The Light Blue Bus

Dear family,

it´s been another miraculous week. We had two intercambios with Elche, my first intercambios on my own in my own area (read, without Hna. Cano), and they went well. I could not believe how exhausted I was when we finished- Hna. Nielsen came home in similar condition, but we really felt we were able to help the other missionaries.

The spirit really guided us this week. In one home of a less active, we found out they weren´t living the word of wisdom and retaught it to them- they really softened and committed to living it completely. We taught Leo for the first time in a week, and as we talked, I felt something was different about him and commented on it. He asked me what I thought had changed. Reflecting just a moment, I answered, "I feel you´re distancing yourself from God. You aren´t reading the scriptures or praying. You´ve stopped keeping the commandments. You´ve fallen into old habits, haven´t you?" He leaned back, a bit surprised and answered that it was all correct. I told him that when he started doing those things, the rest would fall into place. It was one of the most direct and specific inspirations I¨ve received from the Holy Ghost- it´s incredible to feel it work through you. Hopefully he´ll take this decision now- we´ve taught him everything- it´s up to him to live according to his knowledge or not.

Adrieli´s doing well- probably won´t baptized this week, but she´s doing well- she´s committed to live all the commandments, just wants to be more sure before her baptism because she doesn´t want to fall away.

Jose Angel and our miracle family are doing really well. They all love what we´ve taught and one of our huge concerns this past week was how we were going to help them get to church, because they haven´t got the money for the bus and it´s an hour walk to the chapel (bit tough on little feet), and we prayed and prayed for a solution. At our ward council, we brought up the problem, knowing that everyone with cars already had their spots filled, but hoping for a miracle- we got one! Our ward mission leader told us that he´d just gotten their other vehicle repaired and he could take the entire family with him! In the end, a lot of them didn´t come because family came to visit, but said they´d come next week, and now we have the means. Lola and Jose Angel came- Lola LOVED it- said she´d bring everyone next time.

Everything is going well- Hna. Nielsen is a great missionary and so many good things are happening for us right now. I´m so happy to be a missionary, and will definitely miss it once I go home, even if I will be happy to see the family again. Take care- don´t let Anne and Nate move to Tokyo before I get back, and make sure I at least get a wedding announcement in the mail.

Love you all!

Love, Hna. Johnson