Another Adventurous week in Santa Maria

I never know how exactly to start these stinkin letters....so START.

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Passed the 13 month marker...13 months on the 13th. Golden anniversary. ...and.....MOVING ON.

FINALLY the weather is starting to .....not be QUITE as hot haha. Its still hot, but I dont walk around drenched like I just went swimming haha. 

Well, last Monday, we ate at the best sandwich joint of my life. It was DELIIISSSHH. 

One day we were working we started knocking a department complex ...and we literally knocked EVERY door in the department complex and NOT ONE ANSWERED us...not that they didnt have interest or whatever, they didnt even answer us.It was a bit of a hint that we better hit the road and haed out...somewhere else. So we went off to the side to the road, said a quick prayer, and then got going....before lunch we STILL didnt have much success. But we continued working hard....diligently of course. After lunch that day.....it was like BAM. That day we found a total of nine new investigators in just one day. How cool. And five of them with really great potential. We placed conditional baptism dates and everything. 

Santa Maria is so beautiful. I cant even describe how blessed I am to be here. Pictures cant even describe it...not even the half of it. But when you have the BEST you have something hard. Like you have to climb mt everest...its SO PRETTY...but to get up there....what a climb!!! Thats how it is here...and not just physically. Santa Maria has some struggles. Its a small branch. God trusts ME to do good things here. He trusts ME to build up God`s kingdom here and NOW! 

One day this week I realized I was miserable. How funny right?? I was writing in my journal and putting down some experiences, and some feelings...and bam. It hit me. Im miserable!!! Thats the word. ....but its a different kind of miserable. I think its how you guys must have felt sometimes...especially with me. You give ALL you have...and you have NO idea what else you can do. You do all you can...but there`s still not any results. WHAT A STINKER I WAS!!! But its also a comforting feeling, because you know God knows all. He KNOWS that you have given all you can...and he makes it better. So it was weird...cause even though I was "miserable," I wasnt. I was happy each night because I had given it my all...and I still am. I feel that every day. He knows me...and and knows each and every one of us...PERFECTLY. 

I do have to admit one thing....this week, for the first time in who knows how long, I MISSED YOU ALL AND HOME. Obviously theres always like a, oh, I miss and love my family, but this week I had this "moment" where it was like a pain. After a while God took it away, but it was there. But God blesses us as we forget ourselves in the work. And now Im all happy again...not wanting to come home ....still...for another 2 years haha. 

Since the major cleaning sesh, we havent had too many spider problems, and no more dog bites.

The suppossed earthquake??? NOTHING. Here in Chile it really wasnt anything. No joke. It happens a lot here in Chile. The other night...last week, before the big earthquake, there was a big one at like 1 in the morning...apparently. Cause I didnt even wake up. I am so used to them now. I just look and know it`ll stop soon. It happens often. 

We got locked in this week. First time thats happened to me in my mission. We were locked OUT of the house, and INSIDE the gate. So we cleaned the front patio and played with a lizard we found for like 2 hours ....GREAT right!? 

I have been praying a LOT, and fasting too, to have a baptism on my birthday...thats the best thing that I could ask for! ...and we dont have investigators coming to church, its been a "start from scratch" experience....and Im confused. I dont know if I have false hope...or what. ...I probably just dont have enough faith. Maybe THATS why I dont have lots of baptsims...but what am I going to do?? WORK. But its a trial....a lack of progressing investigators, losing investigators...

Yesterday for example, we went to visit one of our investigators with a baptismal date, and he said he wanted NOTHING to do with the church. Ive never had an experience like that... but he gave us no explanation and sent us on our way. We started on our way...and I turned around. I at least wanted to bare my testimony to him....we got there and he slammed the door. So I wrote a two sentance testimony, and wrote that we loved him. And that was it. Thats all I could do. Everyone can make their own decissions. Im learning a LOT about that this change. But I`m also learning about how those changes effect EVERYONE. Not just you. 

I thank God every day for everything he gives me and for giving me the opportunity to learn and grow...even in the "hard times!"....they`re like the best times really. Im not perfect...but Im DOING ALL I CAN to be like Christ. And thats what counts. The DOING part. 

I love you all!!! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL! 

Love, Hermana Alex Johnson

PS. THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT SENT ME A LETTER!!! I LOVED THEM ALL!!! 
Shout out to Brother Bingham, Sister Grimnes, Sister Cole, Sister Webster, the Millard family, the Murray family, and Ell Bell Blue. I LOVE YOU ALL. Thanks for making my day!