14 March 2011

Dear Fmaily

Wow! That's pretty awesome and exciting sounding. Honduras. How's Eric's Spanish. Practicing every day with mom so he can speak with gente [people] when y'all (hopefully still is the plan) come up [down?] to Peru (because this is the real up side).

This week has been great. I feel like I write that about every week but it's true so I shall probably continue. First off, I forgot to mention the earthquake we had! Sunday I was reading the scriptures in my bed before church and everything just started to jiggle. I think the jiggle was from the bed. The house was shaking. I didn't really know what to think since it was the first I can remember feeling, so I sat there elated smiling and looking around. The people who we live with us called us to get out of our room and just when we did it all calmed down. Pretty cool though.

Completely different is the news that trickles to the missionaries about what happened in Japan. I caught sight of some newspaper headlines that said: The End of the World. a little bit breathtaking the fotos [photos].

I feel like I've passed a milestone. On one of the two pairs of shoes I have, the sole came a third off. Pretty sure that makes me not a noob! Looking for other shoes.. should be really really cheap since I'm here in Tacna.

Well you see the pictures, Ivan was baptized!!! I was so happy for him. He is the bomb. Unfortunately due to a little chaos, only a few members were able to come, but it's ok. The service was chevere. And especially baptizing him, saying the first part felt very correct, or right, or something like that.

Yesterday was a really, really good day. After the confirmation of Ivan, we had ward conference which was edifying. In addition 7 investigatores [investigators] were there which is always great. Not sure how to break the 10 barrier and have the goal of 30 go but working on it. The lady who we accompanied to go . . . is one who contacted us and said she wanted to join the church and everything is going great with her and her family. There's about 20 people who live in her house and they all seem to be really, really great, but the problem is getting them all together. We shall start with her, Andrea, and then her children, grandchildren, and the people renting. One of her daughters wants us to baptize her daughter, she unfortuately works all the Sundays but that will change.

I've been thinking a lot about D&C 50 [http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/50?lang=eng]   and our calling to teach with the spirit, and also how much love and charity I have towards the people. I think I have been a little low.. so I've been working on these things this week. I really think I've been able to improve myself. I feel much more love for all the people, especially teaching, and I think they can feel the difference. With this work, I think we have been able to teach much more by the spirit. Notably in two examples.

With Giermo, who I have mentioned before, in the second visit, he told us he read, but later called his pastor who lives in New York. His pastor told him that it would be better to not confuse himself reading the Book of Mormon AND the Bible, he told us "I am not going to continue reading". Well I wasn't too happy to hear that but trying to have lots of love and follow the spirit, we had a great meeting with him. He told us that he will in fact read the Book of Mormon, and pray to know if its true. He is a racecar driver by the way.

With Katy, the first contact we had here was when she said that she was a defined Catholic and no way will change. You can come by to visit me but I ain't gunna change. I dont know... continuing the conversation felt like I should make an appointment with her and we went by. Visiting with her the... second time?... after she didn't read (didn't do her commitment/homework.. how in the world do you say that?) we read 2 Nephi 31 http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/31?lang=eng] [with her.  That chapter is so powerful. She felt the power of the Holy Ghost strongly and at the end was saying things like "I want all of my family to be able to come and talk with you two." She said the prayer to end and asked for help changing and repenting and knowing if it is true.

Oh and yesterday we visited with Paula and her grandma. This family, well,  paula and her mom, were contacts, and were waiting for us with cookies (think I have mentioned them). Well her grandma told us when we came that she is definite, won't change, and that we can talk with her until we say something that doesn't line up with her beliefs, and then we are out. Well we started with a prayer like always, and taught the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was nodding, saying that's right, and agreeing with everything. I think it was one of the most powerful lessons I have been in, and it felt absolutly wonderful to be the instrument of the Lord to bring the message to them. I knew that she was receiving a testimony of all my words by the spirit and thinking of D&C 50 during the lesson gave me lots of hope that I can get to be the missionary I want to be. She said that she will read, will think, and will pray, and that if she knows it's true will be baptized the 16 of April (lots of time because of  General Conference and the Peruvian elections).

 These kinds of lessons, I leave knowing I'm doing/fufilling with my calling.

Love Elder Johnson

 

March 14, 2011

Elder Mark Johnson and Elder Stewart

Elder Mark Johnson, Ivan, Elder Stewart in Tacna

7 March 2011

Downtown Tacna

Dear Family,

How's the week going for y'all. It's pretty great here. Ok we didn't have a baptism this week but the next si o si [Yes, oh Yes]. Ivan is the man. Really is the best. He continues to be really full of faith and desires to learn and make the covenant with God that is baptism. He told us after fast and testimony meeting that he feels the same conviction as many of the members and feels like by this point he should officially be a member. So great are the meetings with him. He likes to ask questions really interesting [you can see the spanish grammar taking over in that sentence, I'll leave it in there], different than the normal.

Planning his baptism is our Ward Mission Leader who is pilas to work! We are getting slowly the ward's effort in the missionary effort.

Sounds like the ward is doing great! I loved to receive those letters from the young men. Eric's made me laugh. He drew a taco. Thanks Eric. But really they all made me happy.

Brother Jardine asked about zone conferences. ˇThat's when about 15 missionaries get together and meet with the MIssion President. We have them every 3 months, off set with our interviews with the President every 3 months. They are the best and I always leave feeling super animated [excited] to work 300 percent.

Also, our ward. The ward, is great. Even though this week we had appointments to go with two young men every day, only one showed up. But that's young men. This Sunday, I was thinking we would have to beg a little to find a pension [apartment]. What had happened wuz that our pensionista moved, and the planned next one (a non member.. o sea [or in other words]... future member) got freaked out a little I think and decided not to give us pension. Sooo.. the family that we live with helped us out until Sunday with our Bishop's family. Sunday the bishop asked for help with this and 4 families we really eager! We are gunna eat with 2 investigators and I have really high hopes that they will finally be able to be baptised by result of the small amount of extra money.

Elder Stewart continues to be the bomb. Oh I wanted to explain the picture with him. We went running this morning to pick up our clothes from the family that washes them, and I brought my camera. The 2nd day we passed this spot (it's about 300 meters from our room) and he said, "That's a noose." I have no idea why it's there.. but it's there.

[Someone] commented in the Dearelder [letters] about the portion of gringos y [and] latinos in our mission. My first district I was one of two. Here I'm companions with a gringo. There is another companionship that is pure gringo, and all the others have one gringo and one latino minus one pure latino. I don't know why there is this variation, but it seems to be how the Lord assigns his servants here for now.

What a week for McAllen Texas! That's awesome. Glad to hear that great things are going down in all the world. ≠Animos a Elder Wood!

Mom you asked me if I feel unsafe or safe or protected. I have never felt unsafe, though I have noted that I would in other circumstances sometimes returning to the room at 9. But there aren't going to be any problems with security.

I heard that Dad spent an afternoon in the temple. I would love that so, so much. Unfortunately the closest temple is about 20 hours away, in Bolivia, which kinda makes it too far to go and get back all on a Pday. The goal still is to have a temple is Arequipa. I dreamt the other night that we were building one in Tacna.

Saturday, two contacts in a row were pretty darn awesome! The first was a guy who had read lots of the Book of Mormon and wanted to learn more. He has a baptismal goal. The second contacted us asking for help. He too [had a baptismal goal?] but we waited for the second visit. The baptisimal goal is critical so they can have a reason to ask with faith by prayer, to know if our message is true. One thing we have to (mejorar en ingles [improve in English]........) improve is teaching about the fact that they CAN know by prayer (see James 1:5) and how important it is. The majority of people just ask and go on with their routine because they don't really believe that it will come, so [they] don't have the faith, sincere heart, and true intention that is necessary (Moroni 10:4).

This week I had a first. I asked a woman to get married. Not to me, but it was weird. To her boyfriend. Actually two different couples who are living together and have kids.

Love Elder Johnson
 

28 February 2011

Dear Family,

We are baking here in the Tacnenian sun. So hot right now. Maybe that's cuz we are in internet. But it's great here- when it isn't noonish. This week we worked arduously. The next we shall too. There is a norma de excellencia [level of excellence]... a mission goal more or less in English, that is really really high for all the key indicators. The contacts goal is 540 and we did it!!!! We talked with 548 people this week. And I think 3 of them will be baptized.

It's been a great week.

Ximena y Maritsa se bautizaron [got baptized]! We found them my first week here, [they were a] reference from a member slash neighbor and they are the best best. I don't really know why they are so full of faith, but it is very impressive. They want to do the right and have come to realize by the Holy Ghost that the gospel of Jesus Christ in the way. In our third visit they told us they know.

Their baptism was a little crazy, their baptismal interviews lasted 4 hours between the two! But finally, yes, they were completely ready. Lots of people showed up, some 30 minutes [late] or more but it's ok since their neighbor who baptized them didn't arrive until almost an hour after the "start time". It was quite a good service.

We are visiting another investigator who is named Ivan. He is the bomb also. When we were talking about the importance of praying and asking God if the Book of Mormon is true and if he should be baptized, he told us he had already done that [prayed]. And while praying, received "a feeling... an impression.. something.. " in his heart that made him feel like he should continue learning, continue on to be baptized and [become] a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Two of our contacts from this week were waiting for us for our appointment with them (an amazingly infrequent occurrence) with crackers and an earnest yearning to learn (see SOL song). They are way cool, have a goal to be baptized, but it'll be a little hard cuz they don't have a ton of time. Eliana and her daughter Paula. I look forward to finding them again... but that too might be a little difficult. We´ve got another investigator who wants to put her life in order. She's had.. a lot happen and basically wants to change. Again since she works a lot, [it] shall be difficult. I think something that really impedes people is time, other obligations... not sure what I can do with that but maybe nothing.

This next week we are gunna start changing up our strategy of turning contacts into investigators into people with goals to be baptized. I am searching for what it is that we can do to be much better instruments for the Lord, but actually changing can be a little difficult. If those back home have suggestions, things they only learned at the end of their missions that they wished they always knew, or whatever... I might not get the chance to have a companion with lots of time for a while... so I would love the advice.

I'm not sure what's up with the mail here, maybe it leaves the offices in Arequipa really slowly... but I haven't gotten Eric's Dear Elders since leaving Arequipa... or anything. But it's ok. Patience.

In this next week we mmiiiiggghhhtt see a baptism, but probably not. The next yes.

I was reading in Alma 36 ish, and really enjoying it. These chapters have new interest for us here since now we are in a position to do the same work. After all the minor details of the day, all the running around, all the trekking, all the knocking doors, all the people we meet, all the appointments we have, all the everything, it comes back to whether or not when we talk with each person, they can notice the difference, and feel influence of the Holy Ghost prompting them to accept a day we can come back, and to be there. And when we come back that they feel the importance and understand how completely different it is. We were talking with a young person, and he told us that it really seemed right to him. Logical. But what he was feeling wasn't just the logical validity of the message we proclaim, but the veracity.

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ is of and directed by Jesus Christ, and that if we really repent, and live the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will live with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and our works will become the things we should do, when we should do them, in the places that they should be done.

Love Elder Johnson