Dear Readers,

Most of you are must be wondering WHY IN THE WORLD I wrote Pain and Peace for the topic of this week and it´s because that sums up my feelings and experiances.  The entire week as essentially been focused on the plan of Salvation that God created for us and I don´t think it was a coincedance.The peace part is easy to explain...S and A were married on Wednesday.  On Sunday, S and her sister J were baptized.  Nothing brings more peace and joy than taking steps like these in following Christ and understanding the importance of family in this life and the life to come.  

It seemed like just the other day, that my companion and I were knocking doors and came across a family that needed a special prayer.  The 70 year old grandmother of the family (Brazilian families stick together...in the same neighborhood or same house) had been horriblly sick for the past year and was confined to her bed.  Old, pencil-thin, and always tired, anyone could see that she was clinging to life with her frail fingers.  I specifically remember the spirit that filled the room as we knelt and prayed for a blessing of comfort, relieve, and peace upon the household.  After closing the prayer, I stretched forward my hand, shook the hand of Sueli de Fatima de Jesus, looked into her eyes and smiled.  We left the house and I thought hardly nothing of the encounter.  A couple days later, we returned to find that Sueli passed on not 3 days after our first visit and prayer.  That night I shed tears of sadness and joy.  It was as if that ancient woman was holding on to life just for us.  So she could see our faces, know us as missionaries, and feel the spirit. I´m glad that one of her last memories was of us because when she meets the missionaries in the spirit world, she will remember us. 

 In my life, I´ve always just excepted the believe that there´s a life after death...it just seemed logical.  As of 20 minutes ago, this belief has become a fact in my mind...no longer logical, but essential.  In the last 20 minutes, I learned that my Grandmother passed away. To be honest, for the last 20 minutes I´ve just been sobbing while reading and writing letters in a lan house (surrounded by strangers)! Brothers, Sisters, Friends and Family...life wasn´t meant to be easy!  Our Heavenly Father said that this time on earth would be a huge test!  Difficulties, trials, and burdens WILL COME OUR WAY.  In Helaman 5:12 it states, `WHEN the devil sends forth his mighty rain, winds, tempests...`  If we are built firmly on Christ and lift up our heads amid affiliction...we will overcome(Mosiah 25:13-15).  With this in mind, we can have hope and peace in this life and in our life to come.

Elder Johnson

Hello...it´s me (Elder Johnson).,  

Can I just say that it is so hard singing my favorite songs here!!!  Literally only my companion understands what I´m actually singing because he´s American, but everyone else knows `I no speak engrish` and that´s all!  However, when my companion and I do sing, most everyone stops and gapes at us (apparently because we´re probably singing the right notes)!  That and because we´re American also.  Americans are pretty much celebrities here, by the way! We´re pretty much the symbol of hope, money, and success in life! If you write the word American on something, it´s automatically expensive.  O cara, it´s just really weird seeing and adapting to life here.  People wear flipflops everywhere, the kids play a lot of soccer, there´s on average 3 dogs (per house), every house has large gates to block intruders (instead of knocking on their door, you clap), the milk expires about 7 days after opening it, the minimum wage is 1.4 dollars per hour, traffic laws are quase non existent, main method of travel is walking, biking or taking the bus, everyone has a tv (homeless included), the regular meal is rice, beans, chicken, and jello (for dessert if they have more money), and people love to talk whenever!  This list will grow as I spend more time here.

  

This week, one particular day stood out to me.  On Thursday, we were searching for a less active member in this one neighborhood, but didn´t have an address.  As we walked, I saw an old woman struggling to shovel a great mound of rocks to make a rock driveway.  Without heisitation, I walked up, said `Voce precisa ayuda?`, and before she had time to answer, scooped up the shovel and went to work.  Apparently, the sight of an American in a white shirt and tie shoveling an immense pile of gravel was quite the spectacle!  I felt the eyes of every person that passed the house on me, and could imagine the look of surprise on their faces.  Finally, covered in sweat, dust and dirt, I handed the shovel back to the stunned old woman (Maria) and said `Christ served all when he was on the earth.  We are representatives of Jesus Christ so we need to serve others also.`  I have no idea what will come of this experiance, but if someone asks that woman if she knows those crazy Mormons, she can answer `Yes, yes I do`.

In regard to missionary work, It´s so exciting to be able to help these people who see life as living paycheck to paycheck, expand their horizon and see that there´s more.  I love explaining to people that they´re children of God and have potential to become much more!  I love talking about where we came from before this life, how we´re here to do good, be happy, obtain a body, and follow Christ, and how there´s life after death!  Most of all, I love SERVING because this is the ultimate sign of love.

Elder Johnson

Bom dia!  Todo bem? Eu espero que voces sao oltimo en os estados unidos!  Here in Castro it is raining again!  Whoo!  Yay for rain!  It reminds me of a video I saw with President Utchdorf where he compares rain to blessings.  Many people don´t realize that God is sending down blessings constantly and it´s up to us to look for the good in life.  There are many distractions in the world that act as an umbrella, blocking life giving rain.  Sometimes this is descouraging for me to see, but I find happiness in trying to preach the gospel.  Other experiences with my companions have also lifted my spirits.

Let´s just say that I said some weird things in Portuguese (most was due to my companion messing with me):

1. I thanked a sister for the maconha she gave us for lunch. (marijuana)

2. I said I was gravido, and couldn´t eat anymore. (pregnant)

3. I said I was used to eating with a fork and gravata in the US(tie)

4.I called a seat a vazo(toilet)

5.I said that I was really tired and that my pais(parents) were dead instead of my feet-sorry mom and dad

6.I mixed up ears(orelhas) and sheep (ovelhas)

7. I said that the food a sister gave us was esquisito (strange, not exquisite).

8. When making rice, I explained that we needed to add some sol (sun, not salt).

9. During the night, I apparently slept-talked about the church with my companions

Yeah, Portuguese is a work in progress.  The rest of the week was absolutlely maravilhoso tambem!!  Right now we have 2 investigators named Suele and Maria and their progressing well!  We have Suele´s baptism planned for the second week in October after her wedding to Allyson(yes his name is allyson). However on Monday, we found Suele in tears leaving Allyson´s house.  Apparently they had had a fight and were reconsidering marriage. 
Before I knew it we were meeting with them to talk about eternal marriage.  I could tell my companion was totally nervous in this situation so I helped out.  We turned off the tv and started with a prayer.  I remember Elder Kerr talking about how the woman was formed from Adam´s rib (not head or foot) because man and woman are equal.  Before I knew what was happening, I was saying that the rib was the bone closest to man´s heart, and that´s why God chose it.  Because women are close to man´s heart as well.  The spirit continued to guide me to share 3 Nephi 18:21 and explain the importance of communication/prayer with God and your companion.  I explained that communication forms a relationship triangle between the husband, wife, and god.  If we strengthen our relationship with God, our relationships with other will in turn be fortified. To put it simply, the Holy Ghost worked through us to save a marriage...and we did. So, I pose a question for ya´ll...who can you reach out to and strenghten a relationship with? 

Elder Johnson

Ta Bom!  

Well, hey everyone!  Sorry I wasn´t able to write last week, I was traveling all Tuesday and my p-day changed to Monday.  Just a quick summary of what happened in my final days in the CTM. Our district was having some difficulties with obedience that I had to resolve, but all in all we have grown into a family throughout the 6 weeks at the CTM!  Its just so sad that we have to part ways on Tuesday (though 5 of the 8 will be serving with me in Curitiba).  We gave our instructors awesome cards with our signutures and inside jokes.  Afterward we stood up and sang `god be with ou till we meet again`, which, at this point, everyone burst into tears (no one could even sing).  Tears came again when I said our last district prayer together, when Elder Mooney, Elder King, and I said our last companionship prayer, and when I bore my testimony in Portuguese during a testimony meeting the day before we left.  

Before I knew it, I was on a 1 hour flight to my mission with 20 other american, brazilian, and hispanic missionaries!  I remember dropping through the clouds and beholding the most beautiful, greenest landscape ever!  As we exited the plane, we were greeted by President Hart and his two secretaries!  Things started happening in rapid succession: we piled into a van, drove to the police office to register (while we sat gaping at our surroundings-b/c
Curitiba is the most beautiful,orgainized city ever), drove to the Curitiba temple, took pictures with president and Sister Hart, had a discussion with President Hart about our goal in the mission field (bring people to Christ, not just baptism), ate at the president´s apartment, received our new assigned area and companions, and drove some more.  Little did I know, I was being sent to one of the smallest towns in our mission named Curitiba and was companions with another American missionary named Elder Kerr (and another companionship of brasileiros).
As soon as I met him I knew that he was the one I had prayed for the Lord to give me.  He was the one that could help me reach my goals, and I could help him as well.  He is really caring, active, and fun company.  I just hope I can encourage him to give his all for this work and never settle less than that.  After a good 4 and 1/2 hours of driving through rolling hills and towering trees (branches grow out then up), we arrived at our apartment (extremely nice) and suddenly it was my first day in the mission field.  Many of you have questions about how it went.  Imagine deciding to go on a hike every single day, and your objective is to talk to everyone along the way.  That´s essentially what its like...and it´s great!!  No one said a mission would be easy, so why should I expect it to be that way!  First of all, it´s a great work out, secondly, we´re learning alot, thirdly, we´re helping others come to Christ!  Anyway, now here´s a cool experience:

The first time we knocked doors was extremely cool.  I asked if we could start with a prayer (my companion was a little surprised), so we did in the middle of the sidewalk (no shame at all).  It was really interesting because we were headed toward an appointment, but my companion turned down a random street!  As we were walking, I felt prompted to speak to a bunch of kids in front of this house. Around 10 of them gathered around to listen to us talk about our missions!  Eventually we were admitted into a house and there we gave our first lesson as a companionship about the gospel.  I gave the mother a book of mormon and testified of it´s truthfulness!  How´s that for listening to where the spirit directs you?!

Well, that´s all for now!  I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ lives and loves all of us.  I know that I have been sent here to Castro for a reason.  I testify that the book of mormon and bible are the words of God to us on this earth.  If we follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, have unwavering faith, and a steadfast desire to serve God, we can lift our heads above the trials of this life and do anything. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Elder Johnson

Yay, I have an hour and a half to write!