February 25, 2013

Hello, So sounds like I have another 6 weeeks in the south. Maybe I´ll get to see a little bit of the winter before I get out of here. The weather has been pretty strange here, but no where near as strange as snow in phoenix??? Thats incredible. I´m slightly jealous. I don´t think I will be saying that in a few weeks though. This morning we woke up and there was fog covering the entire island. It was pretty crazy. In other news we have had a lot of success here finally. We have 4 investigators right now and all of them are going to church. 2 of them are from bolivia and are going to get married so they both can get baptized and the other is dating a member and they are living together and they are going to get married and she will be batpized this saturday. There was a baptism in our chapel this last week and the water comes out of the faucet a little green, but that is okay. The good news is that its hot water so they dont have to freeze to death for there salvation. So we are working hard trying to find more and more to teach because everything goes a lot faster and a lot easier when we have things to do. Also, we walk a lot less when there are things to do, i mean im greatful for the leg muscles I have received but, im good where I am, I´d rather walk less. I have learned a lot this week about the importance all the members of the church have to share the gospel. It´s really important that everyone in the world gets the opportunity to receive the truth. That means us as missionaries and members of the church have a great duty to do. I was pondering on that the other day, and I was think about how sad it would be if we get the day of final judgement and find ourselves with one of our friends, and they come to as and ask us, "Why didn´t you at least invite me to your church, why didn´t you give me the opportunity to know the truth." I don´t know if it would be easy to explain to them. I don´t know, I just hope that everyone can remember their duties as members of the church and share the gospel with all those we know. Even those who are already members, just lost on their paths. Alma 4:3-5 I love you all, hope you have a great week, dont forget to read and pray every day! It´s very important in these days! We need to do it now more than ever. Love, Elder Johnson

Pictures 2-18-2013

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February 18, 2013

This week was pretty plain and simple. nothing out of the ordinary happened so this is just a short little email to tell you that things are starting to lift up here. We´ve got 2 people ready to be baptized and they are just waiting to get married. this transfer will end this week and we will have to see what the Lord has in store for me next! Love you all don´t forget to read and pray every day! Love, Elder Johnson

February 11th

This week was a little better, we received a pretty big blessing. We were having trouble during the week when our zone leaders called and said, hey we have 2 investigators that are moving in to your area tomorrow and they are ready to get baptized, they just need to get married. So luckily we got some work to do now. Then on sunday we went to their house to go to church with them, and we get there and he tells us, "Elders, today is goign to be inconvenient. My apartment owner said I can move in to a bigger apartment but i have to do it now cuz he´s leaving today." So we said we´d help. It was really weird cuz we had to take the guys stuff out of the apartment thye were moving into and put it in theirs cuz the guy did have enough to pay for his rent so the owner told him they were going to change him. So luckily for us our sacrament meeting is last, so we moved all their stuff and finished at 10:45 got in a taxi and showed up 5 minutes before sacrament. It was a busy morning. Also, on wednesday we had our weekly district meeting, and we had a mission conference call with our President. Our president told us, that in the next 8 weeks there will be 81 new missionaries coming into our mission. The age change has made a lot of things change in the mission as well. There are 96 companionships right now and we´re going to be jumping up 40 more so a lot of areas are going to have to be split. It´s gonna be a crazy, but a very exciting time. the missionary work is about to explode all over the world. I love you all, i´ll be sending pictures next week. Hope you guys have a great week. I know that this is the true church, I know that Joseph Smith restored it and that through the teachings of the Book of Mormon we can better our relationships with God, Jesus Christ, and all those we ever talk to! I know this gospel changes lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. Love, Elder Johnson

February 4th

Hello once again, Things are still going pretty rough here right now. We´re having trouble finding people. I´m not really sure what the problem is, but so many people tell us that we can come back and talk to them, and then we go and no one is there. Obviously thats bound to happen, but its never happened to me as much as it has been this transfer. It´s killing me. I don´t really know what to do. It´s killing me. I´m just going to keep going though until I figure it out. This past week a 70 came down to talk to us. His name was Elder Wilhelm. From Chile. He has a really cool conversion story. His wife was inactive for more than 15 years and one day the Elders in there area were told from the mission president to pray to find someone who can be a good church leader one day- they felt like they should knock on his door and they did. The wife opened the door and said, "Elders, I have been waiting so long to find you!." They taught the husband and he got baptized, and 3 years later became a bishop and a few years later became a stake president and was a stake president for 15 years, then he got called to be a mission president and 4 years later called to the 70. It was really cool to hear from him and I learned quite a bit. I just have to figure out what im not applying so that I can get it all changed and have success in helping everyone receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Some times I just wish I could take away their agency and just make them accept. It´s just really draining too when you see people reject something that is so important. It almost hurts to know that they aren´t going to be with their families forever if they don´t accept it. I guess I just have to keep praying and hope that they will have a change of heart and one day accept it. I hope that you are all having a good week. It´s a short month and a short transfer, we only have a 5 week transfer and we only have 3 weeks left so hopefully we can make something happen. I hope everyone remembers to read and pray every night, because through those things is how we learn to become disciples of Christ. I love you all, and hope you have a great week. Thank you for all your prayers! Love, Elder Johnson