DILIGENCE!

Greetings loved ones! 

Hey everyone!  I wish I could say different....but the snake, was not alive....DANG! haha.  We found it on the side of the road and couldn't resist taking a pic with it....those are just the kind of things you find when your in a little ranch town here in Mexico. haha.  But anyway, looks like you guys had a good time at the Schnepf farms this last week, that was pretty crazy to see Karissa again haha...kinda random, but that's cool for her and Chase.  It's one of the wierdest things to see friends getting married, friends coming home from missions, friends getting ready to go on missions....all while I'm in the mission! haha.  Life just keeps going and the world just keeps turning...cool stuff!  While thinking about that, it always reminds me of the quote..."your future is as bright as your faith is."   We just need to have faith that all will be fine and good if we just simply trust in God and do His will. 

I'm excited to meet everyone in the ward, especially the Bishop.  It's honestly gonna be a little wierd coming home to a totally diffrent ward, but then I think about it a little bit and say...there's nothing wierd about that, I have done it quite a few times here in the mission so I don't think it will be too much different....I think?? haha.  I just know that we are placed where we are placed for a reason and no matter where we are, we can always contribute with something to help the work of the Lord move forward...just have FAITH!  But honestly, I'm glad to hear that everyone is liking the new ward and that everyone is learning and progressing....after all, that's the reason for everything we do!  Just remember to always sustain the Bishop not only by the raising of the hand, but help him and really sustain him by what you DO! 

This week has been a good one...we have a few people that could be baptized this week so we are excited about that and we are continuing to find new people to teach. This week was supposed to be the week of the baptism of Lorenzo and his family, but it fell through because he went to sign the papers to finalize the divorce, but supposedly there was something wrong with the witnesses he took...so he is going to have to wait another month!!  AHHHH!!  noooo.  But he took it really well, he was humble and accepted the will of God and didn't get down on the situation!  I learned a great lesson from him through all of this...that we need to be patient and accept the Lords timetable and not our own...and to be DILIGENT in all that we do!  So we are still working with that, but he needs some prayers for him and his family so that they can finally have the blessings of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost! 

Oh and also, we found a way cool family this week that just moved here from Sacramento Cal....2 of them are members named Angel and Yolanda, they are an older couple that are super awesome...Yolanda reminds me SOO much of Grandma Netty it's unbelievable!  haha.  She is just super nice and wants to help everyone in every moment!  But it's kinda funny because the mom of Yolanda (94 year old woman) wanted us to teach her...and not to mention, wants to be baptized! haha.  I can honestly say that I have never thought that I would be teaching someone so old and let alone, baptizing someone so old!  haha.  I just don't know how were gonna get her under the water...gonna have to use the good ole chair sitting down techique! haha.  I don't have pics of the family this week, but I'll try to send some next week!  But she is way cool and really nice, she is not like any other super old person that usually just have no clue whats goin on, she is actually responsive and knows her stuff...she responds to all of our questions and even comments on how she feels....we sang her a hymn and we felt the spirit way strong and she told us afterward how good she  felt inside! Good stuff...teaching the seniors! haha.

Thank you so much for all your support that you all give me...I can't tell you how much it really means to me to know that I have a family back home who loves me and supports me every step of the way!  "Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, DILIGENCE." D&C 4:6.  I think it's significant that diligence comes last in this great list of attributes because in the end, what we need to do is be diligent in exercising all these attributes till the end of our lives here on earth...and if we do that...we will receive eternal life!  Be diligent in all that you do...ex. scripture study, prayer, service etc.  I love you all so much.

Elder Johnson

Elder Johnson and his companion, Elder Crisp