Buenos Dias!!!!!!! Hola!!! From under the equator!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I am doing amazing!!!!!!!! I have seen miracles this week.

On Monday we taught Bertha about the Book of Mormon for the second time and invited her to read and to pray about it (which we had done before, but she hadn’t done it). When we passed on Tuesday she told us that she hadn’t read because she didn’t have time, so we invited her again to read and pray, and we passed on Wednesday to see how she was and we got there and sat down on the couch and she told us all excited that she had to tell us something.  So she started by telling us that she had read in the morning, and that she had gotten up early and had read all of the introduction and the testimony of Joseph Smith and that she had gotten to 1 Nephi and didn’t have too much time left, so she decided to open the book and to read what she found. When she opened the book (she opened to 3 Nephi 11) she started to read how Jesus came down in the middle of some people and started to let them touch His wounds in His hands and His side and that he taught about baptism and how we should be baptized in lots of water and in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. She told us “Jesus is talking right here and He talks about baptism and I want to be baptized like it says here”.  She also explained that he was teaching his “doctrine.”   Elder Calle and I just looked at her and smiled saying yeah it’s true and testifying that it is true and the Spirit was so strong there. I am so grateful for the moments when I can be a tool in the Lord’s hands to bring His children to know the truth. I love this work and know that it is true.  
I also love all of you!  Hope you have a great week and take luck!!!!!

Elder Joe Johnson

Hola From under the EQUATOR!!!!!

Well I’m doing great!!!!! We had a baptism on Saturday!!!! I baptized Carlos Salgado and it was crazy good!!!!!  His wife passed away a couple of months ago and he is great!!!!! His daughter got baptized a while ago, and his son will soon be baptized. We got to the chapel at 3:30.  The baptism was at four, so we were getting the water ready and it was dirty.  We had to drain the font, and it took a long time, so we got out buckets and started to bail the water and dump it in the member closet. We worked for about 45 minutes doing that, and I said a little prayer that we could get the water out and that the font would fill quick, and it did!!!!! By the time we went to his house and returned, the font was half full and so we started the service and by the time we were going to enter, the water was full!!!!! The only thing I forgot to ask for was hot water, it was ice cold. jajaja But we entered and it went good and everything. Then afterwards we asked him how he felt and he told us that he had asked God to help him do it so that he could enter the water and not feel the cold and he said that he only felt the cold water when he entered and then it was warm!!!! It was cool!!!!!!

We also had service on Friday and we were moving sand (for cement) up a steep hill, and we also moved giant steel doors up the hill and it was fun, I love service. Then to get down the hill 14 Elders got on a little motor taxi and we went down the mountain!!!!! It was worse than a can of sardines!!!!

I love the work and I know that God loves each and every one of his children, He loves us and we can ask for His help any time we need it.

I love you all!!!!

Elder Joe Johnson

WOOOOTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!! An uncle again!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hola!!!! from under the equator!!!!!

Well my new comp is Elder Geovanny Leonel Calle Sanchez from Quevedo, Ecuador!!!!!!!!

He is lo maximo!!!!!!! He has six months in the mission, and has been in the same area the whole time. Well, my new area is different from my last area, I no longer have a  branch and a ward,  I have half of a ward!!!!! jajaja The reason why we are sharing is because the ward is gigantic!!!!!! It is about the size of all of North Ogden and Pleasant View, and  it also has part of the Cerro or mountain where there are houses.  The difference here is that the rich people live in the city and the poor live on the Cerro.   The area is split though and we have more of the pavement in my area than the other area, so it’s a little bit easier to get around. Also, our apartment is one room and the bath room is teeny-tiny. IT ROCKS!!!!!!!   Our pension lives a block away, and the Stake Center is around the corner, so it is very convenient to go to church and everything. :)  

This week we also have helped four people to put dates for their baptisms!!! Two are going to be baptized this Saturday!!!!  A father and son named Carlos and Jesus.                

Also yesterday we were teaching a family about the restoration and Elder Calle taught about Joseph Smith and the Spirit was really strong, I love this gospel and say that the things that I am teaching are true and necessary for the Salvation of every person. The Gospel is the only bridge to the presence of God and we only have this Gospel because Christ suffered for our sins and errors in the garden of Gethsemane.  I am so thankful for Him and the role he plays in the  eternal plan of God. 

Happy Birthday Annalyn!!!!!!

I love you Moms!!!!!!! I love you Dads!!!!!! and FAMILY!!!!!

Love Elder Joe Johnson

LO MAXIMO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, this week has been so great, Yoela got baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday, but the story of what passed with her is really special.

We taught her on Tuesday about the Sabbath day, and about how we shouldn’t work on Sunday, and her face went a little sour and she told us that she had a job where she had to work on Sundays. We were a little surprised though by what she said after, “but if it’s a commandment I won’t work on Sunday”.  We were way happy with the decision that she made, but before we could offer the closing prayer she left to go to the bathroom, and before she came back we heard her talking on the phone. She then entered in the room and said that her boss from work had called and told her that she had to work Sunday and that she had told him “no,” and that he hung up. We got caught off guard by the faith that she has already, and all of the changes that she has made.

Also we saw trials on Saturday because a young woman of the Branch died and so they were using the chapel for her funeral, and at first we thought that it would have been better to have her (Yoela’s) baptism on Sunday. But she told us that she needed to be baptized Saturday, so we went to another chapel and I got to baptize her there.

Also, we talked in church on Sunday and I talked about how God exists and how we need to raise the “voice of warning” to every people as members of the church.  Elder Peña talked about charity and many people from the ward said that these talks were needed on Sunday.

I am also going to BAYOVAR!!!!!!!!!!  My change is as a District Leader in Wiesse with Elder Calle!!!!!!

I have had sooo much fun in this change and have learned to really love the people that we teach and also Elder Peña.

Also.... HAPPY B-DAY GWYN!!!!!!!

I know these things are true, and I love all of you!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder JOE Johnson

WOW!!!!!! Well this week has been a crazy one!!!!!

Thanks for all the emails!!!!!!!!! they rocked!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I got the packages on Tuesday of last week after our District meeting. They gave me three!!!!!!!!! I was surprised, and I took them all the way home without opening them, then I told my comp that I would wait to open them.... we worked hard all day and when we got home I couldn’t wait. So I opened them and me and Elder Peña gained about 5 pounds each. jajajajaja  He loved the root beer licorice and got a kick out of eating Cerveza de raiz. :)

I still haven’t made the brownies, because on my birthday Mama Rose, Liseth, and Dejay (some members) gave me cake. Thanks so much for everything that you guys sent me!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Well then we worked all week long and did service on Friday painting the new apartment of the ZL’s and then on Sunday I got to baptize Dejay!!!!!! It was pretty great, and when I was in the water I thought about when I got baptized, it was the same day as when he got baptized!!! I told him about that after, and he was surprised.  He thought it was cool that we got baptized on the same day.

Then we had cake in the church for his baptism and then we went to their house and they gave us oven chicken -really really good!- and papa a la huancaina (potatoes and cheese sauce) with Inca Kola and after that, they had another cake just for me and it was way good! I felt like I was home for a little while... It was cool. Oh! I almost forgot that she told me that if we wanted chicken I had to kill it, so on Friday I killed the rooster... yeah.... I     killed    it.....

Then on Monday we started the four day training that the President was going to give us. It was sooooo amazing, and I learned sooooo much about how we can really help the people that we teach. Also, the Spirit was really strong and I just loved being there and feeling it.

Also, today we went to the center of Lima and went through a Spanish Inquisition museum and I got left behind with E´ Peña and E´ Ruiz in a market there.

This Saturday we also have the baptism of Yoela Barrios planned, and she is so ready to make this step in her life, she has changed so much and has so much Faith in the Lord.

I love this work, I love all of you, and I will finish responding on Monday!!!!!!!!!!!

I am also getting changed, President told me in an interview I had, tell you more on Monday!!!!  

I love being a MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Johnson