JOHNSON IN WISCONSIN

Thanksgiving was grand. We watched Nacho Libre, a dumb but funny movie. We also watched the football game and ate lots of food. It was an okay week of missionary work. We did a lot of tracting last week as most of our investigators were away for the holiday and we didnt have many appointments. Its all good though. We lately have set a goal to give out a Book of Mormon on ever street we tract on. We pray to find somebody on that street before we start knocking and it has worked every time. We are trying to flood Marquette with the Book of Mormon. Ive been a little discouraged lately as the three people we have committed to baptism still havent made it to church. I can invite, teach and encourage and they have to pull thier load and so far they arent. Its so frustrating. The bright spot is Jon blessed the sacrament yesterday for the first time and he's a rock. Next week we have 2 sleepover nights in a row in Iron Mtn. where the zl's live. Were having a zone p day on monday and then we travel to Appleton, WI on Tuesday morning for christmas zone confrence and then come home that night. There will be 3 zones there, i cant wait. Till then, adios....Ignacio

Last week was a good one. We got 3 people this week to commit to bapsism!! Malina, the subway girl, wants to be baptized. Were not sure when or where (its a long story) but she has set a goal for herself to be baptized and thats what counts. Carly, she is roomates with a girl in the ward named Bethany,. We taught her for the third time last week and she said that she has really felt the spirit as she reads the BOM. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ to her and at the end i asked her if she would like to be baptized. She looked at me and said "Well, im not ready yet, but yes i want to be baptized". Thats was so good to hear. We gotta still take baby steps with her but we have the date set for Jan 21 as she goes home downstate (that means lower michigan) for a month between semesters so we gotta wait till she gets back. We visited the Bertram's agan. Kim still wants to baptize his wife Amber but they have only come to church once in the last month, so were taking baby steps with them too. Ill get transferrred before any of them get in the water but i look forward to pray for them durinf district meetings in the comign months when they are baptized. At each district meeting (which i conduct now as the DL) we have a speacial prayer for all the people being baptized that week in the mission so i hope to see thier names on the list in the next few months! Jon is doing great. He passed the sacrament for the first time yesterday and let me tell ya, seeing someone you taught and baptized prgress in the gospel as well as he has is the most fulfilling feeling there is, it totally makes coming on a mission so worth all the time and sacrafice. It has beem such a blessing and good experience for me that even without baptisms it would still be worth it but baptisms are the icing on the cake. Work is good. Thursday will be fun. Gonna play football in the morning and then going to the Raymonds in Saywer for the day. Gonna eat lots of food, watch some football and Nacko Libre. It will be a fun day. We have christmas zone confrnce in two weeks and then christmas in a month so theres a lot of fun in store here in the mission. Its good to get holidays and events to throw in the mix with our everday missionary life routine. HAPPY THANSGIVING 2006, ill be home to eat turkey with ya'll in 2007.

Well my shoes are pretty scuffed. Ive been a missionary over a year now. I went over my hump last Thursday and im now on the downhill stretch. Its a good feeling. A mission is like a marathon and to be on the second half feels good as ive accomplished a lot this first year ans i have another to go. Its gone fast. Im in my 4th area with my 10th companion. I started out at the MTC (Stolk), Janesville (Gent), Milwaukee (Johnson, Spencer, Mulford), Sheboygan (Dockter) and now Marquette (Peltier, Smethurst, Thompson). Im a district leader and im fifnishing training. Ive had many great experiences and met many awesome people on my mission. The midwest is a very different from home. Ive seen the coldest snowyd days and some of the hottest humid days as well. So far 2 people ive taught have been baptized (Colton in Janesville and Jon in Marquette). Its great to be a part of helping them recive the blessings of the gospel in their lives. My i year of sacrafice for coming on a mission is defenitly qorth the many years that they will be blessed in the gospel and into the eternities. Ive learned so much more about the gospel than i could have imagined. My testimony has been greatly strengthened out here. I would not trade this past year for anything. The church is true!! The Book of Mormon is true!! God still speaks to us through a living Prophet!!! I love you all and look forward to seeing you in a year!!

Trasnsfers came and went last week and as expected Elder Thompson and I are staying in Marquette. Thers are 5 1/2 weeks left in the transfers. The news that i did get is that i got called to be the districe leader. I have responsibilty for my districe which is us and the Houghtob Elders so there are only 4 of us in the district. All i really need to do is gather the numbers form my district and report them to my zone leaders and prepare training to give at district meetings on Tuesday mornings. Thats really all the exciting news. Nothing to excting is happening with our 7 invsetigators were just teaching them and it going really slow seeing progression with them. We had fun at the NMU football game on saturday. Its nice to see a soprting event every once in a while. Well you all have fun and remember, work hard and party hard.