FAMILYYYY!!!!
What an amazing week. Boy has it flown by. We haven’t had much time at all to work in our area, but the time in our area was so productive and efficient. We carried out divisions with two amazing members of the ward—so many members were excited to go out with us to the point that we had 3 companionships heading out in the same night. I left with Hermano Vega. What an incredible, kind man. He has served as bishop, stake president, and now he is serving as the early, EARLY, morning seminary teacher. He spoke with me, answered questions, and really was a mentor to me as we walked to our appointment. We visited the Enriquez family who has been out of work for so long, and have really had this as a spiritual obstacle in their lives. The last time we went by, we invited them to pass by the employment center over there in the church. They exercised a little faith, prayed a little harder, looked a little more diligently, and some great results turned out. They both found jobs in the same weekend, and are just feeling happy and blessed and really recognizing that they are receiving amazing blessings.
We carried out service for Bishop Shulz twice this last week. What a great family! I feel so blessed for the opportunities and blessings I have been given to come to know, love, and work with these amazing leaders in the church. I have learned so much from their examples and their manner of loving and leading these groups of faithful members and those who have fallen astray in this special region of Argentina. I MOWED THE LAWN (with a PUSH mower!) I miss mowing the lawn Saturday mornings. I love service. Oh man I just love it. Especially when I have the chance to serve those whom I love as so.
I will be heading to a new area to open it up to missionary work. Before, ten years ago or so, missionaries visited by frequently on bicycle to the point where a small group was formed even with a little capilla. However, without bicycle the city has been left behind. There have never been missionaries stationed there. I will be covering a small village of aborigines, La Primavera, and a small city named Laguna Naineck. Laguna Naineck has never had missionaries before. The two towns are close by a larger town named Clorina, which is right next to the border or Asuncion, Paraguay. I will be heading up there with Elder Mendoza, an ex zone leader that has been working in Reconquista, Santa Fe. He´s a little guy from Lima, Peru, but he is a working machine.
OH!!!! Then we´ve got transfers. I am so excited and feel so incredibly blessed to go serve the people in La Primavera and Laguna Naineck. Every night since seeing the transfers, I have laid in bed thinking about this group of special saints and people up near Clorinda. As I listened to the general conference, I thought and pondered about them so much in how I can help them, serve them, and help that little group of members to grow and eventually be a branch. I feel so comforted by the spirit as I think about this great task. I have been in an office chair the majority of the time here in the mission; I don’t really feel all that practiced at making changes such as these. However, as I listened to the conference, I was comforted in knowing that my abilities and capabilities will be increased beyond my own so that I may complete this task that I have been assigned. I feel so blessed to be able to work with Elder Mendoza. I know that as we work together, we will have success.
The assistants visited the Primavera a few weeks ago to start looking for a place to live, and to talk with the local members and leaders about bringing them missionaries. President, and the members, have been waiting for this for a long time now. Elder Ortiz, told me that the members were just about in tears when they heard that they would be receiving missionaries finally. I feel so humbled to be able to serve this little group who I already love. It will be definitely different than sitting in an office chair and handling money, but I am sure that the Lord will help us both.
As we were getting ready to see transfers, I was reading the scriptures, and began joking with the Elders here in the office. Alma is relating faith in Christ as a seed, and describes a few blessings to us:
And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
I read this scripture to the other Elders and began playing with them how this scripture was just like that which is passing with me. I never “suffered” here in the office. But I just love so much working in the mission field. I feel, especially knowing now where I am going and the people I will be helping, that the fruit and blessings will be delicious and just amazing. I am so excited to start this new chapter in my mission. It will be an amazing experience.
We headed to the Matto family to say goodbye. What an amazing, converted family. As I spoke with Andrea, Gabriel, Agustin and Carolina, I just felt stronger and stronger that this work really isn’t mine. I can’t change people to the extremity that this family has changed. I personally can’t bring happiness to the lives of people like this family has received. But the Lord can. And through his only true church here on the earth today, his restored gospel, sacred and so necessary ordinances we may perform as we come to accept him, people change. I love that about the mission—getting front row seats to this amazing changing process in the lives of people through the atonement. I know it’s true. I feel it more and more daily.
Elder Johnson
Goodbyes with the Matto family!
What an amazing week. Boy has it flown by. We haven’t had much time at all to work in our area, but the time in our area was so productive and efficient. We carried out divisions with two amazing members of the ward—so many members were excited to go out with us to the point that we had 3 companionships heading out in the same night. I left with Hermano Vega. What an incredible, kind man. He has served as bishop, stake president, and now he is serving as the early, EARLY, morning seminary teacher. He spoke with me, answered questions, and really was a mentor to me as we walked to our appointment. We visited the Enriquez family who has been out of work for so long, and have really had this as a spiritual obstacle in their lives. The last time we went by, we invited them to pass by the employment center over there in the church. They exercised a little faith, prayed a little harder, looked a little more diligently, and some great results turned out. They both found jobs in the same weekend, and are just feeling happy and blessed and really recognizing that they are receiving amazing blessings.
We carried out service for Bishop Shulz twice this last week. What a great family! I feel so blessed for the opportunities and blessings I have been given to come to know, love, and work with these amazing leaders in the church. I have learned so much from their examples and their manner of loving and leading these groups of faithful members and those who have fallen astray in this special region of Argentina. I MOWED THE LAWN (with a PUSH mower!) I miss mowing the lawn Saturday mornings. I love service. Oh man I just love it. Especially when I have the chance to serve those whom I love as so.
I will be heading to a new area to open it up to missionary work. Before, ten years ago or so, missionaries visited by frequently on bicycle to the point where a small group was formed even with a little capilla. However, without bicycle the city has been left behind. There have never been missionaries stationed there. I will be covering a small village of aborigines, La Primavera, and a small city named Laguna Naineck. Laguna Naineck has never had missionaries before. The two towns are close by a larger town named Clorina, which is right next to the border or Asuncion, Paraguay. I will be heading up there with Elder Mendoza, an ex zone leader that has been working in Reconquista, Santa Fe. He´s a little guy from Lima, Peru, but he is a working machine.
OH!!!! Then we´ve got transfers. I am so excited and feel so incredibly blessed to go serve the people in La Primavera and Laguna Naineck. Every night since seeing the transfers, I have laid in bed thinking about this group of special saints and people up near Clorinda. As I listened to the general conference, I thought and pondered about them so much in how I can help them, serve them, and help that little group of members to grow and eventually be a branch. I feel so comforted by the spirit as I think about this great task. I have been in an office chair the majority of the time here in the mission; I don’t really feel all that practiced at making changes such as these. However, as I listened to the conference, I was comforted in knowing that my abilities and capabilities will be increased beyond my own so that I may complete this task that I have been assigned. I feel so blessed to be able to work with Elder Mendoza. I know that as we work together, we will have success.
The assistants visited the Primavera a few weeks ago to start looking for a place to live, and to talk with the local members and leaders about bringing them missionaries. President, and the members, have been waiting for this for a long time now. Elder Ortiz, told me that the members were just about in tears when they heard that they would be receiving missionaries finally. I feel so humbled to be able to serve this little group who I already love. It will be definitely different than sitting in an office chair and handling money, but I am sure that the Lord will help us both.
As we were getting ready to see transfers, I was reading the scriptures, and began joking with the Elders here in the office. Alma is relating faith in Christ as a seed, and describes a few blessings to us:
And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
I read this scripture to the other Elders and began playing with them how this scripture was just like that which is passing with me. I never “suffered” here in the office. But I just love so much working in the mission field. I feel, especially knowing now where I am going and the people I will be helping, that the fruit and blessings will be delicious and just amazing. I am so excited to start this new chapter in my mission. It will be an amazing experience.
We headed to the Matto family to say goodbye. What an amazing, converted family. As I spoke with Andrea, Gabriel, Agustin and Carolina, I just felt stronger and stronger that this work really isn’t mine. I can’t change people to the extremity that this family has changed. I personally can’t bring happiness to the lives of people like this family has received. But the Lord can. And through his only true church here on the earth today, his restored gospel, sacred and so necessary ordinances we may perform as we come to accept him, people change. I love that about the mission—getting front row seats to this amazing changing process in the lives of people through the atonement. I know it’s true. I feel it more and more daily.
Elder Johnson
Goodbyes with the Matto family!
Sent Elder Santana home this morning. He has helped me so much.
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