Dalton - 8/5/13 email

Ahora Si!

What an awesome week!  Are there things we need to work on?  Claro que si!  Aun asi, this was a fun week. We had two baptisms this Saturday, one of them being Celinda and the other Jhostin. Yeah yeah, I've got pictures this time.  It's not until you look at pictures that you realize how small your converts actually are. Both of the baptismal services were awesome.  They both gave great testimonies and are actually converting, which is just so fun to see.  It’s when I see the change in people that I realize what little role the missionaries actually have. We teach, but we sure didn't change them. The Spirit's there.

And, even though our investigators didn't come to church, we saw another miracle in sacrament meeting: Antonio Vilca.  At the beginning of the transfer, I found myself obsessed with finding the less-actives in the ward.  To be honest, up until yesterday, I felt like it was a fruitless effort.  But, out of the blue, Antonio asked permission to take time off work to go to church for the first time in about 5 years.  And he was there with his whole family, at the 8-in-the-morning sacrament meeting in a faraway church building.  His 10-year-old son has a baptismal date, and he told us that he'll do what he can to get all Sundays off.  It made me feel like it was all worth it.  So yeah, good week.

Hey, if Carissa Earl is going to the Raleigh mission, tell her to say hi to my old roommate, Elder Duplisea. (pronounced doo-plissy).  I wasn't even close the first time I said his last name.

I'm so glad you're all such good missionaries.  And, if I forgot to do so already, tell Natasha I said hi.  Who wouldn't remember Natasha?  Come on!  Have some faith.

President Archibald wants us to triple the number of baptisms for this month.  I'm so excited to have him for my mission president.

Ok, serious now.  I've got a new joke:  Por que los animales nunca buscan esposos?

--Porque ellos no quieren ser casados!   (because they don’t want to be married, but can mean hunted as well)

Well,  th-th-th-that's all, folks!  See you when I see you!

Elder Johnson