Dec 14 - Ayacucho

Hello All,

This week has been great! Last night we had a family home evening with a family that we are teaching. His name is Daniel who is an investigator and his girlfriend is a member. They are planning on getting married in February and then Daniel can get baptized. He is awesome! He accompanys us even more than the members do haha. He goes out to visit with us every Saturday in the morning. He knows all of the lessons and I can't wait until he gets married and baptized.

Tomorrow we are going to go to Lima to have a Christmas Party with President. We are going to have a white elephant exchange as well as watch a movie together as zones. It is the 6 zones in Lima and us Ayacucho. I can't wait!

The other day we found another scorpion in our room! Ahh, Spiders are bad but scorpions scare me. I have heard that if we get pinched then it is a serious medical condition. Pray for me that I won't die here in Ayacucho hahah. Just a joke mom don't worry :)

All is good down here in Ayacucho. Next Monday we are going to call home to coordinate the skype call. We will do the call on the 24,25, or 26. We as missionaries are good with whatever, and so whatever day is the best for you guys! I can't wait!! :)

I love you guys sooo much and a lot!!

Elder Johnson Baby

Dec 7 - Ayacucho

Hello All,

HAPPY WEEK OF JEN!!! (from your favorite child) haha I hope that your birthday was great! :)

That's great that you were able to have Sara, Vanessa, Lauri and Donny all over for your birthday. I wish I could've been there, but at least we will be able to talk during Christmas. I'm excited to be able to see your faces again and see how you are all doing.

This past week we went to the Zoo! haha the zoo in Peru is just a little different than in the states. The highlight was that in the middle of our visit there a monkey got loose and began to run around the park! It was awesome!

We are still working with Juan and Jose Carlos (sons of Susana). They are both great we have really established a good relationship with them. We are praying to be able to extend them a baptism date this week so that they can be with their mom, enjoying the blessings of baptism. Pray for them that they may be able to open their hearts and have the desire to follow Jesus Christ.

I love you guys soo much and a lot!!

Elder Johnson Baby

Dec 1 - Ayacucho

Hello All,

This week I didn't have any transfers and it looks like I'm going to be here in Ayacucho for 6 months! The area is beautiful but at the same time it is really hard because there are many catholic traditions and people are willing to listen to us, but don't have the desire to change, despite the fact that they understand the restoration. It is really frustrating, but being able to work with such humble people sure is a blessing.

That is great that you were able to get together with Grandma and Grandpa. Send my love to them and I hope that they are continually doing good and enjoying the company of all the family. It is crazy to see how the cousins are growing up and changing. It will be weird to return back and everyone is preparing to go on missions and college and everything. Thanksgiving here is.... nothing. haha. I actually forgot that Thursday was thanksgiving until my companion said something about it. I didn't even get turkey or a chance to beat my record on rolls! haha. I guess we will just have to wait until next year :)

We are now working with Juan and Jose now. (the children of Susana who got baptized two weeks ago). They have a lot of potential and we hope that they will be able to progress towards a baptism. They don't have a date yet, but I will let you know when they come around!

My new companion is named Elder Chira. He is from Piura which is in the north part of Peru. He is awesome and we are excited to work together to see miracles in our area.

I love you guys sooo much and hope that everything is good.

Love you guys!

Elder Johnson

Nov 23 - Ayacucho

Hello All,

The baptism of Sister Susana was great! It was interesting because all three of us participated. My companion supported her neck and head, I held her legs down, and our mission leader baptized her. We put a chair in the font and sitting down, we sumerged her in the water and right back up. It was an interesting experience and definitely something that I will never forget!

Her faith that she has is soo amazing! After her baptism she bore her testimony and I could feel the spirit so strongly. We are now working on her son who is 15. He is a little tough to work with but little by little he is coming along. Susana will be a convert that I will never forget. Now in total I have had 20 baptisms in the mission!

I hope that you guys have a great thanksgiving! Here it doesn't exist, it is just another day of preaching the gospel haha. I'm looking forward to Christmas so that I can talk to you guys again. Until then, I send lots of love!

I love you soo much and a lot!

Elder Johnson Baby

Nov 16 - Ayacucho

Hello All,

This week we have the baptism of Sister Susana!! We are planning me carrying her down into the font and my companion saying the baptism prayer or vice versa. It will be interesting to see how it goes, but we have faith that everything will be great!

Her faith is amazing! She has two kids who are both a little difficult to deal with. They are not willing to bring her all of the way down to church and so she does it herself. She tells us that her son helps her out of the house and she does the rest. She wheels herself to the street, takes a taxi, and then we help her get out of the church. It is so humbling the faith of the people down here. I will definitely apply all that I have learned when I get back to become more faithful and humble in everything I do.

We also found a new investigator named Ruth Mendoza. She is great as well. She doesn't have any religious background and so she is willing to accept new ideas such as the restoration. We were teaching her and then all of the sudden she said she wants to be baptized. It is so uplifting to find people like that. When I put myself in their shoes I don't think I would accept the message. If two young adults came to our house and tried to preach to us, I think that I wouldn't accept it. What a blessing that we have to be in the church!

Send greetings to everyone. I love you all sooo much! and a lot!!

Elder Johnson Baby

Nov 9 - Ayacucho

Hello All,

This week has been great! We have the baptism of Susana all planned out for the 21st of November. She has been such a testimony builder for me to see her faith building. This week we walked in as her 14 year old son took her purse and some money and then left. She has two kids that are both rebels and don't obey her. Despite all of the trials that she is facing, she always reads her Book of Mormon and goes to church every Sunday. We will see how we can do her baptism, it will probably take 3 or 4 of us but we are excited for it! [She is in a wheelchair]

[We mentioned some of the summer youth activities like trek and asked if such things happen in Peru]
Here in Peru there is no thing such as trek, but they do FSY (EFY-Especially For Youth program). It is also interesting the focus on family history. The family history consultants of the ward are kids. This is because they know how to use the technology better than the adults. It is awesome to see the excitement of all the youth as they hasten the work of the temple!

I hope that all is going well for you guys! The time really is going by soo fast and next thing we know we will be watching replays of all the Survivor that I have missed haha! Until then, I love you soooo much and a lot!!

Elder Johnson Baby

Nov 2 - Ayacucho

Hello All,

This week has been awesome!

Yesterday we found a new investigator. His name is Edy and he is the brother of our mission leader. He talked with missionaries before but never progressed because he was into parties and alcohol. All of the sudden, he came to church and contacted us telling us that he wanted to change his life. We asked what was the motive behind this change and he told us that it was his mother. He wanted to change so that his mother would feel more secure. It just goes to show the influence that parents have on the life of kids. He is now working towards stopping drinking and has the goal to be baptized! What a blessing to be able to teach him.

Susana is also working well towards her baptism on the 21st of this month. It is amazing because she is in a wheelchair due to paralysis, but takes a taxi to get to church every Sunday. She sacrifices soo much to be able to keep the commandments of God. It just humbles me that before the mission I didn't have the desire to go and the church was 5 minutes away walking. The people here are so humble and truly disciples of christ. Such an amazing experience to be able to here with these people teaching them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I hope that you guys are all doing well. It is crazy to hear all of the people that are going on missions [we mentioned that Mickel Wall just got her mission call]. It seems like the people who are leaving, last time I checked, were in young mens like 16 years old. It is also starting to dawn on me that I am going to be coming home very soon. The mission has passed by so fast and I have had such a great experience.

I love you guys sooo much and a lot.

Elder Johnson Baby

[I asked about whether or not he gets snow in his area since they are in the mountains]

I don't get any snow here haha. In the mountains we can see it but down in the valley where we are there is no snow. Christmas here is like 80 degrees and sunny haha just a bit ironic.