Jeff is in the very back on the left (the tall one).We heard from Jeff on Christmas and sounds really good. He is still enjoying his mission and loves the people of Brazil. We can't believe that he returns in 10 months!
December 28, 2009
December 26, 2009
Christmas Day at Johnsons 2009
Susie worn out by an early early morning!
Aunt Donna, Kaylynn, Vally
Niles really wishing he was home so he could get his helicopter out to play with.
Emma using the camera she got from Mom and Dad.
Rachel LaNae, why do you like lying on Mom so much??
Sweet!
Christmas Day 2009
See if you can spot Lex????
In the midst of present unwrapping
Rachel and her purple electric guitar that she soooo wanted!
Now Russ can be modest at home and on his mission.
Yes, I know sunshine, I left the tag on....
Oh the anticipation!!!!!
December 21, 2009
Jeff email 12/21/2009
Feliz Natal!
So as you know, this week we celebrate something very special. Something that is very hard to forget nor ever will be forgotten. I'm sure that you all remember. 2 years ago this week I was dumped by my girlfriend that I had had for a matter of 4 days! Oh yeah, and the rest of the world is celebrating Christmas this week as well! Which means, CALL HOME!! I'm sure this will be the best Christmas call that I will have ever had on the mission (not to mention that it is the only one because I was robbed a call in the MTC). Oh, and by the way Russell, you will probably be robbed the mothers day call if you are there in May still. Anyways, we are getting pretty excited for that. Just this morning I was listening to AMY GRANT if you can believe that, and for the first time in my life that song “Ill be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams” has meaning for me. Except when I dream of home its always about food that I am missing, but I guess I could try to miss the family a little more. Ha ha. Yeah right!. Jk.
Saturday afternoon I had 2 more baptisms! That's right 2 more baptisms toward my goal! I think that it will be possible to reach my goal, though very time consuming. Good thing I have nothing but time right? We had another Christmas show yesterday and it was even better than the first. I'm sure the people in my house will be glad when this whole thing is over so that I will stop singing in the house, all the time practicing. Little do they know that I am trying to practice so that I can hit the higher notes so it doesn't end with the last show next week. I'm sure you are all expecting to hear me sing “I just called, to say, I love you” this week when I call home but be ready for bigger and better things !
I TE LOVE!!!!!
ELDER JOHNSON
December 14, 2009
Jeff's Email-- 14 December 2009
I’m not a child, but my heart still can dream!
This week was quite the week. It started out with a Training for the trainers and the new missionaries in the mission. It was quite good to learn a lot about how I can do better. And not to mention, I had a marveleous reunion with Elder Dial there! At the meeting, I finally got permission to get my lovley in-grown toenails taken care of. I was excited to go and get them done. I called the doctor that I had found and marked for the next day. I woke up that morning full of hope and faith that my toes would be healed for forever. I got to the Doctor's office and got a little nerveous. It was a very small place. He called me back and commanded me take off my shoes-- so I did. I thought he needed to like look at it for a second to see how much numbing he would give me or how big of a shot he would give me to take away the pain. He ended up taking out a razor and started cutting at the skin. All of this without pain killer mind you. I clentched my teeth together and made it through the first toe a little weak from the pain but still alive. When he started on the other toe I felt the worst pain that I had ever felt in my life. He basically cut the nail with the razor, then took some poker type thing and started digging inside my toe to try and get ahold of the ingrown part to rip it out. He dug in the toe for what seemed like years but was only about 5 minutes. The only thing I could do, in my own power, was try and think happy thoughts. It worked a little bit but I was still on the verge of tears. Finally he finished as he said:”These are some of the biggest ingrown toe-nails i have ever removed!” He said that one of them was so ingrown that it was actually growing back underneath the nail. Yeah....cool right! I'm trying to think of what kind of blessings I will receive in my life because of passing throught this experience but the only thing that I can think of that measures up to the pain would be a 30 out of 10 wife. (10 being the highest) We will see!
This week we will be having two more baptisms! She finally decided to actually follow the many responses that she has received and her and her daughter will be baptized this next Saturday! I am very excited for them!
Last night was the first of our Christmas music shows! It was awesome! We got probably 100 references there and brought a lot of people to tears while we were singing. It was quite the experience!
So my brother was called to Mexico for his mission. That's 3 lamanite missions that our family has been called to. Look out niles, I smell samoa!! Due to his being called to Mexico, I have decided to catch up on my Espanhol! Yo Hablo bem no é! Nosotros vamanos hablar mucho enquanto tú voltareis! Good right!
Well have to go BAPTIZE THE WORLD!!!!!
Eu amo cada um de vocês!
ELDER JOHNSON!!!
This week was quite the week. It started out with a Training for the trainers and the new missionaries in the mission. It was quite good to learn a lot about how I can do better. And not to mention, I had a marveleous reunion with Elder Dial there! At the meeting, I finally got permission to get my lovley in-grown toenails taken care of. I was excited to go and get them done. I called the doctor that I had found and marked for the next day. I woke up that morning full of hope and faith that my toes would be healed for forever. I got to the Doctor's office and got a little nerveous. It was a very small place. He called me back and commanded me take off my shoes-- so I did. I thought he needed to like look at it for a second to see how much numbing he would give me or how big of a shot he would give me to take away the pain. He ended up taking out a razor and started cutting at the skin. All of this without pain killer mind you. I clentched my teeth together and made it through the first toe a little weak from the pain but still alive. When he started on the other toe I felt the worst pain that I had ever felt in my life. He basically cut the nail with the razor, then took some poker type thing and started digging inside my toe to try and get ahold of the ingrown part to rip it out. He dug in the toe for what seemed like years but was only about 5 minutes. The only thing I could do, in my own power, was try and think happy thoughts. It worked a little bit but I was still on the verge of tears. Finally he finished as he said:”These are some of the biggest ingrown toe-nails i have ever removed!” He said that one of them was so ingrown that it was actually growing back underneath the nail. Yeah....cool right! I'm trying to think of what kind of blessings I will receive in my life because of passing throught this experience but the only thing that I can think of that measures up to the pain would be a 30 out of 10 wife. (10 being the highest) We will see!
This week we will be having two more baptisms! She finally decided to actually follow the many responses that she has received and her and her daughter will be baptized this next Saturday! I am very excited for them!
Last night was the first of our Christmas music shows! It was awesome! We got probably 100 references there and brought a lot of people to tears while we were singing. It was quite the experience!
So my brother was called to Mexico for his mission. That's 3 lamanite missions that our family has been called to. Look out niles, I smell samoa!! Due to his being called to Mexico, I have decided to catch up on my Espanhol! Yo Hablo bem no é! Nosotros vamanos hablar mucho enquanto tú voltareis! Good right!
Well have to go BAPTIZE THE WORLD!!!!!
Eu amo cada um de vocês!
ELDER JOHNSON!!!
December 13, 2009
Johnson Family Christmas Party- 2009
Silly String
Indian Leg-wrestles. Rachel and Devin went at it several times and Rachel won each bout
Don beat each of his brothers
December 9, 2009
December 7, 2009
Jeff email 12/7/2009
GOOD MORNING BERLIN!
Well my dear friends. This week brought transfer calls and my companion Elder L was transferred to another place. As we got to the bus station where the transfer meeting would take place I was full of anxiety not knowing what was in store for me. As the new missionaries arrived as usual I went over to greet them and welcome them to the mission. After I had greeted everyone I went back to talk with some of my good friends here in the mission. That was when the only American that came out of all the 15 new missionaries, came up to me and said….”are you Elder Johnson?” I said yes. He then said….”you’re my trainer.” I was flabbergasted! It seems that I just got here yesterday and met my trainer and there I was being told that I would be training. After a few minutes of standing with my hands on my knees to try and get my head around what was said to me I got excited that President Pickett trusts me with the training of another Elder. His name is Elder Grange and he is from Ogden Utah. We spent the week working our hind ends off and we have had some great experiences and some weird, but funny experiences as well.
Our first work day we were walking to a members house when a bunch of teenage girls about 16-17 years old started yelling “Tio” at us which means uncle but can mean dude sometimes. We just ignored it and continued on. They continued screaming “TIO” so I decided to turn and face them and to do a contact with them thinking that they would shrink away with embarrassment and go away. All but one walked past us blushing because of embarrassment. I began the contact about the church. I didn’t want to get her address or go teach her at her house so I just invited her to go to church on Sunday at 9 o’clock and left it at that. I reached out to shake her hand when it happened she pulled me close and said….”um bejo na rosto” which means kiss on the face. The little snake was trying to pull a move on me. Being a little shocked at the sudden and bold move of the girl, I was a little frightened but managed to blurt out a “não pode”… or you can’t! This whole experience brought me back great memories of the before mission life when I had to walk around with a 9 iron to keep the girls away from me. Just kidding. Let’s hope that here in next October when I get back the females are still with the desire to get a piece of this man candy! ;)
On the spiritual side. Elder Grange and I went up to teach this lady named Patricia on Saturday night. As we got there we saw that she had a Book of Mormon and it was opened as if she had been reading it. The Elders in the other area had taught her the first lesson and left a Book of Mormon with her and asked her to pray about the church and ask whether or not the church is true. When I got to that part in my lesson I asked her if she had done the prayer. She then explained something really amazing! She said that the first night she had read the title page of the Book Of Mormon and then went to pray while everyone else in the house was sleeping. She said she felt nothing so she went to bed. The next day she thought nothing of it until she was alone again in the house and decided to read 3 Nephi 11 which was a part that the Elders had left. She read about Christ and His visit to the people here in the Americas. She then decided to give it a shot again and pray. She said that right after she asked in the prayer she felt like someone had their hands on her head. She said the hands had a warmth that started in her head and went all the way down to her toes. I then went for the kill and marked her baptism for the 19th of this month. I love to see the love that Our Heavenly Father has for His children and how He shows His love by answering their prayers!
I know that God will always answer our prayers, we just need to make the first pace and ask!
I love you all!
Elder Johnson
Well my dear friends. This week brought transfer calls and my companion Elder L was transferred to another place. As we got to the bus station where the transfer meeting would take place I was full of anxiety not knowing what was in store for me. As the new missionaries arrived as usual I went over to greet them and welcome them to the mission. After I had greeted everyone I went back to talk with some of my good friends here in the mission. That was when the only American that came out of all the 15 new missionaries, came up to me and said….”are you Elder Johnson?” I said yes. He then said….”you’re my trainer.” I was flabbergasted! It seems that I just got here yesterday and met my trainer and there I was being told that I would be training. After a few minutes of standing with my hands on my knees to try and get my head around what was said to me I got excited that President Pickett trusts me with the training of another Elder. His name is Elder Grange and he is from Ogden Utah. We spent the week working our hind ends off and we have had some great experiences and some weird, but funny experiences as well.
Our first work day we were walking to a members house when a bunch of teenage girls about 16-17 years old started yelling “Tio” at us which means uncle but can mean dude sometimes. We just ignored it and continued on. They continued screaming “TIO” so I decided to turn and face them and to do a contact with them thinking that they would shrink away with embarrassment and go away. All but one walked past us blushing because of embarrassment. I began the contact about the church. I didn’t want to get her address or go teach her at her house so I just invited her to go to church on Sunday at 9 o’clock and left it at that. I reached out to shake her hand when it happened she pulled me close and said….”um bejo na rosto” which means kiss on the face. The little snake was trying to pull a move on me. Being a little shocked at the sudden and bold move of the girl, I was a little frightened but managed to blurt out a “não pode”… or you can’t! This whole experience brought me back great memories of the before mission life when I had to walk around with a 9 iron to keep the girls away from me. Just kidding. Let’s hope that here in next October when I get back the females are still with the desire to get a piece of this man candy! ;)
On the spiritual side. Elder Grange and I went up to teach this lady named Patricia on Saturday night. As we got there we saw that she had a Book of Mormon and it was opened as if she had been reading it. The Elders in the other area had taught her the first lesson and left a Book of Mormon with her and asked her to pray about the church and ask whether or not the church is true. When I got to that part in my lesson I asked her if she had done the prayer. She then explained something really amazing! She said that the first night she had read the title page of the Book Of Mormon and then went to pray while everyone else in the house was sleeping. She said she felt nothing so she went to bed. The next day she thought nothing of it until she was alone again in the house and decided to read 3 Nephi 11 which was a part that the Elders had left. She read about Christ and His visit to the people here in the Americas. She then decided to give it a shot again and pray. She said that right after she asked in the prayer she felt like someone had their hands on her head. She said the hands had a warmth that started in her head and went all the way down to her toes. I then went for the kill and marked her baptism for the 19th of this month. I love to see the love that Our Heavenly Father has for His children and how He shows His love by answering their prayers!
I know that God will always answer our prayers, we just need to make the first pace and ask!
I love you all!
Elder Johnson
December 1, 2009
Running With Susie
On 28 November (Saturday), Susie and I went out for a 5 mile run. Here at 2.5 miles, Susie began pulling away from her slow Old Man. Before going out on this run, Susie was worried that she would not be able to run such a distance without having to stop and walk at some point along the way. I assured her that it would be easier than she thought, and that if I could do it, she could do it. Well, she ran the entire distance and gained a whole lot of confidence. I made it back home several minutes after Susie arrived.November 30, 2009
Jeff email 11/30/2009
Whats going on!
Well, today is quite the day. We will be having transfers tomorrow and President Pickett has decided to make some drastic changes in the mission and I'm anxious to see how they work out. For sure either me or my comp will be leaving.
We had a great baptism this past week, and we have received some great references from our Father in Heaven of people that went to church alone last Sunday and are already wanting to be baptized! I am so excited for them!
Well I'm kind of in a rush because I have to get back to my area and clean my house but talk to y'all in the up coming weeks!!!(Christmas call!)
Elder Johnson
November 29, 2009
November 23, 2009
Jeff email 11/23/2009
Happy thanksgiving!
It’s that time of year again, and to celebrate the holidays I decided that I would have another baptism this weekend! Yeah, that’s right! I’m a baptizing machine!! His name is Erlon and he is super excited and ready for his special day!
Yesterday was stake conference here in Vila Velha and Elder Ellis, of the presidency of the area of Brasil was there and spoke to us. It was quite amazing! He spoke of always making ourselves better people in the church and never letting the ways of the world enter into our houses or into the church! I learned a lot!!
So I was thinking the other day about an experience I had in my first area that I never told anyone and I think everyone would enjoy.
We were teaching A.., (my first baptism), we were teaching the first lesson and it got to the part that I was going to teach. A.. began to stare directly behind us and focused on something. Elder Myres and I both turned to see what it was and there was nothing. I continued on. A.. continued fixed on something behind us. After a second he ‘came to his senses’ and began focusing on the lesson again. He asked us, "did you two see that guy behind you?" I freaked out in the moment and turned around again thinking there was really someone behind us but as I turned around there was only a wall and a little space between the couch and the wall, but no man. He then explained that there was a man dressed in white behind us and as I was talking he was nodding his head in agreement with what I was saying. I didn’t know whether or not I believed him but I did know that I did not want to stay in that house for much long. To this day I don’t know what or whom he saw. It could be that he was crazy but, I tend to believe that my Portuguese was so bad that our Heavenly Father had to send an angel to explain what I was saying. Just kidding! I think he’s a little crazy. :)
Happy holidays to y’all!
Elder Johnson
It’s that time of year again, and to celebrate the holidays I decided that I would have another baptism this weekend! Yeah, that’s right! I’m a baptizing machine!! His name is Erlon and he is super excited and ready for his special day!
Yesterday was stake conference here in Vila Velha and Elder Ellis, of the presidency of the area of Brasil was there and spoke to us. It was quite amazing! He spoke of always making ourselves better people in the church and never letting the ways of the world enter into our houses or into the church! I learned a lot!!
So I was thinking the other day about an experience I had in my first area that I never told anyone and I think everyone would enjoy.
We were teaching A.., (my first baptism), we were teaching the first lesson and it got to the part that I was going to teach. A.. began to stare directly behind us and focused on something. Elder Myres and I both turned to see what it was and there was nothing. I continued on. A.. continued fixed on something behind us. After a second he ‘came to his senses’ and began focusing on the lesson again. He asked us, "did you two see that guy behind you?" I freaked out in the moment and turned around again thinking there was really someone behind us but as I turned around there was only a wall and a little space between the couch and the wall, but no man. He then explained that there was a man dressed in white behind us and as I was talking he was nodding his head in agreement with what I was saying. I didn’t know whether or not I believed him but I did know that I did not want to stay in that house for much long. To this day I don’t know what or whom he saw. It could be that he was crazy but, I tend to believe that my Portuguese was so bad that our Heavenly Father had to send an angel to explain what I was saying. Just kidding! I think he’s a little crazy. :)
Happy holidays to y’all!
Elder Johnson
November 19, 2009
November 16, 2009
Jeff email 11/16/09
Good after noon to all!
This week I had the opportunity to help another of my brothers here on the earth to start his new life in Christ. What an awesome experience every baptism is for me! He received the Holy Ghost and was interviewed and received the Arronic priesthood yesterday as well. He even showed up to his baptism in a suit! What a lady killer! I truly am so thankful for the experience to be out here for this really short period of my life doing something like helping people gain eternal life! My mission president always tells us that not only are we helping other people out here gain salvation but we are literally bringing salvation to ourselves through our service. The Lord didn’t suggest that all young men go on missions he commanded and I am happy to be here following!
I have included a few pictures in here. A few of the flood, Elder Valeriano, and the city of Vitória with me in the soccer jersey enjoy!
HAPPY BIRTH DAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTH DAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR RACHEL, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
Com quem será, come quem será, com quem será que Rachel vai casar?
Vai depender, vai depender, se um cara vai querer!
I hope that you all embarass the tar out of here when she goes on her first date.
Love yall!
Elder Johnson
November 15, 2009
November 11, 2009
Jeff email 11/9/2009
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU
Dear those,
"Adam fell that men might be. And men are that they might have joy."
This scripture says a lot. I get the feeling that those who are close to me only have the scripture that is in Doctrine and Covenants 4 stuck in the heads which says...
"With an eye, single to the glory of god"
Yeah, I know that you think that it will make me unfocused. I know that you want me to forget about life before the mission. But as it says in 2 Nephi. "men are that they might have JOY" (exclamation added)
After I heard this week that those close to me didn't let me know of such valuable information I became saddened. Devastated! The New York Yankees win the world series and no one tells me!! I cried for days and days. Never let this happen again.
This week will be the baptism of Wanderson. I'm super excited for him. He has already introduced us to a lot of his friends who went to church on Sunday. Lets see if here in the next few weeks I can get them in the water as well.
Tomorrow is mission conference which means.. you said it, spiritually uplifting experience along with things that no one wants such as letters and stuff.
Well troops, i forgive you for this one but as they say..."fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, shame on me again, but fool me a 3rd time and i come out firing.’
PARABÈNS RUSSELL! Russell Mads Johnson is the fan of the week this week. He truly has his heart in the right place. He put a picture of me playing baseball on his debit card. I'm not saying that you all need to put my beautiful face on your cards, but thanks for the support Russell! It is because of people like you that made this past year possible. Keep it UP!
So you have all been asking me what I want for Christmas and here is my answer. I thought a lot about it and I came to this conclusion.....
"no more lives torn apart, then wars would never start, and life would be one heart! And everyone would have a friend, and life would always win, and love would never end. Ohohoh. This is my grown up Christmas list!"
TCHAU TO ALL!!!
Elder Johnson
November 2, 2009
Jeff email 11/2/2009
WET!!!
Well, last Monday night here in Vila Velha it started to rain. On day 2 of the rain the streets were already full of water. On day three the poop rivers, (the rivers where the poop goes), began to over flow. On day four there was about 3 feet of water in the entire city. On day five the water got the highest. On day 6 church was canceled due to no one being able to get to the church.
Due to my ever so crazy personality I took some great pictures in the water the day that the rain stopped for about an hour. The funny thing is that I was in my brand new suit that I got last week and that the water literally has floating turds. Yeah, disgusting, but I was already wet and really wanted a few pictures. I attached a few of the pictures to the email for your enjoyment. I took a nice alcohol bath afterwards to disinfect my feet.
Due to the water we have been trapped inside our house and haven’t been able to do much teaching this week.
Here in 2 days will be my 1 year mark! How excited I am!! I cant believe it is finally here. I think I am going to celebrate it by going in the poop river that is the road again. Oh yeah, and conference with Elder Jay Jensen was canceled because the airport was closed also.
I will have interviews with President Pickett this week and that should be pretty exciting.
Last week one of my great friends here on the mission, Elder Babcock, called me and asked me to sing for him. I was a little shocked at first but sung none the less. He then told me that I made it and that he would call me later with more information. I was a little confused but waited for the call. The adventure is the following. In December Elder Babcock organized 4 Christmas shows that will have about 1000 people in each show. I will be singing with a group of 7 people at this show. (Sister Morrise being one of them). I am way excited. They will even be recording the show and making dvd’s so I will be sure and send one some time.
Well, I must bid you farewell. I must go back and wade through the poop river that is the road to the supermarket and re-stock my food storage of ramon noodles and cake mix.
LOVE Y’ALL!
Elder Johnson
November 1, 2009
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