Here come cambios....

(About the Christmas package I sent her) The cds are great. helps with the christmas cheer!!! Ive gobbled lots of treats up already haha...and the glasses...are on my face. I LOVE the elf! for reals...I have her in my bag and I bring her around....the kids love her, so she`s doin her job:) I´m starting to get anxious about that package with a bunch of wrapped presents...but I´m going to resist opening it all the same. 

THANK YOU LOADS.

Well.....as you could read in this week`s title, here comes cambios....transfers is what them gringos call um haha. I feel like I`m gonna stay here for another transfer, I guess we`ll see what happens, but I feel pretty confident that we`re gonna stay together.  

Hermana Latorre is doin great. I don`t think she`s EVER gonna go to her real mission at this rate, but hey!! I`m fine with that since I love her lots! 

We went to the dooocccters this week...they don`t know what I have exactly, but I`ve got SOMETHING. Like always. Its on my outside left leg.....invisible pain!!! It could be a hamstring problem...but he pegged it, for the time being, as tendonitis. FUN FUN FUN! He`s dopped us on meds and told us to take it slow...but we were still of fire this week, inspite of all of that. Hermana Latorre also has problems in her knees, more assuredly tendonitis, but shes a hard worker. 

This week we were blessed by the Lord for our diligence, in spite the fact that we were just a little sick...or are....idk haha. We had to let G* go for a little bit. ...he needs to make some decisions. The A* family is progressing greatly. J* went to a baptism with us and P* and J* have a baptismal date. They are so receptive and great. 

We were also able to teach S*, the woman who called out to us in the street. We taught her the plan of Salvation and it really hit home for her. She`s had a lot of struggles in her life...with four kids, and her husband left her for another family....but she is ABSOLUTELY ready for baptism. She was prepared, and I know that the Lord needed to send prepared servants to his prepared daughter. We did what we needed to do, and that we were prepared for her and THAT is why God sent HER to US. Those are the miracles that we can expect as we follow the spirit, and walk by faith...humbly in His will and not ours. 

This week we were blessed by the Lord for our diligence, in spite the fact that we were just a little sick...or are still sick, but I know that the more we sacrifice, the more blessings we receive. And he blessed us with that. He made our burdens light!

I know how powerful faith can be, and the blessings we receive as we exercise it. I can see how the ward and sector are growing and I know we are doing our part because every night I can report to the Lord and tell him so...and THAT is the test of all tests. 

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

Send me more letters.

I love you!!!!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

......eat lots on thanksgiving like this little guy! THANKSGIVING feast....and double portions since Hannah and I aren`t there!!!! HEHE!

Love,
Hermana Alex Johnson

PS. Send me pics of everything and .....I don`t remember what else haha...TURKEY!!!

Another No Zoo Day

Well our pday was a bit of a bust this last week. For the second time we tried going to the zoo....and for the second time it was closed. ON THE DAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OPEN....but just our luck that for just THAT day it was on strike....fun fun. hahaha. but whatever. We were able to chill a little bit and check out one of my favorite places in Santiago...PATRONATO. Mom, you´re gonna die when we visit it!! 

To answer some of your questions, my companion is waiting for her Visa to go to Venezuela.

G* is doing great. He has a baptismal date again, so we´re working with him in that. 

Gonna have to wait for the intercambios story sorry. 

And what do you wanna know about elder Holland? I don’t know what else to say!!! It made a real impact on me. HIT HOME actually. He was very powerful. 

So ....its been a really short week since the last time I´ve talked to you. Nothing too new has happened, and I don´t even have my cable to send you pictures. ...but whatever right haha. 

IT. IS. HOT. like...unbearable hot. ...well today is great, but the last few days were 33 celcius...and walking in the street all day in THAT kind of heat....its hot. ...I should probably by some sunscreen this week haha......but I still haven’t got burnt!! I’ve definitely tanned up a bit...on my arms and face. ...but the difference of color I have from my face and arms to my legs and stomach is SUPER big hahaha. 

We´ve had some great lessons this last week and we have a great family we are teaching....two actually. We were able to extend some more baptism dates this week, so that was super great too! 

We had lunch with the G* family, who is a 70 and we bought a pie for one of the sister missionaries in our ward. Went well!! I made a card...like mom taught me;) ....well not THAT good, but good for what I had haha! 

This week there was a woman walking in the street and she called out to us while walking with a group of like 6 kids. ...a herd haha. Well she asked if she could have a card of Jesus Christ....we started talking and she´s looked for a religion for a long time, and has never been able to find it. But I promised her that this is it. She accepted to meet with us...and she´s just TOO great. And with all the contacting that we´ve been doing, I´m expecting us to see lots of new investigators this week YEA! 

I´m happy.

I´m excited for everything that´s going on at home...and I love you all!!! Praying for you lots...extra, to compensate for the stress you all must have. Keep fighting the good fight :))) 

Love always, 

Hermana Alex Johnson

9 month mark!

I honestly and truly can´t believe what is happppeeennningg! Today I complete HALF of my mission. But hey, I can´t stop time. I can´t believe how quickly things have been going!

This week was crazy. We had intercambios this last wednesday and something super crazy happened...the story is wayyyy too long but you´ll just have to remind me to let you know when we talk this Christmas!!

This last week we were riding along on our bikes headed for an appointment, and I was praying for guidance (I´ve been working on the whole praying always commandment) and suddenly I heard someone YELL "Hermana Johnson!!" I thought it was a member, maybe an elder, but when I asked my companion she told me she hadn´t heard anything...so I turned my bike around and looked....there wasn´t anyone in the street....I kept going just a little ways and there was a woman painting her fence. I pulled off to the side and started talking to her. Turns out she had wanted to talk to us. ...she was interested in our religion. She said she had lots of questions and she wants us to teach her. I couldn´t believe it!!! PLOP! All cause I was listening FOR the guidance of the spirit. 

Yes. I´m still learning Creolé. And we actually had to TEACH a lesson in Creolé and Francé...(with a little Spanish of course haha) this last Sunday. It went well!! 

We have an investigator and we are planning for HER baptism. She´s nine and her family is less active...but the grandma went to church this last week....now we´re just trying to work with the mom! 

G* didn´t get baptized this last week. He´s worried about what his family thinks...but we´re trying to help him have a stronger testimony so that those things don´t matter. Other than that he´s doing well. 

Elder Holland was amazing yesterday. I took lots of notes...but...

long story short he talked about the importance of being part of this work FOREVER. being committed....finishing, not just starting. And the importance of the Book of Mormon. I was in the third row and it was amazing to see him. I KNOW he is an apostle of God. 

We had interviews with president and it went great. He told me he was happy with the work that we´re doing in our companionship. He also told me that he KNEW for a fact that I was doing the Lord´s will in all things and working hard. ...that he knew I was a missionary called here. 

ALSO please post that as a lonely little missionary down here in Chile I´m hoping to receive LOTS of Christmas cards! A little nice note through Dear Elder is all really....I just am really hoping for some extra letters. I don´t miss home to much cause I promise i¨m super focused, but I have a feeling that Christmas is gonna be hard and REALLY different here in the mission field! 

That´s all folks. Love you and keep doing great things....sorry you´re sick mom. You´re in my prayers...well, you´re always in my prayers...but praying more!! 

Love yooouuu!

Hermana Alex Johnson

With Hermana Ceccon

Quilicura Zone rockin it!

The sisters in our zone ...gone crazy!!

Having some fun with her companion and district Elders

 We´re goof balls and I LOVE it!!!! (With her Chilean companion... Hermana Latorre)

Some of the cool sisters here in our mission!!! Right after seeing Elder Holland

Elder Holland is coming to Chile!

I still think I could save up two years to go on another mission....we´ll see how it goes I guess haha. 
AND THANKS FOR THE PACKAGE. (This is the "lost" package that I sent at the end of July!) Loved it of course. I shared the treats...just a little bit, but I shared all the same haha. I WOULD LOVE A WHOLE LOT MORE OF CHEEZEITS. Like really....I gobbled one of the bags up  WAY too fast. 

So I don´t like French very much....I like hearing it and I can read it...really well actually....just not SAY the words haha. BUT I´m learning Créole! It´s super interesting, and I can actually TALK it. It actually contains a lot of french too so that´s pretty cool. I´m learning lots already and I love it! We have lots of new investigators from Haiti and so we have to learn to communicate with those that are new here or who don´t speak very well. 

We are planning G*´s baptism....I can´t believe that we have less than a week to finish teaching everything and ....AH! lots of stress. But he´s excited. We had an FHE with a family in the ward and it went soooo well!! I´m stoked. I know the Lord blesses us because we were doing our part. And I keep doing just that and waiting for even more blessings. 

I´m trying to do all I can to listen to the spirit more....to hear it and then LISTEN to it....and to listen and ask for it´s guidance in all moments. To ask what I should do, even if I don´t agree or understand. The only thing I have to give, that he hasn´t given me is my will. My heart...and I´m giving it ALL to him. For example....we were doing street contacts and what not and I felt like I needed to just stay put. My companion was like...shouldn´t we do something, and I said yes....we need to stay here. She looked at me ...and all I said was I don´t know why but I feel like I´m waiting for someone. And right as I said that, a man arrived walking in our direction. As he continued walking I said, we were waiting for him. Turns out it was a recent contact from about a week ago....and he had the pamphlet we´d given him in his hands. Reading it. He told us he wanted us to pass by in the night time. It was a really neat experience that we had, ONLY because we were open to listening to the spirit. God guides us. This is HIS work and HIS glory...I´m just a part of it. So if I try to do what I want, I´m not GOING to be part of it. I have to give him everything I have....including my will and my heart.  I¨´m learning to listen. Really listen....and OH how I´m receiving so many blessings!!! ....Listen and do is all that´s required of us!!! Lets go!

My new companion and I are really getting along great. We work well together and our energy goes well together. We play off each other and we teach well together. It´s neat. 

We had lots of miracles. We found lots of new investigators and have seen a LOT of changes in HEARTS. It´s beautiful. Our ward is working harder to strengthen itself. 

Just know I´m happy. I´m blessed. I´m obedient and working hard. That´s all there is to it right!?!?!

OH! And Elder Holland is gonna come and visit us!!! I GET TO HEAR ELDER HOOOOLLLAAAANNNNDD!!! ....and FYI november 11th we have interviews, the 12th Elder Holland is gonna talk to us, and the 13th...WED, is my pday. FYI. A heads-up.  AND THAT is my ninth month mark...my half mark!?!?! I really just don´t want my mission to END! I really don´t. I´m seriously thinking about doing this for the rest of my life. It´s so FULFILLING!?!?! What´s more fulfilling than this? I don´t think there´s anything! 

I know the Lord sends prepared people to prepared servants...I´m trying my best to be one of them. 

I love you all. Sorry there´s not much to write this week...I usually plan some things to say but I didn´t today...but oh well. After the mission you can read my diary haha. 

Hermana Alex Johnson