Family!
Yesterday I couldn’t write because at 3:30 in the morning, the assistants called us and gave us the changes. I was going to my new area all day almost. It took me forever to put my stuff in my two suitcases. I’ve got quite a bunch of artifacts that I don’t use... notebooks, binders, little things that people have given me. The pensioner was pretty pretty sad when I told her I had a change. She is Sister Tejada [Sister Teha(th/d)a] and the husband is the stake president. She always has a hard time in the changes. She serves us so well, always trying to fatten me up. She gave me 7 of the new Nuevo Sole coins that come out every once in a while here in Peru. I’ll try to send a picture of my collection. Peru has some exceedingly fine coins. coming out.
I don’t know if it’s a thing about Tacna... but the internet here is slow again just like the last time I was here....
Hopefully the pictures can upload. The way over here was a long trip, but with very stunning desert scenes. Part of the way here reminded me of the Painted Desert that we saw in Arizona. Pretty interesting. Along the way there are a few cities, and a few future cities. People buy the land and put a little shack on it so that nobody takes it, and then abandon it for the next 10 years waiting for the land to increase in value. One member recently sold something like 60,000 square meters that she bought a long time ago for super cheap but is now something like 20 soles per square meter. She made bank. She’s actually living in the States, but came so she could sell the property. Really, really interesting are the landscapes of the Peruvian southern deserts. It made me want to have a dirt bike and go exploring there... it should be just as easy to ride as a bike, no?
This week we talked with the husband of Mari Diaz! At last! It was just a moment but we could talk about his family a second and we asked him if he would support his wife if she decided to be baptized. He said “YES!”
That was probably because right before, we were teaching a lady. In the Companionship study, we had been studying DyC 100:5-8.
5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; aspeak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be bconfounded before men;
6 For it shall be agiven you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.
7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye adeclare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.
8 And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the aHoly Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say.
We were thinking we can apply that scripture better so that the promise is given, and in the lesson before indicated, we did so! The lady was definitely guided to know [the truth]. She is named Elena. I’m going to do some follow up to see if she gets baptized in the next council of zone leaders when I’ll see Elder Erhard with his new companion Elder Huaman (Elder Wamon). We taught her all the first lesson and got to the part about the Book of Mormon. We explained a little and read some with her and did the following:
We read the introduction, then we read 1 Nephi 6:4,
4 For the fulness of mine intent is that I may apersuade men to bcome unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.
explaining that the God of all those and us is Jesus Christ, and how we should come unto Him. Then she read Omni 1:26
26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.
and she was thinking and thinking about what she had read. The word in her mind was: offer up all of your souls. She said, to do that, I should be baptized I think. That was guided. We then read 2 Nephi 31.
This Saturday I came to the end of the Holy Bible. That was a pretty cool achievement. I set myself a goal and I did it!
I was also thinking about the importance of talking with the Lord. Praying always. We talked with a mother and daughter this week from a particular church. Last week we had left them a Book of Mormon and invited them to read. They accepted and we passed by to find them and the mom and daughter had all sorts of ideas... but in short, they hadn’t read with prayer and hadn’t asked in prayer to know if the Book is true. So even though we answer every single doubt they can have, just like Preach My Gospel says, the objections are answered with them passing the wall of faith and asking the Lord in earnest prayer to know if the Book is true. Just answering the doubts can’t give them that knowledge if they aren’t willing to ask. We should have the trusting relationship with the Lord where we can talk about whatever thing and He helps us. After all, He loves us so much.
I was reading the Doctrine and Covenants on the 6 hour bus trip here and read in DYC 24, and I liked quite a few verses in particular. Especially with the subject of my extension and the calling of Paul as a missionary. Read the section Paul, I was thinking of you reading it. Like Nephi says, apply the scriptures to ourselves, replace Oliver with Paul. I know everything shall be perfect.
Now in Tacna we are going to work really, really hard. I’m with an Ecuatoriano. Elder Beletanga.
Love Elder Johnson
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