Puuuure Craziness

An arc that the make for día de los muertos. They put the favorite food of the people who have passed away.

Baptism of Martin. I am with Elder Girot from the MTC.

Some familys that were in my ward.

Hey family!

Its been puuuure craziness this past week. On Wednesday we were doing the daily grind when one of the assistants called my companion and told him that he needed to be in Tampico that night! He and 3 other missionaries from our Zone left for Tampico to have a special training because they are going to be training new missionaries next week. I stayed the night with Elder Girot and the Zone Leader, Elder Castro, and then I did worked the next day with someone named Elder Martinez until my companion returned from Tampico. Then Elder Castro had to go to Tampico so Elder Girot stayed with us all day friday. Then Elder Castro came back and he had a letter for me from Karen! Karen is one of the people that my ocmp and I baptized in my first area. When I had left the area she wasnt super active and her father was also having some problems. I really enjyed recieveing a letter from her and hearing about how they are doing and that they are now clsoer to the church and more active. I also heard that Susanah finally got baptized! She is the wife of Pedro and we taught her a lot after the batism of Pedro and Karen, but in the time I was there she didnt want to get baptized. I also got a letter from my friend Hailey Walton, and one from Tanner Paxman. 

On Saturday, I baptized Martin. Martin was an investigator of Elder Castro and Elder Girot (my MTC companion) and they taught him everything, but when he was asked who he wanted to perform the baptism he asked for me. I only had taught him once on exchanges and I have talked to him a few times when I have seen him at church so I was a little suprised. Apparently that will be the last baptisimal ordinance that I will ever perform here in the mission,according to what I have heard. 

The first friday of every month the President has a council with all of the Zone Leaders in the mission. Apparently the president announced a lot of changes that we will be doing in the mission starting this transfer. One of these is that we, as the missionaries, are not authorized to baptise people so that means that we will be having the members do the baptisms. I have heard some of the other changes but I should be able to read about them tonight (my new comp is a Zone Leader and has the papers from the council meeting). The president has really good reasons for making the changes, the main one being that we have a huge problem of people going less/in active shortly after their baptism. I am 100% for these changes because I know that the Lord is inspiring my mission president to do what is best for the people we are serving through our missionary efforts. 

That leads me to my next announcement, I got transferred! I was really sad when I heard, but I already knew because my companion is oging to be training this next transfer. I reallllllllly wish I could have had just one more cambio in Valles with Elder Beltrán, but I guess the Lord has other plans for me. Guadalupe was really sad to see me go. She bought me a couple ties and she bought a cake that we ate Sunday night. I am really going to miss Valles a lot. I cant believe that I really had served there for three whole months! Time flew by super fast. and guess where my new area is! I am back in my old zone! I am in the zone Ampliación again! I was in this zone before I was transferred to the zone Valles. I am on the other side of the zone from my first area, but I am super close. I am in an area called De Valle 1 with Elder Monforte. Elder Monforte has been a Zone Leader for 3 cambios now and this cambio is his last cambio before he goes home. He seems like a great guy. He is my first companion that has had more than a year before we became companions.

Sorry if everything I have typed is all jumbled and not very organized, my mind is a mess right now because I am in a new area and everything changed really fast. I got to see Elder Rodriguez, my trainer, and Elder Oliveros, my 2nd comp, at the bus station in Tampico. It was really great to see them. I am a little sad to have left Valles behind and I am going to have a lot of challenges ahead of me this next transfer, but I know that I am where the Lord wants me to be and I am going to try my hardest to do what he wants me to do.

I am sorry to hear about Christian McComber! There was an x missionary in Valles that was sent home for health issues as well and he was really sad about it too. It sounds like you all had an enjoyable halloween. Here they do something called Day of the dead. Its the 1st and 2nd of november. They make this arc like things and hang fruit from it and put the favorite foods of the deaceased persons. The kids also trick or treat a little bit but not a lot because its a little dangerous here. That is so awesome that Parker got a mission call! One friend from my ward at byu was called to St. George. I have heard that it is a successful mission. When do Parker and Derek enter theMTC? I am have a little list of the dates that my friends have started the mission and I would like to add them. That is pretty neat that you got a new car. I will really miss the old suburban, we had some good trips in that car.

As far as Christmas ideas, Ireally dont know. Maybe a new belt? my belt is getting worn and my other belt is aready destroyed. I cant really think of anything. Oh, I would love as many different EFY music discs that you can get your hands on, especially the most recent EFY´s. I neeeeed some new music and we are allowed to listen to EFY cds. Ask ryan what some good stuff to send me would be. Money is nice so that I can buy stuff after the mission. mabey another memory card for my camera so that I dont have to worry about running out of space. Oh, and I would love a grand piano if you can fit it in. also a generation pedigree chart of a few generations, apparently I am supposed to have this so I can better explain Family history work. and maybe photos of my friends in their recent adventures.

I hope dad has a great week in San Diego, Mom and Colin and Kaitlyn have  a great tim in Sammamish, Ryan has a good week at BYU, and Keldey has a great time at BYU-I. ¡Nos vemos!

con amor,

Elder Johns