3 October 2011

Climbing a mountain near Camana on P-day

Some kind of fruit cooked in banana leaves

Is that the chicken for dinner in a few minutes?

A Peruvian woman's kitchen

Dear Family!

AAAHHHHH CONFERENCE! I love conference and am thinking about buying all the conference DVDs when I get back, but that’s beside the point. This conference was so great. One of my favorite talks was the one of the Book of Mormon !¡(all sorts of Book of Mormon references in the morning of Sunday, no?). I have a goal to finish El Libro De Mormon for the fourth time in the mission next week, and read it more in this my second half [of the mission]. It really is so good. I finally fixed my spanish triple combination so I can read it now. It broke right after I got to the field. Remember I asked for suggestions? A book repairer put rubber cement on it for 2 soles... haha. At least I think it’s rubber cement.

As always after the tenth hour of conference we were pretty amazed and all and a little sad it will be 6 more months till the next. Seeing Elder Oaks I thought: “Hey, I shook his hand a month ago!”

I also really liked the Young Women’s President’s talk [Sister Elaine Dalton]... I think that would be so great if it can be fully implemented this half year, and we might be teaching some of those things (and not just to fathers of daughters). I was just so happy to hear the choirs and hear the prophets. I learned a lot about how to come closer to Christ. Something I will be working on a lot right now.

I don’t remember if I said it last week, but what I would like most is an SD card to USB converter, something cheapisimo but that I can use to be self-reliant for Christmas.

Eric, how’s spanish class?? When I get back we are going to be able to speak so well! And talk about Paul without his knowing haha. But not really. Practica con la mama le va a ayudar muchisimo! Una semana yo hacia practica con mama y fue lo maximo! [Practice with mom.  It will help you so much.  One week, I practiced with mom and it was best!]

Y’all asked about my health. I am very high of health. I feel very blessed by the promises I have made and trying to keep them dutifully.

I found out the name of those so amazing socks I talked about: they are called Goldtoe.

I’m gunna [going to] email the church today, there is a translation error in Preach My Gospel! Almost sure they know but just in case. Page 169 says lea instead of le in the second paragraph (of course in the spanish version)

So this week we were in reunions [meetings] all the time. We went to a last minute multizone meeting, which was soo, sooo, soo amazing. The president really is incredibly spiritual. He called us hard to repentance telling us: There are some things that you do that are not ok, for example....... . Then, we talked about understanding that we have been called by prophecy to be representatives of Jesus Christ, and given the authority to do so. We talked about how the mission was worth whatever the cost, and heard from four missionaries who are doing miracles in their areas. They are in the same branch, and last month this branch had almost 30 baptisms, with 40 scheduled for October. Hearing them was a wake up call and extremely amazing. We also talked about how that ultimate and supreme teacher is the spirit, and that teaching is more than just talking and telling things, which we also heard in conference from the Sunday School Counselor in his great talk. And basically it was so, so good. The president knows how to tell us what we need to change very, very directly and with love so we really get we need to change it.

Elder Holland’s talk was pretty intense, no? I hope the Young Men’s leaders do some follow up on that. "just enough to singe ya" haha. Somehow, we need all the young men to understand the Aaronic Priesthood. Why didn’t we collect fast offerings? Can we? That talk was a great basis for Branch Presidents and Bishops to work off of.

Well that’s all the extended time I’ve got.

Love

Elder Johnson

31 August 2010

Dear Mom,


Is everyone still liking that club [He's talking about William's Summer Book Club for 9 year olds]?  I feel like it can't possibly last for too long.  Just because of the public feelings about book clubs.  Boxcar children eh?  I feel like I read at least a few of those.


$600 for a booth?! [at the Arlington County Fair--Arlington 1st, Arlington 2nd and Crystal City Wards split the cost for a Family History Booth that was very well received by the community].  That's a ton!  But it is a good thing.


So did they braid the rope into being? [Referring to William's cub scout camp where boys worked throughout the day at 20 minute intervals to make a rope, twisting and turning].  Sounds like a ton of work.  Kudos for an activity demonstrating what. . . the importance of child labor? Or more likely, machines.


Ashley's mom did? [asked for a link to my blog]?  Cool.  Ah, I wish High Adventure had gone down with me in attendance somehow.


So, every Sunday, there is a devotional.  Last Sunday, Elder Holland came!!!!  He was SOOOOO good and talked about how so very important his mission was to him.  He says he reckons he has gone about 1 day in 48 years without thinking about his mission.  I saw in the 5th row!!!!


Last night was another devotional!  The Administrative director of the MTC spoke.  He called up two sisters and held up a magnifying glass asking, "Sisters, what is this."  They said, "A magnifying glass."  "What does it do?"  "Magnifies the word," they answered.  Then he called up two Elders and asked, "What is this, what does this do?"  They responded, "A magnifying glass.  It burns ants."  Ha ha.  Then, he launched into a discussion of if we want to burn ants, we need to keep the glass focused on them.  That if we want to "light a fire in the hearts of our investigators," we would need to concentrate for a continuous period, not just occasionally, like weekly or so.


About my spanish:  We have taught two lessons in spanish now.  It is pretty rough, but talking for 15 minutes in all spanish after 2.5 weeks is pretty impressive no?  Gift of tongues or Don de idiomas, en espanol.  I understand everything everyone says in spanish, and recognize most of Portuguese or Italian by the way.  English too.


It's pretty cool here, you walk around the cafeteria and hear Russian, Ukranian, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean. . . and more.  People walk up to you outside and contact you in all sorts of tongues.


Tell about High Adventure and Deep Creek!


P.S.  The update on the companionship drama is that it has calmed down, which means we are doing well at peace making.  I hope we have all learned something, cuz our problem isn't one that would just go away with a new companionship.


Love,


Elder Mark Johnson


P.P.S.  I don't even know my Peru address yet.  Somehow Elder Weaver has an address:  Centro de Capacitacion Misional, Melgarejo 159, La Lolina, Amazonas 12, Peru.


I'm so excited to get to Peru!!  Total immersion, here I come!