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 :)

10 months baby!

This week was a lot better than the last. Not in the sense that all of the hard things disappeared, but I think a few more focused prayers and more hard work makes really all the difference.

As of now, Ariel and Isabel dont look like they will be getting married and baptized. Man what a heart breaker. A great amount of doubts have formed in Isabel for a few things that have happened, and these doubts grew into some pretty sturdy brick walls. She doesnt want to be baptized, doesnt want to go to church, and doesnt want to be the member of any church. She knows that the Book of Mormon is true, she knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but just cant get over the flaws of men. Sharing with her my testimony has strengthened my own. Boy what gladness and changes the Book of Mormon has brought to my life. I know, without a doubt that it is the word of God. God has truly talked with me through that book. He´s shown me time and time again what is it that he wants me to do and the person which he wants me to be. After reluctantly praying, she invited us back for tomorrow, so we are praying for miracles. 

We put it all in on the Lord, as its said. We decided to fast as a companionship for the family of Ariel and Isabel, so that we can find new and prepared people to teach and to show our gratitude. We had a great phone call with Ariel that night, and in the 3 hours we were in our area, we found 5 new investigators who accepted the invitation to be baptized. So, back where I´m from, we call that a miracle! I know that God takes care of his goofy little companionship of Elder Fiabane and Elder Johnson.

Oh! So since the other Elders got transfered to barrio 2, I got to go on divisions to see Andrea, our convert. She is doing amazing! We taught about the family, and used the pamphlets. Agustin and Gabriel (the kids) took the pamphlets after seeing mine and had almost their whole family trees filled out before the end of the lesson. It was AMAZING to be able to open to my 4 generation tree and to be able to say that all the work has been carried out in the temple so that one day, we will be an eternal family. What a blessing it is to be in this church and have this knowledge!

Love you all! Stay awesome :)

Elder Johnson

More service for the Canciano family.

Andrea, the family, and our family trees! (Her sister Carolina is going to getting married and baptized!)

The hammock nail thingies broke while I was making calls and Elder Fiabane was swinging me dangerously...

 Elder Fiabane and I in this super huge statue art festival last week

We found a place that almost had burritos!

 Resistencia view

Family and Friends!

This week is going to be a shorty!

The paperwork for Ariel and Isabel is still in a mess. The civil registry here keeps going on and off of strike, and the man that works there doesn't like our church and beliefs, so he isn't making it any easier. It is so sad that people who call themselves Christians treat others so differently than the manner in which Christ would treat his loved people. Something that I really want to improve about myself.

Elder Fiabane and I are companions again! For the fourth transfer in a row, so this will be about 6 months together. We are excited to be able to work together and help Ariel, Isabel, the ward, and the people that are waiting for us in our area. I know if we work hard we will find them.

We went and helped the Canciano family again on Saturday. We found an ant pile taller than me. Probably wasnt the greatest idea to climb on top of it... But am I ever going to find something so great?

We found Sergio in a little neighborhood of chapa houses. His partner wife passed away four months ago and is struggling in all aspects. I just wanted to reach out to him and help him. We taught him how to pray after explaining to him of the plan that God has for him, his wife and his children. It is incredible to see how the spirit works with people. He felt God´s love in front of his little home, and I know that God loves him as one of his children.

Love you all! Stay amazing!

Elder Johnson

Huge ant pile

We tried taking a cute skipping picture like all the sister missionaries do. Didnt really turn out the same....

We got another Elder Johnson in the mission!