Noagami Familia!
Question: So how was your Sunday? Any wonderful news from the Irgandi and Ukupa branches?
Elder Doxey: Yesterday our attendance numbers went down to 42 for some reason. I think it is because so many of the adults are either working on projects (I can’t tell if they are Saila imposed or self-imposed), or they simply did not hear our half scuba tank church bell when we rang it. So, our Sunday meeting was pretty normal. I wish we had more people show up though.
Question: Was Rafael there to help lead people at church?
Elder Doxey: Yes! Rafael works really hard at it, but he is one man. He was there helping clean and prepare the branch building for people to arrive, helping the kids get ready to go to EFY (probably FSY actually… For the Strength of Youth) in Panama City.
Question: That’s great that you have FSY…who puts that on?
Elder Doxey: I think it is the mission. It is deliberately planned right during Panamanian Carnival Week, b/c that is a wild and crazy festival in the city, the country kind of shuts down, and we want the youth to all be together.
Question: How many youth from Irgandi are going to FSY?
Elder Doxey: We were going to have 6 from our branch go, but we just learned that the Sailas & parents are not letting two of those youth go because they were caught selling marijuana. So, it's four for now. There will probably be two more going from the Ukupa branch.
Question: Do you think Christian (the 16 year old) will go while he is in Panama City? Where do they all stay when they go there?
Elder Doxey: Definitely. I have his phone number and would call him to make sure he goes, but I’m not allowed to call out of our area. I don’t know why he would not go. The youth that go are put up by their extended family members in Panama City. Any that do not have family members in Panama City normally stay on the temple block in the accommodations they have there for temple visitors.
Question: How is Seminary teaching going?
Elder Doxey: Really well. I have some really good news with that. This past week we got permission to teach Seminary as a companionship, without having to have an adult male there with us. This may not seem important but for us it is huge—it has been really hard to cancel a Seminary lesson because we did not have an adult male there. I guess they figure we are teaching all over the village, (all the time) so how is this any different? Attendance wise, we have about 15-20 that we teach…10 kids, 5 teenage youth and the rest are adults.
Question: Do the Kunas ever have any interest in having you teach English?
Elder Doxey: No. They are not interested in learning English. They are really focused on preserving their Dule Gaya language, and also learning Spanish.
Question: How are things in the Ukupa branch?
Elder Doxey: I would say “same old, same old”, with the exception of the new excitement about FSY, and preparing those youth to go. One thing I’m really happy about is that a young man we baptized a few months ago (Fabian) is one of those two on Ukupa Island that is going to FSY in Panama City! He is super active, goes to church, participates, goes to Seminary, etc. I’m really happy for him.
Question: How is your food holding out, seeing that the sea is probably too rough to be getting more?
Elder Doxey: Well, this week I was reminded of the value of Scouting—it really does help you prepare for a mission. Here is why—our cook stove went out with a bang this week. Don’t worry, our hut is super, super well ventilated (the bamboo walls have big gaps, the ceiling has big holes, the wind coming through our hut is pretty constant).
The former owner of the stove (a Kuna man) said it was “practically brand new” but I guess it is scrap metal now. The stove blew up last Wednesday, so for a few days we just soaked hard spaghetti in cold water, then drained the water off and spread some tuna with mayo on the top. Not bad!
After a couple days of that, we were ready for something hot. We learned that some of our neighbors have a little cooking hut (like a community cooking hut) with a stove there. We have never wanted to use it b/c we don’t want to kick out some family needing to cook their meals, or to use up their propane. So, we have been cooking over a fire for about 4-5 days. It’s actually kind a nice change.
Question: Do you have to go into the forest for wood? Where do you get wood for your cooking fires?
Elder Doxey: The local Kunas give it to us. They all have a backup supply of dry wood for cooking. It is mostly dry coconut husks, which are all over the place here (the Kunas use A TON of coconuts). We will have to replenish their wood when things dry out.
What is funny is that the Kunas are always asking us, “What are you cooking next? How do you make it?” They can’t imagine eating anything other than Dule Masi with some kind of animal in it. They think we know all these different food options b/c they see the way we use our big pot as a Dutch Oven, and make pizza crust, etc.
Question: How is your Dule Gaya coming along?
Elder Doxey: Well. I sent you a video that recorded how fast some of them speak Dule Gaya. I can’t speak even close to that fast, and I’ve almost been here 7 months. This is why it is so good when we have a native Dule Gaya speaker teach them the gospel (like Rafael or others).
Question: What is this picture of the big waves crashing up against the huts in the village?
Elder Doxey: That is the view or Irgandi from across the water where our latrine is. I took that picture to show you all the Guna Yala Swastika flags that are up over the village right now.
Because it is the week of Carnival, all the Kunas get out their own "national" flag. They fly their Kuna Swastika flags anytime Panamanians are flying the Panama flag, like during Carnival week.
[NOTE: This flag commemorates the Kuna revolution (their Declaration of Independence from Panama), which happened in 1925. The Swastika Flag has been the Guna Yala nation’s flag since long before the Germans started using it in WW2. It has nothing to do with the Nazi party. Before the Nazis tilted it to the left, and started using it, it was known as a symbol of friendship and good luck and was used among the Kunas, Pimas, Navajos, Papagos, Apaches, and Hopis. It was abandoned by all but the Kuna. ]
Question: If you were talking to a group of youth here in the states, and wanted to share an experience of someone that has grown spiritually in San Blas, what would you say?
Elder Doxey: I would tell them about an experience we had this week. Years ago there were two boys born in Irgandi, whose names are Leoni and Anthony. As soon as they were old enough to venture out into other islands in Guna Yala, they did. This happens a lot in Guna Yala--there is a lot of movement among the 365 islands east of Panama. Four years ago they were both baptized and are now very active members.
Well, yesterday (Sunday) they show up to our branch early and were super helpful in the services for the day. They're like heroes in Irgandi. I asked one of them to say the closing prayer. He replied, “Do you mind if I share my testimony with the group before I do?” I said, “Claro!” and he then “went off.”
In full Dule Gaya, Leoni bore his testimony, and even was telling the Irgandi branch how they need to live the gospel, welcome the missionaries, participate, and more. The best part was when Leoni shared his conversion process, and what it means to be converted. It was actually a really spiritual experience. I bet both of those boys serve missions.
As far as spiritual growth goes here in Irgandi, let me say this, it’s slower here. Like, A LOT slower to see spiritual growth.
There are many reasons for this. . .In Irgandi and Ukupa, Kuna people are pretty isolated from the main body of Church members in Panama. They don’t have the Book of Mormon fully translated into Dule Gaya. They don’t have a lot of paper (it just gets wet and rots), they don’t have a lot of music that brings the Spirit, they don’t have all the testimony building/supporting church media in their homes, they often are not “free” to go to church because they have a work project from the Saila Chief.
When they come to church, it is because of their pure and simple … faith.
Gotta go. Parasipu Merki.
Elder Doxey
Question: So how was your Sunday? Any wonderful news from the Irgandi and Ukupa branches?
Elder Doxey: Yesterday our attendance numbers went down to 42 for some reason. I think it is because so many of the adults are either working on projects (I can’t tell if they are Saila imposed or self-imposed), or they simply did not hear our half scuba tank church bell when we rang it. So, our Sunday meeting was pretty normal. I wish we had more people show up though.
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| Mola |
Question: Was Rafael there to help lead people at church?
Elder Doxey: Yes! Rafael works really hard at it, but he is one man. He was there helping clean and prepare the branch building for people to arrive, helping the kids get ready to go to EFY (probably FSY actually… For the Strength of Youth) in Panama City.
Question: That’s great that you have FSY…who puts that on?
Elder Doxey: I think it is the mission. It is deliberately planned right during Panamanian Carnival Week, b/c that is a wild and crazy festival in the city, the country kind of shuts down, and we want the youth to all be together.
Question: How many youth from Irgandi are going to FSY?
Elder Doxey: We were going to have 6 from our branch go, but we just learned that the Sailas & parents are not letting two of those youth go because they were caught selling marijuana. So, it's four for now. There will probably be two more going from the Ukupa branch.
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| Irgandi from the air (Google Images) |
Elder Doxey: Definitely. I have his phone number and would call him to make sure he goes, but I’m not allowed to call out of our area. I don’t know why he would not go. The youth that go are put up by their extended family members in Panama City. Any that do not have family members in Panama City normally stay on the temple block in the accommodations they have there for temple visitors.
Question: How is Seminary teaching going?
Elder Doxey: Really well. I have some really good news with that. This past week we got permission to teach Seminary as a companionship, without having to have an adult male there with us. This may not seem important but for us it is huge—it has been really hard to cancel a Seminary lesson because we did not have an adult male there. I guess they figure we are teaching all over the village, (all the time) so how is this any different? Attendance wise, we have about 15-20 that we teach…10 kids, 5 teenage youth and the rest are adults.
Question: Do the Kunas ever have any interest in having you teach English?
Elder Doxey: No. They are not interested in learning English. They are really focused on preserving their Dule Gaya language, and also learning Spanish.
Question: How are things in the Ukupa branch?
Elder Doxey: I would say “same old, same old”, with the exception of the new excitement about FSY, and preparing those youth to go. One thing I’m really happy about is that a young man we baptized a few months ago (Fabian) is one of those two on Ukupa Island that is going to FSY in Panama City! He is super active, goes to church, participates, goes to Seminary, etc. I’m really happy for him.
Question: How is your food holding out, seeing that the sea is probably too rough to be getting more?
Elder Doxey: Well, this week I was reminded of the value of Scouting—it really does help you prepare for a mission. Here is why—our cook stove went out with a bang this week. Don’t worry, our hut is super, super well ventilated (the bamboo walls have big gaps, the ceiling has big holes, the wind coming through our hut is pretty constant).
The former owner of the stove (a Kuna man) said it was “practically brand new” but I guess it is scrap metal now. The stove blew up last Wednesday, so for a few days we just soaked hard spaghetti in cold water, then drained the water off and spread some tuna with mayo on the top. Not bad!
After a couple days of that, we were ready for something hot. We learned that some of our neighbors have a little cooking hut (like a community cooking hut) with a stove there. We have never wanted to use it b/c we don’t want to kick out some family needing to cook their meals, or to use up their propane. So, we have been cooking over a fire for about 4-5 days. It’s actually kind a nice change.
Question: Do you have to go into the forest for wood? Where do you get wood for your cooking fires?
Elder Doxey: The local Kunas give it to us. They all have a backup supply of dry wood for cooking. It is mostly dry coconut husks, which are all over the place here (the Kunas use A TON of coconuts). We will have to replenish their wood when things dry out.
 |
| Dutch Oven Pizza Cooked Over Tropical Hardwoods |
What is funny is that the Kunas are always asking us, “What are you cooking next? How do you make it?” They can’t imagine eating anything other than Dule Masi with some kind of animal in it. They think we know all these different food options b/c they see the way we use our big pot as a Dutch Oven, and make pizza crust, etc.
 |
| Dule Masi |
Question: How is your Dule Gaya coming along?
Elder Doxey: Well. I sent you a video that recorded how fast some of them speak Dule Gaya. I can’t speak even close to that fast, and I’ve almost been here 7 months. This is why it is so good when we have a native Dule Gaya speaker teach them the gospel (like Rafael or others).
Question: What is this picture of the big waves crashing up against the huts in the village?
Elder Doxey: That is the view or Irgandi from across the water where our latrine is. I took that picture to show you all the Guna Yala Swastika flags that are up over the village right now.
 |
| Guna Yala Swastika Flags Over Irgandi |
[NOTE: This flag commemorates the Kuna revolution (their Declaration of Independence from Panama), which happened in 1925. The Swastika Flag has been the Guna Yala nation’s flag since long before the Germans started using it in WW2. It has nothing to do with the Nazi party. Before the Nazis tilted it to the left, and started using it, it was known as a symbol of friendship and good luck and was used among the Kunas, Pimas, Navajos, Papagos, Apaches, and Hopis. It was abandoned by all but the Kuna. ]
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| (Google Images) |
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| (Google Images) |
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| (Google Images) |
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| Celebrating the Kuna Revolution of 1925 (Lifenomadik.com) |
Question: If you were talking to a group of youth here in the states, and wanted to share an experience of someone that has grown spiritually in San Blas, what would you say?
Elder Doxey: I would tell them about an experience we had this week. Years ago there were two boys born in Irgandi, whose names are Leoni and Anthony. As soon as they were old enough to venture out into other islands in Guna Yala, they did. This happens a lot in Guna Yala--there is a lot of movement among the 365 islands east of Panama. Four years ago they were both baptized and are now very active members.
Well, yesterday (Sunday) they show up to our branch early and were super helpful in the services for the day. They're like heroes in Irgandi. I asked one of them to say the closing prayer. He replied, “Do you mind if I share my testimony with the group before I do?” I said, “Claro!” and he then “went off.”
In full Dule Gaya, Leoni bore his testimony, and even was telling the Irgandi branch how they need to live the gospel, welcome the missionaries, participate, and more. The best part was when Leoni shared his conversion process, and what it means to be converted. It was actually a really spiritual experience. I bet both of those boys serve missions.
As far as spiritual growth goes here in Irgandi, let me say this, it’s slower here. Like, A LOT slower to see spiritual growth.
There are many reasons for this. . .In Irgandi and Ukupa, Kuna people are pretty isolated from the main body of Church members in Panama. They don’t have the Book of Mormon fully translated into Dule Gaya. They don’t have a lot of paper (it just gets wet and rots), they don’t have a lot of music that brings the Spirit, they don’t have all the testimony building/supporting church media in their homes, they often are not “free” to go to church because they have a work project from the Saila Chief.
When they come to church, it is because of their pure and simple … faith.
Gotta go. Parasipu Merki.
Elder Doxey
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