Howdy!

On May 7 Elder Johnson wrote:

Hello All!!

Well, this week was fun. It's cool to be with another Elder Johnson. He and I are working really hard. We should have a few baptisms this week. Evelia, our political friend, and Susana, the girlfriend of a future missionary. We are hoping all goes well with their special days! Elder Johnson is really helping me with the work. He has a great fire for the mission and is helping me stay strong. We have been stuggling with trying to got our investigators to church, but we realize maybe it's just not their time yet.

I hope you all are staying up-to-date with the bible videos of Jesus that the church is putting out (these can be found at lds.org). They are fantastic. They are really captivating the Old Jewish culture really well. The only thing I don't like is the accents, but that's the good thing about being able to understand Spanish...when they record them in Spanish, it'll all be in a Spanish accent, and not muddled accents. Woot woot! Looking forward to that!!!

I feel impressed to write a little about something...I don't want to, but I feel I should. I have been thinking a lot about tragedies, specifically when one close to us experiences them. It's difficult. There aren't many things to say to help us feel better...but there is hope. When we are focused on the happiness that follows the tragedy, we will feel at peace. This is not the end, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even though it may be dim, or invisible, it is there. God taught the Prophet Joseph Smith that his "adversities and afflictions (would) be but a small moment." It sometimes seems endless our suffering, and we may cry out, "why me?" but I have the hope that we will not be called upon to suffer such pains forever. I know we won't. President Uchtdorf taught that "hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness." In what should we hope? In the infinite atonement of Jesus Christ. Christ has overcome every sickness, every worry, every pain, every mistake, and even death itself, if and when we are willing to put out hope and faith in Him. Hope is real. Hope leads to faith which leads to knowledge, but how can we ever have the knowledge, happiness, peace, or forgiveness, if we choose to be sad and mope around, and not ask to apply God's love and grace through the Atonement of His Only Begotten? There is no way. He died for you. He rose again for you. He lives, for you.

I love you all so much.

Elder Johnson