Good Times in Banana

Mom and Dad
,
First off, I love the pants they are exactly what I needed!  They are so
much cooler and more comfortable!!! I love them thank you so much!!! I
don't need any more pants, I have a perfect amount as of right now so
thank you!! A couple of hygeine things and a couple of other things I
thought of if it is okay, are a toothbrush, shaving cream, index cards
for learning new words, that multi- utencil thing Kaleb sent me at
christmas, and if you can find waterproof playing cards that would be
awesome! One really good way of connecting with people is
playing cards with them!

That is so nice of Mr. Mac, I will definitely send a thank you note
today. He is such a nice guy!

I love my new comp, he is so nice and funny and we literally have so
much in common, it makes the days go by so fast.  We were just talking
about how it has already been 2 weeks since we have been together,
crazy!! The days are going faster, we are working hard, and finding a
lot of new people who are so prepared to hear the gospel.  We even had
2 show up at church yesterday! I love this work!!!

I'm sorry to hear that things were pretty rough this last week, but I
am so glad to hear that it all worked out.  One thing that amazes me
is how well everything works out if we but put the Lord first in all
that we do.  When we do his will first, he is so much more willing to
help us through the things that make us happy!

Thank you for that quote you sent, I've been making some goals for
myself, and haven't been following them too well... so that really
helped me to know that I need the work as much as I need the vision or
the dream!!

Quote we sent to Jeff:  "It is good to dream, but it is better to dream and work.  Faith is mighty, but action with faith is mightier.  Desiring is helpful, but work and desire are invincible."  - Thomas Robert Gaines.

We asked Jeff what he has learned from all his companions so far since he has been in Kiribati:

I have learned so much from each of my companions, from Elder Vula truly
loving the people goes really far, and showing that love by being
goofy goes even further. From Elder Powell, I've learned that hard work does pay
off in the language.  From Elder Seguine, that if you work on your accent 
people understand you better, and that the Atonement is more than just
receiving a remission of your sins, From Elder Kennedy, you CAN be happy even
through the crappiest of situations. From Elder Carrington, that being a
successful missionary is WAY more than getting good stats, From Elder Darm how to
truly love someone. And from Elder Hunter, You can have fun and work hard at
the same time.

Time is FLYING with Elder Hunter, it scares me, but I love it at the
same time, we are staying busy and are finding a ton of new poeple to
teach.  Many of whom are WAY prepared and willing to work!!

We asked Jeff about what he usually eats:

Meals we have a lot of crab, mostly because poeple found out I love it so
much. We have a lot of milk fish and the other day I had turtle.  I am already
set up for my birthday dinner with a family who is toing to feed us
shark!!! I love the food here!! So good! Not a ton of variety, but it
is all tasty!

We cook everyonce and a while, we just bought a huge thing of pancake
mix from JMB so we are going to start cooking breakfast in the
mornings every once and a while.

Most spiritual thing this last week.....Probably when we had District
meeting last week, the day before I was just thinking to myself I was
kind of slacking and in District meeting our lesson was on Effective
studying!  The timing was so perfect... It helped me remember how I first studied in
the MTC and when I first got here and how successful they were.

Funniest is Elder Hunter has a bike curse and he brought it here form
Marekai!! hahahh So during Elder Hunter's whole mission he has had bike problems,
and last Tuesday, my bike got a flat tire at one of the most
inconveinient places ever because it was in between our house
and Banana, so we walked 45 minutes home and took 2 and a half hours
fixing my bike because it was so rusted that we couldn't get the bolts
off.  Then last Saturday Hunter's pedels absolutely froze and he
couldnt pedal, and so he started freaking out.  I just kept laughing and
laughing then he said a prayer that it was boo te kanganga (NEW the
problem) hahaha and I lost it in the middle of his prayer.  Then he
thought by slamming his bike on the ground multiple times it would fix
the problem!! XD the way he acted was so funny and I just laughed at
him the whole time, I'm such a horrible companion!! haha

I love you so much mom and dad, and I continue to pray for you every day!!

Will you do me a favor and have Jason and Audrey email me some dry land

work outs that I can do in the mornings??

I love you mom and dad,
Love your son,
Elder Johnson

Tiabo Elder Darm, Mauri Elder Hunter!

Tiabo Elder Darm, Mauri Elder Hunter

Mom,
Things ended with Elder Darm really well, he headed off last
Wednesday, and my new companion came in.  He is awesome, we have so much
in common, and he is a way cool guy! His name is Elder John Hunter, and he
is from the same intake as Elders Darm and Kennedy.  He is from Salt Lake,
and went to Highland High.  He played football and was the Quarterback.

Bad Outbreak of Pink Eye on the Island

As for my health I'm good, there was an outbreak of some pretty nasty pink eye,
everyone got it and it practically swelled my eye shut, I'll send you
a picture later! hahah but it is gone now.  I got some eye drops that
took care of it within a couple of days.  Other than that, I have beka
nako (poop that runs) XD sorry but that's what it is called here!

Last day with Elder Darm

The Fiji airlines strike didn't affect transfers from what I hear,
it's gone pretty smooth from what I know! haha

I am so glad that Your talk went well and that you were guided by the
spirit so easily! It's amazing how easy it comes to us when we are
doing what we are supposed to be doing.  I know that Heavenly Father
will continue to guide you as you put him first, and think of him and
his son.

Jeff being Jeff

I love this work, I'm in love with Banana, and I am seeing amazing
things happen every single day from our work, whether that be
investigators opening up, keeping commitments, help with the language,
or whatever, it is amazing!!

I love you mom,
Love your son,
Elder Johnson

Elder Johnson and Elder Hunter- Service Cutting Ben (Coconuts)

Dad,

It's good to hear that everything is going so  well back home!  hahah
I love to hear about everyone, 

I love working with the kids, it is so much fun, but it can be a
handful! I love it! The Book of Mormon is the ultimate book on the
face of the planet.  We just had our Book of Mormon lesson with, I
would dare say, our golden investigator.  His name is Nakaroro, and as
we were teaching he just had this hint of a smile on his face the
entire time that we taught him! I know that he is going to read and I
know that he is going to receive an answer that it is true!!

Dinner in Banana

I do have a new companion, his name is Elder Hunter, and he is way
sick!!!! We hit it off really well, he is from the same intake as
Elder Darm, and Elder Kennedy.  We have a ton in common, and every
night on our bike ride back to the house we have story time, and I
LOVE it!  I've had a blast with him so far!  Every lesson we teach is
full of the spirit, people pay attention, and he is a stud at the
language!  I'm still working in Banana, rumors are that I could be
here as long as October! Our goals is just to get more people, which
is hard because there aren't a ton of people in general in Banana...
but with the Lord's help anything is possible!!!

Hanging out with great family in Banana

Funniest moment..... Probably hearing one of Elder Hunter's stories on
the way home...I don't know if he wants me to share much but let's
just say I laughed so hard that I almost pooped my pants cause I'm a
little sick!! hahah

Elder Fonseca with Elder Beachum Hands

Most spiritual moment was when we taught the Restoration lesson to
Nakaroro, his face just lit up, the spirit was so strong that my hair
stood up on end, and in our lesson that we had with him after, which
was yesterday, he said he prayed about it, so that is why I know that
he is going to get an answer!!

Water is good, it comes from a source somewhere other than the rest of
the hotel, so there are some days when we don't have water, but the
workers at the hotel gave us a key to one of their rooms any time that
happens so that we can shower and stuff, which is super nice cause
they have WAY nice beds in there and an AC unit!! hahah but we have a
filter that has a hand pump where you just pump by using this thing
that looks like a TNT detonator with the box that you have to lift up
and push down! hahah and We do have a real shower, it is so nice! haha

I love you dad,
Love your son,
Elder Johnson

Elder Hunter- Service Cutting Coconuts

Conference, Crabs and Christmas Island

Hi Mom and Dad,

I am so excited to get that package, thank you so much for sending it!! did you guys track it? Thank you so much for sending that stuff I really did need that back pack! hahah

As for your talk, I give you full permission to use any of my experiences as you feel so inspired by the holy ghost.  Tell everyone that I am so grateful for  all their love support and prayers that they have given me though all my time serving a mission.  We are all missionaries, the Lord doesn't just want teenage kids out there with name tags doing his work, he wants all his children to do everything that they possibly can in order to bring about the fullness of the gospel to all that they can.  Challenge them for me to find 1 person in their lives that needs the gospel, and share it to them, and promise them they will see the miracles that come from that. (Amber was asked to give a talk in church this next Sunday.)

Hahah oh man, Dad! I may not be able to make fun of you having to shovel the snow anymore, but "who let the Dogs out???" you you you you you!  hahahahah Hopefully the thing you are planning on doing with the dog
run works though!! hahah

(From Scott's letter- I told Jeff about our dog Porter biting holes through the fence, and then going across the street and opening the fence to the neighbor's house to let out his buddy Cooper so they could roam the neighborhood together.)

It's so good to hear that everyone is doing so well, that makes me so happy!

Mom is awesome!! she is amazing at everything that she does! hahah She goes above and beyond everything that she signs up to do, she just doesn't know how to say no, I love that about her!

I love that you guys are reading in the scriptures everyday, especially in the Book of Mormon, for that book is the only perfect book on the planet! I have received so much help and guidance reading
that book, and I know that as you guys continue to read it every night you will see the difference and the blessings that come from it.  Hold strong through the Isaiah chapters, it only gets better after, I just got through them last week. I have made it a goal to myself that I will read the entire Bible, book of Mormon, D and C, and pearl of
Great Price before I come home.  I have a lot of reading to do, but I am going to do it!!!

Our investigators are pretty good, it's been rough because this last week we have had a lot of them drop us... but there is this one couple that we are really close with.  Kontiton (conston) and Toatai. Kontiton is a less active and his wife Toatai is really shy, and really hard to get to participate in our lessons.  Yesterday, when we
taught them We got them excited for Baptism by telling them if Kontiton can get worthy, he can be the one to baptize Toatai.  I would just ask for you guys to pray that she sees the blessings and is able to participate more in the lessons.  They are solid but she is just so dang shy that it's hard!

Honestly we only have one neighbor, and they are Kiribati, and we never see them.... There are only 2 real houses the rest are just Hotel rooms that are a good distance from our house.  We meet tourists every once and a while on vac ation for fishing, but they are all extremely weird... hahah XD My favorite is going to the hotel Resturant and getting a TON of really good food for really cheap, but the people we meet are just kind of awkward to talk to, probably cause I have to speak in english to them! XD

I love you mom and dad, Thank you for all of the support that you give me!

Love your son,
Elder Johnson

They had a Crab Bake, Jeff really rubbed this one in to his dad.

Jeff's favorite store, JMB.  They get items from Costco shipped in from Hawaii. 

Watching General Conference

No Ifs, Ands, Buts or Coconuts...

Mom and Dad,

First thing is first, things are better this week.  I know that the Lord has been there, and this week has been a million times better. Granted there are still some times when I am depressed, or sad, but when I start to work, all those things go out the window!!

(Note from Dad- I told Jeff of the many blessings we are receiving from his service out in the mission field.)
I know that you guys are being blessed every single day for  my service, I know because it is promised in the scriptures in many different instances and I see it when you guys write me every week.

I actually got to watch Today's sessions, a member in London has BYU TV and so we got to watch, we missed Saturday's stuff since we were working in Banana, so it was alright! I'll just have you guys send me the magazine when it comes out so that I can read them!!

Most spiritual moment was last Friday, we had the choice to go to London to watch conference on Sunday for the Saturday session, but we would miss a day working in Banana. I really wanted to go because I LOVE conference, so I was planning on being pretty insistent on going.  But I decided to pray about it.... I told the Lord that I decided to stay and work in Banana and I didn't feel anything until I told Elder Darm out loud, and I was overwhelmed by the Spirit.  Then Sunday came and It honestly sucked.  Moiwa, who had just gotten baptized the day before didn't come to church, no investigators at church and all of our investigators were home.  I was mad that we missed all of Saturday session for literally no reason. 

But then we went to Touatai and Kontiton's house.  Touatai is really shy and a lot of the times isn't really into the lessons, but today, we got her a little more involved.  The lesson was long, filled with the spirit, and I just kept
having scripture after scripture, ideas and examples pop into my head, that we used and had the best lesson we have ever had with them. There was the spirit, companionship unity, and a love for the people. It was AMAZING! If we would have gone to London, we would have missed out on teaching these amazing people, feeling the spirit, and helping them draw closer to God!

Funniest thing..... Probably our service last Saturday, we told our investigators that we would come to their house and oro ben which is cut and prepare coconut to dry and be sold for oil.  What you have to do is split the coconut in half with an ax then use a specialized knife called te kai ni katarin to scrape the hardened white meat out to be dried.  When we told them that we were going to do this they just laughed at us cause we were two white imatang teenagers that didn't know what we were doing and they didn't really think that we were going to show up. When we did show up they were shocked and asked us "are you really going to cut coconuts???" hahah so funny! It was difficult, but really fun and I got the hang of it pretty fast!

I don't even know where to start on how my testimony has grown, let's just say the church IS true, no if and buts about it!! hahah I will tell you what, I now have an unshakable testimony of Joseph Smith and the First vision.  Every time that I recite the first vision, I feel the spirit so strongly that there is NO way it is NOT true!!!!!!! I know for 100 percent that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and he restored the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Earth.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true, no ifs, ands, buts or coconuts!

Random detail...... well every morning I wake up at six, and there is a huge concrete court five feet from our house that is about the same size as the track at the West Valley Fitness center that I run every morning, it's way nice!! haha

Thank you for all your help, and support through your emails, you have no idea how much they help! I know that the Lord has been there, and lets just say, I did feel your momma bear hugs!!   I love this work, and I love you, don't worry, I'm doing fine!  There are times when I feel depressed, but those feelings go away as I pray.  I love you keep up the reading and YOU WILL BE BLESSED!!

I love the drawing!

One of the drawings I sent to Jeff this week...

Love you Mom and Dad,
Love your son,
Elder Johnson