IT'S AN ELDER!

WELPPPP! I'm a Dad (aka-trainer)! haha! I am so excited.. I dont even know what to say! So I found out on Wednesday during a lesson with V** we were having, Pres. Fortuna called and let me know that I'm training, I was speechless! But I am sooo excited. SO EXCITED. I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS AND JUST.. WHOO! Heavenly Father has put a lot of trust in me. I cant wait! But also Elder Hale is a trainer! And Elder Andrews! We're all the gringos that were new! So exciting! Love those guys! And we will all be in the same area for another 3 months..! pretty crazy 6 months the same! But I am so grateful for E. Borge and all he did to help me. It was the hardest 12 weeks but I've never been so happy. Times were tough, but thats why life is so great. Because trials define us. He seriously is a 4th missionary and more. Gonna miss that man.

But I just wanted to talk about the power of prayer for a second. I CANNOT BELIEVE I went days without praying in the morning when I wasnt a missionary. I really can't believe it. Idk how I went through the day without a morning prayer. Without guiadance, love, and protection from our Heavenly Father.. I dont understand it.. Ha! I want all of you to remember this this week. When you wake up youre gonna think of my email. And then youre gonna think of what I said in the email. And then youre gonna remember I talked about prayer. AND THEN YOURE GONNA SAY YOUR PRAYERS IN THE MORNING! ok? I promise it'll work! ha! It's just so important to start your day off with a prayer! and THERE IS ALWAYS TIME FOR A PRAYER. ALWAYS. Well I think I'm gonna write a paper and just send that as my weekly email cuz thats a whole lot easier. I love you guys! 

How are my boys?? Herriman basketball? and how did football do? cant believe Will is home! 

This week im grateful for Elder Borge, to be a dad (he means trainer), Spanish, my area, SERVICE, the opportunities the Lord gives us each and every day, 3 packages!!!, ties, tootsie rolls, chick fil a sauce, MY LIFE!!!

-Elder Johnson

 

OH AND ANOTHER THING! IF YOU GUYS COULD TAKE A LOOK AT MY INSTAGRAM BECAUSE FOR THE WARMTH OF THE CHILDREN STARTED AND THOSE KIDS NEED TO BE WARM THIS WINTER! HATS GLOVES AND SOCKS! LOVE YOU ALL! CARTER IS IN CHARGE THESE NEXT 2 YEARS SO IF YOU HAVE ANY PREGUNTAS, CHISTES, CHISME, COMMENTARIOS, HE'S THERE TO HELP!

REMEMBER

 The best way to save oneself, is to save someone else.

SERVICE!!!!

(So funny, in a letter home this week from early Sept., he told us he misses SpongeBob)

Thanks Mama McMullen!

 

Training to be Trainers...

From the Mission Blog:

Elders and Sisters preparing to train new missionaries who will receive the next Mars, will be excellent coaches.

 

Only pictures this week...

Elder Johnson is having a hard week and was also sick on top of it, so he could definitely benefit from your prayers in the next couple of days. :) Thank you!
Hopefully next week we will get good news of 'all is well'.

 

Preaching on the bus!

Ok this week was crazy (again)! no baptisms this week because K** and W** all a sudden dont want to be baptized.. pretty weird but that's a different story. It's just not their time right now. But it was a tough amazing week! We found a family that is READY!! Familia G**! L** and their kid that looks like Luke and his name is Alexander! And then we have M** who is 12 and her mom passed away 7 years ago and she loves the gospel. She cant wait to be baptized ON THE 22ND!! And V**.. wow is she a different person. It's amazing what the Spirit can do to a person when they read the Book of Mormon. Just amazing. She's ready for the 22nd as well! Buttt she wants to get baptized in a river and we sorta promised her that so we gotta find a river by 2 weeks.. haha there's one in la vega and its huge BUT NASTY.

But this week we had Zone Conference and boy was it just amazing! Pres Fortuna is the most amazing man.. so powerful and he just.. he's just the greatest!  

Had a real cool experience with Elder Borge because we decided not to fear anyone so we made a promise to always talk on the bus.. LOVE MY COMP!! Like ask the driver to turn off the music and give a little sermon, and our first bus ride we had an investigator on the bus, so Elder Borge talked to him, and I gave a little 5 min discurso to the people on the bus! They all had their eyes down and didn't like to answer the questions but it was so cool, Elder Rojas and I did it! The one that's as short as Luke! We passed out los 13 articlous de fe and then today I found out that the Hermanas in our district found someone yesterday completely ready for baptism and accepted a date, and to not work on Sunday and all that. They asked her how she found out about the church and she said 2 missionaries yesterday were talking on the bus and wanted to learn more..! SO REMEMBER IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOURE NOT GOOD ENOUGH OR CANT DO SOMETHING, DO IT! I am a gringo and I'm speaking terrible Spanish but it doesn't matter because the Lord can do miracles if you open your mouth and let the spirit do the work! Love you all! 

-Elder Johnson

Estoy agradecido por Pres Fortuna, mi area, pruebas, los mandamientos, himnos, Fresca Tropical uva (Papa y mi padre lo amarían esta fresca) una nueva familia, e. borge, y el conocimiento que vivimos con nuestro Padre Celestial antes esta vida y podemos vivir con el y nuestras familias después!


**Translation: I am grateful for Pres Fortuna, my area, tests, the commandments, hymns, Tropical Fresh grapes (Papa and Dad would love them this fresh) a new family, E. Borge, and the knowledge that we lived with our Heavenly Father before this life and we can live with him and our families after!

 

Zone Conference

Zona Toncontin y Loarque

it's cold...

Ok first just wanted to say it's so stinkin cold here right now and I didn't pack a sweater cuz I THOUGHT IT WAS HONDURAS. haha! But serious. It's super cold. 

Week was real tough but real good! I'll just share a quick story about a family we've been teaching for a while, the wife is a member but the husband isn't. So basically he has the strongest testimony of the Book of Mormon and todos (everybody). Just everything, he has a testimony! It's super awesome. BUT he just wont make the decision to be baptized.. And so yesterday we had one of the most powerful lessons I've ever felt the Spirit. It was amazing. We talked about Enos and it was so poderoso (powerful). But he wouldn't accept the date of 25th of this month. So I remembered the teachings of the missionary green book and I asked him if we could say a prayer to see if 25th was the right date. He prayed and it was beautiful. Just amazing. And he felt the Spirit. He had his answer, and said he's gonna keep praying but he thinks it's the right date. It was awesome! Had a bunch of other cool experiences but 40 min is only so much time. I love you guys! Also, baptism of Kevin is this week hopefully so please pray for him! He's just having troubles with making the decision as well! And the Spanish... stinkin awesome:) This week something clicked. Hope all is good on the home front! 

This week Im thankful for fasting, Saul, Kevin, F. Leon, new inv., Briggy Babe, plan of salvation, Temples, love of my family, working out, and BEING COLD!

-Elder Johnson

Here is a little halloween thing we did and elder borge had his 1 year anniversary.. SO WE BURNED THE SHIRT BABAYYYY

"Look Dad, I'm in Hawaii!"

 

JOY

Wow. Honestly don't know what to say this week! Lets just say I am filled with joy. We had the opportunity to baptize 2 members of familia Smith this week. B** Smith and S** Smith. It was amazing. Just... I cant put into words how glorious it is to be an instrument in the Lord´s hands to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man so they are able to live with their families for eternity and take that step of entering into the kingdom of heaven. Just joy. All it is is joy. We visited them on Wednesday and we asked them how they were and how these visits and learning about the Gospel has helped them, and they shared with us just the love and care they have felt from us and from the ward and the Spirit there was one of the most strongest times I have felt the Spirit like that. It was incredible. Right then and there I KNEW I promised them I would find and teach them the Gospel. They have such a strong testimony and just.. there's just nothing I can say! haha! THE GOSPEL IS SO AMAZING! If we could all just realize, including myself, that if we give the Lord our heart, our mind, our strength, He really will make our lives into something we can´t even imagine! And it´s hard! Every day is hard to make the right choice, whether we want to follow the Savior or the contrary. It´s difficult. But through prayer, patience, diligence, and study of the word of God, we can do it! We can endure to the end! I love that I have learned that there is an adversary. And he is powerful. Extremely powerful. And guess what? Our God is even more powerful. He will help us overcome anything through His Only Begotten Son. Whatever cross you carry, whatever you are struggling with, know that Christ has atoned and suffered for that. Lean on Him. He did it for US. Because He loves us. I challenge all to come unto Christ this week through Faith in Him and His Atonement, through repentence, real and sincere, to be baptized by someone that has the proper authority from God and if youve been baptized then remember the Sacrament, through receiving the Holy Ghost, and finally, by enduring to the end. Just every day. Have that faith and courage to keep going. I would and could do anything for this familia Smith and to see the joy in their eyes and lives that comes from the Gospel is a tender mercy of the Lord. I love my Lord and My Savior and I am eternally grateful for Him and what he went through for me. HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!

Also heard that NBA starts on wednesday... thats a killer for me. haha. 

Thankful for Jesus the Christ by James e Talmage, personal study, sleep, F. Smith., your prayers for me and familia Smith and all the other investigadores, your words of encouragement, El Libro de Mormon, letters, my district, my companion, weekly planning session, and HONDURAS!

-Elder Johnson