To start off the week, we got to go on another exchange with the AP's. but not for missionary work, just to spend the night. It was just a huge sleepover, the 5 of us. The next day was trainer/trainee follow up and since we didn't have a car we had to get picked up the night before by the APs because no one else is close to us. It was a nice little break, if only for like 2 hours, to get to tell stories about before the mission, and the AP's have a makeshift Ping Pong table and we got to have a little tournament. One of the AP's, Elder Marshall, and I had a conversation late into the night about life and the Gospel (we repented for not going to bed on time, dont worry). But, as a missionary who has 1 transfer left and has spent the last 4-5 months as an AP, I gained some amazing insights that I know are going to make a huge difference in my mission.
After all the fun was over, we went straight to work. We worked SO hard. We knocked this entire week, because we haven't been able to find any investigators who are ready to accept Christ into their lives. It's been like this since last week, and we've been praying so hard and knocking so many doors. The great thing about Fountainebleau North, is there are so many doors here. I couldn't knock them all with another set of missionaries in 3 transfers. But we knocked and knocked and knocked and... nothing. We came home each night completely exhausted, drenched in sweat (it's getting so hot here), tired, and feeling really defeated. We had some postive experiences visitng less-actives inbetween knocking, but other than that it was really tough and discouraging.
Then came Friday and Saturday, and BOOM. Everyone was opening their doors! People wanted to pray with us, people were stopping us on the street asking to come to church. People offered us a crab dinner! hahaha. On Friday and Saturday, we found 9 people who accepted return appointments. We found even more than that, but these 9 were so cool! Just totally excited and ready to learn about baptism, and we could just feel their love for God and their desires to come closer to him. All of that hard work became so worth it. It was the happiest two days of my mission. I just couldn't stop smiling!
And then there's Felix. Our mission President, President Richardson, always talks about how each missionary has at least that 1 investigator in their mission who is their "person." Someone we knew premortally, that asked us to come find them if they ever got lost down here on Earth. Felix is my person! Without a doubt. Felix has been taught by the sisters first, but he's a very difficult person.. he's very stubborn, very inteligent, very deep. He asks these really complex questions, that are difficult to answer. For whatever reason, Felix loves me. I don't know what I did, or said, or why.. but he always testifies that we're brothers. He refueses to call me Elder too.. just "Johns" in a heavy nicaraguan accent. He also refuses speak to me in Spanish, which is a huge blessings. When he speaks in Spanish, he speaks in.. parables of sorts. He over complicates things and talks himself into circles. But his english is very limited, so he has to speak to me in very simple langauge. This allows him to simplify the Gospel of Christ, and he understands it which allows the Holy Ghost to testify and teach him. He's getting baptized this Saturday! I just love Felix man hahah I don't know how to explain it. He's also just an insanely cool guy. He's trained in some form of nicraguan fighting and he teaches me stuff all the time. He kind of reminds me of Dad. He's got like a million different hobbies and talents. Oh, and for a living, he works with a chain saw, and a few years ago it came back and cut open his face really bad. The scar kinda looks like the joker, but only on one side. Anyways, he drove the hospital with all his teeth in his hand and it took over 1000 stitches on the inside of his mouth alone--all without anesthesia. He's got a super high tolerance for pain, so he came to church this sunday with a dislocated shoulder hahaha. He's a cool guy. ANyways, that's enough about Felix. The Point is, I know that God really does prepare specific people for us. Baptizing Felix will without a doubt be the happiest moment of my life.
Being out here is the best! i don't really know what else to say. I love it, and I love the hardwork, even though it's hard. Nothing has ever been more rewarding in my life. And I know I'm continually changing and I'm almost scared to see how different I'm gonna be by the time these 2 years are over, but all for the good.
I know this church is true! Without a doubt.
Love
Elder Johns
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