Family-
Ah glad to hear that the trip was awesome... Now you know why I loved it so much! Dad thanks for your inspiring thoughts... your eternal perspective is truly inspiring to me. If you feel like you need a good invention idea let me know... the open minds of the people here have opened my mind even more if you can believe it1! I love you, and you love me, and that's the way it is supposed to be! Mom I will try to get you more mission stories sorry! I know the B.O.M. (with a very basic explanation of what it is) can change the lives of the family in our ward... go for it! Love you all. Barrett and Jeanine I love you both and I'm praying for you. - Elder Johnson
All-
I thought I would start by saying I caught a cracker that fell off oh my desk this week and I thought about all the people who ever thought I was weird because I like things like that so much haha... it was legit. So I was instructed to give more mission stories…so today the message is brief. I've been impressed this week as I’ve thought about the fact that the gospel is simple in every way. That is how the lord made it and how he wants it. We have many scriptures that testify about the powerful nature of simple things. I too know that the simple things make the difference... reading, praying, church, FHE... Their power is significant. Quick activity...think about your favorite quote. Is it simple or super complicated? I realized this week that the quotes we love are the quotes that make the principle of life the most simple. They take things that we are very familiar with and in a very simple and often elegant way, they explain how we should live. The prophet and the apostles don’t make things super complicated... they have a gift for making things plain and clear. I love it : )
So I’ll l try and send some photos to go with the story but if not forgive me. This week we had 3 baptisms. Andrea, Andre, and Mateus. Andrea is the mom and does not have the support of her husband in her decision, but he allowed it. She knows that the gospel is true, and that one day she will live with her family eternally. She made lunch for us the day after the baptism, and bore her testimony to all who were there. It was the first time that I had truly heard and seen in words, what the gospel means to the people that receive it. She cried as she expressed her gratitude for the first missionaries who taught her, for the fact that one day she will see her dad again, for the person who gave her address 1 year ago to the missionaries. The gospel changes lives, and it has already begun to change hers.
This week we have the baptism of Betanha (wife of Alexandre). They have been waiting and waiting to find the money to get married. Two weeks ago we started the marriage with the money ($75) that elder Fonseca and I along with the elders quorum here gathered in order to pay for the marriage. Betanha has been making her way through the book of Mormon and doesn’t feel the same when she doesn’t read. Their son Cauei is 4 and he prays with more sincerity than I have ever seen. Their little girl Jasmine is a 1 old and is starting to say 'johnson' haha. We are SO excited for the baptism of Betanha this week
...Satan knows the good they will do in the church and knowing such he fought against this baptism with all his might. Just when they thought they would have money, something would happen.... someone got sick etc... But the Lord provided a way, after the trial of their faith...which without a doubt they passed. I will never forget the greeting I always receive from Alexandre, a man who has almost nothing, but needs nothing more than his family and the gospel to be happy, 'how are you?"...... response : "sò alegria" . . . "only joy" . . . No matter what, he smiles and welcomes us in to teach more about the gospel that took him from someone who couldn’t control his drinking and turned him into a man who will soon hold the power of God. I love this gospel. I love you all
ELDER JOHNSON
funny trnansltation of the week.... "com licensa,
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