Que tal familia! Eye annai (that’s Dule Gaya)
Question: Wow! You are sweating like crazy! Have you been playing basketball or something?
Elder Doxey: No. It’s just crazy hot here right now. I’m in our branch building, and of course there is not a lot of ventilation, so you just sweat it out.
Question: Looks like it is time to clean your hut. What do you do to clean and organize it?
Elder Doxey: We sweep the dirt floor. That was the picture before we cleaned it. Now it is a lot cleaner. We have a pretty good house for San Blas standards. We even have a corrugated plastic roof, a pipe with a spigot on it for water, and an outhouse (rather than just the ocean—there is no running water there of course) so we’re living large. A grandma in the area always comes by to get water from our spigot.
Question: Does Elder Richins like to cook as much as Elder Gutke?
Elder Doxey: No, but its nice to not feel like I have to cook like a pro. Elder Gutke is a really good cook. He is actually in Panama City now getting medical treatment. I don’t know where he is.
[Note: At this point we learned Elder Doxey would tell us a lot more if we spoke in Spanish on our call. He loves to see how good his Spanish is relative to ours]
Dan: That was great to speak to you in Spanish for so long. I can tell it is more comfortable for you than English right now. I was especially excited that when you heard me say, "dar lo por vencido" (to give up) you caught that like a fly ball to center field. You did not just let it fly by like you knew what it meant. You stopped and took the whole 1 second required to understand. Very impressive.
Many Elders just act like they understand, only to realize later that they're faking it. You are not faking it. You're legit. That is a legit skill you just showcased...and likely one of the reasons you are so good. Try, try, try to teach missionaries in your Zone that skill. It is all part of being a "fanatico" about Spanish
Question: What are you studying in companionship study this week? Are you still reading out loud in Spanish every morning?
Elder Doxey: We’re studying the missionary handbook. I read four pages outloud every day.
Question: Do you still keep your little notebook of "necio" (bugger/hard to remember words)?
Elder Doxey: Yes, but now use my agenda because I’m out of little books. I spoke better Spanish when I was in the city.
Question: How is your Zone Leader work going?
Elder Doxey: Pretty well. It seems like I spend a lot of time calling other Elders for status updates. I’m getting the hang of balancing Zone Leader duties and keeping up with normal missionary work. I have been on my island all week, so that’s helpful. On Thursday I have to get a panga and go over to Playon Chico island to work with the Elders there. We will take out hammocks and stay one night there. As a Zone we have a baptismal goal of at least 8 people, and many more reactivations with our “Cosechas” program.
One task Elder Richins and I have to do soon is go to Panama City to get more food for the Zone, and then take them around to all the islands. We do this every six weeks to keep their rations stocked, and keep them all healthy. So, we are in food inventory and planning mode right now. We also got word that our District President is coming to our branch soon, and get this … he is bringing us a battery powered weed eater so we can make the chapel grounds look nicer!
Question: So you are talking to us from a smartphone right now? Wow! That’s cool you have such a great phone! Do the other missionaries just have flip phones?
Elder Doxey: Yes and yes. Other missionaries in the city have $10 brick phones. It is super weird having a smartphone and being in Kuna culture on an island. No missionaries have a smartphone in Panama. I can see how this would get in the way of being focused. Only the APs in the office, and me in the San Blas Zone have a phone like this. I talk to the mission office at least twice every change, and to the assistants to the president at least every week.
Question: Why do the Zone leaders need a smart phone on the islands?
Elder Doxey: To report the status of missionary work regularly, but also in case of an emergency (earthquake, terrible storm, sick missionary, a missionary accident). This phone is our Zone's lifeline to report back to Pte y Hna Garrett. In crÃtical momentos, when there is no service we use WiFi to talk to Presidente Garrett. Sometimes there are things that are so crazy I can’t even tell you all the details. I’ll tell you in a year or so. I’m writing down all the crazy. There is no way to even write about it all. The blog of our conversations is a pretty good brush over of main events.
Question: Have you had any good lessons with people this week?
Elder Doxey: Yes. We’ve set six baptismal goal dates with people, but they all fell through. These six include a husband and wife, an 18 year old, and another family of three. None of them came to church like they said they would, but we did have two others show up to church randomly. Here on Ustupu we speak a lot more Spanish and had 40 in the branch last week. This is a starting point I guess. There are something like 400+ baptized members on the island, so we have a lot of work to do in finding and reactivating.
Question: What is different about Ustupu compared to Irgandi?
Elder Doxey: The locals are more entrepreneurial here. They find a way to make a living. They do more than just Molas, coconut and plantain farming. They do metal work, melting down gold and silver that they get from Panama City, hammer it out and sell it. I bought a silver ring from one of the locals to show I’m helping support the economy. Ha Ha. The Kuna women literally wear solid gold nose rings that are worth about $500-$600 each!
Question: That looks like a pretty nice crab and Dule Masi dinner you have there. Who caught and prepared it?
Elder Doxey: It was a church member woman. That was dinner recently. This time with the Dule Masi, in addition to the coconut milk and plantains there was some yucca root in it.
Question: Are people around you affected by the Coronavirus at all?
Elder Doxey: Yes. There are a lot of Colombians and Costa Ricans stranded here because their countries will not let them back in—so, travel regulations over international borders are tighter.
Question: What is the hardest thing you did last week?
Elder Doxey: Learning how the Ustupu Congreso works (local Kuna governing body, like a community council with the Saila Chiefs) was a bit of a challenge. It is very similar to the way it works in Irgandi, but a little different.
We’re dead tired by about 5:30 pm. Congreso is in session at the end of each day and starts at 6 pm and lasts until 7:30 pm. Congreso is held in the largest hut on the island—a big grass roof structure with wooden benches. When Congreso is in session, nobody is allowed outside. We have to be in our hut during that time, and then we go back out and work at 7:30 pm. So there’s just an interruption in our momentum, right when we are most tired.
We are not allowed to teach anyone in that Congreso time block. We use that hour and a half as our time to cook dinner, study Dule Gaya and more. We want to rest, but we are technically still working, but also obeying the local rules.
Gotta go.
Much love,
Elder Doxey
Question: Wow! You are sweating like crazy! Have you been playing basketball or something?
Elder Doxey: No. It’s just crazy hot here right now. I’m in our branch building, and of course there is not a lot of ventilation, so you just sweat it out.
 |
| Our hut, before we cleaned it |
Question: Looks like it is time to clean your hut. What do you do to clean and organize it?
Elder Doxey: We sweep the dirt floor. That was the picture before we cleaned it. Now it is a lot cleaner. We have a pretty good house for San Blas standards. We even have a corrugated plastic roof, a pipe with a spigot on it for water, and an outhouse (rather than just the ocean—there is no running water there of course) so we’re living large. A grandma in the area always comes by to get water from our spigot.
Question: Does Elder Richins like to cook as much as Elder Gutke?
Elder Doxey: No, but its nice to not feel like I have to cook like a pro. Elder Gutke is a really good cook. He is actually in Panama City now getting medical treatment. I don’t know where he is.
[Note: At this point we learned Elder Doxey would tell us a lot more if we spoke in Spanish on our call. He loves to see how good his Spanish is relative to ours]
Dan: That was great to speak to you in Spanish for so long. I can tell it is more comfortable for you than English right now. I was especially excited that when you heard me say, "dar lo por vencido" (to give up) you caught that like a fly ball to center field. You did not just let it fly by like you knew what it meant. You stopped and took the whole 1 second required to understand. Very impressive.
Many Elders just act like they understand, only to realize later that they're faking it. You are not faking it. You're legit. That is a legit skill you just showcased...and likely one of the reasons you are so good. Try, try, try to teach missionaries in your Zone that skill. It is all part of being a "fanatico" about Spanish
 |
| Our hut, cleaner |
Question: What are you studying in companionship study this week? Are you still reading out loud in Spanish every morning?
Elder Doxey: We’re studying the missionary handbook. I read four pages outloud every day.
Question: Do you still keep your little notebook of "necio" (bugger/hard to remember words)?
Elder Doxey: Yes, but now use my agenda because I’m out of little books. I spoke better Spanish when I was in the city.
Question: How is your Zone Leader work going?
Elder Doxey: Pretty well. It seems like I spend a lot of time calling other Elders for status updates. I’m getting the hang of balancing Zone Leader duties and keeping up with normal missionary work. I have been on my island all week, so that’s helpful. On Thursday I have to get a panga and go over to Playon Chico island to work with the Elders there. We will take out hammocks and stay one night there. As a Zone we have a baptismal goal of at least 8 people, and many more reactivations with our “Cosechas” program.
 |
| One of many bridges we have |
One task Elder Richins and I have to do soon is go to Panama City to get more food for the Zone, and then take them around to all the islands. We do this every six weeks to keep their rations stocked, and keep them all healthy. So, we are in food inventory and planning mode right now. We also got word that our District President is coming to our branch soon, and get this … he is bringing us a battery powered weed eater so we can make the chapel grounds look nicer!
Question: So you are talking to us from a smartphone right now? Wow! That’s cool you have such a great phone! Do the other missionaries just have flip phones?
Elder Doxey: Yes and yes. Other missionaries in the city have $10 brick phones. It is super weird having a smartphone and being in Kuna culture on an island. No missionaries have a smartphone in Panama. I can see how this would get in the way of being focused. Only the APs in the office, and me in the San Blas Zone have a phone like this. I talk to the mission office at least twice every change, and to the assistants to the president at least every week.
 |
| Kuna comfort food ... and our dinner |
Question: Why do the Zone leaders need a smart phone on the islands?
Elder Doxey: To report the status of missionary work regularly, but also in case of an emergency (earthquake, terrible storm, sick missionary, a missionary accident). This phone is our Zone's lifeline to report back to Pte y Hna Garrett. In crÃtical momentos, when there is no service we use WiFi to talk to Presidente Garrett. Sometimes there are things that are so crazy I can’t even tell you all the details. I’ll tell you in a year or so. I’m writing down all the crazy. There is no way to even write about it all. The blog of our conversations is a pretty good brush over of main events.
Question: Have you had any good lessons with people this week?
Elder Doxey: Yes. We’ve set six baptismal goal dates with people, but they all fell through. These six include a husband and wife, an 18 year old, and another family of three. None of them came to church like they said they would, but we did have two others show up to church randomly. Here on Ustupu we speak a lot more Spanish and had 40 in the branch last week. This is a starting point I guess. There are something like 400+ baptized members on the island, so we have a lot of work to do in finding and reactivating.
Question: What is different about Ustupu compared to Irgandi?
Elder Doxey: The locals are more entrepreneurial here. They find a way to make a living. They do more than just Molas, coconut and plantain farming. They do metal work, melting down gold and silver that they get from Panama City, hammer it out and sell it. I bought a silver ring from one of the locals to show I’m helping support the economy. Ha Ha. The Kuna women literally wear solid gold nose rings that are worth about $500-$600 each!
Question: That looks like a pretty nice crab and Dule Masi dinner you have there. Who caught and prepared it?
Elder Doxey: It was a church member woman. That was dinner recently. This time with the Dule Masi, in addition to the coconut milk and plantains there was some yucca root in it.
 |
| Our hut is nice, compared to the locals |
Question: Are people around you affected by the Coronavirus at all?
Elder Doxey: Yes. There are a lot of Colombians and Costa Ricans stranded here because their countries will not let them back in—so, travel regulations over international borders are tighter.
Question: What is the hardest thing you did last week?
Elder Doxey: Learning how the Ustupu Congreso works (local Kuna governing body, like a community council with the Saila Chiefs) was a bit of a challenge. It is very similar to the way it works in Irgandi, but a little different.
 |
| A nice Mola |
We’re dead tired by about 5:30 pm. Congreso is in session at the end of each day and starts at 6 pm and lasts until 7:30 pm. Congreso is held in the largest hut on the island—a big grass roof structure with wooden benches. When Congreso is in session, nobody is allowed outside. We have to be in our hut during that time, and then we go back out and work at 7:30 pm. So there’s just an interruption in our momentum, right when we are most tired.
We are not allowed to teach anyone in that Congreso time block. We use that hour and a half as our time to cook dinner, study Dule Gaya and more. We want to rest, but we are technically still working, but also obeying the local rules.
Gotta go.
Much love,
Elder Doxey
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