October 31, 2011 - Dia de Brujulas

The whole zone!

Hey everybody! How have you all been!

 To answer all of your guys questions, yes Chileans celebrate Halloween! They sell candy and costumes in the stores. Chile does a lot of the same stuff as The States.

   We had a great week down here! It definitely is getting closer to summer! Yesterday we walked from the chapel to lunch and we were dripping sweat! It’s great! I’m finally defrosting! haha

 We found some new people this week, and we did a good amount of contacts. We kept ourselves busy!

  I went on a mini exchange with Elder Daines again on Thursday. Also on Thursday we had a mini conference! We thought the conference was just for our zone and the other zone in Talca but we showed up and all of the Zones on the outside were there! It was great, it’s always fun seeing old buddies. The conference was about Preach My Gospel the missionary manual. It was great the President his wife and the assistants all taught us about how it is the key to becoming great missionaries, and how we are gonna turn into a Preach My Gospel mission! It was great The Preach My Gospel book is definitely inspired and here to help us become more like our brother Jesus Christ, if you don’t have one get one!

 Sunday was great we had 4 investigators in church! Yisenia came she is getting baptized this Saturday! After church she asked me what time her baptism was at! She is great! She has read more than half the Book of Mormon in about 4 weeks!

 And Gulliermo and his family came! They are great we just need to teach them a little more and give them a baptismal date! But they are great! But your prayers are helping tremendously! Keep it up gracias!

  Last night we did some divisions towards the end of the night. Then we came back and I called in numbers then I watched Mount of The Lord. Then I went to bed at 11:30 like usual. And I couldn’t fall asleep because I was thinking about transfers. Then at like midnight our District leader Elder Raley calls and says do you want to know combios! haha So I said of course and he said Elder Pitti is going to Chillan Nuble! That’s almost to Concepcion. Then he said you wanna know what you are doing Elder Johnson and I said tell me!!! He said you are training! I was shocked! But stoked! I’m gonna have a son! So tomorrow I go down to Concepcion early in the morning to pick up a greeny! I still think I’m green but hey it’s all about the adventure and your faith in the Lord right! So I’m excited for this opportunity to introduce a new missionary to the work! It’s gonna be great!

Chilean lifeguard stand!

   But that’s about it! I’ll tell you guys how the first week goes! And the baptism! Lucky guy gets a baptism his first week in Chile!

 Thanks for the love, prayers and wishes! Much appreciated!

  Have a good week everyone!

    les quiero,

 Elder Pitti and I!

                   Elder Johnson

October 10, 2011 - Soccer Mondays!

Elder Pitti and I had a good week. We did a lot of work. We got 4 investigators to church! That was awesome! We were way excited!

  On Friday it rained. It was random. We were looking for this one house, so we knocked on the house we thought it was but it wasn’t. But she let us in and we taught her and we got a return appointment. So that was pretty cool. But when we left her house it was raining and hailing, and thundering! haha So we ran across the street and got an investigator and we walked to a member’s house to teach her. It was great because she was willing to go walk in the rain to be taught usually they just say no im busy! But she is great! She told us she didn’t really want to be taught anymore and didn’t feel like being baptized but we read Alma 32 ,27-28 about trying your faith. And we told her that she hasn’t even been to church yet so she can’t say she doesn’t like it. but she loved church! She went to class with the Young Women. And she liked it! And she read like 10 chapters of the Book of Mormon so that was great! So keep her in your prayers please!

  Then we also had another family come to church. We had the Grandma her son and the son’s daughter. They liked church a lot to! And we passed by their house later on Sunday night, and they told us that they felt like their baptismal date is to close and that they don’t know too much. But we just let them know through our testimonies that if they gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and they know that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that is sufficient enough to be baptized, and we let them know that they need to pray and keep reading and it changed their mind. So we need to work with them real closely. On Saturday we stopped by to teach them but they left us a note because her little brother got sick so they had to leave. But it was cool because they actually remembered that we were coming and were nice enough to leave a note! Somebody actually noticed! haha A lot of people notice us actually haha. Whenever we walk in the streets all the kids yell "hello"! haha it’s funny and then we yell hello back and ask if the speak English and then they run away! it’s pretty funny

   Today we went to some soccer courts and we played futbol as a Zone it was pretty fun! Our team dominated! We had an Elder from Honduras who is pretty good. I scored some goals for all of you guys! haha But it was fun then of course we went to Mickey Ds after! I got a Big Mac and a sundae! that’s one of the best parts of the weeks. The other part is sharing the Gospel!

  But it was a great week, my testimony of prayer and church was strengthened. I always look forward to going to church after a long hard week and being able to take the Sacrament and start over again, there is no greater feeling.

   I love you guys! Keep our investigators in your prayers! Have a great week!

             les quiero,

                            Elder Johnson

October 3, 2011 - Conference!

We had a good week down here. We found a lot of new investigators this week so that was great! The sector was pretty much dead when I got here. But now we have found some more people to work with! So we are excited. We just have to get the help of the people in the ward, and we will just be dandy!

 Conference was great! I got a bunch of notes! All of the gringos watched it upstairs in English. So we were all eating snacks while we were watching! haha But I loved it! We had an investigator go and it was her first one and she loved it to! We are going to baptize her this weekend. But she is going to get baptized in Curico because that is where she has been going to church.

 I liked the one talk from the second counselor in the Sunday School presidency. He talked about how we need to fix the way we teach so that the Spirit can teach through us. It was great, it is the one thing we are always trying to work on here. We are always trying to become more efficient in our teaching with the Spirit. We teach investigators not lessons is the saying! But it goes along with any calling in the church. We have learned that it is the Spirit who teaches not us. And it is the Spirit that converts the member or the investigator. It was an awesome talk.

  This week we were contacting in this apartment complex area. And we walked by some steps to go up and there was a dog under them barking at us. So we had to jump up the steps so it couldn’t bite our feet! Then we ran up and the dog ran up and I slammed the gate shut! haha it was way close! Then we walked up and found out that it was the wrong stairs! haha so we knocked anyways and they didn’t listen. Then I asked the lady to help us with the dog and she walked down and we walked. Then we went to the next steps, and knocked and we talked to the lady we needed to talk to, then we looked and saw that the dog was sleeping, and we walked down with an eye on the dog, then it woke up! haha So I started to run! haha and the dog started chasing us and barking and I was like uh oh! Its Kobe time! but the dog stopped! it was crazy! I know without a doubt that the Lord was watching over us two missionaries that day.

  Today for P Day we cleaned the house a little bit, then we went and took our suits to get dry cleaned, then we played soccer with our district, then we went to McDonalds! haha I ate a Big Mac, then we came here to internet, we still gotta go buy food for the week! It has been a fun P Day!

 But I’m looking forward to this week. We really gotta find and focus on the people that want to listen to us and follow the example of Jesus Christ. It’s gonna be a great week here in Cancha Rayada Talca!

   les quiero,

                  Elder Johnson

September 26, 2011 - New Week New Sector!

Another week and a new sector! We had a good week Elder Pitti and I! We are planning on having a baptism this Saturday before conference! The sector that I am in now is a big one. Just about as big as my first sector I was in in Curico! So we do a lot of walking! It’s hot now to! We are kind of in the desert here. So we can spend most of the day in just a shirt! No more umbrellas or jackets! haha
  The ward I’m in is great we get a lot of help from them. We have found a lot of new investigators this week so that is great! We are hoping to find more this week since we will have more time. The girl who we are going to baptize on Saturday goes to church in Curico were I was. haha so that’s pretty funny!
  On Saturday we went to this house to teach a lesson, and we were inside talking to them, and all of a sudden the power went out in all of Chile!  it was crazy! So we waited outside for a little bit, then we left, and we went to this reference that we got from a family. And we knocked on the door and she came outside and it was this old lady. It was pitch black you couldn’t see anything but she let us in. And we taught her about baptism and the Holy Ghost by candle light, and she committed to the 22nd of October, and she committed to going to church the next day! She can barely walk it hurts her legs real bad but she came to all of church! that was a miracle, she really felt the Spirit she is a trooper. She liked all of it too!   So that was one of the coolest things that happened here so far.
 Today for P Day the Talca Centro Zone and Elder Daines, Elder Chilcote and Elder Pitti and I from our zone we all went to the Cerro de La Virgen to fly volantines! They are kites. It took about 45 minutes walking through the city, and a little bit walking up the hill, it was really cool! I meant to take pictures but the brand new batteries that I bought this morning somehow died right when I put them in the camera! haha just my luck. But the kites that they use here are old fashioned it is just a couple of wood sticks and tissue paper But somehow it works and they fly them like 300 feet in the air! Only one Elder was able to get his to go high, there wasn’t that much wind though either. but it still was way fun! I got mine kind of going but only like 30 feet. But it was a fun activity!
 I also did a mini combi this week with Elder Daines. He is the Zone Leader here we were both in Curico my first 3 combios so that is pretty cool. But I came to their sector, and worked there for the day. it was fun we found a couple new investigators, and taught a couple lessons. The other zone leaders from Talca Centro live there to. Elder Glass and Elder Zepeda. They are cool, we played basketball in the morning on Friday.
  But that’s about it, we had a good week! Loving it here! Elder Pitti and I are keeping the Lords work moving here in Cancha Rayada!
            Thanks for the prayers and the support!
      les quiero,
                      Elder Johnson

Elder Pitti & I

September 19, 2011 - Cancha Rayada!

A picture of most of our sector

We had a good week, it was hard to teach a lot because it was the biggest holiday in Chile this week! It was there Independence Day this weekend. The last 2 nights our neighbors had music blasting till 5 in the morning! It was crazy! they go all out here! We ate a lot of empanadas and soda! haha
  Our ward had a ward party and Elder Wixom and I we dressed up like Huasos! Those are Chilean cowboys! haha I took and old blanket we had in the house and I cut it into a poncho to wear and I bought a Huaso hat for 1.500 pesos, like 3 bucks! We took pictures as Huasos in District class and everybody gave me a hard time because  my poncho looked like carpet! But I thought it was sweet looking! haha And everyone thought we were pretty cool at the ward party! We had P Day on Saturday and are allowed to write a little bit today on Monday.
 For Pday we went up to the hills with a couple youth to go cut some branches that they use to decorate, they have like yellow flowers on them, that was pretty cool. Then after we caught a bus to Tome and we played Ultimate Frisbee with the zone on the beach! Then after we came back to our sector and we played soccer with a couple of little kids, one is Juan who we baptized and the other was Juampi the son of Bernarda who we are working with right now.
  Bernarda is doing great! She is one of our best investigators. She has strengthened her testimony a lot. On Friday we stopped by her house to teach her and we asked her how she was doing. We talked to her, and we read a couple of scriptures to strengthen her faith and to keep her going, the spirit was so strong there. Now she is happy she feels way better and is excited to be baptized with her son Juampi in a couple weeks! So we are way excited about that!
 On Friday we had a Zone Conference in Concepcion, and Elder Richards of the 70 came! He talked to us about The Holy Ghost and how it does everything, and that how we need to become better teachers, and teach more simply. It was great he is just full of the Spirit and Faith. He is great, I got a bunch of notes from that conference! And it pumped us up to work harder and to have faith in the Lord and the miracles that he can work through us. It was great.
  And this morning we received transfers, and I’m going to Talca! haha into one sector and off to another! It’s called Cancha Rayada! My companion is named Elder Piti, he’s from Panama! haha I’m stoked he is starting his 3rd transfer, so we are both a little new it’s gonna be great! So today I said bye to everyone at the ward party, and they were all sad to see me go after being here for one transfer, they all thought Elder Wixom was leaving because he has been here for 6 months! But Elder Wixom is going to be District Leader and Train here! He’s excited! He’s a stud of a missionary, I’ve learned a lot from him.
  And since they all found out I was leaving the Bishop had me come up on the stage and say bye then everyone started shouting "baile baile baile"! So they made me put on the poncho and hat and I danced the Cueca! haha it was pretty funny. I didn’t know what I was doing up there haha it’s a real cool dance though! It’s what the Chilean cowboys dance. It looks like what the Roosters do when they try to get the attention of a hen, it’s really cool.
  That was our week pretty much! Haha a lot of music and culture, and the Gospel! You can’t beat that!
  I love you guys and thanks for everything, and especially the prayers! Tell Grandpa J Feliz Cumpleaños from Chile y que espero que loscumpla sus años feliz!
  con mucho cariño,
                             Elder Johnson

Me at the beach in Tome!

September 12, 2011 - Sunny Days in the land of the Huasos!

Elder Wixom and I we had a great week, we taught some lessons did a lot of contacts and we baptized 2 people! It was great. One of them has been going to church for a year and a half without being baptized! So it was a relief to finally see them get baptized and to receive the Holy Ghost.  After much prayer and fasting the Lord performed a miracle and now there is a new member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!   Now we are working with the rest of the family.  They are a great family.  We had some Churri Panes the other day, and after the baptism we went over there and they had a bunch of chips cake, and some hotdogs that were cut up and meat. In Chile they give you a fork and you stab a little piece of meat and dip it in mustard or Aji and eat it! haha. It was good and they gave us 2 emapanadas too!
  This weekend in Chile is their Independence Day. The 18th So that’s Sunday so that can’t have parties on that day, so Saturday they are having a party at 5 at the church they are going to eat a bunch of stuff and do some things, then on Monday morning they are going to go back to the church to dance the Cueca, and have breakfast and they have games for the little kids. The Cueca is a real cool dance, it’s what the Huasos dance it’s supposed to be like a Rooster trying to catch the attention of the hen its super cool!
 And all of the kids have these little tops that they throw on the ground and a lot of kids fly kites. They are called voluntines in Spanish, and they fight them in the air and they try to cut the cord of the other persons kite!  It’s pretty sweet.
  Today for our PDay we went to Tome and we played some Ultimate Frisbee! And football! It was pretty cool! There was this dog running around trying to grab the frisbee and he would take our feet out as he ran by. haha it was funny, and then after we went to this little restaurant t and had a Churrasco. It’s like a hamburger but with just avocado, tomatoe, I got an egg, and some shredded meat. They are super good!
 The weather has been pretty nice, it is kind of hot today so it’s great! After 9 months of winter it’s about time the heat comes! haha
  But we are really stoked about our sector we have a lot of help from the ward, and the Lord puts people in our way to teach and help bring them closer to Him
  I know that God has a made a Plan for every single one of us, and he wants us to be happy while we are here on this earth. And that’s why The Gospel was restored through Joseph Smith by Jesus Christ who is the head of His church today. I’m grateful for this gospel and the blessings and the blessings will keep coming as long as we obey our covenants and keep all of the commandments.

 I love you guys thanks for your prayers and love! 

les quiero, Elder Johnson

                

September 5, 2011 - Spring is Almost in the air!

 We had a good week. We taught a lot of lessons. We went on splits last night with a couple guys in our ward so we could catch up on our lessons. So that was cool. Our ward gives us a lot of support so that is great.
  We are planning on baptizing two people this week!  We are hoping to baptize a girl who has been going to church for about a year and a half and still hasn’t been baptized. She has had some trouble with her family supporting her. But we have worked hard on getting her to pray and fast for it. So we are looking forward to seeing her get baptized!
 We found this one lady who lives in front of a couple we’ve taught. We have taught her about the Restoration of the Church, and about the Book of Mormon. She is real interested and likes to read!  We are hoping to baptize her in a couple of weeks along with her son. She even came to church yesterday and liked it! She just wants to learn about the Book of Mormon and the Bible. So that is great!
 It rained a couple of days here, but winter is slowly coming to a stop so we are excited to start heading into summer! The Chilean Independence day is on the 18th of September so everyone is getting ready for that! All of the wards have big parties and they dance and eat a lot of food! I heard that Chile pretty much shuts down for a couple of days! haha
 But that’s about it, pray for our investigators that they can receive their answers to help them be able to enter in the waters of baptism! Thanks for everything that you guys do. I am lucky to have family and friends like you guys who support me and the work of the Lord.
 Have a good week!

                         les quiero,
                             Elder Johnson