Hello from under the equator and in PERÚUUUU

This week went well and we had an awesome baptism. Her name is Mabel.  A couple of months ago her foot got run over by a motocar, so she is using crutches still and the water was really really cold!!!!! I baptized her, so we entered the water and we were both a little chilly.  When I baptized her, her foot left the water.  We had to do it again, so we put a chair in the font and she sat on it, and when I went to baptize her, she didn’t even go under...…  Sooo, I kneeled down in the water and she sat on the steps of the font and she was baptized!!!  It was awesome!!!!!  Third time was the charm...... :)  Then she shared her testimony and couldn’t get it all out because she said that she felt a peace inside, and then just started to cry.  That moment was soooooo special and the whole room was quiet. Awesome!!!

We have also found two families this week that are great!!!! One of the other families that we are teaching accepted to be baptized on the 23rd!!!  The work is progressing!!!!

My companion and I cover more than one ward, but we don’t work there always, just with references.

I have seen Elder Wood, from North Ogden, in my area a couple of times.  He looks good!

Our visit to Parque de la Imaginacion was awesome!  There was an earthquake room that shakes, a giant piano, a big bubble maker, an electric chair that works, a human gyro, a room that rolls and makes you dizzy, a giant human heart that lights up, and a couple of other things.  The photo’s I sent are from the Imagination Park.

I know that this is our Savior’s church and that He is at the wheel today, guiding and directing us.  I love the work and am excited to endure to the end!!!!!!

Also I found out that I will be finishing the mission here in my area right now!!!! And it is fine by me!!!

Happy 4th of  JULYYYYY

Love, Joe

HOLA!!! From under the equator!!!

Thank you for the photo’s and emails.  I also read one of the Hymns not long ago, “Like Ten Thousand Legions Marching” (#253), very awesome. But your song is sweet too!!! (# 325)  I was reading in the book of ancestors stories that was made for me, and there are some awesome stories in there.  They had such faith in the Lord!!!  We also need to have that faith to follow in their footsteps!  There was a quote that I read once that said that we receive as inheritance our name and that to live up to what we receive, we need to make it our own, or something like that, (it was a tradition by me) :)  Thanks for the inheritance!!!  I’m making it my own!!!

This week has gone well and I am trying to work my hardest here.  I know that there are lives and futures to change.  We had one baptism!!!  Mirko got baptized, and we were waiting for him at 6 in the chapel, when the baptism should have started.  But he didn’t show up at 6 or 7 so we were a little worried.  So we offered a prayer, and he got there!!! Just goes to show that when we do our part, and then put our faith in the Lord, He will never abandon us. Also, we are teaching a family that is awesome!!!!!  On Friday we talked with the father, Rudy, and he told us that he had prayed and that he had received his answer.  So we invited him to be baptized and he told us that he had an addiction to playing cards.  So we are working with him to help him beat the impulses that he has.  They also came as a family to church!!!  It was awesome!!!

The other two people that were to be baptized are waiting a little bit longer. Mabel will be baptized on Saturday, and Betty will be changing a few things in her life that are out of order and will be baptized at the end of July.

Winter in Lima is just a little cold and it mists a lot!  In Lima we can’t use the motocars, so we walk a lot!  We do exchanges if there are members to go with.  Right now we haven’t done it often, but are trying to.

Today we are going to the Imagination Park, or Parque de la Imaginacion, here in Lima.  I will send you pics this next week.

I know that God is our Father and that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of mankind.  I also know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Thomas Monson is a prophet of the Lord, and is guiding us today. I also know that this is the only true gospel on the Earth!!!  I know that these things are true.

Have an amazing week!!!  Hurrah for Israel!  Kia Kaha!

Love

Elder GREGORY JOSEPH JOHNSON aka Joe  :)

Hola from under the equator!

Well things are going great here in the work.  I am way excited for all the things going on here and there!!!

We have been working hard and had a great week!  This week we have three baptisms planned, and we are looking for more people that have been prepared to hear the gospel message. I love the work!!!  I am doing great, don’t worry about me at all, I am happy as a lark!!!  We are teaching some good families and we are hoping that one of them can get married this month, and that another one can be baptized, because they are already married.

Betty will be baptized on Saturday!!!  And she is inviting all of her family to go to church with her!!!  AWESOME!!!  We also have two other investigators that will be baptized on Saturday!!! Coolio!!!

Today we went to the Temple and it was great to feel the wonderful spirit there, I love our family and am so glad that it is an eternal one!!!  It just reaffirmed my testimony of eternal families and renewed my desire to have an eternal family someday. I love the Temple!!!

I know the Gospel is true and has been RESTORED!!!  The book of Mormon is God’s word!!!  The Temple is God’s house!!!

Thank you for your kindnesses!!!

I love you sooo much!!!  A ton!!!

Love Elder Joe

Hola!!!  From under the equator!!!

Well this week we have been working hard.  On Sunday a whole family we are working with went to church!!!  It was cool!!!  Also Betty, the mom of one of the brides from the massive marriage went to church, and SHE IS GOING TO GET BAPTIZED!!!!! WWWoooot!  Raul didn’t get there, but we are still working with him so that he can convert to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are still having awesome experiences and working... DURO!!!! (HARD!!!!) 

“In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that.  When disappointment and discouragement strike --and they will--you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened, we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection (see 2 Kgs. 6:16-17).

They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham's seed.”

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Awesome Quote!!!!!!!!!!!  I’ve got horses and chariots of fire with the angels of heaven at the reins to my aid. I think I’m in really good hands. :)  I know that we are in the last days, but we don’t have to fear, if we are ready for the Battle.

My love to all the family and friends from the ward, I’m doing great thanks to all their prayers. I love the opportunities and experiences that I am having and the testimony that I am gaining. I know that the scriptures are true!!!  I know that this is our Lord and Saviors gospel!!! He is the Holy One. I’m not the great one, the Lord is, and I’m just His servant.

Love you a ton!!!

Elder Joe!

Hola!!!! From under the equator!!!!!

Well, this week we had changes, but I was not changed!!!!! Wooohooooooo we got two new elders in the zone and we are happy with that. On Wednesday we had a zone leader council and it went well, we learned some new things, and we made a couple of new goals as a mission.  Also, Sister Blunck talked a little bit about the importance not only of what we do, but of who we become in the mission and in our lives.  I started thinking about when I was little and mom and dad asked me what I wanted to be.  I told them “an honest man”.  Well, it is still true.  I want to be an honest man in all I do, including being honest to God, and thanking Him for all that He has given me.  It was cool for me to remember that far back, and to think about who I am and who I have been and who I can be in the future.

On Thursday we taught Raul, and we read about Alma the Younger’s conversion with him. It was a cool lesson and we could see that he started thinking because of it.  Then that same night, he sent a text to our phone that said that he wanted to prepare himself for the last judgement and that he wanted us to pass by and tell him when he could be baptized.  We were just looking at each other like “wow, the Lord is amazing.…”  Raul has a lot to change, but he can do it and we are here to help him.

Yesterday we made banana chocolate chip cookies for breakfast!!!! Mmmm with milk.  Also Yesterday was the elections here, so we couldn’t teach lessons in the morning or anything.  So we watched Legacy.... :) We also found an awesome family contacting in the street!!!!! 

The work is progressing, and no hand can stop it from doing so.  I know that this is the true gospel of the Savior Jesus Christ, and that His will is that all of His children can return to His presence and have joy.  I love the work, and I love seeing the miracles it produces.  I love you all!!!! Have a great week!!!!

Love Elder Joe!!!!

Hola!

The pictures are of the zone a couple of weeks ago, the baptism on Friday, and a Procession that passed by our house with smoke and music.

Sounds like you all had a good week, a peaceful week, I did too.  I have felt the Spirit and am excited for this new month and this new change.  The whole zone is staying in place with only one change, Elder Garcia is going to Pucallpa and we are also growing.  We will have a new area opened this change.

We have been having success and on Saturday we had five baptisms!!!!!! Three of them are sisters.  Their brother got baptized a month and a half ago, and they told us that they wanted to be baptized, so they did.  Also their two neighbors told us the same thing, and their parents gave them permission.  Although the parents don’t really want anything, we will keep working with them so that they also can be baptized.  My policy for a while has been that I don’t baptize children without parents or unless they literally tell me “I want to be baptized.”   The Lord talked about those pure of heart that wanted to follow Him without a doubting heart, that they are blessed.  All five of them that were baptized are soooo excited to follow the gospel.  They are great examples for their parents. They also shared their testimonies in the Baptismal service and it was great!!!!!!

I have seen soooo many things this week and I don’t even know where to start to tell you all about it. :)  On Monday we made cookies as a zone and we were there alllll day because the oven was soooo slow!!!!!!  But it helped us to bond as a zone, and now we are all focusing on the investigators that will be baptized in June.  This month as a zone we had 24 people that were baptized and confirmed.  It has been awesome to see the zone work hard, and I am happy with what we have done.  This month will also be awesome!!!  I can’t wait.

I am really happy here and loving the work!!!!!  I feel the Spirit pushing me onward in the work, and I can’t go backwards, only onward ever onward!!!!!!  I love the Lord!!!!!  I love the Mish!!!!!!

Love you sooooo much.

Love YA!

Elder JOE

Hola! From under the equator and in Lima,

To all my family and cousins, Hi and I love you!  Especially the cousins who are in mission preparation, read The Standard of Truth, it is awesome.

This week has been really great and I have felt a great spirit in all the lessons and meetings that we have had. Well, Monday we cleaned the apartment a bit and slept a bit. On Tuesday we taught a family that wants to be married and we took out the trash.  They changed their attitudes, they were amazed that we would serve like that. It was cool to see the ¨Ammon Principle¨ in effect. On Wednesday we had a conference with President Blunck about the Fundamental Principles of Teaching.  That went well.  On Friday we taught another family that is married and the wife and grandma that live there attended church on Sunday!!!! On Saturday we had the baptisms of Jose and Genesis, and Anabel and Elmer!!!!! I felt the Spirit during the Baptismal Service.  These four shared their testimonies at the end.  It was awesome!!!!!  There were a lot of members there and afterwards they had a reception for them!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!!  They also got confirmed yesterday, and they are all really happy with everything.   Awesome week!!!!

We also found a family that was having a lot of problems in the moment that we knocked on their door.  They let us in, the Spirit was strong and they accepted to be baptized in June!!!!!!

Our investigators are progressing really good!  My companion is great!  One of the Seventy said that we are importers of heavenly peace to the world, and that we should share it with all.  I try to scatter sunshine along my way.  I love the work and I love the Lord.

I know that Jesus is the Holy One, I love His gospel and am thankful for the unselfish sacrifice of His blood.  I know the gospel is true.

Have an amazing week!!!!!!!!!

Fidelidad Hasta El Fin!!!!!!

I love you a ton!!!!

Elder Joe Johnson