Hola!!!!!   This week has been cool, and Elder Ruiz and I have had some really cool experiences together spiritually. We had a meeting with a third of the mission on the 25th in Lima with Elder Pino. He is an area seventy and from Venezuela. He and his wife talked to us and I learned a ton, and it was really one of the best things this week. Also, Presidente Pérez and his wife talked to us and it was just a really great conference. We also got more baptismal dates this week!!!! Two of them are for the Familia Mundo, a really cool family! They are just amazing. Every lesson we have, the dad, Cesar, almost cries and they have such a hunger to learn. Then we had a lesson in the house of a member and they invited a 19 year old to their house. His name is Armando, and when we started the lesson I had a really cool impression about  all the people he will baptize in the future. It was really cool and he was so ready to accept everything, he just plain rocks!!! 

Last night we had a really amazing lesson in the house of Eder and Consuelo. She was there with her kids and her sister, and we watched ¨El Restauracion¨ and then I bore my testimony and Elder Ruiz bore his testimony and he was crying. We could tell that they felt the spirit. It was one of the most spiritual lessons we have had so far and was ¨lo maximo¨!!!!!!!!!!! 

This morning we found out that I have changes and Elder Ruiz doesn’t, which is sad, but I have loved my time with him. 

I’M GOING TO PUCALLPA!!!! I just found out!  Wow!  This is amazing. I can’t wait. Everyone talks about the jungle, or ¨la selva¨ and says it is the best, so here goes nothing!!!!! Oh, I am so excited!!!!!!

Anyways, I have loved this week and loved being with Elder Ruiz and he is so amazing. I have loved this area and the people here. Oh how I love being a missionary!!!!!! It is the best, and I know that I am where I need to be. I also know that this is true church on the earth and it was restored by Joseph Smith. It’s true!!!!!

Love,

The Johnson under the Equator, Joe.

Hola from under the equator!!!!

This week was pretty good, we have been trying to help some of our investigators with marriage because a lot of the people here just live together. So we have been helping them with that, and it's going good. We also got a date for a baptism from Cesar Mundo, and we need to get one from his wife and they will be a ¨familia de oro¨. They are pretty cool!!!!  The spirit was really strong in our lesson. We also had one of our investigators skip his interview for his baptism so he couldn’t be baptized, which was sad, but we can't make people be baptized. Elder Ruiz and I are doing good together, and working hard. Changes are the 3rd of December, and neither of us wants to change, I love my ¨papa¨. =) 

This week is Thanksgiving? Where has time gone? Last week was Halloween!!!! =)  Well I'm truly thankful for the miracle of the atonement, for the opportunity our Father in Heaven has provided for us to return to him. I'm thankful for my many blessings here in Perú, and for my amazing family and friends, their support and prayers. I'm thankful for everything I have in this life and for all my blessings in this gospel. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, I love you!!! Thanks for everything!!!!!

Hurra por Israel!!  Te amo mas!  Elder XOXOXOXOXOxoxoxo

ps  I got the jerky, but if you send it in a box they will open it and take it.  If you send a box leave the tags on things, and no jerky in the box. 

HOLA!!!!! From under the equator!!!!  I’m am having tons of fun, and tons of success!!!! Thanks for all of your prayers!!!!

Yesterday I baptized Silvia Giron!!!!!  Her husband is a member, and two of her kids, and now their family is complete!!!!!  And in one year they can go to the temple to be sealed, and if I am in Lima, I can go with them. :)))))  During the week we taught her a lesson and she has been investigating the church for years, and we got her to commit to be baptized on the 28th of November. Then Elder Ruiz asked her what she was doing on Sunday, and she said nothing, and we got her to commit for Sunday.  She said that she was excited, and ready for this change, which was a huge difference from the first time we met her because the first time she wasn’t really involved at all, and now she is excited. :) It was an awesome baptism, three times :) The first time I skipped a word, the second time her knee came up and the third time, was the charm. :) It  was awesome :)

We have also had a lot of really good lessons, and found some families ready for the gospel. we did service on Saturday with one of them, The Familia Falcón.  We helped them put cement on their roof because it hardens and is waterproof.  It was fun, and I am still sore from it. :)

Oh, I love this work, and know it is true.  This is the best thing I could be doing right now, and the only place I want to be.  This gospel is true. We have a true and living, and loving, Prophet of God on the earth, and his name is Thomas S. Monson.  I love this work, and the change it brings in other peoples lives, and mine.  I know Joseph Smith was a Prophet and this church is true.

I LOVE YOU MORE :)   LOVE ELDER JOHNSON

Joe answered a few questions for us:

Could I get Elder Ruiz first name?  Otto Alejandro Ruiz

How long has Elder Ruiz been out on his mission?  11 months

From a large family?  5, he’s the only boy

How is the language coming?  good

Are you starting to "think" in Spanish?  um, yeah, it’s harder to think in english and translate stuff in my head

Where do you live in Huaral (what street)?  I don’t know the name, but the area is Las Dalias, close to the Bomberos.

Near city center or on the outskirts?  pretty close to the center.

Is it easy for people to get married in Peru?  No, and we have a lot of couples that want to get married but don’t have the money.

Do your contacts get excited about marriage?  some, more about baptism :)

Kia Kaha!

WOW!! Well this week has been great!!!  We had two baptisms, and I had my first baptism!!!!!! Holy cow it was awesome!!!!! The spirit was so strong there and it was just awesome!!! Her name is Quioni Yeraseli Rojas Talavera, and it was really cool. My testimony of the importance of baptism was strengthened so much! Actually Elder Ruiz baptized her friend Diana Romero first and her hand was out of the water so he had to do it twice and then I baptized Quioni. The water was freezing, but the spirit was warm, such amazing feelings. The baptismal service was good with four strong testimonies, and very spiritual. Then on Sunday we confirmed them, and that was cool, and then we both talked in sacrament meeting. Then we had lunch, and went to Sacachispe and contacted and had a really cool lesson with Pedro and we asked him when he wanted to be baptized and he said “three weeks”, which was inspired because that is all he needs. It was a great two days!!!

The rest of the week was also good, I went to Lima with Elder Ruiz on Friday, to finish my papers for Perú, and saw some of the Elder’s from my group which was cool. Their areas are in Lima, and I am so glad that I was “born” in Huaral! with such a great companion. Elder Ruiz rocks!!!! I love this Gospel and pray for you always!!!!! This church is true, and perfect. Joseph saw the vision!!! I love you More!!! 

Kia Kaha!!!!

HOLA!!!! ¿QUE TAL? Well I am down here on the other side of the equator, and it is not getting colder, it’s getting hotter!!! Lol  I have fun every day, and work hard every day, and I love it! My companion Elder Ruiz and I had a perfect week this last week, which means we met all of our goals for lessons with members, contacts, and others!!!  Elder Ruiz said that hardly ever does a companionship meet this in their first week, but we did!!! :) We also had some cool experiences this week with investigators. One of them was with Hermana Santos Pastor, we taught her about baptism and the importance of it and she said ¨When can I get baptized?¨ I and Elder Ruiz smiled really big and said,¨in two weeks!!! ¨ It was pretty cool!!!  We also had a confirmation this week of Elias Obispo who had been baptized, but hadn’t been confirmed because he hadn’t attended church. So we got him to come to church, and now he has the guidance of the Spirit to help him, which he needs. 

We have also been working with other investigators, Eder and Consuelo- need marriage first and then baptism, Victor and Gissel- really nice (have a pepper farm and whenever we visit they make us eat) also need marriage before baptism, Diana Romero- daughter of a member and has a date set, Quihony- has a date set a friend of Diana, Santos Pastor- GOLDEN :). We also have many other investogadores, Please pray for them!!! Thanks!! 

I am loving the work and I learn a lot from Elder Ruiz every day. I Love the food, especially Desyuno, and Lomo Saltado. :) Thanks for all of the prayers!!!!!  I pray for you too!!!! 

Kia Kaha!!!! Hurra por Israel!!!!!!! 

PS. Don´t be offended if I don’t email back!!  I can´t email people outside my mom, dad, and brothers and sisters, but I can receive from everyone, so please write, I love it!!!!