To everyone:
Hey everyone! This week was great! It felt so good to have a full week to just get to work and not have to worry about moving, or traveling, or any other technicalities. A lot happened this week, including a visit from President and Sister Reber, the birth of a new baby in our little group of members, and some exciting transfer changes!!

We started the week with some good old-fashioned missionary work, namely, knocking doors and making contacts. This kind of work is hard and long, but experiences like the following one make it all worth it- We were working in one of the bairros afastados (far-away neighborhoods) for the first time, and trying to apply new and better techniques to our contacting by using pamphlets or the Book of Mormon in the first contact. We worked all afternoon without a lot of success, and it was getting dark. We wound our way down a couple of streets, and stopped to knock (or clap) at one final house. A lady, mother of two kids came out. We introduced ourselves, and the Book of Mormon, and offered her one as a present. In the moment, she started to cry. She thanked us profusely and explained that "Eu estava precisando". (I was needing it) We got her phone number, and marked a time to return. Looking back it is easy to see that we were lead by the spirit, but in the moment, it felt more like wandering. Just a faint prompting to "turn here" "turn there" and "stop here". It is so so sweet to be led in this way to those in need. Yet another testimony to me that the lord provides for and guides us!

The week continued as normal, until the visit of President Reber! Us missionaries and the members were all super excited to meet and learn from him. He arrived on Saturday afternoon, and stayed a whopping 24 hours. The time flew by, and we kept him and Sister Reber busy. Saturday afternoon and night, we stopped by all of the member families, and an investigator. Miraculously, Everyone we stopped by was home! Our little sacrament meeting had a record number of people on Sunday. A whopping 15! President Reber gave a great discourse on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it's simplicity and necessity. Afterwards, he interviewed all of the members, ordained M and L to the Aaronic Priesthood, and gave blessings to Irmaos P e I. All in all it was incredibly powerful, and everyone, including me was very touched.

That night, Elder N and I waited anxiously for the transfer news. President Reber had discussed a couple of possibilities with us, but we had no idea what was in store. We were both hoping for an extra dupla to arrive, to divide the workload, and personally, I was hoping to stay another transfer learning from the incredible example of Elder N. The assignments that came took us both by suprise. Elder N is being transferred, and I will stay here and finish the training of a new missionary, Elder T. 

Needless to say, sometimes I think President has a little more confidence in me than I have in myself. The idea of being responsible for continuing this little branch of the church in a city far removed from the mission is daunting to say the least. I hope and pray that I can live up to the task. I will be relying a lot on Elder T, and I have a lot of faith that we can learn from each other, and work well together, but more than anything else I'll be on my knees a lot this transfer, pleading for the strength of the lord. 
Elder Johnson

Well, this week was quite the adventure. We spent 14 hours in transit, and 3 whole days out of our area visiting a nearby (by Brazilian standards) city, Sinop. We left on Tuesday, and got back late Thursday night, but the trip there was quite the adventure and it makes a great story.

It begins at 4:00 Tuesday morning. We get up, cleaned, dressed and ready so we can be at the Rodoviaria (bus terminal) before 5. We get there a little past 4:30, and are waiting to get our tickets when we heared one of the police shout, "Para ai!!" Not one second afterwards, some guy ran right by us with a stolen bag over his shoulder. Hot on his heels was the policeman. For whatever reason, the policeman thought it would be a good Idea to stop and shoot at the guy rather then chase him down. So, just a few feet from where we were standing he starts to blast away, BLAM BLAM! People in the station were diving to the ground and taking shelter behind chairs. The Policeman completely missed the theif and so he ended up getting away, but it was quite the wakeup call for my companion and I.

Regardless, we get our tickets and board the bus, prepped and ready for a nice 5 hour bus ride. Little did we know what more this journey had in store. After an hour on the road, the bus broke down (I actually slept through the first 3 hours so this is all relayed by my companion). After an hour or so, we got going again, but the bus wasn't in tip top shape, and consistantly jolted around. Two hours away from Sinop (I was awake by this point), some prostestant group called "sem terra" had set up road blocks and were preventing all passage. The bus stopped behind a line of cars that extended well beyond what I could see. Of course, I wanted to see what exactly was going on, so me and my companion started walking toward the road block. After 40 minutes, we weren't even close (that's how long the line of trucks was). So we headed back. Luckily, even crazy protestors need a lunch break and so the barricade opened up for one hour 12:00 ate 1:00, and our bus was able to make it through. We eventually made it to Sinop at 2:00 in the afternoon. 

In Sinop, we had a great training with the Zone Leaders. They taught about the attributes of Christ section in PME, but in a way I had never considered before. We read and discussed each attribute of Christ, and applied each and every one to our relationships with our companions. The training was super inspired, and I'd reccomend that particular study to any missionary. Those principles are especially fundamental in a good companionship.

After returning from Sinop, we just got to work as usual. Unfortunetally we've accumulated a bunch of "mole" pesquisadores, because both me and my companion like to give people the benefit of the doubt. But, this week will be a great week of refining, and identifying those who really intend to make changes in their lives.

Also, to end the week, President Reber is planning on coming up to visit Alta Floresta this weekend, to get to know the members and investigators, and to give advice and training to both the members and us missionaries on the importance of the commencement of the Church here in Alta Floresta. We are super excited to really end the transfer on a good note, and prepare well for the transfer to come!

Elder Johnson

This last picture is of a monkey half way up the tree near Justus' apartment.  He says they see monkey's quite frequently!

The big news of the week is BAPTISM! We were able to see M and L be baptized by their father, P this weekend. It was a great experience. Finally this family is united in the gospel, ready to receive in full the blessings of a loving Heavenly Father. I was especially honored by the opportunity to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost to M. I feel especially close to that kid. He reminds me so much of my younger brothers, I can't help but feel almost like an older brother to him. It is so exciting to be a part of the start of the work here in Alta Floresta. The work is hard, that's for sure, but the blessings and miracles we see, more than make up for the difficulties.

 

The beginning of the week was rough. We spent just about two whole days working things out with the nova casa. Getting running water, cleaning, setting things up, waiting for the furniture. Eeeeesh, it was frustrating. More than anything, I love to get out and get to work. The time lost was like sandpaper to my brain. Because of the move, the week was fairly uneventful. But we made up for a lot of it with the Assistants over the weekend.

 

The Assistants (Elders R (Brazileiro) and Elder B (Americano)) Arrived on Friday. Right away we got to work. I loved working with both of these missionaries, and I learned a ton. More than anything, I realized that I had become a tad cynical. Working with these great missionaries totally rejuvenated Elder N and I, and we're excited to get back in the groove.

However, this week we'll be spending two days in a nearby city (Sinop) to attend a zone conference, and to contact some extended family of Elder N that live there. So, once again, the work here in Alta Floresta will suffer a little bit, but I'm excited to see what I can learn from our time is Sinop!

Ate Mais!

Elder Johnson

Pictures of Elders and family whose boys were baptized.  Other pictures of Assistants and Justus'

companion Elder N in their new apartment.  The green parrot had a broken leg.  The other picture is an Alta Floresta phenomenon.  It looks like a praying mantis, louva adeus.  

Well, this week has been one of ups and downs. One day we're blown away by the miracles that we see, and the next day all our appointments fall through and we end up getting very little done. But, at the end of it all, I'm just grateful for all the success that we are seeing, and the miracles that are happening with ridiculous regularity. Just to illustrate this "roller coaster" really quickly, yesterday we had 7 appointments of which only 2 came through, but this morning we had one of the most powerful lessons of my mission! Every time I start getting discouraged, the Lord demonstrates that he is indeed in control.

(Pictures top): Some bits of Jungle 

The biggest, most mind-boggling miracle occurred on Wednesday. And boy does it make a good story...

First of all, let me describe Alta Floresta a little bit. There are 2 parts to the city. Cidade Central (where we live and work most of the week) and Cidade Alta. It takes more than an hour just to get to Cidade Alta walking, and so, we choose one day of the week to make the trip and spend the day working there. That day this week was Wednesday.

Wednesday, it was raining...well, raining more than usual. As we left the house my Companion turned to me and asked, "O que voce asha, quer a trabalhar en Cidade Alta oje?" (What do you want to do, do you want to  work in Cidiade Alta?) I laughed and said "en verdade, eu nao quero, mas, eu sinto que nos devemos" (Truthfully, I don't want to but I feel like we should.) And so, we did. The hike up there was fairly miserable, and things didn't get much better when we arrived. We contacted a bunch of really disinterested people, and got preached to for an hour by this old lady who was determined to help us find salvation... By 6:00, we were pretty discouraged. My companion said, "talvez, oje nao 'ta o melhor dia para trabalhar aqui." (Maybe today was not the best day to work here).  Five minutes later as we walked down the road, there was a member family.  Standing at the end of the street. Waiting for us.

 Weather of Alta Floresta, on the SAME DAY!!!
 (above and below)

Right:  the backyard of the members we're living with (yes they're rich)

 As if that wasn't remarkable enough, Elder Nascimento KNEW the family. Turns out the family recently moved from an area my companion served in previously. What makes this miracle all the more stunning, is that this particular area is no longer a part of our mission. Elder Nascimento was one of the last missionaries to serve there, and in fact, he is the ONLY missionary left in the mission that served in that particular area. I did the math, literally a 3 in 10 million chance of this particuar circumstance. 

MIND BLOWN! 

(Left) Elder Nascimento demonstrating his mad skills.

And just because he could, God guided us to yet ANOTHER member family the very next day. All five of these people came to our little church service on Sunday. 

It is so comforting to know and be reminded that despite difficulties, despite those days when you walk 3 hours straight without anyone accepting your message, despite no being able to speak fluently, despite all of my weaknesses and faults, I can rely on someone far better than myself. 

I am consistently humbled by all that I see and learn here on the mission. It really is impossible to express my gratitude for everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen, both in my life, and in the lives of others. 

I LOVE this work. It is just plain incredible. 

Fica Firme,

Elder Johnson

We were able to go with an investigator to a futebol game, and were able to watch capuera! (last pictures)

Hey! First full week in Alta Floresta, and also, the middle of Carnival!!

This week has been a good, busy week, full of both miracles and disappointments. First off, I'll talk about the most exciting progress here in Alta Floresta.

 

We are indeed teaching both M and L, the sons of the member family here. They are learning fast, and accept everything we teach. We have to teach them separately most of the time because they have different school and work schedules, and they're hardly in the house at the same time. But, regardless, they are both progressing really well. In fact they both want to be baptized! This past week they decided on the 15th of this month to be Baptized. Both Elder N and I are super excited. Not only will they be the first baptisms in Alta Floresta, they will be the first baptisms of my mission. YAY!!! We are especially excited for M because he has expressed interest in serving a mission! 

As for P e I, the exciting news is that they aren't alone!! This week we found 3 more members here in the city! A mulher named F, and two brothers, R(22) and R(12). For those who don't believe in miracles, finding these people was literally the most coincidency (pretty sure I just invented that word) of coincidences. Both times we just happened to be andando the right road at the right time to run into them. But of course, I know that these experiences aren't coincidences at all, only more mounting evidence that we missionaries are just instruments being used to do something bigger. 

As for Carnival, it started on Friday, and today it's in full-swing. All that means is that half the city is gone travelling, and most of the other half is busy partying, either at home or in the bars. Needless to say, these conditions make missionary work a tad frustrating. To top it off, we have to return to casa shortly after sundown (which here, is about 6:30) because that's when the party takes to the streets. But, at least we don't have to stay en casa all day! 

Lastly, a brief thought about spirituality. Recently, I've been super focused on the Work part of missionary work. Updating the area book, Walking the entire city, talking to everyone, speaking the language, testifying, committing, and following through. And all this is good! BUT, I've been missing out on the spiritual side. Missionary work is a spiritual work. (weird thought huh?) 

The only thing that sets us apart from diligent salesmen, is the spiritual part of it. Our purpose is so much more than just convincing someone of an idea. If missionary work isn't being done in and through the spirit, it isn't being done right. I've got a long way to go to become a thoroughly spiritual missionary rather than just a hard-working missionary. But, I look forward to learning and improving. I know that as I do, I will be able to be a more perfect servant of God.

Elder Johnson

still not able to upload my own fotos, but here are some that elder Nascimento sent me.

 The tree I got a picture by is HUGE! I need another one of the full tree...

I don't really know where to start this letter, so I'm just gonna go for it.

First off, Alta Floresta is incredible. Sadly, it is far more civilized than I had hoped. But really, that is what makes it remarkable. Alta Floresta is literally smack dab in the middle of Jungle. If I walked 5 mins South or 10 mins West of our house, I would be completely lost in the Amazon. However, the city is bem-estabelecido, well-organized, and what's more, clean!! I don't really know if it's big enough to call a city, but it's not exactly a town either...Anyway, the city just plain great. You can be walking down the main Avenue, and have parrots and Macaws fly overhead. The temperature is a bit cooler here as well (I think because of the higher elevation). It's hard to describe the "feel" of the city, but it's almost like a resort. Most of the people here are either students (college kids) or retirees (old people). And so, it's harder to find families to teach. But all things said and done I'm loving it here.

Right now, my companion and I are living with the one and only (that we know) member family here. The parents, P e I, are both returned missionaries, and they have two sons, L(18) and M(15) who aren't baptized. They've lived here 14 years without any involvement in the church because of the long distances between here and...well, everywhere. It's been really hard on the family, but they are excited to finally have missionaries here to start the church. I could spend all my time talking about this family, and their struggles and example of strength and faith, but I probably shouldn't.

As for my companion, Elder N, he is awesome!! He's from Sao Paulo, and has 3 transfers left on his mission. He is a great example for me. He is an incredible teacher, and has one of the most powerful, sincere testimonies I've ever heard. Together, we're getting to know the area very quickly, and spending most of our time finding people to teach. 

Another aspect of the area that is remarkable is the receptiveness of the people. The church is a little bit late in arriving here, and a bunch of other churches are very firmly entrenched. However, despite this, almost everyone is willing to hear us out and invite us back. I don't know weather is just because our church is something "new" or what, but the openness and the preparation of the people here for the restored gospel is remarkable.

We had one experience this past week that stands out among the rest as truly miraculous. Our first day here, we contacted a reference from church headquarters. A media referral, that many times aren't very reliable. Sure enough, the lady that was referred, J, had no recollection of requesting a visit from the missionaries. Of course, we taught her anyway :) After the lesson, she invited us to participate in a little "youth group" type gathering of students. We went this past Saturday, and established a time to return and teach the entire group!! Yet one more example of God directing and guiding his work among many!

It is so, so exciting to be a part of this work. I've never felt so good about being absolutely exhausted! I know that this is the work of the Lord, and I'm just privileged to be a part of it.

Elder Johnson 

I was determined to take a bunch of pictures this week, but was super busy and didn't get the chance. But, here are some pictures of a flooded rua that Elder C sent me!

BTW- these were taken basically right in front of our house. Hurray for floods!!

To the family:

Hey Everyone! Thanks for your letters. Sounds like you've been having fun with all the snow! Dad, to respond to a few of your questions- We have a phone to share as a companionship, and boy is it handy! We receive about 200 reis two times a month on a debit card. And we walk just about everywhere. We only take the bus when we need to leave our area or cross from one side to the other.

As for my big news...I'm getting transferred. I should really just stop being surprised. I loved working here in Morada da Serra, but next transfer I have an incredible opportunity. Me and one of the Assistants to the President are opening a new city to the gospel! I leave for the little town of Alta Floresta tomorrow. I'll write more about what that in my other letter, but there, I won't be able to receive letters or packages at all, so don't bother sending anything.

I don't have any new missionary tips for members this week, but I hope that you're taking note of my suggestions. They are things that I want to do when I return from my mission, so don't delete the emails or anything. (Pics: fish head & huge spider)

 

Love you all and wish you all a great week!

Elder Johnson.

To Everyone:

I don't know whether I should start off this letter with the big news, or build up to it...but since I like a little bit of dramatic effect, I think I'll side with the building up plan.

This week was indeed better than the last. We got a lot done, and we were definitely able to receive guidance from the Lord. The most exciting and frankly miraculous event of this week was the finding of a long lost family! The first encounter was when we had to ask for directions from a couple kids playing in the street. They gave us the directions and we continued along our way. The very next night, we passed the same group of kids, but on a different street. We were taken aback when one of them said that they had been baptized into our church! As a missionary, you shouldn't take running into the same people more than once for granted, and so, the next day we stopped by their house. Turns out, the mom is a less-active member that was baptised five years ago, along with one of her daughters who was 8 at that time. She and her two children came to church on Sunday, and we have high hopes of them returning again, and what's more, we're also now teaching one of their neighbors!

 

I think many missionaries, and members in general don't have an appreciation for working with members of the church who are not coming to church. Sure it's frustrating, and it definitely takes patience, but it's so worth it to be able to see people return to the faith! It is so exciting to be a part of the "rescuing" of lost sheep that the scriptures and Prophets talk so much about.

All things said and done, this week was full of great experiences. Great lessons, and lots and lots of work. Among other things, nossa casa lost power for a day and a half, and so we had a fun planning session by candle and moonlight! We also had a ward chorrasco (barbeque) that was really successful! But the "big news" of the week came when Elder Contor and I were summoned to the mission office for a meeting with Presidente Reber. In this meeting, he made a surprising announcement-

The mission is opening a new city, Alta Floresta, to missionary work and I have been assigned along with Elder Nascimento to go there this next transfer. 

Alta Floresta is way North in the mission. In fact, it is as far North as you can go. How far North? Only a 15+ hour bus ride north of Cuiaba, and 5 hours North of the nearest Church building. Because it is so far removed from basically everything else, we won't be part of a district or zone. Which means we won't have meetings and will only see other missionaries once every four months for mission conferences, to which we will have to travel by plane. 

As far as we know, there are two members of the church in Alta Floresta. A couple (both returned missionaries) that has lived there for fourteen years. We will start off as a "group", meaning that we will meet in the house of this member family every Sunday for an hour long Sacrament meeting. And, that's about all we know. 

Needless to say, I'm more than a little bit humbled. I've got not idea how to start the church! Which is basically what we'll be doing. It will be different, and difficult to do work without the support of a ward, or without even a church building to meet at. But, it's going to be great! I am both super excited and terrified. I've got no idea what it is that I'm supposed to contribute to the work in this new city, but I've got to figure it out, and fast! I know I'm going to have to rely on the Lord now more that ever, but I have faith that regardless of my weakness and inability, this is his work, and he can get done what he needs to through me. 

Elder Johnson