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

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Hey everyone! Hope your Christmas went well! Mine was great! gotta talk to my fam and said nothing I wanted to say but it was awesome! Sure do love them! We also ate so much stinkin food I wanted to DIE! They eat good here during Christmas! 
BRIGHAM IS IN THE FIELD! THAT MADE ME SO PUMPED TO HEAR FROM HIM!! I LOVE MY BROTHER! Um not a lot of people like to hear messages about Christ on Christmas so that was hard but we met a man that is really interested so we will see what happens!

Mr. Gustavo..

 "..now you can tell everybody, go ahead and tell everybody, hes the man, hes the man, hes the mannnn..

No but for real! This guy is real! He reads the BOM likes its a novel and believes everything!! He's just having a real hard time with quitting smoking because its been a part of his life for 30 years! But hes only smoking one a day and the plan is to quit this week for his baptism! HE'S AMAZING!! Pray for him please! We had our Christmas program where our zone sang in front of like 6 zones and stakes for nuevos conversos y investigators! Real cool.! We are trying to find a lot of people and have found a lot of menos activos that are now coming back to church which is real awesome! Elder Garcia and I have made this plan for a lesson about the authority of God that is, if I do say so myself, pretty dang good..! But the thing is, we could convince the President with what we have (all in the bible as well), but if someone doesnt feel the Spirit they're not going to be convinced para nada! That's why its SOOOOO AND THE MOST IMPORTANT to work and serve and be worthy to recieve the Spirit! Because THAT'S when you can help people come to Christ! SOOO this week try to be worthy and feel and recognize the spirit in your life! it will change everything! SURE DO LOVE YOU ALL!!

-Elder Johnson

This week im thankful for technology, a clean house, the Temple, CHRISTMAS, my friends, my family, my barrio, chapstick, and pictures!

p.s we had chicken feet this week... if you guys have the chance to try it.. probably don't do it:)

My gratitude list in pictures...

Beautiful families to teach

Speed Reunions

Elder Hale

Christmas countdown calendar from Mom

Free haircuts from Elder Garcia

Christmas lights up on the house!

Christmas!

My district and that I talked at District mtg by myself for 14 min. about the BOM, so hard and so cool!

Taking Gustavo to see the Temple

One of the most beautiful choirs I've ever heard and it looked like Disneyland!

New and Old friends

Elder Garcia's laugh

Family is Everything.

December 15th 2014

Week of 8-14 de Dec.

Wow! This was the greatest week yet, not sure where to start!
Monday had a great P-day where we played basketball and to be honest, a lot of stuff happened but I don't remember anything and didn't write Monday. haha. Oh wait! Got Mimi's and Papa's package with the P.J.'s and candy! Thanks so much for that! My comp is always telling me to say thanks for all of that! oh and CTR rings!? Genius Mimi and Papa!! ESO!!
Tues- such a fun hard-working day! Wanted to talk a little about our new investigor Gu**! He's 65, a smoker, lived in the same house for 30 years, never talked to missionaries, now reads the Book of Mormon like a novel, loves the church, trying super duper hard to quit smoking, although his wife is Catolica and doesn't really like us, he loves the message. He's been baptized in 2 different churches an is ready to be baptized by the proper authority, and man, this guy is a stud. Elder Woodland and I contacted him 2 weeks ago (speaking of which, we have the best District and District Leader in the world) But that night it was the daughter of our ward mission leader b-day. So we bought a Piñata and put all this weird stuff in it (semitas, cheese, doritos, etc) and the young women thought it was hilarious! Ha! I had to hold it up and they kept hitting me!
Wed. - Christmas! (Por Nosotros!) way fun activity where I got to see Elder Borge and we exchanged gifts and I bought a Santa head piñata (ok we really like piñata's ok?) and all the missionaries thought it was the best idea! We got to watch Frozen and it was actually super weird, I thought I was home for a while! Then went back to work!
Fri.- Had District meeting and I learned a lot and my district is THE BEST! Also, talked on the bus with this guy and he's totally going to get baptized one day.
Sat.!!! Ok, ok! So 1st we had another car wash, then we ate at our favorite Chinese restaurant and then I'm just going to fast forward to the Baptism of Ma**! Soooo spiritual. Not a lot of people came because there was an activity at the Stake but it was like the most spiritual one. Mr. Gu** sat with us for 2 hours! He is THE MAN! But I don't know if you guys know about Maria, but she was a Jehova's Witness when we first were teaching her and her son is a member here in La Vega, but they weren't super close because something happened in the past. I'm not sure. But one day Alex (the son) told us his mom lived there, so we went and the rest is history! All you guys have to do is share the Gospel with one person and look what could happen! But it was so amazing, the baptism by her son, really humbling. And Elder Garcia and I sang How Great Thou Art in Spanish, but I sang the chorus in English. Was pretty cool. But every one of our recent converts has this 'SHINE' in their eyes now! Like I cannot explain it! Every one of them is different! It's amazing (Matt. 5:14, 3 Nephi 13:22)

Ok but I just wanted to say some other things! Ok my companion. I have never been so grateful, been so happy, had this much fun, and worked this hard before. I can't explain or express my love and gratefulness for this man. It's like we've known each other for years. We have so much stinkin' fun and just serve these people. It's amazing. I've been learning so much from him. He is a perfect example of service. Like we had McDonalds today (1st time in 5 months) and he gave half his sandwich and his fries to this guy who was definitely on drugs but needed food. He does stuff like that all the time! I love it. He is filled with the pure love of Christ. Just like Christ focused on people and not numbers, so does he. Never met someone as humble as him. President Eyring talked about that in the Christmas Devotional. I love him like my brother and am so glad I am being humbled and learning how important REAL service is, because there's a difference between "service" and service - the PURE LOVE OF CHRIST. Also wanted to say I learned a lot from Elder Jake Sollis and took his challenge to show Christ like love OUTWARDLY no matter the circumstance and let me tell ya how different, just COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, my week was. So thanks my brother Elder Sollis for teaching me and changing my mission for me. :) I love my barrio and I really never wanna change areas or companions. But Im gonna enjoy it and I know this Church is true. I know it with all my heart. If one wants to be happy- repent, obey the commandments and SERVE! I promise you if you do that, you will be happy! Life will still be hard, things will be tough, you'll still have trials, but there will be a different way of looking at life and you'll always go to bed with a reason to be happy because you helped someone else and forgot about yourself. :)

This week I'm grateful for my companion, scrips, Christmas, music, comers, that our house is done being remodeled and so stinkin' beautiful, D&C 31, Gu**, F. Himenez-Reyez, menus actives that we found and they went to church!, The Santa Cerm. Love ya all!
-Elder Alec Johnson

p.s. I got the music ma! It works now! :) Also what's up with SVU and NBA? And my boys!? Go Herriman!

"YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!"