Howdy!

On March 14, 2011 Elder Johnson wrote:

Howdy gang!

Well this week has been pretty cool! I really like my new area, and my new companion. We are getting along well, and are working hard. We weren't able to bring anyone to church this week, but we are doing our best to change that. Our leaders gave us some pointers on some things, and a few suggestions to try, so things are really looking up. The area is called Tequexquinauhuac (Teh-kehs-key-now-walk), for all you Google earth explorers, located in the state of Mexico.

My companion and I had a cool spiritual experience this week. We really know that God watches out for His servants. As we were climbing up a really steep hill in our area, we had a few drunk bums start yelling bad words at us, and we ignored them because it's pretty normal. All of the sudden, one of them pulls my companion by his backpack and turns him around (my companion is a big guy, I don't know why he went for him...) and starts telling him, "I'm here to rob you, white kid."

He was totally out of it, but he was serious about it, so my companion said, "Well, sir (by the way, this all happened in Spanish), we are missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and quite honestly, we don't have any money, but you can have all the free pass-a-long cards of Jesus as you want." He gave him a card, and the bum promptly took all the other things out of my companion's pocket, and threw them and his tag on the ground, and then did the same to me.

My companion told him, "Sir, we are only here to help people, like you. The bum responded, "Well, give me your cell phone number so I can change my life!"

"We don't carry a cell phone, sir."

"Yes you do. Give it to me!"

"We really don't have one, sir."

At this point, he was upset because he couldn't find any money on us, so he called one of his buddies over to handle me, which didn't make me nervous because while he was a very big Mexican, he was very drunk, and I could take him if I had to, no problem. While he was holding onto me, the other one said to my companion, "Do you want me to hit you?!"

My companion said, "The truth? Well, no actually, I don't want you to." The drunk wound up and THUMP! Hit him square in the chest. My companion (who was a good two and a half heads taller than the bum) grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him to get his attention. He said, "We are servants of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and as a servant of Jesus Christ, I command you not to hit me!"

The bum got really freaked out, and right at that moment, one of his other bum friends came over and pulled him and his friend off my companion and I and told us to leave in peace. So we did.

We didn't get hurt, and they didn't get any money, but it made for a good story.

I really like my area.

I love you all and pray for you more than you know!

Elder Johnson