9 May 2011

Paccai

Elder Johnson and Elder Mateus in Tacna

Dear Home,

How is everyone! We are very good here in Tacna. It has been a particularly great day since I got to call y'all! It was such a pleasure. I am going to try to speak with slightly improved grammer also [left uncorrected from a sense of irony].

So this morning I woke up at 6:15 a.m. and did a little bit of cardiovascular and read a little of the scriptures about the 2000 Stripling Warriors to prepare myself to pray with my companion. Next stop was the shower and getting ready really fast to call. EJ phoned home. Later we studied the scriptures. Part of my particular calling is to prepare a District Meeting (meeting of about 6-8 missionaries) in which I usually teach about 45 minutes and we do practices. So this morning I prepared a little for that upcoming weekly meeting, and felt really good doing it. I think it's going to turn out well.

Then Elder Mateus and I studied together a bit and departed to come here! From all of our zone, only one missionary had a transfer, Elder Hunsaker went to Camaná.

I realized, eating the chocolate from the last package I received, that I absolutely love peanut butter cups. I didn't know how good they were but I just really, really enjoyed them. Also my companion [enjoyed them]. I had a possible idea for the upcoming pesky birthday topic, a tripodcito. like the baby tiny 5-inch tall one we have at home. Now that I got my camera back from the repair shop, I am not too keen on placing it on places to leave it on 10 second delay and run to be in the picture, on the other hand, with a little baby tripod, it would be facilito [easy] and segurisimo [very secure].

Oh in the picture there is this weird thing that I'm holding in my hand. That is a Paccai (pakaye). It is a strange looking thing that from the outside looks like a huge bean, but you split it in half and find a soft white material, kind of like a wet cottonish textured fruit. Very interesting and kind of good.

There is a certain part of Preach My Gospel that the President wants us all to know by memory. A little later my companion and I got a gift of a really, really tasty fruitcake from the family Gamboa! We decided (Elder Mateus and I) that as soon as he finished memorizing it, we would eat! Finally after much effort and study, today he finished memorizing all of it! Unfortunately he didn't end up liking the fruit cake... but that is a.o.k. for me!

Yes, so I am thinking that the next few weeks will be great.

Love Elder Johnson

December 27, 2010 Letter and Pictures

Dear familia,

Wow! It was way awesome to be able to call home. Sorry I spent much of the time amazed that I was actually talking to you and 35 minutes and 7 seconds was ridiculously short, but obedient. (grumble). Oh, I wanted to correct a verbal mistake I made on the phone. I was translating the sentence to English and did a bad job. In the story I dont remember, we returned to the apartment, not "home".

This week has been absolutely crazy. COMPLETELY, COMPLETELY CRAZY. I had two interviews with the president. In the first after confessing and discussing obedience, he told me and my companion after my interview that both of us were going to be transfered to an area called Satillite or at least the spanish word for that.

So I didn't know we weren't supposed to say goodbye or give any indication at all that we were leaving, and we did so to the three converts we have helped to learn the Gospel of Christ, and the member families. It was a kind of big thing, since Elder Orihuela has been here now 5 months.

Well, last night I called the President following his order to me cuz in the morning I let 2 women hug me (I made impossible for anyone else [to hug me] the rest of the day) to tell him about my disobedience. He talked to me in Spanish and with the help again of Elder Boulter I think (Cassie's friend slash Assistant to the President) and after gave me a challenge that will deeply, deeply impact the rest of my mission. Stay tuned for next week when I am authorized to talk about it. It will require me to completely, completely be humble, and depend on the dirrection of  the Holy Ghost, and I honestly have no idea how I can do it, but, I know I can with this help.

How went christmas? Considering that I have been quite worried about everything and stressed out basically since I got here, it was way, way good. Still a long shot from any christmas spent at home. Still tho, I got a wifebeater from Clelia (haha unfortunately I shall likely never use it) And various other gifts from members and investigators. We ate three meals of turkey on the 25th. The 24th we had splits with the zone leaders, which means that I went to their area, and one of them came to ours with Elder Orihuela.

I was with Elder Huccachuco from Peru. He is really, really, really awesome. I guess that explains why he is a Zone Leader, but I was constantly impressed by how great a missionary he is. By the way, there are about infinity things to know to be a missionary. First the lessons slash doctrine, we gotta know that. Second Spanish haha. Third we have to know how to interact with the ward leaders and members, we have to know how the missionary leadership works, we have know our area. We have to know how to set up and prepare and do baptisms. We have to know how to measure and improve our work. We have to know much more.

Really I have only just begun to feel like I'm about halfway there. I have plenty of time in the mission, but I have to know all this now.

Wowowowow. so yea I basically am freaking out for my future and what is going to happen.

Oh I wanna report on our companionship. It is great! I think we can say we are friends. Last night we couldn't sleep. I was sick, and my brain was sprinting (see next week). Elder Orihuela wasn't feeling to good either. Anyway the point is we talked a little bit before falling asleep. Also, he loved the presents y'all sent for him and I think they kind of saved his Christmas. His family has not called yet.  It is hard cuz they don't have a phone in their house.

One More Thing. On christmas, we ate tons and tons of paneton. Paneton is the traditional food of around here for parties, celebrations, times of happiness. We don't have it in the US, I think. Maybe you could find it in a Peruvian store, but it is basically cake that they buy. No frosting (haha) for those who don't like frosting. It is kinda like fruitcake and everyone loves it so much. I'm not too crazy for it but i like small quantities.

Thank you everyone who has sent me mail, packages, everything!

Brother Brooks, I am taking that challenge. For your interest if you are interested, would have gotten your letter about reading 30 min per day today, but I was on splits with the zone leaders Friday and they received it that day, the 24th of December.

Dearelder.com continues to be the best!!

Love Elder Johnson