Howdy!

On September 13, 2010 Elder Johnson wrote:

Familia y Amigos:

A few things I have learned being on a mission:

1. Dogs are of the Devil. Their sole purpose in life is to stop missionaries from spreading the Gospel. I've never kicked a dog before my mission.

2. It's really hard to talk to little old black ladies.

3. It's good to make friends with everyone around harvest time!

4. The Mexican way of eating corn (boiled with mayonnaise, queso fresco, and hot sauce) is really good.

5. If you wave at people in cars, and you are wearing mission clothes, about 50% wave back, and about 5% wave with the middle finger.

6. Why did I bring P-Day clothes?

My branch is called the Moses Lake Ninth Branch, it covers all of Moses Lake. We have six missionaries in total working in our branch. There are about 100 or so people who come every week to church, not all of which are members. It's good, but we don't get very many dinners out of it. We had a dinner this week with our branch's second counselor's family. His wife made this soup that was incredible. It was simply elbow pasta with chicken broth and tomato soup, and when you eat it you put in some sour cream. I'm telling you...to die for. I was excited when my companion told me they eat that a lot in Mexico.

This week we had the hardest time finding new investigators. We tracted almost everywhere, it seemed, and to no avail. We're working on things we can do this week to do better. We are still teaching that guy named Juan. He came to church yesterday! That's the first time since the missionaries contacted him almost a year ago! He also had one of his best friends (who is a member) move into the branch, who has the same desire to get him baptized! Sweet! We had a lady drop us this week. We set up an appointment and when we got there, she had put a note on the door that said she couldn't talk to us any more and that she "is Catholic, and nothing more." It was kind of like those couple times in my life where I was broken up with through a letter, ha ha...She'll come around. She's just denying what she felt.

Next week is transfers. Sweet. So if you decide to send me a letter after Tuesday or so, send it to the mission office, they'll be able to track me down. Most of the other guys who were re-assigned were sent back to the MTC after one transfer so they could sign all their visa stuff, and burn rubber to Mexico. Needless to say...high hopes, but IF it does happen, it'll be hard to leave my investigators.

Well, I love you guys! I hope you are doing good!

Elder Iver Johnson