A Week of Growth

Dear Friends,
I am asking this part to be posted especially for my friends. Friends, Hi! I would like all of you to know I am doing great here in the suburbia of Guayaquil, Ecuador. While walking the streets of Los Angeles or Van Nuys I never felt unprotected or scared, though sometimes there might be reason to feel so. But I have never felt more protected in my life and I've never walked around with more confidence. You guys need to know that God exists, for those of you who are still doubting. I'm speaking to you, as a voice that cries from the dust. Jesus Christ lives.

I hope my friends from Van Nuys are doing great. Arman, you listening? Use your bright mind to find the truth. Read the Book of Mormon. Investigate. And be happy. Love you.

Dashawn, I hope Spencer told you what I told him to tell you. It's a bit difficult to get a letter off. I don't use a lot of time here to think about things back at home, I'm sure there's been some changes. I've been gone for almost half a year.

Hey everyone, I really appreciate DEARELDERS, it's nice to hear about people, I won't promise i'll write back but I will promise a prayer in your behalf.

Dear Family,
Wow, time really does fly doesn't it? Alondra, thank you for sharing the picture of everyone playing Dominion. Haha, I can see Spencer is enjoying the laptop. Did he have music playing? (Yes, he did! Christmas carols of course.)

Well this week has really been incredible. This was our first full week together as companions and we followed the weekly plan that we had done together. We had set some pretty high goals. And we fulfilled most of them. We worked really hard this week. And we aren't going to let down. I'm really thankful for my companion. He is willing to work hard and be obedient, and that is what we need in this work. Dad, again, thank you so much for your example of integrity you have shown me my whole life. I know I inherited at least some of that from you, and now my companion too. The other day he told me, "Wow, I now feel bad from breaking even a small rule." You and mom taught me how to work well within the rules and limits set. I've got to give credit to sports too, I learned how to work well, effective, and creative within the limits. Within the boundaries. I really appreciated a comment from Elder Alvarez when he told me that he really liked being my companion because he was being obedient, but didn't feel obligated, and he was enjoying his mission. We have grown close in just these 2 weeks. We really felt the spirit in our last weekly planning as we set even higher goals.

Our mission president is the best one in the World. He taught us a lot about faith through the zone leaders this last week. Familia Lucero es una familia aquí en el barrio. Elkin es uno de mis conversos, un chico de nueve años. La mamá no es miembro, y ella no ha aceptado una fecha bautismal. Dice que se quiere bautizar en enero. Bueno. Su hijo Kevin es miembro, tiene 19 años pero ha estado muy inactivo. Pero el es muy, un poco bago. Pero lo bueno es que él nos acompañó dos veces esta semana y ya se está activando. He reminds me of Bobby Rosen. I hope Bobby is doing well.

So there is a family on the other side of the chapel that we contacted a few weeks ago with Elder Ludlam. I found a name in the area folder and it stuck out so we went looking. We didn't find the person we were looking for and no one on the street knows them, but the second house I knocked turned out to be who God wanted us to find. The daughter, Karol, will be baptized this week and the mom, María, the next. And hopefully the dad the next. Pray for the Silva Family.

I bore my testimony yesterday in church. My fourth time doing it here in Ecuador. It was a very spiritual meeting, our investigators loved it. We are having more success than before and feel the help of God. We also feel the anger of the adversary. And you know how sensitive I can be to that. But we feel very protected here. All is well, let your hearts swell.

I love you all so much. I can't believe I've been gone for this much time but I don't feel like I've been away from home. Not even a little bit. I guess it's true what they say; home is where the heart is. Feel free to send another candy box!
Love,
Elder Johnson