Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Happy Halloween.....

I can not believe it is Halloween already!! There is no way.  I reached my 8 month mark yesterday and I couldn't believe that either!!

Anyway. We had a milagro yesterday!!! E.... CAME TO CHURCH!!! She is the first of our investigators to come to church the entire time I've been in Bella Vista 2!! Ironically when we have a blessing that big the entire day on Sunday really bites. No one would listen to us! But as much as our feet hurt and disappointment was knocking at our door we kept our little piece of happiness in our minds and it was all worth it. 

We had to give M..... a break this week, he has ¨Rama drama¨ before he even got into the rama, and did not want to go to church. His niece is a less active and they've had some issues in the past. We haven´t been able to meet with Norma, she and her family went to Buenos Aries this weekend and we weren't able to see them.

We were up in the far corner of our area the other day and decided to go see our investigator P.... F.... We taught her her first lesson a couple weeks ago and haven´t been back because we thought she didn't understand us and felt like we were holding her hostage, but NO! She was listening to us and actually was waiting for us to come get her for church and we forgot that we offered to come get her! I felt awful  BUT she forgave us and wants us to come back and to go to church. But here's the kicker . . . she is about to have a baby any day now, and SHE DOESN'T HAVE A BED! Holy Spaz!! So we're on the look out for a bed so we can help her. She has two other little kids that we actually just found out that they were little girls. It's hard to tell when you have a 2 and 4 yr old running around with short hair and no shirt on. Wooooops. 

Anyway funny things about this little country that I love. The toads miow!! It´s funny and always makes my day. What´s sad though is that you have to be careful where you step or you might stand on one that had been run over and turned into a pancake. Another one: French toast with dulce deleche!! The best ever!

Oh! Primary was fun. We had tons of kids there. A family was visiting from the District Presidency from Goya who happens to have about 10 kids. It was loud, it was great, we talked about temples it was a blast.

Way to go Jessica!! and Colton Coats!!


Love you M,D,S,S,K, Family and friends!

Hermana A. Johansen 

Monday, October 21, 2013

This week from my neck of the woods....more like my side of the river...

Feliz Día De Madre!!! 

Yeah I know it´s in May for us, but it was yesterday for our dear Argentines, so some of our missionaries got to call home yesterday, and I figured that I´d tell you HAPPY MOTHER´S DAY because I could.

Soooooo . . . This week! Guess who got a set of elders, a new branch and district president? Bella VIsta!! The elders are awesome. One of them came to  Resistencia with me, he´s from Buenos Aries and we became friends at the airport, and the other one is from Equador and we went and got our legal papers in Corrientes Capital together. So we're all friends and they´re both very pleased with how much my Spanish has improved. They´re both great and very obedient which is exactly what this town needs at the moment. 

We´re working with N....., M....., E....., and R..... at the moment. N...... is a little difficult because we only get to meet with her once a week and we invited her to church with us this last time and her and M.... have the same fear, that people will look at them funny and ask them what they´re doing there judge them and kick them out. It´s so sad. N....´s had a rough life, and loves to have us over when she can.
M..... PRAYED out loud at the end of the lesson for the first time and he´s been reading the Book of Mormon !!! We were so very happy about it!! He´s about 75 years old and lost his wife 6 years ago.  He has a hard time understanding us, but he likes to have us over, he´s very receptive to the spirit it´s great.
E..... is a sweet 16 year old girl, she is the most receptive of her family and is getting comfortable with us to the point that she gets excited to see us when she sees us in the streets and is commenting more in lessons. 
R.... is about the same, but she´s having a harder time having time for us to come over and teach her something. The other sisters had someone come to church this last Sunday  it was so awesome! the first time any of us have had investigators here while we've been here!

Alright . . questions!
Has anyone heard about Clay and Carli? they told me before I left that they were planning on getting hitched in August, How´s that working out for them? Speaking of marriage, did Hannah and Matt get married? 
How´s Bri doing? What´s her baby boy´s name? 

I love you all and I´ll talk to you later. LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD!!


Love you all! 
Hermana A Johansen

Monday, October 14, 2013

So much to say so little time....again!!!

This week has gone by so very quickly and i don't get to write too much about it today cause we have limited time. The cibers were all closed today until 5 and p-day ends at 6! Thanks to holidays, yipi! yeah, I wasn't all too excited about it but, I knew I would live.

This week . . . hmmm . . . Guess who got to draw the image for our Zone t-shirt! Yup :) It´s been fun. I'll send pictures soon.

We're teaching an amazing lady named N...., We met her on exchanges with Hermana Healey asking what kind of crazy flower we found. We were going to have a lesson with L...., but she blew us off again, so we went to our back up. We went to her house earlier and her son told us to come back around 8 when she'd be home. SHE WAS WAITING FOR US! She met with the elders three years ago, and that didn't go much of anywhere. Since then her father has died and her husband has left her to raise 7 boys on her own. We taught her the plan of salvation and she asked us if we chose to share that with her or if it was just the lecture that we have prepared for everyone. We told her how we prepare every day especially for the people that we go to teach and that we had actually planned to teach her the restoration. Thank heavens I have an amazing companion who suggested to teach something else. I love teaching people and not lessons! 

We also had interviews with President and Hermana Heyman. I loved it.

Anyway, I´m staying healthy, safe and happy. I love hearing from you every week. Funny fact. The family of my Zone leader Elder Gallardo just moved to Nephi, we couldn't help but to laugh about that the other day.

I'm glad everyone´s doing well! Kevin! Way to go with Football Bud!!!! YIIJJAAA!!!! ( <-- to be said in Spanish) I am so excited to hear from Colton! I can only see him spazzing out in his little chair with excitement, I bet he did so well and made everyone cry! The primary sounds like you´re having a blast.   

Love you Family and friends. Will someone get a hold of Sarah for me and let her know that she can email me? Pretty please? 
OH AND WHEN IT SNOWS! please send me a picture, I won't get homesick :) I promise. 

Love you all!
Chao!
Hermana A. Johansen

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

So much to say, so little time....

 I had leadership conference yesterday in Resistencia. Hermana Allred and I went and our comps stayed home and had a P-day together.

Mom I am so excited for your primary! Ya´ll are going full out on this! I had to brag about this to our Zone leaders and las otro hermanas. I´m so glad my little idea is helping out so much. Keep me posted, I love hearing about it. I could still be here in November, Hermana Lund still has her training, but here that doesn't mean anything is set. Missionaries can change comps in the middle of their training. 

First off: Marci. Thank you for your email. I do believe that you have never told me your story of how you gained your testimony. I don´t know if I have told you this before, but you going on a mission actually influenced me to make the decision to prepare for mine. I never thought that Sisters could serve missions, and always thought that it was for the Elders because it was always geared to the boys in primary. I had no idea. When you went it opened up a new door for me. I don´t think I can ever express to you how thankful I am that you chose to serve, because you did I was ready for the age change and to serve in Ohio and here in Argentina. Mike, who would've thought your influence would continue so much in this mission 18 years after you left. :)  Thanks for telling me that Marci, it´s really amazing to see the hand of the Lord in every decision we make in our lives. 
I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU AND YOUR LITTLE BOY!! this is going to be so much fun. It´s so crazy that you´re a mom! I love you and hope you´re safe, happy and healthy :)

Conference was amazing! I loved it! I understood quite a bit of what we watched in Spanish  None of our investigators came which was not very happy, but I loved it. We watched it with the Familia Duarte on Sunday. I can´t wait to be able to read it! Will you send me an English Copy? I love the Spanish and all, but I know I will get more out of it when I can hear their voices in my head. Did you know that ELDER SCOTT SERVED IN ARGENTINA!! AND THAT HE TRANSLATED HIS OWN TALK FOR CONFERENCE????!!!! SOOOOO COOOOL!! As you can see my mind is blown.

The work is good here, we´re working out some kinks in the branch and so it´s a little slow, BUT it´s coming along. We ran into a lady the other day who reads the BOOK OF MORMON!!  She was waiting for the coli and she looked sad and I just felt like I needed to talk to her. Turns out she wasn't sad, just tired from work. She was a very nice lady in fact  She asked us who we were and what we were doing, we told her, and she said that she met the Elders once, and they gave her a ¨bible¨ I was a little shocked, ¨¿Ellos le dio una Biblia? ¿enserio?¨ So I grabbed a Book of Mormon out of my bag and asked her if that was it. She said yes and that HER FAMILY READS IT, AND THEY APLY IT TO THEIR LIVES! and that´s not all, she then goes on to tell us about a verse that she loves in Nefi of how God is our support. We have plans to find her and her family as soon as we can!

Anyway, that´s our week. I´m glad everyone is doing well! Family! Keep safe, stay happy and share your testimony at all times (and when necessary use words ;)

HI, everyone else! Have the best week of your entire lives you little Later-Day Saints you!
(I tried to look at my tag to make sure I got the grammar right and then realized ¨Oh wait! Its in Spanish.¨ sometimes I´m a smart one:) 


Le Quiero!! Chao!!

Hermana A Johasen