30 April 2012

Dear family,

4/30/12

It’s 11:11 am as I start this email!

So, Mom asked about the parasites I got. Here’s the list. But warning: the North American nurse was telling me by phone with poor reception to another North American in spanish saying words I’ve never heard before. Soo.. the spelling is surely more or less... and in spanish. A ver (we’ll see)

3. ahhhh I can’t find the list! That’ll have to be next week unless it turns up right now. 

Well I’m sorry about that. Ill try to see if I left it in the room or if it fell in the way.. I really was so sure I had brought it.

Anyway we are with the stuggle of have to find a new room to live in.. that’s a problem because we have to do that today basically... haha I dunno if we shall be able to. The dueño wants to live where we are... so we gotta go. It’s been kind of a weird situation but anyway... I hope we can still live right by the church. It’s so nice being so close. We are less than a block from the church!

Yesterday we had the 5th Sunday and we asked (as the missionary work) to be able to give the combined class [Typically during the 3rd hour of church--all over the world--, the men and women meet separately.  Sometimes on a 5th Sunday, they meet together]. There were some 40 adults there! We prepared a cool program. First, we started out with singing “Hark all Ye Nations” [Here is a recording: http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=1&searchseqstart=264&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=264&searchsubseqend=ZZZ ] and a prayer. Then the bishopric counselor gave us the time and we started talking a little about the Dream of Lehi http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/8?lang=eng]. I mentioned the quote of President Eyring(?) that says "if the gospel, in the way you have received it, doesn't give you a profound desire to share it with everyone, then you should go back to to books (basically I can’t remember how it is exactly right now).

Then I asked everyone if they believe in modern revelation. Haha. Everyone raised their hands "yes we do!" So I asked them: “What does it mean for you when Bruce R McConkie said: “Every Member a Missionary”? That provoked quite a bit of reflection. We analyzed it a little and talked about how the Lord is talking there and says that every member should be a missionary, a full time finder. We read in DyC 19 and 24 some of my favorite scriptures about just talking with everyone and we promised them help from on high. So then Elder Erhard talked a little about the joy that we have when we share the gospel.

Next we watched a short video of 18 minutes that is called "By Small and Simple Things" which shows the history of one young woman who dares to share and writes her testimony in a Book of Mormon and gives it to a friend who says thanks and getting home throws it por alli [away or to the side]. El piensa un poco y lo recoga [He thinks a bit and then gets it], and he begins to read, reads all night, prays and receives a testimony. His friend invites him to meet the missionaries and presents them to him and his family. The movie continues with their baptism and it s pretty awesome! It finishes with clips of a talk by President Eyring about how members who share the gospel and it shows some interviews with converts. Very cool.

So everyone felt the spirit and we asked them to stand up, and make a circle in the activity room (like a smaller gym.. but not a basketball court like ours [in Arlington] since they have a small futblito canchita [area for soccer] in the back with a basketball court.) Ready. So they all got in a circle and we walked to the bishopric counselor. We pulled out a balloon that had a name on it (exactly one of the bag y’all sent me for my last birthday I think) and we told all that he would have to keep it in the air. Easy. So we gave him another. And another. We had blown up like 120 with the air compressor of the Stake President (our neighbor/carpenter) We averaged 1 balloon ever 4 seconds with that machine working the both of us! That’s 15 per minute!) Each had a name and it was quickly apparent that the counselor just couldn't do it alone. The whole ward had to help and pass the balloons around the circle to help all the different people, members, not members, investigators, less actives, and everyone!

At the end we grouped them all again and gave each a piece of paper with the self copying thing to have two of each (one for us one for them) to write the names of their friends and people who they can invite to meet the missionaries, and another space to put the actions they will do THIS week to make it happen. They left us their address and number and we will do some follow up this week. In all, there are 41 names that we collected. About 9 from other wards/stakes and 32 from our ward!

After the prayer we invited them to see the table where we had on display all the things we can give away and they took quite a few to give to their friends and neighbors. We had copies of the Book of Mormon, Pamphlets, Pass along cards, cards that have the Articles of Faith, DVDs of the Restoration, the Testaments, Finding Faith in Christ, and there was a sheet that has a schedule for Family home evening with your friends for this trimester so they can sign up to have us there.

Well that was a lot of fun. We talked to a few after that said they really felt the spirit in that short hour! One who said that was Mary Diaz. We haven't seen her since I said she wanted to be baptized Saturday about 4 weeks ago... since she started working until 10:30 every night.. and wasn't in the house the only day of rest she has: Sunday. We basically thought we weren’t going to see her again, but she showed up for the sacrament meeting with her daughter out of no where. She still wants to be baptized... but she doesn’t want her husband to know. We invited her for next Sunday in the morning, and she said yes, but while we planned with her how to prepare her for it.. one of the things was tell your husband... and she doesn’t want to... I think she needs to talk to someone not us to work out those things... because it isn’t so simple as just tell him. Anyway, I learned there that the family that the Gospel produces is much, much, much, better than whatever form of family that doesn’t follow the Gospel teachings.

There is a young man who probably will be baptized next Saturday. He is family of members less actives but has been attending church the past few week all by himself and the only factor that really could keep him from baptism would be the mom. The dad is a less active and got really excited when we told him of the desires of his son.

WOW I gotta tell y’all about a contact we did when I was with Elder Child in interchanges. In the planning session the night before we had prayed to know where to go in the morning and felt to go to Haiti Street. Turns out we were called upon to check out the new room the sisters are going to move into to see that it’s ok (one of our responsibilities) and we did so at 11 and got back right before lunch. I wasn’t sure if we should go to lunch or Haiti and so we prayed and felt like we should go. We were contacting there and we met a man who we were talking with when David passed by.  He said he felt something (later) and felt like he should talk with us. So we finished the contact and started talking to him.

David is really happy and he is super outgoing too. He was coming back from the Gym and haha said he is in the best shape of his life with 49 years (really reminded me of a bowflex commercial) Anyway he said: I wanna talk with y’all, not right now because I work a TON and couldn’t talk with you till friday, could you come then? We couldn’t so we planned for Saturday and left him a Book of Mormon. He said that he wanted to know why people can go to church with their heart Saturdays AND Sundays ( He goes Saturday).

So we got there Saturday and verified his reading. He said he read Moroni 10:4-5 and loved it. he said, when I read this, it really seems like the bible. Ive been reading the bible since I was a kid and I just feel something that’s great when I read this book! We helped him see that that is from the Spirit and talked about his sabbath question. We helped him see how we couldn’t define that doctrine without apostolic authority (see talk of Elder Christoferson) and explained the Restoration. He loved it. We read the last principle, prayer and the Holy Ghost, of the first lesson right out of Preach my Gospel with him, and he really got emotional when he read it and asked us to get him a copy of the book, no importa el precio [the price was not important]. Haha it’s like a dollar here.

Anyway since he always works Sunday, and is some kind of boss, he had tons of appointments and couldn’t clear them 1 day antes [before] and so he said, “Can I go next week? I really want to see how it is!”

More news on him later.

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

15 November 2010

Dear family and friends,

Is the picture problem fixed or worked around? I sent a letter home on Thursday the 11th. It has my memory card within. When y'all receive it, can you move the pictures somewhere safe and separate from those I email home (to avoid duplication and apparently corruption it sounds like)? They are very important please take care to take care of them in the next 21 months!

SO what happened this week? Lots.

I had the question: out of every 1 eV that the beam in the LHC gets increased, how many eV´s does the LHC use? So how efficient is it? My guess is around 10,000 eV per 1 eV in the beam.

People always like to practice what little English they know with me. We were at the door of one family, and their children girls said, Hello, good night, Justin Beiber. I almost threw myself down the steep hill at this marked failure of society.

Cassie! I met your friend Elder .. uh Boultin? I didn't get exactly the spelling but it is Trevor. We talked for about 3 minutes before our multizonal meeting on Friday. He seems really cool! I think I shall see him today as well. I have no idea how he remembered to look for me on Friday, hasn't it been 6 months since you warned him of my coming?

Speaking of which, our multizonal meeting (with all the missionaries who are in the city of Arequipa --around 100, once every 6 weeks) was awesome! Our president talked for about 2 hours and called us to STEEP repentance and correcting of our ways. I hope I can implement everything he talked about. I really like our leaders.

Also at the multizona, I got to meet up with a bunch of the missionaries I was with in the CCM and MTC. They are doing well, some better than others in terms of Spanish. One is having a very hard time, and didn't understand me when I asked him how he felt in Spanish :(

Oh yea at the multizona also, we met some of the missionaries with 23 months. Elder Orihuela commented that some of them have ¨perfect Spanish, with slang... everything¨ they really sounded exactly like native speakers. This is my long-term goal for my Spanish.

To look up where I am, the tourist attraction in our area is La mansion del Fundador. We cross the orange bridge by it most days.

I was a little wondering which lesson story I would send home until last night. We worked hard yesterday visiting lots of people, meeting lots of new people. The last place we went was the home of a member. I had been praying a lot to find a new investigator who was ready to start progressing. We went to the home to meet one of our investigators who spends a lot of time there. She is kind of a daughter-in- law of Hermana Emedita. We got there and sat down with Yenny, the investigator, and through the door walked two other people. They both sat down with us and be taught all three with Hermana Emedita! Turns out one is a member who is ¨less active¨and the other had never heard of the church.

As we taught and talked about the Restoration of the church that Jesus Christ established while he was in the earth, which had the four key parts: Prophet, Apostles, Priesthood authority of God, and Revelations for the people received through the prophet. They all three were full of curiosity of where in the world is this church. We talked about how after the death of Jesus Christ and the martyrdom and deaths of his apostles, there no longer were Apostles or Prophets, and that with them left revelations and the authority of the priesthood. So the church that Jesus Christ established was no longer on the earth.

In the following years, tons of people tried to reform the church in the same form it had with Jesus Christ and the Apostles, but without the true priesthood (though many claimed to have it) and without a prophet or apostles, and revelations received through them, they were unable to find the true church.

As we explained that God called a prophet to restore the true church of Jesus Christ, we could tell that all three felt the Holy Spirit testifying of the truth, and we helped them recognize that. It was very powerful to be in the room, despite the fact that family members were shuffling in the background. It was like their distraction was muffled.

Love Elder Johnson 

This post consists of questions we asked Mark, and his replies.

Describe your apartment

It is really small. We have a bunk bed, two desks, a dresser, and two doors. Oh and on the dresser is one of those gigantic water bottle things so we can drink because the faucet is no good.. about 100 square feet before you put all that in there. a lot less with it in.

Tell us more about your companion

My companion..idk if i said already.. but is the only member in his family. Has been a member since he was 15, and took 3 months to get baptized after he met the missionaries. Here we have a goal of a 3 week process from meeting them to them knowing that this church is the true church, and being baptized.

How do you get around?

We walk or bus everywhere. Usually hit the bus at least 2 sometimes 4 times a day. The busses are great fun. To get here we took one that was unusually tall. The roof was at my normal shoulder height. One other person had to bend his head a little.

What are the streets like?

The streets depend on where. We often go teach in the Mansion area, which is the most poor area. Their streets are tierra, and exceedingly dry. There hasn't been rain here in at least 6 months, so dust gets all up on the shoes and some on bottoms of pants when you are being careful. In the nicer areas, the streets are paved, something different than asphalt. bigger pebbles are used... but it isn't concrete. Here too the streets are generally dusty. Also there doesn't seem to be much public concern for the cleanliness of the roads. Everyone drops and throws their trash out the cars, busses, bikes. In consequence, there is a ton of trash.

How are you received?

My all time least favorite phrase is: soy catolico. We hear it EVERYWHERE. Usually people are nice and will at least listen to us a little. Maybe 1 in 7 doors will agree to let us back to teach another day, which isn't bad counting the doors which are unoccupied. It is just that the people often are quite close minded towards us and our message of Christ, and additional teachings which would bring them all many blessings.

How are you feeling about Spanish?

My spanish is coming. I and rapidly understanding more and more even though they talk about a billion miles per hour. The problem is when they use words I don't know, which happens a lot. Especially when the words is a key word that decides the meaning of the sentence. I tell most by picking out most of what they say, and then looking at their body language and facial expressions to get the rest. Still tho, last night we were talking to a woman and her sister... and they started to cry. I only understood something about drinking alcohol... probably her husband, and that the sister was feeling very unhappy. My companion did a good job of reassuring her. I tried to do what i could.

Those goals--were they for your companionship?

the numbers like 540 contacts a week? yes. companionship per week

Name the elders/sisters in your district

Oh I’ve only seen them a few times. but we have an Elder here from American Fork, he has 22 months here, and he knows Jared! He played soccer on a team that occasionally borrowed jared apparently, and his brother played on Jared's team.

What are you doing about food?

Food. The food is quite good. I love the rice flavors and stuff. Its \all good.. but i have had to eat fish twice here now. Luckily i am beginning to be able to.

What do the people in your area do for work?

i have no idea...ill try to find this one out.

Temperatures?

A little warm in the mid day, cold at night. It is a desert after all. So short sleeves in the day and coat in the night after dinner.

What is the ward like?

We go to two. One is very good, with lots of people and strong membership. THe other is very very small. I don't know why it is so small, but one of our goals is to work with the bishop on that this week.

What is the name of your area?

Hunter zone, area is Augusto Freire

Any major insights?

Yes.. So many. I wish i had more time to write on them. I have learned more than i could write in 30 minutes. One is that obedience is the most important thing when trying to improve

Any missionary experiences you can share?

yes!

What a great week! alright, let me try to throw out the highlights. We took some investigators to the young mens young women activity, and i had no idea what was going on...basically like always. Anyway they were all just chilling on the basketball slash soccer court and some music came on. All of a sudden the 25 or so youth were doing this sweet organized dance for the next 7 minutes. Way cool.

I just wanna say that teaching people for real is so awesome. The other day we were in a home, actually the nicest ive been in so far. Anyway we were reading 2 Ne 28 with them, discussing the prophecies. They got way into it and how exciting it was that many were true.

Another day we were teaching at a one room home. The candlelight glinting off the tin roof and giving the cinderblocks warmth. it was very very cool.

ahh time to go

love Elder Johnson