7 May 2012

Dear Family, 

7 May 2012

Now I do have the names! But warning again, I highly doubt they are spelled right, and they are in Spanish:

1. Giardia:
2. Blastosisitis Honminu [Blastocystis hominus, high geographic distribution, especially prevalent in developing countries, fecal-oral transmission from animals to humans]
3. Kiromastiks Mesnilla [can’t find this one or translate it?  anyone? -Rene]

But now I'm feeling pretty good. Not that I ever didn't, I just finished the pills and yea... pretty much the same, although I think I'm eating less, and I'm not so underweight now. I think.

So we had the Zone Leaders conference as we habitually have every first Monday and Tuesday of each month. It was a wild one. President Fernandez had just gotten back from his meeting of Mission Presidents of the whole South American North West area. They talked about a bunch of cool stuff. One thing that he shared with us was from Doctrine and Covenants. It was so interesting.

Yea its all about Doctrine and Covenants 130:20. [20 There is a ^alaw, irrevocably decreed in ^bheaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all ^cblessings are predicated—]

Then we talked a little about how faith is a principle of power and that if we want blessings we only need to be obedient to the law upon which those blessings are predicated. We read in D&C 104:78 [ 78 And again, verily I say unto you, concerning your debts—behold it is my will that you shall ^apay all your ^bdebts.] and he explained how the Lord wants us to get out of our problems. It’s a great scripture for those who have debts especially. Not only debts, but HE wants us to be efficient powerful missionaries. 

So we read D&C 104:80  [80 And inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the ^aprayer of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your ^bdeliverance]. gives us the conditions by which He will send us the solution. 

And D&C104:79 [79 And it is my will that you shall ^ahumble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your ^bdiligence and humility and the prayer of faith] which reassures us that it is His will that we receive the blessing. 

And so we read D&C 88:34 [ 34 And again, verily I say unto you, that which is ^agoverned by law is also preserved by law and perfected and ^bsanctified by the same] It is just so cool. It says that if we let the law govern us, it will protect and sanctify us. It will make us protected and perfect. What we have to do is apply ourselves to the Law that has been given us to be able to be perfect.

That was a pretty intense lesson.

I’ve been thinking continually about what I can do. You all remember how last Christmas I told y'all how I was desirous to extend about a year. Mom asked: "If you ask and they tell you no, is that because you don't have faith?" I replied more or less "No, it just means I’ve got to repent of having a desire not in line with the will of the Lord" 

So I was in an interview a while back with the president and I mentioned how I wanted to extend, and he said, “How much, a month?”

And I said “No.”

And he said, “A transfer?”

And I said, “No.” 

“Two transfers?”

 I said, “No.”

Then I said, I just don't feel like I should. He said something so cool in reply. He said, “If you become a consecrated missionary, whatever thing you ask for will be given to you.”

That left me thinking a while and I was reflecting on what the scriptures say: That if we ask in the Spirit, we will never ask for something that isn't the will of the Lord, and that all it will be given us. Preach My Gospel also says something like that. And so I consulted in that manner, and I will be able to extend 6 weeks! I talked to the President and he said that it seems excellent. Return date: September 26 Wednesday. I hope my being late in that doesn’t affect too much for all y’all.

Also in the zone leader’s counsel, the President asked a question and nobody was answering, and so I answered and got the first part right, and 4 parts more and there! It was really easy, and I don’t know why but the president was pretty satisfied so he said to the assistants, “Write down that we’re eating at Chilis with Elder Johnson and Elder Erhard next Monday. So we’re lunching at Chilis with the President today! Then, since our zone and 2 other zones had 4 baptisms (and that at the beginning of the month -- as a mission we are trying to make it so the majority of the baptisms are in the beginning of the month in order to have more constancy in the work-- and not the end like always), in each we got the invitation to play soccer with the President and the other two zones at 2 after lunch.

Looks like we can’t use skype this year for Mother’s Day.

In my study this morning, I read some scriptures I really liked!

First Mormon 8:39 [39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?]

Next Mormon 9:27-28 [ 27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. ^aDoubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and ^bcome unto the Lord with all your ^cheart, and ^dwork out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.

 28 Be ^awise in the days of your ^bprobation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your ^clusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and ^dliving God.]

I’m about to finish for the 6th time in the mission the Book of Mormon. It is so true. So, so true.

We couldn’t teach David this week because his father got really sick and he even had to be in the hospital at 9:15 Sunday. So he couldn’t go to church. 

It seems that Diego or his dad didn’t tell his mom he wanted to be baptized till Friday... and she wants all the uncles and aunts to be there... so we are rescheduling.

I attached here a picture of the zone and also a video of a practice we did with me and Elder Erhard this morning on the day of rest. Not the best thing.. haha but funny.

Love Elder Johnson