9 July 2012

Mark's new companion:  Elder Jones

Querido Family,

It's been a great week. I'm gunna miss Elder Beletanga. He was and still is a great and focused missionary and my friend.

Now that we've been working together 7 days Elder Jones and I, we have really been enjoying this time. This Sunday one of the investigators [investigators] who came to church asked us if we are still planning on her baptism this week. Haha of course. Juana Soyla. She's an older lady who has a daughter and grandaughter who are recent converts. Yesterday morning when she got to church, her daughter was presenting her to all her friends and saying "Look, I brought my mom to church!" And Juana said: "Hey I'm not coming for my daughter, it's that I've chosen to be baptized and I'm coming every Sunday from now on. I'm 70 years old and I need to make myself clean." That was pretty cool to hear.

It's SO cool to have a great Gospel Principles teacher here. It really makes a big difference in the lives of the invesitgatores.

I think we are going to be marrying pretty soon [?????]. We are working with one, two, three, four, families who need to get married. One family is particularly awesome. I think I wrote you about them last week. This week we left an appointment with them where we talked a lot about praying and asking God if the Book of Mormon is true, and the spirit was there. After, since it was making cold [definitely a spanish-ism], she ran to the closet and got out two leather jackets to lend us for the rest of the night (we had left without anything more than shortsleeve white shirts and neckties for warmth... and pants) Haha that was so great of her.

I really like what Preach my Gospel says about answering objections. It says that we should answer whatever objection by helping them to increase faith in Christ, reading the Book of Mormon and praying to KNOW if it's true.

I think my study recently has been more focused. One of the most effective things we can do in lessons when we are teaching about how to receive a testimony of the Book of Mormon, is share spiritual experiences we have had that same day in the morning reading it. I like doing that a lot. The president taught one time about how we can't rely on a testimony gained years ago, we have to be fresh every day. I read the Book of Mormon just an hour ago. I felt the guidance of the Spirit in a question I was considering at the same time and while reading in the later chapters of Alma I felt an answer from the Lord today!

This week we've had some cool moments. One: Teaching the family of catholic missionaries that we have been teaching, they told us how they haven't prayed to know still! We talked a little about the faith, and how they can really trust what the Lord  might tell them. Then, since the spirit was strong, we knelt down and he asked if it is true in his prayer. Then the impression came to ask him to just open it and read. He opened to Alma 57 and read a few verses that perfectly comforted his wife (who had expressed some problems they've been facing this last week). We asked them if they recognized the voice of the Lord in the Book of Mormon, and the dad started talking about something like faith -  I think he wasn't so ready to admit what he was feeling - and his wife interrupted him and said " No, they asked if we can recognize the voice of the Lord in that passage" and they gave themselves count [se dieron cuento--Mark's speaking English with spanish words] that they could! we told them, great, you've felt the spirit, now your duty is to join the true church of Christ (vease D&C 23:7), you've felt it now, but that's not enough, you have to ask again tonight, when we aren't here. If you feel the spirit again you will KNOW that this is true. It's going to be a grand trial for them to give up their traditions and responsibilidades [responsibilities]. They teach in a small pueblito by the beach an hour south of the city. I'm thinking of just opening a branch down there the moment we get things going with them all that way haha.

We went to Leguia (my old area) to interview a baptismal candidate. She had a whole bunch of complaints and that were similar to the Zoramites sadly (vease Alma 39), and we read that verse... She realized she only needed an answer. So we prayed, and after she prayed she looked up and said: I hope He answers that prayer, "and how do you feel right now" she got thinking, and said, "Wow, I feel a huge peace all inside of me, that fills me up." "That's the spirit." "Yes." "What does He tell you?" "That it's true."
That was a quite powerful moment. I liked it a lot. She's got a ton of trials and people telling her she shouldn't be baptized, but it looks like this Saturday she shall be baptized.

As a zone, we've got to get focused. We need to work hard enough and with a strong enough acompaniment of the Spirit to be able to have one baptism in every area per week. President says he could do it with his eyes closed if he were in one of our areas haha. He did have something of 30 per month in his mission.. I think it's possible. And that if we work with ALL we've got, we can qualify ourselves for those blessings.

Thank you for all your prayers, they help a lot! Help the missionaries there, help them have missionary correlation meeting with the ward missionaries and everything, and help animate [excite] the members!

The stake has asked us to do trainings with all the different third hour classes. We did the last one yesterday. Jonathan Delgado, the brother who was baptized a few weeks ago with his wife, said at the end: "I feel like a soldier whos been armed and is ready to go to find people to help bring to the Gospel." Haha, he's awesome and animated [excited] to baptize his friends now that he's a priest. He just needs a responsibility now and home teachers.

Chao!
Elder Johnson

18 June 2012

Dear Family,
18 June 2012

One week older and wiser too! Happy we-ek, too all!

I'm really struggling with writing in my journal recently. The prophets say we should keep one, but I haven't been able to organize well my time to be able to do well here in Tacna. I gotta work on that. Today I'm planning on playing catch up. and then I shall be able to grab the habit of writing every day.

I'm also considering buying myself a keyboard, since these keyboards in the internet cafe are just terrible. I'm working up some serious finger muscle just trying to jam down each key every time I want to write a "p" or delete a letter or put an "e" or press the right arrow key.

Here in Tacna the story is pretty similar to Arequipa but a little different. Lots of people in Arequipa have properties of land which makes it hard to go to the church, since they buy those properties basically doing land prospecting, and waiting until the land has a mayor [greater] value. They go every Sunday by law of the group of prospectors to put things like water tubes or prepare the roads, or help build homes or I don't know what, but anyway, if they don't go, there is a fine. So basically they have to sell their property to go to church. Anyway I don't know why I'm explaining all that since it's not much of a problem here in Tacna! (or at least in Granados, the area we are in, since I remember that there was lots of those situations in Leguia where I was before, some 2000 meters from where I live now).

In divisiones, I went to my ex area this last Tuesday! It was great to be able to see some of the members, and family where we lived (remember the Bimbos distruibutores?), and we were coming back in the night from the ward counsel and we ran into Junior! That was about the oddest thing to ever happen. We passed him in the street and talked a second. Turns out he moved and has been in Lima, but by "coincidence" we found him just the day he was walking towards his house to get some of the last stuff he had left there. That was cool.

The members of this ward are so generous and loving with the missionaries. I think I mentioned this before, but they have us eating so good [well]. Eating with them like that is going to make me get really fat I think. I think I'm taking to a new level the test of how much food my body can ingress without fattening up much... Although right now remembering that first year at BYU with the all-you-can eat buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner and all-you-can- eat ice cream every Sunday... I probably am not eating as much as I was in that time. But I'm at the closest I've gotten here in Peru. They just love us so much. We try to plan so that more than anything else, the less active and new members can invite us, so that our prescence can be most beneficial. Does our ward do something like that?

We had a vision of how the missionary work will be in a few years. There is a book that we keep to register basically everything we do, which is called the Area Book. We realized that in a few years, that book is going to be on a laptop. Maybe it is now in the states, but there will be tons of benefits when that happens! We made 2 weeks ago a list of Former Investigatores which took quite a while, but if the area book were on a laptop in some program, that list would come out in order of street where they live or last name or first or how many times they went to church or how many visits were made or age or whatever the missionaries want in 2 seconds. Furture investigatores would be the same! Just imagine! haha I'm guessing that will be the mission of my children, but doubt Paul or Eric will be able to taste of that dream.... William maybe, no?

We've been finding people who have been more prepared this week! For example, Saturday we contacted a guy who asked if we were the Mormons who believed in the Nephites, Lamanites, and Jaredites. And told me all about how Joseph Smith received the gold plates. We taught 4 of his family yesterday (there are still 3 more to get to know in the next lesson). Yesterday we met a man who says he has been looking and looking for a church, and wants to be baptized, and has confidence that the Lord answers prayers because He always has answered his prayers. "I prayed for a 100% [grade] and He always gave me a 100% when I was in high school"

I really like being companions with Elder Beletanga. This Ecautoriano is crazy haha.

Love Elder Johnson

11 June 2012

Dear Family,

13 June 2012

This week we had the baptism of the family Delgado! Jonathan y Diana! That was such a great experience. They really felt the spirit in this week and have been able to be prepared by us and more by the Lord. They also got to be confirmed by us in the Ward Conference. I visited them in splits just before their baptismal interviews, and we reviewed everything. Jonathan said how a friend had criticized him for taking the decision to be baptized, but he had born testimony and that had quieted his friend. They are such a cool family.

This week has been fun, I learned so much. Elder Beletanga and I have personalities that work really interestingly together. He is really awesome. And Ecuatoriano who just loves to work. His legs (which are about 75% the length of mine) have a way to move so fast that I sometimes have to run to keep pace, but that’s perfect for me. Walking slowly just kills me.

I spent my birthday in Arequipa. The President planned conveniently the Zone Leader’s conference for my birthday so I got cake and everything. (just kidding that was a coincidence, but a great one. 

Thanks SO Much for all y’all sent me, I can’t wait to make that cake... the brown sugar will be a hard thing to find on the ingredients list. [I sent him ingredients for my chocolate chip cookies. . . but figured he could find brown sugar there. . . drat.]

I have really restricted time today... for something that happened. On the way here we passed a lady who was at the point of crying. We stopped and turned around and started talking with her. There are so many problems that come from living together. Elder Beletanga has an interesting way of seeing it. He says: Living together is like saying, "We don’t know if it will go well, so let’s fornicate, and if it goes well... we´ll make a home." He tells me how he feels particularly strongly about it, and seeing and talking with so many people who have fallen into that trap, I know that it is a wo of the people. It generates broken homes, disorder, men with children in all parts of the city, broken hearts, feelings of helplessness, and despair, as does all sin. Mosiah 2:41 gives us a vision of how the Lord wants our lives to be and the way to achieve it. Also Alma 36:1-3 and Mosiah 2: 22-24. Lets work so that everyone knows how to avoid these consequences! Almost everyone just does it because the rest do.

Love Elder Johnson

4 June 2012

Dear Family,

4 June 2012

This week has been pretty interesting. We had some cool experiences. President Fernandez came to Tacna, and got all Ilo, Moquegua and the two zones in Tacna together. We had a conference that was way cool. In part, we got Skype hooked up to the big screen for conference in the chapel and we listened to a training from Elder Godoy, the new 70 assigned to us. He called us from Arequipa, which is about 6 hours from here in bus. That was pretty fun, 21st century missionary training in part by skype haha. The President came with the Assistants, of course, who also taught. The theme I think was of repentance. The assistants spoke of obedience and the president spoke a bunch about the process of repentance. He talked about it inviting all to repent and to make their ways straight. I love it when he talks, he is really direct and powerful. He also talked about the work with the members. We should activate 5 people per month in addition to baptizing 5. In the last month we were able to meet the reactivation goal. This month is looking pretty good too. There are a lot of members who are really just waiting for someone to invite them back. And when they come back, just waiting for someone to ask them for references of friends and plans to start teaching them again.

In this week we also talked with quite a few families who stopped living the gospel teachings. The told us of all the amazingly sad problems they have had and we explained how if they start living again the gospel principles again, they will be able to find the peace they once had. I hope they can. There are, in our area, soooooooo many problems and if the people could just live the gospel, they wouldn’t have to pass through so many trials. And those that are left, they could feel able to beat the problem. Something that I noticed, was that the majority make the problem bigger than the solution. The solution should be bigger in our minds than the problem so we don’t drown in the idea of all that may be wrong and see how it can be right. I think that’s a hard thing to do for almost all though.

Since the President went to the stake conference in Arias Aregues, he and the assistants were here for the training to us Friday, meetings with leaders Saturday, and conference Sunday. The assistants didn't have much to do Saturday so they went over to us Saturday night and we did divisions in our area. I really, really liked it. Right now there are 3 Aasistants...I don’t know why, but anyway, Elder Beletanga went with Elder Quiñones, I went with Elder Hatch and Elder Schneider (Elder Hatch is from my CCM room! and Elder Schneider started the mission in the same district I did so we were together there in Hunter the first time).

I really look up to them. They’re great leaders. I liked a lot the way they communicate as compañions. Always laughing and joking, taking it easy. We talked with a lot of ready people that night. And we talked to a family of forever investigators.

It is a family who have been taking the lessons for the last year. A whole year! A little more I think. I really don’t know why they haven’t been baptized yet, but when we got there (one other time I’ve taught them in my time here before the Saturday I went with the Assistants) when we got there, the husband, Jonathan bought us juice and crackers (which basically means they are sure converts). So, excited on seeing that sign, we started talking a little, verifying the homework we left them, and then we started with a prayer. Elder Schneider asked if there was anything in particular that he could pray for, since he was going to do the prayer, and the wife, Diana, said, "pray so that we can have the strength to unite ourselves with the Church" haha so that excited us more. We started and Elder Hatch asked why she had said that, and she told us all that she has been feeling in the church and how she wants to be a member. Then Elder Hatch asked the husband if he felt the same desire. He said: I do too.. I always feel so good when you teach us. I just feel some fear of doing it, like if I wont be able to fulfill all that will be expected of me. RIght then we all three were thinking about Alma 7:15. So we talked a little bit more, we read the scripture, and made emphasis in the first line, then we talked about an example: if the 5 of us could have been on the banks of the Jordan, and if we would have been there to see Jesus go down in the waters to John, and being perfect without stain of sin, be baptized. Then invite Jonathan to be baptized too, what would he do. Jonathan replied: "I would be baptized in that very moment"

We talked about how to beat the fear he feels, and asked him what he thinks he should do to beat that fear. He said: I think I should be baptized. Haha I was not expecting that. So we planned the baptism for this Saturday. So good was that lesson. 

I think that if we teach like that always, then we will have lots and lots of success.

A year ago, I did an baptismal interview of a person whom the zone leaders had taught. He definitely met with the conditions in D&C 20:37, coming with especially a broken heart for some things that had happened. After the interview I didn’t know more of him apart from the fact that he had been baptized.

The other day I was in divisions with some members. One with me and other with Elder Beletanga. I was talking with the member who is the 2nd counselor of the Quorum of Elders, and he told me he was baptized a year ago. We didn’t put two in two together until I told him that a year ago I was also here, and he said: “Wait, was it you who did my interview??. I thought a sec and remembered! We hugged each other happily. Haha. That same thing also happened with an investigator that Elder Erhard was teaching who I knew in divisions. We are going to teach him now again!

Love

Elder Johnson

23 May 2012

Family!

Yesterday I couldn’t write because at 3:30 in the morning, the assistants called us and gave us the changes. I was going to my new area all day almost. It took me forever to put my stuff in my two suitcases. I’ve got quite a bunch of artifacts that I don’t use... notebooks, binders, little things that people have given me. The pensioner was pretty pretty sad when I told her I had a change. She is Sister Tejada [Sister Teha(th/d)a] and the husband is the stake president. She always has a hard time in the changes. She serves us so well, always trying to fatten me up. She gave me 7 of the new Nuevo Sole coins that come out every once in a while here in Peru. I’ll try to send a picture of my collection. Peru has some exceedingly fine coins. coming out.

I don’t know if it’s a thing about Tacna... but the internet here is slow again just like the last time I was here....

Hopefully the pictures can upload. The way over here was a long trip, but with very stunning desert scenes. Part of the way here reminded me of the Painted Desert that we saw in Arizona. Pretty interesting. Along the way there are a few cities, and a few future cities. People buy the land and put a little shack on it so that nobody takes it, and then abandon it for the next 10 years waiting for the land to increase in value. One member recently sold something like 60,000 square meters that she bought a long time ago for super cheap but is now something like 20 soles per square meter. She made bank. She’s actually living in the States, but came so she could sell the property. Really, really interesting are the landscapes of the Peruvian southern deserts. It made me want to have a dirt bike and go exploring there... it should be just as easy to ride as a bike, no?

This week we talked with the husband of Mari Diaz! At last!  It was just a moment but we could talk about his family a second and we asked him if he would support his wife if she decided to be baptized. He said “YES!”

That was probably because right before, we were teaching a lady. In the Companionship study, we had been studying DyC 100:5-8. 

 5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; ^aspeak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be ^bconfounded before men;

 6 For it shall be ^agiven you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

 7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye ^adeclare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.

 8 And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the ^aHoly Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say.

We were thinking we can apply that scripture better so that the promise is given, and in the lesson before indicated, we did so! The lady was definitely guided to know [the truth]. She is named Elena. I’m going to do some follow up to see if she gets baptized in the next council of zone leaders when I’ll see Elder Erhard with his new companion Elder Huaman (Elder Wamon). We taught her all the first lesson and got to the part about the Book of Mormon. We explained a little and read some with her and did the following:

We read the introduction, then we read 1 Nephi 6:4, 

 4 For the fulness of mine intent is that I may ^apersuade men to ^bcome unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

explaining that the God of all those and us is Jesus Christ, and how we should come unto Him. Then she read Omni 1:26 

 26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

and she was thinking and thinking about what she had read. The word in her mind was: offer up all of your souls. She said, to do that, I should be baptized I think. That was guided. We then read 2 Nephi 31.

This Saturday I came to the end of the Holy Bible. That was a pretty cool achievement. I set myself a goal and I did it!

I was also thinking about the importance of talking with the Lord. Praying always. We talked with a mother and daughter this week from a particular church. Last week we had left them a Book of Mormon and invited them to read. They accepted and we passed by  to find them and the mom and daughter had all sorts of ideas... but in short, they hadn’t read with prayer and hadn’t asked in prayer to know if the Book is true. So even though we answer every single doubt they can have, just like Preach My Gospel says, the objections are answered with them passing the wall of faith and asking the Lord in earnest prayer to know if the Book is true. Just answering the doubts can’t give them that knowledge if they aren’t willing to ask. We should have the trusting relationship with the Lord where we can talk about whatever thing and He helps us. After all, He loves us so much.

I was reading the Doctrine and Covenants on the 6 hour bus trip here and read in DYC 24, and I liked quite a few verses in particular. Especially with the subject of my extension and the calling of Paul as a missionary.  Read the section Paul, I was thinking of you reading it. Like Nephi says, apply the scriptures to ourselves, replace Oliver with Paul. I know everything shall be perfect.

Now in Tacna we are going to work really, really hard. I’m with an Ecuatoriano. Elder Beletanga.

Love Elder Johnson