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

WHAT UP! WHAT UP!

suppy yo.......yo.  BGL.

 

Sooo THANKSGIVING!!.................we did nothing....hahaha. I honestly didn't even realize that it was Thanksgiving! haha. Anyway, that's not important. The work is going super duper well right now! I'm honestly loving this work more than anything! But we did have a little bit of a downer this week....we were going to baptize yesterday (Sunday), and we had everything ready...the baptismal font was all filled (by the way, we have another one of those bag things as a font haha) and we were also all dressed in white...basically everything! And then the dad of YAHIR called from the United States and said that he didn't want his son to be baptized.........BLUHH. super bummed for sure...but it's ok because I'm absolutely POSITIVE that Yahir and his whole family are going to be baptized in the future, and just go right on to eternal life!! love love love it. Anyway, all of our other investigators are doing super well right now! We found a new family this week that is super ESCOGIDISIMA! That means that they were just a gift from God! haha. The son in the family named Hector is 15 years old and he is a freakin STUD! Honestly, he has so much potential to be a SICK missionary! He's responsible, doesn't drink (almost all the teenagers drink here...), and he listens super well in the lessons! The only bummer is that the only day he works......SUNDAY! nooooooooooooooo. But thats ok, I'm postive that God will make it happen somehow, because I'm telling you....this kid is gonna be the modern day AMMON! haha. But honestly, I'm happier than I've ever been in my whole life and I love love love these people here! haha.

 

But about you all.....every single letter I get, I cant believe how much progress I've seen in my family and how much everyone is just KILLING IT in everything you are doing! haha. Oh and shout out to my main man DALLAS!  I'm so stoked that he's gonna be leaving soon! He's honestly gonna kill it in his mission! Also, what is going on with all my girls back home??? they're dropping like flies....I was wondering why I was recieving less and less mail! haha. No, honestly I'm super stoked to hear that everyone is just super happy back home and that so many people are just lovin life!

 

THIS IS GODS WORK! THIS LIFE IS GREAT, ENJOY EVERY SECOND OF IT!!

 

I....love....you....all...............................a lot.

 

Elder Johnson

FELIZ DIA DE GRACIAS!

HOLA HOLA

Feliz dia de gracias! haha. I'm actually pretty sure that they celebrate something the 24th, but I think it's something different but similar....either way, we won't be doing too much celebrating....haha. Anyway, things are going super well here. Remember how we had to drop all of our investigators and start over new? Well....it worked out really well! We have a bunch of new investigators who want to get baptized! Obviously, there are still a couple doubts and things like that that we have to take out and help them with, but a lot of them are progressing closer to baptism!  We are working super hard right now, and we have a few families who are all really special!  I'm so grateful to the Lord for blessing us this week with so many people to teach because honestly, I was a little scared to drop all of our investigators and start new because I thought we were going to have a super tough week, but it turned out to be the best week of the change so far! We have a ton of references that we still haven't had time to contact, so we're going to see what happens with them...supposedly, a few of them have talked with missionaries before and have said to some of the members that all of a sudden, they want to be baptized! WHATT! The blessings of the Lord sometimes are just COUNTLESS! haha.


So yesterday in  church was one of my favorite Sundays of my whole mission....actually my favorite Sunday of my whole mission!  First off, we got to the church in the morning in Angostura and I dont know why but I walked into church and I just had an overwhelming feeling of joy!  I couldn't stop smiling all 3 hours of church...we had around 60 people in church yesterday and everyone just seemed so much happier than normal! I was thinking about all the prayers that have been said for this branch, and I just knew that the Lord was answering our prayers in that moment! I can really start to see something different in this branch right now, and I feel like we are growing closer and closer to having our CHAPEL!!  Whatt upp!! haha. And then, in the afternoon we went to the meeting under the good ole famous tree! haha. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but in our english classes we have been learning "I am a child of God" in english! And yesterday, we all sang in the sacrament meeting! There were about 10 kids singing....and on the second verse, we sang in spanish and everyone that was at the meeting sang the second verse with us! It was honestly super special and we all felt the spirit super strong!! SO STOKED! haha.

Anyway, I'm loving the work!  I've never felt more joy in my life than when I am preaching this gospel to all that  I can!  I really have come to love this people SO much, and I know that I'm here in Mexico for a reason! There are people waiting for us, and I pray that we will be guided by the spirit to find them! I love you all so much, for real....I love you all A LOT! haha. I was so excited to see the pic of you all at the temple....a little jealous too! haha. Keep up the progress, spread the gospel, and love EVERYONE! haha. 

love you all.

Elder Johnson