Surprise!

Surprise everybody!  Literally, right after I told all of you that I would be emailing on Wednesday, I got the news that the temple date got changed to August 8th....so here I am!  I hope that you all had a good week.  I had a really good week this week.  To start everything out, we had a district leader meeting in Trujillo with President Rios on Tuesday.  I got to see my main homie, Elder Rokovitz.  It was really good.  It was a good time to receive revelation and guidance from the Lord to become a better missionary.

Elder Johnson and Elder Rokovitz

This week was full of a bunch of cool experiences.  On Wednesday night, we were walking down this road that we don't walk down too much.  We didn't have much going on, so we were just knocking doors basically and out of nowhere, this dude that was walking to one of the million crazy churches that are here, stopped us and called us over to go and talk to him.  We talked for a little and took out a return date and then on Saturday we went and visited him.  We talked to him about the restoration and told him that the church that Jesus Christ established is on the earth today.  I remember when we said that, he felt the spirit super strong.  As we had that lesson, it made me reflect on how blessed I am to have the gospel in my life.  I love the Gospel and I know that it's true.  We are really pumped to work with him and help hi to progress so that he can be baptized.

On Sunday, it was a pretty crazy day.  In the church, the four missionaries in our branch gave a training to the members about revelation and the importance of them in this work.  It was a really spiritual experience and I know that it will help us have success.  Then in the afternoon, we went out to proselyte and we found one of our references that we haven't been able to teach yet, inside her house with a body box.  She just gave birth to her daughter and she passed away.  It was one of the saddest things that I have ever seen.  They are a family who has nothing and they had to pay everything that they had to bury their baby girl. We were able to help them with some food and other things.  I know that now is a crucial time for them to accept the gospel.  God is great and I know that he will make big things happen for this family.

I love you guys!  Have a good week!

Elder Johnson

I'm Proud to be an American

What's up everybody?  Hope you all had a great week celebrating the independence of the greatest country on earth.  I definitely missed pounding real hamburgers, but I'm over it and had a pretty good week this week.

So to start out, next week I will be emailing on Wednesday because we're going to the Temple as a zone so just in case I'm not online to say bye to Kaden--I want to share a few thoughts with you before you head out.  First off, it is one of the hardest things to think I won't see my brother for almost 4 years.  It's a hard thing, but all I can say is that it is worth it!!  The mission is the greatest experience ever.  I know this work is the work of the Lord.  I love you man and know that I am praying for you every single day.  Give everything to the Lord!

As for my week, the only thing I can say is I'm so thankful that I got my toenails cut out finally!!  It was one of the most painful things ever when the doctor put the anesthesia in, but after that was over, I haven't felt anything since.  I wasn't able to leave for a couple of days just to be careful of infections.  I didn't get to leave until Friday but everything is all good and I'm ready to roll and go hard this week!

Ouch!!  Before surgery!

Elder Johnson is an AMAZING artist!  He drew this Plan of Salvation while he was "mobbing" in his room and unable to work last week!

 Other than that, nothing much went down this week.  Remember Felipe in your prayers.  The day is soon that he will be baptized.  I know the gospel is true!  Have a good week, I love you guys!

Cute kids Elder Johnson was making laugh

Elder Johnson

Uneros

Hello everybody!  I had a good/bad week, ha ha, to start out with the only good things this week, is that on Wednesday, I had the opportunity to go back to my old area in Trujillo and proselyte for a day there, which was an awesome experience.  I went with Elder Guerrero, who is the new missionary serving there and showed him all of the secret tunnels in Laureles!!  It was honestly pretty weird thought!  When I saw Hermana Neyra, she freaked out and was super happy to see me.  I love her, but other than that day, that was about the only good thing that went down this week.

Now for all of the bad news!  To start out, the reason why I was in Trujillo was because I had to go to the doctor to cut out two ingrown toenails--because I cut my nails like a 3 year old and now I can't do anything about it!  Uneros means ingrown toenails I got to the doctor to cut them out because they kill, after being pumped all day long and the doctor told me that I had to come back on Tuesday because they were too swollen at the time for him to do anything.  So, as a result of that, I have been mobbing in my room ALL week!  It sucks!  I have read the Book of Mormon countless hours and I am a master at the rubix cube!  That is basically it.  It has been horrible but hopefully I will be able to get back at it in a couple of days.  I have to go back tomorrow to get my toenails cut out--wish me luck!
The other crappy news is that Felipe e Irma didn't get baptized.  They are a really poor family and, of course, the day of the baptism their property that they own broke some water pipes and flooded and destroyed a bunch of stuff....that completely ruined everything!  No matter what they had to bounce or else they would have lost everything that they had.  We have our heads high and know that everything will go through.  We are planning on inviting them for two weeks more so that things can be more chill, but we will see how that goes.

Now for the last of the bad news, my comp, Elder Arevalo, is bouncing to the area that borders our ares for his last change.  When they told us that I was dying laughing hahaha, but it sucks at the same time because we are bros!  I had such a good time working with him, every single day we were laughing and having a good time.  I learned a ton from him.  My new comp, his name is Elder Ibarra.  He just finished his training a change or two ago so it will be a good learning experience to be with him this change.

Anyways, I love you all and hope that you have a good week!

Elder Johnsoncito

Multizone Training

What's up everybody!  I hope that you all had a good week!  This week, as always went by super fast, but there was a lot of blessings that I was able to see that I am really grateful for.  First off, we had a multi-zone training in Trujillo on Tuesday and got to see all of my homies and see my old area.  It was good mobbin in my old hood for a bit and seeing everything.  In the training we talked about personal revelation and the importance of that in our daily lives.  I really liked that and know that we as members are all capable have receiving personal revelation.  That is one of my personal goals that I have set for this coming week.

Aside from that, we really put our efforts working with Felipe and Irma.  They are progressing a ton.  They didn't get baptized this week, but it is looking like everything will go down on the 1st of July as planned.  Felipe is a straight up homie ha ha.  I copped some pics of him mobbin at church and in the lesson we had with him yesterday.  He's an animal, but this whole process, I have been really humbled seeing how the gospel applies to everyone and their needs no matter what their circumstance.  I know the Gospel is true.

Felipe and Irma

Felipe

Elder Johnson, Irma, Felipe, Elder Arevalo

That was basically my week.  I hope that you all have a good week.  Pray for Felipe e Irma so that everything goes through!

I love you guys!  Have a good week.

Elder Johnson

I Love the Mission

What's up everybody?  I hope that you all had a good week.  I had a pretty good week, we are mobbing as usual and having a good time up here in our hood.  So first things first, I gotta give that birthday shout out to my little bro, Kaden, he may be taller and bigger than me, but I will always be able to take him!  I also gotta send that shout out to my PAPS for Father's Day! I have come to realize how blessed I am to have the father that I have.  The mission has opened up my eyes and has given me a new outlook on everything as he promised me that it would.  I am blessed that I have been taught in the ways of Christ from my dad because it has helped me so much here in the mission field.

To start out with, this week we have been working a ton with Felipe and Irma.  They're progressing a lot which is awesome to see.  I love them so much.  They are a super humble family with hardly anything but they show so much love to us and always invite us to the little that they have.  It is possible that they could be baptized this Saturday.  They are praying still but they told us that that was a possibility.  If not, they are going to be baptized on the 1st as planned.

On Saturday, we had a lesson with them at the church with all of the ward council members so that they could fellowship them.  Then they can have a solid support system as they become members of the church.  We had a bomb lesson with them and watched the talk from Elder Joaquin E. Costa when he talked to all of those who are investigating the church and shared his conversion story.  He literally talked about so much stuff that they needed to hear.  It was a good spiritual experience.  After that, we were eating a refreshment and while we were standing there talking, a member of the other branch came and talked to me and my companion, Elder Arevalo.  He told us some stuff that really impacted me.  He was talking about the blessing that it is to be a missionary.  Then he started talking about the sacredness of our calling and the responsibility that we have.  As he told me that, I was overcome by the spirit.  I couldn't be more thankful for the calling that I have.  I love the mission and all of the blessings that come from it.  There is not a better thing on the planet than seeing someone change by applying gospel principles in their lives.

I love you guys and hope that you have a good week!

Elder Johnsoncito

Glad Tidings of Great Joy

Buenas tardes mi estimada familia!  I hope that you all had a good week and that you were able to see the hand of the Lord in your everyday life.  I had a really good week.  I'm thankful to be here on my mission and to represent my Savior, Jesus Christ.  This week Elder Arevalo and I focused a bunch on visiting and following up with investigators that we have had for quite a while and also with the members.  As we have been doing that, we have been able to see great progress in the work.

We have been working a lot with Felipe and Irma.  They are super sick, they are so prepared.  It has been amazing to see the change in them as we have HELPED them complete with their commitments.  I have a strong testimony that if we use all of the instruments that the Lord has blessed us with,He will do His part and He will make things happen.  Felipe and Irma, as I told you last week, have a baptismal date for the 1st of July.  They told us that they might even want to be baptized before then!  Keep them in your prayers!

Aside from them, I had an experience this week that caught my attention.  On Friday, I was on interchanges with Elder Elliott and we went and contacted this reference that we got from a less active.  We went to visit her and she was telling us what she wants more than anything is to be happy.  I could see in her face and her body language that she is in desperate need of the gospel.  She showed a great desire and interest in what we were teaching and I know she felt the spirit of the Lord.  As we left, I thought about her and I thought about Section 79 in the Doctrine and Covenants and the sacredness of my calling and responsibility of my calling.  In Section 79, it says:

VERILY I say unto you, that it is my will that my servant (Elder Johnson) should go to Peru, from place to place and from city to city, in the power of the ordination wherewith I have been ordained, proclaiming GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, even the everlasting gospel.

And I will send up him the Comforter, which shall teach him the truth and the way whither he shall go.

And inasmuch as he is faithful, I will crown him again with sheaves.

Wherefore, let your heart be glad, my servant Elder Johnson, and fear not, saith your Lord, even Jesus Christ.

As I thought about this section, and applied it to myself, I was able to receive great guidance from the Lord.  I know that what we as members have in our lives is greater than anything that the world has to offer.  There is no other place where we can find GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, than in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I love the gospel and I know that I have been set apart by His authority to bring others this happy news.

I love you guys so much!  Have a good week!

Elder Johnson

Repentance

Mi querida familia!  I hope that you all had a good week.  I hope that you all were able to have spiritual experiencias and search for the Lord's hand in your life as you went through the week.  First off, I wanna give a HUGE SHOUT OUT TO THE MAIN MAN ELDER KADEN JOHNSON!  I am so hyped to be able to serve along side my brother here in the mission field.  There is nothing better than the mission.  I'm happy for ya buddy!

I had a good week, we focused a lot on working with the members and helping them take part in this beautiful missionary work.  We have been trying to strengthen them because we have seen that the assistance has been pretty low so we need to build up and strengthen our own members before they will be able to help and strengthen our investigators.  We are seeing a lot of progress and I know that from here on out everything will go a lot better with that.

We have been working with this couple, their names are Felipe e Irma.  They are so sick!  They have been investigators for over a year, but we are helping them to progress a ton.  We invited them to be baptized on the first of July, remember them in your prayers.  Prayer is such a powerful gift that we have and I know that it works.  We literally have the ability to talk to a God and receive guidance from Him.  I have a ton of faith that everything will go through for the first of July.

So this week, in my studies, I read in Alma 42 and felt the spirit super strong as I really studied and searched for guidance in my life.  It talks about the mercy, justice and the law of all things and says that the way to apply this mercy or atonement in our lives is through repentance.  I have noticed that in the eyes of the world, repentance seems like a scary thing because they have done something bad and they only need to repent when they have done something super bad.  That is a lie from Satan.  I know truly that repentance is an opportunity to come closer to the Savior, to feel of His love and to be perfected in Christ.  I invite you all to find the joy and blessings of repentance and apply it in your lives.

I testify that this is the work of the Lord.  I know that Christ lives.  He is my master and I will do anything for Him. I am so thankful for this sacred time that I have to be a missionary for the same church that He established when He was here.

I love you guys and hope that you have a good week.

Hasta luego!

Elder Johnsoncito