Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Cats and Snakes?

April 21, 2014

Cats and Snakes?

I am so happy!!!!  So, there’s that!  

Josue was supposed to get baptized this week. But he drank on Thursday instead of going to his interview.  Pray for the little sweetie.  

We found this family who had been getting taught in Talara (of course!) like years back.  And he was so excited to see us, and he wanted our help.  The dad is so sincere, and really wants help for his kids. Wilfredo is his name, and his children are Guadalupe, 15, Fatima, 12, Elías, 10, and Benjamín, 8.  They all came to church yesterday.  What a huge miracle!  The mom is scisophrinic (spelling in English is hard). So pray for them.

Funny things from this week:

We were running one morning, and there is this crazy street-cleaning lady who is just, crazy.  But very friendly. And so she is our friend.  So anyway, this morning, we were running by, and she just yelled, LOOK!  at us, and we stopped and turned, and she held up a dead, petrified cat, and started cracking up.  
Also, we just did a presentation of the Tree of Life in English for this meeting, and I was one of the hecklers in the large and spacious building (fitting).  So we were helping the missionaries with phrases to yell to convince them to come over on our side and leave the iron rod.  One of the Elders yelled over and over again “WE HAVE SNAKES!!!”  Priceless.  

Also, there’s this place near Talara that is called Negritos.  Hna Harrison asked me, very sweetly and in all seriousness, if that’s where all the black people live.

I love this area, and I love my companion.  She is the greatest.  I love who God has made me, even though I was difficult.  He is so unceasingly good to me.  

Challenge this week: to ask God if He loves you and wait and listen.  I do it every day.  It’s the best.  

Love you!!!!!

Hermana J

Semana Santa

April 21, 2014

Semana Santa

Hey, no Easter egg hunt?  Me niether!  (I had to review Brian Regan’s "I before E" rule in my mind while writing that word.)  [Poor Dalton—the “I before E” rule doesn’t work in this case.]  Over here, there's not really any of that.  Just the tradition to not eat meat or chicken Thursday or Friday, which we didn’t exactly follow.  But, we did so happen to eat rice and chicken for lunch on Sunday, so there's that.  [I asked Dalton why he thought there would be Word of Wisdom issues last week…]  And for your question, Mom, I wouldn't say that everyone is super drunk in Semana Santa [Holy Week], but it's just that the people who are already good at drinking have more time to do so.  That wasn't really a problem.

On Saturday, I went to my nightly prayer realizing that we really didn't have anyone that's progressing.  I asked for a miracle the next day in finding a family that's willing to make covenants.  The answer came on Sunday at 8, the last appointment of the week.  His name is Juan, he was a referral, he's married, he listened to the missionaries years ago, he knows that the Book of Mormon is true, and he accepted the baptismal invitation. Well, we have an appointment on Wednesday with the whole family, but that, for me, was a good Easter.  I felt like Elder Christensen teaching German.  [Huh?]

There was another man that we taught named Vicente, who said that he would go to church every once in a while but didn't leave satisfied.  I learned a lot from him.  That's how a lot of people must feel, but they just don't tell us.

Oh, and Fredi is a priest now!  That's what I'm talking about!

Anyway, I love you all!


Elder Johnson

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Luckily, We Have It

April 14, 2014

Luckily, We Have It

Sometimes I don’t feel like writing this.  Love you, but I could be sleeping right now.  Haha, ok—joke—don’t take it personally.

This week was great.  A little hard come Saturday, because as great as general conference is, I didn’t get to take the sacrament, or go to the temple.  And that’s a lot of sins building up and so by Saturday, I was just was drained.  But, SUNDAY CAME!  As it always seems to.  And I just cried the whole sacrament long.  Isn’t it the coolest?  That we get to start over every single week?  I love that.  This is the truth, y’all. I feel it all the time.  

You know what I am a fan of?  Asking God in prayer if He loves me.  Daily.  It is this time where I just get to feel fantastic.  And He tells me, always.  And then, it is so much easier to share it.  

This week, we found Dani.  She is the niece of the guy who showed up for conference.  She told us to follow her to her room (I was on splits with a member), and I immediately was like, sure! as I was thinking, THIS IS A TRAP!  (Peru has made me even more dramatic, I think.)  And we went to her room, and I was prepared for something really scary to happen, but she just started crying.  Told us about all the things she was trying to support, for the last eight years, and it was cool.  I shared an experience. And she asked us for help.  Luckily, we have it :)

Hey, love you all.  


Hermana J

Corazon de Ancash

April 14, 2014

Corazon de Ancash

Hey, Alicia got baptized on Saturday!  That was crazy, because we found out the day before that the super gross old baptismal water could no longer be emptied the normal way, since the magic suction machine was all out of pixie dust.  But, thanks to a couple genius missionaries and several buckets, that worked out just fine.  Julio, our branch mission leader, baptized her.  Great service.  As it turns out, she used to be a semi-famous singer with the stage name of Alicia Peru, from the all-too-classic group known as Corazon de Ancash.  Yes, THE group Corazon de Ancash.  [means “Heart of Ancash.”  Ancash is a region in northern Peru.]

Also, Fredi Antunez got his interview with the branch president.  He's going to buy himself a white shirt in preparation to receiving the priesthood.  It was cool to see how excited the Virhuez family (our pensionist) was to see him, the man they hadn't so much as seen since he was a boy.

We got a referral who's married!  We just did a short family home evening with them, which seems sometimes more powerful than a regular lesson for the first visit, especially if they are family oriented. They need some praying for, so the Cano Padilla family would be great to pray for.

I'm  sorry for not having sent photos in such a long time.  I think the computers are stupid here, because I refuse to believe that it's just me.

Well, I'll end for now with a new joke.  I know it's overdue.

Habia una araña y una hormiga.  Ellos eran vecinos y cada uno siempre hacia una fiesta cada fin de semana.  A pesar de todo el esfuerzo de la hormiga, siempre habia mas gente en las fiestas de la araña. Sabe por que?  Porque la araña tenia mas patas!  (En Peru, pata can also be used to say buddy)

[Translation courtesy of Spencer:  There once was a spider and an ant. They were neighbors and each had a party every weekend. No matter how hard the ant tried, the spider always had more people at his parties. Know why?  Because the spider has more legs/buddies!]

Anyway, love you all.

Elder Johnson

PS - Oh, and tell Jim and Dixie that I love them and I'm proud of them.  [Dalton's great-aunt and great-uncle, who just returned home from a 20-month mission in Cambodia.] 


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

How Good It Is

April 7, 2014

How Good It Is

Conference was SO GOOD!!!  It is so cool how we have the great how we have that?  [Ummm… Not sure exactly what she meant there, but it certainly seems enthusiastic.]  I am so incredibly grateful for conference.  We were just so darn happy there.  

Who was surprised when they saw the natural disasters and the Olympics on conference, thinking, have things been happening in the world?  I just looked at the TV thing confused and trying to remember anything about anything that isn’t Peru and Spanish and missionary work.  It seems to have left my brain. But anyway, sorry that there have been sad things.  I have been hugely ignorant.  But happy.
  
Yuli and Fernando were baptized yesterday!  (The sister and nephew of Guiselle.)  I wasn’t there, but I am just so glad it happened!  Thanks for your prayers for them.

So, life is great here.  These huge successes with people inviting their families and friends.  The husband of a converso reciente (recent convert) accepted a date for baptism.  He just is scared he will start drinking again. How sweet he is.  Josue.  

Had a lesson this week with Juan.  He is the husband of a long-time member who isn’t going right now, but has a great testimony.  She really wants to go to the temple.  We saw him in a park and stopped because we recognized his grandson.  And we invited him to the lesson we had scheduled with his wife and daughter.  He said he would come, but like, you know, I guess you could say we weren’t expecting anything.  And then, he was there!  And opened the door shirtless, and then left the room, so we thought he wasn’t going to come back. But then he came back with this nice shirt on, and was listening to us. We asked if he had ever listened to the missionaries who are always in his house, and he just said, when you two talked to me in the park was the first time any missionaries have ever invited me.  When we talked to him about baptism and the temple, he really just seemed like he wanted help to get there, not that he was against it.  I feel like that’s how a lot of people are but maybe we just don’t realize it.  He came to the conference :)

Also, this random stranger that we invited came to it too.  What....

Also, got to watch conference con Presidente and Hermana Rowley in our little English room.  AND I got my little package from home.  We were happy little campers Sunday.

My favorite talk from conference was Elder Bednar’s.  Hope Reed is satisfied.  It was so amazing, because I really have been talking and thinking about the Atonement and Christ a lot.  Just, how to apply it, and how to make it mean more.

 And in that package, came this song that says the following:
“Jesus has overcome. The grave is overwhelmed.  The victory is won.  He has risen from the dead.  And I will rise when He calls my name.  No more sadness, no more pain.  I will rise, on eagles’ wings, before my God fall on my knees.  I will rise.”

I have been listening to that song like on repeat repeat repeat.  It is just so perfect.  So how I feel.  Like, this is joy.  That is happiness.  To know that I will rise, and see Christ and God, and that it will all be ok when I get there.  Not just to think so, but to know it.  To know that the grace of Christ is not just sufficient to save me, but to change me. To make me clean and happy, to make me more like Him, and to make my mistakes just mistakes, and not my destiny.  I wish I could express my gratitude for Him sufficiently, but I can’t.  So, I will just do my best to help others.  Because of the Atonement, my best is enough.  A lot of people just don’t know what clean feels like, so they can’t accept it right away.  They can’t get it.  I can’t either. We all deserve a little help.  I hope we can all be the ones to give it this week.

Love you all so much.

Hermana J

What? The Olympics?

April 7, 2014

What?  The Olympics?

No, there was no tsunami here.  I guess I just wasn't meant to ever make it on the Church World Report things between sessions of conference.  Thank you for your prayers.  Everything is fine here.

Also, was I the only one that needed a general authority during conference to notify me that the Olympics happened?  That can sure sneak up on you when you're a missionary.  Are you saying I don't get to watch curling until 2018?  As a side note, I hope that the same thing happens to everyone here during the World Cup.

Conference was fantastic.  I decided that I'm going to read President Uchtdorf's talk periodically for the rest of my life after my mission.  It's like the perfect returned missionary talk.  During Elder Ballard's talk, I felt that I should start sharing thoughts about PMG in my emails home, whether they be ideas to apply now or when I get home. Thought for this week:  When I get home, I want to do daily planning sessions at the end of the day and a weekly planning session once a week.  These sessions obviously don't have to be exactly the same as those on the mission, but the principle should be the same:  set goals, and, if needed, make plans to reach the goal.  Of course, this could take less than a minute on some days, but at least you will have something to take to the Lord in your nightly prayer and have a vision for what you can accomplish, including with your goals in terms of missionary work.

Alicia is getting baptized on Saturday!  She went to all four sessions of conference, took notes, and even came to church with a dress, though we didn't even invite her to do so.  We're really excited for that service.

Also, another great thing that happened:  Paul Mendoza had an interview with the branch president to set a goal to receive the higher priesthood.  It was nice to see a man with hair down to his shoulders tell us that he wants to give his frail, faithful mom a priesthood blessing when she needs it.

Keep being good.  Follow the prophet.  Love you.


Elder Johnson

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Family Equals Strength

March 31, 2014

Family Equals Strength

This is like, totally how I imagined a mission before my mission.  Well, not exactly, because I am like way too used to amazing spiritual experiences, but it is just so great.  Here I am, with the one and only Hna thebomb.com Harrison, in Castilla, with the greatest ward ever too.  I am so in love with them.  They aren’t a ton, but they are all sooo stalwart!  We have fewer people here in this ward than in either of my branches, but it is so strong!  I was thinking about why that would be, and I looked around the sacrament meeting room, and it was just like all in families.  Priesthood only has a few less people in it than Relief Society.  That is like, unheard of. Really, just a testimony of families.  That that is where the strength is.  

I feel like we have so many cool opportunities here too.  Like, people give us referrals!!  And since we are the new white sisters, I think that helps.  They are all like, well, the elders have tried to teach our friends, but you guys are sisters.  So let’s go with you and try!  And they all think that we are just super clueless, so they are trying to help us a ton.  And all of the member sisters are super down for going with us.  And we are like literally only working with part-member families and referrals here.  Just in one week, that is like what we were given. Because we came in, and decided to just do it exactly how we have always wanted to—through the members.  And here it all is!  They are totally doing it, and so well! I am glowingly proud of them.  I seriously LOVE them.  And I LOVE being with Hna Harrison. 

Luckily, I already kind of got the hang of Spanish before us being comps, because we only talk in English in the apartment.  Well, almost. Prayers and practices and when we first wake up we talk in Spanish.  We are having such a blast.  We talk nonstop (weird) and are having so much fun being missionaries!!!  Like, this is how it is supposed to be!  I am so grateful that God has given me this chance.  He loves me.  And He loves you.  And He will give back.  

PS - sorry, I will fill you in on people next week.  Fam Garcia, Fam Elias, Fam Menrique, Josue, Tamara for this week.  Thanks ;)

Love,

Hermana J

The Prophet and Betty Crocker. Both Favorites!

March 31, 2014

The Prophet and Betty Crocker.  Both Favorites!

Hey, so you're planning on going vacationing too!  I will have you know that I will be taking a combi [small bus] to Barranca today.  I will then go shopping, because the bags of cereal they sell in Paramonga are just too small.

Hey, just as a reminder before conference:  Follow the prophet!  The first presidency has made it a point to look for members who have unknown addresses.  The area here has told the missionaries to do that by looking for them in the last known address of the member and ask for new addresses if they no longer live there.  We have been given the promise that we will find people to teach in the process.  Well, what do you know?  Alicia Perez was someone we found while looking for her half-brother who now lives in Barranca.  She accepted the invitation to be baptized for the 12th.  We found a less active named Fredi while looking for his less-active sister in Chile, and he wants to receive the priesthood.  He came to church and received a fantastic welcome from the branch that hadn't seen him in years.  Honestly.  In years.  He ran away from home when he was a teenager, and everyone thought he was dead.  Surprise!  I hope that the story made a little bit of sense, but my point is to follow the prophet.

Anyway, Amado is great and still has the goal to get married in April. The only thing that has been taking so long is that his birth certificate is in a place called Chota, which I think is the Spanish name for MARS!  He hasn't been able to have vacation time to go get it, and his family members said they will send it in the spaceship in April.  I am going to be so happy when that man gets baptized.  He really is great.

Also, I was in Pativilca again this week, but this time with Elder Grow.  It was not only a spiritually uplifting experience, but we also ate an entire Betty Crocker cake by ourselves.  No, really.  We had a really great experience with an investigator who was having some doubts about Joseph Smith.  I don't think that what I write will really give justice to the experience, but let me just say that it was something else for me.  Long story short, Rodrigo got baptized on Saturday!

Love you all.  Invite someone to conference.


Elder Johnson

SURPRISE!

March 24, 2014

SURPRISE!

You will never guess what.  I am no longer in Talara, but here in Castilla.  Don’t tell Nicki, but it has the reputation of being the most dangerous place in Piura.  And, this is the crazy part, I am with a gringa. And not just any gringa, but Hna Harrison, my dear friend from Arizona who got me through my first transfer in Peru.  And, we are replacing Elders.  (I had never understood the hard feelings some sisters have against elders until we came into their living quarters to live.  Elders.....)  So here we are, the gringas in Castilla. We already got followed around by a drunk guy.  I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!  Seriously.  We got together and just jumped and screamed.  I realize that we are on missions and that this isn't a sleepover, but hey, this is supposed to be fun too, right?  I am seriously like dying excited.

But also, this was a great last week.  It was sad to leave Talara, because one of my heart pieces didn’t come with me to Castilla, but it’s hard to be sad when you know you are doing what the Lord wants you to be doing. This week was so cool.  Huge highlight: Kristopher passed the sacrament to his mom, Guisselle.  Seeing that was just like, yea.  There it is :)  And consejo [ward council] in Talara Alta was so great again. All of the leaders were there, and they were so excited about the baptism of Fernando and his mom, Yuli, which will take place general conference weekend.  They are going to do a branch lunch and have the baptism between sessions domingo [Sunday], 6 of April.  Isn’t that neat?  I just feel so blessed to have had the chance to be there.  I like, can hardly believe it.  

I was all really composed leaving all day, but when Kristopher--the incredible, happy-go-lucky, spiritual-giant kid who doesn’t talk much--started crying, I was like, oh no.  And just my heart stayed with them. And the sweet fam Coronado, who I am just so incredibly in love with, the mom said as I was leaving, “I promise I will go to the temple.”  Or the fam Chavez. Or the kids in mission prep who brought their non-member friend to church this week.  I just, really love Talara.  When I knew I was getting transferred, I cried, and told my comp, “I gave everything to Talara.”  And she just said, “I know.”  It is really cool to leave a place feeling like that.  I will love it forever.  

Being a missionary is really cool.  I am just so happy.  I love the way God takes such good care of me. And of everyone.  He is the best.  

Love you.  Pray for me please.  Lest we get carried away by drunk men tonight, hahaha.  Don’t take that seriously.

Hermana J


Miguel Diaz, Come on Down!

March 24, 2014

Miguel Diaz, Come on Down!

I was thinking of that subject line with The Price is Right voice.

Oh, also, I was just kidding last week when I wrote "hey the family."  I still get annoyed when I think about how many people in the States can't write the correct "there" in a sentence.  Thank you very much.

Anyway, pretty fun week in terms of less actives.  First off, I was in another area for a day called Pativilca with Elder Tum, my other Guatemalan.  Pativilca is like Paramonga, but with a lot more mosquitoes. Elder Tum and his companion had told me about the Huaman family a long time ago, some less actives that just never could progress.  We decided that day to talk about the temple, with some references to D&C 132.  The result was almost unreal.  When we invited them to church, the wife said "maybe" because she has to sell on Sundays. We asked them, in turn, "So what's more important?  Working on Sunday, or being there (pointing to the picture of the temple)?"  Everything changed there.  The husband started asking questions about when he could get to the temple and everything.  It was fantastic.

Another less active we are teaching, Paul Mendoza, now has the goal to get the priesthood.  His mom is recovering from a mild stroke, and he admitted to us how bad he has felt that he couldn't be the one to give her a priesthood blessing.

Miguel Diaz is another less active who, just last night, has committed to quit working on Sundays.  They also have the goal for the temple!

Even though we couldn't apply it well to investigators too much this week, the principle taught in Alma 5:62* can also apply to less actives.  If partaking of the fruit of the tree of life is accomplished through making covenants, then investigators just need a goal for a covenant.  Then, they will understand why they need to cling constantly to the iron rod.

It's a good time being here.  I know that Paramonga will be sacred ground for me.

Love you all!

Elder Johnson


* “I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.”

Here It Is!

March 17, 2014

Here It Is!

I honestly wish you all could have lived my week with me.  I have absolutely no words for how incredible it was.  I would write in my journal at night, totally exhausted, with just enough energy to go to bed smiling my little head off and write that I’M SO HAPPY like how Emperor Cusco would say it.  Ah, ha just noticed that.  His name is Cusco.  Makes sense that I would be quoting him.  [Because there’s a city in Peru called Cusco?]  Ok, get off my back that I thought that was funny.  I’ve had to learn how to laugh at very slightly mildly funny things here. Love Peru, but shoot, they have never been to a Dalton family reunion.  Humor just isn’t the same.  



Whoa, off topic.  Ok, because really, I am nothing but pure great.  Listen to this!  First, yes, I did hit a year this week.  It’s totally not real, and I never think about ending, so whatever, it’s fine.  No one worry about it.  I’m not. Because I want to stay in Talara forever!  I might have cambios [transfers] Monday.....  Oh my gosh, hna Johnson, focus.  Ok, so, the story is, that it just so happened, that I was comps with the one and only hna Giles, my sweet comp from the MTC, the day we completed a year.  It was fantastic.  Included is a picture of us eating PB from America (her family loves her) [ouch!] with bananas and chocolate cake.  It was so good being with her. Someone who knows me as more than others.  She was able to tell me what I was missing, and we cried together the two sweet hours in the bus back to Talara.  It honestly was just so what I needed.  It was so healing to talk to her (yes, we talked in English, get off my back).  And I just left there feeling rejuvenated.  And so known by God.  



It’s interesting what happens on missions to a person.  We go through hard things.  And if we did it right, we will end up different.  And sometimes that’s terrifying, because it seems like you got worse.  And that may be a little true.  But here is my testimony—that God will never punish His very loved children for doing what He asks us to do.  He has control of this, and sometimes we are tempted to think that our weaknesses are just too weak for Him.  And that just because we did some things not perfect that we will suffer.  The thing is, is that we suffer. But, that is so that we will see Christ how He is.  So we won’t be lost when He comes back and looks at us. That we will be able to look Him in the eyes, and cry, and then fall at His feet.  If we didn’t know a little bit of what He felt like, we could never be grateful for Him, we could never have real tears at that meeting.  But this way, we can become like Him.  We can come to understand Him a little bit more.  And that is what we all wanted upon coming to Earth.  

I imagine that Christ felt pretty weak during the Atonement.  I imagine He was tempted to think that He couldn’t do it.  I bet He was tempted to think that God didn’t love Him.  But He kept going.  He fought all that, with His perfect love, and His perfect knowledge of who God is.  That was all He was left with.  Sometimes we may think that we are bad people for being tempted with these things too.  But temptations do not define us.  We are not who Satan wants us to think we are.  We are not the natural man.  We are celestial beings of infinite worth.  We are beloved children of a perfect Heavenly Father who takes perfect care of us AT ALL TIMES, perhaps especially when we can’t feel Him.  I am so happy to say that I have come through some hard things alive.  Of course there were times when I felt like I had nothing left.  But the thing is, that I always knew that God was there.  Even if I couldn’t feel Him.  And that is testimony.  Maybe I haven’t always been perfectly happy, and lamentablemente, I haven’t always loved perfectly and haven’t submitted the way I should have to my Heavenly Father’s perfect plan for me, but Christ paid for that. And now, I can understand Him a little bit more.  My chin will quiver when I see Him.  I will start bawling.  And I will fall at His feet.  



Lots of missionaries say that they gained testimonies when they came out on missions. Honestly, I knew before that it was all true.  I knew that Christ was my Savior, that He established the truth to help us and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that Church, that He loves me, that He lives, and that I can after too. But on my mission, I have come to understand Him.  Not perfectly, but more.  He has changed me.  And yea, there have been hard things, but the thing is, is that ultimately, deep down, I have always known that God would reimburse.  That He isn’t the type to just take.  That He would send me the light.  And He has :)  



Ready for the light?  The brightest shining light story?  Guisselle and her kids, Xiomara and Kristopher were baptized and confirmed this week.  It was so beautiful. Honestly, one of the coolest experiences. The night before, her sister and Sobrino decided to get baptized too. Because Yuli had started reading the Book of Mormon because Fernando had started going to seminary.  And the Book of Mormon strikes again!  That’ll be in two weeks.  And the morning of, we went by to check on them, and the mom of Guisselle, who has been a little bit of a stumbling block, invited us in, and apologized for how she has been treating us.  And then when we were there, lots of people came, and it was so beautiful.  When we were in the bathroom with Guisselle right after the ordinance, she just started crying, telling us how she felt. That she wanted to cry, and laugh and shout, and that it was super weird, because she had never felt like that before.  That she just felt so adored and loved by her Heavenly Father.  That that short moment under the water, she felt the arms of her Heavenly Father around her. And that she knew that she was a new person, and all she wanted to do was start this new life.  And Xiomara just said, I am so so so happy. And Kristopher, who is so shy that he never even answered one of our questions in the beginning, gave his testimony that he knew this was true.  And that God was with him.  In front of everyone, with confidence.  Sunday, his confirmation said that he would bring the gospel to the lives of his friends, bring blessings to his family, serve a full-time mission, and have his own eternal family.  Something I will never forget, and never stop being grateful for.  That family changed Talara.  There is hope in that branch.




Yesterday, consejo [ward council] was actually real.  They made plans about what they were going to do, because they felt like maybe they could make a difference.  Because they were all involved with the baptism, and so now they have this confidence.  They felt the joy of that experience, and they want it more.  We will now do weekly FHE’s as consejo.  Isn’t that cool?  And those three kids are three of the five kids who go to seminary every day.  They have literally changed everything.  And are the hugest answer to our prayers. 



I just want all of everyone to know.  That your Guisselle will come.  That even if people say no, it’s ok. Because the good will come.  Your prayers are being worked on.  We just have to work while we wait sometimes.  The light will come.  I know it will.  Because God loves you.  He has not, and will not, abandon you.  He will answer every single prayer.  It’s just that His timing is better than ours.  He has a lot in mind for us.  Isn’t that great?  I sure do love Him.  And I sure do love you.  And He hecka loves us.  


Hermana J

Being Mormon is Being Happy. And Quirky.

March 17, 2014

Being Mormon is Being Happy.  And Quirky.

Hey, the family.  Elder Peña got some transfers.  [Is he being goofy with the language on purpose?] I am now with a Guatemalan companion named Elder Ortiz.  He's the best.  And pretty short.

We started teaching an English class.  Don't worry—when the 7 people that showed up tell the whole world about the most mind-blowing hour and a half of their life, it will start picking up.

We were also finally able to teach the Tapia family, the family that lost their father this last week.  If you are dying to say prayers for people here, they would be the people I'd choose for you.  They are close.
But, the most gratifying part of the week for me was with the Mendoza family, who are less active.  We visited Lucho, who, as it turned out, had just separated from his partner (and she was actually the reason we never really gave Lucho a chance).  I told him about how grateful I am that my grandpa came back to activity, and I just felt overwhelmed out of nowhere.  I told him it won't be easy, but that it's worth it.  Both he and his brother Paul came to church yesterday.  In a way, it's even more gratifying to see a less active come to church than an investigator, because many times the less active comes as a way to show that he's here to stay this time.

I understand what Davi was talking about, about loving a quirky branch.  Julito, our ward mission leader, always gives long, excited prayers at church, where he almost always says the phrase "Ser Mormon es ser feliz" [“Being Mormon is being happy”] out of nowhere during the prayer.  And right in sacrament meeting, as someone from the district presidency was talking and mentioned that he is 50, our pensionist’s husband (who is 75 and was walking out to go to the bathroom)  said, right out loud, "Oh, es viejo ya."  [“Wow, he is old already.”]   I really did my best to be reverent when I heard it.  Anyway, the branch has some spice to it still.

Hey, I'm glad you're all doing well.  Love ya!


Elder Johnson