We Are The HOPE OF ISRAEL!

BUENO!

 

Hola buenos tardes mi familia! solo quiero decirles que les amo mucho y les extraño! espero que todos esten felices!

 

ENTONCES......this week, i got sick for a couple days and had to stay in the house...big bummer! no joke, i was so mad that i couldnt go out and work...but i feel a lot better right now and im gonna work twice...no three times as hard to make up for the lost time! so to answer the big Q...we havent been able to baptize this transfer so far, sort of a bummer but its not anything to get dissappointed or discouraged about...just keeping working hard and the blessings will come, its a promise from the Lord! but we have had the opportunity to teach a lot of great people and even a couple families that are super awesome! we are truly working super hard to help these people in every way we can and i know they have become closer to their Heavenly Father! Sometimes its sort of a bummer when you are trying to do everything you can to help these people accept the most important message they will ever hear in their entire lives, but they just dont really want to help themsleves! agency....its all part of the plan!! jaja. we truly live in a world that is getting farther and farther away from the teachings and example of the Savior...a world in trouble....and we are the ones that God has trusted to put on this earth at this specific time who have the true gospel and he expects us to truly be an example and live our lives in harmony with what the Savior taught when He was here on the earth! Quite a bit of trust!! I love my Heavenly Father for giving the ability and opportunity to have a testimony that He and His Son LIVE!!

 

14 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so stoked its unreal!! love you Jess!

 

its already back to school time??? that was super fast! i bet Court and Dillon are way excited/nervous for MVT! haha. thats still so wierd to me that they are going to have the 9th graders also! but thats wasy cool for them!

 

aaannnywayyy....the work moves forward! the end of this change is this upcoming Sunday and i believe that i will be getting changed...but were gonna find out on Saturday!! so on Monday, ill give you the update! its wierd to think that i could be in a totally different place this next Monday....haha.

 

I love it here and i love this work, it truly is the work of the Lord and we are the HOPE OF ISRAEL!!

 

my family is the coolest EVAA...and i love them so much!!!

 

lova ya fam!

 

Elder Johnson

 

p.s. ill put more photos next week...im  just thinking of the best way to do it because i dont want the same thing to happen that happened the last time....(did that sentece make sense?) i feel like my english is terrible now....haha

MIRACLES ARE REAL!

My Family,

 

So I thought I would start by commenting on how much I love the letters that you send...they really do help me and animate me to work harder! L-L-Love you!

 

Soooooooooooo, thats super funny to hear that my mom (shawna baker) was watching soccer! jaja. I dont know why that made me laugh so much but just the thought of my mom actually sitting down and watching a soccer game is just funny....and new! jaja (by the way...jaja is the haha here...mexico is so original!) ohhh, and ROBERT! thats so sweet that he is home and doing super well! I was super excited to get that picture and see all my PRIMOS (cousins)! jaja. I'm way excited for him....its super weird cuz I remember talking with him about how he was getting home right after I leave and how we werent going to see each other for 4 years...and that feels like yesterday! Tell him I'm not jealous that he´s home though! jaja. I am a little jealous of the lake powell part!

 

Also, I'm way way stoked for this package that is en route! and yes, I got the email of all the stuffzz that is comin my way! way excited! I'm just excited to be able to talk about all my cool experiences and stuff and then you all can have them to hear about whats the happs here in Mexico! OH, and 21 DAYS!!!!!! WHAATTTT!  I'm soo excited to get pictures of my little SOBRINO! jaja.  I will continue to pray for you Jess and I really hope that all goes well! love you by the way!

 

Tell Court....well I guess your gonna be reading this Court so I'll just tell you myself...that I really love your letters a ton! I want you to know that I'm super proud of everything that your doing right now! I was so excited to hear that you made varsity cheer, I remember in the MTC...when mom sent me the email that you were probably gonna make varsity I was bragging about you to all the elders about how my 15 year old sister was probably going to make a nationally ranked cheer team! jaja. anyway, I'm way proud of you. and Dillon...stay away from those cheese puffs! jajajaja. nahh, I love you little bro!

 

I'm super glad to hear that you are reading conference! I really have seen so many blessings from following the counsel, council (honstly can't remember the spelling of that word...jaja) of our MODERN DAY PROPHETS! I took that for granted before my mission...the reality that we actually do have a living prophet on the earth today that literally speaks for God for all the world! I really have been thinking a lot lately about the reality of this and how great of an opportunity it is to be born in a time when we are guided by a prophet of God! I hope that you can take a little bit of time and ponder on the significance of that and really make an effort to follow the councils given!

 

Anyway......we had a district conference this past sunday (its like a stake conference, just with branches instead of wards) and President Cantu and his counselors came and spoke to us! President Cantu is the man! he speaks with so much power and authority in his voice and in his heart! He spoke about how MIRACLES ARE REAL!  Miracles really still happen in the world and they are not just something we hear about and think is cool...we can actually experience miracles in our own lives every single day...the problem is, we too often cut off our connection that we have with the powers of Heaven through our disobedience and often times, our lack of faith that these miracles can happen through US!  He bore a super powerful testimony of the truthfulness of this church and that we truly are in the ONLY path that leads back to our Heavenly Father! I truly felt the spirit super strong in this meeting and it helped me a lot to grow my faith in the reality and DIVINITY of my calling as a missionary of the Lord Jesus Christ and this very sacred opportunity that I have to represent the Son of God! I'm so excited to be here right now serving and being able to align my will to God´s to literally help people change their lives and come closer to our Savior Jesus Christ!  This truly is the ONLY path that leads to eternal life...and we are on it, and we NEED TO STAY ON IT!!!!!

 

I am learning so much every single day its unreal! And I'm learning it all in Spanish...even more unreal!! jaja. I'm really glad to hear all is well at home and I hope and pray that it continues to be that way! pray, study, reflect, obey!!

 

I LOVE YOU ALL!

 

con amor sinceramente,

 

Elder Johnson

 

 

 

p.s. thank you for the contact! ill send pics next week

I'm Elder Johnson and I'm Addicted To The Spirit

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo.....

I'm Elder Johnson, and I'm addicted to the spirit.....question: if, as Latter day Saints we arent supposed to be addicted to anything...is it bad that I'm addicted to the spirit?? (missionary humor...sorry to anyone that just read that).

Aaaannnnywayyy, all is well here in the wonderful and blessed city of Rosario! We are continuing to work SUPER hard and trying everything we can to be a blessing in the lives of every person we meet!

Can I just comment on how much I have learned in these past 4 months or so??......I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH IN THESE PAST 4 MONTHS OR SO!!

I really have, its such a blessing to be on a mission and sacrifice everything that I have and at the same time GAIN more than I ever have! It's hard to explain how much I am grateful for this opportunity I have to be here and to represent the Son of God! OH, before I forget....PLEASE READ CONFERENCE!!!! (but only if you want to have more happiness than you ever have had in your life...if not, dont read...but I would recommend it!). Family, I love this work so much! Just thought you should know that! But first and foremost...I love my Heavenly Father, who has given me everything and asks for simple obedience in return! If we truly have a love for our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ...obedience will simply follow! Love your Heavenly Father and pray to Him...thats the most profound yet beautifully simple thing I can tell you!!

Its really cool...while I'm writing you all these emails and expressing a few of my feelings...those feelings increase and I can truly feel the Spirit super strong as I write you all! There's an eternal principle in that...write down your feelings or simply what happened in the day and you will begin to realize how much the Lord has blessed you and you will be able to see and feel a growing testimony inside you! Geeewizzz I love this work! haha.

sooo...we played soccer for the first time today with some of the local members and their friends and it was waaayyyy fun! Super hot but fun nevertheless! ha. I felt so uncoordinated after not having played soccer...or any sport for that matter in a couple months...and not to mention, looking like a fool compared to the mexican kids who are just unbeliveable at soccer! haha. I can't even imagine what I'm going to be like after 2 years...oh, and I wanted to tell you mom, that while we were in the supermarket getting our food for the week....a song comes on.....Bon Jovi....in the middle of Mexico! hahahaha. dont worry....I wasnt listening or anything like that, just recognized the tune.....haha. Bon Jovi makes it to middle of the mountains in the little town of Rosario....niiiccceee. thought you might like to hear that!

So another thing...this week at sacrament wasn't too hot....we had a grand total of.....(drum roll).....11!!! (including the 4 missionaries). haha. thats ok...we are going to continue to work extra hard to have 50 this next week! I learned a lot from this experience though and I hope that I can improve the person that I am through what I have learned!

So I'm way stoked to get this recorder thing! Get anyone you can to record a little somethinnn somethinn! It will be really cool to hear everyones voices again!

Oh and I just found out that I'm going to be training a new Mexicano in 2 changes!!! cuhhrazzy, pray for me! haha. I'm way excited, no joke...it just means that I'm gonna have to really step it up and learn EVERYTHING I can in this change and the next! Its cool to think that the Lord really trusts in me enough to have that kind of responsiobility...its a great opportunity for me to grow closer to my Father in Heaven and learn more about Him and how He wants me to be! Dont let a day go by without doing something to act on the spiritual promptings we are all entitled to! and please please go to the temple!!!!!!!

I love you all almost as much as I know our Father in Heaven loves you!!

Animo, Exito y Adelante!!!

con amor,

Elder Johnson

FINALLY...some pictures!!

Rosario, Mexico

Roberto's Family

The Font.  It's a "SACK"...used for baptisms

Clayra's baptism

hmmmmm...Elder Johnson's looking different!

A WEEK WITHOUT POWER...whaaaat?

hhhhHHHHEEEYYYY!

 

 Bueno, pues la obra es tan suave ahorita! estamos trabajando muy muy duro aqui en Rosario. El Señor nos ha bendecido muchisimo aqui y no puedo expresar mi agradecimiento por El!

 

haha, there was un poco de español!

 

So whatsup whatsup, the 4th of July is so crazy here...everyone celebrates in the streets and its so much fun...................errrrrr no. haha.

 

I'm lovin the letters, for real, they keep me stoked and remind me how much I absolutely love my family and all the progress I can see you all making! Keep progressing like you are...please!!! Satan is attacking a lot of families big time...but I know that we can all stick together and get through anything! Center the family in Christ and His atonenment...find a way to apply the atonenement every single day in your lives! (I speak to all who are reading this right now). I have grown in my understanding of the atonenement and also in my knowledge of the INFINITE importance it has in our lives! I put emphasis on ´´infinite´´ because what we do here in this life, or how we apply the atonement in our lives NOW, has an infinite effect on what we will recieve and who we will become after this life and for eternity! It seems so simple (the words that I have written) but very recently my mind has been pondering a lot on my personal relationship with the Lord and who He really is and also why it is important that I have a very close and PERSONAL relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Savior! I have thought a lot on this subject the past week or so and I have come to realize that the best way to learn about Him and His son, is to really analize my personal life and my every day actions to see if it is in harmony with what He has taught...then, if anything needs correction, APPLY what He has taught! I was also reading the General Conference talks and I came across the talk given by D. Todd Christofferson and he talks a little bit about the expectations that God has for His children, us, on this earth....he expects and commands us to be PERFECT! He truly is a God of high expectations and He will do all He can to help us to become the kind of person that He knows he wants and knows we can become....and at times, what may not seem like ´´help´´ at the time (trials or correction of sin) will eventually lead us to become ´´like Him´´! I guess what I'm trying to say is, to stay as close to Him as you can...grab the Iron Rod with every bit of strength you have and NEVER EVER let go!

 

Anyway, I think I may have forgotten to tell you this....but a few weeks ago, we lived a full week without power in our house (no light, no stove, cold showers, no fans at night) basically a super hard week, but its really fun to look back on and realize how we survived for a full week with no power in the house! haha. Also, we got a lot of rain this morning and our street literally turned into a river...thats not a joke, it was a river! ha. So you were right, we are getting dumped on right now...its way fun though, we were playing b ball in the rain this morning!

 

We are still working with our neighbors, their Mom just passed away last night......so that was way sad, but its a great opportunity and a blessing to know where she is! it Sounds wierd and at times a little selfish to look at death as an opportunity to teach....but death is one way that the Lord prepares His children to hear His gospel and recieve all the blessings that come with it!

 

We have a lot of baptismal dates for the 16th of this month, so we are going to work really hard with all of our investigators to help them enter into the waters of baptism and recieve all the blessings that the Lord has prepared for them!

 

I love you all more than you know and i wish i could express my gratitude for each one you through the words that i write, but i know thats just not possible...so i hope and pray that you will feel my love for you individually through these simple but loving words!

 

les amo mas que pueden saber,

 

Elder Johnson

I'm A Different Person!

BUENOS TARDES!

 

so it looks like im just writing to my loving Mother whom is home alone at the moment! haha. Thats gonna be super weird when all of us are gone out of the house doing our own thing...obviously still around...but not in the house with you anymore! ha. anyway, i dont want to make you think about that too much...being a grandma and errrthing....zssahh.

 

Anyway, thats way cool that Court is up at EFY right now in utah...i wish i would have gone to EFY more when i was younger! you grow a lot spiritually at EFY. Its so wierd how all my priorities have just completely changed...ha. Its just that i look back on all the things i did before my mission (involving the church) and i just wish i would have done so much more and done a lot less of what i was doing (which wasnt ever anything bad)....ha. I just feel like all i want to do is be involved in the church and help it grow anywhere i am! it really is tough to explain, but its cool!

 

One thing i have really been amazed about here in the mission is how the Lord can literally just shape you...no joke...my thoughts have changed, i think in spanish all the time, i even dream all the time in spanish....my priorities are different like i said, all i think about is what can i do better do better help the people im teaching...and i dont say this to make it sound like im such a great missionary who only thinks about his investigators all the time and is completely devoted to his mission....but the Lord has literally just made me a different person, he has shaped me in a way that i cant even explain! its like when i sleep he is just doing something to my brain to make it think differently! haha. that was a wierd analogy...but its true! we recieved a new gringo missionary in the house who is struggling with spanish just like i did and we were talking about how its impossible how much i've improved in spanish in just 1 change in the mission, but somehow the Lord is able to just change everything about you to make you into the missionary he needs! we just have to have a willing heart and a desire to do His will and he just takes care of the rest! I can speak in spanish really well right now, i have absolutely no trouble understanding my companion and i can speak to him like hes just about anyone else....i cant explain how blessed i feel and how grateful to the Lord i am for what He has made me! so for all of you who are wondering how im doing with the spanish, i say to you....the Lord has blessed me A LOT with my spanish! i know that its not me, i couldnt do this on my own...i want you to know that i KNOW of a surety that my ability to speak spanish did not come because of me, its because the Lord knows that i need to teach people here in Mexico and guess what....the only language here is spanish! haha.

 

My comp is way cool, hes a native from the state of Mexico and hes a great teacher! i have already learned a lot from him and am continuing to learn every day. he teaches with a lot of power, just like has a lot of conidence in what hes saying and doesnt try to make it sound all flowery and stuff to make the people accept it, he just teaches it and knows that it is true. its really cool! he wants to be a teacher when he gets back from his mission (which is in 2 months) so he really enjoys teaching a lot. hes a great missionary and im excited to work with him more.

 

i dont know whats going on with these pics...i want you to see what im doing here in Rosario and what it looks like and everything but i dont know whats going on. ill try to send more. but hey, i really want a voice recorder, sounds wierd i know, but like record a little voice message on it from whoever wants to and send it to me and then ill record whats going on in the mission on it! and also a head shaver thing...i dont know the word in english....ha. by the way, at times, i totally forget some frases and words in english....its really wierd...ha. also, a cool study journal (something just simple). oh and i lost my ipod....i have been looking for it for a while, so i dont know if you have another ipod mini or something just laying around not being used just send it on south....ha.

 

We are hoping to baptize 2 people this week Adolfo and Vikki, they are so cool (neighbors of ours) and im way excited for them....well see...were working really hard with them and with a lot of others. the problem here is getting to people to come to church....its tough but i know the Lord will bless us for our hard work and our faith in Him. pray for them profis (por favor...ha). oh and for jess...before we got here, the average number of people in sacrament meeting was around 10-15....now we have had over 40 people 4 times!! the Lord wants this place to grow! but we are still struggling with getting ivestogators to church! but we have a computer and a keyboard now (both absolute MIRACLES)!

 

send my lovin to all!

 

oh and p.s. tell Jenna, Jessica and Dallin and Dallas that i miss them and want to hear from them! haha. I love you guys so much, you have not the slightest of clues!

 

con amor,

 

Elder Johnson

 

by they way, i want to write everyone and tell them how much i love them...but i cant so if you read my letters and you are reading this right now, just know that i really do love you!

New Companion

hey hey hey!

 

so this week has been super good! we worked super hard (as always of course! ha) and the Lord really blessed us a lot! we had 48 people in Church yesterday...the most there has ever been in the history of Rosario! so stoked!

 

my trainer Elder Ball left yesterday to go to Culiacan to visit his converts because he leaves on Wednesday....cuhhhrazzy! I honestly cried super hard when he left...it was really hard to say goodbye to my "dad" haha. he really taught me so much and helped me become the missionary that i want to be! im seriously about to cry just writing about it again! haha. lets just say say that he was a SUPER good missionary! no joke, ill never forget him. and I also just barely got my new companion Elder Mendez, he´s a Mexicano so i wont be speaking too much english for the next 6 weeks! haha. im a little nervous but honestly, Elder Ball prepared me for anything so im not too worried!

 

anyway, thats super crazy about the fires and stuff...i hope everything turns out ok!

 

we have 2 baptisms planned for this week...Jaudolfo and Vikki! they are awesome, they are brother and sister and Vikki has a little girl! we have been really helping Vikki progress and i can see the biggest change in her, its unbelievable how much just a simple prayer of faith can help so much with coping with the difficulties of life! it really is true that if we come to the Lord in faith, He will make our burdens light and help us through anything!

 

I love you all and i hope that you all stay close to the Lord! He truly is our Father in Heaven! i have gained such a great realtionship with my Heavenly Father since ive been here and i desire the same thing of all of you, because i am happier than i have been in my entire life! although i was pretty sad when you told me about the LP trip with the Glausers.....haha. but really, stay close to the Lord and pray with with "all the energy of heart" Moroni 7:48.

 

I love you so much

 

con amor,

 

Elder Johnson

One Of The Coolest Experiences I've Ever Had

Dear family,

 

Hey so i dont have much time to write today so im just gonna get straight into one of the coolest experiences ive ever had!

 

So on thursday we were needing some new people to teach so that we could baptize more...cuz if your not finding, your not baptizing! anyway, we were thinking of where we could go work today to find someone new to teach...so we pulled out the map of our area and we were looking at it and i felt that we needed to go to a certain colonia (dont know the word in english) but we wanted to know specifically where to go...so we decided to kneel down and ask the lord where he wanted us to go! so we knelt down and we asked specifically where to go. We looked at the map again and i pointed to a small block on the map and i knew thats exactly where we needed to be. so we got ready and went to work, we walked over to this area...and we turned up this one street and saw a house on the corner and went and knocked on the door....nothing....we knocked again...nothing...we waited for a while and we usually would leave after knocking twice, but something kept us there. finally, someone cracked open the window just enough to say something out and said "que quiere" what do you want? and we just said can we talk to you at your door? and she said...im coming. she came to the door and let us in immediately without us saying anything! We started to talk to her and she asked us who we were and what we do so we explained to her everything. then we started to teach and it went really well, the lesson was super good and so we commited her to be baptized and she accepted! then we had a prayer and we knelt down to pray and she offered the prayer...during the prayer she prayed for her baptism! then after the prayer she looked at us and began to smile and said..."i just felt something! ive never felt this before" she recieved her answer right there! then she told us that she had something for us and she left and came back with 50 pesos and tried to give it to us because we gave her this message that she has needed in her life for so long! obviously we accepted the money..................nahhhhhh. no cierto. but honestly, it was so cool to watch her whole life change just from this one simple message! supes gnars! this message truly blesses and changes people, its so cool to be teaching that message to people every single day!

 

by the way, there is a missionary in my same area who is from Gilbert...his name is Elder Palmer and he is giving his mom the number to the house so that you two can talk and read other emails from someone else in the mission!

 

i love you all, no joke!

 

con amor,

 

Elder Johnson