TIO ELDER JOHNSON!!!!‏

WOOOO HOOOO! Im an uncle! UNCLE!!!! That is the best news ambs! Mom and Dad-- you will both make super grandparents. Minions--Dibs on being favorite uncle. Ambs and Darren--SUERTE....

This week has been great. Two Elders went home for problems from before the mission and it just broke my heart. I love these missionaries with whom I serve, and I have realized that I have developed so many important friendships with them. I am so glad that I have been sent to this mission to serve my God. 

WE FOUND OUR HOUSE!!! (I think). Its half a block from the church and it will work perfectly. The only problem is the realitor. (How do you spell that?). He needs a few lessons on being a buisiness man from Grandpa Johnson. We will see how it all turns out. I felt a little silly, but during my prayers that night I just thanked Heavenly Father for hearing our prayers to find a place to live. It´s something so insignificant, but it meant so much to us, and I know that our prayers were answered.

We decided to start working closer with Bishop. I love him so much. He´s just a happy, silly guy. I feel bad, but before I didnt think the best of him because he missed a lot of church. But we had an hour talk with him about the work we had done with the less active members, and talking about how we can serve. And he just lit up and was so happy for the work that we have done. He wants to have a chat with us every week now. And he even wants to call a ward mission leader, so we are making some huge progress. THEN he invited us over for dinner. WHATTTT??!?!! Ive had two meals with members in the last 6 months, so that just made me so darn happy. We had ASADO, and talked about the ward and his family. I am so grateful for the amazing leaders with which I am able to work here in the mission.

Luz and Marcos are doing incredibly. We finished up all the lessons that they need to have to be baptized and they just are too excited for this Saturday. It will be a unique experience for them. 

I´m praying so hard that they will be able to have a memorable experience as they make this covenant with our Heavenly Father in the same exact way that Christ was baptized. Isn´t that great? That God has put all of this back on the earth through one of his prophets so that we may return to live with him? It awes me every time.

Love you all! Thank you so much for the prayers.

Elder Johnson

Obispo Shultz, hna Shultz y yo.

We made 5 liters of Horchata for Elder Perez´s last pday here in the office.

Elder Fiabane and I in a conference-- We are splitting up Wednesday, so this is going to be tough and a little sad for me. I love him so much.

We made 5 liters of Horchata for Elder Perez´s last pday here in the office.

Weekly Email!‏

Family!

I was walking around the plaza with Elder Perez, and I knew I wouldn’t have

 too much time for email today because of our empanada party, so I thought

I would try something a little different. So I made a voice recording with the cell

phone-- I realized I had less things to say than I thought I would.

So shortly, Luz and Marcos are doing great with their goals to be baptized the

23rd. We had a lesson with them on Wednesday, and we realized that they didn’t

really have a great testimony that the gospel was restored through Joseph Smith.

We started asking about their lectura with the Book of Mormon and the correlation,

as we expected, was evident. The Book of Mormon is key. If we want to KNOW that this

is the only true church of Jesus Christ that has been restored through a living prophet,

we must read the Book of Mormon. I know that God has spoken with me through this

holy book. I love it oh so much. Through times of struggle, even though maybe I wasn’t

doing  all the right things, by reading this book the Lord was able to hold onto me and

help me step by step to follow my Savior. I know that it is the word of God.

SO, we dropped a little cane  (with love) told them the importance of the book and

explained to them the importance. That night they read and prayed. The next day,

during their baptismal interviews they expressed wobbly, newly born testimonies of

the Book of Mormon and of the restoration. Wow. I was so happy for them and for the

progress they have made. The church is so incredibly true. No doubt about it.

Love you all!

Elder Johnson

Empanada party!

 Reimbursment champ humbled...

Extra Pictures

Weekly Letter Home!‏

A week not too eventful. It has been spent mostly in the office, looking for more houses, reimbursments, etc. We are getting closer and closer to finding a place to live for all the office Elders, so we will keep our hopes up.

We are supposed to have a cita in the church tonight with Ariel. He hurt his back playing futbol a few weeks ago, so it is tough for him to sit. He says that he still wants to come to church, but he can´t sit for the whole time. Still no luck with Isabel. One of her records isnt found in the civil registry, so the marriage hasnt passed yet, and we havent talked with Isabel for a good week. 

We got to do service for a family in the ward this last Saturday! It was a blast. Ill give the lawn mower a kiss when I get home. Machettes are fun for a few 3 minutes. I love this family.

I went on probably the most humbling divisions yesterday. I went on divisions with a little 24 year old Peruvian that was in Resistencia for a medical exam. He has been having them for the last while. I left with him during the siesta so he wouldnt be in the office doing nothing. He wasnt the greatest teacher or the most spectacular at contacting, but his love for the people was so strong. Then he shared with one family how he had lost his mom 6 weeks ago. That just broke my heart. We were talking on the bus a little and he began to tell me about his family, and how he was so happy to skype them on mothers day.  I asked him if they were members and he told me no. I asked him if they supported him and he answered me that because of the death of his mother, he receives no support from the family. For the reasoning of, if he was a representative of Jesus Christ, how could our Savior let this happen. I just put my arm around him and couldnt speak. Last night he was telling us a story, and he spoke briefly about his mud house. This morning he came into my office and I asked him how his exam results came out and he let me know that the pain in his leg was cancerous. I feel like the mission is so hard at times, but then I see such sweet people as him and want to help them so much. We have so many blessings, and as humans we can be so quick to forget all of them. Let´s count our blessings.

Thank you for all the prayers and support. I know that our Savior lives and loves us. He died for us. Each and every one. How amazing is it to know that? Share it with someone! In the Mission Leadership Counsel we focused so much on working with members and hastening the work (that sounds so weird in English...) The Lord´s work needs to be done and it needs to be done now!

Elder Johnson

Pictures:

Reimbursments like a champ (for a while....)

Mowing lawns just like the summer Saturdays back home.

Looking for a place to live...‏

What a quick week. We´re already half way through the transfer.

This week wasnt all that eventful to be honest. The last week I left the office to work was Sunday afternoon. The rest of the week I have been calling every single real estate business in Resistencia for to find us a new place to live. When the inmobiliarias tell me that everything is rented out, that means EVERYTHING is rented out. Never before the mission did I think I would be praying for help with money, finding a place to live, playing with excel graphs, etc., but it is amazing how the Lord unfolds that which he wants us to do as we trust in him and do his will. I know that I am carrying out his will as I help others to come unto Christ and know his restored gospel.

One of the new investigators we found Thursday during our fast came to church on Sunday. The BIGGEST obstacle for basically the whole mission I would say. I don't know if it is like this in the whole country, but 9 AM church, living half an hour away on bus and the culture don't mix. So I just love the members that show the faith to come to church every Sunday to renew their promises that they have made with God at baptism. Luz and her son Marcos came happily to church this last Sunday. So we will be praying for them.

Still no contact or success with Ariel, Isabel and the family. We will definitely continue praying for them.

I love the focus we are taking in the mission in hastening the work. Wow wow wow it is so true!!! It just gets me so pumped. I know that we need to work together in this work as members and missionaries. No doubt about it. Lets go help in the hastening of the work!

Elder Johnson

Pics:

Mom, remember when you used to give me haircuts, and you´d let me go around with ridiculous haircuts to swim meets, or around the house? I think Dad was always out of town during those times... Hhaha best mom ever! (Celebrating childhood memories)

Broken hammock (see last week´s explanation)

MOM AND DAD! Thanks for the Argentine tie! We are in the aduana, and here are our best friends (as you can see with the bags and stacks of packages, sometimes things dont come through all that quickly). They like me so much, they gave it to me for free again :)