John 3/14/2011

Well hello again. I don't have my planner for last week because the transfer just ended and I have a new planner so I'll try to remember the important things but before that the news. I have a new companion. Elder Morgan got transferred and my new companions name is elder Johnson. He was in my district when I was up in Susq. I like him. We'll see what this transfer holds.

Nobody in Sam's whole mission has baptized somebody!? Not even someone taught somewhere else and moved in and got baptized there? Wow that's crazy. 0 baptisms. That's crazy. I've had two and I'm at the low end for the time I've been out. Wow no baptisms. I'm glad I'm in Pennsylvania.

It sounds like the musical has been fun. I'm glad you all enjoyed it. I hope the next person that does the school plays will be anywhere close to McGuire. I'm glad that BYU beat New Mexico but it's too bad they got whomped by SDSU.

So we've been having some success lately. We got 4 baptismal dates this week. One is for May 8 or 15ish and she is a 9 year old girl who's parents are members but less active. We would've set the date earlier but her dad is in Africa for 2/3 of a month because a family member just died and when we teach her we want to have him and his wife there to hopefully light the fire back under them. They come every once in a while but not consistently. The other 3 are a family from India. They are next door neighbors to a recent convert who is from India as well. So we're teaching them and they have a date for April 17thish.

Suzanne, the lady trying to quit smoking is doing well. I don't think she's stopped yet but she's cut it down. We haven't seen her in a little while because she didn't come to church yesterday because she overslept but we're going to see her tomorrow.

We also have a new investigator, well relitively new as of a week and a half ago. She is the sister of a less active. Anyway she's been taught pretty much everything by the missionaries before but she hasn't been able to get Sundays off work so we're working on that. We're going to see her tonight. Oh ya she is from Liberia.

That's cool that the Pitt's are going to be mission presidents. I think Elder Erb had a brother on a mission in West Virginia.

It sounds like you had a fun time cutting up that tree. Did the branch fall on any part of the white fence? Did the branch do any damage to anything (besides the tree)?

Mom and Dad- You didn't get to bed until 3ish? Wow I thought it was bad for me. Saturday we had to wake up at 5 to get to ward correlation and then on Sunday Elder Morgan and I talked until 11 ish and then it took me about 10-15 minutes to fall asleep and then we had to wake up at what felt like 5:30. It wasn't fun but it turns out that I didn't have it too bad.

Jordan- Congratulations on taking a date. I'm proud of you. (Austin get with it) What exams do you have this week. Is school over or is it just normal tests?

Austin- Date news? Ya? Please? How long was your hair before you cut it?

Natasha- Yup I saw "The Princess and the Frog." It was really funny. I liked it a lot.

Shaylee- How is school? Are you listening to Mom and Dad? Make sure you do. I promise it will be better if you do.

Well I think that pretty much sums it all up. We'll talk to you all next week. Don't have too much fun watching BYU without me. Remember me when you watch the games. Anyway the church is true I have no doubt.

Love,
Elder Schouten