CAMBIOS!!

Fuhamily!

Hello everyone.  Have I ever mentioned that I love your letters to me??  They always stoke me up and get me ready for the week ahead!  I love my family.  So I thought I'd inform you all that there were changes today and I am now with a new companion....his name is Elder Crisp!  He's a super rad missionary and he seems like he's gonna be an awesome companion and I'm super super excited to work with him!  Elder Aylesworth got changed to Los Cabos so he was pretty stoked about that, but I will miss the guy.  Anyway, that's the crazy news of the week here in Costa Rica. 

I'm glad to hear that everything went well there with the primary program and all....I actually almost forgot that those existed!  haha.  I'm honestly not sure if they just don't do it here or if it just doesn't exist...who knows, but I'm excited to see another one when I get back!  haha.  It's also really good to hear that the work is going so well there in the home ward and that everyone is super stoked to help the converts out....PLEASE KEEP THAT UP!  Oh and I would more than happy to be able to speak in the Kensington ward when I get back...that would be way cool!! 

So I'm pretty excited about the week that we had here....we needed to find a lot of new people to teach so we decided that we were just going to open our mouths and talk with EVERYONE!  So that's basically what we did, we just talked to a lot of people on the street and we ended up finding a lot of cool people!  There was actually one time when we were walking down the street and then suddenly a lady yells out to us "MISSIONARIES!"  So we turned to see who it was and neither I nor Elder Aylesworth recognized her...but come to find out, she was a less active member of the church who told us that she had just left the house like 10 minutes before we arrived because she was kinda frustrated and needed to think of or find something that would help her and her family.....then we come walking along and that's why she frantically yelled "MISSIONARIES!"  We started talking with her and she had comemented to us that she had been talking with her husband just a few days ago and that he had commented to her that he wanted to go to church....and she surprisingly says to him..."wait, mine or yours?"  haha.  He had told her that he wanted to visit our church because he knew or felt that we could really help him and their family  with struggles that they were having.  Anyway, she asked us if we could come by sometime to teach her and her family....and of course we said YES!!  haha.  So this week we were able to meet Pablo and the rest of his family!  As we were talking with him he was telling us that he had actually talked to the missionaries before and was going to church and actually was going to be baptized....but at that time, he couldnt stop drinking...so he was never baptized and the missionaries never went back. but then he went on to tell us that just about a month or two ago.....HE QUIT DRINKING!   Supposedly, his drinking problem was causing a lot of family problems and not to mention the economic ones and that his wife had told him that he should pray daily for the strength to quit....so he started to really pray day and night and just out of nowhere he stopped drinking and doesn't have a desire to drink again!  And that's when he remembered about the church and hence the comment to his wife about his desire to visit the church again!  We are hoping to see good progression with Pablo and his family, pray that he will have the strength to not go back to alcohol and that he and his family will be able to go to church!   I learned a lesson that God truly does "go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."   God goes before us, he prepares His children to hear and accept this Gospel!   Always remember that....when you feel the impression to talk to someone, DO IT!   God is on your right hand and on your left and His angels are literally round about you....DONT FEAR!!!   I love this work, I learn new lessons every day and God helps me to strengthen my testimony as I am able to strengthen the lives of others and I share this wonderful Gospel with them! 

I love you all, keep up everything thing that you are doing and do as your Stake President says...."Stand up for JESUS CHRIST!!!!"   Loved that by the way.

Elder Johnson

NO.............WAY!

FAMslizzy.

WAS UP.  I can't believe that Luke is already 8 and got baptized!  Time seems to go faster and faster every single day!  It's true what they say about the mission being even faster the last year....it's really fast.  haha.  Anyway, Elder Hair.....is MY TWIN!  No joke....he is me in Utah form!  I've never met anyone in my life that is so similiar to myself it's really crazy.  He actually has a photo album just like the one that I have....and every pic is almost the exact same....hahaha!  It's pretty funny.  Anyway, I'm glad to hear that people are taking the challenge to read the Book of Mormon!!!!  That makes me really happy!  Also, that's super cool about Bishop Larsen....I miss that guy quite a lot actually, he always has a smile on his face, he's gonna kill it as bishop!  Tell him if you could that I said congrats and thanks for everything he taught me.  Thanks. 

Sooo, this week was pretty darn hectic!  haha.  We did A LOT of traveling this week....but it was alright, we still got to work a little and see miracles...so it's all good!  We actually had a pretty wild experience.....this week was the week of Marianas baptism, so we were getting everything ready on Saturday...we had actually cleaned out the baptismal font on Friday and decided to fill it on Saturday so we went to fill it up and everything was going just fine...it was almost filled but we needed to go to the house to get the baptismal clothes of Elder Aylesworth....so one of the sisters in the branch told us that we should go and that she would take care of the baptismal font.....so we left, went to the house and received a call about 10 minutes later from the Branch President telling us that the baptismal font was emptying and emptying quick!  UH OH!  We ran to the church (by the way, this is at 3 and the baptism is at 4) and looked inside, and the font was totally empty!!!!!!!!!!  NOOOO!  What were we going to do??  We dropped to our knees and pleaded with the Lord to help to us get this font full so that she could be baptized today!  Supposedly, the sister that was going to help us....didn't really know all that much about how to help us so she accidentally flipped the switch that empties the font..............haha.  So we start frantically looking for anything to help....oh and by the way, we went to go turn the water on to fill the font again.....and a little tiny streem was coming out and little by little less and less until no water was coming out.  WHAT!!!!  We looked for a hose, found one, hooked it up outside and put it into the font, but it was very little and was filling very slow!  We looked for buckets and started to fill small buckets with water and carrying it all the way to the font and pouring it in.....then I look at my watch and it's 4 o'clock and Mariana gets there with her whole family, including her 2 daughters who aren't members!  The font was about 4 inches high when she got there...........OH NO!  To make a long story short.....we spent around 2 1/2 hours filling the font with buckets and it was a little more than knee high....Mariana was baptized after a few attempts of trying to get everything under water...but she was baptized and everything was alright!  haha.  We found out that the miracle we were asking for was that her and her family would have enough patience to wait for us to fill the whole thing up with buckets!!!  hahaha.  It was probably one of the craziest days of my life and a baptism that I will never forget!  ha. 

That was definitely the highlight of my week!  I love you all, have a great week! 

Elder Johnson

Mariana's baptism

Elder Johnson's new neighborhood friend!

WOW...NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN TO ME BEFORE!

FAM......ly.

HEY EVERYONE!  Just got to start by saying that that pic of Asher in the goat cart is so dang thug! haha.  Anyway, I'm super stoked to hear all the good news from the homefront in Mesa AZ....sounds like things are going really well!  Also, I'm loving the idea of having everyone read the BoM before I get home....I would love to come back and talk to everyone about the awesome experiences they had as they did it....SO DO IT!! haha.  Also, lovin to hear that my room will be disoccupied when I arrive, I was worried I'd be sleeping on the couch for a while! haha.  Just kidding, I would love to sleep on the couch...............................haha.  But for real, that's cool that they found a house they like....just one question....where is the house at? Mesa? out of Mesa? 

So just so you know, I'm way way super stoked right now!  We have seen so many miracles this week and I'm just blown away at how much the Lord is blessing the people here in Costa Rica, Culiacan, SInaloa, Mexico (what a name! haha).  But I'm happy to say that we had a good week this week.  At the top of everything....Alexis and Laura got baptized on Friday!!  WHOO!  It was so awesome and there will be pics!  We actually showed up to do the interview with the both of them and they told us that they were kind of having last second doubts and all, but we talked and they had their interviews and everything went well and they were both very excited for their baptisms after that!  Then the best part was that on Sunday (day of their confirmation)....the dad of Alexis came to church to support his son!  Basically the whole family is now baptized except one of the daughters and the dad....but this Sunday....the whole family was in church!  It was a great blessing from the Lord and a great experience for Alexis and all of his family. 

Also, crazy story......I don't think I ever mentioned one of the people we started teaching when I first got here named Mariana....she is the wife of a member that had gone to the church a few times in the past, but stopped going a little while ago.  Well, she came to our mind while planning so we decided to visit her and see what happens.  We taught a couple times, but there wasn't too much progression.....she actually came to church with her husband, but there was still something there that was not letting her progress very much....we had felt the spirit in the lessons very strong and she had great experiences in the church...but something was holding her back.  Anyway, we stopped teaching her for a few weeks, and she hadn't  come to church for a few weeks also.....but to our surprise, she was in church this week sitting right next to her husband with a big smile on her face!  We didn't have much time to talk with her during church because of the classes and all, but after church we asked her why she was so happy.....she looks at my companion and says....."when can I be baptized??".......I'm sorry...WHAT!!  haha.  Obviously, Elder Aylesworth said, this Saturday!  She accepted and went on to tell us that she was thinking a lot about what we had taught her and that one night that past week, she had a dream that the church was true!!  Didn't get too many details about the dream, but I could tell by the smile on her face that she knew that the church was true and this was a response from God that she had received!   I couldn't believe it.....I was so happy after that and I knew that God truly does work side by side with us in this work!  I'm happy to know that this work is real and that it truly is His work...."a marvelous work and a wonder"! 

The Lord is blessing His children here in Costa Rica and I'm grateful to be a witness of it!  I love my family so much and I'm grateful for you guys every single day!  Now, after your done looking at the pics....get off the computer and go read the Book of Mormon!! 

love you,

Elder Johnson

REMEMBER THEM, SUPPORT THEM AND SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR THEM WITH LETTERS!

Family Unit.

I would like to start this email off by saying how much I appreciate your letters to me!!!  I really can't describe how much it helps a missionary to be able to hear a solid uplifiting letter from their parents and siblings each week!  I feel that I have been taking it for granted a little bit and had not realized how much of a blessing it is to recieve those letters every week!  The reason I am writing this is because I have been talking with some missionaries who have told me that they hadn't gotten a letter from their family for MONTHS.......I think I would die.  But I honestly could not believe that that actually happens....so I would like to write to all the families that have missionaries out in the field.....remember them, support them and show your love for them by sending them a solid weekly letter....you have no clue the impact that it has when they receive or don't receive a letter, I'm positive that they will appreciate it! 

It makes me happy that you are all happy.  I love hearing about all the things that you all are doing and the righteous goals being set to read the Book of Mormon together!  I have realized the importance of setting goals and really focusing ourselves to complete what we have proposed to do....the Lord will bless you in your efforts!  So keep it up. 

We had a good week here.  We are working right now with a family of a mom and her daughters (there is no dad in the home)...and they are super cool!  We have been visiting them for a couple of weeks now and they hadn't come to church for a couple Sundays in a row so we knew that we had to focus on that this week with them.  We went to their house and talked to them about what was holding them back from going to church...we helped solve a few of their doubts and questions and really commited them to go to church.  So, Sunday rolls along and they showed up at church with a member and a big smile on their faces!  Although, it was fast sunday and some of the members that got up to bear their testimonies were saying a lot of things that were just a little APOSTASY!  hahaha.  But it was ok, we talked to her afterward and helped her understand! haha.  It was way funny.  But now they are progressing a lot more and they are really starting to feel the spirit in their lives, so we're really happy for them! 

Also, we are working with a kid named Alexis....he is 16 years old and is way stoked about the gospel!  His mom got baptized not too long ago along with his younger brother.  We have been visiting with him for a while now and he always had postponed his baptismal date till "later".  So we went with him this week determined to help him act upon the answer he has received!  We talked to him about WHY he didn't want to be baptized and he had commented that he thought he was going to have to leave all of his friends behind and basically just close himself in his house all day....so we helped him with that and then afterward, he told us that he wanted to be baptized this Friday!!  WHOOOO!  We are super excited for him that he finally made the decision to ACT!! 

I love you family,

Elder Johnson