Goodbye Elder Pacheco Hello Elder Santos

Ok not to much to report on this week but more than the other weeks that we didn't do anything.  I'm going to start on Thursday because Monday through Wednesday we sat in the house doing nothing.

Thursday was a big day. Big big day! The night before we received a call from president. Now we knew this was the big one because there had been a ton of whispers about the knee situation we were dealing with. So I answered and he began to say, "tell Elder Pacheco to pack his bags, he's going home." So that was nuts! He can come back to the mish when his knee is better. So Thursday morning at 11 we headed over to Amecameca which is an hour and a half away to drop off Elder Pacheco and pick up my new comp. We get there and drop him off and my new comp is named Elder Santos. The assistants also told us that they would be leaving and their area is now ours... that's good and bad because we now have a ton of investigators, but we don't know where they live.. but we also have 3 baptisms this Saturday, so booya! And Elder Santos is NOT a chump!! He is not a noob. He's a bro. How could I tell by the first day? When we got home, he said, "want to see something cool?" Then he filled a coke bottle with gas from a lighter and lit it off. He's nuts and its awesome!! haha

Friday we did divisions with the assistants so they could show us the area. We did the best we could to learn the area, but we still have a long way to go! No lessons this day, but they bought pizzas when we finished and that was pretty sweet!

Saturday we found a new investigator and had 5 lessons getting to know the people of the new area! We got to meet some of the investigators and we now can see that we have our hands full of work for the next to weeks before changes if we get changed! We also finished all the lessons with Sarah and Hassan and now we just keep them ready to go for their baptism! It's in 2 weeks and that's all I care about right now is seeing them get baptized. It's been a long 3 months with almost nothing and a lot of trials, but the 7th of May will be totally worth it when they get baptized! Thank you for all of your prayers that you've said for them!!

Sunday was pretty cool! They had ward council and the bishop got released after 10 years. They had a choir and Sarah was in it because she has gone to every activity since the day she walked into the church!!! And we also found out that hassan has been teaching his brother all the lessons when his brother was home. And if his brother had questions, he would answer or look in the Book of Mormon for the answer! Holy Missionary! We later had 3 interviews for the baptism and all 3 passed! They will be baptized next Saturday! The work is moving forward here in Cuautla!!!

I know not a full week! but it should be awesome next week!

Stay Classy

Elder Johns

Elder Santos

My Comp Schnaped His Knee

Alright, I've got a couple things to tell you before we start. So I've got the whole bishops family calling me "elder guapo", which means elder handsome! So that's pretty sweet! And it's been going on for the past couple weeks now, so I've also claimed myself as the most guapo elder in all of Cuautla! And now, right before we came over here to write, I got stopped by a lady who looks like one of those witches from the movies and then ends up being super nice and makes great cheesecake or something. I mean she had the weird old hat, the gray wirery hair and was short and stout! Then she just starts saying, "Oh wow, you are very handsome. I mean wow, I would kidnap you if I wouldn't get in trouble with the cops." at this point I've got my hands in fists because I don't know what's about to go down. So we talked for a couple seconds and she said, "wow, you speak great Spanish and you are just so handsome." So I said thanks and we got the heck out of there. I mean my goodness. You see what I'm dealing with here people? Is that a little creepy or what?

Now, down to business. Last Monday we went to play some soccer and basketball and such. And my comp shnaps his knee. So we can't do anything else the rest of the day and we just go home and ice his knee. Our plan was the hospital the next day.

Tuesday started off great with interviews with the president. We had a great talk and I just cant tell you how cool this guy is! Later while my comp was in his interview I'm talking with the presidents wife about my comps knee and she told me that it's most likely that he will go home if its not better. And that made me feel like crud. I mean he's doing an awesome job and really working unlike earlier in his mission. You can see that he has changed and now he might go home at his best. So if you could pray for elder Pacheco, I would really appreciate it!

Now, when he got out of his interview, we started our journey to the hospital. 

"Um, Elder Johns, "journey" is a weird word to use if you're only going to the hospital."

First, the word "Journey" is never wrong to use because they are one of the greatest bands that ever existed! Second, this is why I used that word. So because my comp cant really walk, we get a taxi and I ask him to take us to the hospital. He then proceeds to list off about 6 or 7 different hospitals. I didn't even know there were that many here... so I just said the closest one and off we went. About 15 minutes into the drive I knew we were done for because I could have walked to the one we needed in 10 minutes with my gimp comp. So he drops us off who knows where in front of this hospital, charges us our last 40 pesos (which was a miracle because that's literally all we had) and heads off. So we go in anyway to see what they can do for us, and tell us that there is a "seguro" right in the center, which is where we live. So I knew it was the one we would normally go to... What's a seguro you may ask. I couldn't tell you because I don't know the word in English. but this much I do know. It's pretty much a small hospital. Why the taxi guy didn't include this little hospital is beyond my understanding. So there we sat for an hour or two calling, begging, pleading for anyone to come and help! Finally the bishop comes to save the day and takes us over to this place. We get in to the back and they give him the solution and bring out some cream that he needs to put on his knee and it should be better... we'll see about that.

Wednesday was a day in the house. My comp needed to rest his knee and so we did nothing all day. But I did become a wizard at solitaire! I cant be beat! I wont be beat!

Thursday was almost the same as Wednesday. We did have a lesson with Sarah and Hassan! We were actually there for 2 hours teaching and answering questions!  We taught 2 lessons with them about  faith, baptism, holy ghost, sacrament and enduring to the end. Then Sarah asked us why we cant drink coffee. That's always a scary question because you don't want to lose someone over that. But after we taught her the word of wisdom, she said, "oh, OK. Then I'll stop drinking coffee. I only drink it every once in a while anyways." I was so nervous for that answer I almost swallowed my tongue. But man are they the best investigators of gold ever or what!!!  3 more weeks and they will be members of the only true church!!  That's so crazy!!

Friday. Another enjoyable day at the hospital. We headed over for another check up. So he went in to take his weight and such, I waited in the hallway. Then, as I wait, they wheel a girl by in a wheel chair and shes got an iv in her hand. Those who know me, know I don't do well with needles. So I start getting queasy and ask the nurse if she has a chair I can sit in and she told me no. So I just kind of laid my body on a desk they had so wouldn't pass out. I couldn't get it together for about 5 minutes. I know, pathetic. Later that night my comp had offered to teach the relief society how to make french toast. That was pretty funny to see. He was like Emerald Legasse and loving it up in front! We were only missing the cameras!

Saturday and Sunday were just 2 day of rest for my comp. I'm on the verge of blowing my brains out though. I cant stand just doing nothing for a long time here.

That's all for this week. not to much to report on.  Hopefully we get some better news on his knee this week! 

Stay Classy

Elder Johns

A Letter to my Mama

Hey mama! What's up? I loved your letter! Thank you! I'm trying my best to take pictures, but it's hard in the same area for almost 3 months... as far as Sarah and her son Hassan go, they are amazing!!! We had THREE lessons with them this week! And they went to church! They just keep saying how they want to be a part of it. The only problem, they don't have their answer that this is the true church yet, but they'll get it!!

We do the soccer and sports day twice a year and it's coming up fast, but no date yet. We should get it soon though. The bad news is we'll have a new pres during the time that we should have 2 more. So we'll see if we keep it going when he leaves! Also, I totally tell pres all the time how I'm going to visit him when I get back, and he says that he'll be waiting for me!!!  He also wrote me a cool letter this week and finished it with this, talking about me being a leader, "Le respeto mucho, Elder Johns, tiene potencial sin igual". ask dad what it means, I sent it to him too!! 

and I love that skinny tie a lot!!! I'm actually wearing it right now!! haha I also haven't gotten anything yet. Lets give it one more week. I haven't gotten the letter from the Nuzzies either. Dirty Mexican dogs... and a box of butter would be sweet! haha I don't trust the butter down here. It's not right. I don't know whats wrong with it, but it's not right.

Yeah, my comp is a Mexi. From Sonora right below us! Like 3 hours from our house! Pretty cool! And the whole mother's day thing I need nore info. Because the 10th of May is always Mother's day down here. It's not the 2nd Sunday  like in the USofA. But the 10th is also the day we have changes. So if we have changes, I can't do it. So I need to play it by ear.  I love you to the moon and back.  I love you!

Elder Johns

District Leader

Well... I'm a district leader. and let me tell you all something. now that I'm in charge, I want to rule with an Iron Fist, wearing a soft glove. I want to Tear These People Down, so I can build them back up! I want to see little white boys and little white girls holding hands with little black boys and little black girls! I Have A Dream Today!!!!

I feeling pretty pumped about it. And I'm only in charge of one other companionship and the assistants. So I figure I cant mess up to much because I hardly talk with the assistants anyways!

So on to the week. Tuesday we went over to the changes because I have a new comp! It was about 2 hours away to a place called Ameca meca. As soon as I got there people were holding the lists, so I new the changes were out. Then people started coming up to me saying stuff like, "hey Jefe!" so I knew something had gone down. I checked the list and sure enough, there was the little 2 letter next to my name, DL. and as I glanced over to see who my comp was, I saw it was someone who had a reputation for slacking off. I was OK with it cause I had been with 2 goons before this so bring it!

After all the goodbyes and hellos, we grabbed are bags and headed out! That was a good chunk of our day so no work to report.

Wednesday was actually the best day in a while. I don't know what happened to this guy I'm with, but I can see hes changed. so we worked the most I had in almost 2 months. I almost kissed the guy, but I didn't because that's not right. I'm telling you what, we contacted like animales! It's actually fun when you work hard! That's why I've had the gun to my head for 8 weeks. I didn't have fun, cause they didn't want to work with me. Chumps. No lessons today, but at least we got something done!

Thursday was good! Remember that lady that asked how to become a member of the church last week I talked about?  Well the lesson was with her and her kid who is 17 years old! We had an awesome lesson about the Restoration and Joseph Smith!!! They understood it all and it lasted like two hours. Which normally isn't good, but I knew we didn't have anything going on. They both accepted baptism and said they'd come to conference!! BOOM BABY!!! But they do have some problems so if you could throw in a pray for Sarah's family that would be awesome!

Friday got interesting. We were walking in one of our streets around 4:00 right after the food. So I'm feeling pretty full and you don't mess with the bear when he's full. All of a sudden, I feel something ding the back of my head. I look down and see it was a little rock. That didn't feel too good.  Now I'm not the smartest person, but when there's only 2 people in the street and if you know you didn't throw the rock at the back of your own head, that leaves your beloved comp. So I asked him nicely to not  peg me with another rock in the back of my skull. And we walked on. A little later, *dink*, another rock to the cranium. So I'm still in the food coma phase and I'm am angry now, and said "hit me one more time with a rock, I'll punch you". And we walked again. just a little while later, I get drilled again. I don't turn around but I do slow down. I wait until I can hear him in arms distance and then, BAM!  I swing around like lightning with a Rocky right hook, and the sap ends up on the ground!! At this point I realize what I've done is "wrong", even though there was a warning. So I try helping him up and he just keeps pushing me away and yells, "I'm going back to the house!" And right as he turns and begins to run, I grabbed his foot and started pulling so he wouldn't leave. He was yelling and trying to get away, but I just kept pulling his leg.  Kind of like I'm pulling yours right now...

April Fools Baby!!!  I KNOW I got all of you! haha

The truth of Friday was I was in the bathroom all day. I had a little bit of a problem and couldn't get it together. No I didn't knock my comp out!  He's actually really cool and we having fun together!  His name is Elder Pacheco.

Saturday and Sunday were conference, so nothing to report on there. But Holland's talk was pretty cool, eh?!  It was all awesome and I watched most of it in Spanish!

Thank you all for your prayers and everything you do and have done for me! I am very grateful for all of it!!!

Stay Classy

Elder Johns