Pics!

The "Office" Elders

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

WHAT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! fam illl eee!!

 

I can't believe I was just talking to all of you like a week ago! That was so awesome! I really can't believe how bad my english is! I was so nervous to talk to you, because I knew I was gonna slip up on a ton of words....but I did better than I thought! haha. Anyway, it was super awesome to be able to hear all of your voices and how well everyone is doing! By the way....that pic is off the chain! I feel like I'm in the pic...but it's like a cyber me.....in the phone.....kinda weird, but cool! hahahaha.

 

Sooooo.......BAPTISM!!! whooo hooooo! Victoria got baptized today!! It was the coolest thing in the whole world! This whole week we have been working with her super hard and just getting her super super stoked for her baptism! It worked out perfect too because her mom came to visit her this week and we had a lesson with her and she felt the spirit super strong and gave us the permission for her daughter to be baptized! also.....their dad hasn't been too supportive this whole last week, but Elder Larkin and I were praying super super hard that the Lord would soften his heart and support them in their decision to be baptized, and........HE TOTALLY CHANGED! We showed up.....Friday? not sure, but we came to visit them one day and he was just supporting a ton and he was so excited to see how happy his daughters were about their baptism! (by the way, tell Elder Larkin´s mom that her son is such a freakin stud missionary) haha. But anyway, he gave them permission to be baptized and it was such a miracle! The only downer is that Lupita didn't feel too good and she was a little bit nervous so she didn't get baptized this week....but we talked to her during the baptism of Victoria and she said the she for sure wants to get baptized this next week!!! They both are so awesome! Also, Victoria gave the closing prayer at her own baptism!!! It was so so awesome! Then we were talking with her afterward and we asked her how she felt and she just got the biggest smile on her face and she said that she felt like a completely different person and felt so clean!!!!!!! WHAAAAAAA!!! I was so happy when she said that! I can't wait till she recieves the Holy Ghost because I know she is just going to be filled with so much JOY!! Victoria's dad also came to her baptism and he had his hair all slicked back and nice and he was almost crying the whole time! I can't even tell you how awesome this baptism was!! I'm soo happy right now it's unreal! haha. I really do love these girls, they are so awesome and I really have learned soo much from them it's unbelievable! I'm soo happy that they are starting their journey right on the eternal life with their Heavenly Father! whooo hooooo! This work is awesome!

 

So about your question if I'm ever in the the office.................................EVERYDAY!!! hahaha. In fact, I'm in here right now writing to you.....I was in the office when I talked to you on christmas! haha. Basically, we're always in here! hahaha. That was really weird seeing a picture of it just because we're here all the time!

 

So basically I love you all! We have a few more potential baptisms for this month of Januray so we're really stoked and we're working hard!! I just pray that we can have the spirit with us enough that these people can feel the importance of the gospel in their lives! Being converted to this gospel is soo important...perhaps the most important! Just love God with all your hearts and I know that you will feel His love and see all the blessings He has prepared for you!

 

les amo a cada uno de ustedes y sé que el Señor les ama con un amor infinitiva!

 

Elder Johnson

Victoria's Baptism

i. am. happier. than. ive. ever. been.

(this letter got lost in cyberspace, I'm guessing because of the pictures attached.  So happy to get it today on Christmas!!)

HELLO EVERYONE...................HELLO!!

 

 

Sooo this change is literally the craziest time of my life! No joke, Elder Larkin and I are just LOVIN it! haha. But we have had some of the craziest experiences ever.....we've got some pretty wild investigators and we always run into people who are just off the chain crazy! haha. We're lovin it though!

 

Right now we have some way cool investigators that really are just so stoked to hear about the gospel! Can I just say that it's the coolest thing in the world when someone just realizes how AWESOME this gospel is! Anyway, this gospel is awesome and it changes lives and makes good lives better, until we become perfect like Christ! Basically, this gospel is PERFECT! haha.

 

So we had a really cool activity just yesterday....we gathered all the missionaries that are here in Culiacan and we went to one of the most famous parks here in Culiacan and WE SANG CHRISTMAS HYMNS!!! It was seriously super cool! We started out with basically nobody in the park listening to us but we started singing and little by little people started to come until we basically had a whole amphitheater filled with people listening to us...the spirit was super strong while we were singing and it really was super cool! We are going to be doing the same thing tomorrow and we are hoping to have more people come and feel the spirit! I feel like we're going to see MIRACLES tomorrow! We already have....we recieved two referrals in our area last night of people that came and listened to us...I'm positive they're going to be baptized! haha.

 

 

Anyway......WHOS STOKED FOR NAVIDAD!!!!!!                                 I AM!!!! hahaha. We might actually have a baptism tomorrow! We have two girls named Victoria and Lupita and they want to get baptized but their dad like freaked out on us one day and told us not to come back.....but we saw them again the other day in one of the Christmas activities we had and they said that they still want to be baptized! they come to church every single Sunday and go to all the activities....basically they are awesome! We are hoping they will be baptized tomorrow! Baptism on Christmas....nothing better! haha.

 

I hope I attatched enough photos this time! haha. There is a couple of the Christmas activity we had as a mission and just a few more....haha. hope you like them!

 

Well, I hope everyone has an AWESOME Christmas! I love you all!

 

Talk to you TOMORROW!! WHATTT!!!

 

Elder Johnson

Pics!!!

 DINERO!

Somebody's eating just fine!!

Waiting for......dinner?

Just.......................HAPPY!

HOLA HOLA HOLA!!!

 

So whatt upppp famzily! Just thought I'd let you know that.........I'M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!! haha

 

first of all, I'm a missionary in the best work EVER!

second, I have the BEST family in the world!

third, I LOVE MY FAMILY!! haha

 

 

 So the work as financial secreatary is UNREAL!!!  I've never had to think of so many things all at the same time all day long!! haha. First, we have a TON of work here in the offices and then we leave at 2 o'clock to go work in the field as normal missionaries....which includes worrying about your investigators and thinking about what they need and also about finding new people and how we are going to find them, and on top of everything we just have to constantly be in tune with the spirit!! WHATT!!! I really have never felt like I've been so lead by the spirit, than in this time I have being a Financial Secretary! That's so crazy to me!  It has been the coolest experience being here in the offices and learning so much! Also, I'm going to be the financial secretary for a minimum of 4 changes, which is 6 months! Its so weird to think that when I leave here I will have more than a year in the mission! cuhhhhrazzyyyy! haha. But yeah, a lot of people think that we don't do a lot of misisonary work while in the offices, but that's definitely not true! We have had the craziest week ever of missionay work!  We have some AWESOME investigators, including 2 who we are hoping are going to get baptized on the 24th!! But it has been a rollercoaster week....honestly, I've never had a crazier week in my life than this one!

 

So first of all, there is this one member who is an x-missionary that has a daughter who is 10 years old, and he hasn't let her be baptized for 2 years because he wants her to make the decision for herself...even though she has told her dad that she wants to be baptized...super wierd. But we were in the church last week and he asked us when we were going to come over and teach his daughter and we were just super shocked!! But we are teaching her right now and she is just AWESOME!! She is one of my favorite little girls EVER!  She is actually half american and half mexican so she speaks both languages, so she likes to learn in english so she can practice....so we have been teaching her in ALL ENGLISH!! Its actually super hard to teach in english! haha. I have honestly forgotten a little bit of english and sometimes I talk super bad....gramatically wise! haha. So if I talk super weird on Christmas.....don't make fun of me! haha. But we are hoping she is going to be baptized super soon...I think she is actually going out of town today or tomorrow so we'll see...but she is honestly AWESOME! haha.

 

Also, we have an investigator who is in the drug business stuff, and wants to leave and give a better life to her son! Yes, I did say her....she is a 20 year old girl, who is just super GNARLY!  Like, Angelina Jolie crazy movie stuff!! haha. But for real, its pretty nuts because its like super hard to leave from that kind of stuff! She wants to so bad, but its super hard for her because she has been doing this kind of stuff since she was 14 years old! cuuuhhhhrrazzzyyyy!!!  I never really thought this kind of stuff happened in real life....but this is definitely REAL!!! haha. She has felt the spirit so many times and is progressing a ton. we meet with her in the chapel instead of her house for safety, and she has showed up almost everytime so thats way cool!  We are hoping and praying so much to help her progress!

 

Anyway, I really have never felt so much love for this people....I just want to help them accept this gospel and find the most happiness EVER!!!! haha. But I'm super happy right now!!!

 

So about the call............................oooooohhhhhh! We are going to be calling at 2 in the afternoon on Christmas day! So right after sacrament meeting just hurry home and be ready! We can talk for 2 hours, so I'm gonna call you for around the first half and then my dad the second!! SO STOKED!! That will be fine for Chris right?? We're still finding out if we can skype or not....we dont have a yes or a no yet...so we'll see! haha.

 

But in the meantime....I LOVE YOU ALL tons tons tons!

 

Love Elder Johnson.

 

 

 

p.s. pics coming soon....promise!! haha

I'm Elder Johnson, your financial secretary...how may I help you?

WHOA!!

 

Im loving it here in the offices! There is a ton of work that we are constantly doing...a different kind of work, but work that is still super important! I've never had to learn so many things so quickly! haha. This week was unbelievable, we were so busy with so many things! because Monday, we had changes and so a bunch of misionaries are here in Cuilacan and so we have to pick them up and drive them to a bunch of places....and then Tuesday we had missionaries leaving and so we were super busy with all of that....Thursday, we had the CHRISTMAS PARTY!! So all week we were getting ready for that, and then that day was just super super wild! haha. And then yesterday, there was a meeting of Zone Leaders in the mission and so we had to get everything ready for that and it was just super crazy! and then now we have our PDAY!! REST....I'm super exhausted...no joke! but I'm loving the hard work. yeah...BIG CHANGE! haha

 

Anyway, I was just reading the letter that you sent to Elder Larkins mom! haha. It's super funny to see how many missionaries moms really do communicate! ha. It makes us laugh a little! but yeah, Elder Larkin is a freakin STUD! I absolutely love this guy, I've only been with him for a week and I've already learned a ton from him! I'm super excited to be his companion for this change. We have a ton of fun together and we actually have a lot in common so we never run out of things to talk about! haha. Anyway, I'm love love lovin it here in the offices and I'm excited to continue learning all about what goes on here and what all my responsiblities are!

 

So we had the CHRISTMAS PARTY on Thursday and it was OFF THE CHAIN! haha. We played a TON of dodgeball with all of the missionaries! We made 13 teams of about 12 people on each team and we had a super big tournament! my team didnt win, but thats ok...we played our hearts out! haha. But the best part of everything was that after the tournament, we had a HUGE game Mexicans vs. Americans! haha. It was pretty intense.....and I'm sure you know who won.......GRINGOS!! haha. The best part of it all, is that before the game started, we both sang our national anthem!! haha. It was soo much fun!

 

So about the questions the missionaries had.......1. I promise that you dont need boots! haha. 2. my Hush Puppies are GNARS BARS! they are holding up super well, and they are super comfortable. 3. I've got a good number of shirts...the only thing i would recommend is to bring a light sweater to put over your shirt in the winter. I dont have one, and I get cold sometimes and wish I had one! 4. it does rain a lot in the summer, but an umbrella is not necessary...the rain coat I have is perfect! just get a rain coat big enough so that you can put your packpack underneath so it doesnt get wet! 5. I would just say that you dont need as much stuff as you think you need....haha. we live super simple, and you dont need too much! 6. I'm lovin my camelback, I dont use the water thing too often, but I do love the backpack a ton! the last thing I would recommend bringing....is the spirit! thats gonna be your best friend out here and that is the one thing that is absolutely necessary that we have as missionaries! also, a desire to work....this mission works hard, and we GET IT DONE! Tell all those missionaries to be super excited because we have SOO many awesome elders in this mission and they are going to love it! other than that, I cant think of anything else! ha.

 

So thats all I have in my mind to tell you this week! oooohhhhh, about the christmas call thing!!!! you are going to call me, and you can call on the 24th or 25th, we just to set a time of when you are going to call so that I can be here! SO STOKED!! no joke. I think what we can do is that I'm gonna call you, but hang up real quick and then you just call that number right back! So we just have to put a time of when we will talk!

 

anyway, I love you all a lot!

 

i. will. catch. you. on. the. flip. side. l8. r.

 

Elder Johnson

BIG CHANGE!

What up fam.......ill........e.

 

Sooooooo.....CHANGES!! haha.  I am companions with Elder Larkin, and we are in................................THE OFFICES OF THE MISSION!!!! woohoooo, big change....no joke! haha. I'm honestly loving it so far, it is way different, but I love it!  When we recieved changes, the offices was literally the last place I thought I was going to be going, but now I'm here! ha.  Anyway, my pday is going to be changed to Saturday....so I'll be writing then instead of Monday!  But yeah, here in the offices...I am the Financial Secretary (in training right now...haha) basically we´re just in charge of all the money of the mission...no big deal ha. But thats the big news of the week!  Hi I am e. Vazquez¡¡¡  That was Elder Vazquez...he's here in the offices with me! ha.  We have a lot fun here.  Anyway, I do know Elder Beau Stapley...not too well, but I do know of him. I am going to train him on a few things of the mission when he gets here, so I'll let you know when he arrives!

 

So, I don't have too much time  to write....we are super super busy right now....because we are going to be celebrating Christmas as a mission on Thursday!! So we are getting everything ready for the PARTY! haha. soooo.............................................................peace out!

 

i love you all.....mucho.

 

Elder Johnson