"For behold, I am God, and I am a God of miracles, and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today and forever, and I work not among the children of men sabe it be according to their faith" (ha ha sabe means "knows")
I have witnessed a miracle and the greatness of my God this week. I know He lives.
Here is a little more information from my appointment with Dr. Moreno last Thursday when everything went down. He looked at everything and told me that the scar from the surgery that I had already had was opened up and that it was pretty deep and he could see the infected cyst in there which caused everything to open up. As he saw that, he told me that there was nothing we could do but operate on it and remove everything.
So, on Monday evening I had to go back to the doctor to have another check up and to schedule the surgery for a different day. We got there and the doctor was talking to me and asking me how I was feeling and everything and I told him I felt solid and made the decision that the Lord needed me to make. He then took a look at everything and in amazement told me that there was nothing there and that the scar was almost all the way healed up and that I wouldn't need to have surgery. As he told me that, I felt so much peace in my heart. Instantly, I thought of the scripture that I shared with you guys. I know God is a God of miracles and works according to the faith that we have in Him.
Aside from all of that, we had a pretty good week in the work. We are preparing two people for baptism on the 8th of April. Their names are Pamela and Lorenzo. Remember them in your prayers.
Sorry, I don't have much time today and I'm emailing in the morning instead of the afternoon. Things have changed in the mish so I'm going to be pretty inconsistent at what time I will be emailing. It will just depend on what we do for p day! I hope you all have a good week! I love you guys!
Elder Johnson
Monday, March 13, 2017
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
We Believe in Miracles
This morning we received a phone call from Elder Johnson. I answered the phone and heard, "Hi Mom! I have good news." I didn't hear the "good" part so I asked--what kind of news??? He repeated good---he proceeded to tell me that he did not need to have surgery anymore! When he went to the doctor last night, Dr. Moreno looked at the site and looked in and couldn't see the cyst anymore. It had healed considerably since Thursday. These cysts are really unpredictable. They can recur and they flare up unexpectedly. He is working at 20% time this week. He will be in the office during the day and then he can go out and work from 5 pm until it is time to go in. He will see Dr. Moreno again on Friday to see if anything has changed.
Elder Johnson shared with me how grateful he was for prayer and fasting and that he knew it worked. He was more worried about after the surgery and caring for the wound. It is a difficult thing to do on your own--in fact, it is impossible. He would need someone to help him twice a day. His pension (the lady he lives with) said that she would take care of it for him! That is a huge blessing! She also has a sister who works in the hospital who has been going over and cleaning the site every day for him. He has truly been blessed and we know that Heavenly Father is aware of him and his desire to continue to serve the people in Peru.
We are so grateful for this blessing and hope the cyst continues to stay away and not cause any more problems! If it does return, we are all at peace with the surgery taking place there by Dr. Moreno and the post op care by the sisters who have offered to help him.
Elder Johnson shared with me how grateful he was for prayer and fasting and that he knew it worked. He was more worried about after the surgery and caring for the wound. It is a difficult thing to do on your own--in fact, it is impossible. He would need someone to help him twice a day. His pension (the lady he lives with) said that she would take care of it for him! That is a huge blessing! She also has a sister who works in the hospital who has been going over and cleaning the site every day for him. He has truly been blessed and we know that Heavenly Father is aware of him and his desire to continue to serve the people in Peru.
We are so grateful for this blessing and hope the cyst continues to stay away and not cause any more problems! If it does return, we are all at peace with the surgery taking place there by Dr. Moreno and the post op care by the sisters who have offered to help him.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Remember Me in Your Prayers
What's up, everybody? I hope that you all had a good week and that you are all at peace, after the scare that I gave you! It is never a good sign when you are talking to your family when it is not Mother's Day or Christmas!! I have definitely gone through some of the most stressful days of my mission this week. But, I am at peace and feel like I came to the right conclusion with the help of my Father in Heaven.
For those of you who don't know, in September before my mission, I had to have surgery on my tailbone and have a cyst removed. Everything went well, but it took forever to heal and it was really annoying to deal with. I also remember after the surgery the doctor told me that there was a possibility that the cyst would come back.....and that is exactly what has happened. I woke up on Thursday morning with blood everywhere. I called the office to set up an appointment with the doctor, so that day I was super stressed because I knew I was going to need to have surgery again and that there was a possibility I would have to go home. I got to the appointment and Dr. Moreno looked at it and the first thing he told me was that I need to have surgery. As he told me that, I just started crying. I have been through this before and I know it is not a quick and easy procedure to deal with. I instantly thought I was going to have to go home.
Later that night, the area doctor, Dr. Asay, called me and told me there was a possibility that I am going home to have the operation done. He talked to my parents and my parents called and talked to me...honestly, I felt like I was going to go home. I wrote out the pros and cons about staying here and going home. I saw and felt that it would be a lot safer, cleaner and better to go home and have the surgery. I didn't have one reason why I would stay and have the operation done here, except that I would get to stay with all of my bros! After a lot of prayer, fasting, receiving a Priesthood blessing, reading my Patriarchal blessing and scripture study, I have received an answer that I need to stay here in Peru and have everything done. In my search for an answer, I came across this scripture that brought so much peace into my heart and it confirmed to me that I need to stay. It says, "Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you. These words are not of man nor of men, but of me, even Jesus Christ, your redeemer, by the will of the Father, Amen."
I am to a point where I need to apply what I am teaching everyone here in Peru and set an example for them. I am a representative of Jesus Christ and I suit up for Him everyday to do what He himself would do if He were here. I know He guided me in the decision that I made. To close, I want to share part of one of my favorite scriptures in Alma, that says, "Yea, I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak, therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things." There is nothing that we can do in this gospel alone. Living this gospel isn't easy. It never has been and it never will be, but as we have faith and trust in the Lord, we can do all things. There is so much to learn from this trial that I will have to go through and because of that, I am thankful to my Father in Heaven because I know it is an opportunity for me to grow spiritually. Trials that aren't consequences of disobedience are signs that God loves us and that He has a plan for us so that we can come more fully unto Him and be happy and have the blessings that He wants to bless us with.
I know that God lives and that He loves us. He is a God of miracles. I'm not worried about anything because I am in His hands and through the atonement of Jesus Christ, I will get through everything.
I have a doctor appointment tonight to schedule the surgery. I will keep you updated with that. Remember me in your prayers so that I will be able to get back to work as fast as possible and so the doctor doesn't screw up! I hope that you all have a good week. I love you guys! Talk to you next week!
Elder Johnson
For those of you who don't know, in September before my mission, I had to have surgery on my tailbone and have a cyst removed. Everything went well, but it took forever to heal and it was really annoying to deal with. I also remember after the surgery the doctor told me that there was a possibility that the cyst would come back.....and that is exactly what has happened. I woke up on Thursday morning with blood everywhere. I called the office to set up an appointment with the doctor, so that day I was super stressed because I knew I was going to need to have surgery again and that there was a possibility I would have to go home. I got to the appointment and Dr. Moreno looked at it and the first thing he told me was that I need to have surgery. As he told me that, I just started crying. I have been through this before and I know it is not a quick and easy procedure to deal with. I instantly thought I was going to have to go home.
Later that night, the area doctor, Dr. Asay, called me and told me there was a possibility that I am going home to have the operation done. He talked to my parents and my parents called and talked to me...honestly, I felt like I was going to go home. I wrote out the pros and cons about staying here and going home. I saw and felt that it would be a lot safer, cleaner and better to go home and have the surgery. I didn't have one reason why I would stay and have the operation done here, except that I would get to stay with all of my bros! After a lot of prayer, fasting, receiving a Priesthood blessing, reading my Patriarchal blessing and scripture study, I have received an answer that I need to stay here in Peru and have everything done. In my search for an answer, I came across this scripture that brought so much peace into my heart and it confirmed to me that I need to stay. It says, "Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you. These words are not of man nor of men, but of me, even Jesus Christ, your redeemer, by the will of the Father, Amen."
I am to a point where I need to apply what I am teaching everyone here in Peru and set an example for them. I am a representative of Jesus Christ and I suit up for Him everyday to do what He himself would do if He were here. I know He guided me in the decision that I made. To close, I want to share part of one of my favorite scriptures in Alma, that says, "Yea, I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak, therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things." There is nothing that we can do in this gospel alone. Living this gospel isn't easy. It never has been and it never will be, but as we have faith and trust in the Lord, we can do all things. There is so much to learn from this trial that I will have to go through and because of that, I am thankful to my Father in Heaven because I know it is an opportunity for me to grow spiritually. Trials that aren't consequences of disobedience are signs that God loves us and that He has a plan for us so that we can come more fully unto Him and be happy and have the blessings that He wants to bless us with.
I know that God lives and that He loves us. He is a God of miracles. I'm not worried about anything because I am in His hands and through the atonement of Jesus Christ, I will get through everything.
I have a doctor appointment tonight to schedule the surgery. I will keep you updated with that. Remember me in your prayers so that I will be able to get back to work as fast as possible and so the doctor doesn't screw up! I hope that you all have a good week. I love you guys! Talk to you next week!
Elder Johnson
Monday, February 27, 2017
Pioneer Status
Hey everybody! I had a pretty good week. Pretty slow, but I had some good experiences. It has been blazing hot this week and has been hard getting into houses so basically we went pioneer status the whole week. I literally felt like I was on trek all over again, ha ha, but it was good. I had some spiritual experiences.
To start out, earlier this week on Tuesday, we were walking all over the place contacting references when we felt the impression to go visit our investigator, Mario. As we were walking, I felt impressed to take a route that we don't normally take and as we entered the street, we saw Jairo mobbin on his bike selling ice cream. I know for a fact that we were guided by the Lord and were placed in his path. We have been looking for him for more than three weeks and we were able to get his new information from him. He doesn't live in our area, but we were able to pass the reference to the Elders in the other mission. I was humbled by that experience. I know that that was a miracle of the Lord, I know it was not a coincidence. He also told us that he was going to go to church and he showed up to Sacrament and then had to go. I have faith that everything will follow through and that he will be able to get baptized.
After that experience, we were walking to visit Guadalupe and her family. We were standing in front of the door and this dude came up and started talking to me in English. He told us that he was a member but has been less active for years. As I was talking to him, I saw my convert from Chimbote, Noemi, waving to me across the street. She came and talked to me for a few minutes. I was thankful for that experience. Even though it wasn't that significant, it was a sign to me that God is aware of me. I haven't had any contact information for her so I was asking the Assistants what I could do to get in touch with her and then two days later, the Lord placed her in my path.
Later that same day, at about 8:15, we felt another impression to go back and visit Guadalupe and her family. We went back and this time they were there. We got in and started talking to Yanko and he started to cry. He said that the trials he is going through keep getting worse. He has a lot of debts to pay off and they have very little in their house. He doesn't go to church every week because he works in his taxi so he can pay off his debts. He was crying because he said he crashed his car and they have no way to pay the bills. I know we were inspired to be there to help lift him up. We shared a message with him and I know that we said and did what the Lord Himself would have done if He were here. I was guided in my words and I know that he received comfort and hope as we were in his house. I testify and know that the Lord works through His missionaries.
I am thankful for the opportunity I have had to represent my Savior this week. I know He lives!
Elder Johnson
To start out, earlier this week on Tuesday, we were walking all over the place contacting references when we felt the impression to go visit our investigator, Mario. As we were walking, I felt impressed to take a route that we don't normally take and as we entered the street, we saw Jairo mobbin on his bike selling ice cream. I know for a fact that we were guided by the Lord and were placed in his path. We have been looking for him for more than three weeks and we were able to get his new information from him. He doesn't live in our area, but we were able to pass the reference to the Elders in the other mission. I was humbled by that experience. I know that that was a miracle of the Lord, I know it was not a coincidence. He also told us that he was going to go to church and he showed up to Sacrament and then had to go. I have faith that everything will follow through and that he will be able to get baptized.
After that experience, we were walking to visit Guadalupe and her family. We were standing in front of the door and this dude came up and started talking to me in English. He told us that he was a member but has been less active for years. As I was talking to him, I saw my convert from Chimbote, Noemi, waving to me across the street. She came and talked to me for a few minutes. I was thankful for that experience. Even though it wasn't that significant, it was a sign to me that God is aware of me. I haven't had any contact information for her so I was asking the Assistants what I could do to get in touch with her and then two days later, the Lord placed her in my path.
Later that same day, at about 8:15, we felt another impression to go back and visit Guadalupe and her family. We went back and this time they were there. We got in and started talking to Yanko and he started to cry. He said that the trials he is going through keep getting worse. He has a lot of debts to pay off and they have very little in their house. He doesn't go to church every week because he works in his taxi so he can pay off his debts. He was crying because he said he crashed his car and they have no way to pay the bills. I know we were inspired to be there to help lift him up. We shared a message with him and I know that we said and did what the Lord Himself would have done if He were here. I was guided in my words and I know that he received comfort and hope as we were in his house. I testify and know that the Lord works through His missionaries.
I am thankful for the opportunity I have had to represent my Savior this week. I know He lives!
Elder Johnson
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Un Ano
Quizas no tenga yo que cruzar montanas ni ancho mar, quizas no sea a lucha cruel qu Cristo me quiera enviar. Mas si El me llama a sendas que yo nunca camine, confiando en El, le dire Senor, a donde me mandes, ire. A donde me mandes ire senor, a montanas o islas del mar. Dire lo que quieras que diga, Senor, y lo que Tu quieras, sere. (Hymn, I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go)
What a blessing it has been to be in the service of my God this past year. It has been the biggest blessing and greatest joy in my life. I have come to know the Savior so personally and have received a witness that I could never deny.
I feel full of the spirit today. I had one of the best weeks of my mission this past week--full of miracles and tender mercies of the Lord. To start out, on Wednesday, we were starting the day and we were walking to visit this reference that we received and as we were walking, I saw this old guy dressed in all white. The thought came into my mind of the baptismal clothing and I had the impression to go and talk to this man. Before I could act on the impression I received, he called us over to talk to him and he told us that he has heard a lot about our church and would like to learn more. I was overcome by the spirit. As he said that, I knew that we were guided by the Lord to find this man. As we were talking to him, he told us that we are the true representatives of the Lord, Jesus Christ. I testified of his words and then told him about the experience I had before he called us over to talk to him. We weren't able to get a return visit because he leaves a lot, so we will hopefully be able to meet with him this week.
After that experience, on Friday, I was on interchanges with Elder Rodriquez and we had a lesson with an investigator named Pamela. Pamela and her husband just got to Trujillo from Iquitos and her new job has a rule that the first year, the new people have to work the weekends for a year. She told us that it would be impossible to go to church for 6 more months. When she told us that, I knew that everything would work out. We promised her, in the name of Jesus Christ, that if she would pray and ask for guidance, God would make it possible so that she could go to church. I shared with her Alma 37:17 and promised her that our invitation and promise came directly from the Lord. It was one of the strongest times I have ever felt the spirit and I knew she felt it as well....because she went to church on Sunday! That experience confirmed to me that this truly is the work of the Lord and that He can make the impossible possible.
On Saturday, we had the baptism of Guadalupe. I'm so thankful that she made the decision to be baptized. I know that through the spirit that we felt through teaching her and her family the lessons, will help her dad get back into the church and her mom will also follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. Little kids have the strongest spirits and testimonies. I am so happy for her and her family.
I know my Savior lives. I love Him and would do anything for Him. This Gospel is marvelous. It has power to change lives and I can testify of that because it has changed mine. I promise to give the Lord everything that I have in this last year to be a missionary and a personal representative of Him.
I love you all. I hope and pray that you all have a good week!
Elder Johnson
What a blessing it has been to be in the service of my God this past year. It has been the biggest blessing and greatest joy in my life. I have come to know the Savior so personally and have received a witness that I could never deny.
I feel full of the spirit today. I had one of the best weeks of my mission this past week--full of miracles and tender mercies of the Lord. To start out, on Wednesday, we were starting the day and we were walking to visit this reference that we received and as we were walking, I saw this old guy dressed in all white. The thought came into my mind of the baptismal clothing and I had the impression to go and talk to this man. Before I could act on the impression I received, he called us over to talk to him and he told us that he has heard a lot about our church and would like to learn more. I was overcome by the spirit. As he said that, I knew that we were guided by the Lord to find this man. As we were talking to him, he told us that we are the true representatives of the Lord, Jesus Christ. I testified of his words and then told him about the experience I had before he called us over to talk to him. We weren't able to get a return visit because he leaves a lot, so we will hopefully be able to meet with him this week.
After that experience, on Friday, I was on interchanges with Elder Rodriquez and we had a lesson with an investigator named Pamela. Pamela and her husband just got to Trujillo from Iquitos and her new job has a rule that the first year, the new people have to work the weekends for a year. She told us that it would be impossible to go to church for 6 more months. When she told us that, I knew that everything would work out. We promised her, in the name of Jesus Christ, that if she would pray and ask for guidance, God would make it possible so that she could go to church. I shared with her Alma 37:17 and promised her that our invitation and promise came directly from the Lord. It was one of the strongest times I have ever felt the spirit and I knew she felt it as well....because she went to church on Sunday! That experience confirmed to me that this truly is the work of the Lord and that He can make the impossible possible.
On Saturday, we had the baptism of Guadalupe. I'm so thankful that she made the decision to be baptized. I know that through the spirit that we felt through teaching her and her family the lessons, will help her dad get back into the church and her mom will also follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. Little kids have the strongest spirits and testimonies. I am so happy for her and her family.
I know my Savior lives. I love Him and would do anything for Him. This Gospel is marvelous. It has power to change lives and I can testify of that because it has changed mine. I promise to give the Lord everything that I have in this last year to be a missionary and a personal representative of Him.
I love you all. I hope and pray that you all have a good week!
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| Time to burn a tie--one year (yes, that is a LA Dodgers tie hee hee) |
Elder Johnson
Monday, February 13, 2017
Anticucho
Hey everybody! I hope you guys all had a good week. My week was pretty good, the work here in Laureles is slow but steady. It has been really hard getting into houses lately and finding new investigators to teach, but we have some that are progressing pretty well. We will be having a baptism this week, a girl named Guadalupe. I can't remember if I have told you about her. Her dad is an ex Bishop, less active and her mom isn't a member. She wants to be baptized but she can't because they aren't married because the father won't finish the divorce papers. I am happy that we have been able to teach her. Little by little it has helped the father, Yanko, get back into the church. Apart from that, we have a few investigators that should be getting baptized in March!
This week I had a pretty cool experience. On Friday, we were walking to our pension to eat dinner and this dude came up to us and was like, hey Elders, I'm a member from a different ward, but I lost my little five year old kid who has autism and doesn't talk. He explained to us what he looked like so I felt that we needed to help look for him and said a silent prayer that he would be protected and we would be able to find him. I prayed that we could be guided by the spirit. We were looking for him for about 30 minutes and I heard this dude say, Hey, I wanna talk to you, but he said it in English. We went over there to talk to him for about five minutes. We found out that his wife had been taking the lessons before. We have an appointment to visit them later this week. I know that this little family has been prepared by the Lord. I know that by us looking for this little boy, we were guided to this other family. The Lord works in mysterious ways. The next day we heard that they found the little boy at 7 in the morning on Saturday. I also know that the little boy was protected by the Lord.
This week I ate one of the grossest things in my life! I showed up to lunch the other day and my pensionista was out of her mind and made us a plate called anticucho, which is cow heart and normally with other stuff, but she mixed it with cow lung. It was disgusting...ha ha...she took the Valentines' Day thing to a whole other level!
Anyways, that was my week. I hope that you all have a good, safe week. I love you!
Elder Johnson
This week I had a pretty cool experience. On Friday, we were walking to our pension to eat dinner and this dude came up to us and was like, hey Elders, I'm a member from a different ward, but I lost my little five year old kid who has autism and doesn't talk. He explained to us what he looked like so I felt that we needed to help look for him and said a silent prayer that he would be protected and we would be able to find him. I prayed that we could be guided by the spirit. We were looking for him for about 30 minutes and I heard this dude say, Hey, I wanna talk to you, but he said it in English. We went over there to talk to him for about five minutes. We found out that his wife had been taking the lessons before. We have an appointment to visit them later this week. I know that this little family has been prepared by the Lord. I know that by us looking for this little boy, we were guided to this other family. The Lord works in mysterious ways. The next day we heard that they found the little boy at 7 in the morning on Saturday. I also know that the little boy was protected by the Lord.
This week I ate one of the grossest things in my life! I showed up to lunch the other day and my pensionista was out of her mind and made us a plate called anticucho, which is cow heart and normally with other stuff, but she mixed it with cow lung. It was disgusting...ha ha...she took the Valentines' Day thing to a whole other level!
Anyways, that was my week. I hope that you all have a good, safe week. I love you!
Elder Johnson
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
He Lives
I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, He lives who once was dead. He lives, my ver living Head. He lives to bless me with His love. He lives to plead for me above. He lives my hungry soul to feed. He lives to bless in time of need.
These words fill me with joy! I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ, lives. I am humbled to represent Him and to testify of Him every day. I have come to know Him so personally on my mission because I have learned that when I am in the service of my fellow beings, I am only in the service of my God...and that by living the principles of the gospel there are so many great promised blessings. The gospel is true!
This week I have studied a lot about the principles of the gospel and I want to share some scriptures that really stood out. In Mosiah 26:22, 24, it says,
"For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name and him will I freely forgive."
"For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand."
What comfort these sweet scriptures give. I know they are true. The promises and blessings of repentance you see in your life, are a reflection of the faith you have in the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is my testimony that He lives and the power of repentance is infinite. It is for all of you.
I love you all so much and hope that you have a good week.
Elder Johnson
These words fill me with joy! I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ, lives. I am humbled to represent Him and to testify of Him every day. I have come to know Him so personally on my mission because I have learned that when I am in the service of my fellow beings, I am only in the service of my God...and that by living the principles of the gospel there are so many great promised blessings. The gospel is true!
This week I have studied a lot about the principles of the gospel and I want to share some scriptures that really stood out. In Mosiah 26:22, 24, it says,
"For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name and him will I freely forgive."
"For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand."
What comfort these sweet scriptures give. I know they are true. The promises and blessings of repentance you see in your life, are a reflection of the faith you have in the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is my testimony that He lives and the power of repentance is infinite. It is for all of you.
I love you all so much and hope that you have a good week.
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| Elder Johnson with his District |
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| Elder Luna and Elder Johnson |
Elder Johnson
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