Feliz Navidades!‏ Week 14

Familia!

This week was amazing. We had a baptism on Saturday of our investigator Carlos! My first baptism! And on top of all that, it was my birthday; without a shadow of a doubt, it was my best birthday yet. The baptism was incredible and so spiritual. Carlos doesn´t understand all that well, but he KNOWS that his Savior loves him and that this is the right path for his life. The confirmacion was even greater. Elder Milaf performed the confermation, and I could just feel the spirit in the room. When it was over, Carlos just looked up at us with tears in his eyes, and thanked us over and over. He told us that he feels the power of the spirit, and that he feels like he has a new friend. So true. I love the work. Mercedes II in Corrientes is the best area ever! 

Another miracle that happened occurred during the Christmas conference for the mission. I had been praying to feel the love of my Savior that week, because I was a little discouraged with one of the families we had been working with, and, to be frank, losing weight just takes a lot of energy out of you (I´m buying myself a blender for my birthday so that I can shove more food in my system, so that should help). When Sister Heyman bore her testimony about the love of our Savior, I KNOW that my prayers were answered. I felt the love of my Savior powerfully, and other experiences where I specifically remember feeling his loved flowed into my mind. Its amazing that God answers prayers of everyone in his own manner. Even a 20 year old gringo missionary serving in Mercedes, Corrientes. I made sure to write this experience in my journal so that I may reflect back on it in the future. 

These computers dont have any ports to hook up a camera to send pictures.. So I´ll make sure to send a ton next week!

Sister Heyman is amazing. She made all the new missionaries cupcakes with oreos. WOW. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW. I never thought I would be so happy about that!

Do you all have any questions for me to answer?

If you want a REAL weight loss program, serve a mission! You´ll lose 22 pounds in two months! Just work your tail off, sweat a ton, and love the work. That´s it ;) 

I love you all! I´ll send tons of pictures next week! Be amazing! The gospel is so true. I know it, and I see it change the lives of the people EVERY day! Our Savior Jesus Christ is so loving, and the plan that God has made for us is just so wonderful!

Élder Johnson

Hola! Week 13

Hola!

So this email is going to be short and without pictures. But I hopped on to talk about Skype, but then realized it was 5 in the morning in Phoenix. So... No one was on.

But this week was great. We held a mission fast to express gratitude for our blessings of the last year. It was so amazing, and definitely the most difficult fast I have ever held. I thought fasting at home was hard... We fast from right after lunch on Saturdays, then end our fasts Sundays after church for lunch (all of Latin America does this because lunch is the big meal). It´s difficult to smile, speak Castellano, walk miles and miles, sweat, and talk to EVERYONE

But it made me realize how many blessings I really have. INCLUDING YOU ALL! I love you friends and family! You all rock!

Mom, I love you tons! You´re the best. Thank you for always being there for me.

Dad, thank you for being the best role model in the world. I mean it. Couldn´t have asked for a better one!

I´ll see you all Wednesday at 7, Buenos Aires time! (be READDDYYYY) :)

Elder Johnson

Christmas Mission Photos

Semana Pasada‏ Week 12

Family and Friends:

HAPPY 2 DAY LATE BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

This week was incredible. Despite the security problems and the set backs

with time, we worked as hard as we possibly could and saw some amazing

results! We visited a family of inactives, and did not know that the brother

and sister in law, who were present, were members of the church as well.

The hombre wanted nothing to do with the lessons. His wife told us that he

had his Santos and believed in Gauchito Gil and wanted nothing to do with

the church. The wife said she would listen, but had her beliefs and had no

desire to change, but wanted to lishis was the second time we passed

for their house. At the end of the lesson, the wife told her husband to show

us his church pictures. He brought outen. Tt pictures of his baptism, a halloween

ward activity, and his wife in baptismal clothing as well. We got to talking

and we could just tell that the spirit moved him. He told us that si o si he

would be at church Sunday. He traveled the long, hot hour and a half ride

with the rest of the branch in the Cumbi to the district conference. Because

of this, his Uncle, his sister, and his sons are all preparing for baptism. He and

his wife are activating themselves as well. I am so excited for them! We are

commanded to teach to all that will receive us, and I think its so important to

give people the chance to feel the spirit and decide if they want the message

before we take their agency and tell ourselves that they havent been prepared yet.

There was a civil unrest in our province as well as Chaco. The cops went on strike.

So the state basically said to the city that it was taking away all of the city{s

governing power. So people were angry and forming mobs in the streets and

the town center. So we got an emergency call that we werent allowed to leave

our pensions on Tuesday. We were allowed to leave the rest of the week, but

we had to be in our pensions by 7. The members, especially an inactive that is

a politician, told us that we were crazy for walking in the streets... But we were

safe and everything turned out well. I got bored of reading the Liahona and the

Book of Mormon for hours on end, so I gave Ramon a makeover. Elder Ramon

has had a change of heart! So proud of him. Things are better this week. We

have to be in our pensions before 8 instead of 9:30, so a little bit more time to

work. Despite all of this, we have witnessed miracles! Blessings of working hard!

Elder Ramon kills all the spiders for us, our dog, and our pension!

I love you all! Stay awesome and remember the Savior during this time of the

year!!! He loves you!

Elder Johnson

P.S. We are going to start singing Christmas hymns instead of clapping up until

Christmas. SO EXCITED!!!!!

¿Trabajando a Ful!‏ Week 11

Dear Family:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!! I HOPE THAT IT WAS AMAZING AND THAT YOU ATE AN EXTRA PLATE OF STEAK, POTATOES, COLD MILK, FRESH VEGGIES, ETC (I need to stop  listing food, the keyboard is

slippery from drool)

This last week was incredible as always. We worked hard with finding new investigators and saw

some miracles. We looked through the list of old investigators in the area book and went to work 

searching. God works in mysterious ways. We did not find the results we were looking for,

nevertheless, the results were amazing, and we found some amazing  people to teach.

This week one of my goals is to listen to the spirit in the way I teach and find. I had a hard time

 figurig out a way I could measure this goal, and I came to find that the only ways I could are

through the measuring activities in Preach my Gospel, and I decided that I am going to use my

daily journal writing in it as well; I am hoping that this will help me recognize when I am following

the Holy Ghost in a more effective way.

Castellano came along with heaps and bounds this week as well, which was a plus! I have been

working on realizing that this language will be a gift of the spirit, and I need to study and work and

 PRAY so that I may receive it!Our companionship is great. Of course we have our little blips, but in 

general, we are fantastic. I love the way that Elder Santana works, and we are begining to learn

more one from another. I think this is how things were with Alma and Amulek. Learning from one 

another and teaching and testifying with the spirit. It doesnt get much better than that! I am always

so excited to go out and teach!!!

I hope that everyone is doing great. Stay faithful and strong! God loves you :)

Elder Tyler K Johnson

 we helped an investigator build part of their house this week! This family is on fire!

We didn't receive any explanation for the snake but a picture of a pot of stew followed, a bit worrisome.

Dios Les Ama! Week 10

I love being a missionary. Yes I sweat all the time and people cant always understand me,
especially when I am tired, but everything is well in Zion (Mercedes, Argentina in case
you were wondering)

This week has been great. Our numbers did not turn out the way that we planned, but we
worked our hearts out. We had a day where basically all of our ilumidados told us that
they no longer had the desire, drive, etc., to hear our message. This day was tough, but
we bounced back harder than we ever had. This week we are focusing on asistencias as
well as finding new investigators. I am beyond excited!

Our baptism fell through this week because our investigator was in a scooter accident and
broke her leg. She was in surgery all this week. We have been visiting her here and there
in order to animarle and we are hoping that she will turn to Christ during this struggle. We
have been focusing a lot in the atonement with her. The worst thing is that she ditched
church, and broke her leg during the time. I am telling you. Church is a good place to be!

This week I had divisions with Elder Taylor from Australia. It was a blast. It was his
birthday the first day so we stopped working 10 minutes so that we could buy ice cream
from Gridos. Then the next day was thanksgiving, so we made more pancakes than a man
could possibly eat. Keyword: man. We are representatives of Jesus Christ! So we ate so
much. With dulce de leche. Delicioussss. Then we got more ice cream on the way to the
terminal for the busses. Yes, the day faulted turkey and everything, but it was great.

Do missionary work! Just because you do not have a nametag means nothing. You can
still receive incredible blessings.

I love you all so much!

Thanksgiving Pancakes

  Tacos, tacos and more tacos