Jan 17, 2011

Família-
       Dad!  I certainly miss putting away Christmas boxes and scooping Rudy's Results in the yard, but I'll survive without it!  Send me a picture or two of the auto show if you all go!  I played some pingpong today for pday . . man I miss that!  I even got the sweat going!  I also talked english with the Elders and Sister from my group that are in my zone... miss that too!  About the ice on the drive way... dont remeber the last time I saw ice! haha thanks for the sweet article on Paul Millsap and the brasil stats!  I ALWAYS knew Paul was the man!  I called it from the start : )  Our new Jerseys are SWEET!  are they not?  I would like to let all of you know that Dad sent me a picture of the new AWESOME corvette with a little sticky that said "sorry I couldn't resist! ..  Is that not AWESOME!?"  haha it went in my picture journal of the mission. ... I still love corvettes!  Hey Dad, do you remember when I passed a guy on the street on a no pass zone and hey followed me until I stopped?....Then hey called you and told you that I was lucky that he didn't "beat me to a bloody pulp"...?  Remembered that this week. haha good stuff!  He was a skinny cross country runner!  punk.  ; )  
        Havent found cookie ingredients yet but I am looking!  I got another package and some letters from the ward,friends as well.  You just dont want me to loose weight with these packages!  We have LOVED the dried mangos, oreos...WOW... oreos haha YUM.  And doritoes...everything. . .  I left the m and ms out and the ants got to them... but I scattered the ants and I will still eat them : ) haha
       All is well here... I pray for you and I will talk about the week in the full e-mail!
Love Elder Johnson

ALL-
          NOTICE:  LDS church building is robbed for the fourth time!  They robbed our church building this week again.... someone.   Bent bars, Broken glass, missing amplifier, blood on the curtains... the whole sha-bang.  I know it is sad and frustrating!  But I have to just not thinking about it so I don't lose the spirit haha seriously.  
          I saw my first really big spider this week. . . like the size of the one from Home Alone... yeah, you all know which one.  It went like this.  We were walking on the street singing and I went to breathe in and swallowed a mosquito...I bent over to couch him out, and in front of my face on the ground was that HUGe spider. . . WAHOU!  My comp killed him.. sad but whatever.  We also saw a frog the size of a normal football... it had already been taken care of my a truck : S
         Spiritual Update - Status - HIGH.  : )   We had two baptism this week... thank you all for your prayers for the missionaries!  Napoleon and Diego were both baptized this week.  I baptized the skinnier one.  He was super scared but it worked out alright!  Cool experience.  We looked at the font when we got to the chapel and saw that it was super dirty even though we had cleaned it the day before...we were worried, but RIGHT before the baptism when we showed it to Diego and Napoleon they didn't even hestitate...'doesn't matter to me!' .  Our mission president always tells us that it is NOT easy to be a member of this church.  We have to find those who are WILLING to live the commandment of God and to change what needs to be changed.  Both of these young men were JUSt that.  We had to go through a process of fallen appointments and a bit of walking, organizing family nights and lots of prayer, but both of them were 100 percent willing to change what needed to be changed.  From drinking Coffee EVERYDAY of their lives, to never doing it again.  From going to the Fair evey sunday, to never buying on sunday again.  It is true, and people (that are ready) feel it when they hear it!  We are going to work with Napoleon's family now.  I believe they will soon follow : )  If not, it will be in the future.  
  COOL FACT- both of these young men could leave on missions while I am still in the field!  

Much love to all!  
If you have written me... there will be a letter coming back!
-Elder Johnson

PS someone tell Clark Kerswell to tell me what is up ... and don't you all assume that the others are going to do it!

January 10, 2011 Week # 41

Fam-
      Before I forget . . . I ate lunch last week with a member here who was companions with Elder Bateman (andrew) on the mission!  His name was Elder C. Alves on the mission.  Small world huh?!  Barret and I are online at the same time..oooo how cool!!  So he and Linny are alright, super tender mercy.  Hey speaking of Barrett and Nean. . . Do Dad and Nean still have little fist fights in the kitchen every once in a while?  haha. . . keep giving him guff for me while I am gone Nean!  
          CHRISTMAS PACKAGE!  Well . . . I would like to thank you all a bunch for all that you bought me, and particularly Mom for putting it all together. . . Mom you letter will be in the mail tomorrow as always!  I have been stuffing myself with dried mangos, snickers, reeses, tootsie rolls, and 100 grands this week. . . so good... haha.  Tell the madsens thanks for the treat as well!  I wont list everything individually cause I don't want to forget and leave anyone out, but I want to leave my genuine gratitude for thinking about me . . . in NOVEMBER for christmas time. . . I am super spoiled.  Mom . . . Our neighbor boy loved the snowglobe. . . I think I might give it to him if that is alright.  Thanks for dealing with those wheels that were sent to our house Mom... I seriously feel bad asking for something else. . .especially after I opened you package and saw all the work you went through.  I read all my friends letters and loved them!  Hallie you pictures always put a genuine smile on my face!   Dad thanks for your updates and thoughts.   Hales, thanks for your e-mail and letting me know about the incidnet with dad talking to the radio haha got a laugh out of that one : )  Heidi!  Thanks for the e-mail and the picture!  to answer you question . . . my mission has flown up until now. . . I cant keep track of time, and yes I think it plays tricks on missionaries more than anyone else!  Well I am glad that Heidi told me Jeanine is pregnant. . . didnt even KNOW ya PUNKS!  haha WAHOO!!  
             My love to all.  I will keep trying to be the missionary that you guys (and the Lord) expect me to be.
 - Elder Johnson
P.S. I am feeling the chocolate in my belly right now... :S haha
P>P>S> I still havent figured out that puzzle thing Heidi and Justin! hahaha AH
PPPS Mom My comp is reminding me to have you send a mini US flag that can go on his desk . . . with the little stick thing... sorry

All - 
     Jacob 6:12 - Something my Dad said to me all through High School.  Such good advice!  Love that scripture.  HAPPY "first week and a half of the year" to all and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to My favorite cousin! haha  
          Well this week went quite well.  We were hit with a lot of rain which was fun and is super rare!  The worst was that it hit right on sunday morning when everyone should be going to church . . . of course I thought there was going to be no one there!  Quite the contrary happened. . . . The sacrament meeting was the fullest I have seen in this area and we had 6 investigators there who are all quite probable for baptism!  We went to pick up Napoleon who was supposed to be baptized this week, but he wasnt at home. . . in other words the baptism fell through!  NOOOO!  It will all work out this week.  The miracle of the situation is that His brother that has listened to the lessons a little bit here and there came with us to church!  He has just rolled out of bed, and we showed up, sopping wet, asking for his brother... "He hasnt gotten back yet" . . . Alright, well tell him we came by. . . "Deal I will tell him, Wait just a minute, I'll come with you guys to church" . . . wait say that again??... haha he came and it was a great day!  We had to teach the gospel Principle class without warning but the spirit helped us and it all went great!  
         Small e-mail this week, sorry, but I hope soon to have some fun baptism stories!  The other night we were going home and some ladies on the street made a funny comment..."HEY!....HHEEYY!.... My mom is really needing a son-in-law!...."  Oh how people are funny and open in this country.  
-Elder Johnson

PS> tried sending pics but the computer is being super dee duper slow.

Week #40!!

Fam-
       Hey hey hey!  Dad thank you for your thoughts, mom as well, and thanks for the invite nean ; ) I will be there in spirit right?!  Hales, if you could send me a recipe for your homemade chocolate cookies and some brief preparation instructions I would be ever so grateful. . . my comp is wanting an american flavor haha I said I would make cookies!  Good news, I havent RECIEVED a package yet, but I know I will tomorrow. . . I was already told that I have one!  I am super excited!! . . . Well my wishes are that you all had a spiritual, safe, and spunky (good word huh?) New Years. . . I slept : )  we werent allowed to stay up haha sa'll good, I have always considered New Years to be the most overrated of Holidays...even above Halloween Heid . . : 0 hah.  Love you all dearly.  Thanks for you prayers, I need them!   I pray that the spirit will watch over you all and be an ever-present influence.  

All-

         Happppy New years.  woot!  I'll get it overwith quick and tell you all that I sleepted (slept) for new years. . mission rules haha.  But as I told my family, i have never trully seen a whole lot in purpose in the New Year. . . other than an excuse to P-A-R-T-WHY? . . . 'Because I Gotta!' -The Mask - - - - - -I would like to give a shout out to my wonderful cousin Angie Helsten!!  Do you remember when I was stoked to spend new years at your house and then POOF. . . 10 o clock and you decided to sleep?  NOT COOL!  That was the lonliest new years ever, I was truly alone! hahaha Maybe I have just been scarred since that day!  Love you Cous!  I believe you have a letter headed your way! . . .ANWAYS -  I hope you all safely enjoyed it!  And I hope all (that are married) received a New Years kiss!  
          Two days ago I was walking around our house with a rock in my shoe. . . finally I got a little tired of moving it around with my toes so I took my shoe off to dump it out.  It was a super special rock . . . with eight legs.... and luckily it was no longer alive! haha I suppose I killed it right when I put my shoe in.  Long story short; I check my shoes in the morning now! There is a mangled picture of my shoe friend attached 
      I am officially learning to be more efficient on the mission haha.  Today we fixed our broken faucet and seeing as how we don't have a washing machine I have learned to do it the good'ol'fashioned style.  
       We decorated our christmas tree on the 1st day of january. . . but the wind knocked of the waterbottle that was holding it up and got water all over.  To make things worse I had already cleaned the floor a good 4 times before it happened hahaha.  Neither of us got super christmas-sy this year but how can you without snow and coldness?!  I spent some good time pondering and reflecting which brought more of the christmas spirit!

I dont have a whole lot to relate for all of you other than my love and encouragement to keep going strong.  Over the past year it has continued to be impressed on my mind that "wickedness [truly] never was happiness."  Wickness in the smallest form will never bring happiness.  It brings exactly the opposite.  I thank you all for your small acts of faith and righteousness.  God sees them, even if others don't.  The smallest acts of kindess, even the ones that are joked about in the church (green jello, quilts, etc.) are some of the greatest acts of faith.  I would encourage all of you to read Elder Hollands talk from the Saturday morning session of the Oct. Conference of 2010.  In English I think it is "Because of your faith".  To this date in my life, I believe it to be the talk that most helped me understand what it is to be a member of this church.  Love you all.  Elder Johnson

our house.. the last apartment on top.

Elder R with his guitar and me trying really hard to write a letter

My new toy that I bought me and had some boys from the street teach me how to use (a TOP)

Friend spideer