22 August 2011 Visit from Elder Oaks

Dear family, Que dicho este dia. [This was such a sweet day].  So I have so much to write. First, teaching the week, we found lots of new investigators [investigators]. 22. And of these were two families and one who are THE BEST. When we teach you can feel that they are really special. The wife told us that never before has her husband let any other group of people talk about the bible with them, but he opened the door for us and invited us in! They have been so prepared by angels. When we prayed with the wife, she changed a ton. The reason was that she actually asked with real intention "tell me if this is true!" And now she really feels it. We invited her husband to be baptized and before he could say yes she said "Yo SI!" Que bueno.   ["Me, yes!"  How wonderful!] [The husband is going to take the Book of Mormon to be able to read in work and well it's just awesome. Before she prayed, she said she can feel it's true by the very presence of us. A taste of what always will be when I repent more. But that's not even the best. We've started to teach like that a lot. Just lots of experiences. Really awesome. Thursday we got a call from the assistants [to the Mission President] who informed us that the Zone was going to go to Arequipa Monday because Elder Oaks [one of the twelve apostles] was coming and today we went!!! He shook everyone's hands and with his wife emitted pure love to all. They came with Juan Useda y Donald L Hallstrom, of the seventy and the presidency of the seventy respectively. They talked before. Elder Useda talked about D&C 4:2 and the meaning of heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. I particularly liked mind. He said that we need to make our minds into tools of the Lord. By focusing 100 percent we will be able to do 100 [% of what] the Lord has here for us to do. Elder Donald L Hallstrom spoke of D&C 43:8 and 9 and our responsibility to be edified. If we don't do anything, we won't be edified in the church reunions [meetings] like the Sunday school classes. We can be taught, but it takes our part to be edified. Then he said a measure of discipleship is looking for the law and completing it. He said that we are to refine ourselves by changing and bettering, refining ourself always. He said that Elder Oaks is an incredibly professional man, but that he is also a refined disciple of the Lord.  So then spoke Elder Oaks of the 12 (see Ephesians 2:20 and later in ch 4). He testified of Christ and taught us some principles that we must do to be able to achieve the 400 baptisms per month that Elder Nash profitizied [prophesied] that we can do. Recently in Jesus the Christ for the second time I have been learning about the 12 from His time. The word means one who is sent. Look up the part in the notes of that chapter. With the spiritual outpout that we experienced, I am glad we don't live in a world like that of Mormon 1:14 and that there are people who have gifts like those of time of old. Elder Oaks has been very blessed with these gifts. He said with a boldness that struck to the core. "If you believe these things see that you do them." Mosiah 4:10 We are going to do them and see that we do them. That goes with something he also wanted us to teach the members. They ask us when will there be a temple in southern Peru (the closest is 11 hours from this the most nothernly part of our mission, 18 from Tacna). His answer to this is, pay your tithing and trust in the lord. He told us something very interesting. "In the deciding the things of the church, the Area Presidency has some voice, the Presidency of the 70 has some voice, the 12 have some voice, and the counselors of the Prophet have some voice, but not in where temples go. That is between the Lord and His prophet. The way he said it was also a powerful testification [testimony] of the truthfulness of the divine calling of President Monson [the current prophet]. Elder Oaks made an example of a pen. The ink was the word of God, with which we must be filled, the mechanism that clicks or twists to bring down the point, is obedience to the mission rules and the commandments. When the Lord starts to write with His "pen", He doesn't want it to write its own message, but His, he doesn't want it to say, "No, not now.  I'm tired." or "It's my P day". He wants His pen to do His work. We are the pen. Elder Oaks taught us that we shouldn't say "I have been on my mission for x months" because it isn't our mission. It is the Lord's time and His mission. Well, that's about all folks. Great week coming up-. Love Elder Johnson

22 November 2010

Dear family and friends,

Yeah, hopefully it [the christmas packages] will get through or something... I have had to dip into my emergency money for two reasons already. And simple [speaking of Christmas gifts] is completely fine and expected. I am way too far [away] to be normal [with Christmas gifts].

Today was transfer day, but neither Elder Orihuela or I are going anywhere this transfer, so we will pass Christmas in a familiar pension [apartment].

In church ages ago, Dad made stickers for us, the 12 to 18 year old group of hombres known as Young Mens. We had talked about how many signs say walk to the nearest exit, and how that for spiritual danger like sin we should always run and not walk from the danger.

Well I was reviewing a short church movie we watched and was sharing a message related to it. While talking I remembered this lesson from Young Mens and shared it with them too. The addition of this memory completed very nicely my message and seemed to impact the family deeply. They have been inactive since before I arrived, but last Sunday they went to church!!!!

Alma 26:22, one of the scriptures we have memorized as directed by the president says that if we repent, exercise faith, produce good work, and pray continually without ceasing, we will be able to find people to teach. I have been striving to do all three, but am not yet perfect. Also, I feel like as a companionship, we could do a lot more to complete the produce buenas obras [good works] part. Really we have done very little productive work. Doctrine and Covenants teaches missionaries that we are called to ... I don't know how to translate it exactly into English... but to find and teach the people who are prepared already to accept the gospel. As we only have 2 years of time, we should not spend time with people who are not ready. In this we need to improve.

I am not sure how i can try to change or improve our works, our diligence, and our obedience. As a greenie of 3 and a half months almost, I feel like I don't know anything compared to Elder Orihuela of 14 months. Yet at the same time I feel like there are definitely things we can do to improve... I guess I am confused why we aren’t doing them and feel like I shouldn't be the one to start it, or that he won’t want the initiative to come from me, junior companion still in my training period.

We as a district moved about 700 kilograms of rocks and sand up a hill comparable in steepness to Big Schloss. Less high, but I estimate we gave the rocks 200,000 joules very inefficiently.

As far as Spanish goes, I have been learning so much. I have started learning a tinsy bit of Quechua. It is weird to learn a language from a language which isn't your birth language. I told an investigator this and she was surprised. She thought I learned Spanish first, and then English! This because of my striving to be obedient.

Love Elder Johnson