16 May 2011

Elder Johnson on left at Margarita's baptism (age 81)

This is the House of Israel

Querido Familia [Dear Family],

Another wonderful week has passed and unfortunately it will never come back. But I do know that it was a good one. By the way this computer has google chrome which is making me happy.

So the second picture is of a member's house. So y'all know, it is the House of Israel! Israel lives there. If anyone wants to know where exactly to find the House of Israel, just look up Pueblo Libre Manzana 9 Lote 14 AB Leguía Tacna Tacna Tacna Peru. They are the best there.

So Wednesday I was thinking to myself, how can we contact lots of people at the same time... Thinking about that, we passed La Cachina. It is an area that is left open in the middle of our area.  Every Wednesday it gets filled with a type of market that looks like a huge garage sale, kind of like what they do in the Washington-Lee High School parking lot every once in a while. So when we got there, we heard someone selling mandarins and advertising them with a megaphone thing. So that perked my interest since there were about 200 or 300 people listening in the area. So we contacted the family selling there, and asked if we could use the loudspeaker. I talked just a little to everyone! And ultimately invited all to meet us in the church just a few blocks away.

With that great experience, Thursday it was cold and we were knocking doors returning to the house. We decided to sing to all the people that opened the door: Families can be together forever. It was pretty awesome but a little difficult since I was trying to do it without reading the Spanish words, and translating in my head befuddled the part that says eee ternal pue den ser las fami lias, saying faa milias pue dan ser eee ter nal. Chistoso it was. [It was funny].

Saturday an investigator of the Sisters was baptised! Sister Margarita has 81 years and was really, really determined to be baptized. It was the best, but a little complicated. Since she couldn't really walk, we carried her with three people in white, I actually baptized her but the three of us submerged her. She was sooo soo happy but also quite surprised. I don't think she has submerged herself in water in the past 40 years.

This week we taught Gerald the Word of Wisdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 89). He made a big deal about how hard it would be and how a little bit of alcohol is good for the digestion and all, and then started talking about his history with that ideology and how he started saying: ok just one glass, then just one liter, then just 2 then 3 and basically convinced himself that we shouldn't even drink a little since it leads to a lot Haha. True. So after all that, he said: "Yea, I commit myself to keep this commandment too. Gerald is the best, but has a really hard time going to church! Gr!

Christian and his cousin Josue are doing really well. They feel the spirit. They read the Book of Mormon. They are always excited for our appointments. They are the best! Their friend Victor is also the best. Let it be known that the Book of Mormon is a holy book of scripture. That whoever reads it, thinks about the message to understand, and prays asking the same God of Abraham, of Jacob, of Moses, if it is his word, can know by the power of the Holy Ghost that it is. I promise all who do so with faith, a sincere heart and real intention to follow the answer - whatever it may be - will be able to feel and know it is true.

Last Monday- the preparation day (the only day we would be doing this)- we watched a movie that is called "On The Lord's Errand". It is about the Prophet that God has called right now, whose name is Thomas S. Monson. Watching it was the best. Family: watch it. Friends, talk with missionaries and then watch it.

Love Elder Johnson

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

2 May 2011

Dear family,

The subject in a word I learned this morning, I think it is Colombian slang which means wow. My companion wrote it to his mom talking about the baptism of the week! We met Juan (11 years old) a couple weeks ago in the church and he said he wanted to get baptized, so I wasn't about to say no. We taught him everything and he liked it so much. The night before his baptismal interview he stayed up in his bed reading about the Word of Wisdom, the Law of Chastity, and the Law of Tithing. He is the best. Elder Hunsaker said that in his interview, he answered all the questions super fast and started asking questions about the plan of salvation, but really interesting questions, not the normal basic ones that we are always asked. The baptism was spiritual, the water cold, but the feeling leaving the water and seeing Juan's face as we walked up the stairs was pretty incredible. Just goes to show that we can't really do anything without the power of God working miracles in the hearts of the people of the area, like him and his mom.

Gerald is also doing well, he reads, prays a lot, has great questions that show a lot of thinking, and this week, was completely hilarious. He recently started dating someone which is great cuz he was really hurt when his wife left him 8 or so years ago. But he really really wanted to introduce us to her haha. We went for our appointment and his brother called down partway through the plan of salvation, that there was an international call for Gerald... I have no idea why but that was the plan, that his brother would fake a call and he would, returning, be able to introduce us to Jacklyne, his girlfriend. haha. Well, she is pretty sweet. Asked us a question about what is the soul after the lesson (I think to test us) and we answered correctly, and turns out she knows the truth on that too. Basically Gerald is a lot happier, although not progressing particularly quickly to make this sacred covenant with the Lord. And due to this recent change, he definitely needs the next lesson, talking about one commandment in particular [probably the Law of Chastity]..

Oh and also we did a "service project" with Gerald, we were going to do some real help for him in his auto body shop work. He fixes up the cars after small hits of dogs, small crashes, the aesthetics. Anyway we were planning to use the fiberglass he uses to fix up a bunch of bumpers, but by the time he taught us how, and we did two fractures on one bumper, we had to go. It was really interesting though, and now I know how to repair bumpers and handle fiberglass and make the resin and weld the plastic bumpers!

Elder Hunsaker and Elder Huaccaychuco the zone leaders, will have 2 people to be interviewed this Wednesday! I'm excited to be able to interview them for baptism. It is always great to be able to talk to people who really have the desire [to be baptized].

This is now the last week of the transfer (six week periods of time in which almost never we change area) and I am thinking that I am gunna stay here in Leguia for the next one, though I dont know if it will be with Elder Mateus or not. It has been very interesting to be his companion. I've learned a lot from him and about my whole being here as a missionary.

I really am going to send back a letter today. it's in my backpack and on the way back I'm gunna send it. Just know that it's for some reason difficult for me! apart from the fact that there never is time.

And also today im gunna be able to go pick up my camera, fingers crossed that it's all ok now. The guy wants to charge me 70 soles. I'm pretty sure I could do it myself, but my time is suddenly zero, apart from the fact that I don't have anything of the form of a "tool" like we have at the house. When he said 60, he started talking about a digital lens, which I'm pretty sure is the same as saying: you probably don't know cameras... and are a gringo.. so I'm gunna try to charge you way more. I got it down to 60 soles and there gave in when he explained that this "digital lens" problem, was actually part of the moving focus lens, which is something that rings bells to me and doesn't sound completely ridiculous.

Adela is the wife of a Member less active [a less active member--gotta love that spanglish]. She wants to attend always the church and activate her husband and is basically the best. She said the other day, "digamos que quiero ser bautizado, que tendríamos que hacer"!! which is to say, let's say I want to get baptized, what would we have to do? I was contented [happy]!

Well. It's time. Lots of love

Elder Johnson