This Week

Dear family,

It´s back to the piso with the knee problem- a little Hna. Coloma replay. Hna. Brown got an MRI this week for her knee, but we won´t know what the problem is until the next Dr. appt., which the mission nurse needs to set up, hopefully this week. Until we know, the Dr. said she should be resting, so we´ve only been able to go out to fixed citas- no tracting for us, which is hard on both of us, especially now that we´re really in the swing of contacting.

I had one funny contacting experience. There was an Ecuadorian woman I wanted to contact on the bus, but she had her back to me. I prayed for a chance to talk with her, and just then saw a spider in her hair. I reached forward to tap her shoulder just as she started talking on the phone. I waited, thinking it´d be a short call, but no, and our bus stop came and went, and she was still talking. As she stepped off on the next bus stop, I got off with her and said, "Um... you have a spider in your hair, do you mind if I take it out?" She nodded, and I caught it, but then she walked away still talking on the phone. I was super disappointed, but then the next day, we saw her in a completely different part of the city and were able to contact her. Whether she becomes an investigator or not, I´m so glad that God answers prayers.

Things are going well with Natacha and Gustavo. We found out Natacha´s dad, who´s also an investigator (although it´s hard to ever see him), couldn´t come yesterday, so we rescheduled her baptism for the 16th with her brother Gustavo. They´re such good kids. We finally got members to take us out and stay for the lesson in Valverde, which is what Sandra needs especially- she´s shy like her kids and really needs some love as a returning member. The members were enchanted with them. We taught tithing this week, using a huge bag of candy to teach it. After we´d finished, I asked them what they thought about the principle. Gustavo, without hesitation said, "Es muy rico." (It´s delicious). What a kid.

We had a miraculous day yesterday- we worked with some less active parents last week, and three less active families came (or at least brought their kids) to church yesterday, after months (or years) of inactivity. Galicia, the primary president, went into happy fits each time we opened the door to bring another kid into the primary, and kissed our cheeks liberally afterward. Also, a really cool Ecuadorian woman (from Guayaquil, Jon!) came from the Elders´area. She´s been to the church in Ecuador before over ten years ago, and has friends that were baptized, but never committed herself. She´s going back to Ecuador this month, but she kept talking about how good she felt in the church- that it was just what she needed, that she was going to follow with it when she went home, and bring her family with her. I´m so happy for her, and for the missionaries who will work with her.

I´m very happy right now, even if we´re not out as much as we´d like. It will be even better when we can really get back to the street and finding. Please reach out to less active members- they need more fellowshipping than investigators, and it´s hard to come back. So, that´s you´re homework.

This church is true- and there isn´t any small part of me that doubts it, or that doubts the existence and divinity of Jesus Christ.

I love you all, and hope all is well with you- thank you for all you do for me.

Love, Hna. Johnson