Transferred to Trujillo

Hello everybody!  Wow, I had by far the best week in my mission.  I seriously have been on a spiritual high all week.  To start out the week, I had the opportunity to go on splits with my zone leader, Elder Henao.  It was sick!  I felt the spirit the whole day and learned a lot of things that I can do to become a more efficient missionary.  He's one of my best bros so we just got to mob all day, it was sick.  Anyways, I told you about that family we found with Ivan last week.  We went to their house on Tuesday and we asked how they felt when we entered their house on Sunday.  Hermana Ilda told us that normally her husband plays soccer on Sundays and after he drinks with all of his bros.  After his soccer game, his bros were like hey let's go drink, but he said that he heard a voice tell him to go back to his house.  He waited a second and then he heard it again.  After he got to the house, five or ten minutes later, we knocked on the door.  When she told us that, I testified to her that we were guided to them and that they are ready to hear this beautiful gospel.  It was such a spiritual experience.  It was another witness that God is aware of ALL of His children.

After that on Thursday, Elder Henao called me and told me that he is going to be the new assistant!  I'm so hyped!  Elder Benitez and Elder Henao were both my zone leaders two changes ago and now they're the assistants!  I'm super happy and excited about that.  I have learned a ton from both of them.  they're some of my best bros!

Elder Johnson, Elder ?, Elder Choque

Now, for the best part of the week.  I had the opportunity to baptize Fernando Casanova.  It was an experience and a blessing that I will never forget.  We found Fernando on September 20th and almost exactly a month later, he was baptized.  I learned a lot from him in his conversion process.  He lives in a house where his whole family drinks, they're into drugs, and it is a hard atmosphere for him to live in.  I remember we were in a lesson at his house a week ago and his brother was drunk and punched his wife and she was bawling and left.  After the situation settled down, Fernando started sharing his testimony.  He started crying and said, "I love my family, I'm so thankful for them.  I love my mom, my brothers, my nieces, my nephews and I know this beautiful Book of Mormon you guys showed me will help change their lives so we can all be happy and because of that I'm going to be an example for them.

Elder Johnson, Inca Kola, Fernando's brother

Fernando, Elder Johnson, Elder Choque

He went on to finish the whole Book of Mormon before his baptism!  I am a witness that the Book of Mormon changes lives.  We were guided to Fernando because the Lord had prepared him.  There is no way that we were placed in the path of his drunk brother in front of his house by coincidence.  There is absolutely no way that that was coincidence.  The Lord works in mysterious ways and through his missionaries.  I know I told you guys before, but the night we found him, we had a goal of 4 new investigators from members and we were one short of our goal so we went to contact a reference and on our way back we found his brother.  I know we were blessed and through diligence that day we were guided to bring the gospel to the man, Fernando.

I remember also that he told us the other day that he had a dream with a bunch of clean cut missionaries. Before he had long hair with a beard and in this dream he said that I told him to cut his hair.  We showed up a couple days later and he was clean cut and shaven to show reverence in the chapel.  Honestly, I have been so humbled.  I'm so thankful for the tender mercies of the Lord and the strength they have given me spiritually.  I could never deny my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is so real.

Anyways, I'm being transferred and received the call to serve in Trujillo and my companion's name is Elder Juares.  He is from Lima.  I am eternally grateful for the experiences I have had and the people I have met here in Chimbote.  I'm sad to leave and will miss everybody, but I'm on the Lord's errand and I know that I'm supposed to be in Trujillo at this time.

I want you all to know that I love you so much.  I hope and pray that you all have a good and safe week.  Talk to you next week.

Con muchisimo amor,
Elder Johnson

The Still, Small Voice

What's up everybody!  I hope and pray that you all had a good week!  First off, I wanna give a birthday shout out to my brother and one of my best friends, Zach!  I'm so thankful for the example he has always set for me and the relationship that we have.  I hope you have a good day, my man.  I love ya, bro!

Anyways, I had a pretty good week.  The only down side from this week is that the water heater for the shower broke again so I'm back going penquin status doing the ALS ice bucket challenge every morning ha ha!  It's terrible, hopefully they can fix it this week.

This week was really good.  I learned a lot and was able to strengthen my testimony of the power of prayer.  We worked a lot with our progressing investigators and with members this week and made it so we had low numbers.  Which is okay because we are getting to know the members a lot better and they are starting to help us more.  Yesterday, we needed five more new investigators to reach the goal we had.  Before we left to proselyte, we said a prayer to be guided to a family that has been prepared to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  While we were proselyting, Elder Choque had an impression that we needed to visit Ivan.  We weren't planning on visiting him because we had had a lesson with him on Saturday.  We went and shared a quick message with him and then asked him if he knew anyone that we could share the gospel with.  He took us to his next door neighbor and it was a family of four.  We got in there and I literally felt the spirit so strong.  I know we needed to be there at that time.  One of the members of the family was sick and we had the opportunity to give her a blessing.  I was so humbled by that experience.  I know that the Lord was aware of this family and we were guided to them.  Later we were able to find another investigator and we were able to complete our goal!  I'm amazed at how real and how aware God is of all of His children.  I know He lives and I know He hears and answers our prayers.  We just have to listen to the small promptings and follow them.  I'm thankful that Elder Choque was able to follow the impression that he had from the spirit.

I'm thankful for that experience that I had.  That was the highlight of my week.  I'm going into the last week of the change this week and I'm pretty sure that I'm bouncing this change.  I'll keep you guys updated and let you know what happens next week.  I hope and pray that you all have a good week.  I invite you all to pray to have a missionary experience this week.  I know as you do so, the Lord will guide you and prepare you to have an opportunity that will allow you to help someone else who doesn't have the gospel in their lives.  God won't deny you from having a spiritual experience...you just have to listen to that still, small voice and act on your promptings.  I know you will be blessed.

I love you guys and I'll talk to you next week!

Con MUCHISIMO amor,

Elder Johnsoncito

Miracles

What's up everybody!  I had a really good week with so many miracles!  To start out, we have been working with this part member family named the Ascates.  Idelfonso is the only member in the family and is less active.  I remember I bought a suit from him a while back and he told me when I came back to pick it up, we could talk about the word of God.  We went to pick it up and he bailed on us.  He had someone else give it to me, ha ha, and it was like that for awhile.  We would go back and talk to him and he would always have an excuse of why we couldn't talk to him.  Anyways, a couple weeks later, our pension's brother told us that he had been helping them a lot and they wanted us to go over to their house.  So, we went and he completely changed, he was really different and really receptive to us.  He made sure his whole family was there and we had a lesson...it was awesome.  His family has listened to the missionaries before, but they weren't really have it the way the missionaries had taught them.  They felt really pressured and obligated to be baptized and they didn't like that. We helped resolve that and we started teaching them again.  We had a lesson with them on Friday and we walked in and Noemi, the mom, said that she made a decision to be baptized!  she told us that she and Idelfonso are going to get married on November 3 and she is going to be baptized on November 5!

I have learned a lot of the power of the Book of Mormon.  This family went from not really wanting anything to do with us, to wanting to get married and baptized and it's because of the power of the Book of Mormon.  In the Introduction of the Book of Mormon it says, "Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said, I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on the earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than any other book"  Later in the invitation it says that those who pursue this course and ask in faith WILL gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.  I have seen this take place in the lives of this family and I have been humbled!

I'm a witness of the power of the Book of Mormon and of its truth.  I love it!   I'm so thankful to be called as a missionary.  There's no greater work on this earth and we all have the opportunity to take part in it.

As Nephi, apply the scriptures into your personal lives and I testify that the principles in the scriptures will help guide your lives and decisions that you make.

Again, I invite you all to make the Book of Mormon a part of your life.  The blessings and promises are there, but it's up to us to take advantage of them.

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

The sickest baptism ever....with Elder Stroud

Elder Choque, Elder Johnson, Edwin, Laura-his therapist

Edwin

Elder Johnson

From Denise's email:

Denisita! Como esta!  You and Dad are awesome!  I'm so glad that you were able to get them tickets for the game.  Kaden is going to be so hyped.  I hope that the Cubs win so bad!!  I'll be praying for him-ha.  I'm sure you are pumped to have the house to yourself and some alone time.
Greg, Kaden and Brynn are in San Fransisco today for the Cubs vs Giants playoff game.  Kaden is the hugest Cubs fan I've ever known--he is so excited to be there!!

The Book of Mormon

Hello everybody!  I hope and pray that you all had a good week and a spiritually filled Conference weekend.  I loved Conference!  We are so blessed to have a Prophet, apostles, and all of those who are leaders in the Church.  I love and sustain them.  I know that the messages we heard were inspired for us in the days which we live.  I found that a common theme in this Conference was The Book of Mormon and how important of a role it has in our lives.  There is a reason that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.

I loved the talk that K. Brett Nattress gave.  When he started talking about his mom reading the scriptures every morning and him not paying attention and finally he said, Mom, I'm not listening--why are you reading?  That story touched my heart.  I remember every morning before school my sweet Mom would read the scriptures and I would hide under a blanket and sleep and never pay attention, and honestly, I always wondered why she would bother to wake me up if she knew I would never listen.  When Elder Nattress said what his mom said, I felt the spirit so strongly and a deep love for my mom.  He quoted her and said, "Marion G. Romney gave a promise that if I would read the scriptures everyday with my kids, I would never lose them."  I learned a lot from that talk because it made me reflect on the example and the faith of my mom.  I'm eternally grateful for my mom and the example she has given me to know the importance of the Book of Mormon in my life.

I have developed a love for the Book of Mormon that will be a blessing in my life forever.  I know it is true.  I have come to know how essential daily study is in the day and time that we live.  It gives us strength to withstand the temptations of the adversary and gives us power to testify of and help others come unto Jesus Christ.  In Mormon 8:34-35, he testifies that the Book of Mormon was written for our day.  President Ezra Taft Benson said that our study of the Book of Mormon should be influenced on our knowledge that Moroni saw our day and wrote with us in mind.  We must make the Book of Mormon a center focus of study because it was written for our day.  I testify of that. I know that prophecies in the Book of Mormon have been fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled.  Liken all scriptures unto yourselves and you will see a change in your life and I promise God will make his mysteries known unto you.

I love the Book of Mormon.  I love the change I have seen in my life because of it and I invite you all to take part in the same process.

I love you all and hope you have a good week!

A Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Peru

He says, "if you can't beat 'em join 'em"

Elder Jensen and Elder Johnson

Some pictures we found on the mission blog:

Multizone Conference-Can you see his head?  Middle/Right

Elder Johnson

Ivan's Baptism

What's up everybody!  I hope and pray that all of you had a good week and that everything is going good for all of you.  I had an awesome week with so many spiritual experiences.  I have been humbled to be in the service of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I saw a lot of tender mercies this week that testified to me that this is the work of the Lord.  I know that He is with His missionaries at all times. First off, I want to tell you about a tender mercy that I saw today!

Last week on Saturday, we had a goal to find 4 new investigators that day.  We had three at the time and went to our pension to see if they had any references.  They gave us a reference and we contacted them and she wasn't there.  As we were walking back, this guy who was drunk out of his mind, stopped and started talking to us.  He was saying how he wants to hear the word of God and to come back a different day when he wasn't drunk--ha ha.  So, we went back on Tuesday and we came in contact with his brother, Fernando.  Fernando said, "don't listen to my brother, he just wants to mock you guys so don't bother coming to see him....but you can talk to me."  We had a lesson with him and gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to Ivan's baptism.  He didn't come to the baptism, but we were walking to a member's house today and we saw him.  He said, "Johnson, I've read 16 chapters of 1 Nephi"  Then he told us sorry that he didn't go to the baptism.  He said he didn't go because he didn't have the clothes that it says to wear in the back of the pamphlet that we gave him.

I was humbled by that experience.  I know that he is prepared.  I know that on Saturday last week, we were put in that situation to find Hermano Fernando.  I know that the Lord is with us.

Anyways, on Saturday we had our first baptism in La Florida in over a year!!!  It was such a special day that I will never forget.  I know that Ivan was prepared.  We were at his house on Thursday waiting for him to get home from school and we were talking to his mom.  She told us that that day they were walking together and Ivan told her that he will finish high school when he has 17 years and when he graduates he is going to work for a year and then when he has 18 years, he's going to go on a mission.  When I heard that, I felt the spirit so strong.  I know we were led to Ivan and that the President was guided by the spirit to change the rule of baptizing teenagers under the age of 18. On Sunday, I had the opportunity to confirm him a member of the Church in Sacrament meeting.  It was an experience that I will always remember.  I am so happy.

Elder Choque, Ivan, Ward Member, Elder Johnson

I have honestly been so humbled by the tender mercies of the Lord.  I know that I am here in this area for a reason--to find the people that the Lord has prepared.

I'm so blessed to be on a mission.  I'm so pumped to hear from the living prophets this weekend.  I invite all of you to prepare spiritually to hear the words of the prophets.  They are called of God. As you prepare, you will receive answers to your prayers through their messages.  I hope and pray that all of you have a good week.  I love you guys!

"Beverly Hills"

"Beverly Hills"

Elder Johnson

A Miracle

Hello everybody!  I hope and pray that all of you guys had a good week and that everything is going well back at home!  I'm so thankful for the blessing it is to hear from you guys today!

I had a really good week this week!  We have been working really hard lately and we are seeing a lot of results and blessings from our work.  In July, we contacted this kid named Ivan.  I can't remember if I have told you about Ivan.  He has 15 years and he has been investigating different churches trying to find the correct church.  We have been working with him and he has been coming to church and ward activities ever since we contacted him.  The problem is, we have a rule in the mission that we can't baptize kids under the age of 18 unless their family gets baptized or if they have members in their families that can be responsible and help them get to church.  The majority of these teenagers go inactive if they don't have the support of their family.  We haven't been able to baptize him because his family isn't progressing like he is.

We have been fasting and praying a lot especially for Hermana Lucy, but also for a miracle in this area.  Recently, President told us that that rule has changed and that if the ward council commits to help these kids out and make sure that they have that support as they would with their family, they can be baptized.  So we will be having a baptism this Saturday for Ivan!  I'm so happy and thankful for this miracle.  I know that President receives revelation from the Lord and that the Lord knows that Ivan will be a blessing to his family and that it is time for him to be baptized.   That being said, we know that there is an opposition in all things and that Satan will do everything he can to prevent Ivan from being baptized.  Please pray for him that everything will go through this Saturday!

I'm so humbled and blessed to be a missionary and to testify of the truthfulness of this gospel every day.  I could never ever deny my testimony of this gospel.  I know Jesus Christ lives and that this church is led by Him through the Prophet Thomas S. Monson.,

We are so blessed to have this knowledge and blessing in our lives!  Take advantage of it.  Les amo mucho!

Elder Johnson

Staying in La Florida

What's up everybody?  I hope and pray that all of you guys had a good week!  I hope that all of you are happy and that work and school are going good for everyone.  I had a good week!  I hate changes--I'm always stressed out of my mind on change night, but I got good news!!  I'm staying in La Florida for another change with Elder Choque!!  I'm so hyped, honestly!  My bros are staying in the zone again so I'm super happy!  I know I have a great responsibility here in this area and guaranteed we are going to have success.  I know that President Rios receives revelation directly from the Lord for where to put His missionaries.  I have a strong testimony of that.

For this week, I had a really good week.  I learned a lot and had some cool experiences.  First off, Lucy---she should be having her baptismal interview this week!! Pray for her that everything will work out.  She is going to Lima again for cute little Luana this week, so we won't be able to meet with her until next week.  I know that she is almost there!!  Hopefully she will be baptized next week!

I had a cool experience this week that was a huge testimony builder for me.  Elder Choque and I got a reference and we went to contact this pata named Oswaldo.  The lady who gave us the reference told us that he and his family are evangelicos and are really active in that church.  We contacted him and said that we were missionaries and all of that and he was like nah, come back another day, I'm busy.  Then Elder Choque said, "Hermano Oswaldo, is it cool if we share a quick message only five or ten minutes" and then Oswaldo said, "oh yeah, we know each other from a year ago, come in and let's talk for a little bit" Ha ha--Elder Choque has no idea who it was but he thought they knew each other, it was funny!  We walked in the house and Oswaldo and his mother in law were studying and talking about the Bible.  I thought it was just going to be a Bible bash and that is never good.

We got in the lesson and Elder Choque said the prayer and I said a quick personal prayer to be guided by the spirit that I would know what to say and that they would feel the spirit.  We started talking with them and I felt impressed to share a scripture in the Bible that I love, Proverbs 3:5.  I asked Oswaldo to read the scripture and after he read it, he said, "wow, me and my mother in law were just talking about this scripture and didn't know where it was...."  When I heard that, I felt the spirit so strong and knew that the Lord was present in that lesson.

I'm so thankful for that answer to a short, simple prayer.  I know and testify that the Lord hears and answers our prayers.  God is aware of His children.

That's all I got for this week.  I hope and pray that all of you guys have a good week.  I love and miss you all so much.  I'll talk to you next week!

Elder Johnson