Febuary 20th 2013

Hey there family,

I'm so glad you visited Barbara. I was thinking about her this morning and was sad that I didn't see her before I left. Next time you see her please tell her that I think about her often and that I say hi and want to give her a big hug. :)

Yes, I've seen Elder Pope a couple times and Sister Limburg! It's so nice to see people I know. Sister Lund still is always seeing people. I'm convinced she knows everyone in Utah. For her the MTC is like a big high school/family reunion. lol I've also ran into a few people from school like my relief society president from Rexburg (81st ward??) and Sister Stokes, Katie's friend who I don't think recognized me.. That's so exciting Matt is coming home soon!!!! I think and pray for him a lot down there in Brazil. I would LOVE it if he could dear elder me if he gets a chance before I leave. I'll have to remind you to ask him. Letters from home are great but letters from other missionaries are even better. Especially since I'm a bit anxious for what it's going to be like in big scary RUSSIA. It's still unreal that I'll be there in a few weeks. I was reading Elder Peterson's letter and I got so excited because one of the sisters he talked about is Sister Crane one of my olders!!! She went out a few weeks ago and is in his area!!!! He said that he went on exchanges with her and her companion and said she taught a great lesson to a 19 year old investigator. Just a few weeks ago she was HERE giving the talk at the mock sacrament meeting for MY investigator. Given, she was in the advanced group and I didn't understand a word she said... but still, that's going to be me soon, and like I said, it's kind of unreal to imagine. Our investigators here are doing well... just trying to get them prepared for baptism. :) They're both pretty solid. As for my Russian... it's getting along. We had our first full serious Speak Your Language day. We've tried it before but this time we were more serious about it and I don't think I said much more than 20 English words all day. It was SO hard! Speaking and understanding is getting easier but it takes so much brain power all the time. By the end of the day we were all so exhausted, but I suppose is was worth it. Brother Richardson testified to us that he saw the gift of tongues very clearly and said that is was one of the best SYL days he's seen at the MTC.  I'm starting to think that my teachers are a bit liberal with that whole "best _____ I've ever seen" phrase but Bro Richardson is a pretty honest genuine guy so I guess I believe him. It's just so hard to see our own progress. This Sunday I was called to give a talk. If I haven't mentioned, every week we're all asked to prepare a talk then they call on people randomly. I think it went well enough... only like half of the congregation could understand it anyway so... yeah lol the fresh new Russkis are thoroughly impressed with our skills. They help us to see how far we have come. The new districts are just great. They're like our babies and I love 'em to death. One of them almost went home.. the poor elder is only 18 and has never really been away from home. He was so homesick after the second day he said he wanted to leave. Within the next 48 hours though I saw a miracle. Everyone came together out of love for this elder and just prayed like crazy. I myself just knew that he had to be here. There was something about this elder that I knew he had to stay and I know he has to go to Ukraine. Somebody there needs him and only him. His district would keep Sister Lund in touch every few hours to keep us updated. The Elder couldn't make up his mind and put my heart on a roller-coaster. Then finally after he had for sure made the decision to leave, they turned to their teacher, Brother Kolokovski (really scary native Ukrainian teacher). I then witnessed Bro K take this Elder under his wing. They had a nice long (like 3hr long) talk out on a bench in the sunshine. I knew then that he would stay, and he did! He still looks like he's having a hard time though so I'll just keep praying.

As for me, things have been hard and great as usual (отлично как обычно = great as usual). I'm learning a lot and I can't begin to write it in this letter but one of the biggest things I've learned this week is to be patient. When the Lord seems far, he's not. He's just giving you room to grow.

Much love!

CECTPA Johnson

 

P.S. Fun fact about Russian: The word for 'sunday' and 'resurrection' are the same. Well like one letter off.  

 

Also, I sent Emily her letter finally and mom I wrote a note for you... there is one other thing I absolutely need--a Katzner Russian/English dictionary.

And I'm so glad Emily likes skiing and I'm jealous she gets to go so often!!! That's so fun!

Who Are You Boy?

Who are you boy?
For boy you are journeyed to this land of ours.
This land where I've endured my days.
And felt oppression kill my soul and force into some tight mold.
And teach me that I should not hope
unless I care to smell the smoke of my dreams that the Red Army tamed.

Who are you boy, from this land o'plenty,
teaching of God if there is any.
You have all, we have none.
Do you know what that feels like son?
And yet, you ask me to believe in something that I cannot see?
Some force you say will bring me joy.
Do you know what that feels like boy?
Where you're from, faith is free, but it has a price for me.

When I have pain, I have my bottle.
Hurt dies quick when you down it in Vodka.
That's enough to warm my soul.
I work, I sleep, the days go by --
I'm waiting for the day I die.

You don't understand this place.
You say believe, obey, have faith,
live life well, serve and give.
Here in Russia we just live.

Who are you boy?
Why did you come?
To save a soul who once was numb.
To teach a wrtched, hateful man who curse your help, refused your hand.
I thought that we were worlds apart.
So how is it that you knew my heart?
A fraction of my age you calmed my rage;
mercy paid my generous wage.
I should have been left behind.
It is hard to love my kind.

Hope in your heart, power in your hands,
Why did you come to this distant land?
I know now, it was for me.
The red curtain fell
but I was not free.
Until a boy from nations away
brought me my Lord, I bless the day.

He led me to weep at my master's feet,
the American boy I met on the street.
New and naive, still in his teens,
with a message to bring the world to its knees.

I thought the truth would come from another --
I did not know this boy was my brother.

Febuary 6th 2013

Wow, congrats Ashley and Matt!! :)
And it sounds like you all are having fun and doing well! Poor Mahonri though, I miss him.

This week has been a little hard for me.  Everything's just hard. There's a lot of pressure. And it just gets overwhelming sometimes. But it's all worth it in the end when you get to see a miracle or two. My favorite is teaching lessons. That's when I really get to see all our work come together, the Spirit's always there and I get to remember what it's all about. I remember why I'm exhausting myself of everything I have every minute of every day of every week. I do it because I love it. I love the people. I love the Gospel and I love sharing the Gospel with people.  This week we had a lot of success with Oleg, our investigator with a family. Sister Lund and I set up a mock MTC sacrament with our whole district. Everyone had a role to play and we had Sister Crayne from the advanced district give a talk and Elder Fernandez (the one from Tri-Cities) conduct the meeting. We forgot to tell him who was playing Oleg's 2 year old daughter though and he called her as activities director. That was an awkwardly hilarious moment... haha but it was great fun. The next lesson we had with Oleg we gave in room we have sacrament as if we were teaching him at church. My teacher said that he had never experienced such a peaceful lesson before as an investigator. Again, this lesson came at the most perfect time because I had really felt down that day... or the day before. But I've been thinking a lot about a quote from Joseph Smith or at least in the Joseph Smith movie that was along the lines of "the Lord has to bring you low so that he can take you higher." My experience here at the MTC has shown me more that anything else how stinking prideful, selfish, and faith-lacking that I am. That may sound weird and it's been hard, like I said. But I agreed to represent Jesus Christ. I put that name tag on every morning and it's His work. The more I get in the way with my own pride, the less work can be done. He's just trying to dig it all out.

So our district is becoming more like Frankenstein's monster each week. We have a new addition--Elder -----. He's one of the Olders that broke his foot so he couldn't go out to the field yet like everyone else. Poor guy, between that and his family not writing him, he's not doing so well. But he's still happy and fun to be around. Hopefully he can help us with our Russian too. :)
Also, we got our new tags this week!!!!! Like the ones we'll be using in the field with our names in Russian! There's so cool!
Love you!

сестра джонсон

Here's my guess at Ben and Emily's names in Russian.

беиджамин (Benjamin)

имели(Emily)

P.S. Sorry it was short today.