Dec 28, 2015

This Christmas will go down in the books as one of the most memorable of my life. :)
So in Latin Countries they celebrate Christmas on the 24th and "receive" the Christmas at 12:00 at night with like a billion fireworks. You feel like you're in a war. (honestly one of the coolest things ever) and so for this year, I did the same. But during the week my companion and I wanted to do something for Christmas that we'd never forget, something we could tell our children about. So we decided for the 2 hours we had to work on that day (because my comp talked to his family and people invited us over) we would testify to 100 people on the street. And it was AWESOME! We talked to 104 people, testified to them, and got 23 good solid contacts. We also got on 3 buses and shared a message of Christmas on a full bus. And then in the night we exchanged gifts and I got the SWEETEST gifts ever! And then at 12:00 the whole city of Tegucigalpa basically blew up and then on Christmas I talked with my amazing family and had nothing to say for that hour and then a million things right after I wish I would have said. haha. Then there was nobody and I mean nobody on the street and everyone dead asleep, so as a district we put a table with pamphlets and stuff in front of a grocery store and contacted, got on the table and preached like Dan Jones, and sang! Then we visited all our investigators and sang to them as a district...and there was a ton other stuff we did those 2 days but we were soooo tired after all that. It was a wonderful Christmas where I felt pure joy from the spirit of Christmas. It was nothing like my traditional Christmas's with all the sweat, sun and work, but it literally was one of my favorite Christmas's ever. Because we gave everything for Him.
Got some great people progressing and life is hard, but life is so good.
This week I'm thankful for Christmas magic, the Spirit, that we saw a guy stick 2 nails up his nose, caroling, strength from the Lord, getting those little nerves every time you're about to talk to someone new, Honduras, gifts, my Savior, mission tips, technology, my family, the ability to see and hear, laughter, New Era's, the Priesthood, and the wind.
~Elder Alec Johnson
Scrip of da week D&C 24:12

MY COMP GAVE ME HIS NEW LEBRON JERSEY BABAYYYYYYYY 

These are the most awesome kids. We took them to the temple and they're just great...you'll hear more about em later!

21 Dec 2015 Navidad 2015!

"Merry Christmas ya filthy animals... and a happy New Year."
I testify of my best buds words. I just want my mom for Christmas. Haha! But Elder Sharp hit that one right on the ball! Man it's been a long time since seeing my wonderful Fam! I kinda miss em a lot this holiday season! It is going to be a good HOUR this Friday. Really good.
Well this week we had our Christmas party. It basically was a two thumbs up. Super stinkin' fun. We went to a ranch in Comayagua and played soccer, ate, did gift exchanges, and watched a sister missionary almost kill an elder trying to hit a piñata. Haha. But what was so great was talking and hanging with Elder Hale and Elder Garcia. Elder Garcia is in my old area in Sigua! But he's the other set of missionaries there. But nobody will ever know how much I love these 2 missionaries. They have helped me so much on my mission and are some of my best friends I've ever had. I'm so grateful for them. I don't get to see Elder Garcia a lot which is a bummer but he has such a good heart and Elder Hale is def. my best bud on the mission. We're like twins it's so funny! And because some things have happened that I've been frustrated with and it just felt so good to talk to Elder Hale. It's like when I would talk to my mom forever about things. Haha. #gettingpersonal But it really just clears my head and I feel the spirit stronger. Good talk!
But so I was thinking about something and a cool thought came to my head! So Adam and Eve weren't perfect in the garden right? They didn't know how to progress. But they were cast out and were then able to know good from evil. And then I thought of Christ when he commanded us to be perfect like His Father. And then I got it. To achieve perfection we need to know what it's like not to be  perfect! Now I'm not saying that we can do every and any thing we want to do because we're "learning how to be perfect." That blasphemy and denying the Atonement. But to accomplish the journey of perfection we must know what it's like to try to be perfect and not get it! And that's great! because we're progressing! And, as long as we're doing our best and trying hard every day, it doesn't matter! Because one day we will achieve that perfection! And I don't care if it takes thousands or millions of years, and a billion 'try agains'.  One day I will become perfect like My Father. If we all just do our best every day, it will happen. And that's awesome. It's doctrine that most of the world thinks is crazy and not true. But! It's true.:) And it's all possible because  of our wonderful Savior. It's all possible through Him. Our amazing Redeember.
I love Christmas. I love all of it. Every thing! The lights, smell, snow, craziness, decorations, movies, music, gifts, family and everything else. I love it because it reminds me of

HIM.

Everything that happens in this season is magnificent. There's magic and a spirit in the air that doesn't compare to any other time of the year. And I'm so grateful for the chance to feel that spirit in a much more different way than I'm used to, here in Honduras. It's different, but it's the same. All of it reminds me of Him. So remember that this Christmas. Let it all point to Him and embrace it all! Enjoy it! Soak every moment in. Don't worry about the past because to achieve perfection, we need to know how to fall, get up, and move on, over and over again. So learn, and enjoy it all! This work is real, this church is true, and I am so grateful for my Savior and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. It all really is glorious.

This Christmas I'm thankful for torejas, Skype, my family, the spirit of Christmas, traditions, all my memories of Christmas's before, and our Redeemer, our Savior, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, Christ. Our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ.

Love you all. Have the best Christmas yet.

~Elder Alec Johnson

Luke 1:30-31

14 Dec 2015

11 more days. Boo ya. This week was fun..really good actually! Oh flip! Changes were this week I just realized! Ha! We didn't have changes thank goodness but guess WHAT!? Elder Thorn is opening TAULABE!!!! Taulabe! The place I kept talking about about, 30 minutes away from Siguatepeque! When I heard that, I jumped up and started freaking out in the middle of changes. Do you even understand!? 1st (well we were 1st haha) time missionaries will live and work there! So stinking cool. So excited to see what happens there.
Also had our zone mtg. It was super good. I talked about the importance of having power when we teach and how we need to always work on that, and how in chapter 10 the first 4 things it mentions in there can make it possible. 1- Develop Christ-like attributes 2- Study the lessons 3- improve language 4- depend on spirit. Then we did a fun exercise where the missionaries had to stand on a table and preach to a booing "crowd". It was so funny. The hermana's went ham and the zone went crazy because it was so powerful haha. Then talked about the importance of working with members. It's so important people. And the 3 things to gain the confidence of members is:
1) loving them 2) giving service and 3) teaching them!
Ledrin is awesome as ever. Love that man more than anything. We are teaching 2 young men who are soooo awesome. Alex and Bryan. They're probably going to be baptized in January.
Also got the package! That's a fun story... That book is the greatest. Love it and it's perfect for Christmas. It's almost Christmas. I love Christmas and the spirit of it. Maybe it's not really the same here with the whole 90 degrees thing every day but I'm so thankful for this Christmas and to be able to give all I am to my Savior and King as a gift. You only get 2 Christmas's to say that. One thing I would like to invite you all this Christmas is before opening presents in the morning, to have prayer as a family...I think that'd be a great first present for Christ the 25th. A simple prayer of gratitude as a family. Right before opening presents.:)

This week I'm thankful for Christ, rejoicing, shepherds, miracles, charity, stars, family, inspiration, memories, angels, happiness, andddd Hope.
-Elder Alec Johnson

Scrip of the week - Isaiah 9:6

We found a gringo!

Elder Thorn!

Speed

Dec. 7th 2015

Welp. Great week. Start off saying thanks to the greatest parents in the world! Got the 2 packages and easily the best package everrrrr! It even smelt like home for Pete's sake! Ya Man! Also! Great news! Well 1st great news. We can listen to Christmas music now!!! So if any of you can send the She-Daisy Christmas song over email, I would love you forever! Also we get to listen to talks! I've been so pumped up this week! But ya. Shoes fit perfect and the pants are classic! Stuff from the Sates is really good I kinda realized...ha. But it's still hotter than Hades here in Teguc! I don't believe we're in December. We can't be.
Well my main man Ledrin is still the coolest guy ever! Just a little bad news though because he couldn't go to church on Sunday (because he's a security guard and someone made him take his turn) he can't get baptized on Christmas..:/ Real bummer but he feels terrible about not being able to go so that's true repentance! Don't have a photo with him but I'll send one this week. Also can't wait to tell you about Familia Rodriquez haha, they're a recent convert/less active family that we're working with and they're the greatest. Honestly don't know what happened this week but spiritual thought found in Alma 9:28...every man shall reap their reward of their works. The time is near where we will be held accounted for for those works. Have our works been good lately? Also I said that I gave a little theme for the zone meeting this month and thought I'd like to echo it here. I called it "What is a Name?" Why do we have names? To identify us right? If you think of a name, feelings and thoughts come into you just like that. When you think of Hitler? Think of Moroni? Think of Christ? They are just names but THE NAME OF SOMEONE CAN IDENTIFY THE HEART OF THAT SOMEONE. In Mosiah 5:2-15 and chapter 6 talks about taking the name of Christ upon ourselves FIRST and by doing that our names are reflected in His. And if we take His name upon us, we have a change of heart. Soooo what are we doing to take upon the NAME of Christ in our hearts? Good question for the week.
In other news Olympia lost to Motagua in the semi's. #hijole

This week I'm thankful for a back brace, a ROLLER STICK!!!, Reese's, chocolate, new shoes and pants, interchanges, Ledrin, ties, the Book of Mormon, General Conference, thankful list, fish oil, the office, humble missionaries, Joseph Smith, Conf talks, Christmas, laughter, reverence, hymns, the Atonement, and good burgers.:)

Scrip of da week D&C 50:24
-Elder Alec Johnson

this is it

this is a Mexican ice cream parlor.. it's amazaing and im putting one in Utah. cactus ice cream! and they put hot sauce on it!! 

we had a videochat lesson with people from Honduras that live in my comps old ward.. way cool!