23 July 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

First, I got some GREAT NEWS THIS WEEK!!!!!

I wanted to let you know about how Brother Cabrera is doing! GREAT!

The Elders in Porvenir told me (the other day we got together for a meeting as zone leaders). They said he is working a ton in the work of the Lord, that his wife is the president of the Young Women, and they go in his car to reactivate with the Elders all the time. They are so happy and lots of their family members are being baptized.

Also, at last, the branch president, President Hilaccama, has been released after 15 years as Branch President. What a long calling for him. (haha) But he did so much work in that time. The new Branch President is our beloved Brother Cabrera! with 4.5 months as member they called him into the branch presidency :))))) I was so happy to hear that he is now working so hard too. He’s getting used to interviews, to activation, to all the work that is now asked of him, but they are happy, especially since so many are coming to church from his family! This month it looks like there will be 15 baptisms in the Branch! With all the activation, it’s growing a ton! That's soooo great to hear, no? I'm so happy for them.

This week has been really special. We had a mission spin (how do you say gira misional en ingles?) a mission tour or mission visit? from a member of the first Quorum of the 70: Elder Uceda. It was marvelous. First he came to Tacna, and the zones from Mollendo, Tacna, Ilo, and Moquegua came all [there’s a spanish-ism] to a meeting house in our zone here in Zone Alameda. We had a meeting with him from 2:45 to 7 and we were so amazed at how he taught. He taught us about something pretty simple, the obedience to the missionary handbook, and the standards that are in it contained, especially: Stay Together. He also talked about not Tuteando. No idea how to say that in ingles, but basically it’s a grammatical form that doesn’t really exist in English, apart from the closest thing which would be thee and thy.... but anyway, in spanish, it’s used to talk to people informally. Like as if the two are "bro´s" haha. Anyway, in Peru it is the way they normally talk to show more friendship. Elder Uceda came and talked about how we should never use that tense, because it detracts from the calling (I imagine the only one understanding this is mom... and Elder Johnson2 [speaking of Paul, who is currently in the MTC learning spanish, and a number of other spanish speakers who will read this letter]. Anyway, it was so powerful when he said: You have to be different. You are missionaries. He taught us about DyC 36:2 and told us to read it like this: And I will put my hand on thee by the hand of my servant President Hall. Wow that was an impressive application.

Next, we had a meeting with all the zone leaders in Arequipa with him and the President. He took another 2 hours out of his schedule to teach us about the process of the conversion. He talked about his personal conversion to the Church. He was a young person of 18 years and he met the missionaries and they gave him a Book of Mormon. He talked about how they both were from the United States (in that time there were very few members who were Peruvians) and one spoke very well, and the other hardly could speak spanish. He remembered thinking, this missionary must really believe what he is telling me, whatever it is, it must be true. He started reading it that night and read all night. He said he didn’t have hunger or thirst in that time and he just wanted to read, because it made him feel good and feel the love of God. The next day he told the missionaries that he wanted to be baptized. His first Tuesday after his baptism he went to mutual [a class at church for the youth]. He felt good, he felt like he belonged. His brothers who were a little more social than he went off immediately with some friends, and he, shy, stayed back. People were shuffling to and fro and they were talking and busy and he was standing there without knowing anybody... He started to feel uncomfortable... So, he started to read the announcement board... Still nobody came.. So, he kept reading. He read the whole thing, and nobody came over to talk to him, he looked around, everybody already knew each other... so he read the board again. The second time, the third, the fourth, the fifth.. nobody talked to him. He started to feel bad, he started thinking, “I should go home. I can go home, and I can be a good member of the church, but at home, I’ll read this book that makes me happy when I read it at home and I’ll do all God wants me to at home because I’m not wanted here I won’t come back. He looked to the door and started moving to go, and a young women leaves a classroom between him and the door. Shy, he looks down and doesn’t say anything. She says: Hello. He doesn’t say anything, She says, "Here’s a candy for you" He feebly looks up but says confused "No I don’t like candy" so she took his arm and walked him right into the room with the other young people, and presented him to them all. He said "Then I sat down, and stayed, and I’m still here"

Can you imagine what would have happened if that young women hadn’t been moved upon by the spirit to walk out? or if she had been shy about making friends with Elder Uceda? Wow.... it is quite a thing to think about. It’s really important to make friends with those who don’t have friends in the church.

Something that really impacted me was how he talked about the process of the conversion to the Church and the Gospel. He talked about all the complex things that are part of the missionary department, and all the staff and the MTCs of the world, the coordination, the part the Twelve [apostles] play, all the work they do, but that all comes down to the moment that 2 missionaries are in front of and investigator, and they are in front of the Book of Mormon, and God. Wow. It’s true.

An update on Renzol Vallejos! He’s doing great! He’s the one who showed up in church last week. He came yesterday too and is preparing for his baptism this Saturday! He got an answer to his prayer and is just anxious to learn all he can. He is great. Also, for the week after there is a man who is solid whose children prayed and asked the Lord if they should reactivate themselves and if the church really was true a few weeks ago. He decided to guide his family back to the church being baptized as they have been! The ward is getting animated too with some of the new things we are doing to get just great relations with them. I’m really enjoying my time with Elder Jones!

Love Elder Johnson

16 January 2012

Third time is a charm!  Mark with Elder Stewart in Hunter Area of Arequipa

This mouse is for Paul!

Dear to the family,

You shall never guess where I am and who I'm with.

This last week, I finished a week and a half companionship with Elder Rojas. It was really awesome. He is a pretty cool guy. He is from Lima, the capital of Peru. Before the mission he was a member 4 years and was baptized in 1 week [after meeting the missionaries], more or less. His parents were baptized a few years before and brothers and sisters too, but in one week he realized he knew the church was true. His dad was converted first. Elder Rojas is a great missioanry. He, before the mission danced traditional Peruvian dances of all types. I saw some cool pictures of his dance groups.

Anyway in the night last night the asistants called us and told me (as the president had told me a week and a half ago) that I was going [to be transferred]. They surprised me: Hunter stake, Berlin ward. It is the same stake I started in. And my companion, is ELDER STEWART! Hahaha I was excited to hear that even though I was pretty incredulous that it was the same Elder Stewart, since we've been companions 2 times before: in the MTC in Peru, in Tacna, and now. It's gunna be awesome. I was a little sad when I heard he was going to leave Tacna.

In the route here, getting off the bus, three kids shouted "Elder!! Elder!!" from a bus that was headed to Lima. Haha I felt weird being recognized out in the open without a companion, but they were so happy it made me laugh. It's gunna be weird not having a companion when that happens. (I really, really want to extend. but I shouldn't. So I am going to not extend, sometiendo la voluntad del hijo a la voluntad del padre.) 

On the bus ride here there was a really gross movie on and after talking a while with the person on my side, I was trying to not listen.... There is so much bad in the world. I was reflecting in the system of movie rating that is used in the states (there isn't really anything used here). G means even kids can go. PG-13 means it's recommended that people < 13 don't watch it. R is restricted to > 18. The scriptures say that we must make ourselves as little children to enter the kingdom of God. In the MTC I decided for that reason to not listen to music that wouldn't be appropriate for a 3 year old or see movies of the same. Was it Grandpa Johnson that said "I'm not old enough to go to that movie"? I want to be little child, not a child of mode of thinking, but without malice, but mature in mode of thinking as says Paul.

Last Sunday I had a talk. I talked about the missionary work and how to love it. I'm definitely not the best example but I have been trying to follow the admonition of Mormon, praying to receive the pure love of Christ. Saturday night we found some abuelitos [grandparents] and teaching them I testified about the Book of Mormon. The grandpa said with much interest: "How much does that book cost? We want to read it!" Haha talking with them I felt a large love for them and when we got back to the room, I told Elder Rojas. "Hey,  those grandpas... I love them and I can't figure out how but I do." I shared that experience in my talk. I was also thinking about how much I love the Cabrera family. I went in divisiones in the morning of my last Sunday there and went to go to church with them. They were getting ready and for the first time his wife came too!!!!!!! While we waited a few minutes Brother Cabrera came out and said in an excited whisper: "We're getting married! So I told them [let me know when you get baptized."-----this sentence wasn't completed, but that is the editor's guess on the ending.]

So starting off the round 3 with Elder Stewart we are going to work so hard. It's going to be intense. We are animated [excited] to work super, super hard and we have been talking about what we did good when we were together. That's what we want to do but 5 times better now. I think we can. I think we can. I think we can. Haha no.  I know we can. I'm about fried on the thank you letters. Today I won't be able to either for the changes. I was in before and l almost sent this whole letter, but the internet died. Luckly the church's mail service is by google, and since google is smart, it saves automatically every few minutes for those who arent' so smart.

 I sent a picture of Elder Stewart and I and the cool mouse that this computer has that Paul will appreciate especially.

 So yes. We had Aji de Gallina for lunch. It's a type of curry almost... with stringed chicken inside and two matagringos on top. A matagringo is a type of olive that's super bitter, purple, and gross. Haha but I ate it. You gotta eat it. I always eat what I don't like first. So that in the course of the meal I can be saved from the bitter bitter taste. There is about one gringo in the mission who likes matagringos. The correct name is aceituna.

I got to know the missionaries from the Hunter Zone today. They seem pretty awesome. I also got to see Elder Ulmer, one of our ex assistents in the mail post of Arequipa as we went to see if we could take out the packages of Elder Stewart. On the way we had to pass through the plaza and I got to see it for the first time in more than a year. Just passing but it was very pretty. Everything is very different than Camana. A lot more money here. BMW. Audi. I even saw a Z4.

Well I just wanted to add that. Next week with some pictures of the area. We live in a room on the property of the stake president. He seems pretty awesome. In the bus today I met someone again who is from the Augusto Freyre ward that I was in last year. I had taught her husband and she wants me to come back. She said I was the only one her husband ever agreed to be baptized with but that after I got transfered to Tacna for some reason he wasn't baptized. It was so weird to feel back in the same. We got on the same bus. My area now is about 5 miles from Augusto Freyre.. or less... on the way to and from city center.

MUCHO love

Elder Johnson

9 January 2012

Beautiful Peruvian sky

Mark, January 2012 (17 months into his mission)

Querido Familia.

How did the week go? I had a great week here with the Elder Rojas. He is from Lima and is very good. He’s got the same time in the mission as I do and comes from the Mollendo Zone (pronounced moyendo more or less I think.. it’s hard for me to write how it sounds in English... I think if I read a word in I don’t know I would read it with a spanish accent yes or yes).

This week we have been trying and trying to do the good. We couldn’t work Monday or Tuesday and started Wednesday. But even asi (with that) we passed the last week. We ALSO had to do two interchanges of companions... so basically I was with Elder Rojas Wednesday, y (and) Sunday and a little of Saturday.

Last night we taught a family who was pretty awesome.

The family Chamana is progressing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We talked with them with Elder Garcia in intercambios (exchanges with another companion) and taught about eternal marriage and civil marriage. The dad was alone that day and at the beginning was ok with the idea of getting married, but at the end he was so animated (excited) to be able to go get married next week!! So we left him to go to another cita (appointment) and we challenged him to ask the hand of his girlfriend to be wife. His children were so happy that they will be getting married.

When we came the next time the to-be wife was there and we got to teaching, she expressed a lot of doubt and the feeling that she couldn’t leave the traditiones (traditions) of her parents. We taught her the doctrine of eternal marriage. She said the same that her to-be husband had said last week that she didn’t want to submit herself to the law of man, just God, so she was going to get married by the power of God. We explained about the sacred nature of the marriage covenant and how we have to be spiritually ready and how Civil marriage is a blessing that allows her family to stay together in the preparation for a temple marriage. To be able to complete the Law of Chastity starting now to be ready by February 2013 for the temple. They at the end were able to be happy and wanting to get ready. Another one of their doubts was that there is ONE church on the Earth with the authority of God to perform ordinances and not all of them (all of the churches). I understood why she thought that that would be a problem. It’s because the world is imagining a God who doesn’t exercise mercy on those who come unto Him in faith. We explained the temple and how in addition to ordinances for the living, there those who have deceased can be sealed to their families in the heavens, because that is the mercy of God with His children. We explained the other part of her doubt, that children who haven’t been baptized or are baptized from a baptism other than that of Christ (like hers) aren’t lost, but of them is the kingdom of God. In that moment she realized that all of her doubts are coming form false doctrines and teachings of the "world" but really from any who isn’t the Church of Jesus Christ. She understood that God is merciful and loving and was relieved.

Here in Peru, to get married you need your birth certificate. But nobody ever has it and if they are from far away, they have to go to their home town to  get a certified copy. We were worried that that would delay their marriage but SHE HAS A COPY! I have never heard of that happening. Her to-be husband is from Camana so that’s easy. 

Also in church yesterday, something awesome happened. The Quorum of Elders teacher was sharing the 11 personal creeds that George Albert Smith gave himself when he had 34 years (they are so awesome). One was that he would help all know the truth. The teacher asked what it meant and Brother Cabrera (the investigator.. the only Brother Cabrera I know...just so y’all know) gave the answer: We have to help all know know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Jesus Christ is the Lord. I wrote that down to remember it. He had brought his brother to church too to be able to present (introduce) his brother to us.

In the zone leader conference the President talked about DyC 4 and asked if this is a missionary scripture. We all said yes and he said: “No.” Haha. It was given to the patriarch of the Church, the father of Joseph Smith in this time. But it applies to all, and especially ward council and priesthood excecutive committee and mission coordination. That we need to work with all! Then he mentioned a scripture for young missionaries and said DyC 11 and I officially recommend it to Paul so that he can study it good this week. It’s really, really good, and it guilt- tripped me a little for not having studied it before coming.... so Paul, read it so you can avoid guiltation (where did this word come from?) like me. haha. But really, study and understand it. You will be called to preach the gospel with power and authority. That doesn’t just come. You have to make yourself ready to preach in that way. And it doesn’t just come by going to the MTC. It has to come from YOU and you should know the word before going. Like it says in DyC 11. Asi que, lealo! (So, read it!)

Tomorrow we’ve got family home evening with the Cabrera family.

Today I was reading in Corinthians and it was AWESOME. This Paul guy was such a man. I want to be like him. I like how he expresses the truths, I like 1 Corinthians 12 28 a lot and 1 Cor 14 is illuminating.

Love Elder Johnson