Tuesday, August 11, 2015
April 27, 2015
Hello everyone! how are all of you? I am doing really well. this week was an amazing week. We worked really hard. The lord really is blessing us so much and if he desires it, we will have 2 baptisms this week!
Just ahead of time sorry but there will not be pictures this week. we arent at the usuall cyber that we use and this one is terrible. the internet is slow and there isnt a place to put usb.. but next week!
so a lot of things happened this week. we had like 4 days of divisions so i barely worked with elder campbell. it was really wierd. you really get used to someone after 4 months of being together. but it was cool to lead a sector for almost an entire week. im a lot better at taking directions though =p haha
I really feel like my faith increased a lot this week. a lot of crazy events happened. we were teaching one guy and i really got a feel for the way god feels for him.he is less active and a lot of tragic things have happened to him in the last 10 years. i really felt his sorrow. ive been really trying to understand my investigators and less actives more and ive been praying for a lot of help toi be more humble and open to the spirit too. well my answer was heard this day because i felt what he was feeling. the spirit helped me feel his sorrow. it was crazy. it took all the force that i had not to just break down and start crying in that moment. i definitely did when we left though. i had to go back to the apartment after so that i could just pray. ive never felt that way in my life before. it was crazy. im so thankful for the hope that we have in our lives through the gospel. life would be terrible without it. i hope you all can remember that and i hope that you sll call look for that hope every day so you never have to feel the way that i felt in that moment. it was an amazing humbling experience for me.
I love you all and i hope that you all remember how much god loves you too. he is here for you and he always will be.
Love Elder Johnson
April 20, 2015
Hey guys I know I have been really terrible about writing lately, actually ive been really bad at writing since I left the ccm... A lot of big changes in my life have past by recently though and I promise im gonna be a lot better at it now. O also got a new camera finaly so im gonna send pictures more often too.
so this week was really good. im starting to see so many miracles here in chile. like i have seen a lot in the past but now im seeing a TON! this week i saw a very large one. We have an investigator named claudio. we started teaching him like 2 cambios ago (ive been with elder campbell for a long time =p this is our 3rd cambio togetehr) but when we first met him he didnt progress at all. he is catholic and he is very firm in his catholic beliefs. we dropped him like 2 weeks later and we didnt see him for a long time. well about 2 weeks ago we saw him in the street again. he had been in santiago for about a month so we hadnt seen him in a long time. well he told us to come by his house agin so the next week we had nothing to do and passed by his house. we then beganone of the most spiritual lessons ive had here. he had a huge change of heart... like HUGE! the first time we taught he talked a ton and tried to fight everything that we said. this time he just sat and listened very closely. there were times where he definitely wanted to go straight to the bible and fight us but it was like something was holding him back. he would go for the book and then just stop and listen. we taught him about the restoration and let a BOM for him to read that night and then came back 3 days later. we got there and found a wonderful surprise. He read a ton of the Book that night and the next couple of days. he loves it. he knows that it is true and that it is another testimate of christ. he also now has a testimoney of the profet joseph smith. he knows that he was a profet and that god called him to restore the gospel and the church here in the earth. he also has a testimoney of the church. he read alma 32 about the seed and fruit. he realized that the church of jesus christ of later day saints is the only church or Tree that has fruits. it was an amazing change. he is now preparing to be baptized the 9th of may. the lord really changed his heart and he now is ready to let the gospel in.
The lord really has been blessing us a lot here lately. i hope that you all have the opertunity to see his hand in your life every day because i promise it is a life changing experience. I love you all and i hope that you all have very good weeks! And please remeber that the word or gospel of the lord has the power to change hearts and help us more than we can ever imagine.
Love elder johnson
P.S. pictures are Coming
He accidently put hot sauce on his fries instead of ketchup |
Service selfie at the house that burnt down |
April 13, 2015 (Mom's side notes)
i am really good actually =) like a lot better than i thought i would be. the day of i was still really shocked. like really shocked. but i really felt the spirit. it was definitely carrying me through my entire day. i was also sick that day =p i woke up with a sick stomach and i felt really bad. the next day i woke up really off. in the night i had a terrible dream of it all. i didn't really sleep at all that night. i felt horrible. the next morning i woke up and imidietly started having an anxiety attack. it was a lot like how decota was before she started having seizures. i couldnt control my body. it was shaking terrribly. i immidietly ask for a blessing and then i just decided i needed to clam myslef down so i did a crap ton of excercises and then i drank something called melisa which is a herb that calms nerves. after that i was good and i really accepted what happened and basicaly by the end of that day i was over it. I really prayed a lot though. i definitely have a testimoney of the power of prayer now. it helped me so much. but yeah im good now. now i just have to stop thinking about dating again =p haha i did make a list of things though that i did and didnt like and traits that I want to look for when i start dating again. but really i knew it was coming too. a couple of weeks ago i had a feeling that i needed to end it.i didnt do it though because i was really scared but i did tell her that i didnt want to talk to her about anything that wasnt spiritually realated. i also told her a lot about spiritual promptings. well she told me that she had one to start casually dating again and i said that if thats what the lord wanted her to do then she needed to do it because he knows the best and i really have learned a lot about always trusting him here. well she did and it happened. so i guess the lord really did give me a huge birthday present. he did something for me that i was too scared to do. but that day something amazing happened. i felt the spirit stronger in all of my lessons than i had ever before. its already made a huge change in everything. now i realize that it really is a commandment not to date before. i also see the blessings of not doing it. they are huge. i finally am becoming consecrated as a missionary. my heart is starting to change and i amnow really searving with all my heart might mind and strength. thank you for letting me learn this lession because i dont know how else i would have learned it. the most important thing that anyone can do is give their will to the lord. i feel like i am now 100% capable of doing this.
i am just glad i dont feel angry about it happening. i dont feel any regret and i dont feel anger or anything. i really did love her a lot but i know that this is what the lord wants and i know she will be happier like this than in any other way so i am happy.
the way i look at it is god gave me training wheels to get here on the mission. i really would have had a hard time getting here and staying here without them. they helped me through a lot of difficult times. but now i dont need them so he took them away. yes it will be a little more difficult for a very short time but now i have knowledge and now i know that i dont need them. i can do this.
i really have changed so much i feel like. i dont even feel the same. i feel like my focuses have all changed. i can honestly say that i know god. i really have a testimoney of the church. i have a testimoney of the book of mormon. i read it cover to cover the first time in my life here. i have a testimoney of the restoration and of the healing and changing power of the atonement. i know who christ is and i know why he is important to me and i know he loves me and i know that he is always with us. we just have to choose to accept him into our lives. i dot ever want to go back to the way that i was before. i cant its impossible. the lord has changed me and i know that my destiny and direction have changed as well. leaving on my mission was the best decision i have ever made.
April 7, 2015
Hello everyone! How are you all doing? I am doing well. I hope you all had a really good conference. mine was amazing and I was able to feel the spirit very strongly. I learned a very important lesson this week about the lords timing. The lord really does have a timing for everything. Theat is a faith this is very difficult to develop but it is one that is extremely crutial. that is part of the Christ like attribute of patience. patience is one of the most important traits that we can develop in the world. When we are patient for the lords blessings we are able to receive more in this life than we would have ever imagined before.
i also learned a lot about acting on spiritual promptings. we always need to act on the promptings that we have. if we dont act on them it doesnt mean that they arent gonna pass. we cant be scared of the promptings that we have, we just have to do them. we will come out a lot better in the end if we do it when we areprompted.
Thank you everyone for all the love you have sent me for my birthday. i really hope that you are all blessed and i hope that you all have an amazing day.
Elder Johnson
March 30, 2015
hello everyone! i just want to update you really fast on something that happened this week. so the house of someone in my ward burnt dawn this last thursday. we had the oppertunity to go in and help him clean evrything up so they can rebuild it all. as the elders quorum president i am in charge of organizing a lot the reconstruction. i am very thankful for my calling and the oppertunity i have to help the people here. i have learned so much in the time that i have been the president. it really is amn amazing calling and it can be very difficult and time consuming if done correctly. i definitely have a lot of respect for everyone that has this calling. i am greatful for the opertunity the lord has give me to learn all of these things here on the mission =)
March 23, 2015
March16, 2015
How are you all doing? I am doing really well. I am very sorry that I have been terrible at writing you all. Ive recently felt like I need to change the way that ive been doing things so I am writing you all first today.
This was a very good week. we are working really hard right now. we are currently working very strongly with about 9 peopeland 4 are gonna be baptseed this weekend if everything goes to plan. we are atleast gonna have 2. we are just waiting on a few little things from the other people to make sure they are ready.
The coast is so beautiful. today we hadan activity in a huge forest about 30 minutes walking distance from the ocean. it was a lot of fun. its good to get out and just take in nature sometimes.
so i have recently started studying by topic here instead of just reading my scriptures. i know easter is coming up soon so ive been studying a lot about the atonement of jesus. it is a lot more than most of us think that it is. i would love to encourage all of you to study it a lottle more because it really is a huge miracle. i promise that as you all learn about the atonementyou will see huge changes in your life.
alright i have to go! i love you all!
Elder Johnson
March 9, 2015
Well this week went really quickly. seriously really quickly. it felt so long in some moments but now i have no idea where it went. im sorry that i suck at writing... i am working on figuring it all out. ill do better next week!
ELDER JOHNSON
(Hey i would love to hear from the fam next week! id really appreciate it if you could all write me for a sunday activity every once and a while! I know youre all busy and that you all have your own activities going on but it be nice to here from everyone every once and a while! i love you all =) sorry my letters have been so crappy. our president is really cutting down n email time bwecaue we have some people that mis use it here. i will do better next week. ill do that first =)
love elder johnson)
March 2, 2015
I love you al!!! Ill write better next week!!! I really felt prompted to write specific people this weel but o;; send a good email next week. and ill probably be writing each one of you something more personal in the upcoming weeks too. I love you all!!!!
February 24, 2015
its cambio week! nothing happened here but a lot of other people in my zone had changes so we didnt get to write yesterday and today we had to squeeze it in so i dont have much to say. i love you all! haver great weeks!
February 16, 2015
Hello everyone =) i hope that youre all good! i am really well. sorry i havent been able to update you all recently. these pdays are just flying bye. we officialy only have 1 hour to use internet too so it is a little hard to get everything i want to get done, done. but today i decided i was gonna write this before i did anything else so i can help you all get filled in a little
the coast is really busy right now as im sure you can all imagine. we are getting tourists here from all over the world. seriousy we have met a lot of americans here. its really diferent here. it has been going really well though. i get along really well with my companion. we also have the perfect miture of goffiness and serious too so we are having a lot of fun and doing a lot of work. our numbers arent crazy but we are actually getting a lot done. we work very hard every day and we never let our spirits down. the weather here helps a lot with that too. is is about 15 degrees cooler here than in santiago. (celsius) i am very greatful i am here =pthis change has been going so quickly. i am so surpriseed at how quickly time seems to fly. this week i finish my first 8 months of the mission. isnt that weird? i feel wierd about it =p but i am loving every moment of it. from the baptisms to the blisters to the miracles to the days when i am exhausted it is all amazing.
i really feel like i have come to know what real conversion is for the first time in my life. the church truly is amazing. there is nothing that i love more than the gospel because it gives all of us the oppertunity to have the other most important things in this life, our families, for the eternities. i know that with all my heart and i promise you all that it is real. there is nothing i want more in this life thanan eternal family and i knowthat i will never stop at anything until that is what i get. i know this life is hard but it is soo important that we always remember that if we stay on the lords side we will never go wrong. he cant lead us astray. it is impossible. yes somtimes the things we will have to do will be difficult but they will never be more than we can handle and they will aso bring the biggest blessings that we will ever recieve here. life is not meant to be easy. but we can overcome our heardships. i have seen so many people here do exactly that and every time i see it i am amazed.
i love you all so much and i hope you sll know that is you ever need anything you can go to god. he will help us even if we have completely turned our backs on him as long as we try our hardest to keep him has our main objective in the future. have a wonderful week and may you all be blessed.
elder johnson
I bought the littlest eggs!!!!!
They are tiny!
Sunday, August 9, 2015
February 9, 2015
I have liek 5 min to write. i love you all and i hope that you have amzing weeks. everything here is amazing. im sorry i havent been keepin you all up to date very well but i will try and do better next week! have fun and know that you are all in my prayers!
elder johnson
February 2, 2015
hello everyone =) how are you all? i am awesome! we had a really good we here in chile =) it was a lot of walking around but it was way good =) we had a meeting in republica today so i cant write much but i want you all to know i love you!
Photos
Saturday, August 8, 2015
January 26, 2015
Hello everyone =) how are you all? i hope that you all have had very good weeks =) my week was awesome. but very very interesting..........i ripped 2 pairs of pants this week. i think im gaining weight. i did learn a lesson though. ican no longer play with dogs because both times i ripped them it was when i was crouched playing with dogs. so yeah... oops.
so yeah other than the whole pants fiasco everything was really good. we are working really hard in our new calling. i started going to reunions and such this week. we didnt have as many lessons as we usually but its all good. we still had really good results in the church. i think that this new calling will be awesome and im excited to get to work in it =)
well i am gonna send more pics because i still have a lot to send but i love you all and hope that you all have good weeks =)
elder johnson
January 19, 2015
Hello everyone =) i hope that you all had amazing weeks. i dont have too much to say. i just want to keep you all up on my life. Elder campbell is my new companion and we are getting along sososososo well. we are really good friends already and we love having fun while we work so it is awesoem.
we also have a cool new project to work on these next couple of weeks.... i am now the elders quorum president in the ward in san antonio. elder campbell is my 1st counselor. i have no idea what that means yet but we will figure out wont we =P haha i am very exciterd to start working with this new callig though. its gonna be a blast. so you can all refer to meas president elder johnson now =)) haha jk =p but yeah my life is awesome and i love the oppertunity i have to be here to searve and help the people =) i know that this church is true and i know that if we put god first in our lifes 100% of teh hard decisions we have to make in this life will already be made for us. he cant and wont ever lead us astray.
i hope you all have really good weeks =)
Elder Johnson
January 12, 2015
Hello everyone =) i hope you all have had a good week =) this week is dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn CAMBIO WEEK. and guess what. i came home with another new companion this week =p and fore those that are countg this is my 6th companion in my 6th cambio of the mission. i am officialy the worst companion in the mission... all of my companions just dont want to be with me so they all get rid of me really fast =p hahaah jk. but yeah so my new companion is named elder campbell and he is from utah. he is the other missionary that my trainer trained or he is the other son of my father. yes that makes us brothers=p he has like 4 and a half months more in than i have. he is awesome. i sirved with him a little in my first zone (Ochagavia). he was there with me.
so i dont know if you all remember elder mertz but he was my companion in the MTC. well after the mtc we served in the same ward for 3 cambios and lived in the same house. then i left him there to come here. well this cambio he followed me and now we share a ward again. he just cant stand to be away from me for too long =p haha
so this week was really good. it was really hard though. a lot of the people from our sector are gone durign the weekends. they all go to the beach but we had the chancce to see some miracles too. we had the chance to find and teach a man that is very very prepared for us to teach him. he seriously is so ready. we got him to go to church this last week and he also went to go see a baptism that the other elders in our ward had. we also got a man that hasnt gone to church in over 20 years go to the baptism with his son who is an investigator =) so yeqah it was an awesoem week and i hoe you all had awesome weeks too!
ELDER JOHNSON
January 9, 2015
im not gonna be able to write very much today i got all of my pics downloaded so i am going to use most of my time to get those all sent. i also wrote really late last week so not much has changed. we did have a baptism though =) so ill send those pics first!
i just want to share a quick testimoney though. i know that the role of member in missionary work is really important. the daughter of the lady we baptized was a reference of a member of another ward. if we hadnt have recieved that reference than we would have never had the chance to know sandra ( the lady we baptised.) so i know that these references and this help makes a big difference. through your help we are able to get into a lot of places that otherwise would be impossible to get into. we really can help your friends change their lifes for the better we just need your help to do it.
My first converts |
last day in diagonal with the old comp/ house mat |
last day in diagonal with the old comp/ house mates |
side effects of the mission |