March 30th 2016

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland_remember-lots-wife/

Talk of the week…! Or more like talk of all talks! If you read just a part of this email just read the talk! Or listen to it! Fav talk in the entire world. Felt like I have read it before butttt I could read it all day, every day. So good.

This week was a toughy! It was just a hard week with a lot of trials. But it ended really well on Sunday when we found a lot of new investigators that are positive. And Sunday and yesterday I just felt at peace and I really needed that. Just felt a lack of something the entire week and then on Sunday night I felt peace and on Monday I felt full. That was my tender mercy for the week. And it´s kinda like Christmas here… It´s easter and Semana Santa here in Central America and nobody goes to church.. #gofigure speaking of Semana Santa…

Sooo on Friday they do the famous alfombras right? Alfombras are when they prepare months making colored saw dust and then in the center or in other places on the street they make amazing art work out of colored sand dust! So on Friday we woke up early and went to see em in the center before we went to the office (once in a lifetime chance here) and before all the people came and it was so cool! And as we were finishing, the national news channel here HCH was there and they asked Elder Burnham if he could say a few words and he declined (because probably Pres wouldn’t have been happy if he saw us on tv at 7 in the morn in the center ha) anddd me being me was like “SURE! WE CAN SHARE OUR TESTIMONY ON TV!” not realizing the consequences.. And so they asked me who I was and what church we were from and how we supported people doing this and I totally got interviewed and testified of Christ on Honduras National TV hahhah and but I told Pres we went to see them after so we´re good haha that was fun.

Nothing much happened this week I can remember. We moved a house for 6 hours Elder Burnham and I because the missionaries had to move because they kinda got stoned and robbed in their area… Like literally the people threw stones at them! Stinkin´nuts. But they are totally fine.

On Easter Sunday in the morning I was able to finish Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage after months of reading it. It was such an amazing experience where I learned so much about who my Savior really is. I wanna keep using it to study because it really is incredible. And on Easter it was kinda tough remembering it was Easter just because there was nobody at church, none of the inv. that we had that said were gonna come came, it was so stinkin hot it´s not even funny, and it was just kinda a tough Easter. But then at night I just felt peace. Wasn´t anything all that special. I just felt good. And I guess that made me ponder about when Christ was resurrected. I bet that day didn´t feel all that spiritual to the apostles. I bet they were sad, upset, heart-broken that morning when they woke up. Then a little later they heard the good news. And it brought them peace. They still had a million things going on through their mind about what to do next, what they just went through with Christ for those years he was with them, I bet a million things were going through their mind. They had every reason to be stressed, confused, impatient, etc. But they felt peace as the Risen Lord showed himself to them. He lived and gave them peace then and He lives and gives peace to all those who seek now.

This week I am thankful for my Risen Lord Jesus Christ, for all the missionary emails I get, for perfect parents who I love so much, for Carter and that he still won´t be able to beat me at Madden or FIFA or 2K when I get back, for protein, for forgiveness, for little things during the day that make one happy, Elder Duncan, las alfombras, for good people, for butter, and forrrrrrrrrrr orange juice!   

-Elder Alec Johnson

the church is true.

¨And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don´t believe in magic will never find it.¨-Roald Dahl

MATEO 5:14 SOIS LA LUZ DEL MUNDO!!!

All out of wood dust

oh and they totally put a kid on a cross and reacted the crucification on top of a hill. Honduras tradition.

March 21st 2016

SO I FORGOT MY CAMERA SO PHOTOS NEXT TUESDAY!

ITS MY BEAUTIFUL MOTHERS BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!! SHES TURNING 29!! LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART! MA!

THIS IS MY COMPS BLOGSPOT hes better at explainig things than me:)

http://elderdanielburnham.blogspot.com/2016/03/another-transfer-in-office.html

This week was a good one. It was good because I have felt change and change is good. I have learned so much about humility and what it really means to submit to the will of the Father. We felt like we made some really good contacts last week in the street but when we tried to go to their house a. there was nobody or b. It was the wrong house ha. It´s been kinda a bummer because we haven´t found any really positive new investigators and sometimes when you don´t find positive inv. you get down as a missionary. And what happened with Evelyn and Emelina kinda just threw us off and we´re trying to find people for April. We honestly think Gustavo could be baptized in April but we put some good goals as an office to find new inv. and be more consecrated here in the office. Because to be honest it is so hard in the office to be with 4 diff elders with 4 diff personalities and thoughts and habits and trying to work with one  another and putting goals together so we can become better. Each one of us have to get out of our comfort zones and agree with one another and this week I also was reminded I am not perfect and neither are the people closest to you and people learn, progress, and do things differently than you do. The trick is to accommodate to others and help one another become better and sometimes that means you change what you want and focus on the needs of others so EVERYONE can grow and progress and be happy. :.) Not just one person.

I have such a deep love for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I´m really trying to apply it more by the way I react, think, and feel to situations and people. Sure am thankful for the Spirit and how it teaches me in so many different ways about the Atonement.

In 2 nefi 32:1-5 I was reading and I had the question in my mind how I can feel the spirit more and how can I keep progressing? I am trying to be obedient and better and I just really wanted an answer and I was reading and it was such a machete haha. In verse 1 the Lord asks ME why I am asking this if I already know the answer. And in vs 2-5 I was reminded to really put my whole heart into reading the scriptures. And then to stop worrying about yourself and move on. Be better. Elder Duncan and I talked for a long time about some stuff and he sure has been a huge help on my mission, especially in these last couple weeks and he said a quote that his trainers friend told him and it´s “Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what is to be” Good stuff.

And then in Jacob chapter 5 I love that allegory. And what caught me this time is how obedient the servants were to the master in the very last verses. Reminds me of the early saints and how strictly obedient they were to share the Gospel. 

In other news we saw 2 kids hop on a normal car while it was driving to get a ride and while we were talking about that we didn´t realize the kids in the back of our truck that were also hitching a ride! 

ANDDDD guess what I found out being secretary is really stressful haha.

ALSO JEANCARLO GOT BAPTIZED!! AND FANI FROM THE OTHER ELDERS! YAYY! I WILL SEND PICS NEXT WEEK! 

Gustavo also is such a stud! LOVE FAM OSORTO! HE HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH THE WORD OF WISDOM!

It's SO STINKIN HOT HERE! March 14 2016

This week is what I like to call was a Sagreirdazy Week. (Jake should know what that means right? sounds German.) Sad, great, weird, and crazy. Actually to be honest, craziest week of the miss! But before anything I just have to establish what I am gonna eat when I come home. We will be eating breakfast burritos with ketchup (real ketchup) and franks sauce, every single type of soda that has caffeine in it (and all types of gatorade), and homeade desserts. Done. Complete. Check that off the list. 

OKEY DOKEY. First off. Challenge of the week. In our mission we recieve money every 15 days. And the average amount of money we can spend to have a budget is 6 dollars a day. (not including water and power) Food, transportation, laundry stuff... everything. 6 bucks. The challenge is for you to do it one day this week.. IF you can! If you have a family and stuff totally understand but if you´re all alone and not dating.. Go for it! #topramen

Ok now being serious haha so we´ll start with tuesday and wednesday! OH MY GOODNESS. IVE NEVER BEEN SO TIRED EVER. Taking missionaries to the airport and picking them up for 2 days is crazy. And being the last ones to say goodbye to missionaries is pretty baggy not gonna lie. That was just a story of its own. Oh I forgot monday!

SO monday Fam. Osorto threw me a bday party! It was just the sweetest thing ever! They werent gonna be in town Friday so they made sandwiches and brought a cake from Choluteca and it was just the greatest! I love that fam! He is so getting baptized... 

Then thursday.. not sure what happened. 

Friday... oh Friday.. I felt like it was gonna be a great bday because instead of the alarm I got woken up to 3 men screaming happy bday haha and thennn the office missionaries bought doughnuts and we did that in the office and it was just a great day. And then things kinda got sad... we got a call from Jeancarlo´s aunt saying the mom didnt give him permission to get baptized and she told us how he was balling because he wanted to so bad and we were like.. "dang it" but we were ok because we knew with time she´d give him permission. Then no joke, an hour later we get a call from Emelina crying telling us that 2 guys followed her sister Evelyn to the house and to work and tried beating her up and apparently they have them mistaken with other girls that used to live in the apartment they live in and so it was being watched and so they couldnt live there. So she told us how they were gonna grab all their stuff the next day with their uncle and move away and that was like blow to the stomach.. Because Evelyn accepted a date for baptism the 26 and It was so sad because all these trials came to them all at once when we started teaching them. But we have been calling them and sending them messages and they are so grateful for the Book of Mormon and have been reading it and Emelina said she still wants to come to the church and is gonna find a way to do it. So we will see what happens..:( pray for them please! And so then we were kinda in sad spirits but we had an interview with Jose David for his baptism and he passed! Listo. And as soon as we were leaving their house we get a call and guess what..! The mom gave Jeancarlo permission! YEAYYYYY! So his baptism will be next week because the mom wanted to be there. YES! But it was definitely an unforgetable bday!

Then Saturday.. oh Saturday haha. Good day to start. Good Pday me and elder Burnham went to Mayoreo to get some stuff and look around, went back and then we get a call and Pres asked us if we could go pick up an Elder that is sick and take him to the house and if something happened to take him to the hospital.. We do that and the Elder is way sick. Something with his lungs and his muscles contracting on them so he cant breathe. We take him to the house all is good, go fill up the font, come back, are about to leave again and his comp starts talking in a loud voice for me to come and I go and theres the elder not breathing at all! And his comp tells me to help him and he started giving him a type of CPR but it was different and then like after a minute he starts breathing again and then like after a minute he stops breaathing and this happened for like 10 minutes! And his comp told us this has been happeneing the last 2 nights and so he kinda knew what was happening but still! And during this time we´re screaming at the elders to call Pres and then Elder Bingham and Elder De la Rosa get the truck ready and when I tried to pick him up my back sorta made a noise and it hurts really bad but tomorrow I'm going to the Chiro but then we took him to the car and they took him to the hospital and a got a policeman to lead the way and got him there and the doctors dont know what it is. Pres just gave the confirmation that he has to go home:( really sad. But hes doing a little better.. Pray for him pleaseee! Then Elder Burnham and I went to the baptism and Jose David almost was lost and they couldnt find him (remember he's deaf) but then he showed up and it was so funny because he was like pointing at his wrist where a watch would be saying he didnt realize what time it was. BUT THAT BAPTISM WAS SO SPIRITUAL! ONE OF THE COOLEST I'VE BEEN A PART OF! The ward has a goal to learn sign language by the end of the year. And then Sunday was good and we found positive investigators.:) Crazy week. Sorry not too spiritual but cool thing is we said a prayer when we got to the church because of the Elder and for the fact that Jose David wasn´t found and all worked out after we said that prayer. Love the Gospel. Love repentance. Love it all.

THis week I am thankful for my fam. for prayers, for ibuprofen, for hard times and good times, for my comp. for laughter, for ICE CREAM I LOVE ICE CREAM, for the power of the fast, for great friends and family members who email me what I need to read always, for forgiveness and for forgiving yourself, for my Heavenly Father, for toothpaste, for dove soap, for the fact that it's so hot I like cold showers now, and for my Savior and Redeemer... For Him who lives. 

Keep on keepin on!!

-Elder Alec Johnson

the church is true.

FAM OSORTO!! FREDDY!!

THAT guy who baptized him is an angel from Heaven for that fam. MEMBERS AND MISSIONARIES MUST WORK TOGETHER!

Matching ties! Elder Burnham is da man!

March 7th 2016

So before you start reading this I need you all to go and listen to this talk by Mitt Romney…J

https://speeches.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/mp3/Romney_Mitt_2014_11_18.mp3

And then mom you gotta watch this one. :D https://www.youtube.com/embed/JsoR7LRFV2I

Talks are awesome. Anyways! Changes are going on so the office is crazy. I´ll be short. We didn´t have changes in the office so we´re happy! Anddd shout out to SVU because we are playing Utah State first game! Soo pumped.! So pumped.

Anyways this week was so great and don’t remember much but Hermana Evelyn accepted a date for the 26^th! They are passing through a hard time right now because the gangs killed 2 uncles of theirs… But they have been sharing the Book of Mormon with their whole family that lives far away! They are sooo awesome! Ememlina hasn´t accepted a date for baptism just because she is nervous to see what her grandparents who are really catholic say. She´ll be baptized soon. They are great. But speaking of the Book of Mormon I finished it this week for the 3^rd time on the miss. As I finished the book Alma 32 came to me and I honestly think my testimony of the Book of Mormon is knowledge now. I know it´s from God and I know it gives me power, peace, and protection. That is fact for me now. I love that. Now I still need to work on my faith at being more diligent reading the scrips, but the fact that the Book of Mormon is true- is knowledge and nothing else.

Also invitation of the week is check out Ether 6:5-7 and see what you can get out of it… I got so much out of it! 

And then for P-Day we went to a different museum and the other Elders had a baptism and it was so fun because after we went with the assistants to the Taxi Santo´s house and we ate ´sopa de Garrobo’! Iguana soup! It was sooo good. And supposedely really good for you.

And then Sunday was just the greatest thing ever. Look at the photos to see the story.. But then we totally taught a Jew that lives in Honduras about FamilySearch and it was one of the coolest lessons I have ever had on my mission. One day this week he came up to us in the street and asked us about FamilySearch and said he wanted to be able to look more up about his family in depth and so we put an apt. for Saturday and he brought his two kids and they were the nicest and coolest people! And it is so cool because I have never met a Jew in Honduras and it is soooo rare to find someone interested in FamilySearch here! So we taught them and talked to them about their traditions and cultures and they speak Hebrew and in a weird round about way he believes in the Book of Mormon… haha but he said we can come over to teach them more because they are open to anything, We made some really good friends. Cool story. Thanks for the bday wishes! Pray for Jeancarlo and Jose David so they get baptized this week!

This week I am thankful for my family members and friends, FOR JACEY AND THAT SHE GOT MARRIED YAYYY!!, for this Gospel, for talks, for the Book of Mormon, for miracles, for answered prayers, for the ability to work and walk, for my journal, for the temple, for my family history and the sacrifices they made for their generations, for prayer, for SVU, for my new roommate Brandon Hill!!! Dynamic Duo!, for Pat and Mackay cuz their bdays are this week and next week, for my Savior, and for awesome food from Honduras! 

-- 

-Elder Alec Johnson

SO! on sunday we had the central america conference and we had to go to.. LA VEGA to watch it!! and it was a bummer cuz the ward in la vega had to go to a diff church building but guess who I got to see.. GUSTAVO!!! YAYYYY!! FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN A YEAR! HES DOING SO GREAT AND REALLY PREPARING TO GO THE TEMPLE! hes had a tough year with his addiciton to cigarrettes but he told me hes done!! I was so happy! AND THEN Jardines came to the same building and i got to see the whole ward! AND AFTER Elber and Brayan recieved the Melchizedek priesthood! and Brayan... he is so amazing. He honestly is thinking about going on a mission and that is huge for him.. and in his blessing it talked about it! And Elber is just as great as ever! little stud!
It was so great! 

GUESS WHO GOT MARRIED THIS WEEK...!?!?!? FAMILY PORTILLO!!!!1