Monday, June 30, 2014

6-30-14 The Plan of Happiness

Happiness. 
Salvation.

Synonyms in my mind. When God made a plan in the premortal life. How was it called? The Book of Mormon calls it the plan of redemption, the plan of salvation, the infinite plan, the plan of happiness. I like to think of it in terms of happiness. Why? Because I think it´s something that every single person is in search of. Human Nature. One of the basic human motivations, that I can think of in my philosyphing moments, is Happiness. What motivates people to eat? to run? to do drugs? to drink excessivley? to have unions outside of marriages? to Work? To have nice things? To go to church or be religious? Everyone is searching happiness, some people find shadows of happiness or temporary happiness in material things, others find great happiness in their families. But those happinesses are not complete without this Gospel. Why not?

How would you feel if you worked everyday on a piece of art, in the end you create something extremly beautiful, but this art could not display itself. You need a stand to put it on or a nail to hang it on the wall. The point is that this Art cannot be completed without something more. Our life is to find this happiness. We can be instructed our whole lives in how other people have found happiness and we can live beautifully. But this life is not complete without the atonement of Jesus Christ. He payed where we couldn´t and suffered where No other person could. He did it for us, So that we could create this Beautiful Life, and Complete it. 

A Complete happiness is what this gospel promises, In the Book of Mormon like 4 or 5 different prophets refer to a promise given to Lehi -if we keep the commandments, we will prosper in the land and have eternal life.-Alma 9:13, Jarom 1:9, Mosiah 1:7, 2 Nephi 1:20 and others.  There´s the secret formula to a happy life. The promise that the apostles and Pres. Monson have tested and been blessed by. It´s simple, which in itself is evidence, it´s part of God´s plan. How cool is that?...

Anyways.... um. This week we continue in the world cup. Basically that means we just teach people who don´t have electricity.... haha  It´s great. We recently challenged a couple to get married and baptized, the problem is that he is from El Salvador sooo we don´t know what to do or how to do it. New Adventure here we come. Other than that I´m really tired 

This area is kicking my butt. It´s a town where everyone knows everybody and extremley hard to find people the missionaries haven´t already talked to. It has extreme weather changes with monster rain strorms and flooding and cold one day and baking heat with humidity the next day. A very large area, and in Honduras it´s banned to have bikes.... 

Funny conversation with my companion. How many continents are there? All latinos say 6 because they think that North America and South America are one continent... but that turned into how Americans are racist... and how we steal the name America and claim it our own. Blah blah bla 

Than I said the word Gringo is racist.
He said no its not! 
I said, than explain to me, what makes a gringo? (because they don´t call Polynesians from the states, or African Americans Gringo) 
He said, Gringos eat hamburgers.
I said, what about all the Latinos who eat hamburgers?
He paused and then said triumphantly, Immigrants!

 

Now I always shout Go USA!!! just randomly to bug him.. hahaha super fun

hey speaking of that everyone better support them (the USA team) in the world cup we made it for real!!

He´s a super funny kid and this wasn´t a fight or anything just joking around but it sure is fun... haha and for scripture battle I found a new machete Alma 10 :17 and 18 

Love the mish! Hope everyone is super good, Remember Be happy! everything is gonna be ok.
Paz y amor
Elder Johnson

Monday, June 23, 2014

6-23-14 I've been kissed


 Bueno.

This week is freaking crazy. 

First off this monday was not a pday we just wrote and bought food. Why because this week is crazy

Tuesday I sinned by glancing very frequently at a world cup game while eating lunch in a cafeteria and stuff. Mexico against Brazil..... We didn't finish the match because we finished lunch and left, but man that mexican goalie made a monster save. They tell me that they later tied. Kinda hard to teach these days cause everyone is focused on the WORLD CUP: Especially since Honduras is in it. (even though it looks like they´ll be eliminated.)

Wednsday I was kissed.... man I´m so unholy. It was a little autistic girl. Not on the lips or anything just on the cheek because I was just ignoring her.... Not because I'm a jerk but because an investigator was there and we were teaching them in the house there.... And well there´s two twins who have autism about like 6 years old, and I ignored her and boom she kissed me... I just kinda ignored it and pushed her away..... not mean, very gently and she just laughed. She can't talk with words, but I think sometimes I underestimate those two.... haha geez.

Thursday We went to the coldest and highest place in Honduras call the Esperanza. It was PDAY and we played soccer and then had interchanges with the zone leaders.

Team Nicole
 
 
 
The next morning after being beat tired we woke up at 3 to take the 4 hour bus ride to the temple to be instucted by Elder Ochoa of the 2nd quorum of seventy.  He told us that we have to remember not to try to take two things away from ourselves or investigators, First Agency and Second Opposition. Because not even God takes those things away.
On the way home we ate WENDYS, what like 10 months without a burger, and almost was destroyed by it.

Friday and Saturday sat flew by and we staggered along.

Sunday a monster storm came by and flooded our house.  A sister in my district is sick so we're making her soup or something to give her and we bought a Hershey's as well (because my sister says it cures everything).
 
 

Road construction in Honduras
That's the mission,  that's my life. And I LOVE IT. Can´t wait for tomorrow.
Paz y amor
Elder Johnson

Monday, June 16, 2014

6-16-14 Moved to a new area and a new companion

Wow.... This has been a crazy week. For Real. Love the mission but man one day life will slow down. haha When that happens I´ll probably want it to speed up. Oh well so passes the life. 

So this Monday was a freaking blast!  We went to the caves of Talgua again and it was sweet. We walked from the caves about  2 miles to a little place where they sell corn on the cob and tamales and we ate there. Right across the street there´s like an event center where a member was working construction. Turns out after we go to talk to him, his sister is the owner of the place so we just hung out there until like 4 when the bus came to take us back to the city. The cool thing about this event center is there are three really social pet monkeys. Well, really one was really social and the others a little rude but we got to pick them up and they like gave us hugs and handshakes. My companion really wanted a photo with the social one but everytime he tried the monkey mooned the camera.. hahaha... he has some pretty nice pictures of monkey butt... haha

Tuesday We had a super spiritual experience with a man named Javier. He´s a less active member but he has the priesthood and soooo much potential. We talked about his life. Really all we did was ask questions and he just knew the answers already to everything. Lets just say he doesn´t have an easy life. But he realized and recognized the difference that the gospel made in his life when he was living it. ha When we left he said that he wanted to help the branch in Catacamas become a ward.

Wednesday... I went to Tegucigalpa because I was being transferred. 3 in the morning we got up to catch the bus with all the baggage, get to Tegucigalpa at like 9ish... 
I´ve now been assigned the opposite side of the mission to a smaller pueblito than Catacams called  ¨Jesus de Otoro¨ there´s about 1000 inhabitants maybe, 1500. So the majority of this branch is made of people from nearby villages. Names like la maye, and masaguara, ticoltela ismael cruz and so on.. the population of the valley is valled de jesus de otoro. in the valley there´s like 5000 to 6000 people. Its a new start and I feel very lost haha. They say it's the only place in the mission hotter than Catacamas but so far it isn´t that hot... eh different season so I can´t talk. Its about 3 hours instead of 4 hours but there is only one half paved road in the whole village.. that's good except the rainy season is coming.. aha. Another good thing about this area is it is one of the safest in the mission. haha fun right? I´m excited to be here.

My new companion is from Guatemala. His name is Elder Torres and he has about 3 months in the mission. Super excited and my guide. Really, I totally depend on him here in Otoro. He´s a great missionary I'm looking forward to working and learning with and from him.

Other than that,  the new district Is Hna. Cruz, and Hna Nielson.... and that's it. We are an hour away from all other missionaries.. haha fun! Sister Cruz is from Mexico and very mexican, and Sister Nielson is from right there! Nibley Utah! They are my district. 

Well.... That´s it for this week. a new chapter in the mission started. Looking forward to see what the Lord has in store and the Lord will use me.

Love you all so much, miss ya just a little. Don´t worry, everything is great!

Paz y amor
Elder Johnson

Monday, June 9, 2014

6-9-14 / 11 months - English in Tennessee is a different language

 Welp there goes another week in paradise....
 
 
 

 
So this week was semi normal for us. Monday we just chilled and washed clothes (I got all my clothes clean)
 


 
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we worked, and well, had the miracles of finding people who will listen. Right now I´m kinda of excited about one family in particular This is a family called Familia Moneymaker.... Its the wierd situation I was telling you all about before. He´s a gringo who married a Honduran he doesn´t speak Spanish very well and she don´t speak any English. Other interesting fact, he is a member baptized in Tennessee and has sick chinese tatoos all over. haha They´ve been coming to the English class on Saturdays but not coming on Sundays. The lessons are wierd because like I have to translate the Tennessee accent (which I'm convinced is a different language) to Spanish when he wants to say something relevant to the lesson. I mean he´s always talking but lots of times its just random stuff so I just don´t translate that... haha Maybe this is bad because the wife will think that her husband is a bit more spiritual than he is but.. he has a testimony of the Church and I always try to get it out of him and its good to translate.. anyways the thing is that they came to church!!! whhhoooo hooooo! Talk about rejoicing.
 


 
She doesn´t want to get baptized but if she comes to church that's a step of faith. All we have to do is invite her to take the steps, make an environment where if she really wants to she can feel the spirit and then God will do the rest. It´s the Desire part that is the hardest with people. If they have that Desire they take a step of faith after we invite them and then next thing they know, they are taking those steps that before seemed huge. It just depends on our agency because God is a constant.

Friday we played basketball with a less active and man... I´m embarassed to say that.. I´ve lost everything.. geez. 9 months without doing something just destroys that ex-skill. haha

Saturday was great, we were in the chapel and my district baptized 4 people and 1 family. It´s so good just to attend baptisms. Really they´re just so.. Whole, Complete. Sano, clean. It´s just amazing to feel and see the peace. It was a crazy day because they wanted separate baptisms and  so that means at 1 and at 4. so at 2 I gave my English class to the people who were at the baptism and then we ate at 3 and had the baptism at 4.

Sunday two investigators came to church! It was great. I gave a talk on answers to prayers. Really ironic right? hahaha I was looking at my life personally and the ways I´ve received most of my answers are through three channels. I haven´t seen angels or had visions (but that would be cool, totally open to experiencing that) but I have been helped by angels or other people sent by God. I´ve recieved an answer by looking at what God has already said (the Scriptures) and from just feelings of peace, comfort. I know that God listens to me. That I matter to him. 
 

 

We still don´t have water in our house so we continue buying. Changes are this week,  this Wednesday to be sure. I can leave or I can stay, who knows? I´ll let you guys know where I'm at next Monday.

Love you guys

paz y amor