Monday, March 31, 2014

this week was . . . . fun :) .....and a little bit of water . . .

Alright . . . here we go, my fingers are going to have to be on fire for this week. My letter to President Heyman was longer than usual and I´ll be a little short on time. And the internet here is really slow so I´m gonna have to send the pictures next week. Sound good? Hope so, cause that´s what´s got to happen sorry :) Don´t worry, still love ya. 

So . . . where to start.
We had exchanges this week, like we will every week so that makes everything fly a lot faster. but what really makes a week fly is a baptism and every missionary knows it! I´d swear this has been the most complex baptism I've ever put together on the mission. There were so many obstacles! First off we didn't know how many times he´s been to church, he couldn't make it to church cause they didn't have money for the bus, had to call pres for permission, later we find out that he had enough after postponing it for a week, we got everything set up for an interview at a church activity with the Elders, last minute they couldn't go and the Elders had to come to their house on the other side of the world, he passed the interview (being the amazing little ten year old he is he was so nervous and asked Elder Santana if he missed one of the questions meant that he couldn't be baptized, and we´d already gone over them so many times and he blew us away) Later for his BAPTISM we went to their house to go get them at 4:30 to go to his baptism at 6:00. It had rained all day and there was a ton of mud, but one can get through it all in boots and there are paved roads here, so they´d be fine. His mom who is a member said that it looked too bad that they probably shouldn't go . . . . yeah not gonna fly with us. THEN we had to convince his dad, who was drunk at the time, why we were there and to let his son go be baptized, after UN MEDIO HORA he let us go to the baptism, but we still had to wait for the family to get ready to go. Joaquin was all ready to go. We took the bus and the baptism went well, but we didn't feel like we should have after a baptism which left us wondering if it was the right decision. SUNDAY for his CONFIRMACIÓN. We go to the house to get them and no one was there. Joaquin wasn't confirmed in sacrament meeting. Later that day we talked to the ZLs about it, we had no idea what to do, so they thought up a plan with the Assistants to have the bishop go to his house and confirm him there. We called the Bishop to see what he thought and he thought it´d be best to have him be confirmed Sunday before conference. The elders thought of something else . . . Have it that day at the church. We ran to Joaquin´s house, they weren't home, we ran into his mom outside, she told us why they weren't at church, she couldn't go with us to the church to have her son be confirmed cause her baby was sick, so we took his older sister with us. After soooo many phone calls, running back and forth everything worked out. His confirmación was one of the most amazing moments on the mission for me. Everything I was supposed to feel after his baptism hit me like a ton of bricks plus some in this little meeting where our little 10 yr old Joaquin received the Holy Ghost and became a member of the church. I learned a ton from this, and have been so humbled it´s crazy.

so that was my week :)

Aston is such a beautiful boy! Congrats!

Love you all and I´ll talk to ya next week. :)

HAPPY GENERAL CONFERENCE!!

Hermama A. Johansen

Saturday, March 29, 2014

¡Bienvenidos ....

HE¨S SO CUTE! Marci and Neal, well done. He´s adorable and I can´t wait to meat him! I can´t believe he´ll be five months almost to the day when that happens, he´s gonna be so big! Him and Ashton, wow! 

Just so ya know, this keyboard is really sticky so if my spelling sucks today that´s why, not because I don't remember to spell in English ;)

There is so much to say that it´s kinda just flying everywhere and I don´t know exactly where to start. Um . . . Clorinda is a good hour or two out of here, and we get to see them for conferences and stuff like that. I thought that would have to be where Mike was! I love it when I'm right. My MTC Comp Hermana Bateman is now in my district!! We did divisiones with her and her comp the other day, I went with her comp, but it´s wonderful to see how much she´s changed since last year and how much we've progressed as missionaries. She´s a rockin missionary and I love being able to see her so often. 

Hermana Medina is really funny and pretty cool. She teaches well and is really good at taking control of situations when they slip out of my hands. She´s a medical student and we've got a lot more in common than we thought we did when we did divisiones in Corrientes. 

I´m adjusting to Formosa. I'm used to seeing the from Formosa to Corrientes, not Corrientes to Formosa. I´m learning how someone really can have 16 or close to it investigators in one week. A lot of the 11 that we found last week haven´t hang around much cause some of them are old or are hard to find again. One of our investigators made it to church but surprised us and left in the first fifteen minutes! We went after him to see what the deal was and he told us that he had to go to work . We went to find him the doors were closed to the chapel and they wouldn't let us back in so We MISSED THE SACRAMENT, I wasn't all that happy about that, but luckily our bishop is a wonderful man and let us take it after the meeting.

The people here are a lot nicer than they are in Corrientes and actually give you the time of day, but instead of Gouchitto Gil everywhere, you find the Divino Niño We have a couple good investigators, we have Maria, Ailen and Juaquin. Juaquin is a cute little ten year old who had the biggest testimony in the world, his mom is a recent convert and has troubles making the sacrifice to get to church. The elders would pay for their three peso bus pass to get to church and we think that´s been a big thing that´s kept them form going consistently. Maria is a cute mom, her 2 year old daughter eats paper, and is trying to get married and get the grove of the word of wisdom. Ailen is 19 and loves youth groups and knows how much they help, and has a testimony of prayer, She´s a really nice girl and we think she has potential, she actually communicates with us when we can´t find her. which is always good.

We found a member knocking doors the other day. She was baptized when she was thirteen and hasn't been to church since her mom died. Her dad died a long time before that and so she had to work and go to school a ton to support her six siblings. She saw us walking the other day and wanted to know what church we were from, then she was praying about an hour before we came to her door asking what she needed to do to come back and to have more peace in her life and then we came to the door. We prayed with her before we left and she was crying cause she was so happy.

That´s cool that i got to speak with Elders McClellen, Riddle, and Bailey! Hope they´re doing well. 

Welp . . . . I think that´s all Folks . . . for this week.

Take care! Read your scriptures and be the answer to someone´s prayers.

Love you all!
Hermana A Johansen

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

things that happened this week like . . . TRANSFERS

So this is what is going on this week and I don´t have a lot of time to tell you all about  it today. we have less than an hour to write and so this should be interesting. 

I´m in Formosa Capital, Formosa, serving in the area Puerto 4. My comp is Hermana Medina from Panamá, and she´s awesome. it´s funny cause when I´m really tired I´ll forget what idioma I am currently speaking and I´ll say some things in English because both Spanish and English feel so natural to me now. I still get a few things mixed up and my grammar isn't all THAT good still, but ya know I get along and my comp is great. 

I´m still a Sister Training leader and this is going to be a fun transfer cause we´re in charge of 6 comps de hnas, so we have to do an intercambio every week. We had consejo all about divisiones and it helped me a ton. 

I´m having Formosa culture shock. I went from having the hardest time finding anyone and this fin de semana we found 11 people in three days! I swear if there is anything like putting your face to a fire hydrant THIS IS IT!  it´s pretty great, so great infact that I have hardly any idea what to do with myself. The ward is fantastic. I was in relief society for the first time in almost 7 months yesterday and I almost cried. We´re in a fully functioning ward and the members really wanna help us. There is a stake here in Formasa Capital so that is a ton of fun too.

YOU´LL NEVER GUESS WHAT I GOT YESTERDAY!!!!!! I got my trunky papers . . . . I didn't want them, I tried to give them back to Elder Fiabane and he wouldn't take them back! I tell everyone who goes crazy about my 5 1/2 months left that I´m talking to President Heyman about an 8 month extension, it helps me keep from realizing my situation and from the shock of how close it really is and how fast it´s going to go.

so there´s an Ice Cream Motorcycle that runs around here and plays all the classics, it even played the tune of ´You are my Sunshine¨ and I about cried. Had to tell ya´ll all bout it. 

I have spent a lot of money this month due to having to travel to Goya so much and transfers . . . 

By the way, for those who know . . . our air conditioner sounds like the TARDIS. 

I think that´s all I have to say for this week, I´m trying to finish the Book of Mormon in Spanish and D&C in English by the end of the mission and I´m loving it.

Strengthen your testimonies, go share it. Do good, and never tire of it.
Love you all! 

Hermana A Johansen

Monday, March 10, 2014

2 weeks in 1.....

I love the pictures! Thank you! The hat shop looks like it was tons of fun, and I´m supper jealous, I love Oregon! Have we sat in the same spot every time? I´m glad Dad had a good birthday, and that you got my letter on time. That made me so happy to hear. We sang on your birthday and ate ice cream to celebrate. I thought about you all day, and kicked my foot so many times for not saying anything about it last week, but I'm saying something now and that´s all that matters. I´m really really happy that you got my letter and were able to open it on your birthday. I love you, Dad! You can have your birthday hug when I get home.

So this week has been kinda fun. We've had branch counsel scheduled a few times and had to cancel it, and no one came to Noche de Rama and for us that means an hour of our work time is gone, yup so that was fun. We got things figured out. 

On the bright side of things . . . Yamila Got BAPTIZED!! She´s the 15 year old that didn't want ANYTHING to do with ANY religion, and Beti said that we all thought that she was probably going to be the last one to be baptized and turns out she beat Selene to it instead. Selene would've been baptized this week too, but no one knew why until she told Hermana Tabarez that the only reason she didn't want to be was because she hates pictures, so during her baptism we just wont take pictures easy solution :) 
I love this family so much, and I don´t want to leave Bella Vista cause that would mean that I don´t get to see them every Sunday at church, that was a close one when I got transferred last time. Caterina comes up to me every Sunday, gives me the biggest hug and a look that breaks your heart and tells me that she wants me to come to her house to visit, and doesn't understand that I cant.
 Hermana Petersen told me the other day that Beti will comment about Hermana. Lund and I all the time in Sunday school. Viki asked about a spiritual experience that she has and she told them all about the first time that she ever talked to Hermana Lund and I. I was so ready to cry I was so happy. I respect and love this woman, and so many missionaries are going to cry and rejoice when she is finally baptized. I remember making the decision to go down their street and the moment we found them, and I pray with everything I have that she will be able to make that covenant with God like she wants to. Someday, and I promise that when it happens I´m going to cry so hard.

Em . . . . What else is there! I go through this every week, I know there is something else that I wanted to tell you, and I´ll think of it when I leave. I just know it. Oh well.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY KILEY B.!!  Love you tons, and hope you have a fantastic day.

JUSTIN!!!!!! I can´t believe you´re leaving me for so long! Three and a half years! that´s what we get for serving missions, eh? That´s so cool! You´ll be able to talk to Uncle Neal in secretive terms. CONGRATS!! Man, I won´t be able to recognize you at all! I´m so excited for you.

Sabrina! I keep forgetting how old you are. you´re still fourteen to me. Junior prom already? I read that and said, Isn´t she still a sophomore?¨ shows what I know. You´re adorable! Lucky you. You all look so good, and I can´t wait for Kevin´s! I´ll be there for sure.

Marci, when is little man coming? I get pictures right? Can I hold him when I get home? he´s going to be so big! Him and Ashton are going to be so old by the time I get home. Well, 6-5 months old isn't all that old. Good luck! Stay healthy! Love you! You´re a cute little mom! (I don´t think I got the video, I may have to watch it when I get home) have a wonderful time in Cali! 

As for the work this week. Everyone has been saying that I am leaving Bella Vista this next week for transfers.

Celeste moved yesterday! We were so bummed! We went to go visit her at her cousin Marisa's house where she's been living for the past two months and turns out that she moved early that morning. She moved into the Elder´s area, so that was some good news. Broke our hearts, and we had no idea. She drew us a picture to tell us goodbye and we thought that someone must have told her about transfers. Nope! She was moving.

I´ll let you know what else happens next Monday. I´ll tell Viki hi for you in a note if I get transferred.

I Got the letters from Thanksgiving this last Tuesday! I love them all, the pictures are great, and I show everyone the letter Dad wrote me.

I have actually told you the things I forget to tell, I usually remember and say them the next week. No worries mom. :)

Tell everyone "HI" and that I love them.
Love you, chow!   

Hermana A Johansen

Sunday, March 9, 2014

¡GUESS WHO´S IN THE PRIMARY!

VANE IS IN THE PRIMARY!!! She got her call this Sunday and is so excited to be the 1st counselor. She´s already got all these cute little ideas and wants to learn so much more now so she can be a good teacher. Benja and Avril are for sure coming to primary every week now. She had her interview the Saturday night before and she was so nervous (like we all are when we´re called in to talk to the bishop/branch pres. and we think we´re in trouble) and I knew what was going on. She kept asking me what was up and I wouldn´t say anymore than ¨You´ll be ok, I promise :) you´re gonna love it¨  I bet you can imagine how much fun I had with that one! She´s going to do SO GREAT!!

RILEY!! I cannot tell you how happy I am for you! We have situations similar to yours every once in a while here, but I´d have to say, your story is a one of a kind, and very amazing. When you´ve got your own little ones or if you choose to serve a mission your story and testimony will be able to help many people who want to be baptized as well. I´m so glad your Sister Missionaries got to come and see you be baptized!  I don´t know if anyone remembers my girls Luna and Caterina and their amazing Mom Beti. But their 15 year old sister Yamila has chosen to be baptized, and when we first found them she didn´t want anything to do with ANY religion. This last Noche De Rama she told me herself about her decision. Hopefully we can get some of our investigators to come so I can see her get baptized, I also got transferred, but lucky for me I´m in the same City.

This morning I was reading in Mosiah 7 where it talks about how a group of the Nephites are help captive by the Lamanites and a group of 16 Nephites have come to find them, they´re all happy and say that they would gladly be slaves to the Nephtes because it would be so much better than what they´re living with now. I switched a few words in for others when I read it and it meat a lot more to me. But it goes like this: ¨It is better to be slaves of (Christ) than pay tax to (Satan).¨ it made a lot of sense to me that really it´s so much better to be indebted to our Savior than it EVER would be to pay Satan for the mistakes we make in our lives and to suffer under his heavy tax. We all know that the yoke of the Savior is easy and his burden is light. Be smart, Choose the right. :)

Man, I swear there was something else I wanted to tell ya´ll. We had a good week.
 I´m glad you´ve all had such wonderful adventures! I wanna go to Oregon! I love that place.

I love you all! and hope you´re doing well. Stay strong, and Keep safe.
Hermana A. Johansen