Money Problems

So, I have a problem. I got my new credit cards (please tell dad to activate them ASAP) and then, thinking about it, I decided not to be wise with my money for the last two months of my mission because, dang it, I want to enjoy tacos and tlayudas and mexican hamburgers and gorditas while I still can. So I immediately went out and bought 350 pesos worth of food. As soon as I got done putting it into the refrigerator, my zone leader calls me to tell me that I got special changed to NOchixtlan (sp?). So, an Elder Crook will be coming to Huajuapan with 350 pesos of food waiting for him while I will have to go spend more money grocery shopping. So that bothered me quite a bit.

It also bothers me that there are changing me now that we are starting to baptize here in Huajuapan. Right now, as a district, we have 7 baptismal dates. 6 are people that I have personally taught and found. 5 of those I am super confident will actually get baptized this month. I will be at none of those baptisms, including the one this weekend. I'm disappointed. 

Plus, everything else is going well here too. We broke the record for attendance to sacrament meeting with 77 people in their chairs. If we keep this up (we have three weeks of over 60 people in sacrament meeting), we will get the stake to expand our tiny chapel. We are activating families, baptizing, and helping and I feel good about it. But now I'm changed. I will go from Sangerman, a super cool comp I got along really well with, plus Elder Yamberla and Elder Cody, two really good Elders living in my house, to someone new.

But I am going to try to have a good attitude. This should be my last area and at least I have nine weeks there to try to get something happening. 9 weeks is plenty of time to baptize a couple of people. I will also get to be the district leader of Tlaxiaco again, so I already know Elder Teig and his comp. My zone leader who I will report too might be Elder Edwards, who is my friend from the beginning of my mission. And, tonight, I will gorge on the ice cream I bought, which will make me happy. So it's not all bad news. 

I almost cried reading about Tyrel's choir concert because it's true: almost nobody outside of the family recognizes how much time, work, and tears were needed to allow tyrel, for a couple of hours, be a normal boy doing a normal thing in a normal place. There was no blue fairy for our Pinocchio. We just sanded away the wood until we started seeing some skin. And as far as summer plans go, I have every intention of taking Tyrel and Colton out to Wisconsin Dells for a weekend when I get back. YOu can tell them about it. I will not be taking you or dad or Taggart or Aubrey, unfortunately. 

Well, I need to get going. I look forward to starting this last phase of my mission and I love you all and hope you keep it up. See you in two years!

Elder Johnson