9 April 2012

Haha still? Eric did it [the Easter egg hunt] with the brace and crutches?

Dear Family,

This week we worked so hard. Well better said, we worked better.

Monday and Tuesday was the council of zone leaders. We talked about a bunch of things. Among them were the themes of standing on the Lord’s side of the line (a theme from the conference) and making sure we are able to receive the inspiration we need to be able to teach by the Spirit. We talked about the power and authority that has been given us, and we talked about focusing on all our missionary purpose and not just focusing on baptizing, but really the invitation to all to follow Christ. That’s what everyone needs to hear, and they all need to make a decision. We hope that those who choose (usually just by their actions not words) to not [follow Christ], can feel the Spirit while we teach them so that later they can make the right decisions by their actions.

Wednesday we went to do companion interchanges with Palacio (Elder Child y Elder Bastidas) and we realized that we would have interviews with the President in the night. The assistants had called us at 11 p.m. the night right before, but we were so asleep that we didn’t remember until studying with the Elders in Palacio (Palacio is spanish for Palace- their area has some of the biggest areas in the whole world-- well, in all of Arequipa)

In our interview with the president we both went in first, Elder Stewart y yo [I]. We talked a little about the zone and what the zone is facing and doing, the plans. Next he looked at our goal for April. He had us sign and commit ourselves to really do it. We ARE GOING TO. Well... I am. There were changes and sadly Elder Stewart was changed to the Umacollo zone in the same city of Arequipa.

In that moment, he asked if we can do the goal we put ourselves. We basically said, help us have the faith so big that we can do it, and he said, it isn’t the faith that you need, rather power in the teaching. We have been set apart and given divine authority to preach. This authority gives us the right to have power, but it doesn’t come automatically. We read DyC 11:21. Emphasis in if you desire.

 21 Seek not to ^adeclare my word, but first seek to ^bobtain my ^cword, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my ^dSpirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the ^econvincing of men.

Then we talked about DyC 33:1 

. . .open ye your ears and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God . . . [who] is a discerner of the thoughts and ^cintents of the heart.

Then Alma 8:18.

 Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which is on the south of the city of Ammonihah.

He opened his cuad that he has in English (the church instructs all members of the church here to learn English and he knows English pretty well!) and he talked about what Alma did. Speedily, and, through another way.

So he charged us to go speedily and just do it.

We focused and prayed so much every time we could teach in the week, and we taught all our investigators.  We found 21 new investigators and ran basically everywhere. In the contacts we focused on following the spirit to know what doors to knock and it worked!

A little bit of a disappointment Sunday when the tons and tons that we had committed to come didn’t come to sacrament meeting! But Mari Diaz and her daughter Helen came to church! Teaching Mari Diaz, who has come a while, we talked about how is the eternal life. We talked about how to be able to have it. The class Elder Stewart taught on Gospel Principles was on the covenant people and the church. She was thinking about all this. The Spirit prompted us to open DyC 76:50-52. 

 50 And again we bear record—for we ^asaw and heard, and this is the ^btestimony of the ^cgospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the ^djust—

 51 They are they who received the ^atestimony of Jesus, and ^bbelieved on his name and were ^cbaptized after the ^dmanner of his burial, being ^eburied in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—

She read it and we analyzed a little. She had my triple combination in hand and kept reading a little as we explained a little. She read 53 and 54. She told us: And here it says that to go there, we have to conquer by faith (is that correctly translated?). I have to conquer by the faith and be baptized.

Wow that was a moment where she listened to and followed the dictates of the Spirit.

She told us that she will be baptized next week (after this Saturday that’s coming). She said she doesn’t know that everything is perfect, but she feels like she needs to do it so she will (Alma 32:16). 

16 Therefore, blessed are they who ^ahumble themselves without being ^bcompelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without ^cstubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.

We shall work with her so she can feel certainty in these days but that is so awesome!!!

Sunday, we got the changes. Elder Stewart went to Umacollo :(.

Elder Erhard came from the same area and is the same with which I was in Tacna! This will be great.

Love Elder Johnson

Anyway, we started to work and work and concentrar. [concentrate]

27 February 2012

Querido familia, [Dear family,]

Me escapa el tiempo con velocidad no conocido entre los hombres.

[Time is escaping me with a veloicty unknown among men.]

So thus finished the last week of the change. The zone changed a lot since quite a few had 7 or 6 months here. Only us and 1 other companionship didn't have a change. One of the sisters who just barely finished her training is going to train a new missionary, a new district leader is coming, and another elder who is from Nicaragua is going to train a new missionary too. The zone is a relatively young zone: two with about a year, two who are still coming from the MTC in Lima, Peru, two who have about 6 months in the mission, and us old fogeys (Elder Stewart and I).

There is a Sister Diaz who is working really hard to gain a testimony by herself. She wants to enter into the covenant people next Saturday but is working through the loss of her nephew at the end of last week. We invited her to console her family by sharing with them the Plan of Salvation... or is it salvation plan. anyway she has been really looking and has lots of member friends. We took a piece of fudge cake to her since we still didn't have the cookie recipe till today, (THANK YOU!!).

We did 3 intercambios [exchanges] with the missionaries this week, the two that our president has asked us to do every week and one of emergency for some problems that they were having (tension right before the change sometimes rises haha). Anyway it was really gratifying to be with the one I was with and see his true desire to work, and the sincere guilt that he felt for not having worked well this week. I don't know why, but I felt compassion for his worries and happy for the wishes and desires that he has to do what is right. It was an interesting moment.

So that y’all know, I got some pieces of rubber glued onto my shoes from the pictures (pieces like the old things that you can see but better with a glue that seems really durable). It seems like I walk weirdly because my shoes always get more worn away on the sole faster than the other elders. Elder Stewart still hasn't bought new shoes or put new anything on the bottoms the whole time he’s been here! Ive glued new stuff on the bottom about 3 or 4 times now. haha. I need to learn to walk good, or maybe it’s for running a lot.

Also, the shoes a member got for me in Camana when he went to Tacna just got finished being re-soled. The members have helped me a lot with the whole shoe situation. She said the first place she went to said that in just a few days they would have it done. She went there to get them back and they said that a few more, but almost done. At last she went and the man was all frustrated and said, “Why did you take these huge shoes to me?? They are so big you don’t find this size here in Peru! You’ve sent me on a goose chase! (that’s the correct phrase in English no?... goose chase?)

Elder Stewart and I always play rock paper scissors to see who shares first what we learned in the first hour of study (personal study). The other day, it got so intense that he almost fell off his chair, just saved by the wall that stopped his chair from sliding out from below him. Haha it was so funny. He won.

The Sister Ivon... we are worried about her. Since she had her baby we haven’t really seen her. Her family always says she is of weak health and can’t come out for a few more weeks maybe. I don’t remember how that is... but we haven’t really thought that it had anything to do with reality, just tradition, but now we are starting to think that she might have gotten sick. Her family doesn’t admit many details but are nice too.

Today we want to do something to contact EVERY SINGLE person in the area. We are still thinking about it.. but I feel like there are a lot of potential people there but that we have difficulty finding them. We talk to at least 200 people per week, but if we could increase that to 500 or more, then those people could be found. There is another lady with whom we talked this week who said she wants to be baptized from the first moment we mentioned baptism. She said: "I feel like I should be baptized, and not like my parents baptized me, but in water. I don’t know why, but that’s the way I feel it should be done." That was impressive. Then we talked about how part of the preparation was getting married since she is living with the father of her son, and the next day she told us how she had talked with him and set up to get married! Her future husband wasn’t too happy about her listening to us and started to say how this and that.. things he has heard, saying how had she let herself be convinced to be baptized, and she said, no! they didn't convince me anything, I want to be baptized, and what they said is true.

We are focusing on looking for those who really are sincere in coming unto Christ.

I have been reading Our Heritage again. it is the BEST. Also, this morning I read from 3 Nephi  20 to 3 Nephi 24 I think  and I really, really like the opportunity to present the ministry of Christ among the Nefites and am so thankful that they have preserved the words that He spoke. Nos manda escudriñar las palabras de Isaías. [He commands us to study the words of Isaiah.]

 

Mucho amor [Much love,]

Elder Stewart and Elder Johnson at a chapel in Arequipa

Elder Johnson

20 February 2012

Rain + Sewer Water 

Elder ____, Elder Johnson, Jorge, Elder Knighton, Elder Stewart

Mark's poor shoes

Another view

Maybe this was the ledge they were walking on to avoid the flooded streets

FIRST,

Jorge, who we were teaching a few weeks ago and who really wanted to get baptized got back from the mine! He got back and told his wife, "Today I want to get baptized." He was about to be baptized before but couldn't so we got his baptismal service for Saturday and his confirmation Sunday! It was awesome. In the 3 weeks he was there [at the mine] he was meditating about what he wants for his family. His father- in-law is the bishop and his wife a member. She was SOO happy Saturday. That was a great experience. The first missionary who taught him was Elder Knighton, who just so happens to be our District Leader now, so he did the interview too, and did the baptism.

Afterwards Jorge expressed his thoughts and shared a scripture in John that says that we should ask, and we will receive. He shared his testimony about asking and receiving. Then it says we should knock and look, and he said how he got to thinking that he wasn't really looking or knocking the door. Those are actions and he asked himself what actions he was doing for the salvation of his family. He realized, he should do actions to make sure his family can be eternal and therefore decided to follow 2 Nephi 31:11. [ 11 And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.]

It was very nice, and then the Bishop's counselor shared a very, very nice welcoming message about his conversion and we ate cake of three milks.  [http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/sweetsanddesserts/r/treslechescake.htm].  I don't know if that exists in the States but it's so good tasting. Look it up!

So that was a good experience. The Church is true.

Hey, can y'all send me a few cookie recipies? We want to make cookies for the members and investigators, but I don't think we can get our hands on chocolate chips. I know... why even make cookies, no? Still, we want to do that next week, so if y'all can send me some chocolate chipless cookies, that would be the best!

If you can see the letters of Elder Stewart, vease [look at] his pictures that we took last Monday. It's raining every day here and that makes for some wet and cold (or usually running everywhere to avoid the cold) elders every night. Since it was Monday we could take pictures and got some from the back of a truck. The drivers saw us walking on a 2.5 meter wall to not wade through the street that had something like 50 cm [about 19 inches] of water. They stopped and yelled through the rain and river sounds : jump on! haha we got on the back and felt a little like special people as we waved to everyone we passed. It was a flat bed in the back with a big water tank that you can see in the picture. Since it had big wheels, it could pass all the water. Looks dirty the water, no? That's cuz half the water isn't rain but overflooding sewers! Now y'all can see why we walked about 200 meters of the 20 cm wide wall instead of wading.

Grandpa J asked about the food and if it tastes like money. I mean, if it tastes like money smells. I don't think so, but that might be because in his time there was different money. I found yesterday two coins from the 1970s. Weird looking. One of 10 soles de oro [gold] and the other of 1. I don't think it has any value now. The currency now is called new soles just so y'all know.

What more? In the conference, the president had some revelation to help me be better, and subliminally taught me it, and I did catch on. (It wasnt THAT subliminal) We [I assume Mark and Elder Stewart as zone leaders] taught about the day of rest about an hour and he taught after and helped us understand it.. much better. I very much enjoy being taught by him. The sabbath day as I am remembering that is said in English right now is a matter of being obediente [obedient]. When we teach it [the sabbath] we should talk about how they will be able to worship the Lord, demonstrate to Him our faith and love in keeping the commandments, and participate in the sacrament. We should help them make a compromise [commitment] not only to go this week, but for all their lives.

This week that is coming, we can have another baptism. A Sister Mary Dias said that she is going to be talking to all her family this week to prepare them to be able to accept her baptism next Saturday. Her daughter was baptized about a year and a half ago and there was some drama apparently. One aunt broke down crying. To understand, I referenced Disney's Mulan and the importance of family traditions, while not sooo strong, the tradition is her concern. We hope to help her in preparing them.

Anyway that's about all the time I've got.

Lots of love, and thanks to all those who DearElder me for keeping me updated on all at home  ! They are great! 

Elder Johnson