Jeff email 10/25/2010

‘’I have a fought a good fight, I have finished the course; I have kept the faith!’’

Last night was the last moments of my mission for the next few days will be meetings and travel. What better way to finish it off than with a BAPTISM!!!! It was a fight to get a baptism but we got it and it was amazing! What better way to end a mission then with a baptism? He chose me to baptize him too.
I had my last interview with president yesterday. We talked of my goals for the future. Goals about work both short term and long term, schooling, marriage, and how I am going to stay active in the church. My work when I get home is going to be 8 hours a day looking for a job until I find one so don’t expect me to be around too much…. At least until I find a job. President said that after a few hours at home it will seem like I never even left. We will see. Also RACHEL, I am not to force marriage! I am going to give it at least 6 months before making any big decisions, except for the decision to lay big wet ones all over Emma when I see her in the airport so that she can get over her shyness of me.
This week we have been teaching a young man. For some reason he refuses to accept the Book of Mormon. Every day he says he believes the bible and what is written in the bible and exactly how it is written. I showed him Ezekiel, the last verse in John but he is without faith. He prayed and received a response but because it doesn’t say the title ‘Book of Mormon’ in the bible he can’t accept it. Its sad but I still haven’t lost hope. Hopefully the next elders in this area will be able to help him and his family.
The Book of Mormon is true. This is the true church. Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration. And my mission was what helped me most in my entire life.

‘’I have a fought a good fight, I have finished the course; I have kept the faith!’’

Love to all for the last time from,

Elder Jeffrey Todd Johnson

Jeffrey Todd's vehicle :)

bunk bed

Project since last entry 10/24/2010

Pre finished window seat and also pre crown molding.
So I got a little out of order....




Before carpet was re-installed

Carpet in, but not cleaned yet.

More carpet installed but not cleaned.

Walls painted and carpet cleaned. You can see the tile that we replaced the wood hearth with.

Fan drying carpet. All that is left is to put one more coat of paint on the bookshelves on either side of fireplace and tile the fireplace. The open spaces under the window and just above the fireplace will also be drawers. All together not to shabby. Oh, forgot to mention we replaced the fan as it seemed too low with how it was hung and with the lights that were attached. Not a good thing with a tall family.

Jeff email 10/18/2010

One week to go and all engines firing!!!!


Yeah, as you all know I now have just one week left. I still don’t quite believe it. It hasn’t quite hit me yet. Hopefully it doesn’t until next Thursday. This week was bomb.com! We found some good new investigators. The sad thing is these people will not be baptized by me for there is no time but I am still excited to do this work even though I won’t see the fruits, at least in this life. Filipe would have been baptized this Saturday but he didn’t go to church and that complicates things but as they say “HOPE IS THE LAST TO DIE”. I hope to see him in the water this Saturday.

As mom already knows a few weeks back I was again…victim, well almost victim to another assault. This time it was an armed robbery at a local bread store that we buy bread. A guy came in with his little gun and robbed the cashier. He said he’d kill us all if he got caught so let’s pray that the Brazilian judicial system didn’t get him. Ha-ha.

I’m not going to lie to all of you, the only thing I feel about going home is the desire to run away for a while and just sit for a while. Perhaps it will all pass.

This week will be a blast and I will talk to you all next week!”


Jeffrey

Jeff email 10/11/20

Dear family,


This week was awesome! We found quite a few good people to teach and we had 2 new investigators at church! It was such a blessing! It's starting to hit me that its almost over. Its really saddening but it must happen I guess. We have been teaching quite a few people lately! Its really great teaching so much because it means more chances to feel the spirit burning as I testify about the restoration. It's become something that I expect every time that I testify.

Lately I have been reading the Book of Mormon a lot slower than I usually read it. This time I am taking in everything and really trying to feast on the words and ‘’liken’’ it all to my life. It's just more proof to me that it is true. Recently I got to Mosiah and I was reading about how the natural man is an enemy to God, ….and will be unless he yields to the enticing of the spirit. I put missionary in the place of man and made it… the natural missionary is an enemy to God. Which means that the difference from a “natural missionary” and a missionary of God is the spirit. A missionary of God will have the spirit while the “natural missionary” wont.


I had my second to last interview with president yesterday. He asked me to start working on my goal for things such as work, schooling, marriage, and how I'm going to stay firm in the church. I'm not so excited to work on it but it could be some fun. I hope you all are doing good and I hope that you don’t get too trunky! Just a few more weeks.

I love you all!

Jeff

Project continues....10/8/2010

Jeff email 10/4/2010 To be, or not to be ser, ou ser no?

Dear family,


I'd like to start with a story that I heard a while back.

There was a man that was about to leave on his mission and the night before he had an interesting dream. He dreamt that he was in the pre-mortal life with his family and other people. A lot of the people that he saw there he had not gotten to know on earth yet he felt a great love for them even without knowing who they were. Everyone was awaiting their call to earth. This man about to leave for his mission received his envelope and opened it to see what his call was going to be. It read that he would be born of a rich American family. They were members of the church and he would have a great life with them. It said that he would serve a mission in Brazil and that he would have a great time there. He looked over to one of the people that he didn’t recognize but felt much love for and listened as he read his call. It said that he would be born in Brazil, to a poor family that was not a member of the church. His life would be hard but he would be blessed. Immediately this man that was called to the poor family in Brazil turned to the man that would serve in Brazil and said, “when you are in Brazil, please find me!”. This missionary woke up the next morning and thought nothing of it and went off to his mission. He told his family of his dream before he left. Near the end of his mission he sent a letter to his family and it said…”I found my friend I dreamt of”.

I know that this story may not be real but that’s the way I have been feeling lately about the investigators I have. They mean so much to me!

This last week we met with a woman who had divorced her husband about a year ago and lived with her 2 children ages 10 and 7. She was an old investigator of this area and we went there for the first time this week. She has a big problem with keeping the law of chastity. She really wants to be a member of the church just this problem was always in the way of her being baptized. I gave the lesson and I can’t remember what I said, I just felt I was being guided by the spirit as I said it. You could tell that she was really thinking about her life as we left. I didn’t think that she would stop breaking the law of chastity but none the less I prayed for her that night. We didn’t return there until the Friday. When we got there she said that she had tried her best and not broken the law of chastity since our last visit. She said it was hard and that her boyfriend didn’t like it but she was going to continue trying her best! She wasn’t able to go to conference because it was so far away but we hope to get her in the water her soon!

I left her Jacob 2 to read.. hopefully that helps a little bit!


Well, I see that you are all getting trunky. Try to hold on strong because I sure am!

I love you all!

Jeff

Russ' new truck

update on project 10/3/2010

Niles and Emma playing football

Jeff pictures

Talking to the family on Mother's Day.

Pictures from the largest chocolate factory in Brazil.

The picture below makes us laugh everytime we look at it.