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

6 June 2011

Dear family,
June 6, 2011

Wow I just read the awesome story the Elder Wood sent home. The best!

Now that I get to interview the baptismal candidates, I get to have really spritual experiences on Wednesdays. I think I have had at least one interview ever week this last month. They are great.

This week I want to share about two of the interviews. First, a young person who prayed at the end of our interview promised God that he will keep the commandments of the word of wisdom, the law of chastity, the day of the Lord, and Tithing, and that he will go on a mission when his time comes. Talking with him was just the best. It was quite obvious that he has received a testimony of the truth. I asked him how he felt about the church and the lessons from the missionaries and he said that every time he is there, he feels a joy or a special happiness in him that he knows is from God. Really, really was the best.

One of the others from this week was a young person who had to leave early from the interview. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to create a good enviorment for the interview but asking him about the commandmentsand asking him what he thought about them, he said, of course I will live the commandments. They are from God. They are commandments. Like, who am I to not do what God wants me to do. The way he said it was sooo sure and demonstrated such a maturity of faith and understanding of God.

Apart from those two great moments Thursday and Wednesday, we got to teach Jessica Silva. She has been preparing for her goal of the last week, but since the members have been failing us, she wasn't ready. So we wernt sure that she would feel ready for this week either but yesterday she said,  "Yeah, this Saturday I want to get baptized! But make sure the water is nice and warm, because [I don't want to get baptized] in cold water.
Not sure what we will be able to do to warm it up since the church doesn't have a water heater, but maybe we shall throw in an iron or two [?], calculate how much water, the approximate temperature change required, and the power of the irons to get the time. Should be quite some time.

My birthday was really great. Since the elections were yesterday we couldn't leave until 4pm. We got to extend the normal studies until that hour. I had completely forgotten that it was my birthday unitl we went to eat breakfast with the Tuyo family, and they suprised me with a little Peruvian tradition of throwing colored paper clippings on me. At first I thought, happy birthday to who? I haven't told ANYONE but her (about 2 months ago) and my companion, so I was thinking absolutely nothing would happen out of the normal. She gave us some chocolate cake and a very good plate of Rice with Chicken for lunch.

During all the reading time I finished Jesus The Christ! What an amazing book. I'm gunna [going to ] start it again since I didn't really understand the first chapters. [It] took me exactly 365 days... but for a lot of that I wasn't reading daily.

Love Elder Johnson