December 30, 2013

 from Mexicali

and part of my new sector in Tijuana

 

Hey family,

This week was good, it was so good to see you guys on Christmas, it looks like everyone is doing good.  This week was good down here, we had a baptism of nacho (Nacho libre as I call him) on Saturday.  It was really good, it was the first baptism of Elder Flores, it was really funny.  He is a pretty big guy and when Elder Flores baptized him he let go when he was in the water so he pretty much just swimming in the font, trying to stand up but the baptism was really good.  We have been teaching him for a few weeks and he is a really good guy, he is progressing in the gospel very well and is learning very quickly. We went to do service on Friday morning, we sealed the grout joints in a children's hospital and helped clean outside and everything. It was really good, I was able to see Elder Mejia again, he is in the same zone as me now! On Sunday morning we woke up and we didn't have water in the house, a pipe had broken down the road a ways and now the street is just filled with water.  So we went to the bishops house to shower, but now we have water in the house again! but anyways that was pretty much my last couple days.  Every day is an adventure here that's for sure, have a great week family!!!!

Elder Johnson

December 16, 2013

Hey family,

Another week has gone by, today was transfers.  I got transferred to Lago Tijuana. My companion is Elder Flores, he has 3 months in his mission.  I'm pretty exited to work here with him, he seems really good. I'm sad to leave Mexicali, I really liked it there. On Wednesday was the zone conference and the Christmas dinner thing it was really good, and yes I got your package mom and a package from Grandma and Bobbi.  Thanks so much for everything.  My companion is staying in Mexicali and training a new American. And there are 10 new sister missionaries from the states that came here today.  It's the first time that there has been American sister missionaries here, it will be interesting to see how it goes. There is an elder here from Idaho Falls his name is Elder Tall, his dad is a doctor.   I think you guys know him, he lives in Ammon.  I can't believe Brooke is going to be home tomorrow, or whenever I don't know.  I can't believe how fast the time has gone by, it seems like she just left. I'm gonna miss the ward in Mexicali, there are a lot of good people there, one of our converts Julian received the priesthood on Sunday.  It's been a neat experience watching him and his family progress in the gospel. I finally found a mountain dew this week, I haven't had a mountain dew for 4 months!!

I'm going to skype on Christmas day 25, at around 5 o'clock Tijuana time! Sounds like you had a good week, yes mom I'm warm enough thanks for everything and have a good week!

idk how I packed all my stuff up,  I had to leave some stuff there, and yes we just ride the bus to Tijuana, but its a nice bus, tell Bri hi!,

My apartment is alright, but there isn't a washer so we have to carry our clothes on a bus to a different place to wash.

Elder Jacob Johnson

December 9, 2013

The bike of the other elders


Family,

This week was alright.  Yes mom, it's been pretty cold here in the nights.  No I haven't used your coat yet. It's hard to pack it around all day just to use it in the night, cause its still pretty hot in the afternoons but then it gets pretty cold.  The people here don't like the cold at all.   It's really hard on them because their houses are usually just made or cinder blocks or wood, and they don't have any way to heat them. I can't believe you guys tore out the carpet.  That's cool, I think it will look awesome with the slate in the living room.   Mom sounds like you had a good time this week in Utah.  Can't believe they tore down the Cheese Factory, its a shame. Have they started on the temple yet or have plans? No, I haven't gotten any more packages but the zone conference is on Wednesday so probably then.  I went on exchanges with an elder this week, he's only been out como 2 months.  We left the house and were walking for about 20 minutes when he tells me, Elder Johnson, I forgot my shoes in the house.  He had been walking for 20 minutes in his sandals haha idk why he didn't tell me earlier haha it was an interesting day. One thing I have learned this transfer is patience, and that people have different ideas of what a perfect missionary is.  One more week.... anyways have a good week!!

Elder Johnson

December 3, 2013

To answer your question mom, yes there are spiders. We found this guy with a few others this morning while cleaning en frente de nuestro casa.

Family,

This week has been good, I hope you got my pictures.  I can't believe it is already December, these last few months have gone by fast.  Sounds like you guys are doing good though. I hope Thanksgiving was good, they don't celebrate Thanksgiving down here, but the sister that signed up to give us food that day, her husband used to work in Wyoming.  He knows a little English and they cooked ham for us! It was a great break from all this Mexican food.  I went on exchanges with the zone leader this week.  It was really good.  And we did a service project on Saturday morning, it was so nice to wear normal clothes for a couple hours!!  The work is going good, there is definitely a lot of work to be done. Anyways, I hope everyone is doing good, have a great week!

Elder Johnson

November 25, 2013

Hey family, 

 

This week was pretty crazy.  We had two baptisms and we were stuck in Tijuana until Tuesday night. The baptisms this week were good though. The week before we didn't have any water in the chapel and so the other missionaries had to fill the font up with jugs of water haha.  It was a real Mexican baptism. It's gotten a little bit colder down here, everyone is wearing coats all the time. But for me, it's still pretty dang hot. I can't believe Brooke will be home in 3 weeks, its hard to even imagine that! Mom, I don't have any stories that are too interesting, but Saturday nights are always a little crazy down here.  I met a lady that has 24 kids haha but anyways its going alright.   I'm doing pretty good. Yes mom, I got your package on Tuesday when I was in Tijuana, thanks so much.

 

That's crazy Brandon goes to the MTC in two weeks. Just tell him to take it easy and not stress out about anything

 

 Anyways, I got to go, thanks for everything mom, have a great week, love ya

 

Elder Johnson

November 18, 2013

A sweet sunset one night.

Me and my boy Zundel

 

 

We got mail today, I got a letter from Grandma, Sheri, and Shelby! Will you please make sure to thank them for me!! and actually I'm in Tijuana right now. Yes Bri, I'm surviving, haha

 

Well I'm in Tijuana again tonight because the visa place was closed today because it's a holiday or something. I don't like staying the night here but gotta do what ya gotta do. We have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow but we're here in Tijuana all day. Today was awesome, I got to see my buds from the MTC and my companion from the MTC.   Then we went and played soccer for a few hours and now we can do whatever we want until 9.

 

 My new companion is really good.  He will work really hard and is obedient so I'm really exited for what we are going to do.  He's from Chihuahua, Mexico, but he can speak fluent English.

 

 I ate some dang good tacos today with my comp from the MTC, today was a great day.

 

I'll probably be able to skype at Christmas, if I can find a member that has a computer and internet but I think I can.

 

Ya, I got the missionary tan going on haha.  I got a nice, definite white line where my collar is. haha

 

I'm doing just fine. President came and worked with us one day, it was pretty great. We have 2 baptisms for this week.  I got to go, have a good week family, thanks for everything

 

FROM BRIANNA:  Hello Elder Jacob Johnson.  How hot is it?  Is it 100  degrees or more?  Is it hotter than Florida?

 

I love you, you are the best!  

 

Yes Bri, it is reaaaaalllyyyyy hot, not quite 100 but about 90 some days.

 

 

 

November 11, 2013

 

Hey family, this week has been pretty good, honestly I can’t remember right now a lot of things that happened but we had a baptism yesterday, of the mom and the daughter.  The father can be baptized in two weeks! They are a very good family! My new companion came today.  Elder Hernandez left last night but he missed his bus so a member drove him all the way to Tijuana ha-ha.  My new companion’s name is Zuñiga. He seems pretty good, idk, he just came like 2 hours ago. I went on exchanges with Elder Lopez this week, he doesn’t talk much so I had to do all the talking.  We were in his sector in more central Mexicali.  Ya I’m feeling better this week, but all I’ve been eating is rice and chicken. I think the Baja 1000 is pretty soon, I think they start the race in Mexicali.  I saw some guys from Idaho with their bikes for the Baja 1000 the other day.  Anyways I’m doing good!  Hope everything is going good at home, have a great week!

Yes, there are bugs. There was a huge black widow outside our door the other day. We eat breakfast in the house and then eat with a member every day at about 2 and that’s it.  My Spanish is improving a lot!!!

Elder Johnson

November 4, 2013

Hey family,

This week has been good. It's been pretty rough though, I've been pretty sick this week and Friday was the mission conference.  Hermana Carreón says I have an infection in my stomach so she gave me some medication and presidente gave me a blessing. I feel better now. The only things I can eat this week are white rice, chicken and bananas and crackers. Sounds like you guys are having a good time. It's hard to think that its that cold there, I'm still dying from the heat down here haha besides my body, this week has been good. We have a family getting baptized this Sunday! Yes, I got Lani's package, thanks so much Lani!!! and thanks Sheri for the Halloween card! Thanks for everything!

 Elder Johnson

October 28, 2013

Hey family,

Well it’s been another week in Mexico.  Every day is a new adventure, haha.  It has been a pretty good week though, this week I went on exchanges with the zone leader in Central Mexicali, and we cleaned the chapel on Wednesday.  I ate some cow liver this week, that was interesting.  On Saturday night, the assistants called and said I needed to go to Tijuana for something for my VISA.  So yesterday, me and Elder Tuttle and the Zone Leader took the bus to Tijuana and stayed the night in the assistants place and then signed a paper today and took a bus back to Mexicali.  We just got back like an hour ago.  But it was worth it because I was able to see all my district from the MTC except for my companion and another Elder.  It was great.  Sounds like the weather has been good at the house, it’s still just hot here everyday.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cloud here, ha-ha.  They don’t really celebrate Halloween here but they celebrate the Day of the Dead which is sometime in November.  I don’t have my camera with me right now so I can’t send pictures.  I didn’t take my camera to Tijuana.  I’m doing good though, my Spanish is better.  I can understand what some people are saying.  It just depends on the person, if they speak really clear then I can understand what they’re talking about most of the time. We get mail on Friday, but I doubt I will get anything because it takes a long time for it to get across the border I think.  Anyways I’m doing good.  Thanks for everything, have a great week.

I’ll try to enjoy the sunshine, haha, it’s just so dang hot here!!  I want the snow.

No, we didn’t do anything fun for p-day today.  Just sat in the mission office and got our VISA thing and rode the bus back for 2 and a half hours.  I slept on just box springs last night so I didn’t sleep at all so I’ve been tired all day so I can’t wait to go to my bed tonight!!!  Transfers are in two weeks I believe.  I’m good though. It will be hard in two weeks when he leaves because I have to know the whole area and all the members and everything!!! and I can’t even remember people’s names!!

Elder Jacob Johnson

October 21, 2013

Laundry day................

My companion walking down the road

Elder Ramero with a tennis ball

October 14, 2013

Hey Family,

I don't have any time to email today. This week has been rough. I don't have time to send pictures, maybe next week. I've been really sick since Saturday night, idk if it was something I ate or what but I think I'm getting better. We've been walking a lot. My address is the same one I sent you earlier. We only receive letters once a month, idk when our zone conference is. I didn't get my hepatitis shots in the MTC, we do our laundry outside in a washer and hang dry them. We have to be in at 9, we e-mail in a internet pub thing wherever we can find one, yes I've been really sick all weekend. We live with two other missionaries and ya we see our district every week and our zone every week. The church is about 1 mile away. No I didn't see the temple and the grocery store is a little less than a mile away and yes we have to walk. Sounds like you guys are having a good time, that's good to hear! Hopefully next week we will have more time, anyways have a good week.

Elder Johnson

October 7, 2013

Hey family, 

I made it to Mexico. I’m serving in Mexicali. It’s way hot here. The mission president doesn’t speak English. My companion is Elder Hernandez, he is from somewhere in Mexico, the other two elders we live with are from Peru and Mexico. My companion and the one from Peru know a little English. There is a lot of poverty here and a ton of dogs everywhere. Our house we live in is pretty nice compared to the houses here, we have a shower, its only cold water haha but that’s alright. It’s really humid and hot here, it’s a good thing I came right now because in the summer it gets up to 120 degrees everyday. My Spanish is improving a lot and I am beginning to kind of understand some things. It’s pretty sketchy here, especially in the dark, the sun goes down at about 6:30. There are a few people that speak English here. I met a guy who works in Jackson so it was good to talk with him in English. All of conference was is Spanish so I didn’t understand anything. The food is pretty good down here so far, you just have to make sure you are drinking clean water. It sounds like you had a good time in Utah, that’s good to hear. Anyways I don’t have a lot of time to e-mail, next week I will try to send some pictures, I don’t have my cord with me right now. Anyways I hope you guys are doing good!!

Elder Johnson

Arrived in Mexico!

Hey family I am just writing to let you know that I have made it to Tijuana safely. My adress to send stuff  is:

 

Elder Jacob Bradley Johnson

Mision Mexico Tijuana

P. O. Box 439056

PMB 157

San Ysidro, CA   92143-9056

September 30, 2013

Hey family, its crazy to think that it is my last day in the MTC, its been good but its definitely time to go!! It looks like its getting cold back home! This week has been good. On Tuesday we got kicked out of our residence hall room and moved to a different building into a room with 6 of us in it instead of 4. I guess they're remodeling the building or something. Its been hard, just imagine 6 people living in Jared's room, its pretty ridiculous. I have to keep myself from killing people sometimes but its alright. Thanks for the clippers! I just cut my hair with them about an hour ago! Hopefully its not too short for them. Thanks so much for the package and my patriarchal blessing and thanks Sheri for the treats! They're the best! I keep hearing you say Jared and Jordan have been walking around in the mountains alot but they haven't killed anything yet? What's their problem?  haha.... I got a calling card at the bookstore so I'll probably call home somewhere between 8-11, I think our flight leaves sometime around 11. Besides that nothing too interesting has happened, just been learning a ton! Anyways have a good week.

Elder Johnson

September 23, 2013

 

Hey family, ya I can't believe its already my last week! We got our travel plans on Friday, were leaving on Tuesday at like 8 am and flying to San Diego and driving across the border. I haven't got a phone card yet, I should probably get one of those. The trip to Las Vegas was alright, for some reason I was chosen to be the travel leader so I was over 10 elders and they just dropped us off at the train station and we had to figure it out from there. We had to ride two different trains to get to the airport and then find the right flight and what not, it was really stressful trying to keep track of everyone and making sure we were at the right place but we made it to Vegas! I didn't get sick on either of the plane rides which is a great blessing cause usually I get way sick! Once we got to Vegas we just went and got our VISAs and then listened to a guy talk to us about stuff for like 6 hours then flew back home. We left at 3 in the morning and didn't get back until midnight so it was a long day, but it was good to see the outside world again haha.  I was going to ask you about my patriartcal blessing, thanks for sending it! I don't think I will be using my debit card at all, I don't think you're supposed to carry it with you, cause it will get stolen. I think you just hide it in your apartment or something. Its gotten a little colder this week too here at the MTC. I'm ready to get out of this place but I know when I'm in Mexico I'm gonna be wishing I was in the MTC haha so I'm good with it. I haven't been very good at keeping a journal, its hard to write in it everyday at the MTC because everyday is exactly the same as the day before!

 

Have the boys been hunting at all??  All of our district has their VISAs except for two, idk if they will get them before we leave or not! I've got a couple pictures I'll send you, I haven't taken a whole lot.  I'm doing good, this last week is going to fly by, hope everyone is doing good! I got a package from Grandma and Bobbi today, it was great! I'll write them a letter!  Have a good week!

 

Elder Jacob Johnson

Hola mi familia! como esta??? This week has been good, I have progressed a ton in my Spanish! Guess what?? I'm flying to Las Vegas on Thursday! I have to meet with a Mexican Consultant to get my visa and they only let 80 elders do it in Salt Lake City a week, and the rest have to go to Vegas so were going down for a day.  I'm pretty exited to take a break from the MTC for a day, it will be sweet to be out in the real world again! nothing too exiting has happened this week. This week kinda flew by! I got put in as the district leader, so that's pretty cool!! I'll send you some pictures a little later!! i don't have my camera with me right now, we just came to do our laundry this morning so I thought I would just e-mail for a little bit now. Thanks for your package mom! it was the best, i got it on Friday ya we got a 40 page rules book from our mission president and in it it said we only get mail once a month in Tijuana so we'll just have to see. I can't think of anything else I need, ill try to think of somethings this week! That's awesome that Jared is getting his braces off! I'm glad you had a good time at Jenny Lake. Thanks for telling me about Michael's baptism, that's great!! Anyways have a great week!!

 

 

 

 

Hey family, 

 

I'm doing pretty good here at the MTC, nothing too exciting happened this week, besides Neil L. Anderson spoke in our Tuesday night devotional, and that was pretty good. I've just been sitting in a class room all day every day and we are getting moved down to a different room this week. It's about 1/3 the size of the room were in now and they are old hard chairs and small desks, so that will be fun. After the devotional we walked back to the MTC and it was pouring down rain, it was pretty nice to actually be outside. Thanks so much for the package from you and Sheri!  The days just kinda blend together here because you do the same thing every day. My Spanish is coming along good though and I get along good with my companion so all is good! We have the best district too. I'll send some pictures. I found my paperwork I thought I forgot. But anyways hope everything is going good at home, I'll talk to ya next week

Elder Johnson