Happy New Year from the Islands!

Elder Johnson and Elder Kaakau (Elder Kaakau is on his way to serve in New Mexico)

Dad,

Honestly New Years was harder for me than Christmas, just because I loved the games and the company we have every year and the crazy stories I have! But I tried to get lost in the work and it has worked.  It has always stuck in my mind what you said... whenever you feel homesick get lost in the work and everything will be alright.  I know that is 100% true because I've lived it!  I know that as we all get lost in the Lord's work we forget about ourselves and our problems!  

How much snow have you guys gotten this year??  I heard that sledding was pretty brutal!

I asked Elder Johnson to share experiences he has with the Book of Mormon each week so I can tell them to kids I teach in primary, since that is what we are studying this year.

I have two stories right now!  One is a family, where three of their four kids just got baptized, and it put a fire under them.  We just had their Book of Mormon lesson last week and asked them to read and the dad Umanata, he read to the middle of first Nephi! so amazing!! We taught them the Plan of Salvation yesterday and we just started to explain the three kingdoms and he went and explained it perfectly to his wife.  Also in church the topic in Elder's quorum was the priesthood and they asked who didn't have it who wanted it and he raised his hand and said I want it, but I am not baptized yet!  So amazing, we continued on to teach a little about the temple and told them that they were going to go as a family!  Amazing!

Another experience was with a guy named Taunebure,  we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon during our Book of Mormon lesson, and was teaching it to his family and he started reading it on the spot!!!! soooo awesome!  We gave it to him about 2 weeks ago and he is almost done with second Nephi!  The Book of Mormon is a powerful thing, because it comes directly from the power of God! 

Anyway I have to go, I am on the Senior couple's computer because the internet cafe was down and I have a couple more people to write.  

I love you dad!!

Love your son,

Elder Johnson 

Elder Johnson and Elder Kennedy- Killing Wasps
(There always seems to be some sort of creepy crawly thing trying to get these missionaries!)

Mom!

As of right now, I'm feeling okay, my stomach hurts still every once and a while, (because there is a lot of under cooked chicken) But I am holding up a lot better than I thought I would!  I have had a few bad headaches and have thrown up once, but I kept working! ha-ha Swim has taught me to push through the pain pretty well!! ha-ha I will definitely be able to eat anything when I get home!

I haven't eaten dog yet, but I am interested to try.  I hear it is really good! ha-ha, so we will see! XD Sounds like you guys are enjoying just as much weird food as I am! ha-ha Tell me what more weird food you guys eat!

Thanks for ordering all of that stuff for me!  That will help out so much!  I did do something, you know my shoulder bag,  the Elder that is waiting for his time to enter the MTC, didn't have one, and he is working in New Mexico, so I gave him mine.  He was really grateful!  He loved it so much!  He leaves this Monday! He is super excited!

I am also glad that I had extra shirts because there are a lot of people who don't have them who need them so they can go to church, I have given out a few already!

I found out I am getting both a new area and a new companion.  The new area is now just becoming it's own area, it used to be the west zone leader's area. I am still on Tarawa, just on the opposite side.  My new area is called Ambo and my new companion is Elder Carrington.  I am super pumped!  The cool thing is now is the time when everyone is traveling and visiting family.  I have met three different people who actually live in Ambo!  It is so cool what the Lord will do if we just listen and watch!

Those goals sound amazing!!! One thing that I have learned about setting goals is to make sure they are S.M.A.R.T  Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time specific.  I challenge you guys to get a preach my gospel, read the section setting goals and try to follow it, I know that when I followed those steps I have seen amazing results!  I know that if you put your mind to it you will be able to do amazing things. 

That is so amazing that you are still reading, I know of the all the blessings that you can receive from continually reading and praying!  I finally finished for the first time, and I had an amazing experience when I prayed about it.  I prayed and as soon as I asked if the book was true, the spirit overwhelmed me and was so strong.  I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God. 

I love you so much!  It is amazing how the Lord can also put us in the situations to help.  I know that as you continue to do what is right the Lord will continue to give you situations where  you can help other people! 

I don't have a ton of time, the internet was down at the internet café so I am using the senior couples computer, I just needed to say happy birthday to Ana and send quick emails to you guys!

I love you so much!

Love your son,

Elder Johnson 

Additional Pictures from Christmas Celebrations from Last Week

Christmas on Tarawa

 

 

Elder Johnson and Elder Kennedy showing off
 their musical Christmas ties we sent to them. 
Elder Carrington making fun of them

 

 

We had a great experience talking with Elder Johnson on Christmas day.  He called us from one of the Senior Missionary's laptops that lives in the Moroni High School campus on Tarawa.  We were able to record the entire call, but it is much too big to post on this site.  Here are some of the details from that call.

 

Physical and Emotional Health

 

Elder Johnson is healthy and happy.  With the exception of a few minor cuts that got infected and some issues with his digestion, he is good.  There have been a few times where he was served under-cooked chicken that have made him sick for a couple days, but he has bounced back pretty quickly from that.

 

Jeff's spirits were pretty high.  There has been a few storms roll in lately that make riding their bikes nearly impossible.  Also when it rains, no one wants to listen to the lessons.  Those are the times that he has been getting the most frustrated and starts to feel down.  Other than that, he and his companions have been very busy and are working hard keeping up with all of their investigators.

 

We asked Jeff what he and his companion did to keep their spirits up when the rain or other things got them down.  He said that they do a lot of singing, and a lot more praying. 

 

Elder Johnson's Christmas Experiences

 

Christmas Breakfast- Pancakes with Nutella and Sausage.  With Elders Kennedy and Kaakau

Jeff made his companions breakfast Christmas morning.  He cooked up some thick pancakes and fries some sausage.  He made enough pancakes that they shared them with their neighbors.  He says they turned out pretty good.

Jeff admitted that he opened up his camera we sent him for Christmas the day he got his package, but saved the other items for Christmas morning.  The camera is already being put to good use since his old one was dropped in the ocean.  The new camera is waterproof and dirt proof.  (Hopefully he won't take that as a challenge!)

Later that day they went to a party with their landlord.  Elder Johnson said that it was a blast.  The music was a little goofy, so Jeff said he had to dance goofy.  Sadly all the camera batteries were dead by that time!

Elder Johnson is in the Tarawa East zone, and they got together with the West zone and played capture the flag.  Then they watched the movie Freetown. 

The day after Christmas Elder Johnson was able to Skype us at home.  They are 17 hours ahead of us on Kiribati, so it was Christmas day in Utah.  After the call home, the missionaries were going to have a big party all day at the Moroni High School. 

Elder Johnson mentioned that this Christmas he was able to focus more on the real meaning of the season.  The birth of our Savior.  It was an amazing experience to celebrate with the incredible people on Tarawa.

Mission President

Elder Johnson really looks up to the mission president, President Weir.  President Weir traveled to Tarawa this past week, so Elder Johnson was able to meet with him a couple times.  Jeff learned that President Weir has a military background and previously worked with black ops.  He related a story that President Weir once met witht a king of a foreign nation and helped him to reorganize his military using napkins to write down the details.  Elder Johnson has a lot of respect for President Weir.

Companions

Elder Johnson loves his companions.  He is currently working in a threesome with Elder Kennedy and Elder Kaakau. 

Elder Kennedy came to Kiribati in the group of missionaries right before Elder Johnson's group, about a month or so earlier.  So they are both still pretty green.  Elder Johnson loves Elder Kennedy and says he is a funny guy.  He has a pretty good sense of humor which helps when things get rough

Elder Kaakau is from Kiribati.  He is waiting to come to the US for his mission in New Mexico.  He will be with Elders Johnson and Kennedy until January 12.  It has been good to have Elder Kaakau with them since it has helped them with the language.  Jeff says it is hard to understand him from time to time, but he loves Elder Kaakau and is enjoying working with him.

These elders have been pretty busy lately, teaching about 40-50 lessons per week.  They have gone on a lot of splits with members of the ward.  The only thing that slows them down right now is the weather from time to time.

Elder Johnson mentioned that transfers will be anounced this week, he is hoping to stay with his current area because he loves the people he is working with.  But he said where ever he is sent, he knows that is where he is supposed to be.  We will find out next week if he or his companions are getting transferred.

Food

Elder Johnson has been loving the food on Tarawa, with the exception of the undercooked chicken!  His diet consists mostly of chicken, fish, breakfast crackers and rice.  He has tried Octopus and loved it. 

His little brother wanted to know if he has eaten dog yet, and he has not, but probably only a matter of time.  Our vegetarian daughter said, "Oh! Poor Fluffy!", Jeff responded, they don't name their dogs on Kiribati, except maybe "Dinner".

P-Day Activities

On their preparation day each Monday the first thing they do is race down to the computers.  There are only 4 computers and they race the other missionaries in the area to be the first ones to write home.  They would then go buy a drink or treat called "Thick Shakes", we didn't get the details on what those are. 

Then they would go home to rest and clean the apartment.  (Not sure if he said that just for his mom's sake!)  Then they are off to Moroni High School to play ultimate frisbee, basketball or whatever with the East Zone.  Once a month they combine with the West Zone to play games as well.  Then it is back home and back to work.

 

Great Christmas

 

For Amber and I and the kids, this was a great Christmas treat to be able to talk with Jeff.  It was our best Christmas present of the year. We know that Jeff is safe, that he is being watched over.  He is healthy and getting into the work.  It was an incredible thing to see a man on the screen, when he left us still a boy.  Definitely a mom and dad payday!

 

Our heart goes out to the other missionary moms and dads that have missionaries on the outer islands of Kiribati that did not get a chance to talk to them on Christmas.  Our prayers are with them and their missionaries.

 

We wanted to include a clip of Jeff bearing his testimony in the Kiribati language.  The quality of the video is not the greatest since I had to reformat it to be small enough to load. 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Wishes from Elder Johnson

Hello Everyone!

This week, I am not going to lie, was really rough! 

We have so many investigators that it is really hard to teach them all. It is crazy how prepared so many of these people are! They just want to hear the gospel.

On Thursday we got a Kiribati companion named Elder Kaakau, he is waiting to go to the MTC on January 12. He is going to serve in New Mexico. 

There were a couple of days this week where it rained all day, and not just rained, poured!!! It was really difficult because it makes the road really terrible to ride your bikes on  and absolutely no one is A) home or B)wants to listen.  This put us pretty behind on our lessons so we got to split with some YSA a couple of times this last week. In one of our lessons we taught this kid Moote, whose name in English is Moses.  He is 26 and he told us that he received a dream that he was the prophet. It was kind of scary, because his dream was exactly things that have happened through the restoration, just through false visions.  We went on to teach prophets and restoration and it was one of the most powerful restorations lessons I have been a part of.  We asked him to pray about it and he told us "I absolutely cannot do that."

This goes to show how the Savior's words in this last day are being fulfilled, In the last days there will rise false prophets.  I went back yesterday and as soon as Elder Kaakau and I sat down, we both felt we should leave right away.  So we did.  It was crazy!!!

The rest of our investigators are really solid,  they are keeping commitments and we are really seeing a change in their lives.  The work is hard but I see the Lord's help as we push forward! 

Wednesday night we had a birthday party/Christmas party for Elder Pulufauna and The Moroni YSA.  They made us sing a song and they had cake and ice cream.  I literally had so much, but I got super sick the next day because they didn't cook the chicken all the way...

Thursday, for service, we cleaned a well.  It was really nasty, and it kept filling really fast since it was high tide.  We had to take out bucket after bucket of water and scrape this green goo off the wall.  It was tough work but really cool!  Every time we do service, without fail, the family feeds us!  This was really difficult since I was sick from the chicken the night before and the food they gave us was soo good. 

The one thing that happened this week is my testimony grew about fasting.  I fasted 2 times this week and Yesterday I even fasted for a full 24 hours, and I have already seen the blessings that have come from that.  I know that if we have a trouble with anything and we fast the Lord will be quick to give it to us.  When we fast we show we want his help because we are giving up something that we need to receive help.  I know that it works.  I love this gospel!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you all!!! Remember that this season is about celebrating the Birth of our brother, savior and redeemer.   And he is Literally THE greatest gift this world has ever had!

I love you all!

Love Elder Johnson

Dad!

Merry Christmas!!!

That is crazy that you have been a primary teacher for so long!  Time goes by way too fast sometimes! I know it has been here, it kind of freaks me out!!  I love those kids so much! Tell them hi for me and Merry Christmas!! Its amazing how at times we don't think that people are listening to our lessons and we quiz them on it they amaze us with how much they remember!  I have learned that so many times while being here.  At times it seems like our investigators don't listen but as long as the spirit is present, everything is able to sink in!

I am super excited to skype! I get to skype the day after Christmas here so it is Christmas for you guys.   I am super pumped!

I am definitely enjoying those things I was able to open now, especially the food!  It is the best! I already gave out all of my toys and I am constantly swarmed by hundreds of kids asking for toys! hahah Everyone Loves the magic too not just the little kids they think it is the craziest thing they have ever seen in their lives!

I love this season, and I love that I am able to focus on other things than the gifts and lights an holiday stuff.  I get to focus on serving others and help them come to know of the greatest gift the world has ever had!

This week is normal up until Friday and Saturday.  Friday we get to spend all day at Moroni with the missionaries and the Senior couples are cooking us food for lunch.  We get to play games, have white elephant gift exchange, and maybe get to watch a Disney movie!!! whaaaaaat!!!?????  Christmas night we are spending it at a member's house (I might eat dog..........)  The day after is our skype time and then the ward Christmas party all day,  we are inviting our investigators I am super pumped, there will be dancing, music and food!!

I love you so much!  remember to take time to remember the true meaning of Christmas this Christmas season!

Love your son

Elder Johnson

Mom!!!! Merry Christmas in just a little bit!!

First I want to tell you that I get to email the day after Christmas here so it is Christmas there!  I am so excited!  I love you!

Mom, I am so proud of you for reading the book of Mormon.  That book has power, but I don't need to tell you that! You are already seeing the blessings that come from reading the book everyday! By reading the book you are showing our Heavenly Father that you appreciate his words and that you want to apply his teachings, and by doing so he will bless your life beyond anything you can possibly imagine!!

Just by doing a simple thing like reading in the Book of Mormon everyday led you to helping someone who needed your testimony.  Imagine what the Lord would do with you if you pushed yourself a little harder to follow more of his words.  I know that there is God's power in the Book of Mormon.  I have a strong testimony that the Book of Mormon was given to us so that we can be strengthened, so we can receive answers to questions and help other people in our lives. 

By the way, thank you so much for sending those magic tricks and toys for the kids! Everybody loves them!  Yesterday we got to teach the young men in church and we talked about Jesus' birth.  I tied in the atonement and I used the box that makes things disappear as  an object lesson for the atonement.  They thought it was super cool! 

I love you mom,

Love your son,

Elder Johnson