26 September 2011

Dear Family!

September 26, 2011

Christmas is coming??? Wow... maybe [you could send] more of those stars to put on appointment doors when they aren’t there. That would be great, also an SD-USB converter thing so I can better send y’all pictures. Socks too would be great. My socks are getting holes in them but they are all sun stained from drying in the sun once a week for more than a year after being washed.

I’ll think a little better. By the way we CAN use skype the next Christmas with video chat. We could last christmas and mother’s day but noone told me! The other homework was my release date: 15 Aug 2013 they told me... but it’s really 2012.

This week was great! We worked really hard, but following dad’s counsel we obtained more direction from the Lord. And even though we started the new study plan for the mission which is an extra hour, and feels like much less time to proselyte, it has been so good. We are really becoming much better teachers. I am SO GLAD I COULD BE CALLED TO SERVE A MISSION!

This week we taught a family about the gospel. They didn’t read when we got back and we were quite sad since the only way they can grow in the faith and get closer to Christ is by preparing with keeping commitments. When we expressed that they promised and the next visit they had read and the mom had prayed and asked God if the Book of Mormon is true!

Saturday was a very interesting day. We got to teach in 5 homes! We literally were teaching or traveling to teach the whole day. To teach more we have to teach faster, which shouldn’t be too hard since we taught 5 long lessons. The Moya Llosa family was one. They have such desire to do the right stuff. A month ago when Elder Oaks came, one of the 70s Elder Useda said that Joseph Smith had all the true intention that Moroni 10:4 talks about since in the Joseph Smith History, he says he was looking for the correct church to join it. That was almost exactly what Luis from the family Moya also told us. I hope they pray and ask God if the message we bring is true.

Leaving Priesthood Executive Meeting (and the best one I have participated in ever), we really wanted to find someone before going to the house. We walking and knocked a door, and then his neighbor’s His neighbor is called Barney and he invited us in to talk. He’s a great guy and we answered a few questions and invited him to read and ask also before running back to make it to the house before 9:30 p.m.

Next week is General Conference!!! Elder Ortiz and I are so excited. It’s a little ridiculous. But only every 6 months can you meet people and say that next Sunday, the 12 apostles of the Lord and his prophet too [will speak]! And that if they want to know if Christ really has sent 12 again, they can come and receive a testimony of the Spirit in the very day. We are going to try to invite everyone this week!

A member gave us a reference the other day and I think he wants to marry her in the long run. But anyway, she came to church, and he asked us to teach her about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ right there. So we did and it worked really well, and then she prayed really well. Then afterwards he told us that later she prayed and could just tell that the message comes from God in her prayer.

There is another lady who with her and her unbaptised son are really working to reactivate themselves and another lady with the same circumstance doing the same. I think things are beginning to move here, and I’m sure it’s result of Monday. (did y’all get the letter yet?)

Love Elder Johnson