Questions, Answers and Pictures - Oh My!

Tuesday morning I went to the temple.  I love it there.  Every time I go I think, why don't I come here more!!  I put your name on the prayer roll and I prayed for you in the celestial room.  You were heavy on my heart this day.  I wonder when that happens, if you are having a hard day that day.  Who knows.

Yeah, Tuesday was hard, I just felt angry all day and wanted to go home.

Favorite thing/person/moment this week?

Not sure, this week was a little hard, but the relief society pres is funny and always great!! 

Are you ok being with Cowdin again?  And did you seriously make that pasta??

Yeah, I'm good with Cowdin! I want to be with Searle again though!!!  And heck yeah I made that pasta!! I'm freaking Emerald!  To another notch!!!  Can you believe I almost have 3 months?!

Dad said u should make company casserole. Do you remember that?  We can't believe your almost to 3 months. Is it going fast or slow for you??  It's both for us. Feels like forever yet just like yesterday too.  Will you b able to check the mission home for your package anytime soon??

I'm going to stick with pasta for now, we don't have an oven haha! I'ts both for me too! 6 more weeks and I have a new companion! Crazy! And they will call when its there for me! Which one is it?  The one with the tie?!?!

 

Are you looking forward to a change in companion or is that scary??  It's the Halloween one. NOT the one with dads tie.  How are your clothes holding up with u washing them by hand?? Also dad wants to know how many people attend sacrament in ur areas?  R u in the ozumba 1st and 2nd wards??

I'm looking forward to it and its scary!  He could only speak Spanish... and Elder Cowdin's family sent him one through the US mail and just loaded it up with Jesus and Saint Mary stickers!!! It totally Works! And my cloths are still good! And only 50 to 100 people. I'm  in both! 

Replying to Whitley. 

I almost benched as much as you squat. Pathetic! Give me a challenge! And you've been in your head for a while! I'm glad to hear you're back and scoring!!! I miss watching you and Kennedy play soccer.  It sounds like your coach is missing a pair of nards... just saying.  Utah must be really nice!  It's ok down here right now weather wise! I love you!

Also, I'm putting pics of my house and other things on drop box.  I have a selfie and the dog Craig too!  

Constipation Is Real

I'd like to let you know that constipation is not funny no matter what anyone says. i am now a victim and know the pain for about a week.

Tuesday we were out and about when i finally couldn’t take the pain anymore. We called the doctor and he told us that i needed to a buy a certain medicine and go home and rest... rest? I’m not here to rest! But i was in enough pain that i listened to him.

Nothing noteworthy happened Wednesday. Sorry for the letdown.

Thursday was great!!! We had 2 great lessons with 2 investigators! One with a guy named Jesus. He had been telling us that he couldn’t give up work on Sunday, when today he said, "i don’t work Tuesdays, and i know this is important, so ill not work Sundays and work Tuesdays"!!! He has so much strength with his faith!!!  And the other was with Alin and Guillermo! They are great. We had a lesson about marriage and they told us they would come to conference this weekend! WHAT UP?!?!

Friday we had one really good lesson! She was a reference from the temple open house! Her name is Guillermina. She’s this old sweet lady that is amazing and strong in her faith! We taught her so much about the restoration and Joseph Smith!! so when we asked her to be baptized, not to our surprise, she said no. most people do the first time. But then we asked, "What if you receive and answer directly from God?" we thought we were so smug. But then we were shocked into humility when she flat out said, "No." We, said, not even from God? "No." so we will be working with her some more to say the least.

Saturday was conference!!! It’s the super bowl of the mission. Our district listened in English and we had so much food with us it was awesome!! We had no lessons that day or Sunday because of conference.

It’s been an absolute honor writing to you all. Avoid constipation and stay healthy.

Stay Classy

Elder Johns

Bits and Pieces

Colton didn't have time for a long email recapping his week, so I am just putting bits and pieces of our small emails together for a brief look at his week. (Colton is in Red)

Questions Answered to Whitley 

1. how's the food? 
the food's actually pretty good. but you and Mom and probably Kennedy would hate it.

2. do you have a pooping story yet (I'm crossing my fingers for one) 
no, but i was constipated this week. i didn't poop for two days...

3. how's the language coming? 
as for the language, I'm pretty much a Spanish wizard.

4. what do you love most about your mission so far?  i think i love the people the most as of right now!

5. what is the one food you miss the most?  I miss every greasy drop of a hamburger. that's what i miss. and ice cream, and everything pretty much.

I love you so much. and just know that Annie (his truck) and i could never be beat in anything. we were the best. don't even try to be on our level.

In response to Kennedy being frustrated by some things in her soccer game and a question about the language.  

i know i said this, but i miss your Flagstaff games so much!!! i want you to crotch kick somebody for me. if that's your mids, so be it!  My life is OK.   And don't worry, if i don't understand them, i just start talking to them in English so we just confuse the heck out of each other!! i love and miss you a ton!
 

To Landon

Hey dad! 

we set a marriage date for Guillermo and Alin, they are my favorite by far. but they didn't come to church this week which was the worst. 

Answers to Amy's Questions and other random info

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!! OVER THE HILL BABY!!!! YOU'RE OLD!!!   

1. Did you hear Elder Scott Died?  Crazy to think we will be getting 3 new apostles!  yeah, that's pretty sad

2.  Where will you watch conference?   i think we watch at our stake center

3. Package Update: All I can say is that Dad basically has the Mexican Mob headed to get your package from Customs.  It became a personal mission for him.  If you actually get that first package, it will be nothing short of a miracle!  Someday I'll tell you the whole story!  We will know by Thursday if we can get it or not.  Stay tuned.  perfect sounds good! and thank you!!!

4. What else did you do today besides wash your clothes?   we got our food and we played basketball today!  we went to a place called Amecameca to browse. it's another little city, like Mesa is to Gilbert.  And i'm totally going to buy a cowboy hat!  no car, we just take a sketch bus thing. its called a covi. we also did laundry, but its all hanging in our house cause its been raining like crazy today!

5. Most spiritual Moment of the week?  I have another person for you to pray for. Hermana Consuelo. she's had a rough hand dealt to her. she was the spiritual momento this week!  and i will tell you everything about consuelo next week,  but shes had a lot of faith hitting things happen! 
I have to go!  I love you so much! I'll talk to you next week!!!

 

       Elder Johns and his Companion Elder Cowdin

A Better Week

Well, i have more to say this week! We actually had some lessons!!! So Tuesday, we found this family that is absolutely amazing!!! The 2 daughters are members but the parents are not. Their names are Guillermo and Alin! They are some of the nicest people I've ever met and both accepted baptism! Please pray for them! Other than that we did a lot of street contacting. But since it was independence day of Mexico, we had to be in by 6! Id like to add that it was the biggest let down of the history of Mexico. we heard one or two fireworks and that was about it.

On Wednesday, we went on exchanges. I was with an elder named elder Hubbert. Hes super weird in a good way. Hes just really funny! We walked so much that day because no one was home. they were out watching the after party parades as i like to call them! we didn't teach one lesson... Esta Bien. 

On Thursday we met with a inactive family who's great! we are trying to reactivate them and in doing so, challenged their daughter who's almost 9 to be baptized! she said yes, so now we jut need to work with her! That same day we ate a few weird things. Like chicken feet. Not chicken legs or chicken fingers. Chicken feet. They weren't bad, but they also served some kind of organ with it. I don't know what it was. we also had milk straight from the cow. Odd, that's all i have to say.

Friday, again we didn't have any lessons except one! They said they would come to church!!!  Hoorah right?  WRONG. They didn't come... But we did see the Lord so much that day in so many small ways!!!

Saturday, we got to help prepare an area where a member is going to put some concrete and he said if we come back and help next week, we can put our names and hand prints in the concrete. So obviously we have to go!!! No lessons again, but we street contacted the heck out of this place!!!

Sunday, we have 2 wards so we were at church from 8 to 4 and those 2 extra hours are for just getting to know the members! and, Guillermo and Alin came!!! I love those two!!! they are the best we got right now!!! And so help me if they don't get baptized, i will burn Utica to the ground!!! (that was for all you office lovers ;) ) I also have discovered this candy stuff! its like chili powder and sugar and its great! and there are supposedly more flavors!!! You just cant eat to much or you vomit! 

That's all i got for this week! until next time,

Stay Classy,

Elder Johns

 

The Spanish Cold

Hello America, Mexico, and remote parts of Canada, this is Elder Johns coming to you as live as you're going to get for a while. Please bear with me because I'm typing on a keyboard that has most of the letters rubbed off.

Well, I got sick this week.  They called it the "Spanish cold"... I don't even speak Spanish yet, so I'm not entirely sure how I got it. But I do know this. I had the runs, chills, and a fever for a while and I didn't really sleep for 2 days. But that sickness has now made me stronger than I've ever been before!  I don't know how, I just feel it from within that I'm stronger.

Anyways, once we got back to work a dog we named Craig began to follow us. It was awesome for that first day!!!  We were like the three amigos!!  But day two came around, and well Craig began attacking every other dog we passed in the streets.  Me and Elder Cowdin just kept walking like we didn't know whose dog that was.  Then we went to a member’s house, and Craig just about ripped the head off of Pookie, the dog I believe I talked about last week.  He's about half the size of Craig.  We had to break up the fight and that was intense!!!  Needless to say, we kicked Craig out of the house. I don't know where he is anymore. 

Not a big week. But tomorrow we have to be in our house by 6pm because its Independence Day here and I'm told it gets a Little nuts!  We will see how that goes. Sorry I don't have much this week!  I’ll do better next week!                       

Stay classy

Elder Johns 

Welcome to Chalco

Allow me to start by saying, Mexicans love their gelatinous substances. I mean every dessert is gelatinous! some is good, some is... well we will say not good.

My mission president is awesome!!! he was so welcoming and full of the spirit!!! I got my comp on Tuesday and he's awesome! his name is elder Cowdin and he has helped me so much!!! The first day we walked everywhere! and its up and down hills!!! but that's ok because I'm here to work, not to sit around twiddlin' my thumbs! We also got to eat in a hole in the wall! it wasn't to shabby! That night we found out we had to move houses the next day. we had 3 truck loads and it was not fun. But were all settled now and its great!

We have 2 area for one companionship. so week walk it feels like 100 miles a day. but I'm never as tired as I think ill be. The Lord blesses us everyday in so many ways! Elder Cowdin has never been in this area before, and I'm new, so we talk to just about everyone we see! Spanish is coming along and I've been told I sound like a native talker. WHAT UP SON!!! one week in and I'm a native. well, besides that fact that I don't know 80% of what people are saying...

There are so many dogs here. I'm talking 100 or 200. just everywhere. One belongs to a member and his name is Pookie. He's a rat dog, but he's pretty cool!!

This last Sunday was fast Sunday as you know, and so I was able to bear my testimony. in Spanish. I nailed. It. But, once again, I knew nothing the members were saying to me afterwards! We have taught a lot of lessons and have one committed to baptism! prayer for these people that they may know the truth! Again, I love these people so much! and I haven't been nervous once here. The people are so nice! except for one guy who cussed us out. But whatevs.

That's all I got for this week! Until next time,

Stay Classy

Elder Johns

Email from Mission President

We received your children today in the mission field. We are happy to have a generation so prepared and excited. We're grateful beforehand for your assistance to them

President and Sister Crickmore
Mexico City Chalco Mission

Recibimos sus hijos el día hoy a la Misión México Chalco! Estamos felices al recibir una generación de misioneros tan preparados y animados. Les agradecemos antemano su apoyo de ellos.

Pdte y Hermana Crickmore
Misión México Chalco