Up In the Air

Dear family,

this week has been more stressful than others for a few reasons. One is that we´ve had to drop a lot of our investigators because they aren´t progressing, and we feel like there are others who are more prepared and willing to accept the gospel. So now we´ve started the difficult work of finding new investigators, but at least we work in a more humble area than many. The Elders in our district work in the resort towns along the coast, and we´re in the inner-city, where people aren´t above literally begging on their knees.

I´ve also been worried with the transfers coming up this next week. In normal circumstances, I could say pretty safely that I´ll still be in Malaga 3 with Hna. Cano finishing my 12 week training (and she´s only been here 2 transfers). However, with the massive wave of missionaries coming in (the 14 sisters that came in my transfer nearly doubled the number of sister missionaries in my mission), we have no idea what will happen with the 9 sisters that are coming in this transfer. Either there will be a lot of trios (which are so hard to teach in), or there´s going to be some major mixing. 

And... that´s where things could get interesting. President Deere told the sister training missionaries in my area that he thinks I´m ready to train. Hna. Cano says that if he said that, it´s pretty much guaranteed that I´ll train this next transfer. We really don´t know what will happen, and I´m going to have to trust in whatever he feels is right... but I´ve been pretty worried about it all week, so please, oh please, keep me in your prayers. 

On that note, I guess I can tell you how I´m doing. Spanish is better some days than others- not sure what the difference is. I´ve pretty much got preterit and imperfect down, but I forgot that subjunctive exists up until this morning, so I´m going to have to get cracking on that. I know the area well enough now that I know which buses to take, which streets to walk quickly through, and I can find any address using the map. The members have warmed up to me a little more, especially now that they have an idea of how much I can understand. It still is a little hard for me when some ignore me and just talk to Hna Cano, but I just need to let go of my pride and choose not to be offended.

It´s been pretty hot lately in the afternoons, but the members get a good laugh when they see the heat taking a toll on me already- they like to bring up the fact that 120 degrees farenheit isn´t uncommon in the coming months. Hence, Hna. Cano and I are going to buy some sandals (allowed!) and 1 layer shirts to wear this summer. 

We´ve been working with one man who´s been smoking since he was 14, and the biggest miracle of the week happened when we were teaching about the Atonement and repentance. (Before this lesson, he´d been trying to gradually stop smoking). When we told him that part of repentance is completely leaving behind the sin, he told us that he was going to stop smoking then and there, knowing that it was wrong and that God wanted a complete change. This happened at the beginning of the week- he went from smoking a pack a day to not smoking at all. He´s planning on being baptized next week. 

Keep me updated on the family- I´d love to see another newsletter sometime. I miss you all very much, and I´m looking forward to coming home, but enjoying every day on the mission (even the hard ones). 

All my love, Hna. Johnson