Agradecimiento

Well the first thing that comes to mind for me as I write today, is simply how thankful I am to be here on a mission, and how thankful I am that God is aware of each one of his children. This last week has continued to teach me so much about the need for the Spirit in our lives as children of God. We had two really great meetings this last week, first a district meeting and then a CMLC (leadership meeting). A quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson in our room at home says, "Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God." 

Well, we have had some really great experiences as we have tried to follow the Spirit better in our lessons and through our days. We had a few great lessons with our investigator Eleuterio to help him to recognize the importance of gaining a testimony of Joseph Smith. And then as well we had a really great lesson with Lionel to help him recognize the importance of reading the Book of Mormon. Something really stuck out to me in Gospel Principles on Sunday. “… The Book of Mormon teaches us truth [and] bears testimony of Christ. … But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path." This is true!! 

Hey guess what! It was my birthday! Woot woot!! I am so not ever going to be a teenager ever again! LIKE NEVER EVER AGAIN!! That is a super good feeling haha. Especially since people still think I look like I'm 17. That's depressing sometimes when they think you're still in high school. :)

Thank you to everyone that contributed to my package! And the letters and emails as well! We have thoroughly enjoyed the amazing food, and fantastic action figures! They are our pride and joy. 

I made it the whole day without cake in my face, which we were not expecting, but Elder Teeples made sure there was some by the end of the night. :D

What actually ended up happening was we ate at Buffalo Wild Wings with our recent converts! They are super nice, and we love them soo much.

I hope y'all had an amazing week! And have another one this week! :D

The one year older and hopefully a little bit wiser,

Élder Johnson

St. Patty

Happy St. Patty's day! I sincerely hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Because we had a great time!

Well. This week was a fantastic week! We had some really hard experiences as well, but as we have been learning, opposition in all things is necessary. 

So we went to go talk to Nelson and Caridad. They are terrible at keeping appointments, so we just stop by when they would most likely be home. So... we stopped by. We knocked, and waited a little bit. Right before we were going to knock again, Carlos, their son, answered the door. Well kind of. He opened the door with a cigarette in his mouth getting ready to go out and smoke. But he was facing backwards talking to a friend. Then having changed his mind to go talk something out, he shut the door without ever looking out! What?? We knocked again and it all went silent. So, no luck. But I have to say, it was one of the funniest things that happened this week. :D

Other than them though, we have had some great things happen with other investigators. We had some good lessons with Eleuterio, but he still didn't come to church. He is definitely changing though. It's awesome to see it every time that we come by.

We had a great lesson as well with the Viñuelo family. We really have not taught them much, or had much success, so you haven't heard about them yet. But we had a great lesson where we could really get down to some of their doubts and we were able to see a big change in their faith. There's more work to do, but we know that if they read and pray their faith can keep growing.

I'm turning twenty this week! WOOT! Hispanics like to party, so I'm getting prepared... I've never had my face smashed into a cake, and it's bound to happen. More than once probably. 

Whoever sent the licorice is officially my favorite! That stuff was suuuuper good.

On Saturday of stake conference a recent rescue that happened was told in first person. He told of his decision as a family to return to the church after a member in Henderson and missionaries helped him and his family to move. Well, I was able to be there to help him move about 10 months ago. And what touched me the most was that he told me on Saturday that it was when we decided to vacuum out the couches that his wife's heart was softened, and went to him to say they had to return.

Mom, thank you for always teaching us to give it our all, even when serving. Who knew it would make such a big difference.

I love the Gospel! I love the Savior! And I am so grateful for the chances that we have to lift the lives of the people around us through his light.

Have an amazing week! Get ready for Spring! ¡Preparados! ¡Listos! ¡Ya!

Love, 

Elder Brian Johnson

Picture of the Sealing

Templo!!!

Hey y'all!!! So I can't remember if I even mentioned this in my last letter or not, but I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life this past week!! ELI AND DEAN GOT SEALED!!!!!!!!! On Saturday I went to the temple with Elder Tingey to go to Eli and Dean's sealing!! And probably the best part of the whole thing was getting to meet Sophia their daughter who turned one on the 13th! I couldn't believe it. When I baptized her she was pregnant with Sophia! That was the first sealing that I have ever gone to, and it was definitely worth waiting until theirs.

But what I learned most of all in all of this week was what patience really means. The ability to face trials, disappointments, and delays with calm and with hope. Well, we had a ride to the temple until less than twenty four hours before we went to the temple. Who in the world could come to the temple on the spot??? Well thankfully we got one. But in all the craziness in my mind, I realized that the most important thing was to live the Gospel! To have faith, hope, and to act as Christ would have acted. And what do you know. I felt so good! That made such an impression on my life that day, and in the work that we have done here.

We had an amazing lesson with Eleuterio at the church! Sadly he didn't come to church. But we moved his baptismal date to the 18th of April. Pray for him!

Pray as well for Nelson and Caridad. They have a date for the 28th, and they can make it! We just have to teach them!! :D They are a little ways away (30 mins on bike) and we have a hard time setting appointments with them. They are super great though!

I love y'all a ton! Everyone go to the temple! I am so grateful for the wonderful blessing it is to go to the temple!!

(elder maximiliano coca was here :) )

Families are forever! :D

Élder Johnson

Las Mañanitas

Hey there all y'all!! I guess when you're in a Spanish area that not many people actually say that. It was super common to here it back in Wallace. But nonetheless! Saludos from Raleigh!!

This has been an absolutely fantastic week! The best part about it is that we reset  baptismal date for Nelson and Caridad from the 14th to the 28th, and they came to church! Wahoo!!! Best birthday present ever! And what's greater is that we get to teach them from now until then! :D They are super great people. And super funny! Honestly I feel like hispanics in general just have a great sense of humor.

So Elder Teeples had his birthday on February 28th, but so far he has had at least 3 parties for it. And at each of them they sang Las Mañanitas! And then just yesterday Elder Niko had his birthday as well! I remember Marci sending me the lyrics to the song but I had never heard the song until this last week. It's great! Now I just need to see if I can't find the lyrics again! :D

The other people that we are working with right now are, Eleuterio (Baptismal date for the 28th of March), Ana and Felipe (awesome cuban and columbian family), Amilcar and Julisa, and probably other names that I just can't remember right now. I promise they're important to me and that we work with them. That just has no influence on whether or not my mind will allow me to remember their names on the spot. :D

I love this area! I love the people here in North Carolina! And most of all I really do love the Savior Jesus Christ! I have been so grateful these last few months of my mission to gain such a greater love for the Savior and an excitement to share my testimony of Him and His Atonement.

Last night I was reading in Colossians 3, and I highly suggest reading it. 

Some verses I loved say, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

I know that Christ is our Savior and our Master! I am so grateful for Him and I love Him!

I hope yall have a great week! I send y'all my love and prayers!

Élder Johnson

This is the Place!

Raleigh!!!!! I am in the absolute best place in the world! I wasn't able to really meet the ward at church yesterday because there was freezing rain that morning, so we pushed sacrament back to 3:30 and only did that. But the people here are amazing! I really don't even know where to start to describe everything here. That's how I've been even in my journal haha. But I guess I'll start out with who my companion is. Elder Teeples is from Alaska. So he is most definitely enjoying this cold spell we've been having. We've had a whole lot of snow. He has cystic fibrosis which requires him to run for an hour each morning (I don't understand the whole medical nature behind the running). That helps keep something in check with everything he has. I have noooo problem with running for an hour. :) It has been wonderful! (Besides the snow. That's made it difficult.) Today I am going to buy some new running shoes though because the ones I brought out are, well let's just say, worn out. :D
Elder Teeples and I get along super duper well. It is the greatest thing ever! He is simply a solid missionary, and hilarious! We are super similar in a whole lot of things, but different enough to be two distinct individuals. So he loves Spanish, and took 4 yrs before his mission. I did too, and it is sooooo nice to have someone who understands where I come from! Best of all he has the greatest attitude about everything I have ever seen! I feel so so comfortable here to work work work and not have to worry about ever overstressing because we have such a good time doing the hard things together. I'm going to have to get some good pictures this transfer and video as well so you can see him for real.

The other great part about Raleigh is that we are all sooo close to each other. We are constantly helping each other out with rides, information, having fun, working together, and whatever else it might be.

Saturday was Elder Teeples birthday. It has been a crazy weekend. He has had quite the experiences with cake in his face! Elder Tingey (The Elder Tingey who I was companions with) got him twice! Once with the cake on Saturday where it was expected, and twice the next day when he shoved his plate into his face! There's good old Elder Tingey and Elder Teeples for you! As you can tell, we simply have way to much fun here together. There are six elders and two sisters in the ward. Woot! :D

So far the main people we have been teaching are the Rivera family (Recent Converts of Elder Teeples) and someone named Eleuterio (Eleu for short). We had a solid lesson with Eleu and bishop Larkin and we set a baptismal date with him for the 28th of March! Best birthday present ever! We are working hard to help him to make it!

We have a few others as well who I've not met yet, but they have a baptismal date for the 14th, that we'll be pushing back to the 28th as well! Their names are Nelson and Caridad. Pray for them all! :D

I love y'all so much!! I hope that you have a great week! Missionary work is too fun to let it pass by!

Élder Johnson

Me and Elder Teeples