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!!!!

Huaral // 26 Oct 09
HOLA!!!!!!

I’m in the Field!!! It is awesome!!! My companion is Elder Ruiz from Mazatenango, Guatemala! He is pretty bomb, and we have had success together!!!! Yesterday we committed two people to baptism!!!  The ward here is awesome to missionaries, and really involved in the work!! Elder Ruiz and I have been having fun together, it’s basically proselyting all day long, which is cool!! Yes, I have a pensionista and she makes some pretty good stuff, for breakfast we have warm milk and sugar and rolls with eggs or stuff, its really good, and for dinner we have a Peruvian dish. Lunches here are the biggest meal and we eat with a member. The first day I thought the food was weird, but now I love it!! 

There is a family down here that has a daughter in Layton, her name is Norma Lindeman her family in Perù are really nice!! and they made me mac and cheese!!! :) 

I am having fun trying to understand people but living here helps. Thats cool about the seasons, here it is getting warmer. 

Oh my AREA!!! is Huaral, the whole city!!! We ride in moto taxis a lot, and walk a lot!!! It´s way fun. We talked to a member of the branch and he said the there are 24 different areas here so they can grow almost every fruit!!! 

I will send a cd with pictures in a while, I can’t email pictures but you can email them to me!! :) I can only email my brothers and sisters and parents, but I can receive email from other people!! :) 

I am having joy in the work and many spiritual experiences with the Lamanites. 

I LOVE YOU MORE!!!  Hurra por Israel!!!! KIA KAHA!!!  Oh how I love Perù!!!  

I love you thanks!!!

LOVE, ELDER GREGORY JOSEPH JOHNSON

From Letter, Lima // 14 Oct 09  

Hola!

I had an awesome time at the temple here in Lima today.  I didn’t think that I would get to go because usually your second to last preparation day is for going to immigration, but last night they said that we got to go, woo hoo!

Elder Delgado and I were pretty excited to go.  We rode an ‘auto bus’ to the temple, which is fun, and then when we went through the front doors, all the sounds of the street were left behind.☺ As I was getting ready to go through, I felt the spirit of the people on the other side waiting for their work to be done.  It was so cool! I hadn’t felt that before, so it was way cool.  I’m so glad we have temples, and I love attending them!

19 Oct 09

I also had a cool experience Thursday, thanks to Grandma’s Johnson and Fawson for their testimonies. I also saw Elder D. Todd Christofferson on Saturday.  He talked to all the missionaries in Lima.  I felt bad because I didn’t catch everything in Spanish, but it helped me learn that I need to speak Spanish so other people will understand me.  I love you!  I love this gospel, and I know it is true!  I’m reading in Alma 5, pretty cool!  I’m understanding it!☺

I love you more!

Lim, Peru // 14 Oct 09

I LOVE YOU MORE!!!!! Yes I did see Elder Rich! Tell his mom I gave him a hug for her! I have been loving it in Peru!!!! Elder Delgado and I have been growing closer all the time which is awesome!!!! Proselitismo this week was way cool!!! Oh and guess what?  President and Hermana Perez came last night and talked to us. He is THE MAN, I love him all ready. He talked with all of the elders going to Lima North, and after talking to him we were all smiling from ear to ear! They are really, really nice!!!!  He said that in the North mission he is like the papa and all the elders are his sons :]  It was really cool and now I’m not worried at all about after the CCM. He also said that one of the elders will get to go the the selva or jungle, because there is only one trainer there. I want to go there so bad!!!  But whatever the Lord wants. :] I had a cool time at the temple this morning!!   Thanks for all the prayers and all you do!! I Love you MORE!!!! Kia Kaha en PERÚ!!!

Lima, Peru // 11 Oct 09

Peru is awesome as ever. My Mission means everything to me, this work is of God, but this work is not just what I need, it’s what everyone needs.  It will change hearts and lives, I am here to share it with all the world.  

Yesterday during Proselitismo we did a street contact and I know she felt the Spirit when I shared the First Vision, but in the end she just said, “Yo soy Catalico” or “I am Catholic” and wouldn’t accept a visit from the Missionaries.  When we walked away I felt pretty sad, but all we can do is give people the chance to listen, they always have agency.

I’m so glad for this gospel and for Mom and Dad who raised me on the Gospel and homemade bread.

Love you forever!