24 October 2011

Beautiful sky in Camana

Baptism in Camana with Mark and Elder Ortiz

Dear Family and friends,

10/24/11

How’s life going? I’m making good progress on the letter. Today I wrote a bunch of your letter to y’all. 

I'm pretty content right now. Mainly because of a lot of things but anyway, I shall explain.

This week I was really, really worried. Maybe you could tell [last] Monday, but President Fernandez came to Camanà to do interviews with us.  His advice really, really helped me so much. He helped me to understand better the Atonement, not by talking, but by making two questions. They were so effective. Anyway just goes to show that questions can be very effective ways to teach when they are inspired questions.

As part of the interview my “lovely” companion and I were together with him talking about the Zone, who needs what, and about our relationship as compañions. 

After the interview we went on companion interchanges [exchanges] and I went with a member who was with us for 6 weeks subbing as a companion with Elder McNeil. In their area we got to teach almost every hour we were there, which helped me a lot to remember that we CAN. I want to make my relationship with my companion perfect. That means I’ve got to keep changing myself some more but that’s ok.

HOLY COW did we find someone. As we were finishing the interchange, The Hermano Snyder and I were looking for Elder Ortiz and Elder McNeil. We contacted a lady who wanted to know bad the answer to a question: Which of all the churches is true and how can she know??? (see “The only true and living church” by Elder Oaks, https://lds.org/youth/article/only-true-living-church?lang=eng&query=only+true+living+church+(name%3a%22Dallin+H.+Oaks%22).

 Anyway we read a scripture with her, and since we were super in a hurry we set an appointment to come back Sunday. Sunday she was there and really, really ready. We knocked the door and she walked out and sat on the curb and, looking up at us said, “Lets talk.” So anyway we taught her the first lesson and followed the guide of the Holy Ghost and she was so happy to be able to know the answer. She committed herself to praying to know if it is true and to ask if she should be baptized. She said she would follow the answer with such certainty, and expressed the history she has had with prayer. The short [story] is that years ago she was a little bit... sick. Praying and praying, putting all her trust in the Lord, God answered her prayers.

Today is the day of transfers. There were quite a few in the Zone and we are going to be working Hard this next month. One zone in the mission has had 33 baptisms with 9 companionships.  We are going to follow their example and make Camana into a place of miracles.

In my personal study I am focusing again more on the mortal ministry of Christ. I’m starting by reading 3 Nephi 9-28 and will then go to the New Testament with Jesus the Christ again. I want to become much more charitous [charitable] and wax strong like it says in D&C 121:45 :

[ 45 Let thy ^abowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let ^bvirtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy ^cconfidence wax strong in the ^dpresence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the ^edews from heaven.]

Ok.  Well, that’s about it. Time to go eat! We are gunna [going to] do good this week. Hasta el proximo lunes! [Until next Monday!]  

Con MUCHO Amor,  

Elder Johnson

28 March 2011

Dear Family,

Wow, won wacky week we`ve weathered. This last Tuesday, we got a phone call in the morning during studies. When I answered, Elder Hunsaker, the Zone Leader with Elder Huacaychuco,  asked me if I would be able to find someone to accompany me for the next few days. I said,  "Yes." He explained that Elder Stewart would go for a training meeting in Arequipa!

This is the same one that I went to a few months ago about New Years to prepare to train Elder Hernandez. So we were really excited for all the possibilities that were ahead of Elder Stewart the next transfer. Although secretly I was bummed since basically the invitation means that Elder Stewart wouldn't be my companion the next transfer too. We have really got along very well.

So he left, and I got to work finding people to be my temporary companions until Friday. Axel, a young man who lives in the same house as us was my companion normally after 9 until morning, and those of the day rotated. I counted yesterday and found out that I've had 13 companions in the days he was gone. He was about to come back Friday in the night, but there was some sort of protest and the buses weren't allowed to pass from Arequipa to here!

So he didn't get here for the baptism of the two 8 year old kids in the ward. Harold and Reina (queen). Harold wanted me to baptize him so I got to! It is always so great to be able to be the person to baptize. Such a blessing for both the people in the water, though much more for Harold.

This week's been a little hard for all that business, so I feel like I have to work super extraordinarily extra hard the next few days slash weeks to make up for all the slack. But that's ok, cuz I'll be able to learn how to work harder.

Elder Stewart completed 6 months here in Leguia, and was going to be training, so basically I was ready when they called us and told us that he had a transfer, at 1:30 this morning. For this reason, I'm really tired right now and I think it shows in the text.

He went to Ilo, a small city between Mocegua and Tacna. Liberación 2 is his area and companion as of yet unknown. My companion will be Elder Mateos, I think, which is Mathews in Spanish, I also think. Basically I am really excited for the next weeks and the new challenges that come starting with a new companion, and a little nervous. I learned with Elder Stewart how great it can be when there is a lot of companionship unity.

Also I have a little more duty to the other missionaries because I will be a district leader. Also nervous for this, since I have NO idea what I shall do. Elder Erhard gives me this counsel: "I'lltell you what you're gunna do: You're gunna have the most baptizing district in all of the mission". His second counsel was strive for obedience (by the way this is the Elder Erhard that went to BYUI and knows Katie Alvarez too!)

Si Se Puede!!

So next week I shall be able to report on all the amazing miracles that will have happened.

One investigator story. Cindy, and lady from the jungle area of Peru, or as I refer to her in my mind, Cindy of the Jungle, has progressed. She was part of the massive lesson we had in Veracruz which made me feel a little like Paul the apostle (but a little less) and she has been progressing. The goal is baptize ALL. Haha. It's just that she feels overwhelmed by our example of obedience... or that she can't even repent to be good enough. Trying to help her on that.

 Love Elder Johnson

Elder Stewart and Elder Johnson, last week together

Baptism for Harold and Reina in Tacna

First MTC letter 8/16/10

Dear Family,

I feel so loved right now, logging into my email on my first Preparation Day ever, and having two whole automatically generated emails! haha err... I still exist.

I jest. It has been so awesome though. Right now I can't convince myself that I have only been here since Wednesday last. Each day really is a week. This morning I woke a little early (6:00) and did some scripture study after getting showered and dressed and all, then we headed off to the temple for three hours.

Oh wait, I should sum up everything so far.

Aunt Carmen was awesome letting me be around. It isn't super convenient hosting a set apart missionary who doesnt have a real companion around because he can't be alone. But they were good. Ryan was in the bed by me. Jared taught me to drive a manual transmission car before I left! I am so glad I can do that now. Finally feel like I can really drive (that means you definitely can't yet Paul). His truck is "really bad" but I only stalled it once!

So we drove to Provo the next day and I had a delicious last lunch comprised of Coldstone ice cream. SO AWESOME. I miss [having] ice cream whenever I want it. Here, I have to wait for a Wednesday or a Sunday. Once we got here, I realized I left my suit jacket (the blue one) at their house, along with my wallet, and my alarm clock. Smooth I know, they still let me in on the condition that I change into my other suit asap.

Aunt Carmen dropped me off at the curb and straightway a "host" elder came to grab my bags. He carried them while instructing me what to do. We headed to the creatively named 1M building and there I basically got everything I needed in a line going through about 8 stations. Pretty awesome. We dropped off my bags, and the host took me to a small room with about 10 computers and desks. There was a training video and little computerized test to make sure we remembered at least some of it. I got one wrong, but it was a technicality.. so basically 100% in my book.

In the room was this weirdo "Elder Cruz" who was like: "Are you Elder Mark Johnson?" But that was basically it before I was sat down. After finishing I was taken to a room in the basement to meet my district. They are awesome. Elder Cruz was there. He is one of my companions. I have two! And guess what mom?! The other is Elder Weaver! Odds of that were not high.

So let me get  back to what I have been working up to. I entered the MTC August 11 at 1:01 pm and I was in class learning spanish with Hermana Scaife at 2:28. She spoke all spanish and quickly. She is soo nice and so spiritual it's kinda crazy. She said she would pay to teach at the MTC and I actually almost believe it. We can all tell how much she loves it here.

There is this red countdown timer in the top right of the screen that has been counting down from 30 minutes (my computer time for the week) haha so crazy. Anyway it's at 10 minutes cuz i FAILED at logging on for 10 minutes.

Just in case, here is my address..you know..if you want to send me like chocolate or anything..

This needs to replace the address I have on facebook cuz I think they are different. It's in the awkward box right now. [Mail sent to the awkward box apparently isn't addressed properly.]

Elder Mark David Johnson
MTC Mailbox # 253
PER-ARE 1014
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Later the first day we did this super awesome thing where about 40 elders and a few hermanas sat in a half circle around two chairs and a couch. It was a pretend first meeting at the house. There were older guys...WAIT NO WE DONT SAY GUYS, we say, Elders... who pretended to be missionaries who started it off, but after a few minutes they left and we were all supposed to be the missionaries. It was super super awesme! The "investigators" were RMs who were pretending to be somebody from their mission.

All right.  So who is in my district, you ask?

Well, there is Elder Badzinski, who is Australian and really is the character of our district. He is soo funny without really meaning to be. His accent and mannerisms always make us laugh. The other day, he comes back from the bathroom with his companion, and warns Elder Cruz in his Australian way: "Don't use the two toilets on the left, they are, er, blocked up." when Elder Cruz laughed. He said,  "Yea well one was already blocked, and I blocked up the other." I just wish I could send his voice to you all.

Elder Stewart and Bowler play soccer with me and Elder Cruz during Gym. Soccer is the best. We play tagalan speaking vs. spanish speaking, and there are usually around 100 elders playing i think. (i have no idea how to spell tagalan) [I assume he means Tagalog]

We have been blessed and humbled as a district with an hermana three person companionship. I say blessed because every one is more behaved when they are in the room, and humbled cuz it is so apparent how much older they are, and how much more mature they are, and how "elders can never have nearly as much compassion as hermanas."

Speaking of apparent age, the Elders who have been here for about 8 weeks or so seem SOOO MUCH older than us. Even though they are basically the same exact age as us... But I will never be able to make some brand new Provo kid think that because (drum roll)

Our district is being sent to the Lima MTC in 3 or so weeks! And I am the only one who was supprised by that... I have no idea how that happened, but I'm excited. Once we get there, it will really be full language emersion. So where is my spanish now? We have been saying every prayer in espanol for 2 days now, and we had to prepare a talk in spanish yesterday. Though honestly a good portion of mine was to be read out of the Libro de Mormon. We have gone over oso-ing [oso is the spanish word for bear (the animal), by the way] our testimony in spanish and praying in spanish so far. We have done a ton of stuff like practicing approaches and whatnot.

Suprises:

How little eating time there is. We have 45 minutes and I barely get enough food to be full! There are significant lines. The food is a little better than Cannon Center food at Helaman Halls BYU, so I like it! Not to mention, the Chocolate Milk machines are always full!!! I love that liquid.

The amount of space we have: not much. I have about 2 cubic metes of sleeping space, .46 cubic meters of which are used rather inefficiently to make sleep comfortable. The rest is air. I have been waking up every day a few minutes before my alarm because I hear people going to the shower a little earlier than me. What happened to being a heavy sleeper? I have no idea.

How regimented the schedule is. Even Sunday I had stuff I was to be doing literally every 15 minutes of the day if you include sleeping. There are a few minutes throughout the day that cooouuldd be used to take a tiny nap I guess...or laze around... but spending them on scripture study is much better. I have been memorizing a scripture every day btw, today is Alma 29:9, yesterday was my favorite so far, the first vision.

How little (it seems) spanish we do a day. So we learn spanish actively for about 4 hours a day, which doesn't seem like a ton to me, since the other 12 hours are all busy too. But maybe that is just cuz we are still only getting out of the newbie missionary schedule and lessons.

Last night, we decided to go watch LEGACY the mormon movie. It was a truncated version to fit into the amout of time we had, but I have never been so affected by a movie. I've seen it before, but watching with a couple hundred other missionaries was something else. Also, towards the end, I pulled off my missionary name tag, and just stared at the words "Elder Johnson" There are about 1000 Elder Johnsons here, but this one is me, and I finally got here. It was pretty emotional for a bit.

Sorry if this doesnt make so much sense.. my previous attempt probably did, but it got pwned by that red count down timer combined with a failing internet.

Pictures will come next Preparation day I hope! Also, remember to update my facebook mailing address, and also on the blog!

I am having such a great time!

Love

Elder Mark (with a k, yes a k not a c... im the one on the bottom of the stack) Johnson