Baptism of Johan

Johan's Baptism

and

View from the bus

Hello.  I spent the last 2 days traveling so this is my first chance to e mail.  Johan got baptized and was interviewed Sunday for his calling. He accepted it so he will be sustained and set apart on Sunday. 

We have a font so we can’t baptize in the ocean but in Golfito they do and in san Vito they baptize in a river. 

I wish I could say that the branch was getting much better.  I’ve given a talk 4 of the 5 Sundays I’ve been here.  We came to the conclusion that the way to get people to come is give them all responsibilities and rely on them.  So last week we commited 4 people to give talks.  2 to bring sacrament bread, 2 to give prayers in sacrament meeting, 1 bless and one to pass the sacrament.  1 of the 4 people with talks showed up.  No one brought bread, the prayer givers didn’t show up, my comp blessed the sacrament and i passed it.  Those were all people that told us they were 100% committed to fulfill their responsibilities.  Just to give you a taste of the reliability we’re dealing with.  I did not teach primary but the gospel principals teacher didn’t show so i taught that. 

The members have been well informed on my birthday.  But we decided to take our trip to Puerto Jimenez next week!  So i will be in Puerto Jimenez on my birthday until Thursday I think. 

The conference was pretty good.  Other than the presenting of our monthly goals and achievements that didn’t go too hot.  Since we were one of the worst zones of the mission.  But at least we did better than elder palmers zone who for the first time in many years had  a zone that didn’t baptize a single person. 

But the conference was good.  President was talking about how we need to always leave an area better than we found it in every aspect.  He asked me to stand up out of all the leaders in the mission and asked me what Cariari’s attendance was at when i got there.  I said that the first week was 19 and then he explained that for over a year before i got there it was steadily around that number. Then he asked me what it was when i left and i said steadily around 50 and he said that since then it has grown to 80 consistently and on the verge of becoming a ward. and when you look at the numbers chart it started going up when me and Felipe got there.  He asked what we did and said that that was an example of making a change and leaving an area better then you found it.  I talked after that to the kid that in Cariari right now and he said that Kendal is elders quorum president and Benita got endowed last month and is in the relief society president.  and that Maritza from la Rita also got endowed last week.  It was a pretty good feeling to be able to see the long term effects of working in Cariari.  When i got there it was dead and was gonna get closed.  No one wanted to go there because no one baptized there.  Now everyone wants to go there.

Love you.  When i get on next I’ll be 21.  the age i will have when you next see me.

Elder Graham