17 January 2011

Dear Family

Muralkjfsa you are all skiing?? I wanna. Oh well. I very very much like being here too. This week has been interesting. Miguel, from last week, had some doubts about getting baptized. He went to the Noche Missional [Missionary night] this Friday, and while there, Elder Hernandez pointed out the painting of Jesus Christ being baptized that was in the same room. Miguel was surprised that we baptize like that (banging head on keyboard) and when Elder Hernandez asked how he felt about being baptized like that, he said he was ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The 29th will be his goal. Ademas [Furthermore] we have a plethora of other possible people.. All we need to do is let the Holy Ghost testify to them, and help them recognize [the truth].

We taught a lesson to a group of ladies once they finished a class of learning how to write for the day. One of the practice sentences in the goverment issued writing books was "Rotilde does not let her children take drugs." Pretty prevelant propaganda in the books.

Another person, really a friend of a member, passed by this members house after we contacted her (as told by the member) and demanded our phone number and address and email address and everything because she has to be baptized. I really hope we can finaly find her.

Elder Hernandez is getting used to Peru. They speak a little different in Guatemala. For example, here, "que chevere" means more or less "cool". But for him it means "What Hotdog". In addition, some of the normal semi slang terms that could be used in church here, are offensive words.

Unfortunately, he his suffering a bit of pain due to something going on with his stomach. Today we are going to buy meds for that. The pain is degrading his ability to work every minute of the day. Which reminds me...

Along with the picture of the scripture, I wanted to send back 2 Nephi 25:29. I am reading the Libro de Mormon [the Book of Mormon] for the second time since leaving now and well, this time I will understand the first half. I liked this scripture a lot, because it reminded me that we [I] need to work with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. (see DyC 4:2)

Y'all went to the Salt Lake Temple?? I have been wanting to go soo bad. Really what we need in Arequipa is a temple, so we can go on P days. The closest is in Lima, an hour and a half in airplane. Mom and Dad did y'all get to go in?

On Thursday we had a Zone Conference. It was awesome. Between 1:30 p.m. and 8:40 p.m., and in the words of my long lost friend, Elder Badjinski ( wow... forgot how to spell his name even!) It was a spiritual feast! He is in Ecuador now.

I left with so much excitement to get to work that 2 hours later when we went to bed I couldn't sleep. The hardest will be managing all the appointments that will come when we start doing all the contacting we should be doing, but that's fine. Splits [That's where a the missionary goes with a member of the church and his companion goes with another member of the church. That way, they can contact twice as many people].

Yesterday we were contacting on the edge of a large field with sheep and cows. We talked with one lady who was wearing the most incredible clothes. Remember the Peruvian culture thing we went to last summer [at the Indian Museum in downtown D.C.]? She was like that, but MORE colorful. I wanted so bad to take a picture of her, the background and everything but alas didn't have my camera. It was way cool.

Also a little bit before, and a little after I almost got eaten by a huge dog, we knocked a door. A 12 year old girl came out and when she saw us, called her dad. Her dad came, and she came to watch. He started to try to confuse us... Started talking about a lot of confusing things in the Bible, and actually contradicted himself about 4 times... I didnt feel good talking to him at all and was a little sad how closed he was... I tried to help him be a little open, but nothing. Interestng how you can study the Bible for a really long time (him 25 years) and be so disbelieving, and more, confused. The invitation in the final two paragraphs of the introduction [to the Book of Mormon] is to the whole world. If they read the Book of Mormon, and reflect on it, and pray and ask to know if it is true, they can know by the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true. A fufillment of a promise: I wasn't confudido [confused].

In this transfer, my goal is to become the missionary I should be.

Love Elder Johnson