Sep 29 - Lurin

Hello All,

This week has been hard work, but it is so worth it.  That´s awesome that you guys got to all eat at Grannys. I was telling Granny that I miss those Sundays. It will be so awesome to do it again in two years. :)

[Hearing we may be sending a holiday package] A package! haha awesome! I cant think of anything specific, so surprise me! :)

Dad, good luck with busy season [at work]. I always remember that during this time of year you usually work late everyday and have to cover the other people. Hopefully you will be able to do well and also have time to relax. Also, good luck with your Gospel Doctrine Class. You will be great.

RSL can do it! Im sure that they will make the playoffs. That´s too bad about Will Johnson, it seems like too many people are getting injured these days. That´s awesome for Lucas WAC player of the week. Hopefully he continues to do well and play to the best of his abilities.

This week I saw a poster of Real Madrid and all of the players were different haha. If it is not too much, could you send me an update of all the major changes that have happened since I have been gone? If you could that would be awesome! I miss soccer soo much and need your updates haha :)

That´s awesome about Jack and Connor getting bigger and bigger. It will be crazy to see them when I get back how much they have grown. That´s an awesome story haha. I love it. Tell them I love him (even though I ate all of the cake :))

About Carsen, ya I think he is going a little crazy so that would be nice to visit him. He is into everything so I think any snack would really help him out.

This week we had a person continually push his baptism back. We made the decision that we had to leave him. It was hard, but we have a paper that says that we are here to teach people who WANT to progress. If they don´t have the desire, we should focus our time elsewhere. It is hard but necessary. Our other people are progressing great. This week at church we had 15 investigators present. Wow! It was truly amazing! Our three couples are also preparing to get married. The date has been pushed back to October 25th. It is pretty much for sure that they will all be ready. At least 8 or 9 baptisms that day. Cant´t wait!

My allergies have started to get bad again and I got checked out by a doctor. He gave me medications, but they are pretty much the same ones that I already have. Here in Peru, there is so much pollen and dust that it drives my eyes crazy. Whatever happens, I will continue to try and bring people to christ and recieve the gospel. I love the mission! :)

I love you all so much and hope that you continue to enjoy yourselves. Enjoy everything and tell everyone back home that I love them.

Much Love,
Elder Johnson

Sep 22 - Lurin

Hello All,

This week has been interesting and pretty hard. We have had some of our investigators back out of baptism and we won´t be able to have them on the 4th. They have been pushed back to the 25th. Hopefully, with faith, they will be able to make this date.

Dad,that´s cool that you were able to go to the Archibald reunion. I bet that it was fun to see all of your cousins and family that you probably don´t get to see that often.

Good luck with your lesson! I´m sure that you will do great. Isaiah (when I can understand it haha) is awesome! You will be fantastic! :)

For General Conference, we get to watch it in the stake center on the 12th and 13th. I can´t wait!

I heard about Carsen [Tinker's ACL surgery] and that´s too bad. I emailed him about staying in there and when I broke my leg how hard it was to be out. But, I told him that I felt that I was a better player after the injury and appreciated the game a lot more. Hopefully Landen and Lucas continue to do well.

Although this week has been hard, last night was awesome. We had a lesson with the bishop. At the end of our lesson he gave a blessing of comfort to the people who had been struggling. I could feel the spirit so strongly. It truly was a miracle. I´m so grateful to participate in it.

I love you all and I hope that you continue to enjoy life and have fun!

Much love,

Elder Johnson

Sep 15 - Lurin

Hello All,

My allergies are starting to come back again, but hopefully I will be able to get them under control. Life here is realllly different, but I´m starting to get used to it. Also, I can´t play soccer on P-Day. It´s a mission rule because too many people were getting injured and it was too competitive. AWW!

My spanish is coming along, and at this point I can usually understand what is being said. Talking is still difficult, but I'm progressing and getting better. This week we have 14 investigators with baptism dates! Awesome! I truly believe that the Lord has prepared certain people to recieve the gospel. We have at least 8 baptisms for the 4th of October. I can´t wait for that experience.

The weather here in Peru is pretty much for the most part the same. It is always around 60 to 70 and cloudy. I´m glad that I packed my sweatshirt haha. It´s weird that we are heading into summer haha. In summer it is hotter, but for the most part its stays pretty moderate. That´s awesome about the church (parking lot expansion)! Being in a casa capilla (house chapel), it really makes me appreciate all of the chapels that we have close to our house.

The one thing that has really changed in the mission is my outlook on education. Before, I was thinking that I would just go to school maybe for a bachelors and then get a job. Here in Peru, a lot of the people struggle with just reading. It has really opened my eyes to how lucky we are to have the opportunities here in the US. When I get back I have an interest in getting more education than a bachelor´s and I will constantly be trying to learn. I will try and make the most out of the opportunities that I have. The mission has truly changed my attitude and outlook on life. It will help me with my education as well as give me a good work ethic.

That is all for this week. I love you guys so much and I will continue to pray for you all everyday. I truly believe that the Lord has blessed us both. May we continue to be worthy of his blessings.

Much Love,
Elder Johnson

Sep 8 - Lurin

Hello All,

This week has been awesome! We have been working and getting a lot accomplished. I truly see miracles in the mission field.

We have been having problems with our health (both me and my companion), so we have been in Central Lima for a couple of days getting checked out. Nothing too serious, so don´t worry :) Even though we took these couple days of nothing to little of proselyting, we still managed to make most of our goals. The Lord truly helped us out this week and I am so grateful for all the blessings that I have received.

We have 3 marriages and 11 investigators with a baptism date. All for October 4 and October 18. So Awesome! As we have been teaching I have really felt the spirit and know that it was not us who are giving them testimonies. Yes, we are teaching them, but the Spirit is the real teacher.

I love you guys so much, and I´m praying for you all as well. I truly know that we are both blessed from this experience. It has been hard, but I know that it will be a good experience. President Holland said: Every single blessing that I have in my life I can directly contribute to my mission. There isn´t a day that goes by, that I don´t think about it¨. We are here to bless other people, but as we serve we will also be blessed. In my binder of talks it says that missionary work is great. Missionaries are saving souls and bringing them closer to Christ and at the same time are saving their own souls and becoming more like Christ. That is awesome to think about!

Hope you guys will continue to be happy and healthy! I know that as you continue to serve and magnify your callings in church that you will be blessed. 

Much Love, 

Elder Johnson

Sep 1 - Lurin

Hello All,

 

I`m doing well! I have survived the first week! Now there are 7 down 97 more to go haha :)

 

That`s awesome that you used my quote. Except for soccer, haha I love it. I have been struggling a little bit so that definitely helped a lot. That talk was really good, and I`m sure everyone felt the spirit.

 

It`s crazy to think that everyone is now pretty much in their missions. I`m so glad that Matt made the decision to go. I know that he will be blessed for all of his work.

 

You survived your first week too! That`s awesome. Good luck with the bucket of cold ice, that sounds like fun.

 

Every week Granny sends me quotes. I really liked that one. Sometimes I don`t feel like getting up, but I know that this is just Satan. He will do everything he can to prevent us from saving more souls. 

 

This week has been crazy! It has definitely been a transition, but I think I`m starting to get the hang of it. The focus here is on families. We have been contacting families in the street and everywhere. Baptism is important, but we want families to make the goal to go to the temple and be sealed forever. This is our focus. 

 

This week I had my first contacts by myself. It was pretty hard, but I did it! I know that the Spirit was helping every step of the way.

 

We have been working with Dennis haha. He is preparing to get baptized next week. It will be my first baptism. I can´t wait to have much more. At the present moment, we have 7 investigators with baptism dates. Hopefully, they will continue to grow and prepare for these days. 

 

Also, had my first experiences with drunk people haha. So funny! They just started coming up and got right in my face. I can`t understand half the stuff normal people say, so I got absolutely nothing from these people haha. My trainer said that it is pretty common so I guess I`ll just get used to it. 

 

Sunday was not your typical Sunday. Here we have church in la casa capilla (House Chapel). It is literally a house, made into a chapel. It was interesting, but it is awesome to see how these people make something outta nothing. All of the houses here are like shacks, and I`m not even in the really poor parts of Peru. I`m so grateful for what everything that we have. I will definitely not take things for granted anymore.

 

As I said before, this week has been kinda hard. Sometimes I have been thinking I just wanna be home with you guys watching Survivor with both dogs on my lap! haha. But I know that this work is awesome and in 2 years I will be able to still have that moment :)

 

That`s awesome about Carsen and Lucas. I hope that they will continue to play well and do the best they can. It is a rule that we can`t play soccer in the mission, so we will see how my skills are in a couple years. They were having too many injuries and other things. Hopefully, I will be able to keep in shape.

 

Dad, how are you adjusting to your new position at work? I hope that it will be good for ya. Also, I would love to stay in touch with what is happening in the world of soccer! I love all of your updates.

 

I love you guys so much and am so grateful for everything that we have. We are truly so lucky to live where we do and have the things we have. I know that two years seems like a long time, but I`ll be back in no time ;) Hope you guys continue to do well and have a blast! Love you soo much!

 

Much Love,

Elder Johnson