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Welcome to the Human Experience, a podcast about the stories we

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live out every day and the importance of championing the vulnerability and courage

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of the storyteller. I'm your host, Jennifer Peterkin, and it was

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through my own lived story of experiencing domestic violence that this

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podcast was created. By traveling the globe and interviewing

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each guest in person, I am convinced now more than ever,

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that stories have the power to change the world.

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Thank you for being here. In a world full of noise,

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to listen with intention is an act of resistance.

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Marina, thank you so much for sitting down with me in

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Panama City, Panama, today. Where you. Well, you're from Panama.

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I just flew in about an hour ago. And so I'm

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so honored that you just came over to. To do

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this interview with me, to meet with me, and I'm so excited to hear your

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story. Thank you so much. My pleasure. So you're from Panama,

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but are you from Panama City? No, I'm from Panama West. Okay. And I'm actually

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half Panamanian because my mom's side is from Jamaica.

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Oh, my God. Half and half. Okay. And have you.

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Have you been to Jamaica then? No, actually. God, first I planning to

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travel there this summer. I mean, next summer.

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Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm planning, the summer coming up. Because I know you.

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You went to college in Pennsylvania.

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Correct. And so you just recently moved back to. To the area.

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Exactly. I just. I went to the state in 2020

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and I came back four months ago. Like, I used to come, like,

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for vacation. Yeah, it was like really short time. So, yeah, I just came to

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my country four months ago. It has been like a really hard transition

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because, you know, you. You get used to things. I left people there,

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especially my people from my church. So. Yes. Yeah, it's hard. It is hard.

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I. I imagine. So is Panama west rural? Is it a city atmosphere?

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It is. There is part that are rurals and there is part of

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our city. Okay, so it's like in the middle. Yeah, yeah.

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Because you were in a pretty. It's not totally remote, but it's more country

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in Pennsylvania. Exactly. You weren't in a big city

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area. Let's just say that. Yeah. And here in Panama, where I live

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in Panama West, I live like in a principal street.

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Okay. So I was used to like to hear the cars, the bus

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in the morning, in the afternoon. And when I moved to

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Pennsylvania, I'm like, nobody is here making noise.

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The houses are like a mile apart. Oh, yeah. Sometimes.

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Yeah. Yeah. So if I ask you what

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is your story, where would you start? That wow,

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this is really interesting question. So I

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could say starting 2010 because I experienced

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the more one of the most people painful moments of my life

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when my biggest brother passed away was on

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October 2, 2010. I was getting ready to a party

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of a little boy next to me. Like my

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neighbor birthday. And my mom was excited,

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trying new clothes. This is for the party.

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And suddenly one of my sister. Oh, by the way, we are five sisters.

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I'm the youngest. Wow. Yeah. So. So one of

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my sister approached to us screaming like hey,

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somebody say there is a boy that got shot

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in the store near us. And we all like, okay, we are

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all here. No, where is my brother used to

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call Junior. So where is Junior? So we all here.

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Where is Junior? And unfortunately when we

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went was my brother in the floor. There is a

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lot of version of that accident. They say,

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oh, we confused him. Like we actually

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know my brother what used to be Christian. We all are a Christian family.

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So we like not until today. We don't know what happened.

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Yeah. But the police say, oh, what's that Confusion. So the. But it

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was the police. No, no, no, no. Another guy got you in

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every country. We got. Absolutely. You can't

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totally run away from it. Yeah. So I saw my mom running,

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screaming my boy, my biggest baby

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that I. It's okay if

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I cry. It is absolutely. It is. Because it's tough. It's tough to talk

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about this, but at my nine years old, I experienced pain,

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like actually pain. And I remember my

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mommy crying and saying, God, you gave my son

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to me and now you're taking him away and leaving

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all that situation was really hard. Especially because I used to be so attached

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to him. Seeing he was the oldest and I'm the youngest. So I was like

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his baby and was hard. But God is good. God is good all

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the time. So we move on. We keep trusting God,

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we keep going church. And in 2013,

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my other brother, because we five sister. We used to be five sisters

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and two brothers. So my other brother, the only boy left

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in the family, he used to work in a river.

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And he also passed away because he got an accident

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in the river. And that one I think I felt.

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I felt the pain before with the first one, but with this one was like,

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oh no, I don't the God that my family represent me.

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I don't know how he's agree with all of this, you know.

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And being the youngest, I wanted to be like, oh,

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like the strong one. Like, oh, like seeing all my family

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broke with the second one. I didn't cry. I didn't

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cry because the firemans and the emergency,

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you know, was, like, looking for him in the river, like, for one day.

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And I always say, oh, I know they gonna find him

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in a tree. They're gonna find him. Like, I. I was with all my faith.

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Yeah. And by the way, at the time he passed away, he just got,

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like, a baby of two months. Yeah. So I

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just was thinking in my knees and. And every time, say, God is good.

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Like, God already processed us as a family in 2010.

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I. I don't think he's gonna do this again.

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So, unfortunately, the next day, they found him dead.

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And I remember all my family, I was the one who told

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the news to my other sisters because I was there in the moment of everything

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when the emergency girl say, I'm so

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sorry. My sister was in the house cooking because they spent

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the whole day before crying scared because we

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didn't know if we want to find him dead or alive. So they

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were cooking and taking a rest. And also because we got our knees.

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And when I got the news, my mom

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was, no, no, no. And I run, run. And I said

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to all my sister, like, they found him dead. And I remember that

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moment. They all left the house, and I was, like, alone in

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the living room of my house, crying alone, because they all left.

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They all left to the river, because the river was near our house.

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They all run. And I was alone in the house crying,

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like, for. I could say for 30 minutes, 15 minutes.

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And that moment, I cry.

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But something weird happened to my mind, like,

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oh, do you know the story about Lazaro in the Bible? Yep.

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And I don't know, I said, oh, maybe God want to do a

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miracle. Like I was at that time. I was 12 years

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old. Yeah. Yeah, 12 years old. So I was like, oh, maybe God wants

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to do, like, a miracle. Yeah. And I say, no, he going to wake up.

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He going to wake up in Jesus name and

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all. Like, we here in Panama, the culture when someone pass

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away is that you are, like, for four days with the family in the house,

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you know, like, giving support, giving your condolence.

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So that's the way you do hot chocolate,

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like, for four days before the actual funeral ceremony.

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So on those four day, everybody was crying. My family from Jamaica came,

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like, my aunties. Everybody was, oh, my God. And I was like, God is

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gonna do it. He's gonna do it. Yeah. And the moment I cry again

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was in the moment that they were putting him,

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you know, in the air, like we do. Yeah. Oh, my God.

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Omg. I was, I don't know how to explain

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it. I was the only one, like everybody was crying. But that

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moment when I saw that God like, why he's not God.

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This is your moment to do it. Yeah. Because things

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are gonna be more hard. So I start crying.

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I remember me like passing out.

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And my faith at that time scrambled

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a little bit. And I say, no, no, there's no way.

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There is no God. There is no way how God is agreeing.

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My niece is just two months old. We already, in 2010,

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we already lost. We already lost our big brother. How God is

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going all of this. So my faith was really in the floor.

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I could say. And you know, but God

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is good all the time. So I spent a month with

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that in my mind. But what we could do without God. So I was a

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girl, said, guys, okay, I forgive you.

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And yeah. So after that we move

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on. My family keep the faith. My mom, now's a day. My mom preached

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to a lot of women that happened the same

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that she went through. Also my dad, my dad

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is evangelist. He preached in Venezuela, like in different countries, also different

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parts of Panama. And then like three or four years

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later, the pastor Big's daughter passed away. So my mom

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was like, also like, hey, you know what? You were there when I lost

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my. And now like God is gonna do it, you know. So my

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mom was. My mom is a living testimony that you

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could still love in God beside the hard situation that you

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like went through. So I could

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fight for my dreams. I say I will not

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suffer every. All my life. I will not acknowledge

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this like God. It's true that we have to go to hard situation.

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But I want when is gonna be the happy end

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here. So I just started dreaming like in Big and

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study. And I become a really like smart and clever

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girl. I. I used to participate in everything, every contest. I. I say I am

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volunteer like for everything. I. I lost it

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like the account how many contests I. I have participated in

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high school, in second in secondary, in. In middle

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school, like a lot of. Because I wanna like, you know, I wanna sucks

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too. Yeah. And that's why in 2019 I got the

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second place in the whole high school of honors.

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And one of the president of the scholarship here in Panama approached

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me, say, hey, you know what? You. You got a scholarship for like for your

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own degree in the United States. I said like what?

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Like, yeah, you don't have to pay for nothing. Everything is paid.

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You have to go there and study hard and come back here.

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I was like, omg. So God did it. And I went to the United

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States in February of 2020. Then the pandemic

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came. Oh my God was

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so hard. And I took advantage of that opportunity and

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I started preaching the gospel of God in the university. I remember

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winning like at least like 10 Panamanians for

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Christ. Like guide them to be safe. They got

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baptized, they start serving at church.

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One is a dancer, another guy, he's in multimedia

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in the church. So I say, God, I thank you because

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my life was not perfect. I knew the pain since

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I was really young, but everything happened with a purpose.

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So I finished my degree in May of this year.

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Congratulations. Thank you. As a, a English teacher

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in a secondary education and also a Spanish,

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like a Spanish minor. And guess what? They gave me

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like a prize for the teacher of the

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year award. Wow. Yes. In the whole wils university.

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And I was like, God, you're so good. Because I was with native Americans.

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Like I said, my English is no to

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like, not to purpose them. And I'm in another country,

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another culture. And yeah, they gave me the teacher of

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the year award. Everybody was like, oh my God. And God

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has been good. God has been so good. When I came here to

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Panama, I came with the dream of getting married. That's. Can I, can I?

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Yes. This is your story, girl. The whole thing. You don't

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have to ask my permission for anything. So I came after

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I graduated, everything. But I was like going out

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with a guy, he also is Christian. And we

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got together for almost five years.

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He was in Panama, I was there, where we talked by video calls,

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phone calls, all of that. And he

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proposed me when I came last year here in Panama, in front

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of my family, everything. And so I just started the planification of

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the wedding and I spread invitation out, I paid for,

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for the ballroom, like everything was ready,

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even the, the food menu. Oh wow. And when I came here three

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days after that, after I arrived Panama, I received a new

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about him. And I say, I, I, I just cannot proceed with

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this. Was, was so hard for me. I say no. God,

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like how? Yeah, that's the only man I have

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loved in my whole life. And people from the state and people from Jamaica

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that pay like the flight to come to my wedding because our wedding

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was about like August and I came in

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June, so it was like just two months. And I cried so much.

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I didn't eat that for almost a week, darling. My friend was there.

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But Romans, chapter 8, verse 28

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say everything work for good for those who love the Lord. And I

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say, God, it's Okay, if this is your will,

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I will do it. I accept it.

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You had to break off the wedding. Yes, I did.

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It was so, so hard because I asked him for an explanation

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and he just said, oh, I'm not ready. I'm like, what are you talking

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about? Oh, so he didn't want to get married. Exactly. After he proposed

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me. Oh, gee. And I asked him like, why are

235
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you doing this? And he said, oh, you're gonna find another one.

236
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You will see. And I was like, don't do that to me. I have people

237
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who already bought the flight to Panama. Yeah, but I bless him

238
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today. I forgive him. I bless him. I hope he got a wife and children

239
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and stuff. I could say that now because I

240
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cry already so much and I pray a lot to God. And also I took

241
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like psychology sections because God also, you know,

242
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you can pray, but also there is professional that can help you with. Yes.

243
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So I, I, I went to, to the psychologist and, and that

244
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helped me a lot of too. And you know what healed me? Keep focused on

245
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serving others. Yeah, that helped me a lot of because if you go and,

246
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and close your door and stay in your room and you go and

247
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see the pictures and that's not going to help you. Yeah. So I found my

248
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healing in serving God and serving others. And that's what I'm doing right now.

249
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I'm serving. I have to, after here I have to go because I dancing

250
00:16:35,820 --> 00:16:39,000
church. So I have to go and dance and everything. And I have like a

251
00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:43,120
big, a big event congress in my. Nice coming. So we, we are

252
00:16:43,620 --> 00:16:47,080
like preparing for that. Very cool. So, yeah, so I think

253
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that's my story. Sorry for the accents and never

254
00:16:52,620 --> 00:16:56,600
apologize for that. God has been good. I think that

255
00:16:57,100 --> 00:17:00,560
it's, it's pretty incredible that you had such a

256
00:17:01,060 --> 00:17:04,290
crisis of faith at such a young age and that you talk about it.

257
00:17:04,790 --> 00:17:08,170
I think that's so important because I think something that we can

258
00:17:08,670 --> 00:17:11,850
get caught up in sometimes is like, well, I can't say

259
00:17:12,350 --> 00:17:15,970
anything bad or like, be mad at God because you know something's going

260
00:17:16,470 --> 00:17:20,530
to happen to me or I always have to be perfect with

261
00:17:21,030 --> 00:17:24,970
God. And it's like God already knows that you're not perfect. Right. So just the

262
00:17:25,470 --> 00:17:29,410
idea that like I remember being in therapy years ago and

263
00:17:29,810 --> 00:17:33,290
my, my counselors telling me, you can be

264
00:17:33,790 --> 00:17:37,050
bad at God, like he can take it. Like he's, he's big enough

265
00:17:37,550 --> 00:17:40,530
to take that, like to take your anger. You know, you, you don't sit in

266
00:17:41,030 --> 00:17:44,370
that. You have to move on. Yeah, but, but like, it's not gonna

267
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hurt God. And God already knows, right? God already knows you're

268
00:17:48,830 --> 00:17:51,930
angry, but, like, don't. Don't try to pretend you're not. I got you,

269
00:17:52,010 --> 00:17:56,570
right? So, yeah. I mean, I. I can't imagine what.

270
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Going through that at such a young age, losing both of your brothers. But I

271
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also just think it's really important that you talk about

272
00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:10,120
the fact that there was a time where you asked

273
00:18:10,620 --> 00:18:13,960
that question, and it wasn't all just like, yeah, everything's fine

274
00:18:14,460 --> 00:18:17,880
because we have God. You know, it was pain and heartache and

275
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,000
hardship. Of course. Of course I got mad

276
00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:25,840
to God many, many times with, like, with my last process

277
00:18:26,340 --> 00:18:30,400
of breaking up my wedding and stuff, I spent, like, almost two weeks

278
00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,160
that my sister came, like, hey, honey, you're gonna be okay. Because again,

279
00:18:34,660 --> 00:18:38,200
I'm the youngest. So they. They all was waiting for me because all my

280
00:18:38,700 --> 00:18:42,760
others coasting already are married. All my other sisters, so they. They were waiting for

281
00:18:43,260 --> 00:18:47,360
my wedding. Yeah. So I remember my sister all crying and

282
00:18:47,860 --> 00:18:51,600
also mad at him because

283
00:18:52,100 --> 00:18:55,840
they're good sisters, of course. Especially, darling, don't die.

284
00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:02,490
Oh, my God. And I remember this

285
00:19:02,990 --> 00:19:06,090
guy. He's a leader in my church. He said, marina,

286
00:19:06,590 --> 00:19:09,410
God is in control. And I say, what control?

287
00:19:10,130 --> 00:19:13,570
Where is the control in this? You know what? Do not tag

288
00:19:14,070 --> 00:19:17,770
me about control. And I know I was wrong, but I was mad

289
00:19:18,270 --> 00:19:21,570
at God. I was like, God, I have preserved my life for,

290
00:19:21,650 --> 00:19:25,090
like, I worked so hard for my wedding and stuff. Like, how.

291
00:19:25,500 --> 00:19:28,500
Yeah, what country you have on this? And I know the Bible.

292
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,140
I know everything work for good for the whole of the Lord. But I was

293
00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,140
mad. And I remember he was like. Because I

294
00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,740
said, please keep your God advice away from

295
00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,980
me for a moment. Obviously. Later I asked him, I'm sorry, I was stressed.

296
00:19:44,540 --> 00:19:47,580
And then I go into my knees and say, God,

297
00:19:48,380 --> 00:19:51,780
here I am. Here I am. This so

298
00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,660
hard for me. I don't know how I'm gonna deal with this. I don't know

299
00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,620
how. Because the moment when I have to call those people

300
00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:02,460
in the state in Jamaica and say, hey, hey, hey, Auntie, the wedding

301
00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:06,620
is not precedent. Yeah. People asking like, oh, wow. Oh, what happened? You know,

302
00:20:06,700 --> 00:20:09,780
maybe not because they want to be goozy, but they, you know, curious, like,

303
00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,020
hey, what happened? Because they saw me so, so excited about it, I say,

304
00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,780
it just. It just don't work out. Yeah. But when I hung

305
00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:20,830
the car was. And crying out, like, God, this is

306
00:20:21,330 --> 00:20:24,670
so hard for me. But as you. As you mentioned before, like,

307
00:20:25,170 --> 00:20:28,710
God. God can take that. Yeah, yeah. God understands our, our feelings.

308
00:20:29,210 --> 00:20:32,470
He. He create us. He put those feelings in us.

309
00:20:33,030 --> 00:20:36,230
So that's, that's important thing, being transparent with God. Yeah.

310
00:20:36,390 --> 00:20:40,150
Like, don't, don't pretend being like, okay,

311
00:20:40,390 --> 00:20:44,000
hang on, here I am, I bless the Lord. But you have, you know,

312
00:20:44,500 --> 00:20:48,720
but you have mad, you are mad in your heart. You have bad

313
00:20:49,220 --> 00:20:52,760
feelings against that people that hurt you. You have to be honest and transparent with

314
00:20:53,260 --> 00:20:56,560
God and say, you know what, I want to go there and push him over.

315
00:20:57,120 --> 00:20:59,360
I know I can't, but I want to. Exactly.

316
00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:03,280
But. And God talked to that in the Bible. I think

317
00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:06,640
in one of the psalms, David said,

318
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,170
you love the truth in the, in the secret.

319
00:21:10,490 --> 00:21:14,170
Like God love when you are honest with him and say,

320
00:21:14,410 --> 00:21:17,770
God, I trust you, but this is so,

321
00:21:17,930 --> 00:21:21,450
so hard for me. So just help me. And I remember me the

322
00:21:21,950 --> 00:21:25,529
story when Jesus asked one of the people he

323
00:21:26,029 --> 00:21:29,330
want to help and that people say, I trust you, but help

324
00:21:29,830 --> 00:21:33,490
me help my faith. So God now when you want to trust him,

325
00:21:33,990 --> 00:21:37,460
but your faith is not like in the level it used to be because

326
00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,780
again, we're humans. Yes. And God got that. Yeah.

327
00:21:41,180 --> 00:21:44,940
So, yeah, I agree totally. And like you said before

328
00:21:45,020 --> 00:21:48,580
too, with your friend, you know, it's not always helpful

329
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,620
to just say these things that may be true,

330
00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:56,140
like God is in control or God loves you.

331
00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,300
Like, you know that. It's not that that stuff isn't true, but it's

332
00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:04,950
not helpful. And it doesn't help anybody heal or feel seen

333
00:22:05,030 --> 00:22:08,390
in that moment. Right. Because what people need to hear is like,

334
00:22:08,550 --> 00:22:12,150
I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this. This shouldn't have happened.

335
00:22:12,310 --> 00:22:16,150
I just be there, like. Yeah, just be

336
00:22:16,650 --> 00:22:19,870
there. Just show up. Yeah. That's why I really appreciate my friend Darling. And I

337
00:22:20,370 --> 00:22:23,270
have mentioned here about a couple. But I'm so, I'm just so grateful with her

338
00:22:23,510 --> 00:22:26,990
because there is time that I. I used to call her, like in the morning,

339
00:22:27,490 --> 00:22:30,890
in the night, you say, here I am. And she don't start asking questions.

340
00:22:31,390 --> 00:22:34,570
You just stay with me. Yeah, well, and, and I'm going to be interviewing Darling

341
00:22:35,070 --> 00:22:39,250
as well. So I'm gonna have both of you, both of you on. And like

342
00:22:39,750 --> 00:22:43,410
I said before we started recording, it's. I think I'm looking at two very

343
00:22:44,050 --> 00:22:47,410
future high leaders in Panama over here.

344
00:22:47,570 --> 00:22:50,610
So very, very happy to have you guys on now.

345
00:22:51,110 --> 00:22:54,930
You are interviewing the future's president. Yes. Or is she?

346
00:22:55,210 --> 00:22:58,730
Or me? But we gotta be one of. One of you. Yeah. Oh,

347
00:22:58,890 --> 00:23:02,570
oh, maybe both. Both. One period and then another one.

348
00:23:03,070 --> 00:23:06,970
Do it. Yes. Go for it. So you moved

349
00:23:07,470 --> 00:23:10,410
back because of your wedding, is that correct?

350
00:23:10,490 --> 00:23:14,090
Exactly. You know how many opportunities I got there?

351
00:23:14,410 --> 00:23:18,090
People saying to me marina, I remember this district

352
00:23:18,590 --> 00:23:22,340
was Dallas district was a good school district. Many times a principal contact

353
00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,300
me, hey, we wanted to hire you for next semester. I say,

354
00:23:26,260 --> 00:23:29,220
no, not me. I'm about to be a wife. Yeah.

355
00:23:30,500 --> 00:23:33,740
And moving here and I found all

356
00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,420
of these masks. I was like, why are you gonna stay in this state?

357
00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,980
God, why you don't talk to me about that this going to happen. So I

358
00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:45,180
don't came here and stuff. But again, I know there

359
00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,930
is something behind it. I have to be honest with you until today,

360
00:23:49,890 --> 00:23:53,770
I don't understand why that happened. And I'm not

361
00:23:54,270 --> 00:23:58,570
expecting an answer. But there is no way I don't receive something

362
00:23:59,070 --> 00:24:03,090
back about God of this I now after the storm,

363
00:24:03,730 --> 00:24:06,690
the sun come back. So that's what I'm waiting.

364
00:24:07,250 --> 00:24:11,170
Not an answer. But I know something will

365
00:24:11,670 --> 00:24:14,530
happen. Yeah. You'll be able to look back and say that's why.

366
00:24:14,770 --> 00:24:18,760
Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. But it's hard because you know,

367
00:24:19,260 --> 00:24:23,120
you. You did have opportunities and you were on a roll over there

368
00:24:23,620 --> 00:24:27,240
and achieving your dreams that you worked really, really hard for.

369
00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,520
Indeed. So what is it like to be

370
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,240
back in Panama after living in the

371
00:24:34,740 --> 00:24:38,240
States? Look, the States are not perfect. So that is not at

372
00:24:38,740 --> 00:24:42,560
all what I'm saying. But you were kind of on a trajectory

373
00:24:43,060 --> 00:24:46,480
there. You thought you were coming to a certain place here. And now things are

374
00:24:46,980 --> 00:24:51,100
completely different. Pretty. You know what I'm again I'm

375
00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:55,540
liking because I know something good is going to happen soon. Yeah. So being

376
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,740
with my family has been really helpful because okay, I got

377
00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:03,620
the money there. I got like, oh, I'm in the state. You know, Panamanian people,

378
00:25:03,860 --> 00:25:06,660
when you say oh, I'm in the state, they. They think you're rich.

379
00:25:08,020 --> 00:25:10,980
Like, they think like, oh, she's famous. Did you went to New York.

380
00:25:11,060 --> 00:25:14,540
And so being back

381
00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,450
here, people ask a lot of. And I'm like, it's okay. It's a good city.

382
00:25:18,950 --> 00:25:22,170
It's big. It's just. But it's fine. You can go there too. Don't think

383
00:25:22,670 --> 00:25:25,850
that is impossible. So being here with my family

384
00:25:25,930 --> 00:25:29,610
again, I got monetary stuff. But by

385
00:25:30,110 --> 00:25:33,450
Christmas time I miss them. You know, I sometimes when I

386
00:25:33,950 --> 00:25:37,450
arrive from my job or from college and I open my door

387
00:25:37,530 --> 00:25:42,090
and I smell in my mom kitchen flavors

388
00:25:42,330 --> 00:25:45,880
like everything. I was like, oh, I need to be with them.

389
00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,800
Especially because since I was the youngest, I grew up with a lot

390
00:25:50,300 --> 00:25:53,480
of attention, with a lot of let Me tell you my biggest

391
00:25:53,980 --> 00:25:57,600
secret. It's a really shame, but I will tell you. I used

392
00:25:58,100 --> 00:26:01,320
to live with my parents until I got 16 years

393
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,360
old. There's no judgment here.

394
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,360
As I told you when I came before behind cameras,

395
00:26:10,860 --> 00:26:14,320
I told you, oh, I just arrived from my dad's house and my dad

396
00:26:14,820 --> 00:26:18,440
how yesterday say hey, are you sleeping with us tonight?

397
00:26:18,940 --> 00:26:22,760
I'm like dad, like let me know you're listening. He was

398
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,320
sleeping with us. I'm like dad, no, I'm not doing it. Yeah.

399
00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:29,920
I'm 24 years old. He was asking

400
00:26:30,420 --> 00:26:33,680
me that yesterday. I'm like, oh my God. He misses it. When you were a

401
00:26:34,180 --> 00:26:38,080
kid, right? Yeah. They still see me like I'm. I don't know, like the lady

402
00:26:38,580 --> 00:26:41,240
youngest. That vibe never going to change. No.

403
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,690
Also with my sister, sister. She's. They are so like protective and

404
00:26:46,190 --> 00:26:49,410
look, look different. You have look around and this and this. I'm like oh

405
00:26:49,910 --> 00:26:52,730
my God. And also since I moved to the state and I moved back to

406
00:26:53,230 --> 00:26:56,850
Panama they. They are really focused on. I understand that time

407
00:26:57,350 --> 00:27:00,610
changes here in Panama. Like security, you know, like,

408
00:27:01,110 --> 00:27:04,450
like, like being secure here. Like they told me, hey be careful,

409
00:27:04,850 --> 00:27:08,090
don't visit these places because when you was here was a

410
00:27:08,590 --> 00:27:12,410
good place or so. So. But now it's, it's really dangerous at this

411
00:27:12,910 --> 00:27:16,930
time. So they are really like careful about that. Yeah. So again being

412
00:27:17,430 --> 00:27:21,170
with my family have been really good for me enjoying again my mom food.

413
00:27:21,250 --> 00:27:23,970
Oh Jesus. My mom is from Jamaica so she have like that.

414
00:27:25,250 --> 00:27:28,650
So being with them, talking with my sister sometimes.

415
00:27:29,150 --> 00:27:32,650
Yeah. I forgot to mention a detail. Since the man who I was going to

416
00:27:33,150 --> 00:27:37,010
marry proposed me in my house. When I went through all this process I

417
00:27:37,510 --> 00:27:41,450
moved to my, to my grandma house because wake up myself and see

418
00:27:42,090 --> 00:27:45,570
in the living room in my mind was like the decoration and stuff for the

419
00:27:46,070 --> 00:27:49,930
proposal. So I for a time and after taking therapies

420
00:27:50,010 --> 00:27:53,450
I say for now I will move to my grandma

421
00:27:53,950 --> 00:27:56,570
house. And my grandma is in the city, not in the west. So that's why.

422
00:27:56,650 --> 00:28:00,210
But I visit my parents and they seem like are you okay

423
00:28:00,710 --> 00:28:03,850
now to move back? I'm like, give me a couple more months, Daddy,

424
00:28:05,050 --> 00:28:08,950
mommy, couple more months. So yeah. And I love

425
00:28:09,450 --> 00:28:12,870
living with my grandma because she is old and she's

426
00:28:13,370 --> 00:28:16,830
alone. She also lived in the estate many times. She was a resident

427
00:28:17,330 --> 00:28:20,950
there. She came like in 2015. I think she spent

428
00:28:21,450 --> 00:28:24,550
most of her life in the States. So she. Oh wow. Yeah.

429
00:28:25,050 --> 00:28:28,190
She is in Panama with her mind in the state. In my grandma house there

430
00:28:28,690 --> 00:28:31,910
is a picture of a president of the United States. I'm like, grandma, you are

431
00:28:32,410 --> 00:28:35,090
in Panama. Like, come on, you have to slow down.

432
00:28:36,770 --> 00:28:40,130
Oh, my God. So, yeah, so living with her also,

433
00:28:40,370 --> 00:28:41,890
like, taking care of her.

434
00:28:42,610 --> 00:28:45,410
Abuela is grandma in Spanish.

435
00:28:45,810 --> 00:28:49,210
So being like, abuela, are you okay? Abuela? There is

436
00:28:49,710 --> 00:28:52,810
anything I can assist you with? Yeah, like, that's. That's special time.

437
00:28:53,310 --> 00:28:57,290
Yeah. And also my weather. I'm sorry, but my weather is Panamanian.

438
00:28:57,790 --> 00:29:00,620
Weather is awesome. I love it. I love it.

439
00:29:00,780 --> 00:29:04,100
I love to. I can use these, like, my glasses and

440
00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:07,820
stuff. I could use it also in the state, but just in summertime.

441
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:11,820
Yeah. And here in Panama, you have more summer than everything. Yes.

442
00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:15,740
So I. I'm glad to be back. Even though I went to a

443
00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,620
hard process and everything is different because, you know, at this

444
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,500
time, I was imagine myself living in my. In my own house and stuff.

445
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:26,530
Yeah. But let's see. Let's move on. Yeah. And I could

446
00:29:27,030 --> 00:29:30,330
say I'm fine, like, living with my. With my grandma, visiting my

447
00:29:30,830 --> 00:29:34,330
parents, talking with my sister, talking to darling. Darling, how I will have

448
00:29:34,830 --> 00:29:37,890
something to do. Yeah. For example, for this, she say, I need you Friday

449
00:29:38,390 --> 00:29:41,850
at this time. Like, okay, girl, let's go. I'm coming. Yeah. Yeah. So that's

450
00:29:42,350 --> 00:29:45,570
good. I love it. So you kind of already spoke to the fact that

451
00:29:46,070 --> 00:29:49,620
where you were in the States, you were in Pennsylvania in the mountains.

452
00:29:49,690 --> 00:29:53,130
Mountains. And so that's a totally different climate

453
00:29:53,630 --> 00:29:56,730
than what you have here. So how was that for you adjusting?

454
00:29:57,290 --> 00:30:00,330
It was really hard at the beginning. I remember using,

455
00:30:00,410 --> 00:30:04,490
like, two clothes, two pair of gloves, like, two coats,

456
00:30:05,050 --> 00:30:08,650
like, leggings, and then jeans, and then,

457
00:30:09,150 --> 00:30:12,610
like, all of this. But then, like, by the time, you know, you're getting kind

458
00:30:13,110 --> 00:30:16,730
of used to it. But the thing I never got using the state of

459
00:30:17,230 --> 00:30:19,940
the weather is that in the fall time,

460
00:30:20,420 --> 00:30:24,380
the sky turned dark before time. Yes. Oh, my God,

461
00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:28,540
that was so tough for me. Like, five o', clock. Talking with my family in

462
00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:32,140
the video call, and they like, what time it is there. I'm like, it is

463
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,460
five o'. Clock. I know. It's pitch dark.

464
00:30:35,620 --> 00:30:39,220
Yeah. That's the only thing I never got used to it. Yeah. Other than

465
00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:43,060
that. Good. Also the food. Oh, my God. At the beginning, it was like,

466
00:30:43,430 --> 00:30:47,030
hamburgers, fries. Because in Panama, fries and hamburger

467
00:30:47,530 --> 00:30:50,550
are, like, for a special occasion. Okay. Okay. Normal.

468
00:30:50,870 --> 00:30:54,390
Like, typical place in Panama are like, rice with chicken.

469
00:30:54,630 --> 00:30:57,910
But, like, you want to, like, celebrate something, you. Oh, let's buy a hamburger.

470
00:30:57,990 --> 00:31:00,950
Yeah. So when I arrived, I'm like, hamburger in the college,

471
00:31:01,450 --> 00:31:04,550
like, every Day I can eat hamburgers and fry. And they say, yes, it was

472
00:31:05,050 --> 00:31:07,670
a pizza station. I'm like, can I have that? So, yes. I'm, like,

473
00:31:09,030 --> 00:31:12,230
so excited. Yeah. But that's what. That just lasts me, like,

474
00:31:12,390 --> 00:31:15,590
three months after. I was like, oh, yeah, I need my rice back.

475
00:31:15,990 --> 00:31:19,670
I don't need any more of this. Yeah, that's fair. Now, did you live on

476
00:31:20,170 --> 00:31:23,510
campus? I used to live on campus, yes. How was that for you?

477
00:31:24,390 --> 00:31:27,430
Was good and tough at the same time. Yeah. Good,

478
00:31:27,930 --> 00:31:31,230
because I. I get to. To preach the. The souls

479
00:31:31,730 --> 00:31:34,870
there and. And preach about the gospel and say, like, being.

480
00:31:35,590 --> 00:31:39,040
Seeing many friends approaching to me, like, I'm. Look, I'm going to

481
00:31:39,540 --> 00:31:43,160
this really hard situation right now, or look, I'm going to depression.

482
00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:46,640
And being there for them was good, but for

483
00:31:47,140 --> 00:31:50,720
the other side was something different because I don't

484
00:31:51,220 --> 00:31:55,000
want to judge anybody. But, you know, cultures are different. Okay. So people

485
00:31:55,500 --> 00:31:58,640
from other countries, like, smoke marijuana. I'm like,

486
00:31:59,140 --> 00:32:03,200
oh, yeah. And being in the elevator and just smoke

487
00:32:03,700 --> 00:32:07,180
them, like, oh, yeah. You know, so that's why. But other than that,

488
00:32:07,260 --> 00:32:10,700
I could say was a good experience. I met people from Nepali,

489
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,780
I mean, for Nepal, from India, and I learned about

490
00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:19,420
their culture. This girl from Nepal, her name is Rima,

491
00:32:19,660 --> 00:32:23,300
she cook. One day, she invite me, and they eat

492
00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:27,260
with the fingers. They don't use spoon. And she said, come. I'm, like,

493
00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:30,900
looking for the spoon. She's like, no, no, no, no. I'm like, okay. And I

494
00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:35,210
just start eating and stuff. Like, what's so good? And then she. They told.

495
00:32:35,710 --> 00:32:39,170
They showed me like, a dance and stuff. So was. Was good.

496
00:32:39,670 --> 00:32:42,930
Yeah. They also told me how to say good morning in the language.

497
00:32:43,430 --> 00:32:46,890
Good morning. And I just still remember it. Good. Good morning in Nepali

498
00:32:47,390 --> 00:32:49,770
is honey. Yeah.

499
00:32:50,570 --> 00:32:54,690
And if you want to say hello, you say namaste. If you

500
00:32:55,190 --> 00:32:57,770
wanna, like, things like that. And rice, you say,

501
00:32:57,930 --> 00:33:01,690
oh, that's bad. And. And how do you say chicken Cocora?

502
00:33:02,190 --> 00:33:06,550
Like, I still remember those things. So it' you

503
00:33:07,050 --> 00:33:10,470
know, I changed culture with them and stuff. Yeah.

504
00:33:10,870 --> 00:33:14,070
Great opportunity. Yeah, was really great opportunity. Now,

505
00:33:14,570 --> 00:33:18,030
where was your favorite place that you went

506
00:33:18,530 --> 00:33:22,309
to while you were in the States? It's called Canobos.

507
00:33:22,470 --> 00:33:25,790
Yes. Oh,

508
00:33:26,290 --> 00:33:29,390
yeah. I don't know. I live in Pennsylvania. Okay.

509
00:33:29,890 --> 00:33:33,510
So I don't. So I'm from Pennsylvania, not that area. I live closer to Philadelphia.

510
00:33:33,810 --> 00:33:36,690
All right. But I had you been in Canaverals, so.

511
00:33:36,850 --> 00:33:39,930
I have. I have not. I know what it is. My brother and his family

512
00:33:40,430 --> 00:33:45,290
go every year. Oh, okay. Was. It's really fun. There are

513
00:33:45,790 --> 00:33:48,850
a lot of attractions that you could do. There is so many things that you

514
00:33:49,350 --> 00:33:52,890
could do there. So that season, the number place in the number one

515
00:33:53,390 --> 00:33:56,930
place, I could say the second one not to leave but to visit it.

516
00:33:57,430 --> 00:34:00,890
New York. Yeah. Because you could take pictures and have like many pictures

517
00:34:01,390 --> 00:34:05,000
in my Instagram. Instagram. My WhatsApp. Like, hey, new York. This city that

518
00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:09,240
never sleep. Yeah. So let's find another

519
00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:12,480
one. I could say the last one. Maryland.

520
00:34:12,980 --> 00:34:16,520
I went Maryland. Okay. Because Baltimore or Baltimore. Yeah, I went

521
00:34:17,020 --> 00:34:20,320
there and was good. Yeah, I think was good. Yeah, I like Baltimore.

522
00:34:20,820 --> 00:34:24,120
Yeah, it's nice. Nice. And I, I love New York. I mean,

523
00:34:24,620 --> 00:34:27,560
I don't know New York that well. All right. I go.

524
00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:32,600
But I'm, I'm like not that far away. So maybe if people would think I

525
00:34:33,100 --> 00:34:35,680
would know it better than I do. I don't. But I like, I love going

526
00:34:36,180 --> 00:34:40,000
up there. A friend of mine and I go and see shows up

527
00:34:40,500 --> 00:34:44,080
there. So fun.

528
00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:47,200
So. So yeah. I mean New York is a special place for sure.

529
00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:51,240
It's, it's funny. We were actually up there. We were there last weekend.

530
00:34:51,740 --> 00:34:55,850
Oh. And we were sitting in this restaurant and it was very

531
00:34:56,410 --> 00:35:00,130
like what you would see on TV if you were,

532
00:35:00,630 --> 00:35:03,410
if somebody was in a restaurant in New York. And I was like, this is

533
00:35:03,910 --> 00:35:07,650
what everybody around the world thinks. All of New York looks like this restaurant.

534
00:35:08,150 --> 00:35:11,250
Exactly. And then you're there and you're like, some of it's like that, but some

535
00:35:11,750 --> 00:35:15,170
of it's very different. Exactly. That's true.

536
00:35:15,670 --> 00:35:18,810
You're right. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's fun. I love that Knoebels

537
00:35:19,310 --> 00:35:21,610
is your number one place. I'm gonna have to tell my sister in law that

538
00:35:22,110 --> 00:35:25,070
because you have to to go. Yeah. My nieces will love that. They'll be so

539
00:35:25,570 --> 00:35:29,510
excited to hear that. That's awesome.

540
00:35:29,990 --> 00:35:34,070
So you're back in Panama. I know you're doing incredible things.

541
00:35:34,710 --> 00:35:38,070
What do you hope for Panama? Like what change do

542
00:35:38,570 --> 00:35:42,230
you want to affect? What do you hope for the country, for the youth,

543
00:35:42,310 --> 00:35:45,510
for people? As, as an educator, you know,

544
00:35:46,010 --> 00:35:48,660
what do you hope to see Panama doing in the future? Future.

545
00:35:49,460 --> 00:35:53,580
Especially with education. Panama just invests in

546
00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:57,260
the education the 5% of, of the, of what

547
00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,540
they got. So that's so sad for me because in

548
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:05,300
Latin America we, we are in the lowest places in education.

549
00:36:05,860 --> 00:36:09,740
So I, I, I hope that change. I hope educator

550
00:36:10,240 --> 00:36:12,100
get better pay here.

551
00:36:13,300 --> 00:36:17,320
And that's gonna so ironic. But I hope correction

552
00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:21,440
slow a lot of. Because no

553
00:36:21,940 --> 00:36:25,640
matter how you, how hard you study here, you could study for five years

554
00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:28,560
as I did, or even seven, including your,

555
00:36:29,060 --> 00:36:32,360
your master. And sometimes the best,

556
00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:36,400
the best job is because you have someone in the,

557
00:36:36,900 --> 00:36:40,040
in the politics that can help you to come to that job. You know

558
00:36:40,540 --> 00:36:44,690
what I mean? So. So I hope to shame that yeah like you

559
00:36:45,250 --> 00:36:48,650
study, you deserve what you got because just you do

560
00:36:49,150 --> 00:36:52,930
a sacrifice. So why don't get that. So I hope

561
00:36:53,430 --> 00:36:57,490
to see those changes. I hope the next, the next

562
00:36:57,650 --> 00:37:01,810
generation of politics understand that

563
00:37:02,850 --> 00:37:05,650
all that we do have to be for the people,

564
00:37:05,970 --> 00:37:09,710
not for our own goodness. You know what I mean? So yeah,

565
00:37:10,210 --> 00:37:13,790
that's what I'm hoping of my country. Don't get me wrong, Panama is doing

566
00:37:14,030 --> 00:37:17,350
great as before, like than before. But we could

567
00:37:17,850 --> 00:37:20,430
do better. Sure, we could all say that. Absolutely.

568
00:37:20,830 --> 00:37:24,350
Absolutely. Yeah, we could do a lot better. Yeah. Yeah.

569
00:37:24,850 --> 00:37:28,430
Well, I know you have aspirations and dreams and so I figured

570
00:37:28,930 --> 00:37:32,270
you would. You would have things you wanted to see change, so.

571
00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:35,640
And you're going to be the one to do it. You and darling. You and

572
00:37:36,140 --> 00:37:39,360
darling. Yeah, me and darling. I'm going to a couple years from now

573
00:37:39,860 --> 00:37:42,840
I'm going to tell people I know them and you want to come back here

574
00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,360
and you want to interview the president. Yes, Yes I am.

575
00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,720
Oh my God, I love Panama. Panama is a really place to

576
00:37:53,220 --> 00:37:57,240
live. Yeah. We just are going as as many other countries into

577
00:37:57,740 --> 00:38:01,410
a corruption, a lot of production that

578
00:38:01,910 --> 00:38:05,250
people stole for. From. From the, for the government.

579
00:38:05,490 --> 00:38:08,890
Yeah. Stuff. It's so hard. It's so hard. Yeah, it is.

580
00:38:09,390 --> 00:38:12,690
And it is. It is everywhere. And I don't mean to say that like it.

581
00:38:13,190 --> 00:38:17,210
It's okay because it's not. And you know, power is a. Is a tricky

582
00:38:17,710 --> 00:38:20,610
thing. And I think especially if,

583
00:38:20,930 --> 00:38:24,930
if we believe in God like being able to recognize

584
00:38:25,430 --> 00:38:29,150
that the subversion of power is the most important thing to service.

585
00:38:29,310 --> 00:38:32,750
Like, you know, just because you're given power doesn't mean

586
00:38:33,250 --> 00:38:35,950
you deserve to wield it over people. Yeah,

587
00:38:36,190 --> 00:38:40,150
I'm. I completely agree with you. Yeah. So this is my

588
00:38:40,650 --> 00:38:43,950
first time in Panama. Okay. I think most people know

589
00:38:44,450 --> 00:38:48,190
the Panama Canal. Right. And like that's kind of it. So what

590
00:38:48,830 --> 00:38:51,950
would you like for people to know

591
00:38:52,450 --> 00:38:55,710
about Panama if they come visit? Oh, that's a really

592
00:38:56,210 --> 00:38:58,710
great question. Beside Panama Canal,

593
00:38:59,670 --> 00:39:03,710
there is many places that you could visit such as Cascuan

594
00:39:04,210 --> 00:39:07,670
Tiwo is here in the city that contain all our history.

595
00:39:08,550 --> 00:39:12,470
Like the. For the old Panama before is completely different

596
00:39:12,630 --> 00:39:16,390
now in the past was just ruins, but now

597
00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:20,080
is like a really. It's one of our biggest place to visit.

598
00:39:20,240 --> 00:39:23,800
Yeah. So that the Food. I hope you

599
00:39:24,300 --> 00:39:27,520
guys go to the Panamanian food. Like,

600
00:39:28,020 --> 00:39:31,480
restaurants. Yeah. You know, like. No, just like the fast food. Like McDonald's. No,

601
00:39:31,980 --> 00:39:35,040
try Caribbean Panamanian plates.

602
00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:40,000
And also our culture, there is, like, a town in

603
00:39:40,500 --> 00:39:43,440
Spanish. It's called Mark. I don't know how to say that in English, but they

604
00:39:43,940 --> 00:39:47,550
are, like, the original Panamanians. They are, like. Yeah, the indigenous.

605
00:39:48,050 --> 00:39:51,550
Yeah, exactly. The indigenous. So you could go there.

606
00:39:52,050 --> 00:39:55,390
Go. Because they show you, like, the dances and everything,

607
00:39:55,630 --> 00:39:59,550
and they put you, like. Like the. Like the typical dress

608
00:40:00,050 --> 00:40:03,150
that they use. It is amazing. And. And also they have,

609
00:40:03,650 --> 00:40:07,390
like, a really. They had, like, the best beaches to go,

610
00:40:07,890 --> 00:40:11,270
and so. Wow. Oh, yeah. The water is so clear. You could see, like,

611
00:40:11,770 --> 00:40:15,060
the features there is just amazing. One of the Latin.

612
00:40:15,620 --> 00:40:19,580
Of the Latin artists, his name is Faruko. He's. He's so famous

613
00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:23,260
in the Latin in. In the Latin world. He. He came Panama

614
00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,820
and. And he went there and he was so like, oh, look at this.

615
00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:30,820
It was. It is amazing. That's awesome. I could say that. And also, peer people

616
00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,740
are so kind. We kind people. Yeah. Like, if you go, like,

617
00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:38,620
to. Especially if you go to rural. Rural areas, because cities are more busy.

618
00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:41,620
People are, like, coming out for work and school.

619
00:40:42,820 --> 00:40:46,100
Yeah. But if you go, like, for rural people and they see you, they're gonna

620
00:40:46,600 --> 00:40:49,900
be like, hey. Yeah. Like, they're gonna ask because they're gonna recognize that you

621
00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:53,180
are not from here. Yeah. So they can offer you, like, a. Like something to

622
00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:57,140
eat maybe. Like. Yeah. I love. I love city and rural. But rural

623
00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:00,540
people are, like, more kind. They both kind,

624
00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:04,380
but sure. You know what I mean? I know what you mean. Yes, absolutely.

625
00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:08,350
Exactly. It's a great hospitality. Yes, it is.

626
00:41:08,510 --> 00:41:10,830
I could say that. Casco, Antigua,

627
00:41:10,990 --> 00:41:14,190
Cunayala. That is where indigenous are.

628
00:41:15,070 --> 00:41:18,950
How far is that from. From Panama City. It could be, like, couples hours.

629
00:41:19,450 --> 00:41:22,430
Like, say, like, four. Okay. Four or five. And then you have to take a

630
00:41:22,930 --> 00:41:25,390
boat to get in the Iceland. Oh, wow. Yeah.

631
00:41:25,950 --> 00:41:29,750
And any restaurants that. That we could say fried

632
00:41:30,250 --> 00:41:34,100
Panamanian food people. Yeah. Well, Darling is in charge of our itinerary,

633
00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:38,460
and I'm pretty sure she has. She will. Things on the docket. I told

634
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:42,380
her, I said, I want as much history and culture stuff as you can

635
00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:46,220
give me, so. She will. She's very good at it. Yeah, she's been

636
00:41:46,720 --> 00:41:51,060
fantastic. I'm so happy to be here. I'm so excited to experience Panama

637
00:41:51,300 --> 00:41:54,940
for, you know, the next week. I'm glad you're gonna enjoy it.

638
00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:57,830
I'm. I'm sure I will not because it's. My country is. Because it is what

639
00:41:58,330 --> 00:42:01,870
it is. Yeah, it's. It's beautiful. There's so many

640
00:42:02,370 --> 00:42:05,310
places that we just overlook because it's not the most popular.

641
00:42:06,110 --> 00:42:09,470
And truly, I mean, like, I had the opportunity

642
00:42:09,970 --> 00:42:13,350
to come and so I came. Right. But it wasn't like I had been planning

643
00:42:13,850 --> 00:42:17,750
to come to Panama. So I'm so excited that I. I had

644
00:42:18,250 --> 00:42:21,710
the opportunity and. Yeah, I'm really excited. Yeah.

645
00:42:21,870 --> 00:42:25,170
Well, I have a question that I ask everybody in each

646
00:42:25,670 --> 00:42:29,450
episode, which is through the lens of your experience and

647
00:42:29,950 --> 00:42:33,570
what you've lived in your life, what does compassion

648
00:42:34,070 --> 00:42:37,650
mean to you? Compassion. Compassion means to me that

649
00:42:37,730 --> 00:42:41,730
just break me because. Oh my God. When in my way here.

650
00:42:42,610 --> 00:42:46,530
So sorry. Don't apologize. In my way here I was

651
00:42:47,030 --> 00:42:50,940
in a homeless like using drugs and the

652
00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,660
soul is down now. But what was like 3pm and the

653
00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:59,140
soul was so bright and he was like, I'm like, oh my God.

654
00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:03,020
Like he. And next to him was like three more industry

655
00:43:03,820 --> 00:43:07,100
like with that. So like that song was really

656
00:43:07,180 --> 00:43:10,340
bright. Like you have to be

657
00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:14,460
in your house, I don't know, drinking water. So I start crying

658
00:43:14,540 --> 00:43:17,940
in the car. And my dad say, how you want to be

659
00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:21,540
president? You want to see worse things than this? I'm like, daddy.

660
00:43:21,700 --> 00:43:24,980
So compassion means to me putting yourself in the shoes of others.

661
00:43:25,540 --> 00:43:28,820
Like compassion and empathy, I think go together.

662
00:43:29,380 --> 00:43:33,540
And everything that Jesus do was for compassion. I remember like

663
00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:37,180
the story of the fishes and the bread. He did it because he saw all

664
00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:41,460
the, like the people in the desert. In the desert. And he told

665
00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:45,800
he, he disciple, I have compassion of them. So that's why he do that miracle.

666
00:43:46,300 --> 00:43:49,600
Yeah. So that's for me, it's compassion putting yourself in the shoes of.

667
00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:52,720
Of others. Like, what about if, if,

668
00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:56,080
if that homilies was my dad. God protect my dad.

669
00:43:56,580 --> 00:43:59,120
But what about if, If I. If, if that homeless.

670
00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:03,120
What is. Is my. I don't know, something. Someone you love.

671
00:44:03,620 --> 00:44:07,360
Yeah. And not about homilies. Also about people who don't have what you have.

672
00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:11,040
People who don't. Each three days we got lunch,

673
00:44:11,540 --> 00:44:14,960
breakfast and a snack and dinner. Yeah. And sometimes

674
00:44:15,460 --> 00:44:18,400
a dessert too. So having that compassion,

675
00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:22,720
always do nothing yourself first.

676
00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:27,200
Like, sometimes it's good to forget a

677
00:44:27,700 --> 00:44:30,360
little bit about yourself and what you want to do and what you want to

678
00:44:30,860 --> 00:44:34,480
get. People, people in this time are so focused on,

679
00:44:34,720 --> 00:44:38,280
oh, I want to be happy. I want to experience the full

680
00:44:38,780 --> 00:44:42,640
happiness. You could be happy today. You could be happy washing dishes.

681
00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:46,440
You could be happy going out buying groceries. You could

682
00:44:46,940 --> 00:44:49,920
be happy now, because people tend to say, I will be happy when I got

683
00:44:50,420 --> 00:44:53,720
my house. I will be happy when I got the Lamborghini. I will

684
00:44:54,220 --> 00:44:57,440
be happy when I go Disney or when I go Paris or when I go

685
00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:00,940
Eiffel Tower. You could be happy now.

686
00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:05,220
Yeah. It is, it is a fact that the 70%

687
00:45:05,720 --> 00:45:07,900
of the times you want to be doing,

688
00:45:08,700 --> 00:45:11,820
like, daily things. Yeah. Going work, taking a bath,

689
00:45:12,380 --> 00:45:16,460
like take your children to school. And just like a 30%

690
00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:19,660
or even I could say a 20%. That is that you got like,

691
00:45:20,160 --> 00:45:23,660
excited moments, such as going a wedding and

692
00:45:23,740 --> 00:45:26,620
going out for a big vacation. That's not happening often. Offense.

693
00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:30,620
Yeah. So you decide your decision. You want to be happy

694
00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:34,580
the 70 or the audio or the 100 of the time, like enjoying

695
00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:38,420
your. Your happy moments, your birthdays or. Or a wedding invitation. But you

696
00:45:38,920 --> 00:45:42,179
could also enjoy the 70% of going into your

697
00:45:42,679 --> 00:45:46,140
work in the way, like admiring the. I don't know,

698
00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:50,260
like the, the heaven, the sky. Oh, how beautiful the sky is today. In.

699
00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:54,440
In the way of your, of your job or enjoying taking

700
00:45:54,940 --> 00:45:58,560
your children to school instead of go, you're late. Like, you could

701
00:45:59,060 --> 00:46:02,240
be happy. Yeah. Now that's my message. You could be happy now in

702
00:46:02,740 --> 00:46:05,480
the simple things and always things.

703
00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:10,080
Put yourself in others. Do not put your opinion like,

704
00:46:10,580 --> 00:46:14,360
or, you know, judgment. Exactly. Always think

705
00:46:14,860 --> 00:46:18,580
about other perspective, accept others. And, And I think

706
00:46:19,220 --> 00:46:22,500
that's why we. I think my mission, my personal mission in life.

707
00:46:22,820 --> 00:46:26,380
And I'm sorry, I know I'm talking too much, but my personal mission in my

708
00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:30,420
life is serve others. God said, Jesus said to

709
00:46:30,660 --> 00:46:34,580
his disciples, the big one in the kingdom is the one who serves.

710
00:46:34,740 --> 00:46:38,020
So. And even Jesus came. He said, I came to

711
00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:41,940
serve, not to be served. So I want to follow my

712
00:46:42,440 --> 00:46:45,790
Lord example. I love that. Well, I.

713
00:46:46,430 --> 00:46:50,350
I know that there are big things ahead for you. I'm so excited for

714
00:46:50,850 --> 00:46:54,910
you to. To see what's next to come back and interview when you,

715
00:46:55,410 --> 00:46:58,750
you and you're the president. Yeah. It's wonderful.

716
00:46:59,250 --> 00:47:02,270
Thank you so much for making the time for me to do this. Yeah.

717
00:47:02,770 --> 00:47:05,910
It was a pleasure to meet you. What? My pleasure. My first time doing an

718
00:47:06,410 --> 00:47:08,430
English podcast. Oh, my God, you did so good.

719
00:47:09,720 --> 00:47:13,280
Thank you so much for everything. Thank you for listening to

720
00:47:13,780 --> 00:47:17,080
the human experience. Everyone has a story and I'd love to

721
00:47:17,580 --> 00:47:20,920
hear yours. So be sure to check out the show notes for more information about

722
00:47:21,420 --> 00:47:24,040
how to stay in touch, do good, and love well.