Monday, March 17, 1969

Today when I heard from Karen, the first letter in three weeks, I was reading things I did not want to read and expected never to have to read. She is dating some other young man quite frequently and is mixed up, torn between differing loyalties, not knowing how it all will turn out. She is taking the problem before the Lord because, as we decided initially, we are only for each other if that is what the Lord thought best. Perhaps this other young man is the lucky one for Karen. I prayed, alone and with together with Elder Stewart after reading him her letter, before answering so that I might be found say­ing the right things in the right way. I told her I would continue writing until I shouldn't, if that time ever came. I asked her to know if whatever she did was the Lord's will and then I would know of her happiness and that would be important to me.

Is this irony, some sort of sign, or what? A letter today from Jerry related that both John Bosworth and Dave Garner, elders out from the ward, had received their dear johns.

This morning Elders McFarland and Walters went with us up to Pão de Açucar. That was a fun outing. The view from the old rock is pretty marvelous. Unfortunate­ly, my camera has no film in it these days. I bought six post­cards of different sites in Rio and sent home to the family so they could see a little what things here look like.

Elder McFarland and I spent much of the day yester­day working together, visiting secretaries of the district, mis­sion, and branches of Tijuca and Meier, trying to straighten out various problems with each of them. We saw every­body we had been plan­ning to see in the Tijuca chapel (where Meier meets for their meetings now and where the Rio district offices are). We did accomplish some things.

Saturday Elder Stewart baptized a 12-year-old boy whose father is already a member. Elder Stewart is close to him and taught him a first lesson before he became my companion. I was asked to confirm him a member of the Church and give him the gift of the Holy Ghost. His name is Washington Luiz Saurbronn.

Following the baptismal service we taught a lesson to a Protestant man, some sort of Pente­costal, who was so very close to the truth and yet so far away. He would concord with every point except that his church had the Holy Ghost, lending it its authority. He promised to study, to pray con­cerning the message of the Restoration, and to be at sacrament meeting. He did not come to the meeting last night.