This has been a pretty good week, a little more lessons. We have been working with the Monica family a bit, its a bit sporadic teaching, she has 6 kids so at times she has to get up in the middle of lessons to take care of them. We didn't have any investigators at church but I feel we are going to change that this week. This week was also the branch conference, afterwards we had a meeting with the stake president, he emphasized how we needed to work at reactivating members. The stake has 700 members on paper but not all of them attend. That's enough people to have 2 stakes here. They also announced that they have a place secured to build a chapel but that we first needed to get more members who are faithful tithe payers. All the missionaries in the stake including us are have dinner with him today at 6. Elder Rico is pretty excited about that.
This week we went to go visit a member family-Ramirez. But when we got there they were getting ready to leave. They asked us if we were hungry, we told them a little. "There are some eggs and tortillas here make yourselves some food and just remember to close the door and lock it." I don't like being in peoples houses when the residence isn't there so we both decided just make a quick egg and get out. But this Sunday Brother Ramirez came up and told me "hey you left the bathroom door opened and you left the tortillas on the counter table of the kitchen. The dog grabbed the tortillas and took them to the bathroom and made a huge mess" I was pretty embarrassed and apologized profusely. Thankfully he assured me it was okay. But then he went on to say "look I know you are not happy with your companion, endure it and this next transfer you might get a better one. Whatever you do, do not loose your faith. Our family prays for you all the time, your a good missionary." It just meant a lot to me that a family in the branch thinks of me as a good missionary. I don't mean to judge (when ever I do I feel like the man that has the beam in my eye trying to take the mote from my friends eye in Jesus parable.) but my comp has no faith that we can have success in the missionary work. I fear he is becoming whats called a dead missionary. A missionary who just goes through the motions. With this same family (Ramirez) we once had lunch with them and Rico went into it about the difficulties of missionary work. After I talked about the blessings I have received from the mission. They have a son who is going on a mission to New Jersey, I want him to start off with good feelings towards the mission and that its all not trials and hardships. Whenever I start feeling frustrated or we are having trials I remember "what ever you are going through, there is always somebody going through a harder time then you, find and help them." Its hard for me to complain when I look and see the trials and hardships people have here. A lot of families when you visit them will give missionaries a lot of praise and compliments, we need to remember not to let it go to our heads. As Elder Uchtdorf said "don't inhale it". This same family also told us how one companionship came to visit them and one was exalting himself saying he was a saint and stuff for going through such trials. The only thing they said back was "Man up, stop complaining" it made me laugh a bit. Their right. After that the missionary didn't want to come back to visit the Ramirez's. Me and Elder Minquiz were the first to visit them in a long time. Sorry long tangent but just really like this family. They are planing to move back to Utah so I can visit them when I get back.
We also had a zone conference, a new rule is that we cant teach kids under 12, too many kids under 12 get baptized but don't have parents who will help them go to church so they go inactive. We also cant share our cell phone number with anybody.
Elder Mayo has gotten pretty sick this week. The day before we went on splits, I went with his new companion Elder Cortes and Mayo with Elder Rico. It was great experience he is already a great missionary. We taught one family who were shocked to learn I was 19, they all guessed 25. I think the spirit helps us to seem older and more mature so that way they will listen to us.
Recently when me and Elder Rico visit Jesus and Sonia our recent converts, missionaries from Jehovah's witness
followed us and knocked on their door while we were teaching. We just stay quiet till they go away 20 minutes later. I think they are a little mad that we converted them and they are no longer attending their meetings :)
We are all guessing were we are going for the end of the transfer. Since I have Been in TJ for awhile. A lot of people think I'm going to Mexicali or San Luis.
Sorry not much happening at the moment.
Love Elder Micah Johnson
This is my Zone
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