Jul 28 - Ayacucho

Hello All,

This week we had transfers! And... now I'm in Ayacucho! This zone is the farthest south in the whole mission. From Lima, I had a twelve hour bus ride. Terrible! haha but now I'm here and ready to help the people here. It is interesting because the culture is mostly catholic. Every time we go out to proselyte we see a catholic church and a bunch of people there. The culture however is awesome! It is so much different than Chincha and will definitely take time to get used to it but I'm excited to be here. My companion is Elder Alvarado from Ecuador and I knew him already and Chincha and so it looks like these transfer together will be awesome!

It was so hard to leave Chincha. I know that in the future I will have to return and visit the people there. I cried soo much on Sunday and it was my favorite area that I have been in here in the mission. I hope that they will be able to keep active, so that I can see them be sealed in the temple for time and all eternity. What a blessing to be able to teach the people here and invite them to come unto Christ. The mission has changed me so much and continues to change me every single day. All of my goals have changed and perspective. I know that I have improved for the better and hope that I will help other people to have this same change as well.

This past week we had the baptism of brother Walter Portillo. He is fifteen and loves soccer. It was so neat to teach him because we clicked right away because we had so many things in common. We both cried so much when I had to go and I hope that he will follow firm in the gospel. There were so many obstacles and trials that he had to overcome to be able to baptized, but now he has a testimony that is strong and is ready to receive the priesthood so that he can pass the sacrament. What a miracle!

I hope that you guys are all doing well and that everything is good. It is awesome to see Landen in my room! haha I miss him a lot and know that he will be a fantastic missionary and servant of God. Tell him good luck in all that he does and that it is a free country! haha I am so grateful for all of the support that you guys have given me and I hope that I can continue to make you guys proud. Keep doing well and I love you all soooo much and a lot!!!}

Elder Johnson

Jul 20 - Chincha

Hello All,

This week was awesome! We had the baptism of Sebastian and it was such a great experience! We were able to baptize him on Saturday, reactivate his mom and sister on Sunday, and now this coming Saturday we are going to baptize his other brother. Putting together families is such a blessing and I love the focus of the mission now. The goal is not to baptize people, it is to retain them in the temple. 89 percent of converts that go to the temple stay active. Quoting Pres Hinckley, what does it profer a missionary to baptize the whole world, if they don't stay active. We can baptize everyone but if they are not active members it doesn't mean anything. We sure do have a great responsibility.

[We sent a picture of the new floor in the kitchen] The kitchen looks amazing! I can't wait until I come home to see all of the changes and improvements that you have made. It will really seem like a different house, as well as Granny's apartment. I can't wait!! :)

[We sent some pictures from Dennis' 50-mile hike] That scenery in the hike looked awesome! The trailheads up at Steiner really are amazing. It takes me back to the days when I went up to Scout Camp and everything. The last year I did it I didn't want to do the canoeing but we did it anyway. Just as it was time to swamp the canoe (Sink it on purpose), THOR [the lightning warning system] went off and we had to return back to the shore. What a blessing! :)

I love you guys soo much and hope that you are all doing well and receiving all of the blessings of God. I can't wait to be able to be back with you guys but until then, I will keep working diligently and do everything I can to make you guys proud!

Love you soo much and a lot!!

Elder Johnson

Jul 13 - Chincha

Hello,

This week has been great! We are continuing to receive new investigators and this saturday we have a baptism! It is the baptism of a 9 year old kid named Sebastian. His mom is a less active that we are going to rescue (reactivate) and then baptize his other brother on the 25th of July. We go to their house almost everyday and I have grown to really love them. I'm sure going to miss the people here in Chincha when I leave. Fingers crossed that I can stay here the rest of the mission haha. :)

This week I was able to have an interchange with Elder Wright. So awesome! He is one of the closest friends here in the mission and we always have good times together and good laughs. It sucks because we can only have one interchange each transfer. I hope that we will both stay here for this next transfer haha!

I hope you guys continue to do good and keep staying close to the Lord. It is weird to see how everyone back home is growing up and changing. It will be awesome to be able to see how everyone has improved and I cant wait to go to the beach in California in the summer when I get back ;) Until then, the beaches here in Peru will have to do haha :)

I love you guys sooo much and a lot!!

Elder Johnson Baby

Jul 6 - Chincha

Hello All,

This week has been great! We are working hard and seeing the results of our work. We have a baptism on the 18th and his name is Sebastian. He is 9 years old and is amazing! He reads the Book of Mormon every single day and is awesome! It is funny because now around here with the kids I'm Johnson Baby. It is so funny to be sitting in church in between classes and everytime they pass by the shake my hand and say Johnson baby hahaa. I love the kids here and all of the members of the Ward. This has been my favorite area so far in the mission and it will sure be hard to leave these people. I have about 4 months here and transfers are on the 27th of July. Pray for me and keep your fingers crossed that I will be able to stay here! :)

It is so great to see your photos and knowing that you guys are doing well.  It's awesome that you were able to enjoy fireworks. 4th of July here in the mission.... just another day on the job. :) Me and Elder Wright wanted to celebrate with fireworks but in the mission manual it is prohibited haha. O well.. We will just have to wait another year... :)

This past week we were able to meet Pres and Sister McGinn. He is from Canada and is pretty funny. He already knows quite a bit of Spanish too and so I think that the transition will be relatively smooth. We are just waiting to see how many things will change (TO PLAY SOCCER) haha. They seem really nice and so I hope that he will feel welcome and be ready to serve!

I love you guys soo much and hope that you continue to do well.  Tell everyone that I love them and to keep pressing on!

I love you soo much and a lot!!

Johnson Baby

Jun 29 - Chincha

Hello All,

[We told him about our recent Bear Lake trip] That is great that you were able to keep the tradition of Bear Lake even though Grandma and Grandpa couldn't go. I remember when we went to the caves a looong time ago. It looks like you all had fun and enjoyed yourself. I hope that you saved a banana cream pie shake from La Beaus for me haha. :)

This week we are still working with a group of families. We have a young man who is named Cesar. His mom is a returned missionary and decided to marry a non member. We have to hold the lessons in the house of a member of the ward. It just goes to show how important the decisions that we make are. However, despite all of the struggles that they have had they are still progressing towards baptism. We will have their baptism on the 11th. We also have another family where we are going to reactivate their mom and baptize their two kids. Their baptism is on the 18th. Such a blessing to be able to participate in this work.

Today, Peru is playing against Chile. We have been warned and told that we have to be in our room an hour early to avoid all of the parties and things that are going to happen, especially if Peru loses. haha It is crazy how crazy the people here are for soccer. I really do miss soccer so much and wish that I could show them that gringos know how to play haha. I have my fingers crossed that the new mission president will allow us to play. Pray for us here in the mission ;) haha President Douglas ended today and now we are in the reign of Pres McGinn. It will be interesting how many things will change.

I love you guys so much and hope that you continue to enjoy life there being with all of the family. Tell all of the cousins that I love them and that they are in my prayers always. I know that you will continue to do well and be an example for all of the family and everyone that has contact with you.

Love you sooo much and a lot!

Elder Johnson

Jun 22 - Chincha

Hello All,

This week has been great! If we work really hard my comp and I have the potential to have a baptism every single Saturday in July! I know that we will be able to do it if we just have faith and we do all that we can. Pray for us! :) About Elder Johnson [Sara met a recently returned missionary from Mike's mission], yes I was able to meet him. I didn't talk to him that much but he seemed like a good guy. At immigrations to receive my ID here in Peru, they gave me his passport instead of mine own. We had to rush back to the mission office and retrieve my passport to be able to receive my ID! However, now I'm the one and only Elder Johnson here in the mish haha

This Sunday we were able to watch the transmission of the dedication of the Trujillo Peru Temple. President Uchtdorf and David A Bednar were there among others participating in the proceedings. It was weird because when the hispanic leaders got up to speak the transmission was in English. haha I still don't know why it was like that, but all of the members got kinda bored during that part not being able to understand a thing! I know that maybe they couldn't understand all that was being said but they could definitely feel the spirit and will never forget that moment in their lives.

Next week Pres. McGinn will have arrived in Peru as our new mission president! We have a multizone meeting this Wednesday which will be like the goodbye for Pres Douglas. He has been such an amazing help to this mission and I know that he will be so blessed for his service. It will be sad to say goodbye to him but I know that Pres. McGinn is called by God to be in the mission at this time and that he will magnify his calling and help us continue to grow. Also, allowing us to play soccer wouldn't hurt ;) haha.

This week I am excited to continue working hard and enjoying the mission. This area in Chincha is awesome and it will definitely be hard to leave. I will try and make the most of my time here. I hope that you guys will continue to do well and continuing forward. Keep close to God and he will continue to bless all of you guys. Tell the dogs I love them! haha I hope they will still be around for when I get back. Tell Grandpa that I love him and pray for him everyday.

Love you guys soo much and a lot!!

Gringo Mike

Jun 16 - Chincha

Hello All,

This week has been great! This week we had transfers, and..... I'm staying here in the same area in Chincha and I received my new companion Elder Vera. He is from Ecuador and has about 5 months in the mission. It is so weird to be one of the missionaries in the zone with the most experience. I will try and be able to show all these newbies haha how to do it. :) Naah, but I am so excited to be able to learn from my new companion and improve personally as a missionary as well as a person.

We are continuing to work with families and we are trying to be able to go to the temple this saturday. And then on Sunday we are going to be able to watch the [Trujillo Peru Temple] dedication by satellite transmission at our stake center. I can't wait to be able to see this dedication and to be able to be in the temple. We take for granted so many times for the opportunity that we have to go to the temple. As Ezequiel 37 refers, one of the signs of the true church of God is the appropriate use of temples. I know that only our church uses temples the way they should be used.

My allergies have been pretty hard but now I have just accepted that it is something that I will have to deal with. I was reading in the bible where it says that we should take our cross and follow him. I had been complaining about my eyes but now I will just get down to work and try to do everything that I can to be able to focus on my calling as a missionary. I am so grateful for this time that I have been able to have to be here in the mission and I have already grown so much.

I love you guys so much and hope that you continue to do well and enjoy your time. I can't wait to watch [Food Network tv personality] Alton Brown, eating little caesars [pizza], lounging on the couch with the family and the dogs. hahah.
Until then, I will try to keep working and being a servant to the Lord.

Love you sooo much and a lot,

Elder Johnson