March 12, 2012

Hello!!! Greetings from Mexico. How have you all been? I really am pretty sad to hear about Brother Yalden. You know, Jake and I did that route for fast offerings many a Sunday, and I did come to appreciate him. It always stuck with me that, on the coat rack in the entryway of his house, next to an umbrella, there was always a rifle. I was always so fascinated by that. It had seemed sepia and old-fashioned. I must begin by thanking you all for your prayers. We surely have felt their affects during the course of the past week. I really don’t remember much of what happened at the beginning of the week, because it just flew by, and the events that took place have taken "passengers seat" in comparison to the events of these more recent days past. This Monday, one week ago, we had a conference with our zone, to excite us, and get us ready for a great transfer that we have ahead of us. Then that Thursday, we did divisions with Elder Rosales and Elder Carlson, our district leader. It was a great experience, in the which, we got lost, and eventually found a wonderful lady of "gold". She super receptive to the message that we share and I hope that she does well. She is in the other Elders area. Then this Friday we pulled off our long-anticipated Family Home Evening of the Ward. Elder Garcia and I have been planning this for like two weeks. It went great, so well in fact that we will be doing another one this next Friday. I hope that we can pull it off to make it as good as, or even better than the last one. This is part of the "secret plan" of Elder Garcia and I to excite the ward for missionary work, so that they can give us references, and then accompany us in the lessons. I sure hope that is pays off. Then, this Saturday, the baptism that we had planned for Hno. Miguel, and elderly gentleman, fell through. He was putting up excuses in the morning, saying that he couldn’t do it that evening, because he had to go to work, at the same hour. As it turns out, he took some pills and then fell asleep, and missed his work anyway. We then passed by this Sunday, and He once again began putting up excuses saying that his Mother-in-law was sick, and that he could not leave her alone. Elder Garcia and I did not want him to feel pressed into taking these steps in his life. It is the decision that each must make for themselves. We were in this process, when the neighbor showed up. (Hno. Gaspar is a member, and the man who was going to baptize Miguel) I don’t know what it was, but something changed in the demeanor of Miguel. He just got all excited, jumped on his bike, and told us that he would meet us in the chapel, because he was going to get baptized. It was like a miracle, and I still don’t even know how or what had happened. This man has been making excuses to not get baptized since November. I guess, when it is your time, you just know. Anyways, his baptism went well, we just had a slight wrinkle, because Miguel put the white overall "over all" his clothes. Afterwards he did not have dry clothes to change into. We had to make do with some white baptismal clothing that we had on hand. It was all-in-all, a great experience. Oh, and funny side story about Sunday. An American lady showed up at the church, crying and bawling saying many things like she was super hungry, and that she wanted food, and a place to sleep, and that she was going to miss her flight tomorrow to get to Texas. It is a very long story in the which, we found out that it was all a fraud, and that she just wanted us to give her the money for a "hotel and food" so that she could do who knows what. In the end, the Church did their part, even though they were not required to. We went with her to buy a Chicken. This upset her, because we accompanied her, and bought the food for her. Then, she started complaining that she was exhausted, and that she had been sleeping on the beach for the past two days. We were then authorized to take her to a hotel, and get her a room. We left her there. Well, as it turns out, after we left, she went up to the front desk, and told the lady that she had a place to stay, and that she wanted the money for the room. Of course the lady did NOT give her the money, and afterwards, called the chapel, and told them what had happened. And do you want to know the worst part of the whole story,?!. She threw away the chicken. It is quite sad the things that people do, and the level that they will stoop to. Well, I love you all so very much, and I hope that you are getting better at home. I sure do love being a missionary. There is nothing better. I really cannot imagine where my life would be without the experience, the blessing, and all of the lessons that I have learned out here. I love you all. Good bye. Love, Elder Johnson