El Centro

Dear family,

 

well, we got uprooted from our area for the second time this transfer- que locura! We weren´t going to start working in the Centro until the end of the transfer, but the Elders found a piso a couple of weeks early and thought it would be a good idea to just switch now, so here we are! It was tough leaving again- we had three new investigators from scratch, and were really excited to teach them.

 

Fransisco and José are a father and son that I met way back when I was with Hna. Cano. The son is about 30 and has cerebral palsy (but he´s very bright- has a better memory than I do), and we´d see them walking together in la Palmilla a lot. We talked to them, but Fransisco politely turned us away, telling us he didn´t believe anything. Then when we started working in Parque del Sur, we started seeing them more than ever. He started talking to us more, and told us that whenever he thought of us before turning a corner, he´d find us right in his path, and he really felt it was a sign he needed to talk to us. He calls us his angels and practically begs for us to come by to teach. We put it off a while because we couldn´t find a woman to accompany us, but ended up just teaching him on a bench in the street. He´s really receptive and has a lot of questions, and we´re excited for the elders to teach them both.

 

We found the third investigator this way too. We were out teaching them on the bench when a young Romanian woman (love Romanians!) and her five year old son passed by, and slowed down to look at us. She asked us who we were, and what we taught. We explained a little, but Fransisco was the true advocate- telling her that we´re good people who teach true doctrine, and that she should listen to us. She asked us if we could come by to teach. We only had one chance to teach her before handing her over to the Elders, but the lesson was wonderful. When we began explaining about the young boy Joseph Smith who was looking for the truth, she interrupted us to say, "Like me!" I´m excited to hear from the Elders how things go with her.

 

Our new area will be a challenge- it´s a bit more touristy, but we´re willing to work hard. Speaking of, we have a new goal as a mission for this week. The most new investigators that the mission has gained in a week is 236. This week we have a goal of finding 555 new investigators. Please keep us in your prayers so we can reach this goal- Hna. Folsom and I need to find 7 new investigators this week, which will be a bit of a challenge starting off in a new area- still, it´s something that we need in order to work, and moreover, we know that there are people prepared to listen- we just have to find them. Ay, there´s the rub.

 

On a less spiritual note, our piso is very nice, and we finally have a wash line, so I´m officially Spanish now. And we may or may not have a grocery store in our basement. We´re going to the feria for p-day, so I should have some fun pictures for next week. Lots of speculation about what will happen this transfer. Will Hna. Folsom and I keep rockin´it together? Will we both train a newbie? Will I get sent away and leave Hna. Folsom to train? So many possibilities in this crazy mission!

 

I dreamt that Mom decided to store all the books in my library in a tree during my mission, and I couldn´t get her to understand that if she left them out, they´d get ruined by the rain. Take care of my books please, mother :) And Mark, while you´re living at the DI, make sure to pick up any good copies you see. I´ll pay you back in... foot massages?

 

I know that this is the work of the Lord- I´ve seen His hand countless times in just five months of being a missionary. I know that he really is preparing the hearts of the people, and I´m excited to search for the elect this week, and every day of my mission. I love you all and appreciate all you do for me (like the reunion letters :) You´re in my prayers.

 

Love, Hna. Johnson