The day that we visited her I talked about the temple and how we can enter there to make further covenants. That following a year of church membership it would be possible to enter the temple with her son when he returns home. She accepted a baptism date for this upcoming week. Hoping all goes well. We have a ton of investigators that have had all the lessons but that only need to go to church. New years in the mission isn't the same. This is the 2nd time now in the mission I've been through it. We didn't sleep nearly two days. Our neighbor loves blasting profane music all night and morning. Eh.. o well. Well that's pretty much it. I'm going to try sending some pics now. Love you guys!!!"

- Elder Hawes

- "Below are some pictures from the baptism. In one picture it has the 3 people that got baptized and me and my comp. Elder Slavarrieta baptized all 3. I felt it would be a good experience for him since hes starting the mission. In his training were currently studying about the importance of inviting the people to become baptized and he invited the 3 to be baptized. I felt it was a really good motivator for him. He has a strong desire to work and this boosted it I think."

- "picture with new converts and mission president and wife (president and sister Current)"

- "A picture with the Martinez family. All of them except for one of their sons that was working (Big family). Their kids that were already old enough have been baptized"

- "Some pics from the Christmas party that we had. Couldn't send them last week when I tried."

- "The sister missionaries that were in our house left a blow dryer. I found a use for it when the terrential downpours hit. haha!! It works really well."

- "My Christmas tree with presents from awesome friends and family!! Love you guys!"

- "Some Christmas cards made by you in my ward (Thnx guys!)"

- "My family knows me so well (A tender mercy. I have not seen beef jerky in Panama)"

- "Some pictures of a cool sunset"

- "This crazy caterpillar I found as we walked up to a service project (probably poisonous..even had a stinger)"

- "An idea as to how big the caterpillar was"

- "Some pics of me and my comp following a service. We had to walk to Chumical to do a service and had planned a quick lesson following since we didn't have time to go to the house, clean up, them go all the way back to Chumical again. It sounds gross. However, I'm just as sweaty putting clothes on following a shower as I was then changing into church clothes from service clothes. Its hot here..I need to shower twice a day and am soaking in sweat 5 min after leaving shower."

- "In one of these service pics, you can see all the grass that me and my companion cut with machete by hand. towards the back you can see the longer gross. Be grateful for lawnmowers everyone. Its harder by hand. ha"

- "A new burger place I tried when I went on divisions with my zone leaders. The burger had egg salad on it. weird but not bad. I only got it because there was a special where it was half price that day. haha!!"