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

14 November 2011

Dear Family,

14 November 2011

I did get shoes from Tacna.  But what would be GREAT would be some Doctor Scholes gellin inserts. Elder Davey from the zone is currently gelling and when I put those shoes on, I am not gelling. They hurt mas bien [quite a bit] after a few hours walking, but nothing I can’t handle until Christmas. I also obtained glue to keep re-gluing the rubber they put on my soles every time they come off-- as a temporary thing.

That’s pretty awesome about Hamid [a young convert in the Arlington 1st Ward who is serving a mission in the Denver Colorado North mission]. I don’t know who he is... but yea! The mission will be the best for him.

Thanks in advance for the packages!!!!!!!!!!

Finishing this week we feel pretty good! We upped the record of church assistance [meaning, attendance at church meetings by converts] from the past few weeks. In the morning of Sunday we did splits with President Vilca (I’m not exactly sure if the first counselor of the Elders Quorum is called president too... si no?) and with Yimmy, our neighbor.

I went with Yimmy and after making some calls we ran up the mountain to Paraiso working up a nice little sweatcito [this made me laugh---”ito” is added to the end of the word to mean “a little”]. We got up there and a friend of Joel, the kid who was baptized in the second week of October was waiting for us outside his house with collectivo [taxi] fare ready. We looked for Nelly and her daughter, but they weren’t there (She called us at lunch time to say sorry, which is WAY AWESOME) and then went to Ruth Chuima, who said she couldn’t come. But I did not want to take no for an answer. After trying to see if there was something I could do so she could go, like wash the clothes, she said the kids would have to change and so much stuff, so I asked where they were and went off running to call them back and to animate them [get them excited] to go to church. When they came back we were almost all ready but something happened and anyway Sister Chuima couldn’t.... so worried we went a little down the mountain with Joel, his friend Omar, and his mom Sujei. We passed Davíd Molina who had gone to a neighbor to invitar  [invite] her. Yimmy and I talked a little bit with her and we took out an appointment to come back.  She seems pretty great, and now late [for the meeting], we sprinted down the east face to get in a collectivo [a little taxi] and make it to the chapel and finish the splits.In the meeting Brother Chamana (someone for whom Elder Ortiz went) with his two kids came.  Ruth Chuima actually DID show up with her two kids, and we were already there with Omar!  Pretty awesome.

That was my Sunday morning. I wish every member could take at least one friend to church. I’ve heard they do that in Colombia in some wards, and the people in the Sacrament Meeting are about half members with mountains of baptisms every week.

This week we went to the Zone Leaders Council, which was AWESOME. I learned a ton. We worked out a bunch of issues in the mission. The president taught us about the Doctrine of Christ in a way that kind of blew my mind and we learned a bunch from Sister Fernandez including some things that will help the mission be able to have powerful companionship relationships, something that I have recently realized is very, very important. Elder Stewart and I were almost there with the powerful relationship thing, and se notaba [and you could notice it].

The President talked about the Doctrine of Christ, and the order of the Church of Christ. He talked about the significance and importance of ordinances. And how of course and ordinance has to be [done] Christ’s way.  And how when people tell us that they could be baptized, but don’t really want to change religion it’s because we didn’t really teach the thing well enough. We aren’t talking about a change of religion, we are talking about a change of heart. The humility to live our life in the Lord’s way and be on His errand. It was awesome.

I think one problem we are having is that we assume that people know what baptism is.

Anyway, we are going to have a great next week! nd we are going to work soo sooo hard with the zone.

Love Elder Johnson.

22 August 2011 Snail Mail letter-spanish-isms, Camana jokes

Dear family,

Ok, Ok.  Sorry it has been a long time.  I hope my [memory] card can get there all safe.  These baby SD's are pretty sweet.  How are you'll  Sounds like from DearElder, everything is going just fine, and that Eric is loving the benefits that come from having two brothers out of the house.  I was amazed when you all said that ASFS is almost over, and that we have had a constant presence there for the past 16 years!  I started it.  Haha.  How's the ward doing? Balancing work, play, and callings?

I am planning on buying shoes pretty soon.  I got them repaired for about 7 soles, but they've started to come off the new soles.  But don't worry about it.  You all sent me with 1000 soles.  That should be way more than I'll spend in the mission.  I just wish I had bought them in Tacna where everything is cheap.  Camana is a poor place and it is a pricey place to eat and buy stuff especially compared to Tacna.  One thing that my companion always says is "Esooooo"  Or rather, "Thaaaaat."  It's pretty funny since he says it in the Arequipan way/Columbian way.

Is it understood in English when someone says, "How long have you lived here?" and the other says: "ooooo" but with an ascending smoothly, rapidly tone of voice?  In Arequipa, it means "a lot". So in that case, it's like saying, "since forever."  I really don't know though. Does that make any sense in English?  Other example:  "Hace freiooooo (with an ascending voice)" or "It's cooooooold. (with an ascending voice)".  That means "It's REALLY cold."  I don't know if that makes sense, but it's funny.

With Elder Hunsaker, we were thinking about just that.  All of southern Peru has Arequipa jokes, like blond jokes.  But the area of the Province of Arequipa includes Camana.  Everyone also has blond type jokes about the people who live in Camana.  So they suffer all the general Arequipa jokes AND receive the directed Camana jokes.  The only example I can remember is they say Camanans are the crabs since they walk sideways instead of forward.

So funny, right?. . . . silence. . .

It's weird.  In some zones an attitude of not working gets perpetuated.  When I came here, I was like, "Let's GO!"  But the attitudes of everyone were, "We can't do so much here. . . it's Camana.  When Elder Ortiz came, I realized that I, in the 6 weeks slipped a little into that too.  When the changes come, I talked with all those who were staying and committed them to never say anything bad about Camana to their new companeros (companions) or at all and we've started out o.k.  Still many didn't get to the contacts minimum set by the President.  I think that number is a pretty good way to measure the level of dedication.  The goal set by President Fernandez is 250 contacts per week.  This week many had less than 180, some less than 130!  We want to animate [enthuse] the missionaries so they can achieve much more than what we are doing.  Well, that's about it about the Zone.

As far as us, have had some of the best lessons of my mission in this week, but something is keeping us from finding those who really have been prepared, or maybe something is keeping us from connecting well with their hearts.

I've been appreciating better in the recent days how much everyone needs our message.  At the same time, I have had a little more difficulty with the moments that we teach somebody the restoration and they say something like, "Well, that's nice."  They should say, "That's AMAZING and I feel it is true!"  Yesterday we gave the first lesson to a contact.  Towards the end, the mom told us, in response to my companion's question of why would it be important for you to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet?  She said, "To know if another of our brothers has been waved."  When we explained a little more and asked him if he wanted to know if it is true, he said, "Well, since it isn't in the Bible, it can't be, and I won't have anything for true if it isn't in the Bible."  Despite these concerns, I think I have a lot more charity now. I realized that all these times Paul said, "So prideful," he wasn't wrong.  These two have been a focus point for me:  charity and pride.

We contacted a pregnant 25 year old the other day.  She broke down crying.  She said that she has distanced [herself] from God.  Lots of problems happen when people/parents just co-habitate.  The law of chastity has all the reason [makes so much sense]. She said her "husband' left her a few years back for her sister right after having their first child.  About 1 year ago, he came back asking forgiveness and they resumed living together.  She got pregnant and again he left her for her sister.  So so terrible.  She said she has prayed and prayed to know if God exists, and when she learned her baby will be a boy, she knew that HE does exist despite all of her difficulties.  I hope she is in her house for our appointment.

Ready.  Do the things good in Virginia.

Love,

Elder Johnson

4 July 2011

Dear Family

How is everything? Sounds like Paul is enjoying BYU and having a good time with all the other freshmen. Sounds like all is going well at home too. Yes the last week I got to the area right in time to dine and then go to the appointments. What says the area? It says it is wet
but not super wet so it is ok. Just wet enough to motivate me to fix my shoes so they don't have holes in the soles anymore.

I would do it today but I can't since in just a little bit we are going to go to Arequipa. There is a meeting that we are going to with the
president tomorrow. It's a little weird... I feel like I am getting to know really well the road between Camaná and Arequipa since I came 2
week ago. I went before this week to do interchanges with the Assistants [to the President].

Which was pretty awesome. I went with Elder Frias in his area in Arequipa and his companion came to Camaná. There, we were teaching a family and it was the best. The son was like, "I feel like I should be baptized" And then we went to another, and the guy was getting ready for his baptism but was with doubts so we were talking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what really is baptism.. since almost no
one really appreciates what a covenant is. And he was like, "Wow, but something holds me back." So we prayed and read a scripture, and we felt the Spirit with such power, that he said "YES! and I want to be a missionary. Is it too late for me now that I'm 21?"  [Missionaries typically serve missions between the ages of 19-21, but sometimes they are older.] Later we went to the other person who was preparing for her baptism for this week to confirm it and basically I was a little stunned to see what they are doing there.

Last night we contacted a lady from Northern Peru and she gave us a weird bamboo looking thing that is really a fruit. You chew on it and
juice the juice until basically just wood is left. It is a juice really similar to sugary milk.

¡This week will be the BEST!

All right that was a little [letter] only i know but my time se acabó [is over].


Love Elder Johnson

June 13, 2011

This picture came from Elder Erhard's parents. Mark's on the left, Elder Erhard is next,, his companion, and then Elder Mateus.

Jessica Silva and Edwardo Palomino baptism along with Mark and Elder Mateus

Dear Family and friends,

We learned a ton this week. We had an interesting curve of results graphed by time that showed lots of faith at the start, and then a large drop, and a huge rise Sunday. We need to try to not have these drops. Sunday we found 4 new people to teach and [it] was basically the best. This week we have been inviting everyone [to learn about the church].

This process of inviting many more people has helped me a lot. I feel like I'm talking to them with a real goal of the conversation, to help them repent and make covenants with God. In the course of the week, we invited 62 people to be baptized [on] the 25 of June or the 2 of July. About 11 of them we will continue looking for, although all said yes. We invite so many people because we know that they need it and that by the means of preparing for the 25th or the 2nd, reading the Book of Mormon every day, pondering the message, and praying and asking God if it is true, could be one of the greatest blessings for them in their life, and for all their descendents. Inviting so many times per day also makes you think a lot about how to be more like the prophets and apostles.

So this week we had the great blessing of baptizing Jessica Silva and Edwardo Palomino. Brother Palomino asked me to baptize him and Sister Silva asked the second counselor of the bishopric. It was a really awesome baptismal service. The primary sang, two sisters from the Relief Society sang too, Elder Mateus directed, and the spirit was very strong. The wife of a contact from a few days ago came too and she even invited a few members to her future baptism. It was very wonderful. Every Saturday I want to do that. We had arrived in the early morning to fill up the baptismal font and try to warm it up a little, trying everything from heating up buckets on the stove and pouring them in, to putting an iron in a pot and floating it in the water, but entering [the font] it was quite frigid. Nevertheless, Sister Silva and Brother Palomino bravely entered (after overcomming the shock)

Last night we were walking back to the house and a man called us out and asked if we remembered him. We went over and remembering him started to begin to talk. Three men passed us and both Elder Mateus and I felt that it was the time to go. Three seconds later the guy who called us said, "Careful, they are thieves, and we saw that one had a metal pole, the other a knife, and the other something else. Unfortunately as we abruptly left, they heard the remark and turned heel and started arguing. Turning the corner a police truck passed us and we flagged them, sending them to try to do something for the man we know and his friend. I'm glad we knew we had to leave right then and weren't in the area even one second more...

Stake conference was yesterday! The Temple presidents came from Lima and were the best. We had brought an investigator named Jesus who wanted to talk to them. Wow, very cool. They talked about temples. Haha but also about the reality that they [temples] are the House of the Lord, Houses of Miracles. And about the 5 things that we must do to live with God again.

Wow I just received 17 Dear Elders. Muchos [many] thank yous for the packages and letters from family and friends!

I think I shall be writing a letter today, and I will take my shoes to be re-soled so that I have two working pairs. It costs about 20 soles for gringos, probably about 10 for latinos. I'll send my compañion in front.

Love Elder Johnson

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