Candy

So last pday was legit. We went to some expensive hotel and some hidden places that are just SUPER cool to check stuf out!! 

I had intercambios on Tuesday, which were really fun. I`ve had several intercambios with Hermana Huranga, and so we get along well, and teach well with each other. 

We are working with more part member families, the majority of which we have FOUND, which is slightly ironic, but hey, whatever works. One is J* and A*, and J* is a member...he used to go out with the missionaries and all that...and A* was a "lost hope" and we have worked so hard to be able to teach them, and now shes excited to read the BOM and everything. She`s had some pretty awesome dreams, and she says that something about the whole thing is just RIGHT.

Jorge went up late to work, and didnt make it down for his confirmation. But he`ll be here this week. He read all of first Nefi! ....is that not just the craziest thing. we are in a race...and he`s winning right now haha. He understands a ton too! 

So our new mission president changed a TON of stuff. Even our schedule...when we wake up and go to sleep, when we eat, when we plan...and a required dinner. I haven`t eaten dinner my WHOLE mission...so THATS gonna be weird....Its gonna take some getting used to...that wont happen cause I don`t have the necessary amount of time to get USED to it! 

we have a FANTASTIC investigator named Y*. She`s been reading, and she gets things SO well. On Saturday I felt we needed to visit her, even though we didn`t have a lesson planned and she wouldn`t answer her phone..it was off. Well, we went anyways...and we invited her mom that lives right across the street and her brother to participate, and they did! It was one of the most spiritual lessons that I`ve had in a LONG time....like SHABAM BOOM! And they all committed to come to church..and...THEY ALL CAME!!! ...We had so many investigators in church, J* and O* came again...I haven`t seen O* in almost 3 months, and finally hes healthy enough to teach again!!! There were just some awesome miracles in church today! 

I told Hermana Crump that I was going home last night...I had the feeling 3 times that I needed to tell her, so I did. And a good thing...cause she definitely didn`t take it lightly. She said she would have been really mad if I would`ve waited till the last week...but we talked about it and everythings okay now. 

with J*`s kids...we had a bit of a showdown and I told them that I wasn`t gonna put up with their games any more...it was honestly ridiculous. the other day we went and they were drunk....and they were talking bad about their dad....excuse me!! Whos the drunk one right now!? ...So I took the can the kid had and dumped it out. #savinglives

Today we went to Portillo!! (Close to the Argentina border) or went up the mountains and had an adventure!!!! Sledding, snow angels, snowmenm, and snowbals.It was a sick BLAST! 

I just still need to get a new camera card. I made a copy of lots of pics that I put on a cd...Im gonna buy one today to transfer the remainings pics and then reformat my card and camera...that should delete any remaining viruses. 

Sometimes I feel like there are TOO many miracles…or BLESSINGS that God gives me. I feel like a kid in a candy shop with all the joy I feel....I just cant stop being happy....and the spirit is always so strong..:I never want this to end. It really will be hard for me when I`m not working my butt off everyday...lets be honest, but I will ALWAYS serve him...with or without the candy ;) 

Love you lots!!!!! 

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!! 

Hermana Alex Johnson

Sweet Happiness

Quiet...I have an anouncement please! 

JORGE ANTONIO BUSTOS ALVAREZ is now MORMON! Baptized 20th of July 2014 with the biggest smile I have ever seen! He showed up in a suit and tie...and it was so ...impresionante! For reals! It was such a beautiful thing. We had a beautiful musical number, with violin, voice, and piano. There was a baptism of presidents daughter as well, so there were lots of people, and it was just really awesome how everything turned out. You should have seen is face ...ALL WAS BRIGHT....he was seriously RADIATING joy! TUVIMOS MUCHO GOZO y yo no podía haber tenido una sonrisa mas grande. Todo fue HERMOSO. I talked to Elder Muñoz after he had the interview with Jorge and he said that it had been a VERY long time since he had seen someone like Jorge...it really made me smile. He really is someone VERY special. He has given his whole self to God....and I love him for it. He is an example to me. 

The week was hard...but with the sweetest of endings....or better well put with the sweetest of BEGINNINGS, cause thats all there is. Everlasting begginnings. For reals.

N* came to church this week....she wants to change and be baptized...too bad I probably wont be here when it happens, but thats okay. Shes amazing, just works a lot. But she knows its the truth...her whole family is astonished that she is coming to church, since she didn`t even believe in God before really. Lots of changes in her life...good ones too. 

This week I had one wired down day....I was just tired, and in pain, and exhausted and discouraged really. And it felt like an empty day..but the next day, even feeling the same things...I made sure to do my BEST. and there was a difference. It was still hard, but not because of my attitude. Like Mom always says, "attitude, attitude, attitude." ...I realized that I have had some trials on my mission and what not...but you know what? I have NEVER been happier. Even when I`m exhausted I wake up smiling. How amazing is that!? Even when bad things happen, I never let myself get discouraged. ...I`m just always HAPPY. Our happiness is not determined by the external circumstances of life, but by the principles we chose to live by and the attitude we have. I never want that to end. NEVER. I LOVE these feelings of joy...that only come for being a missionary. I love my Heavenly Father and Christ my Savior.... #tengogozoenmialmahoy

We are eternal beings of an amazing Heavenly Father, who loves us dearly. God is Great. 

Hurrah For Israel! Let us praise Him! 

Love you all, 

Hermana Alex Johnson 

TWWEWETY BIRSD PROXCWESSWER

My kewyboarsd is RWEALLY mwesswesd up...FYI. To rewasd this you`re probably gonna newwesd weithwer an urmim thumim...just think of it as a fun jigsaw puzzlwe or somwething! 

whwen I typwe an E=we

whwen I typew a C=xc

Whwen I typwe a D=sd

Sorry...thats just what thwere is!

  

This week was a blur. J* sdisdn`t gewt baptizwesd. Hew felt frewally basd but, but hwe sdisdn`t makew it baxck on satrudsay from up north for his intwerviwew...ansd hwe strugglwesd with thwe cigarrwettwes all thwe same. This week hwe`s totally gonna do it though. He`s sooo detwermined. He has a suit, and a smile. ..hwe`s bweewn rweasding a TON in thew BOM ansd hwe unsdwerstandss a lot..ansd lovews it. I`vwe nwevwer sweewn a man so willing to xchangwe to follow XChirst...hwe truly is a GOLSDEN invwestigator. I love him. 

We hasd intewrviwes with prwesisdnwet Visdwela ansd all wwent well. It wasn`t thwe samwe, but I rewally rewspect him ansd his wifwe. 

I was a litlwe sixck xcolsd wiswe this wwewek, but all bwettwer! Wwe just kwewept going ansd Gosd blwessewsd us for our sdiligewnxcwe. 

 We founsd lots of nwew invwestigators this wwewek...ansd put lots of baptismal sdatwes ....for thwe 10 de Agosto...y that was prewtty wweirsd. We founsd somwe RWEALLY grweat invwestigators too...STOKWESD to work with thwem. 

It was a harsd wwewek...It was wemotional xcauswe I was so worriwesd about what we werwe going to sdo with J* ansd his family, but hweps gonna bwe grewat. Hwe rweally is xchnanging ansd sdoing ALL hwe xcan. hwe is an wexamplwe ansd his timwe is nwear. But it was strwessfull...ywet He hwearsd my praywers ansd was ablwe to answer thwem. I love Him. 

Thanks for YOUR praywers. I cxan fewwel thwem

Hurrah for Israwel! ...como siempre

Lovwe, 

Hwermana Alwex Johnson

Epicness 2.0

FIRST THINGS OFF. 

I`m not trunky. Don`t ask me. You already have the answer. I haven`t given myself, or my companion the option, and I`m working HARD. The hardest possible. ...I`m making sure to NOT COUNT the days, but to make the days COUNT. So don`t worry about me. Lets just focus on the mission can we?!

Okay, last pday we did BMX. I ate it twice...but the times I didn`t eat it I had seriously EPIC jumps. Long story short, it was really cool. 

Our zone is doing a 40 day fast, where someone in our zone fasts every day for the zone in general. I fasted this week and I felt so good...it was a weird feeling fasting for the whole zone, but lots of times I can literally FEEL that there is someone fasting for us here in Santa Maria, so that`s awesome. 

Familia B* was a bit of a rollar coaster this week. J* went to work far away and didn`t have coverage all week...and I was like freaking out. And we taught his family several times this week..and that was super hectic because one day they were all wasted, or high..and it was just sad to see. J*, the son, felt really bad...and asked if he could pray to repent...and it hit me so hard when he prayed, I seriously started to tear up. ..but that`s okay. It`s his decission. J* is READY to get baptized, the dad. He`s worked SO hard to be able to stop smoking...and he invited the Stake President to his baptism! He`s gonna help his whole family change. We heart attacked them...and that was fun! We taught J* a bunch yesterday...and he is so ready for his baptism this next week…I`m so excited for him!! 

We met our new president, and it so weird...but good. He`s great. He`ll change a lot of things in the near future...he`ll let the rings a little loose..but then he`ll tighten them again. He`s like Sister Essig, and his wife is like President. 

Hope you guys had a great Fourth of July, I did! We worked like normal! WAHOOO!!! couldn`t have asked for a better festival! 

We have another amazing investigator, N*, and you could even say she is `chosen` ...she is really special and has such LOVE. She cant go to church yet cause she takes care of her sister who was in a coma for 3 months...and then the operated her brain..crazy right! She`s reading and wants to be baptized. I love her for her pureness and genuine love. She`s gonna do great things. It was a miracle how we found her too. For reals...a MIRACLE. I love miracles...God is great. 

Yesterday there was a baptism in the branch, and that was so cool! It was a miracle, but it brought me such great joy for him and his family. 

The branch is changing.....I couldn`t be happier. For reals. The assistance has almost doubled, and we`ve tripled the amount of lessons we have with members every week...we had the FIRST ward meeting...(I don`t know how to say it in english sorry haha) and we`re just working better together in general. 

Today we went sightseeing, and it was super fun! I loved it. It was good to get out again...gotta enjoy EVERY PDAY RIGHT!? 

Love you all...a ton.

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL! 

Hermana Alex Johnson

With... Hermana Ceccon

Hermana Clark

Hermana Stanger

Hermana Dodds

Hermana Johnson and her Utah Triplets: Hermana Nelson, Hermana Crump, and Hermana Clark

some of the Hermanas that came out together! And there are more!

Such a great photo!

Tengo Gozo, Tengo Gozo

 When people start to know God, they change. They become more like Christ and I just think it`s the most amazing and beautiful thing in the world. J* is prepping for his baptism on the 13th, he`s getting over his smoking addiction and his commitment is amazing. Whats more, his son that told me he didn`t believe in God, J* the punk, (who also wrote a song about how mean God is) is reading the BOM and he believes it...he`s changing, and he even has a new song about being a new admirer of God. He`s loving the Book of Mormon. He can`t go to church cause he`s under house arrest haha....How grateful I am for repentance! ...He wants to be baptized. Just not yet. But even If I dont see him get baptized, I know he`ll do it. And his dad is just on FIRE. And every time we get there they start singing "Tengo gozo en mi alma hoooyy!!!" It`s seriously the cutest thing haha. 

     We were teaching a DIFFERENT J*(I`m talking about 3 different J’s here....) and he didn`t want to read the Book of Mormon. I prayed so hard to be able to know how I could help him feel the spirit, and have the desire to read the Book of Mormon. After praying hard I felt I needed to share a certain scripture and have him read something short and powerful. He did and he was able to take the book. It was a true miracle. There are quite a few people here that dont ever want to read the Book of Mormon. It`s sad. 

     The branch asistance is going up and we are seeing so many miracles. Lots of INACTIVES are coming back. We are working with one guy who has an active family, his brother is the branch president and he was sealed in the temple. But he got divorced and he hadn`t come to church for 18plus years. WHAT!? ...thats like my whole life! ...and well, we are teaching him and he came to church, and its a freaking miracle. 

     We tried some new sectors, and that was fun. We are working a ton, skipping lunch sometimes and just eating while traveling to get things done. And WHEREVER we go, we talk and invite, and help and I feel SO HAPPY. Verdaderamente, tengo gozo en mi alma hoy!!! 

     My companion is great. yes. We are still the same person...and it`s terribly funny. She has the same struggles I had, and I really love her determination and boldness. Thats the gopel for you. We have to be blunt about it!! My companion doesn`t know I`m finishing the mission in August, she thinks I have like 6 months left. And that`s the greatest, cause it means we`re both at high energy and working levels. It makes me not complain, and it doenst give me the option to be trunky cause we just dont talk about it. Smart huh.....the only sad part is that she keeps talking about how she wants to be companions with me for her whole training, or the next transfer...and I don`t foresee that happening haha.

     I feel like I am really completing my missionary purpose. I keep inviting, sometimes the same people ...for a LONG time, even if they keep rejecting...and if the accept or not, I`m helping. It`s the greatest feeling. And we are kicking butt. It amazes me the way God blesses someone for their diligence and obedience. I love this work. 

Love you all. 

WORK HARD. Think about the NOW.

Hermana Alex Johnson

Las Hermana de Santa Maria!

She made a shirt for one of her favorite companions!

Beautiful Hermanas!

Now... some "interesting" silly photos!