Estimada Familia,

It's a new transfer! and the only change is that I am now a "District Monkey." Which only means my companion Elder Burns has been assigned to be District leader! I was concerned that Elder Burns would leave Elder Barlow and I (two still very green missionaries with "iffy" spanish) alone since he's been in Los Reales for two transfers already but he's staying! From what I've heard, I am the only visa-waiter who didn't move, and one of the only one's in a triple companionship still! Maybe this means I'll get to go to Mexico sooner (ha ha) but really, I am SO glad I am staying in this area. I have made great friends with a lot of the recent converts, members, and investigators here. I am extremely short on email time today so I just want to say thank you to everyone who wrote me, mail really does make the day brighter.

ALRIGHT quick miracles

first of all, the fact that all 5 of the elders serving in the los reales branch are staying here. I really believe this is meant to be, because the branch is really kindof falling apart and I KNOW that we can do something to help. SOMEHOW we need to help the members feel the spirit of missionary work, and maybe then they will help up find more people, and hopefully unite within themselves and make friends again.

I only have a couple minutes but earlier this week we randomly ran into this big scary mexican man on the street named Nicolas. He told us he had just gotten out of Prison, and had watched general conference there! His mother is a devout JW, but he really likes the mormons so he would love to read some of the Book of mormon, pray about it, and let us come over and ask him how it went.

WHAT?! Thats what we call golden.

Ends up we went to his house, he WASNT there, but his mom was making tamales and we offered to help. We shared the message of the restoration with her, and gave her a Book of Mormon too and she said she wants to come to church with us on sunday!

We're going to baptize a Jehovah's Witness!!!

We met with Nicolas and his mother last night and it was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. We had a very powerful, very moving discussion about how we can follow Jesus Christ in this world today through the restored gospel and by being baptized by the authority of the Priesthood. There are some hairy details about Nicolas' baptismal date, and whether he goes back to prison or not in the next few days but I'll have to update y'all on that next week!

I love and appreciate you all so much. It is so good to hear that everything is going well at home.

again, I love and miss you all and I am doing extremely well:)

Love.

JACK