Snail Mail Letter, probably about 4/1/12

Dear Family,


Lined paper!  Fun, no? I like writing on lined paper a lot more than those papers with squares that I've sent you.  Right now, my writing my be extra hard to read since I'm taking advantage of a 40 minutes ride in the bus/van to get some thoughts/experiences down.  This bus is a little bigger than the [Toyota] Sienna that we have [in Arlington].  The roof is raised and we are currently driving through the water/sewage that is left over from when the drains overflowed yesterday and the day before in the rain.  I think that they are one system--storm drains and drains from the bathroom, although maybe they are by our house in Virginia too. . . I really don't know.  Whenever I dreamed of touring the storm drains in the park behind our house [in Virginia], I imagined them as separate and clean.


This morning for exercise, we ran to the hills at one side of our area.  With google earth, it should be pretty easy to find the spot though I don't know if you can get to know the streets with street views--I suspect not.  If you can find Tingo, pretty much from the big intersection of Tingo where the street curves into Hunter until the street Brasilia, bordered also by the farms on the Misty side and the farms/river on the away from Misty side. (Misty is the volcano in the middle [he drew a bumpy landscape with an arrow pointing to "Misty".]


There are about 500 members on the ward's records.  We had some 150-200 in church at the ward conference on March 11, 2012.  There was a choir!  Accompanied by a pianist!!!  It was so much prettier to sing with a piano.  I would like to be able to play it, but I don't know well enough.  The pianist was a visiting from another ward just to play in the conference.  I'm definitely looking forward to General Conference!  I don't know if this letter will get there before conference though.  I suspect not.


Anyway, last time I was in Hunter in the ward a few minutes walk from Hunter (Agosto Freyre) there wasn't much green at all.  Due to the rain, the hills have gained a nice coat of green!  I like it.


As for our investigators, we need to do something to be able to find all those people who are being prepared.  Keep praying so that we can find them all!


Well, this letter is taking forever.


We just finished playing football and soccer.  It's important to play together in order to build unity in the zone.  The zone is passing a particularly hard month.  We've got to work much harder this month of April.  We are hoping that from tomorrow, we can get perfect.


In writing this letter, I find myself with perfect health, not a problem in the world.  I DID get the shoes you all sent me.  I think y'all had to send them in two different boxes?  They got here re-boxed in boxes from the mission, I think.


Just today I heard how Paul is going to the Arizona-Tempe mission (spanish speaking)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And this is so excellent!


I hope all the months left can be really good missionary preparation there!  And while I'm here and Paul there, I hope to get all the letters of Paul!  Has he ever read the Book of Mormon alone?  He should make that a priority definitely to start feasting every day from the words of Christ, for they will tell us all the things that we must do.  That's so exciting that he will be able to start the absolute best two years of his lifetime so far.


Anyway, I close for now till next Monday in my letter. I hope this week we can find each and every chosen child so they can see the conference.


Love,


Elder Johnson

23 January 2012

Queridisima Familia [My Dearest family] 

 

Mom, did I send you a birthday letter???? If not I'm sending one today anyway just in case.

 

Howd the week go? Here in Hunter it went great! Camana was so so hot that I got used to sweating all day but here it's cold, due to the altitude difference. The volcanos here are called Misty, Chichani and Pichu Pichu.  They are covered with snow high above the city of Arequipa.

 

We've been working as well as we could, and since I don't really know all the area yet, in the two divisiones of the week I went to Palacio y Congata. It was realy interesting. In Palacio with Elder Knighton (from Tuilla, Utah) we had a great time and taught a man who had desires to return to God. We explained the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and he was captivated. He said I am definitely going to church. He asked a bunch of very good questions and mentioned that he felt that we had a gift of teaching, that God had prepared him for our visit. On the same line, teaching in Congata with Elder Cevallos una persona [one person] told us, after teaching of the profets and dispencasiones [prophets and dispensations], that we seemed like Moises [Moses] to her in our manner of teaching and inviting. That was interesting. I was thinking this morning and I was looking at all I have to get better at and I think really it's the relation with the invesitagadores [investigators]. We need to help them better expertimentar the conversion [try to become converted].

 

Yesterday was a little bit interesting. We went to the two wards that we are part of: Hunter ward and Berlin ward. I got to know some of the members and they seem really great and happy. I was pretty suprised at how well they sing in the Hunter Ward. In the second hour of Berlin, I started feeling really sick. At the end of the class I signed, unable to talk to Elder Stewart that we had to go to the room (we live a half block from the church). I didn't quite make it and saw breakfast again in the way. Haha. So I rested a bit during the third hour and we returned so we could walk an investigator back to his house as we had promised. When we got there I was feeling so bad that I was not going to be able to walk back to our house. I asked Elder Stewart to give me a blessing in his house. While he talked, I felt better and better and by the time he finished, I felt just fine. We walked quickly to the house about a kilometro from the investigator to lunch.

 

Other parts of this were with some members Monday who were all happy to have us there and to dedicate their new house. I also recently have been up to Exodus and am reading in where Moises [Moses] does some pretty awesome intense stuff.. in Egypt. It's even better than seeing "The Prince of Egypt." This morning I read about Ammón and the intense joy that he felt. It was explained that that level of joy so great is only had by those who truely repent and humbly look for the lasting happiness that comes from following all the guides of the Lord: His commandments, His servants, the dictates of the Holy Ghost. I reflected and pondered on that verse this morning.

 

Love Elder Johnson

 

 

 [This is in response to our thoughts on picking Mark up at the end of his mission----we've decided not to pick him up]

On the four options, wow those are some pretty tight time restrictions. You all haven't really decided on picking me up? I don't feel that I should extend. I think whichever plan would work. If you all judge it possible the first, the fine [the last one], if not, the second or third segue ustedes [whichever you prefer].

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