MEXICO CITY!!!

Dear Family and Friends (who are also family, even if they don't know it),

This week was a nice one. It's as cold as ice up here now, and I was saved at the last moment by good thinking on my Mother's part. I was able to borrow a coat from the mission office, which I actually have to return very soon. It was warm, and it worked. Thank you.

We were able to teach some good lessons and to help some very wonderful families come closer to the Savior. We taught the Munoz family, who want to be sealed in the temple, and the Arriaga family who want a church for their kids to grow up in. They both know it's true, but haven't accepted it yet. It's too bad that I won't be able to be at their baptisms.

I got a letter this week from my Dad that said I was going to be leaving soon, and i was like "great.... there we go getting Elder Johnson's hopes up." I thought that for two or so days, then President Palmer called me and told me in his goofy half New-Zealand-half-Texas accent that my Visa had come through and they were shipping me out on tuesday. That was cool. Then I got a call from the Mission Office telling me that they had decided to send me out a day earlier, and that they were going to pick me up tonight. Needless to say, It's a good day, and a frazzled day. I'll be in Mexico very soon. Not too long from now. Yup.

I've had the oportunity to learn some great things. One, for instance, was paitence. Yup. Another was obediance. In Mexico, I may not have learned this principal, but here in Warsh-ington, under the hands of the masters of obediance themselves, yes even Elders Arcia, Gleed, and Tapia, and President Palmer, I was able to learn this principal and will apply it in Mexico. Sweet.

I love you all!

I'm sorry that I won't be writing any letters on paper this week.... I have to pack. I love you!

Elder Johnson

MEXICO CITY, IVER IS ON HIS WAY!!!

From Michelle on Oct. 19:

Good Morning All:

Wow. Got some terrific news this morning. Iver has a visa. He will be travelling to Salt Lake City the end of this week or the beginning of next week to sign papers at the Mexican Consulate, then should be in Mexico City by the end of next week!

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I believe that Spokane has been a wonderful detour, and he will go to Mexico very, very prepared!

Maybe hold off on letters for now...I will get info up on mailing to Mexico soon!

Love: Michelle

Howdy!

On October 18, 2010 Elder Johnson wrote:

Family and Friends:

Greetings from way up north.

This week we tracted into this little old lady. She was really nice, and she let us come in and talk to her and her husband, while she sat and sewed in her rocking chair. We had a wonderful lesson with her and her husband, and we set it up nicely to introduce the Book of Mormon, and when we took it out and started talking about it, I thought she was going to die...She got all red and was really upset, telling us about how false it was, and about how she had the Bible, and didn't need another one (it reminded me of 2 Nephi 29: 6-7, you can look that up on page 110 of the Book of Mormon, or on lds.org). I was sure at one point that she would get up and try to stab us with her needle...Nice old lady. I hope she at least lets someone tell her more about the Book of Mormon before she dies. She'd make a killer relief society president. We also tracted into this guy, who was busy at the moment, and didn't want to talk to us. We were telling him about how we believe that God has restored the true church that Christ set up, through a prophet. One of my companions asked if he believed if that was possible and he squared up his shoulders and looked deep into my eyes and said, "Si. Yo soy." So that was weird. Yup. He said come back later. We'll see how that goes.

I didn't take any pictures this week...But I'll try to do better next week.

I haven't heard any news about my Visa for Mexico yet. I know from someone somewhere that the travel office at the empty sea (MTC) and such are really working their butts off trying to get those things done for us. I appreciate that. I emailed the president to ask him if he has heard anything, but he hasn't written me back. It's starting to get cold here, and I hadn't come prepared to deal with that...So he'll let me know what I should do. Other than that, I'm enjoying the opportunity I have to be the zone leader's companion. We have the opportunity to go on "exchanges" every few days, which lets me meet new missionaries, and learn lots of new things, such as teaching styles. We have been doing good work out here in Othello First ward.

I love you all and hope you are doing well!

Elder Iver Johnson

Howdy!

On October 11, Elder Johnson wrote:

Hello Family and Friends:

When the Prophet Joseph Smith lost the pages of the book of Lehi, he was thrown into a deep despair, and for awhile, he lost the gift of translation. He was unable to work for awhile on the Lord's errand. His mother bore record of him calling on God to forgive him. She said he called Him by an interesting name. He called Him "my God," not "Father" or "Lord." This, my friends, is interesting to me. It make me think, really, truly: Who is "my God?"

Our God, as defined by our religion, is the father of our spirits, He is the creator, He is perfect, He is a personage with a body of flesh and bones, He is all-knowing, all powerful, He is a person defined by love, He is a person who works by faith. We fail to recognize sometimes that there are times in our lives that we aren't obeying the commandment, both the first of the Ten, and The First Great Commandment (Matt.22) that states, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3)." The gods that we could possibly have that are not God, don't necessarily have to be idols, but could be as simple as saying, "I can do that, I don't need help, I am a pro." I appreciated the talks this last conference on pride and how it is the "original sin." Who, WHAT, is MY God? Do I spend my time marveling in the strength of myself? Do I continue praying, wrestling in vain, to change the will of God? Do I withhold the thanks that I have in my heart for God, and instead give praise to them, or to myself, who I can physically see?

Where is my heart?

The answer can be found through study, prayer, and submission. All things that we see as trials today, God sees as things that will build us up. When we are able to see this and believe it, and work everyday to get closer to God, that's when we know we are following that commandment. That's when we know who our God is. That's when we can call him "My God" like the Prophet Joseph.

My God loves me. My God is concerned about me. My God works wonders. My God sacrificed His only son for me.

And I love My God.

I love you!

Elder Iver Johnson

On October 4, 2010 Elder Johnson wrote:

Greetings My Friends and Family!

Two cool things happened this week. One: we are officially in the "you could be called at any time to go to Mexico" time, and two: I had a really spiritual experience that has showed me the potential of a friend on mine, especially concerning missionary work.
We are teaching some good investigators. One family is named the Enriquez family, they are six in total. The parents are not married, but are moving towards it, and the kids (except one) all support that. They have good potential, especially the wife who attended a session of General Conference. Another family we are teaching are named the Lopez family. We began teaching their son, and now are able to teach the whole family, except the mom. They are stuck on why we need to go to church, and why we need to read the scriptures. We are trying so hard to teach them that. We are also teaching the Arriaga family, who have great potential. The father even came to the Priesthood session on Conference!
Other than that, my companions and I really are starting to get along better, and are really enjoying the work. They had training this week and were in Moses Lake the majority of last week, so I got to go on splits with Elder Stewart, who is green like me (except was in beginner Spanish). This week I learned that I know a lot more Spanish than I think I do! Lot's of pressure when you are the only one who can speak it (well...). We were able to do really good work together, including (but not limited to): Working in the local food bank, being interpreters for the people who speak Spanish, and tracking into and having a great lesson with the local Presbyterian Minister.

Well, I love you!

Elder Iver Johnson

P.S. Included are pictures of a cool sunset (and the prettiest part of Washington I have been in so far), a dead skunk, some of my ward mission leader's piranhas, and me with a cool old jeep!