Saturday, June 11, 2011
May 30, 2011
Querido Familia,
Well, this week has been quite something. This Tuesday, Elder Romero was sick. Because of this, we took a trip to down town Mochis, to the hospital. It was quite the experience. The Bishop of one of the neighboring wards is a doctor, so the missionaries get treated for free. This is a bendicion (blessing). After getting a shot,.... my companion is starting to get better. Wednesday, we had a big meeting with the Mission President, and a member of the Seventy, President de Hoyos. It was very spiritually uplifting and powerful. They taught us many important and useful things on how to be more effective as a missionary. One of the things that I learned, and have been trying to apply in my work is the fact that I am a representative of Jesus Christ, and with this comes the ability to have confidence in my calling. At times this means being very blunt, because it will not help people change their lives by "beating around the bush". This is definitely a new thing for me, because I don´t like to be that confrontational, and at times it is like that. This also means that I have to be a lot more outgoing. There is a part in Preach My Gospel that talks about Talk with Everyone, and I really have been trying to apply this. Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the routine of things, places to go and people to see, that I forget to do this.
I had a really awesome experience this week. Thursday, I was doing splits with Elder Castillo, and this was the day after the conference with President. We were trying to apply the principles that they had taught into our teaching while we were contacting. We were trying to see who could be more outgoing. We saw this man sitting on the sidewalk smoking, while we were knocking doors. I decided to go and try something that Pres. de Hoyos had said, so I went right up to this man, and sat down next to him. I then told him that I had a question for him, and that question was "¿Usted es un escogido?". Basically it means are you a chosen? (Doesn´t really make sense in English) Well, I didn´t really get the response I was hoping for. He gave me a blank look and said "what does that mean?" I was stumped. After a little pause I said "It means that you are ready to take some changes in your life for the better." Really, we could feel the spirit so strong at this moment. After that we taught him a brief lesson. This mission is not about me, this is the Lords work.(Moses 1:39) We are bringing the means of Salvation to His people. When we realize this, and strive to do the things that He would do, He will work Miracles through us.
I love you all so much, and pray for you always.
Con mucho MUCHO amor,
Elder Johnson
Well, this week has been quite something. This Tuesday, Elder Romero was sick. Because of this, we took a trip to down town Mochis, to the hospital. It was quite the experience. The Bishop of one of the neighboring wards is a doctor, so the missionaries get treated for free. This is a bendicion (blessing). After getting a shot,.... my companion is starting to get better. Wednesday, we had a big meeting with the Mission President, and a member of the Seventy, President de Hoyos. It was very spiritually uplifting and powerful. They taught us many important and useful things on how to be more effective as a missionary. One of the things that I learned, and have been trying to apply in my work is the fact that I am a representative of Jesus Christ, and with this comes the ability to have confidence in my calling. At times this means being very blunt, because it will not help people change their lives by "beating around the bush". This is definitely a new thing for me, because I don´t like to be that confrontational, and at times it is like that. This also means that I have to be a lot more outgoing. There is a part in Preach My Gospel that talks about Talk with Everyone, and I really have been trying to apply this. Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the routine of things, places to go and people to see, that I forget to do this.
I had a really awesome experience this week. Thursday, I was doing splits with Elder Castillo, and this was the day after the conference with President. We were trying to apply the principles that they had taught into our teaching while we were contacting. We were trying to see who could be more outgoing. We saw this man sitting on the sidewalk smoking, while we were knocking doors. I decided to go and try something that Pres. de Hoyos had said, so I went right up to this man, and sat down next to him. I then told him that I had a question for him, and that question was "¿Usted es un escogido?". Basically it means are you a chosen? (Doesn´t really make sense in English) Well, I didn´t really get the response I was hoping for. He gave me a blank look and said "what does that mean?" I was stumped. After a little pause I said "It means that you are ready to take some changes in your life for the better." Really, we could feel the spirit so strong at this moment. After that we taught him a brief lesson. This mission is not about me, this is the Lords work.(Moses 1:39) We are bringing the means of Salvation to His people. When we realize this, and strive to do the things that He would do, He will work Miracles through us.
I love you all so much, and pray for you always.
Con mucho MUCHO amor,
Elder Johnson
May 23, 2011
How are you all doing. Me? I´m great! You know I really love the cold (snow, ice, freezing, sledding, etc. you get the point) I have never been a big fan of the heat, and so where am I.... You can´t tell me God doesn´t have a sense of humor! It´s okay though, because just about everybody tells me that it is just starting, and it doesn´t get bad until June, July, and August.
It is really crazy how fast the weeks fly by here. We are already starting the middle week of this transfer. Literally, the days are starting to mesh together. I have a hard time singling out what happened yesterday. I have realized how important it is that I write things down in my planner and journal or they will be lost together with all the other experiences.
This week was great, we found some new investigators who really have potential. Se llaman Lupita, Anna, y Ivan. They are really bright, and have been accepting the teachings well. Our Presidente de Misión has told us that nothing happens here in the mission by coincidence. I know that this is true, because yesterday, I had an experience that really reaffirmed this point. We passed by the house of one of our investigators to give them a ride to the church, and they weren´t home. Then, we were in the church, waiting, hoping that the others would arrive. None came. (We found out later in our meeting with the Ward Mission Leader that there actually was an investigator, but we had never met him. Yayyyy) I will not lie though, I was a little desanimado (discouraged). We then left because that is the rule, and we went to work contacting.
After chatting with some drunks, we found this man, Alejandro, who is ready to change his life. He told us that he drinks, and he doesn´t know how to stop, but that he wants help. He invited us to his house to teach him and his family! We never would have found him if we had been at church, because he lives out on a little ranch, and was only in the city for work. God was preparing a way for him to receive this opportunity. We really can see miracles daily.
Have you ever read Jesus the Christ? I never tried to read it before, but it really is such a good book. Literally it was inspired. I think that someone told me that James E. Talmage wrote it while in the temple. All I know is that I really enjoy reading it, because of all the references. I started looking up the scriptures and found myself really intently studying of the scriptures. I really NEVER thought that I would say it, but studying the scriptures really is a lot of fun. I find daily, that I never have enough time to study. Weird huh? Yeah, I know.. I´m a nerd.
With lots of Love,
Elder Johnson
It is really crazy how fast the weeks fly by here. We are already starting the middle week of this transfer. Literally, the days are starting to mesh together. I have a hard time singling out what happened yesterday. I have realized how important it is that I write things down in my planner and journal or they will be lost together with all the other experiences.
This week was great, we found some new investigators who really have potential. Se llaman Lupita, Anna, y Ivan. They are really bright, and have been accepting the teachings well. Our Presidente de Misión has told us that nothing happens here in the mission by coincidence. I know that this is true, because yesterday, I had an experience that really reaffirmed this point. We passed by the house of one of our investigators to give them a ride to the church, and they weren´t home. Then, we were in the church, waiting, hoping that the others would arrive. None came. (We found out later in our meeting with the Ward Mission Leader that there actually was an investigator, but we had never met him. Yayyyy) I will not lie though, I was a little desanimado (discouraged). We then left because that is the rule, and we went to work contacting.
After chatting with some drunks, we found this man, Alejandro, who is ready to change his life. He told us that he drinks, and he doesn´t know how to stop, but that he wants help. He invited us to his house to teach him and his family! We never would have found him if we had been at church, because he lives out on a little ranch, and was only in the city for work. God was preparing a way for him to receive this opportunity. We really can see miracles daily.
Have you ever read Jesus the Christ? I never tried to read it before, but it really is such a good book. Literally it was inspired. I think that someone told me that James E. Talmage wrote it while in the temple. All I know is that I really enjoy reading it, because of all the references. I started looking up the scriptures and found myself really intently studying of the scriptures. I really NEVER thought that I would say it, but studying the scriptures really is a lot of fun. I find daily, that I never have enough time to study. Weird huh? Yeah, I know.. I´m a nerd.
With lots of Love,
Elder Johnson
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