Rain and Roadtrips

What a great week.

Traveling to Santa Fe made me think quite a bit. It´s just a great experience to be able to leave the world out and think and talk about the gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ. Before the mission, while talking about gospel principles with others, I most often applied the topics and knowledges to myself. More and more I find myself thinking of how I can use the information and knowledge to help others whether it be investigators (how do you spell that in english?), members, or even other missionaries. I love having the opportunity to help others and be a servant in the hand of the Lord. 

We have been praying hard to have investigators in the church. We have been working on finding, finding and finding, but Elder Fiabane and I have lacked quite a bit on the church assistance. This last week we put it all on the line and spoke until our throats were sore. We found some, and had to leave others. We finally found two unmarried couples, one of which, S_____and E___, just blow me away. They don´t have very much education, and they live under the humblest of circumstances. Their house is made of old rusty tin roofs attatched together with the plastic of a billboard on the side to have wind cover. They are SO excited to accept this message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Even with the rain and their crying baby, they came to church. Then, we found I____and A__-- A_____ works most of the week a few hours away, so we can´t pass by all that much to teach. They didn´t wake up when we passed by and clapped on Sunday, so we were a little bummed. I was sitting in the Sacrament hall thinking, and there they entered! Soaking wet from the 30 minute drive from the little barrio to the church. They came even though they had to leave their 11 and 3 year old children at home (not that I am encouraging this or anything...). I KNOW that God answers prayers. He loves us and knows our wants and our needs. I know that he is so willing to bless us if we have faith in him. He carried out exactly that. 

I love this work!

Pictures: Road trip with President Heyman

Santa Fe reminded me of Prescott

Elder Johnson

Additional pictures

Another treat from President Heyman's Instagram

Family and Friends!

Another good week passed! I feel like Pday just comes way too quickly. Before I know it I´m in a supermarket or cleaning the pension again... 

The work is going great in the office! The new reimbursment system cut down the time from a whole week without leaving to my area to work to a couple days. I was also able to go pay a few bills, go to the bank and find some new souls to teach. Talk about a little bit of improvement. So I´d say that I am pretty content with all of that.

Out of nowhere it got cold... Real cold... Like 60 degrees cold... So I don´t know what happened to the good old hot Chaco that I loved.

We have been working more on opening our mouths and talking and testifying with whichever person with which we cross. We have seen some amazing results. I don´t know why we have so much fear to share about Jesus Christ with people around us or our friends. The message of the restored gospel of our Savior is the most important message that our friends and family and associates will EVER hear in their whole lives! So open your mouths and let your friends know why you are so happy and why you have so much hope! You will be blessed, and your mouths will be filled with the words that which the Lord wants you to say.

Love you all!

Elder Johnson

Pics:

Driving President´s car

SUBWAY IS COMING TO CHACO! I almost kneeled and cried right there.

Elder Fiabane and I are thinking of trying out to be the new missionary models for LDS.ORG and the Ensign ;)

Family and Friends!

I don´t have too much to report this week. We had some conferences and a lot of work in the office. Our area being so far away makes it hard at times to get to our area if we have to stay in the office a little late...

President Heyman spoke about the Holy Ghost in the Multizone conference, and our relationship with him. It´s incredible that the last thing of which Christ spoke with his apostles before his death is the Holy Ghost. What a great gift God has blessed us with. We need to always be evaluating our relationship with the Holy Ghost. If we really have the faith to receive answers, and if we are really listening to and following the guidance we receive.

I love you all! The gospel is so true!!!

Elder Johnson​

Family and Friends!

Well, Noemi doesn´t want us to pass by anymore... It breaks my heart a little bit. I always wanted to help out that family. I always felt a little guilty for not being able to do anything more but bring this message into her home. Then I realized this is the best thing that I can possibly doing for this family. This is the only way that they may truly find joy in their lives. I know it is true. I know that only through the saving ordinances that we have been given through the restored gospel may we live with our families after this life. How wonderful it is.

It is a little tough to find new people to teach right now, but we are constantly looking. I have seen a great succes in simply having the faith in success. Reading the Book of Mormon makes me realize how often I personally forget the manifestations of the Lord´s hand in my life, and go back to having faith in Elder Johnson rather than the Lord. Ive been working so hard to change that. 

One thing I have been studying in the Book of Mormon is the importance of teaching to the needs of the people. It is so evident that the Book of Mormon is written to our needs personally, and that the Holy Ghost teaches us through this sacred book. I know that it is true. Lately I have been putting into practice more teaching with the scriptures. I love the validity they give to the word. 

Elder Fiabane and I were given the chance to attend the baptism of Gabriel and Agustin (Andrea´s children). The service was beautiful. A couple of the priests (some of my best friends Ive made in Argentina) performed the bapstisms. The spirit was undeniable in the room. Afterwords, Andrea, the women with whom we worked for so long was invited to give her testimony. It was short, but it was powerful and so pure. She has a true love for our Savior and she has truly been converted. I haven´t had all that much success when it comes to numbers of baptisms, but Elder Fiabane and I know that God put us in that area and put us in her house for a very specific reason . I know that this is the work of the Lord!

Love you all!

Elder Johnson

Well this week went by unusually (how do you spell that?) quickly.

There is never down time between the office and the mission field.

So I had some great experiences this week. First of all, I know that this gospel

is true. Without a doubt. I know that our Savior Jesus Christ is the head of this church.

I have felt it. I have received a witness through the Holy Ghost that it is so. And I love

seeing, even if they reject the answer just as thousands rejected our Savior while he

was in the earth, when people have actually prayed and received an answer. I KNOW

that whoever prays with a sincere heart, after doing their homework, WILL receive an

answer!

We are working with a lady named Noemi and her family. They live in a little brick home.

This family, despite living in humble circumstances, is incredible. Their faith is so pure.

And despite the sadnesses  from trials they still love their God. I love being able to work

with these sons and daughters of God.

I thought it would be fun to see if I could jump off a ledge into mud farther than Elder

Fiabane while waiting for our bus. I jumped, he didn´t. I landed the jump.. as did my butt...

This is Andrea and her family! The two sons will be baptized this Saturday, and Agustin

wants us to sing at his baptism his favorite hymn: "mas cerca Dios de ti". Good choice.

So we have permission to go witness these awesome guys take these great steps in

their life!

I love this work!