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.