Hi Family!
Julia: How was the trip back to San Blas after being in the city?
Elder Doxey: It went well. After buying all of our provisions for the next 3-6 months (because the seas will be so rough) we were on our way. Our transport through the jungle out to San Blas took about three hours. It’s a super crazy road so that slowed us down a bit. Once we arrived at the coast, we set out on a panga toward Irgandi. This always takes a long time because we have to stop at all the little islands along the way to drop people off, pick people up. It was really nice to be back in our hut after being in the city!
Julia: Why was the city so crazy?
Elder Doxey: It’s just very busy and chaotic. I was there three nights. You feel a lot of pressure to get all the errands run that you can only do there (food planning, buying food, planning for all the needs of the branch). The office is super busy with all the Elders and Sisters coming and going for our conference, and preparing to run errands they can only run in Panama City. Out here in San Blas it is peaceful, beautiful and not hectic.
Julia: What type of food did you have to buy?
Elder Doxey: Since it is likely we will not be able to leave the island for months, we had to get food that would last for months. So, a lot of canned chicken, canned beans, oatmeal, and more. One special part of the food planning was to buy the food we will need for an upcoming branch dinner. This took a bit more planning—we bought 100 lbs. of rice, and had to find a way to keep 11 frozen chickens frozen as we traveled through the jungle, then on the panga (boat) with all its stops. Once we arrived, we gave it to one of the church member women to cook.
Julia: So, tell us about this Irgandi branch meal / branch Christmas party. Were you able to get people out for that?
Elder Doxey: It went really well. It was NOTHING like our mission conference meal. It was held on the big outdoor cement basketball court on Irgandi. The Kunas had put together a sketchy electrical set up for lights. I don’t think they are very experienced with how electricity works. There was a solar panel that fed into a chargeable battery, then they ran extension cords from that into one end of a power strip (to “receive” the power) and then thought they could run a cord from the power strip to “extend” the power to another need. They basically wanted to make the powerstrip a converter of some kind. Scary. We were all like, “Yeah, we’re not touching this.” In the end, my incredibly bright little flashlight was the main light for the whole thing. They were dancing, we handed out candy, and we all had a good time.
Julia: Where are you then? Are you back on Playon Chico or somewhere else in San Blas? Elder Doxey: Elder Hadley is there on Playon Chico with Elder Garcia. Elder Hadley finishes his mission in June. I am back here in Irgandi with Elder Yapias and Elder Gutke in a trio. Elder Gutke is Profesor Gutke’s son (the Spanish Teacher at Timpview) and he also went to Timpview.
So, we have three Elders from Provo here in little Irgandi at the moment. Charlene is still here (the girl Elder Yapias and I taught and was baptized while I was in Playon Chico) so it was good to see her as a the newest member of the Church there in Irgandi.
Julia: How does it feel to be back in Irgandi then?
Elder Doxey: It feels great. I will have been here for a total of 4.5 changes. Including the 2 weeks I was in Playon Chico that amounts to a total of 6.5 months in San Blas…basically a quarter of my mission. Maybe I will be here longer than that, we’ll see.
Julia: Would you like to see the latest snowfall in Utah? (Julia then turned the camera and showed Elder Doxey Utah after a fresh snow).
Elder Doxey: Wooaah! Look at Utah! That is a ton of snow! That’s crazy to see, while we are here in the tropics.
Julia: Did you get the big red duffle bag of Christmas presents?
Elder Doxey: Yeah, I took out the things I needed (Oreos, Sour Patch, Legos and my knife) and gave the rest to other Elders who had nothing from their families for Christmas.
Julia: What were some of the highlights of your mission conference in Panama City? Would you like us to send you some of the pics that Hermana Garrett posted on Facebook?
Elder Doxey: Well, of course there was a lot of training, a lot of unifying us, food, a nativity activity, reviewing key statistics about the mission and more.
It was really good to see everyone. Our mission has a new logo, which incorporates some Mola designs from San Blas. They talked a lot about mission-wide efforts to “Light the World.” I’ve got to go. Send me some of those pictures Hermana Garrett posted. It will be good to see them!
Much love,
Elder Doxey
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| Elder Moss & Elder Doxey with some of the locals |
Julia: How was the trip back to San Blas after being in the city?
Elder Doxey: It went well. After buying all of our provisions for the next 3-6 months (because the seas will be so rough) we were on our way. Our transport through the jungle out to San Blas took about three hours. It’s a super crazy road so that slowed us down a bit. Once we arrived at the coast, we set out on a panga toward Irgandi. This always takes a long time because we have to stop at all the little islands along the way to drop people off, pick people up. It was really nice to be back in our hut after being in the city!
 |
| Food for the next 3-6 months, new propane and our trusty stove |
Julia: Why was the city so crazy?
Elder Doxey: It’s just very busy and chaotic. I was there three nights. You feel a lot of pressure to get all the errands run that you can only do there (food planning, buying food, planning for all the needs of the branch). The office is super busy with all the Elders and Sisters coming and going for our conference, and preparing to run errands they can only run in Panama City. Out here in San Blas it is peaceful, beautiful and not hectic.
 |
| December 2019 Mission Conference in Panama City |
Julia: What type of food did you have to buy?
Elder Doxey: Since it is likely we will not be able to leave the island for months, we had to get food that would last for months. So, a lot of canned chicken, canned beans, oatmeal, and more. One special part of the food planning was to buy the food we will need for an upcoming branch dinner. This took a bit more planning—we bought 100 lbs. of rice, and had to find a way to keep 11 frozen chickens frozen as we traveled through the jungle, then on the panga (boat) with all its stops. Once we arrived, we gave it to one of the church member women to cook.
 |
| San Blas Zone, December 2019 in Panama City |
Julia: So, tell us about this Irgandi branch meal / branch Christmas party. Were you able to get people out for that?
Elder Doxey: It went really well. It was NOTHING like our mission conference meal. It was held on the big outdoor cement basketball court on Irgandi. The Kunas had put together a sketchy electrical set up for lights. I don’t think they are very experienced with how electricity works. There was a solar panel that fed into a chargeable battery, then they ran extension cords from that into one end of a power strip (to “receive” the power) and then thought they could run a cord from the power strip to “extend” the power to another need. They basically wanted to make the powerstrip a converter of some kind. Scary. We were all like, “Yeah, we’re not touching this.” In the end, my incredibly bright little flashlight was the main light for the whole thing. They were dancing, we handed out candy, and we all had a good time.
 |
| Pte. y Hna. Garrett at Mission Conference in Panama City |
Julia: Where are you then? Are you back on Playon Chico or somewhere else in San Blas? Elder Doxey: Elder Hadley is there on Playon Chico with Elder Garcia. Elder Hadley finishes his mission in June. I am back here in Irgandi with Elder Yapias and Elder Gutke in a trio. Elder Gutke is Profesor Gutke’s son (the Spanish Teacher at Timpview) and he also went to Timpview.
 |
| Elder Doxey as an Angel in the Nativity |
So, we have three Elders from Provo here in little Irgandi at the moment. Charlene is still here (the girl Elder Yapias and I taught and was baptized while I was in Playon Chico) so it was good to see her as a the newest member of the Church there in Irgandi.
 |
| Amazing, amazing food! |
Julia: How does it feel to be back in Irgandi then?
Elder Doxey: It feels great. I will have been here for a total of 4.5 changes. Including the 2 weeks I was in Playon Chico that amounts to a total of 6.5 months in San Blas…basically a quarter of my mission. Maybe I will be here longer than that, we’ll see.
 |
| We even had table settings and centerpieces! |
Julia: Would you like to see the latest snowfall in Utah? (Julia then turned the camera and showed Elder Doxey Utah after a fresh snow).
Elder Doxey: Wooaah! Look at Utah! That is a ton of snow! That’s crazy to see, while we are here in the tropics.
Julia: Did you get the big red duffle bag of Christmas presents?
Elder Doxey: Yeah, I took out the things I needed (Oreos, Sour Patch, Legos and my knife) and gave the rest to other Elders who had nothing from their families for Christmas.
 |
| It was literally an all you can eat buffet...we have not eaten like that in months! |
Julia: What were some of the highlights of your mission conference in Panama City? Would you like us to send you some of the pics that Hermana Garrett posted on Facebook?
Elder Doxey: Well, of course there was a lot of training, a lot of unifying us, food, a nativity activity, reviewing key statistics about the mission and more.
It was really good to see everyone. Our mission has a new logo, which incorporates some Mola designs from San Blas. They talked a lot about mission-wide efforts to “Light the World.” I’ve got to go. Send me some of those pictures Hermana Garrett posted. It will be good to see them!
Much love,
Elder Doxey
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