February 20, 2012

Wow!  It sounds like you had a big weekend!   That’s cool to hear about Garrett and how he is.  I know that how he has changed is real.  Who ever goes on a mission with real intent to serve the Lord and no one else but Him, will change you no matter what the circumstances.  I’m happy to hear that he has had that great change in his life.  I figure that that’s what this life is…something that came to mind is that the only thing that is sure is change…  I feel like we are here on earth to change.  If we don’t learn to change then we are not completing our purpose here in this life.  God the Eternal Father sent us here to learn to gain earthly experiences and apply what we have learned.   Why do you think He gave us 7 dispensations??  7 days in a week and a whole millennium after it all the extra credit of our homework…it’s so that we can learn to change.  I have felt like when I return home I don’t want to stay the same person as I am now but keep changing daily becoming more and more like the Savior.
     I read today in the Doctrine and Covenants section 50...those who listen to the spirit will receive light and if they use it they will receive more and more light…and that’s how it should be….I am way pumped for your talk mom.  You should be really happy for the great opportunity.  And apart from that, the topic that you have is amazing.  I was actually thinking about that the other day.  When someone calls us asking how to get to our house we have to give them directions to arrive safely and in a timely manner.  You are never going to send them on a path that is longer than needed think about it…When they call you are going to say..”Take a left then two rights then when you see that blue house on the corner you are not going to stop but keep going one more block and you will see a dirt road…when you go down the dirt road you will see a wood house……..still not my house but it’s the one in front…..
     Okay that was a joke but you are going to tell them the fastest way home….It’s the same with the Lord,  He has given us the safest happiest way possible to go back with Him.  We have the scriptures , we have the prophets, we have teachers, we have a Savior, we have a family.  He has given us so much stuff and like a GPS system…prayer with a new uploaded system of the Holy Ghost!!haha  Really the gospel is amazing and I could really write about it all day long if I had the opportunity.  Actually, I kind of get mad when someone goes into sacrament meeting and everyone can be there and all of them hear the same words and same talks and the same santa cena… sacrament I think that is it in English… and the thing I don’t get is how some one can truly get it…and the other sitting right next to him doesn’t, like a Bishop.  Maybe the Bishop gets it and understands the message even brings tears to his eyes but his counselor is doing the fake asleep thing.  They are both there…I think that is the spirit…how one can understand because he has the spirit and is close to it.   It’s like we are right now.  How many radio waves are passing right through us right now in this very moment?  There are millions and millions…why can’t we hear them??  Well, first off we need something.. a device of some sort… like a walky talky, then we can tune into the station… something basic.  It’s the same to hear and understand the spirit we need a device…think about what that could be…now when you have that and you are diligent seeking the channel of radio you will find it and understand the message, understand the sacrament, and understand what it is that the Lord wants you to understand and hear and build your testimony and establish yourself on the rock of righteousness.  That’s what I am trying to do everyday of my mission and life.  I pray I will always be able to have this device ready to go in my hands when I need to so I can hear the spirit when the Lord needs me to do something for Him.  Now that device is what we all have to find.  What is the device you need to find, the spirit and pick up on His radio frequency.
     Well, this week was good. I don’t have much to say this week but I love you.  I pray for you and you are very special to me.  I thank you for my life you have given me and all the teachings I have and through my juvenile stages of life.
Love
Elder Johnston

February 13, 2012

I got the package thanks a ton.  I loved it and you will never know how much it meant to me.  It was the best package in the world.  I have been showing everyone the pics haha.  I about cried when I opened it.  My comp and I stayed up watching the pics and I had to explain everything haha it’s great thanks so much for it.  I love you tons.
   The guy I baptized, we called an area seventy, an apostle and he gave us permission.  I have to go, I don’t have a lot of time.

Love Elder Johnston

February 6, 2012

We had another great week this week.  We had changes as well.  The other Elders moved out of our house to another town not far away.  So the house is nice and quiet and good to study.    In the changes nothing happened to me I’m staying here.  It’s because I will be training a new missionary and I will be with him 12 weeks but then I am leaving Palanque…more than a year honestly.  I love it.  The great thing is they are putting an international airport here so I will be able to come when I want in about 3 years haha,  It’s great.
 Lately I have been studying 2 Nephi and I love the words of Isaiah.  They are amazing and I am learning so much about the doctrine.
     This week we finally baptize the guy that had killed 6 people, Miguel Angel and it was a very special baptism.  We are working hard.
      I feel like this is like my home now.  Don’t worry it is not to make you feel bad mom…haha  it is just that I love this place so much and I never want to leave.  I tell everyone it is my home and that I am looking for land to buy so to keep their eyes out for good place to build a home, haha.    I love it so much.  I have been part of such a big change here and the people love me like I am part of such a big family here.  I love them so much and I have my testimony, and I can’t even talk about the people here because I start to cry a little in my heart.  I’m always crying for them.
     Don’t worry about your calling mom the Lord still has lots of planned for you and I am so happy you are receiving spiritual revelation.  Joseph Smith said with out revelation we can’t enter into the Kingdom of God…crazy.
     I think you should look to start applying for my schools where I’m going to go, no???  I think if I am going to start…apply to BYU and Dixie and IDK where ever just see where I can get in…I’m kind of freaked about it that I won’t be able to get in in time so if you could just check it out.
    Well, I will leave dad with this scripture.  I felt it was for him, this week, in my heart when I read it…D&C 31:2
I love you all so much!!!
Love
Elder Johnston

January 30, 2012

Well, this week was amazing I felt like  a servant of the Lord working in His hands and I feel Him shaping and forming me, as much as I let Him.  I’m trying to give my life to Him but it’s harder than it seems at times, even in the mission.  It was a spiritual week with tons of stuff that happened.
     I’ll start out by saying the baptism didn’t work out like we all had planned because Chamuko is a devil…means the devil is a devil, haha!!!
I hate him so much.  We had it all planned, ready to go but at the last minute our two buses we had rented, called and said the buses broke down and we couldn’t use them…. Seeing that the people here don’t just have the money to fork over to go there, we just did it in the church and it was normal.  The mission president didn’t come and neither did the apostle.  It’s okay because it was still amazing.
     So, Saturday we had a baptism of 9 people and it was amazing.  I truly felt how the Lord has helped me change this place!!!!!  I got there Saturday and there were kids playing outside and programs going on and young men and young women activities and a huge baptismal service…I said now it is like a ward in the states…I swear we have changed this place to be just like a ward in the states and my president said they are now going to make this branch a stake center!!!!!  I’m so happy for them.  I love the people here and they all love me and I feel like it’s my home.  I had strange feelings like I never want to leave this place, I just love it so much.
     Then the baptism…the only thing we need now to be like Americans are things like running water…we didn’t have water…so I  called the fire department for a line of water and they came and filled the baptismal font for us!!!    INSPIRATION !!!!  It was sick.  Then I baptized like third in line.  I baptized a mom and two kids, then went and changed my clothes and when I got out…THEY WERE STILL BAPTIZING!!!!   That’s how many baptisms we had…
     The confirmations the next day took 40 minutes in sacrament meeting.  It was such a great experience.  I confirmed them as well.  I loved every second.  One kid who wanted nothing to do in the church, I let baptize his cousin and now he wants to go on a mission….  I know that I am giving a small part of my life to the Lord but it is so worth it and I know that even though it is small it is affecting this place.
   That’s amazing about the temple  and I’m positive we were doing it at the same time!!  That is how the spirit works… it testifies of the truth of all things.  What an amazing experience.
     Now about my tooth…  My tooth kept falling out and I just couldn’t handle it any more because walking and talking with my branch president one day and it literally flew out of my mouth!!  But being athletic still I bobbled it caught it in the middle of the street if you can imagine that!  It was bad so he took me to a dentist.  The mission said…oh we don’t cover for things like this you should have done this before… which I did!  So I was so scared because it is a dentist…IN MEXICO!!!  Mom I swear if you knew what I have been through you would die!
     I walked in an explained it to the dentist…”I just need you to glue it back in.”  This man was racist to start…and with a cuss word every other word  like a hick says…”this is the worst piece of crap I have ever seen and you need to tell your dentist he doesn’t know anything and I would beat the crap out of him if I knew who he was.  He doesn’t know anything about this!!!!!!” And went on and on for like 20 minutes about how in the states they charge you by how long you talk to them and not the work and that we suck  I finally said….”PUT THE TOOTH IN MY MOUTH AND GLUE IT!  I’M ALREADY PISSED DON’T MAKIE IT WORSE!!!!  So he did it!  I was so mad but all he did was shove a bunch of glue…who knows it could have been Elmer’s glue for all I know, and now I don’t bite down straight and it looks like I have white stuff on my tooth.  Haha  SOOOO BAD I AM SO MAD…It’s fine though I’m over it…
     I helped my branch president get organized this week by drawing lines with a permanent marker on a white board and organizing his callings, recent converts, inactives,  the youth and new baptisms for 6 months.  It isn’t finished yet but we are getting there.
     Thanks dad for reading my letter to the young men.  I wrote that a long time ago, back in my first area and just found it in my binder.  I forgot to send it and so that is from when I was back in Coatzacoalcos.   I hope the young men liked it and are doing well.  I hope they take the words to their hearts .
     Our President gave us a powerful conference this week.  He said something that is so true.  How is it that we can sometimes go to a sacrament meeting and all of us can see the same thing or hear the same words but we don’t all get the message or feel the spirit like we should.  A prophet said that we should leave the sacrament meeting every time with tears running down our face. haha How amazing   Why is it that we can’t feel that every time?  And have a spiritual experience every Sunday like that…something I have learned to do on my mission.  I will tell you later more about that.
 I hope all is going really well over there in Fallon.  I saw it was like 30 degrees there, I wish I was there!
Well, I love you all.  Be safe and happy!
Love Elder Johnston

January 23, 2012

Well do I have lots and lots and lots of great and bad news to tell you.  Where should I start.?

     I will start with the bad  speaking of the dentist  appointment I had in the morning.  I forgot to tell you  a couple of weeks ago I was in a lesson talking to this guy and all of a sudden…my tooth falls out… the fake one.  Can you believe that!!!  I wanted to cuss so bad and I wouldn’t be surprised if I did but you know how I am about it and I hate it!!!  MY FAKE TOOTH FELL OUT!!!  So what did I do… in Mexico…who knows where the dentist is???? umm…..I kind of played with it and got it to hang in there just kind of floating around.  I only eat with one side of my mouth because I am scared my tooth will fall out in front of all the members!!! Crap it stinks.  Then the worst is when I’m eating sandwiches now my tooth falls out when I eat bread…Luckily they don’t eat a lot of bread here, haha.  Lots of tortillas.  Another reason why they are a blessing.
      Second  -  I want to tell you why I sent my plaques home.  Well, I have two here and I sent my plaques home for when I have my own sons who are going on missions I can give one to each of them!!!    It was an idea that came to me.
   
Okay good news!!
     When I got  here to Palenque we had about 70 or 80 people coming to church….In the time I have been here I have seen the church grow so much and this week we had a record breaking 152 people in church.  Standing room only in the church, what an amazing feeling!!!!!  I can’t even explain it.  We opened the over flow in the beginning and now it is as full it can be.  It’s amazing.  As well, we had 7 investigators go to church this week.  I loved the feeling.  There wasn’t enough deacons for all the water we needed.  It was amazing!!!!

Okay now the great news!!!
     There is no one to play the piano in our branch so what we found this week is a pianist and his family who want to join the church and now he can be our pianist!!!!  WHAT’S UP!!!!!  It’s amazing.

Now the most amazing news!!! Like the Liahona never going to happen again in the history of our mission and my life - going to be a movie someday news….

I won’t go into much detail but you should know that this weekend your son will be baptizing not only with the mission president but with the area apostle!!  Elder Johnson is his name and it will be held in a place called Azul which is beautiful water falls that are really blue.  The water is amazing and is one of  the biggest tourist attraction in Mexico…AND… my companions and I will be baptizing over 30 people.  I won’t be surprised if it shows up in the Liahona…
     It’s still in progress but you can be sure that I will be baptizing this Saturday at about 11:00 with an apostle, mission president, and lots of other missionaries and it will be amazing.  Pray for us that all will go well and all who can get baptized will be able to go.  I thank you for so much for all you have done for me and I thank my Father in Heaven for this opportunity.
     My new favorite drink in the whole world which I personally think will be a drink in heaven is called Matali.  It’s a plant here and amazing.  It’s like a pink lemonade that’s not lemonade, it’s pink and purplish.

Well, I’m going to go but I love you so so much
Love
Elder Johnston

January 16, 2012

     I am glad that you liked your Christmas packages.  I didn’t eat for a month to buy all that crap but it was worth it, haha.  The maca or hammock is mine by the way.  That’s why I told you to save for me on skype.  Save it and I will buy you one if you send me the money.
     The plate is petty cool.   When I get home I will have to show you who is who.  It is very very symbolic and you can find Nephi, Lehi, Lamen , Lemuel and Samuel, the rod of iron, the 12 tribes of Israel, the tree and fruit.  It’s way cool.  Just evidence that it is all true.  Another cool fact is that the Mayans had 12 Gods supposedly…That’s kind of weird…12 apostles.  Who knows, I can’t wait to talk to God after this life and find out all this stuff. haha
     Well, I hope you liked the pictures.  Those are the only pictures I have of my whole mission.  If something were to happen to those I would want to shoot myself, they are so special to me.  I hope they are safe on a memory or something.  I think you sent like 3 or 4 memories no???? How many were there?
     Okay, well, I love you so so much and I pray all is well in the house and I can’t wait till next week to hear from you when you can write on a good computer.
Love
Elder Johnston