Well, Christmas is here again! I can hardly beleive that a whole year has past since I was there celebrating my first Christmas away from home in Texas. This past week, we had a great Christmas conference, and sadly, some big dissapointments this weekend. BUT, who can be sad at Christmastime!? 

The Christmas Conference was this past Thursday, and it was great to get together with so many missionaries. Here we have seperate conferences in the North and South, and so we had all the missionaries here in the South together. During the conference we learned about being a more consecrated missionary, and we studied a powerful talk by Tad R, Callister. The talent show afterward was a blast! Our zone did a missionary version of "A Christmas Carol". And to end the conference, we presented a new mission song!

But, unfortunetaly, as the week went on, we ran into more and more moleza. Saturday just about all of our appointments fell through, and on Sunday we were only able to scrape up one investigator to go to church. ALL the families that we had been teaching throughout the week dropped off the face of the earth, including the couple with a baptismal date for the 27th. But, it happens...

Despite the remarkable lack of progress in our investigators, we're still excited and working hard. After all, it is the season to be jolly! Christ gave so much to us, it's the least we can do to use this time to give just a little bit back.  

Merry Christmas to all! 

Elder Justus Johnson 

picture below: the three remaining "sons" of Contor...RIP

Other friends at the Christmas Conference 

1. a house we destroyed

2. big toad

Hey everyone! It has been quite a week. With transfers, there have been many missionaries coming and going to and from Campo Grande. As the missionaries who live closest to the bus terminal, my companion and I were responsable for receiving and sending each and every one of them. So, we spent the first two days of our week running to and from the station, once even at 4o'clock in the morning. Talk about sleep deprivation.

One of the missionaries that arrived was one fresh from the US. He spent a day with us trying to get him registered here in Brazil, and it was quite the experience. I was reminded of when I got here. I didn't understand anything and I must have seemed so lost!! 

Even with the transfer craziness, we were still able to keep up with our progressing investigators. It was great to teach and help J prepare for his baptism this Saturday. He accepted the commandments so humbly and sincerely!! I was struck by his "broken heart and contrite spirit". It was wonderful being able to see him in white!

As is now the standard, I also spent a number of days in division this week. I was able to work with my new LD, who just happens to be an old companion of mine, Elder T!! We had a number of great lessons, in particular a lesson with a part member family. The father of the family is a great guy, but as of yet he's never wanted to go to church or get baptized. We had a great experience as us missionários, along with his his son testified about the blessings of having the Sacerdócio in the home. This father was touched, and finially expressed interest in applying the Gospel in his life as an example for his family.

I am so grateful for the blessings of the Gospel and the Preisthood in my family. It's real and true!

Ate mais!

Elder Justus Johnson

Wow, what a week. Let me try and actually remember what all happened.

We started off the week with a division in this tiny little city called Terenos. The mission recently opened up a group there, and so we spent a day with the Elders there. I loved the small-town feel, and I learned a lot from the division. We got back to  Campo Grande and I spent a whole day working in our area, before heading off again on Thursday for two more divisions. Lets just say that I'm now familiar with a bunch of different areas here in Mato Grosso do Sul. 

I joined my companion again on Saturday to try and pass by all the people that we wanted to invite to church, but NO

ONE was home...it happens I guess. However, the day ended on a happy note with the baptism of M. She is such a joyfull old lady that has been through a lot. It was touching to see her make a decision in her life that will bring her even closer to Christ.

This week was the start of a new program that the missionaries will use leading up to Christmas-"He is the Present" This short video explains that Christ was the first and most important Christmas gift ever given. We presented the video to a number of members, and as we did, I thought about how I am using "the present" in my mission now. There is so much to gain from understanding and applying the life and sacrifice of Christ in our lives. I hope that as the Christmas season approaches I can remember him and all he did for me.

Ate mais,

Elder Justus Johnson

Hey everyone. P-day is just about over, so I'm not going to be able to get a group e-mail out. My companion really likes going places and doing things on P-day, so letter writing kind of gets pushed out of the picture. But, I saw capevaras for the first time in Brazil!!! I'll try and get some pictures off.

This week we did a division in Dourados and Fatima do Sul. And on top of that we did a division with the young men here on Saturday. DIVISIONS!!! This week we´ve got three more to do...what fun.

Other than that we've got a bunch of progressing investigators, and a baptism this Saturday!! An awesome older lady named M. We're working super hard, and it's paying off, we're seeing a lot of success, and we hope to have even more.

Thank you all for your love and prayers,

Elder Justus Johnson

Missionaries in Cuiaba Zone

Divisao com os ELderes em Fatima

 Capivara at the park

 Araras at the church

 Investigator's bunny

P-Day at the Park

Texas Burger and Grill -

a little closer to home!

Hey everyone! Writing from Campo Grande, na ala Pioneiros! I am absolutally loving this place! First off, the weather is so much nicer. For the first time in months I've been able to sleep without being soaked in sweat by morning, and during the day there's always a nice breeze that helps keep me cool! On top of that, my new companion, Elder J B is Awesome! I've spent a lot of time with him in the past, and I done more than a few divisions with him, and so we're working really well together. We're both rather new to this city, and so this week we did a bunch of finding, and now we have a very solid teaching pool. Two of our investigators went to church yesterday and they loved it!

 

I wish I could give some more specifics, but my time is GONE.

Until next week,

Elder Johnson

Pictures:

1. farewell from Rondonopolis

2. new district

3. Campo Grande

Hey everyone! Some big news this week!

First- P (the youngest of the less-active family we found a few weeks ago) was baptized this week. It was so great to see the whole family together! Now, the next step is to get them to the temple!

Next- I'm going South Side!!! For the first time in my mission I'll be going to Mato Grosso do Sul, and the southern half of our mission. Everyone says that the south is like another mission, the culture and climate are very different. So, I'm super exited to have some new experiences!

Other than that, our week was pretty normal. We gave two more days of recuperation time to Elder S's toe, and it looks like it's worked! We won't have to amputate after all! We also did a division with the Assistants, and I was able to get to know Elder F for the first time. We had an incredible day juntos, and we got a lot of good work done.

Next week I'll be writing from Campo Grande!

Ate mais!

Elder Justus Johnson

Hey everyone! This week was a busy one, and we were able to see a lot of sucess in our little branch this Sunday. We were able to see a couple of great less-active families come to church after a long time of working with them, as well as having all of our recent converts there too. It was a great end to a very interesting week.

First off, let me give a warning against infection. It's no fun to have an infected toe. Take it from my companion. A week or two ago Elder S had a quick operation to remove an ingrown toenail, and thinking that all was well, we went on our way. Unfortunetally, soon therafter, the toe started to swell and leak pus (not good by the way). Turns out that it got infected, and that walking all day in sweaty church shoes is not the best treatment to fight bacteria. Now, Elder S is taking antibiotics, and we had to stay at home on Friday to give the toe some recovery time. We used the opportunity to celebrate Halloween by doing a deep cleaning of our house, and a really solid session of Weekly Planning.

The rest of the week however, was really great! We went up to Primavera do Leste on Wednesday to participate in a training, and do some divisions. I was able to work with my trainee, Elder O, who is now a District Leader there in that city! He's doing his trainer proud!!

To finish off the week, and to make up for the lost day on Friday, we did an all day division with the Young Men on Saturday. I was able to go on splits with a great future missionary called. He was baptised a little over a year ago, but is now one of the most helpful members here in Rondonopolis. As it happens, just about all of our plans fell through.and we had to improvise. But, things worked out in the end and we were able to find a couple of really great new investigators. I loved spending time with N, he reminded me a lot of my brothers at home. He was so excited and ready to work and teach with the missionaries, and to one day serve his own mission. I hope that all young men could have that same testimony and excitement about Missionary work.

This week I thought a lot about what the church really is, and the purpose behind all that the church teaches. In so many ways, all of the commandments, and church doctrines exist for our happiness and protection. In working with many less-actives I've been able to see how members of the church with a firm testimony of the gospel are led away or decieved because of how sin appears so attractive. But as always, turns out that God really does know what's best, and wickedness never was happiness. Instead of finding a super happy party life, people lose out on the simple, pure happiness that the gospel brings. and unfortunately, they stick with a guilt that impedes them from returning to the church, and the principles that once made them so happy. It's things like that that help me realize even more deeply, that the church really is true. I know that this is the true church of Christ, that offers true and eternal happiness.

Ate Mais!

Elder Justus Johnson