Jake Eating Fish and Menudo (cow stomach)

Looks a little questionable to me!!!

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April, 9. 2012 BOUGHT MY FIRST HOUSE! Well, I have to be quicker today because there is a lot of work to do. Just to let you know I am good on shoes. I don’t really need any for now and thanks for the Easter package. I got it this week when I went to Villahermosa. This week I gave a talk at the EFY conference that they had here in Mexico. I received the special assignment from my mission president and got to speak to the youth with him. Everyone died laughing over my comments. I used you in my talk mom. My job was to pump kids up to go on a mission. I told them that my mother always told me I shouldn’t be such a picky eater because maybe I would go to Mexico and have to eat menudo…cow stomach…and I talked about preparing to go on my mission. I got them really excited I think, and then President Castenada got them really excited as well. He had an amazing talk as always, he is so powerful. I went to the consejo (council) this week with all the zone leaders of the mission which was a great experience. In addition I bought my first house ever this week!!!! We had to change houses so we went and bought a new one. Haha It’s pretty nice and it was really fun moving and everything! Everyone is so worried about me being so skinny. Well the reason is because it’s 100 degrees here and all I eat is menudo (cow stomach) and fish in a bowel of water! We will be skyping I think at Mother’s Day, anyway that is what my comp says. I love you all tons and thanks for being my inspiration. Love Elder Johnston

April 2, 2012 I miss you so much. My comp was just saying that it is weird to think I haven’t seen you all in so long…and it is!!! You are not the same at all and I’m way different as well. We have all changed and it will be way way hard to come back to the real world. I have no idea what I will do… It’s sad and I thought I would never say this but I am kind of scared… IDK what I am going to do at all. The world is such a sad difficult place and not being in the world where I am right now is such an amazing experience. You know that I am loving my life and mission every second. I learned so much from the conference this session. Hearing the words of the Prophet and apostles brought tears to my eyes. I hope Roxy get feeling better and all is well back at home. Elder Smith is an amazing missionary and I have learns so much from him. He is going to be a professional guitar player someday. I swear he sings like Jack Johnson my favorite artist. I fall asleep listening to him play the guitar. Well, I have a Mina to conquer so I better get started…I love you and pray for you always. Love Elder Johnston

March 26, 2012 Dad I have lots and lots more work to do here in Mina… I almost never have any time now. I love you tons and thank you for all the great advice . You always help me in every situation and I am so thankful for you. You should keep following those missionaries blogs. You might be surprised who the companion is of the Elder Smith you were talking about. Maybe you can say it’s ironic. I am fine and I hope you are as well. Be safe and stay worthy to enter into the presence of the Lord. Mom I am serving here in Mina now and have tons and tons of pressure on me because I have to do the same thing over again that I did in Palenque. I have been called to do a work that is so much bigger than myself here in Mina. It is hard because my heart is in Palenque. I left everything there. I will slowly build my relationship with the members and start to fill the church and open the over flow section like I have done in the past. I will complete what the Lord has called me to do. The feelings of it, the work, and having to forget about the people I love in Palenque hurts my heart so much. I am fine so don‘t worry…Prayer has always helped me in my hardest times and I have resorted to the Lord to help me. I feel like where I am is a good place I just have to get use to it. It will take a few weeks. The people…are in love with the old missionaries and it will be hard to win their confidence trust, and hearts. It’s like the story of my life, that I will have to prove myself again and rise to the top and prove that I am a representative of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.. I have a great comp who is teaching me so much and I feel so so humbled. It’s such a humbling experience and I have learned so much. Well, this week was good. It was frustrating because there are lots of problems here in the ward. We are finding them out and now it is time to go to work. As well, I officially completed one of my goals…I completed the worldly goal I had coming into the mission…I will send you a picture. It was amazing and I think you will understand what happened. I had to talk my way into it so so much, you know how persuasive I am haha. I also talked with the professional baseball team’s coach that is here in Mina to see if some of the missionaries and I could come and play on the baseball field. It will be way cool. My comp and I are going to be motivational speakers to the baseball players. We are going to teach them about the word of wisdom and the law of chastity. They in turn are going to let us play on the field. It will be a lot of fun but we will see what happens. I’ll let you know, but…. how many people teach a professional baseball team on their mission?!!!!! As well, they want us to pump them up to win…it will be great!!! Well, my companion is…..Elder Bradley Smith, the same one that dad has been following his blog and the one dad wrote a letter to. Pretty crazy huh??? But he is my comp and is great… I love him and I can tell we are going to be good friends. Well, I love you tons and stay safe! Elder Johnston

March, 19, 2012 Well, I don’t have as lot of time today because I have some bad news…well, not bad but just a change, I am way sad. The mission is an experience that no one can understand. I’m leaving Palenque. I’m going to Minatitian Mexico. It’s very sad. Last night the members had a bon fire for me because they all knew I might be leaving. Then in the middle I got the phone call and I had to give the announcement that I was leaving. They asked me to say a few words. It was really sad because the last time I felt like that mom is when I left you for the last time. I got up and expressed my feelings. It was so hard and I don’t usually cry but in front of everybody I cried like a little baby. I love them. I really feel like they are my family, imagine that…haha I never thought that would ever happen in my whole life but God works in ways that we can’t understand. Don’t get me wrong mom, I miss you everyday, how could I forget my mother…your mine aha and always will be. Nothing can change that. I love you all but I now have a family here as well. Imagine how much I love you and you love me…that’s how it is here. Every person cried on my shoulder and I theirs…so hard I feel like my heart is ripped out of my chest. I know God sent me here for a purpose and this is it… I went to the temple Saturday…President gave me special permission to go with the ward….And the ward bought me new shoes. Imagine people who have literally nothing all pitched in to buy me new shoes because mine had holes in them in all places….How am I not suppose to love them and make them part of my life? I can’t wait to explain it all to you on Mother’s Day. It’s really hard right now because I have to go and get ready. I will explain more later. I love you so much and I will be coming home soon. Remember what family stands for Father and Mother I Love You Love Elder Johnston