January 26th 2015

Hey All!
This week was pretty nuts! 1st Ma** wasn't baptized this week because a little thing happened. But her new date is 14th de Feb. (the last Saturday I'm here) But man. She is just super faithful and wants the gospel so bad! She also made us fish yesterday and it was super good. Was grateful for a little change in the diet! We only eat rice, beans, and tortillas! Ha! But we did have 2 baptisms! An** and Sa**! Was pretty nuts because they told us they were moving but then on Saturday, they said we're waiting, so we had those 2! These kids are super crazy..ha! Like really nuts! But the baptism was super cool. Elder Garcia and I both got to baptize them because they asked us. Sure do love Elder Garcia. Hate thinking about leaving him! We're like Batman and Robin here in La Vega! He teaches me so much about what's important in life. But funny story...well not really funny at all, but we saw a kid get hit by a rock dead center in the head and a flipping adult did it! We were like..."what the!" and then there was almost world war 3 because everyone saw it and it's in the really poor area, so things got heated real fast...almost called the cops, but ya, not sure why I shared that!
We also had entrevistas with President Fortuna so it was nice to talk to him! I am going to miss him so much. Soooo powerful.
But emotionally, this week was pretty hard. Got a little sick at the beginning of the week, kept having stupid dreams about home (ha!) and our district leader is super baggy (or trunky) and I went on splits with him. Just was a tough week! And we're soooo tired. Never worked so hard in my life. Every day we give our all. Talked to Pres. about that and he said the cure to tiredness is to work harder. The man is brilliant. But thought a lot about my Savior this week and the Atonement and how He took upon, not only the sins of the world, but pains, feelings, heartaches, everything. And so He had to feel every feeling we feel. So I realized that He must have felt fear. And that to me was new. That our Savior had to be afraid, or say, FEEL fear in order to "suffer for very pain and affliction and temptation of every  kind" (Alma 7:11-14) and then I thought about when He started to suffer in the Garden and when He asked our Father in Heaven if there was another way...and then it kinda hit me. Jesus Christ created the world, He created the Garden of Gethsemane, and then He had to suffer in the same garden He created. Only my thoughts but I think he might have felt fear when He started the Atonement and that's why He asked if there was another way. But the great thing is that HE DID IT! He truly overcame the World! For us. For you.
So when you feel fear, feel despair, it's alright. He's felt the same. Just keep enduring and relying on Him. He's there for you. And as missionaries, we represent Him. People rely on us and what a sacred calling it is to be a missionary for the true Church of Jesus Christ. Love you all.

I'm thankful for repentance, Pres. Fortuna, sleep, medicine, the U.S., my Savior, my scriptures, and a testimony that no one can take from you.

Have a great week!

-Elder Johnson

my comp climbed a tree.... I probably shouldnt have let him but it was sweet haha

receive my skirt this week... (starting a sister mission of 18 months)

okkkk! this week was suppperr tiring! man. I thought I was tired after basketball.. that aint nothing. Physically, mentally, and spiritually drained every day! But the Lord gives us power to keep going and to have this energy day after day! Well just wanted to start off with one of the funniest stories every that happened yesterday. Ok so we went to dinner at this sisters house and she gave us Sopa de Mondongo.. or in other words soup of a cows stomach and legs.. well it was bad.. real bad. But we were eating outside and she was inside and we didnt know what to do because she gave us A BOWL OF SOUP.. like the thing was filled.. I'm gonna throw up thinking about it.. Anyway, we're sitting there playing with our food and she's inside and we dont know if she's looking and so Elder Garcia, just out of the blue, gets up and starts digging in a pot of plants and puts his soup in there while I'm just sitting there like a dummy the whole time laughing my head off with a huge bowl of soup in my lap, haha, but then like RIGHT when I was gonna do the same she comes out! and sees I have all my soup and Elder Garcia has none and she asks "oh you don't like your soup huh?" and I said oh no I just ate my rice first. And so Elder Garcia is the mother of all worriedness and he asks me to put some in his bowl to eat and she starts talking to us while we're eating and I'm just praying the whole time to not throw up while eating! It was just hilarious. We ate it all and we are pretty dang sure that she saw Elder Garcia do it because she kept looking at the plant. Hahahaha

But there was this activity with all the youth in the stake that we did. They served ´mini missions¨ for 2 days and they went tracting with us for 2 hours and went to the CCM the day before and it was probably the best idea I've ever heard of. Suppperrrr great. And even better, which brought sooo much joy to my heart, was when we saw Ma**, Vi**, and Mi** with the missionary plaques.. man. Now they wanna serve a mission! It's really amazing to see how the Lord uses you as a tool in the lives of others to help even more others. We just need to be willing and he will touch the hearts of the people.

One last thing! We brought, listen up people, 15 KIDS TO CHURCH. 15! and like 21 in total with adults! But it was sooo crazy because these kids are nuts! And they all came in sacrament and it was the greatest funniest thing I've ever seen cuz they just didn't stop coming! hahaha and they climbed all over me in sacrament and man! It was hilarious but sooo sweet to see all those kids come! We might be having 3 of those kids baptized this week! Depends if they move or not!  But hermana Ma** baptism is this week! We're all so excited! I love all you and hope you enjoyed a little bit more relaxed funny email!

This week I'm thankful for Christ-like attributes, little kids, service, Christ and His walk to Calvary, my journal, being tired a lot, learning to endure, pain, hardships, my friends serving missions, Elder Hale, the TEMPLE!!!, sleep, my crazy new district leader, andddd good shoes! 

-Elder Alec Johnson 

Matthew 5:14

oh and I need Josh Avery's and the Wimmer's and Jace Wheeler's email please!

January 12th, 2015

PUESSSSS... we just found out our new pres of our mission! ha! He's from Honduras! but I'll talk about that next week cuz this is all new!

This week was crazy! Vi** decided to be baptized this week so that was a surprise! really cool! um we also changed districts! same zone and area but new DL and new district! I also saw a girl eating wood.. so that was cool.

I also gave a talk in Sacrament. And this is what I would like to share. I've learned a lot about love here. Not some pitty fake love that people act like sometimes. I'm talking about the pure love of Christ. Here, people fall away from the church more than a lot. And it's not because it's not true. It's because the members and people of the ward don't really love their neighbors. I'll say it straight up. There are only a few in this ward that really wanna help others and the recent conversos. Others say they dont have time or only say they wanna help. And I was the same. I didnt realize the difference between giving 5 minutes of my day to help someone in need before my mission. I said I had too much stuff, too much going on, but I encourage all to give 10 minutes out of their day to help a less active, to help someone you feel needs a note of love, or visit a recent convert. Show others that you love them through your service. Doesn't need to be grand, doesn't need to be huge, but it DOES need to be real. I sure do love my mom for showing me that a little note can make all the difference. If Christ was here, he would set apart time in the day to go visit someone in need or make a phone call, even if He was busy with other things. I love you all and hope you guys have a great week!

-Elder Johnson

This week im thankful for steaks that are 5 dollars and MASSIVE, new area we've never gone to, water, the USA, my camera, the little things in life that make all the difference, a bed, my best friend on my miss (Elder Garcia), and Carter my brother for showing me what it's like to be a disciple of Christ

"making your mashed potato's and gravy!"

IF YOU WANNA SEE MIRACLES VAYA A LA MISION

ok so there's like 20 min. and I have a novel to write..

1st. Know how I said Gustavo is the man? YAAA he's still the man:) We had the baptism of him and Mi** this week!! 

I'll start with the Gustavo! ok so he stopped smoking for 3 days.. and it was TOUGH. HE GOT BAPTIZED. AND YESTERDAY he told us after church that he has no desires or an urge to smoke.. gift of the spirit people.

Hermana Mi**! ah! so awesome! She got baptized. Her mom and brother went. They went to church the next day. They wanna be baptized on the 24th. CHURCH IS TRUE PEOPLE.

Found a drunk guy after the baptism. He left the church 10 years ago. Now he's coming home and asked us to help change his life. His name is Ju** and he's a stud. 

Elder Rojas the tiny missionary is leaving along with 4 others in our zone! Crazy changes! 

Had my first FULL dream in Spanish.

WE GOT A STOVE after asking 5 months for one! 

I love this gospel and although I cant really explain over e-mail in 10 min what's happened, this is why I have a journal:) 

ITS A NEW YEAR. WORK HARD AND BE HAPPY PEOPLE! AND IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY, FIND OUT WHAT YOU'RE MISSING AND ENJOY LIFE! 

ONe thing I learned this week is that we really don't know how good we've got it. And how much better we have it with this Gospel. Love my Honduras.

This week I'm thankful for my comp, my parents, the temple and the blessings recieved there, Gustavo, Michelle, life, and A STOVE!

-Elder Johnson

shaved half our legs for a new year tradition hahaha