26 de Julio 2015

This week was super fast...and really good. Monday we had to go to Tegue because of my tooth and the dentists from the states came and my appt. was super late and we almost didn't get back to Guaimaca because there was only a bus to Talanga. And so we spent 2 hours trying to hitchhike to Guaimaca sot that was probably one of the funnest days on the mission.
Tuesday we had interviews with President and this was what I wanted to focus on more than anything. So he talked about how the mission is like marriage, and when he started saying that, I was like "oh boy, I've heard this so many times already" but then he totally made me eat my words and put it in a whole other perspective, specifically to me. He compared a companion to your spouse and how the harder companionship you have the more you form, change, and grow into the mold of a faithful, loyal, Christ-like spouse. Because if you don't try your best to love, lift, and help your companion, you're not going to do it with your wife, and your life will always consist of wanting more. And I can honestly say with all my heart I have done my best to serve, love, and help my comps. Every single one. There just comes a point where I don't understand some of my comps and get frusterated with the different culture and this change has been the hardest, but I've also learned a lot. Then he talked about genuinely complimenting my comp because criticizing brings one down. He said to have a little-slit eye to the bad things he does. And a super really big eye to the good things. Then he compared our investigators to our future children..and I was like heck ya because I love my investigators!! Ha! Explained how patient you have to be with them and explain things over and over and over again until they get it. Just like children learning, you have to explain more than once. Just a really good reminder and eye opener. So I made a goal to put 2 lines in my planner for the rest of my mission and every day put 2 good things I saw in my comp that day. You guys don't know who Yes**, Ce**, and Da** are but they're so amazing and were so ready when we found them and they're getting baptized in 2 weeks! I probably won't see it because I'll be gone but they're amazing. Da**, the other, is as great as ever, just her husband told us he will never get married to her so she can get baptized. He's not really cool. Family Tre** are a bunch of shmarmy's and pretty sure only go to church to get wi-fi. Real bummer. Learned soooo much here in Guaimaca this change and next week we'll see if I have changes! Love ya all!

I'm thankful for my new favorite street song ´sigueme y te sigo´by daddy yankee, music in the street, interviews with presey, that my comp can cook, that our inv are progressing, photos, Guaimaca, Tecugicalpà and the buses there, rain, andd a Father in Heaven that hears my prayers.

Also I read alma 30:9 and it really is a PRIVILEGE to believe and serve our God.. encourage everyone to read that chapter! Love ya ALL!

Elder Alec Johnson

THIS IS DEMIS MY MAIN MAN WHO I GAVE A PIN TIE AND THERE ARE SO MANY STORIES ABOUT HIM I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL THEM! He's deaf and can't talk and the greatest missionary in the world.

These are the chosen ones! Baptism in 2 weeks! Cel**, Je** and  Da**

This is the famous Modesto.. we love him.

This was the funnest day in the world taking photos trying to get people to slow down and give us a ride. And keep in mind everyone offers rides in the back but we can't do that so it took foreverrrrrr.

you know what it is... UN ANO BABAYYY

Not sure if this is apostasia but it was an old shirt we found and I was in Campamento and it was  super fun!

This is the hugest spider ever. Like the size of a mango hanging in a monster of a web.

MY FIRST AND LAST AND ONLY FIRST YEAR OF THE MISSSSS‏

ALRIGHTY.. It's been a year officially so I wanted to do something a little different and say all the things I am eternally grateful for the first and last first year of the miss. 

Im thankful FORRRRRR cold showers for a year, for the CCM, for all my buds there, for leaving my fam for a time so other fams could be blessed by this great work, for all the support I've had out here.. I'm thankful for the letters that are sent to me, I'm thankful for the first night in the CCM where I wanted to run away haha, I'm thankful for peace, for hope, for a light at the end of the tunnel, for Guatamela and the first pamphlet I gave out in the market, for the food in the CCM, I'm thankful for the temple, I'm thankful for airplanes, for the Holy Ghost, for Pres Cox, for the first Hondurans I met in the CCM, for all my teachers, for the Book of Mormon and the power that comes from it, for the excitement of arriving to Honduras!, for Pres and Hermana Fortuna, for Elder Borge, for him talking in the taxi the first day, for pizza, for Duglas, for Rosa Lidia the first person I asked to be baptized, for edin cool, for LA VEGA, for my familia Flores and Raudales, I'm thankful for pday, for my training, for the hard and good times, for packages, for the restoration, for understanding the why of the Gospel, for working and studying hard to obtain the gift of tongues, for sorrow, for music, for shopping for food, for tropical soda, for prayer, for personal study, for Familia Smith!, for xiomara, Evelyn, and Virginia, for Mayelie, for Elder Garcia the greatest guy ever, for the great times we had and being inspired always, for balleadas, for soda, for familia Jimenez Reyes, for Victor Michelle Myra and Genesis, for Gustavo, for the ability to see the gospel change LIVES, for my 2nd home in La Vega, Christmas, holidays, new year, pinatas, campamento, for all my comps, the nature and beauty of the world, for all the investigadors, less actives, and members in every area, for our first District Mtg, for las hermanas, for good food, for exercise, for Guaimaca, for being with Borge 2 times, for a camera, for basketball, for miracles, I'm thankful for my Lord and King Jesus Christ, I'm thankful for a Father in Heaven that loves every one of His children, I'm thankful for the history of the church and the first saints, for all the doctrine of the Church, for my family, for the help from every one of my friends and family, for Daniela, for Vanessa, for the Hope and light that comes from Christ, for all the trials I've had, and I am thankful for my testimony. That I know this church is the church of Jesus Christ and the only true church will all the blessings and ordinances that come from being so. I love this work and there's like a billion more things I'm thankful for but as always theres no time..  LOVE YA ALL.

--

-Elder Alec Johnson

¨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!!!

Can't explain the love I have for this fam. We bought a cake for little Hector's birthday!

July 13th 2015

No group letter today, but some great pictures!

6 de Julio

Well brothers and sisters! How are we? I am just dandy. I dislike my companion because he's not very nice but that's aight. Just because I dislike him doesn't mean I don't love him! Well first off, the Lord must need help on the other side because he took one of the most amazing men this world has ever known. Pres. Boyd K. Packer is a true disciple of Jesus Christ and what a privilege to be able to hear his messages. Reminds me of the Peter after the Lord was resurrected, fearless and valiant.
Also! In a year exactly, I'll be home! Ha! Don't know how/what to feel/think. Well actually I just want a normal comp that works hard like Elder Garcia. I love that man with all my being. Oh! What the flip! President Ferman IS THE GREATEST GUY ON THE FACE OF HONDURAS!!! The mtg we had with him, oh man! I am so pumped!!! He's an answered prayer for sure. The new blog is mhc1518.blogspot.com. I love him! Also the greatest holiday in the history of forever was this past week. Better have enjoyed every second of it oyo?? Man do I miss the 4th of July! But I'm not gonna lie, we were eating at a members house Sunday and well the USA girls game was on andddd I told myself if Patrick watched a whole game, I could take a peak at it...haha And I saw the part where they subbed in Abby Womback and just the whole place went nuts! Showed all the fans and teammates and it really hit me. I'm so proud to be an American. So grateful. But watch out. The Lord blesses his promised land when the people obey his commandments and with what's going on, make sure your family is fastened to the rock of Christ more than ever. Well, I sure do know this church is true with all my heart, soul, body and mind. I invite everyone to pray with a purpose this week. To pray with questions, doubts, worries, and complaints. And be willing and humble enough to listen to the spirit that tells you what you should do. I love y'all!

This week I'm thankful for spending a year with bi-polar companions so that I know what I should do when I meet one, for french toast and bacon, bbq's, loving patient leaders, new prezzy!, basketball, women's soccer, to have passion for things you love, the ability to not be offended and forgive easily, Boyd K. Packer, my Pops, Elder Sollis, photos of Christ, silence, interchanges!, polancho salsa, good health, my best buds that are serving missions!, andddd Mama J! because Mama J rules!
~Elder J

4th of July Honduras style

Ok this is familia tre**! sooo awesome! i love every one of em! so we found O**, the dad, contacting one day and before we contacted I gotta tell you what he did the morning of. He hasn't had a job in a while and the morning he woke up and told his wife ¨today im going to find a job¨ and then in the evening we passed by and he had this feeling to check on the bean field that hes taking care of, and so he went outside and we saw him and we yelled at him to come here, we have a message, etc. and the rest is history! he's working right now in Concordia where we would go sometimes remember? Well he finds gold and silver and is finding a bunch! so pretty cool story. They just need to be married and we have it planned for the 18th.. I love em!

Elder Small and Elder Goodman! They are flip awesome.

5 bucks for a bunch of steak

WE PLAYED BALL BABAYYY

This is our zone!

Leaders of the mission

June 29th, 2015

Well to start off, I woke up with a cockroach on my face so that was terrible. Hahaha. Sooo! We had changes! And I'm with Elder Montero! (Russell Westbrook/Will Smith) Awesome guy. He was my ZL in Toncontin and we always wanted to be comps. Way fun week with him and he knows how to work. He just has one problem that I found out the hard way. If he doesn't eat at 5:00, he gets super mad and irritated...hahaha. But, we're all good! He's awesome, knows how to teach and work with the members and it's awesome because he's the one who changed Campamento a year ago and so we go there and know all the people and are helping them as well because they need it. But man! More than a year I'll have without a gringo companion! Crazy huh? Oh he's from Dominican Republic and his stories are so crazy! And he is neighbors with Prince Royz, Julio Ramero, and Fudracko. They are super famous singers in the Latin world. But so I've had companions from Nicaragua, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and Dominican Republic. Super interesting to see the different cultures and who they are as a people. Thankful for the chance to learn about so many different cultures, even if it is really hard at times. Oh and just so y'all don't forget it, the USA is the greatest place ever!
We had 8 investigators at church this week and I'm pretty sure we're gonna break the record in July. Have so many great inv. So ya, I don't remember much that happened this week other than President and Hermana Fortuna cried when they were giving their last talks. So I'd like to share what Pres said and a quote from Pres. Boyd K. Packer "...and when He atoned, that settled that. There are so many of us who are thrashing around, as it were with feelings of guilt, not knowing quite how to escape. You escape by accepting the Atonement of Christ, and all that was heartache can turn to beauty and love and eternity. The Atonement is individual, and if you have something that is individual, and if you have something that is bothering you - something so long ago you can hardly remember it - Put the Atonement to work. It will clean it up, and you, as does HE, will remember your sins no more." - Pres. Packer. And then President Fortuna said as he was crying, "We don't care what you've done in the past, we love you. And every day is a new chance to use the Atonement to be better." And then I thought of our Father in Heaven who loves us so much and says the same.
I love you all and gosh dang it have the best 4th of July ever! It's my fav holiday!

I'm thankful for my new comp, new Pres. of ward, Pres. Fortuna and all he did, the chance to have a new Pres. and meet him this week, my ukulele, 'Let Freedom Ring :), andddd EFY music.

June 22nd 2015

Ok so we just got done having our last activity with Pres. and it was soooo sweet. He let us play ball full court and it's been a year since being able to do that and boy am I sure glad I get to play ball after because basketball IS AMAZING... so amazing. But we have changes! Getting a new companion tomorrow morn! Praying it's Elder Hale! Tons of things happened this week. The fam is progressing, we have chosen investigadors, and it's going good. Just stinking hot during the day. Oh! And we finally got the Liahonas and holy flip this conference was so amazing. I love Elder Boyd K. Packer so much. His testimony of the Atonement is so real and powerful so I've been studying that these last 3 days and I love our Prophet and Apostles. How can they not be prophets or apostles? How could someone say the contrario after reading what they say, looking at who they are, and what they have done for this world. "Por sis frutos los conocereis" I think in English it's "by the fruits yea shall know them" Mateo 7. Well I've been studying a little about character and integrity and virtue this week and wanted to quote what Elder Christofferson said. "The bedrock of character is integrity... worthy character will strengthen your capacity to recognize the direction of the spirit and to be obedient to it...Strong character is more important than what you own, what you have learned, or what goals you have accomplished...your character is being solidified by consistent correct choices...neither Satan nor any other power can weaken or destroy your growing character. Only YOU can do that through disobedience."
Been reading a lot about character and I love these words from an apostle of the Lord. Especially as a missionary, we always need to remember this advice.
Welp. Sitting here waiting for Elder Borge to cut his hair and this week I'm thankful for being with my papas again for 6 weeks and what I was able to learn and how I grew these last days, playing ball full-court!!, all that Pres. Fortuna has done for me and this mission and how much he has influenced and taught me... gonna miss that Dominicano., the opportunity to have a new comp and have new experiences, all the elders that I've learned to love this past year that go home this week, for having 7 at church and the family that is so awesome and not witches, the sacred Atonement of Jesus Christ, His perfect example, Guaimaca, and my Liahona!!!!! Love Y'all!! cheque!
-Elder Alec Johnson

p.s. had a dream that Russell M Nelson came to Honduras, gave a talk, and gave me a hug...
calling it he's gonna be the next prophet!

da** and her kids! shes the one with the flooded house who I love with all my heart! shes sooo funny

elder de la cruz and I with our new raincoats...

June 15th

So there's a million things I wanna say but to start off, it's mango season and it's the greatest season of my life! We just eat and eat mango's! It's incredible. OK so this week was nuts. Our "chosen" family we found out does witchcraft, our baptisms almost fell through, we went to Talanga @ 7:00 to baptize Jose when there was basically rivers instead of streets because it's the rainy season. And the power went out, to coming back home Sunday morning and looking for David at a neighbor's house so he could get conferred, to the husband of Dania letting us marry them so she can get baptized, getting yelled at by woman in the ward because she was getting married the same day as our baptism, realizing that gossip and judging people is the great stumbling block that prevents us from loving one another and the stumbling block to bring new people to the church, and finally.... FINDING THE FAMILY THAT IS READY TO BE BAPTIZED AFTER !! MONTHS OF SEARCHING FOR THEM!!!! (and they're not witches!) This week was pack full of miracles and full of crazy stuff. Oh, as well! We're on track this month, and we have all the people to break the baptism record in our zone Talanga! Our missionaries are so great! It's been some crazy couple of days. But I've been reading 'Jesus the Christ' and first off...this book is incredible. I've learned soooo much in such little time thanks to this book. And thought of how hard Satan tried to tempt the Savior. Can we even imagine how Satan must have tried his all, his absolute best in trying to make the Savior mess up? Because if he would have made him slip up, he wins and everyone becomes miserable like him. I'm more than sure that Satan did everything to try to get him to slip up. But the beautiful thing is, Christ didn't give in. Not once. That gives me a lot of hope and an urge to be better because if Satan threw everything he could have and didn't succeed, it's the same with us. Satan will throw all that he can but if we are founded on that rock of Christ and depend on Him, we will be safe. Because the Lord knows how it feels. So just remember to secure yourself even more on that rock. Do it today. Do what need to be done to be safe and secure in the future. Oh and check out my 2 new fav scrips, along with Matthew 5:14, 3 Nephi 18:24, and Moroni 7:44-48.
"But as it is written, eye hath seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." - 1 Cor. 2:9
"Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled.." - 2 Nephi 7:11

This week I'm thankful for mangos, the rainy season, the new fam, a house to live in, my ward in Sunstone, interchanges with Elder Corey, when there's water, the Book of Mormon, Jesus the Christ, Mariah y David, Deal or No Deal, that it's cold, Elder Wallentnies old boots.

~Elder Alec Johnson

INTERCHANGES WITH ELDER COREY!! LOVE THIS MAN SO MUCH! MOST HUMBLE AND PATIENT MAN ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET HE LIVES IN WESTPOINT UTAH!

MY MAIN MAN JO**! such an amazing man who wants to go on the mission sooo bad! such a cool baptism even if we were SOAKED

this is hermans da** house and it got flooded! really scary but now its better they got more dirt from a neighbor and did some stuff so it wont happen again! but man you guys have no idea how lucky we got it in the states. no clue. 

RIOS O CALLES?