Dear John‏

email dated 3-17-2008
So sad story: my companion got Dear Johnned last Monday. He is pretty bummed. His girl made it to exactly his year mark before writing him off. He has been better. I have had better weeks. He is depressed. But we still go out and work. I am not sure which is worse, sitting in the house with a depressed missionary or working outside with a depressed missionary. It is a tough situation either way. He was already a little bit on the shy side to begin with. I have to do all the talking these days. He will just look at me in the lessons. If I don't lead, nothing will happen. He never smiled that first week I was with him anyway, but that straight face has turned to a droopy face this week. The very serious and dry personality has turned to a very quiet and depressed, yet still serious personality. I have had better weeks. Our numbers would indicate that we are on fire...but numbers don't tell you how well your investigators are progressing nor do they show how the missionaries attitudes are or how well they feel. And I am still trying to get him to lighten up a little. He scared the crap out of my recent converts Rosana and Karen. We put on a FHE for them in their house and I asked him to give the lesson so that they could to get to know him. You would think his was giving them a test or an exam. He can come across very intimidating. In the end I tried to be the smiley Elder Shepherd that they have gotten used to this last transfer and asked them if they were planning on going to the activity on Friday. Rosana began saying how she might get called into work. And he asked very curtly "are you going to go or not?" Anyway, I have had better weeks.

There really isn't a lot to say. I could report my numbers to you... wow there really is nothing to say. Our 18 year old boy Hugo lost his baptismal date because he didn't come to church yesterday. His complacency can be frustrating. I don't know if I really want to baptize him because the last thing I want is to put another name on the list of less-actives in Artigas 4. We already have 500. We have some other investigators, a really good new one named Yessi (Shessy). She went to a fireside that Jeffrey R Holland spoke at. She had randomly decided to see why people were going into our chapel in downtown Artigas. She loved the talk by Elder Holland to the youth and then she became her own reference. She found a friend who was a member and called us. She is really good, but she isn't married to her Señor that she lives with. It will be a long time before she gets baptized. She has to get married or leave him. People here just don't want to get married. They have to go and fill out a paper and pay a fee... it is just too much. So they just decide to live together all their lives. But they still call each other husband and wife and consider it to be so, it just isn't legally and so we cant baptize them. Her "husband" seems very uninterested. Anyway, I could go through my list of investigators and bore you all to death.

Life is good. I am all better from my infection of the throat and ears. I am working, Spanish is coming better than ever, etc... I hope all is well. Sorry this is so short and boring, but this is all for now. Take care! I love you all!!

Andy