Sunday, May 2, 2010
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7:48 AM
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I'm so glad to hear that everyone is doing so good! That's so awesome that Lauren is playing soccer! In college and out here I played a lot but I'm really terrible, it's a lot of fun but I don't know what I'm doing. I wish I would have played when I was littler. Tell Lauren to keep it up! Erica's is awesome too! She's always been a really good dancer doesn't she win something like every time? She's going to High School next year? What the heck that just seems wrong I was just barely in high school. Everyone is growing so much.
It's way cool about your class too. We were just barely talking about Shakespeare this morning, I'm not sure why but hey that's cool. I can't imagine a bunch of little sixth graders putting on a Shakespeare play, you must be a really good teacher.
Things here are not getting any better. I'm getting really sick of Elder Toney. He just does really stupid things to us, he doesn't trust us with anything we do, he never says anything good about us, after we talk to him we are all depressed rather than uplifted and then he gets mad at us again when our numbers are bad. Every night we have call ins where the dl calls and asks us how the day was and makes sure we are in safe and everything. The other day he asked me, "How was your day?" I said it was really good! He asked, "How many dates did you set today?" I said, none. Then he said, "Well then it wasn't a very good day was it?" Then I told him how we met a really awesome lady who is really excited to learn and one of our old investigators had called us and asked if we could find him a ride to church which was a miracle! For me it was a really good day, I felt like I did everything I could to accomplish my purpose. He said something like well we're basing our days if they were good or not on whether or not we set dates. So because I didn't set any dates my really awesome good spiritual day was apparently a bad day.
Ugh I'm so sick of him! And it's not just me and Carty. All of the missionaries in the district except for the sisters don't like him because he loves and praises and worships the sisters and asks them for advice (which is completely inappropriate). I confronted him a little bit on Sunday since we're in the same ward and he just told me that I'm being hard hearted against him and how we need to sustain our leaders and we need to trust him because he knows exactly how to fix this district out of the slump we're all in. I don't think it's going to get any better any time soon, the APs have already come to a district meeting and gotten mad at us for not sustaining Elder Toney. They don't know what he's doing and why nobody likes him and wants to sustain him but if they got on our case again I'm going to say something. I'm really worried that I'm going to get in trouble with Toney (more than I already am), our Zone Leaders, the APs (again) and possibly President Newman, but this is ridiculous, he treats us like we can't do anything right and he's the one with all of the magic answers.
Ok I'm sorry, thanks for letting me vent a little. I don't know what to do. I guess all I can do is just pray to do what's right and have faith that the Lord will take care of it.
I'm really excited to talk to you all pretty soon. I can't believe it's already time to talk again though, time is ridiculous out here. I love you!
Elder Johnson
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Friday, April 23, 2010
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8:31 PM
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Well things are going a little bit better. I make Carty work. And we do, we go out and we work very hard all day. He's still a little slow to get out of the apt but it's getting better. We still haven't found anyone to teach though. We had a little bit of hope for a while with one guy. A member brought his brother to church last week and I mean he liked it but it's not like he came to investigate the church he just kinda came because his brother asked him to, but he came so it was sweet. We took one of the priests over to his house and taught him the first lesson and told him that if he wants to know if this message is true he needs to read and pray about the book of Mormon. He still hasn't done it, he also said that he and his parents were going to come to church tomorrow but when the member went to pick them up, they came up with a bunch of excuses about why they can't go. So yeah. But it's ok, something will happen soon.
This area has been really hard but I'm learning a lot about who I am as a missionary and a lot of little things that I probably wouldn't have learned if we were having a lot of baptisms so I'm sure the Lord is using this time right now to prepare me for something he needs me to do pretty soon, that's the way he works a lot of times.
Ugh Toney is really difficult. His companion Elder Taylor says that he's always calling people to check up on them and tell them what they're doing wrong including us which means that he doesn't trust us. If we're not doing it the way that he wants us to do it then we're doing it wrong and apparently we're never doing it the way he wants us to do it so we're always doing it wrong. That's actually ok too because he's continuing to teach me patience and I think a little about self-confidence too. A while ago I think I would have just been like, "oh well he's my leader so he must be right" but now I recognize a lot more when I'm doing it the best way I know how and he's just being ridiculous. I'm not like rebelling against him or anything I still sustain him and will sustain goals he sets for the district and stuff like that but I have a lot more trust in myself and what I'm doing now. I don't know if that makes any sense but it makes sense in my head.
I'm so glad to hear about your job!! That's so awesome that they got you back at Draper. You'll have to let me know if it's fourth or sixth. Fourth grade I think was my favorite grade in elementary school with Mrs. Kempiak (I think that's how you spell her name) Dang I still remember that pretty well and now Lauren is in fourth grade? Everyone is going to be so old and different when I get home. Weird! And now Mark is coming home!? What about Parker Beazer is he home yet? It seems like he's been out forever! Yeah he has to be home by now. I'm getting to the age of my mission where I know quite a few people but a bunch the ones who I knew when I first got here are leaving. Oh man we had a district meeting on the same day that people were going to the mission home to fly home and I guess they meet at our church. So after district meeting we saw the people who are leaving with all their suitcases and stuff. It was a very weird feeling to see them all and talk with all of them. Like, it made me excited to go home a little tiny bit trunky but at the same time it made me very glad that I am not going home for a while. I feel like there's still so much more for me to do. But I still have like 15 months left so I have plenty of time :)Yeah we get to talk again in a few weeks I think. And yeah I can call your cell phones so that will be fine if you guys are in Arizona, then maybe I could talk to Mark! That would be sweet! But yeah that will be fun. Man for me it still feels like I just barely talked to you guys at Christmas time. It's so scary how fast time goes by out here.
Well I'm so glad things are going so well at home. Things are feeling a little better out here, still not a lot happening but I feel better and I'm optimistic things will turn around. I love you all very much! I'll talk to you soon!
Elder Johnson
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Monday, April 12, 2010
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5:53 AM
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Hey I heard you were in California. That sounds fun, I hope you had a good time there. You guys watched General Conference though right? It was really good, I got a lot out of it. I can't wait until the Ensign comes out so I can read it and mark it up.
Um I'm out of money on my home card. I thought I had more but I guess I used it all on that GPS. But I should be good for now, it's the beginning of the month so we just got pross money.
Guess what, Elder Toney is my district leader now! Weird huh? I think it will be good because he already knows me really well so he trusts me and trusts what I'm doing and we will be able to help each other a lot which I really need. Carty is like a border-line lazy missionary. It takes him forever to do anything! Like he'll go out and work and he's a pretty good teacher it's just hard to get him motivated to get out the door and get him to find someone to teach. He's my senior companion but I end up making most of the decisions and pushing him to go and do and I told Toney that and he pretty much told me to just take charge and not worry about the "senior companion" title. I don't know we'll see what happens.
Well hope cali was fun. Tell me all about it! Love you
Elder Johnson
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Saturday, March 27, 2010
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8:54 AM
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Rama is branch in Spanish. Puedo escribir muchas cosas en espanol y tu no puedes entender. No puedo esperar hasta que yo rogreso y Dad y yo vamos a hablar mucho en espanol y nadie puede entender.
Man that really blows about Austin. I hate how girls have this much power over us. Before he's all in a good mood and doing nice things and then after he doesn't even go to church? I don't know what to tell you. I guess when this happened to me I just wanted everyone to leave me alone, maybe he just needs some time. He'll be ok, there's plenty of other girls out there and plenty of new experiences to have. But I do not EVER want to hear that he didn't go to church for something stupid like that EVER AGAIN! If he understood how hard we work to get people to come to church and the reason why it's so important we get them there he would never do that again. Church is not just a place we go to to hear the word of God and then talk to our friends like a lot of our investigators think, it is where we go to be spiritually strengthened! He needed it this week probably more than ever.
I'm really sorry about your job. I don't get it though they can just hire you for one year and that's it? Don't you get like a contract or something for a while or is it just every year anyone can get let go like that? It's ok though. Whatever happens is what is supposed to happen, maybe you're just not supposed to be in Draper anymore, maybe something will happen with the other teachers with district stuff. I'm sorry I don't really understand how any of that stuff works, but as long as you're keeping the commandments and doing everything you can, the Lord will put you wherever he needs you to be. I'm really proud that you stayed and called the sub off too. I'm sure father was too. That's showing him and the kids you're teaching (even though they may not realize it) that you won't just give up when things get hard, that you're willing to do whatever it takes to teach them. I wish I could say the same thing. I'll be honest a couple of days this week after one dropped investigator, missed appointment after another I started to loose that belief and I slowed down. I feel bad now that I slowed down, but I did... a lot. After one missed appointment we just sat on the ground for a little while thinking, "now what." Thank you for your example, hopefully I will be able to do my job with as much passion and belief and perseverance as you do yours.
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I'm getting to really like this area. The rama is really cool. Everyone speaks spanish! The only problem is that nobody has a car and everyone needs rides so getting people to church and taking people on tradeoffs is a joke! But it's good.
No the childish couple is still not married. They came to church again this week though so that's a good sign. This week we also had a homecoming for a missionary who served in Portland Oregon with Justin Kiser! Do you remember him? It's really weird to talk to the R.M. because he just barely got home so he's still like one of us but at the same time he's a "civilian" he goes to work and he's allowed to talk to girls and all that weird stuff haha :) And he knows Justin which is also weird for me haha. I don't really have much to say either. Just a lot of tracting and trying to find people who aren't too lazy to change their lives around. Tracting on weekends is really hard I'm finiding. It seems like all these guys do on the weekend when they don't have to work is drink. But it's ok, I know the Lord is preparing someone for us to find. I have to baptize someone this month!!!! It's my birthday month I just have to baptize someone!! We'll find him or her (or the family of seven from Columbia) that's ready. We just need to keep on working hard and not lose the belief and the faith that they're out there.
Same with you, don't worry about your job. I read a really good talk in the January Ensign the other day about having faith of the future. It was really good you should read it. It's kinda about Lot's wife and it's by Jeffery R. Holland. Read it and pray after and I know you'll feel ok, you'll know what to do. :)
Well, tell everyone I love them! Please pray for us here in Jacksonville! Not just me, but everyone here. The other missionaries, the people, President Newman, President Barry, everyone!
Elder Johnson
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Yes I did get the package Thank you so much for the pictures and stuff. I can't believe I left without any. And thank you for the letters too! And for my debit card. I finally had to break down and get a GPS by the way. I found a really good one at Target that was on sale normally like 179.99 and I got it for 99! We found them the last day of the sale so it was really lucky.
I have no idea why we had to change our email thing. I guess it's updating and we needed new ones. I don't know.
We had our president interviews this week and when I got to mine, President Newman said, "I feel like I'm meeting you for the first time! I'm President Newman by the way." I've finally arrived. I don't know if Dad had a similar experience like the first couple of months are really hard and then you finally "arrive" and it's like a night and day difference. I don't have to wonder about what I'm doing now or wait for my companion to show me what to do I just do it. I've even thrown down on a couple of people. Sometimes we have to tell them what they don't want to hear, but if they are ready and really want to change, they know that what we say is right and they will repent. Oh and the other day somebody asked Carty and I if we have been speaking Spanish since birth! That was such a good day, I felt pretty good after that. There's still a couple of words every now and then that i don't know and I have to take a second to think of some things before I say them but it's going really well.
Mrs. Caballero doesn't know what she's talking about Puerto Ricans say their r's a lot more than their s's. I like them though, their usually loud and fun, well most Hispanics are but I think they're a little louder. I don't know if she still remembers me but that would be pretty cool.
I don't really know a whole lot more about my companion. He's really cool though. He loves movies almost as much as I do, he loves skiing and mountain climbing too. He's a lot like me in a lot of ways. He even had one girlfriend in college for a really long time that broke his heart so yeah we've got that in common. But he's pretty cool. Still really quiet, but he's cool. The other guys are sweet too they're English so sometimes me and Carty just talk in Spanish and freak them out it's a lot of fun!
The branch is really cool. Especially for Spanish missionaries. We only teach and find and bring Spanish people to church so we're really happy when we have a lot of brown faces amidst all the white people, but in the branch everyone is brown! It's really cool for the members too. The only problem we have in a branch is getting people to church. I have no idea why but Hispanics are always late! Always!! Plus there are very few people that have a car so getting rides is a joke. Everyone needs a ride! Even members who have been going for years! It's really stupid.
Tracting is hard. We are in the South part of our branch area and the south area is a little bit nicer than the north. We have zero trailer parks and the neighborhoods are all white people so we have to go into a few apt complexes so it's really hard to find people.
We are teaching a few people right now. None of them are really progressing very well though. One couple needs to get married but every time we bring it up they start acting like little shy kids and just look at each other, whisper something, then giggle or something stupid. The last time we were with them I got really serious with them and made them act more mature. I asked them what are you willing to do to follow Jesus Christ. You can either get married right now, move out until you're ready to get married or keep living in sin! They're supposed to think about it and then let us know what they're going to do before we come back.
But I'm out of time sorry I have to go. I love you all very much! I'll keep praying for you! Do the same for me!
Elder Johnson
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Um I guess I had to do like a new Mylds mail thing so I guess my new email address is anjohnson@myldsmail.net whatever....
Anyway yeah things are going good here. It's really weird. I'm out here with people that have been out for a little over a year and they're still doing things that I was doing when I first got out here but I've learned better since then and I've stopped doing those things. I'm trying to lead by example but they've been out for a while so it will be hard to shake them of their habits. Oh well, I'm just going to try and keep doing what I know is right.
President Newman had to interview one of our guys who got baptized on Saturday because his ex-girlfriend had an abortion so he came and we talked to him for a while. He has this amazing ability to read people, he always seems to know exactly what I'm thinking right when he sees me. And this time he said, "You're doing good? I got a good vibe from you." I do feel good here. This is the first transfer where I've felt like I know what I'm doing enough that I don't have to watch and see what my companion does and learn from him. I feel like I know enough where I can just do it now and my Spanish is getting pretty good too. So yeah, even President was able to tell that I'm doing a lot better here. Haha and then he was showing off all the cool stuff his iphone can do while we were waiting for our guy. He loves that thing. He always shows it off to us. I think he wants all of us to go home and get an iphone so we can stay organized and busy and working all the time.
I heard about the earthquake. I'm glad Natalie's ok. How is she doing? Have you heard anything from Nan or Stacey?
Erica said you are going to Disneyland! Punks! Just kidding that will be fun :)
I haven't got my package yet but I really really need money. Elder Bishop I guess is out of town and so we still don't have any money. (I haven't had any for like a week and a half now except for a McDonalds gift card) It's stupid.
But things are going good. Love you!
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