HEY!!!!!!!!

This week was cool, I held two yellow boa snakes!! (that the ward mission leader has). I also held a monkey!!!  An investigator gave us a monkey, and we can’t have pets, so we gave it to a family to watch for us. 

We got soaked twice in the rain.  It’s raining really hard.  Right now it is raining... snakes, and ... frogs...  Haha!   It was pretty fun!! :)  (It’s winter here now... despite the heat, and in the winter it rains more than normal.)  

We had a baptism of Juan, he is a really cool 10 year old that prays like an apostle. :)

Sunday I was in the chapel for the sacrament and the hymn right before was “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”.  I had been thinking about this hymn all week and the spirit was way strong, I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES!!!  I love the feelings of His love for me. This is His church, the only true church, and if you have any doubts, ask of God, He will answer.  Love you tons!!!!

!!Under the Equator!!

Elder Joe :)

Holá!! How are you?

My new companion is Elder José Alfredo Yañez Saldaña, from Arequipa, Peru. My new area in Pucallpa is Las Alamedas, the airport is in our area.  We live next to the airport on the East side, more towards the North.  The ward that we are in is the best.  We work with the members a lot and get lots of referencias (referrals).  We are working with a lot of youth and families, but especially the families.  We visited two of these yesterday, one of them the wife is a member, but the dad isn’t and they need to get married (they want to).  The other is an artist and his wife and two little boys, they are awesome!!!  The lesson was really good and real filled with the Spirit.  I love this work!!!

We blessed seven people in church on Sunday, one right after the other.  I love blessing lives with the power of God on earth, the Priesthood.  I love this gospel and the hope it brings to everyone that prays about it’s truthfulness.  I know it’s true, I know that God knows, and I can’t deny it.  I love all of the blessings it has given to me, and most of all I love my Savior and am so happy to be a part of His gospel.

Love you tons - Elder Joe

Hola!!!!!!  Wow, I just found out the changes for this Wednesday. I’m moving to Senior Comp. with Elder Yañez in another area of Pucallpa!!!!!!!!!  He is from my group in the CCM, and he’s a cool guy.

Wow, this week I have learned a ton about so many things, and the importance of staying strong and immovable in the gospel, and the blessings we receive for it. We had a baptism this week of John Alejandro. He is 8, and part of his family are members.  He is a cool guy.

On Wednesday we taught 4 lessons that were so spiritual in a row, it was so cool to be there and to feel the spirit.  One of them was with Irma and her sister Elisabeth. Irma told us about a dream that she had about a tree and eating fruit. We told her to read in 1 Nephi about Lehi’s dream. It was so cool, and after she told us that her dream was really similar. I am so stoked for her. :)

I had a really cool study the other day about my patriarchal blessing. I love reading this blessing of my Heavenly Father for me, and feeling the spirit when I do.  It is the only thing that I have in English, so I studied about patriarchal blessings in Spanish, and then read mine in English, it was cool.  I also love studying the scriptures and the gospel every day, it strengthens me so much, I love our Savior and that I have this opportunity to work in His work.

I love you all so so much!!!

Love you Mom, and Dad and Family.

Love you 1st Wardigans and friends.

Love Elder Johnson

Happy New Years!!!!! Prospero Año Nuevo!!!!!! 

This week was pretty good. We had some good experiences and I have learned a lot about relationships and other things. We had two baptisms on Saturday, one of which was José Carlos. He is a really awesome guy (he knows fluent Portuguese), and had tears in his eyes after his baptism and his confirmation.  He used to drink coffee a lot and has changed, and yesterday he told us that one of his brothers wants to be baptized. 

The people here rock, I love sharing the gospel with them. It is awesome. 

I am so thankful for all of my blessings this past year and all of the experiences that I have had. I am thankful, also, for a new year to have more experiences in the the service of God. I’m thankful for a family that prays and reads the scriptures, and that I have this family for eternity.  I’m thankful for the plan of my Heavenly Father that makes it possible to return to Him.  I’m thankful for the sacrifice of His Only Begotten for me, and the opportunity that all men have to repent and turn to Him.  I love that I can share the most important thing that I have with others and am ¨trying to be like Jesus in all that I say and do.¨  To do the things He would have me do.  I am one of His representatives and am trying my best to act like it. 

Love for all in this New Year!!!!!

Hey Hey!!!!!

Feliz Navidad, y Prospero Año Nuevo!!!!!!!

This week was good, you all sound great!!!!

We had a lesson with the daughter of Humberto Sanchez this week, she is named Lisbet and has a little girl nicknamed ¨Boo¨ like in Monsters Inc. We had a lesson with her and she said that she wanted to change her life and be baptized because the example of her family. She prayed to close the lesson and was crying tons, I love this work!!! I love my Savior and what he has done for all of us, I love being able to share this with others. I know this is God’s true church on the earth, and that it was restored through Joseph Smith. I love you tons!!

Sorry it’s so short, I didn’t have a lot of time this week. Much Love!!!!!

Elder ¨under the equator¨ Johnson :)

To start off I have a new comp his name is Elder Aguirre, from Bolivia, it  was a change of emergency, and now Elder Lazo is in Iquitos with a new Elder.  It was sad to say goodbye but it’s all good. This week has been so awesome and I have had tons of my prayers answered.  Firstly we were in the chapel preparing for the baptismal services and waiting for two people to come to be baptized.  One of them showed up but the other didn’t and we waited for a while and decided to start, I told Elder Aguirre that we should pray for her to come. We went into a room and prayed and then we started and 15 minutes into the service she came!!!!!!! It was awesome!!!! I baptized Ayvi Mandruma, Humberto Sanchez, and a ten year old from the sister missionaries John Peter.  It was a great day and ours were both confirmed Sunday in church, they are really brave because both of their families told them not to be baptized and aren’t very happy with them.  We went to the house of Humberto last night and he had tears in his eyes, but his wife is a member and three of his kids, so he will be ok.

Another prayer that was answered was yesterday we were in the mototaxi of a member and we were going to his house for lunch and his motor died.  He tried to change a few things and then it didn’t even turn over, so I told them we needed to pray. After we did he was inspired to change the spark plug and then it started right up!!!!  Way cool!!!!  The power of prayer is real!!!!

The jungle is crazy-awesome!!! The food here is a little different from Lima, there are a lot more fruits and stuff. this week we tried a fruit that the taste reminded me of mucous and it was sticky and I spit it back out. but there are also coconuts and mangoes, I opened my first coconut this week!!!! It was sooooo goooood!!!!!  We are going to pick more today to put in our fridge, we have a fridge to keep food in because there are a lot of bugs.  Today  we are going to have alligator with french fries for lunch, I have heard that it is really good!! So we will see. :)

I love you all and wish you a Feliz Navidad!!!!!!!!

I agree completely with the words of Scott, the reason for CHRIST-mas isn’t the gifts at all, it’s the greatest gift ever given. The gift of an only begotten Son, by a loving Heavenly Father for all of us. I love him for what He has done for me and want to share with everyone I see.

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

ELDER JOHNSON!!!!!!!

Photos from Peru!

Elder Johnson with his mission President and wife.

Photos from Pucallpa:


Joe with his companion, Elder Lazo, a young girl and former Elder Landon Rich, his companion and others.