April 23, 2012 - Chilean Pizza and Polgas!

Hey family! How goes it! 

  Sounds like Leo Carrillo was an epic trip like always! Tons of good memories there!

  We had an epic week also! We have found a bunch of great people!

  We found one lady who is from Washington. She is here teaching English. We found her one day contacting these apartments. It was weird because she opened the door and did the Chilean kiss thing so that caught us by surprise, and then she started talking in English, so I was like whoa whoa whoa. I started trying to spit out some English stuff but just made myself look like a goof. So finally we made another appointment to go back. And we went back and taught the Restoration, and found out that her boyfriend is a less active member, and that they’re getting married next month! So it is great! They are great we just got to get her to read and pray more. But she grew up going to church dances with her friends, and her grandpa is a member and her ancestors are pioneers! They are awesome! Yesterday we shared about the Atonement and it went quite well. So pray for them her name is Jessica and her fiancée is named Jacob!

  And we also found another family. The mom and the dad are both Carabineros, or the Chilean Police so they are sweet and they have little kids.

  And we had a sweet week with Ines. She is an Evangelical, and really active in that church. Elder Robinette and Elder Ellsworth were able to get into their house on a mini exchange and they gave her husband a blessing. And she is reading in the Book of Mormon and praying. And on Sunday with a little  persistence she came to sacrament! So it was sweet! But then one of the sisters took her home after sacrament (whole other story) So I was a little mad because she was gonna stay for the whole church! But o well I hope it goes better the next week!

  And we are teaching Carmen and her family. They are great! The live on top of this hill in the middle of two hills. They are great they like listening to us, but they always travel outside of town to visit family on the weekend, so pray for them that they can find it in themselves to make it to church!

  And Elder Arancibia is great. He’s from La Serena Chile. He’s funny, he’s always eating something. We work great together, and we have seen a bunch of great things happen and it’s only the start of the combio. He’s here for the right reasons and an example for me!

  And we are still on the hunt for a house. We bought a newspaper that says all of the houses and apartments that are for sell, but everything costs a lot here. So hopefully we find a new one sooner than later.

 I’ve been doing some jump roping in the morning, and it’s sweet! It turns you into a stud! O and Elder Rancibia had his birthday this week also. So we bought some delivery pizza! It was great!

 And I got my boxes! They are sweet! Thanks everybody who wrote a letter! I love you all! Those letters keep me animated out here!

This week a 70 is coming to the mission! So we gotta get things ready for that, because they use our chapel to do the conferences in. So it’s gonna be sweet! He’s coming to check up on how we are doing with becoming a Preach My Gospel mission! O and something awesome is happening next month!!!!!!! They are breaking the ground for the temple here! The site is like 20 minutes from our house! SO I hope that we can sing or something for it!!!! So pray for us!!

 We have been waiting for that for like 2 years! So maybe I can see some parts of it being built before I leave!

 Well I love you guys a bunch! Have a stellar week!

Stay stoked!

   Elder Johnson

April 16, 2012 - Fat Ties and Good Byes!

Well exchanges came already! I’m staying and Elder Robinette is going to Chiguayante which is a little to the south like 30 minutes of where we are. My new comp is named... well I forgot already but he’s from Chile in the North part. So it’s gonna be sweet!

 We had a great week! We found some great people! We found this one girl whose name is Maritza. She is Ecuadorian, and everyone said she would never listen to the missionaries because she is Catholic, but we just stayed persistent and now has a baptismal date! So it’s great!

  And this Sunday we got Inty to come to church so it was great! I’m pretty sure he had a great time. The class was perfect for him because it was about prayer. And we’ve been trying to get him to pray so that he could receive an answer. So it’s going good with him. We are planning on baptizing him this week but we’ll see how it goes!

  For our last District Meeting it was great I left really uplifted because everyone commented and pitched in, I just wasn’t standing up their saying stuff, I find that when everyone talks, and just by asking a few simple questions great things come to pass!

 And after District Meeting the Zone Leaders bought this huge bundle of ties. So we had a free grab for like 10 minutes. I got some pretty sweet ties. They are like old school fat ones from like the 70s! They are sweet! And I got some skinny ones. I spent like a half an hour ironing the ties because they were all wrinkled, I got like 60 ties it was sweet! Today I sent a letter to my MTC companion Elder Dotson that is in Rancagua, and I hooked him up with a fatty tie.

  But it’s going great here. We are finding some new people and trying to get people to church so that they can be baptized! We are teaching a lady and her husband their names are Inez and Julio. Julio is blind and has diabetes. So he has like his blood cleaned every other day by this machine, and his wife is nice but grew up in the Evangelical church. She is a little hard headed but we finally got her to commit to going to church this Sunday, because she has read the Book of Mormon, and prayed, and she understands the Restoration. So we are hoping to see some results from that!

 And we are teaching a lady named Jessica. She is a lawyer and the family friend of a great family in our ward. Last night we had a little party for Elder Robinettes birthday at their house and Jessica showed up. She is super Catholic and still believes in the Santos and stuff. But the Dad of the family Brother Marin let her know how it is, and told her that she isn’t doing her part to find out if these things are true. So I’m pretty sure she knows what she is doing and understands everything we have told her. I think she just might have a little trouble letting that stuff go. So pray for her!

  It’s getting colder here for sure! I bought myself a scarf! haha I never have worn one before but I have heard that they are great! And our house is freezing and the other day we saw some mice or rats in our house so we are looking for a new house so we can get out of that place!

  But I’m loving it its gona be a great exchange I’m gonna learn some Chilean slang hopefully! haha

 But enjoy Leo Carrillo! Catch a wave for me and roast a marshmallow also! I love you guys a ton!

  Elder Johnson

April 9, 2012 - El Conejito con un poco de frio!

The last week of the exchange is already here! It goes by so fast.

  But it was a great week though! We are spending a lot of time finding people because no one is sticking to it. So we had some good experiences with that this week.

  We got into a house with 3 college students, and we ended up talking about the Plan of Salvation and answering one of their questions one of which was... do you guys believe in Aliens, and believe that they can come to earth? So that was weird. And then we found a super Evangelical lady, and a deaf older lady who couldn’t understand us and we couldn’t understand her. But things are looking up because we made this map with the Bishop with all of the less active families in our ward. So we are gonna clean that list out and while we are at it we are gonna baptize all of the incomplete families and their kids that aren’t baptized. We haven’t really had that much success yet but we are getting started so well see how it goes!

 We are teaching an Ecuadorian kid named Inty. He’s doing good. He really understands what we teach and wants to find out if the Book of Mormon is true. And he lives with members so it’s great! We just gotta get him and the family to church because they are less active. And they sell Ecuadorian jackets and beanies and scarfs that they make. So they have to work a lot in order to sell a lot. But we have them committed to going this Sunday. So pray for Inty that he can become converted to the gospel and get a strong testimony quick!

 On Saturday we were knocking doors and some drunk guys stopped us and we started talking. Everyone gets drunk for the holidays down here. They call Easter La Semana Santa. So we started talking and then as we were leaving one of the guys shirt said.... Strangers have the best candy, so I said hey I like your t-shirt man, and he said what does it say so I told him what it said in Spanish and English and then he just starts yelling I LOVE CANDY! haha it was so funny, he was like a kind of bigger guy too.

 And for Pday today I had to do another Chilean I D so we got that done early. We got up early and got the papers done and photo copies, and then took it to the Government office. And then after we went and played soccer for a little bit then we watched Cars 2! Because we reached our baptismal goal, so that was sweet! We watched it in Mexican Spanish not normal Spanish. That was one of the settings on it. I liked it a lot, I’m sure it would of been better in English hearing the normal voices but I can’t complain, I liked it!   And then we ate some Mexican food and got ripped off but it was good.

On Thursday I did a mini combio with Elder Lopez because I had to do some baptismal interviews. It was great he’s a good missionary this is his first exchange in the mission. We taught some lessons and I did some interviews and then we ended the night with some churrascos and french fries! Can’t beat that it was good.

  O and our land lady is crazy! She is kicking us out pretty much. They made like a side garage connected to our house for their car and they have 2 lights plugged into our house, and they had all of their power tools plugged into it so we had to pay the electric bill. And in the morning for workouts I do jumping jacks and jumping exercises and she came over and knocked on the door and said we can’t do that anymore because they can hear it. But their house is like 25 yards away from ours. So right now we are looking for a new house. And plus our house is like a refrigerator its freezing in there and it’s still not even winter!

 But that’s about it it’s gonna be a great week. We are having some surprise activity tomorrow for district Class, that the Zone Leaders are putting together so that’ll be sweet. And I’m almost positive I will stay this exchange. But that’s about it for now! It’s getting colder so the winter is near!

 O and Elder Arroyo who was in the office got sent to Talca in Maule to open a sector and now Elder Egan is in the office so that was cool. There is gonna be a bunch of exchanges this exchange because a bunch of people have been in their sectors for 4 combios, so it’s gonna be crazy!

  I love all of you guys a ton! Have a fantastic week!

    Elder Johnson

April 2, 2012 - Chilean Zoo!

Hey how goes it!

  General Conference was fantastic! We all watched it up stairs in the Stake building with all of the English missionaries. And we were able to eat snacks the whole time. And Sister Humphrey made cinnamon rolls it was delicious!

 I got a bunch of notes so it was great. I loved Priesthood session it really animated me!

  This week we found some great people. We got a reference for an Ecuadorian kid who lives with a bunch of members! His name is Inty! And some missionaries worked with him before but now he is listening more, and he wants to know if the Book of Mormon is true! So that’s sweet, and he made it to a couple talks of General Conference. We are gonna have a huge Family Night at their house with a bunch of people so it’s gonna be great! I think we are gonna watch the restoration the long version, so I’m excited for that.

  This week on Tuesday we had District Class, and President Humphrey showed up all of a sudden. And he shared a couple of words so it was cool. It was because we almost broke the record of the most baptisms in the Concepcion Zone ever. But then he came to my District class so it was a little intimidating, and I had to show an example in front of him. But it went great we were all edified together! And I brought some Alfajores of Animo. I bought a pack of the little Chilean Cakes in the Store and wrote Alfajores de Animo on a piece of paper and taped it on the front of the box and busted them out in District Class and they all got stoked, and then I passed them out. So it was sweet. We had a great week.

  Today for P Day we went to the Concepcion Zoo! It was suh weet! There were Tigers, Lions,  Bears, birds, ducks, Llamas and all kinds of animals it was sweet. I got some sweet footage, but the computer isn’t working great so I’ll get it on next time. But I bought some trucker hats, they are sweet!

 Being here in Concepcion I’ve done a bunch of service! I love it! Last week I worked on 2 roofs, and this week I hauled sheet metal up a hill for a roof, and hauled buckets of dirt for an hour to fill in a front porch. So it’s sweet. It always feels good to get the blood pumping, and to share some love. They are always real grateful for the help.

  But I’m still trying to get the sector down. It’s kind of been hit or miss. Some days we get a bunch of lessons in and have some good success but then the next day we spend walking around because everything falls. But I’ve learned just to keep up the faith that everything will work out for the better and to stay animated about everything. I don’t think a reason exists to inanimate yourself. So its a constant battle here. I learn more and more about myself and how things should work and what works best.

  So I’m looking forward to another great week, we have a couple of baptismal prospects so we should see some good things by the end of the month.

  Well I love you guys and hope you all have a great week!

Les quiero,

   Elder Johnson