Dear Family,
Oooff haha y'all put up the video of practicing. But wait you don't understand anything (apart from mom).
Elder Conole? Awesome! He was from the same zone I was in in Arequipa and I just saw him Wednesday. He is a great missionary and is doing miracles in Arequipa right now.
In this week we had another reunion [meeting] with the presidente [president] with about 28 missionaries. We talked about everything that the mission is doing, and about the faith. Interesting. The mission prep book that I read (which was great, thank you Brother Brooks) talked a little bit about that, but I didn't really let it hit me until the President spoke about the Faith for about 3 hours. Haha. But really. He was teaching us about how in all intelligent beings, faith is a principle of action [action] (from Joseph Smith). Which is to say that to have faith allows us to work. The faith that the mission has right now brought us to baptize 155 people in August (a 4-Saturday month). That is faith of action [action]. We need to be able to have a faith of power. Faith is a principle of power. All know the examlpe of saying to the investigator, move your pen on the table with your faith. We have all taught that to get it to move, you have to choose to act and pick it up. The President did that in the reunion [meeting], and when the missionary got up, the President said "no from over there do it". Then he taught us about Jacob 4:6. That is the kind of faith that we need to develop to do what the Lord wants us to do.
After that meeting we came back to Camana and the asistentes [Assistents to the President: two missionaries who work directly with the mission president in leading the mission] came with us to work in Camana. Edler Ortiz went with Elder Ulmer and I with Elder Loe (the one from my group!) I learned a lot in that moment too. I learned the importance of loving the people. This week we found 22 people to teach, (even though we hardly had time Monday, less Tuesday since we went to Arequipa, and none Wednesday) and I hope that we can help all of them to progress, but the balance is to remember that there are so many more people that we can't stick with people who aren't progressing.
What we are doing is working more like our commission says. So exciting these days.
In one lesson, we¨were teaching the family of a member, and the moment the word baptism left my mouth the mom went so unwilling and started rambling about all sorts of experiences that she has had. I listened to the spirit whisper that I should not cut her off, and after about 12 minutes (all the other people had completely lost interest) when she finished, I invited her to pray and ask God, and she was so happy with that idea. Her daughters too and especially her member son.
We also taught the family that owns the big farm in front of our house. They are pretty awesome, and though they couldn't go to church yesterday, have promised to go the next. We talked a lot to them about the family, and the power of the gospel restored to make it possible for families to be together after death.
Last night we prayed to be able to find another family before having to got back for the night. I felt pretty specifically that we should go the the area of Micaila, so we ran there and started knocking. Out of one door came two children who obviously are best friends. We called their mother and she came out laughing. I think it's them but we will teach them tomorrow or passing tomorrow [day after tomorrow].
Love Elder Johnson
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Showing posts with label Assistants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Assistants. Show all posts
Monday, September 5, 2011
5 September 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
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
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
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