November Emails!

Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Mom & Dad,
Hey Hey!
Dang, it sounds like halloween was pretty great!! The kids are so dang cute. And Jeff and Laura were looking pretty awesome as well! There isn't any halloween here, I think it is the greatest thing ever! haha, I am glad that it was good for you all! speaking of holidays, there has been christmas music playing here since the beginning of october, and every day it seems like it is played more and more often. It is ridiculous. WAY TOO EARLY.
Things have been decent here, hot but finally there was a little rain today. The bad news of the week is that Novita's mom did not give permission for her to get baptized. Novita was really bummed, we were really bummed, but this isn't the end we are going to keep working and doing what we can so she can be baptized. It is really going to come down to having faith that the Lord will open her mom's heart. We'll see how it goes. Novita is going to try to keep sharing her testimony with her mom about the Church, and that should help out a lot too.
Om Fery finally came to church. Haha. He still has a lot to learn to be ready for baptism. Ugh, we have been working hard with him on the Word of Wisdom, we call him each day and remind him about it, and last week we walk around the corner to his house and he was playing chess with some buddies, one of them our old investigator Om Poltje( long story on him, maybe later) and they were smoking cigarrettes like crazy. ugh... oh well he will get there.
I really liked what you sent me dad about just loving the work. I absolutely love Manado, and the people, and the culture. The people here are so nice, but then again so tough. It is a completely church centered area. Each family usually has been members of the same church for a very long long time, so inviting people to join a different one is tough. Nonetheless the thing I have learned is I can't make the decisions for them but I can invite them and do my part and no matter what feel good about it, even if the success doesn't come. I'm responsible for the work, not the success.
OH yeah, I am a trainer now. It is pretty fun. Elder Subadi is a goof, but i love the kid. We are having fun together.
Some other good news is that I am now 91 kilos. So I have lost about 20 - 25 lbs since coming to Manado. Who knows how low I will drop if my next area is a biking area too!
I have been trying not to eat as much as I did when I first got here, especially not the really fattening foods. I am a huge fan of eating rice, a fried egg and sambol right now, that's probably why I have dropped about 8 kilos in the past two and a half weeks!
Welp, that is just about it for this week. OH! as far as the package thing goes, if you could send me some pictures, like already printed out pictures, that would be awesome. People really like to see pictures of our families here. And don't send too much food and stuff, maybe just a little bit of beef jerky and some peanut butter m&m's!
I love you all! I know the church is true! Keep reading the scriptures!!! They are so important!
Love,
Elder "Kevbot" Johnson
haha


Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Mom & Dad,
Howdy Ya'll!
Well this week was a pretty lame week, not gonna lie, but some weeks have to be less good so the rest can be great.
Novita still doesn't have permission to get baptized, but it sounds like things are starting to get a little better with her Mom so it really is just a matter of prayer and patiently and faithfully waiting. I know everything will work out. She is the bomb though, her testimony is so strong, she is going to help this branch out so much here.
I am super super jealous that it snowed... It is getting a little more windy here and rains a bunch more. But I like the rain a lot, it is soooo nice, way better than the heat.
Ugh... Om Fery is killing me!!! He is the coolest guy ever but he is having such a hard time coming to church. He is doing really well with everything else, He is handling quitting smoking well, and still reads the Book of Mormon he just doesn't understand the need to come to church, Hopefully we can figure something out to help him.
So I guess the best news of the week came from an awesome lesson that we had with Geyli, who has been an investigator for a while but not really progressing at all until this past week. Her dad is a very high up leader at her church (GMIM of course), and we have almost stopped meeting with her a number of times. She has been really good about reading the Book of Mormon though and on Monday she started asking what she needs to do if she knows it is true, unfortunately she doesn't believe she needs to be baptized again haha she says if knowing the BoM is true means coming this church she has no problem with itas long as she can do it without Baptism. But I guess the point of the story is that the Book of Mormon is the best!!! I guess maybe this is qhat you could share with Brother Featherstone, that the most important and quickest way to have a testimony of this Church is to read the Book of Mormon. Anyone that reads the Book of Mormon will know that it is the Word of God, translated through His power given to man because He loves His children and wants them to come unto him. Every investigator I have taught that reads the Book of Mormon has some feeling that it is true. I know for myself it was the same thing, about a year ago I started reading the BoM more diligently and then I saw the blessings of peace and happiness in my life, and then I prayed and asked if it was true, and the answer came in sort of a " why are you even questioning if it is true?" answer. The Blessings that the BoM brings into our lives is what strengthens our testimonies of it, especially when we live it's teachings.
Welp, Thats pretty much it this week, sorry I don't have much to share! I am doing great though, healthy, happy and loving Manado, as stubborn as the people are!
The Church is true!
Elder Johnson


Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Mom & Dad.
I was in shock that BSU lost.... but then I saw the orange uniforms and realized that is why. Dang. What a bummer, but oh well, life goes on.
Things are going super great here. I am learning quickly the idea of patience with Om Fery, the good news is he has quit smoking! the bad news he is still not coming to church, but I am so pumped that he has quit smoking and is trying to make more changes in his life. I love that guy, he is the best.
Novita is doing super well, she is really committed to coming to church now because she wants to show her mom the importance of this to her. It really is just a matter of time with her.
I don't know if I have ever talked about Sis. Uli before, but she has been an investigator for over a year now, and is super good friends with Novita, but she is doing super great as well. I was really impressed with what she said last week when we met with her. Last sunday she came to church, and that evening her penatua and another leader from her church came and asked her where she was. She has a super funny son and so she asked him where they went and he answered, " Torang masuk di gereja OSZA!!!" We went to the LDS church! Her parents and also her church leaders weren't thrilled, told her that the church is sesat (apostate/ false). But she told us she doesn't care because she knows that this is true and what is right for her. I was super pumped when she said that. For her it all starts once again with the BoM. We started really focusing on the BoM with her, she started reading it, and her testimony was noticeably stronger.
So Mom asked a little bit about where we live, we have a little house in the wildest kampung ever. Our neighbors are hilarious, very loud, but just awesome. There is a grocery store like 5 minutes away from the house, it is just like an american grocery store so it's nice. We usually bring dinner home with us when we head home for the night, there is a super good warung on our way home that has Ayam goreng, sate ayam, nasi goreng, gado gado. All of the good stuff! We rarely eat at members houses because it isn't exactly effective to do so, we eat maybe once or twice a week with members. it is always sooo good, but It is hard because everyone lives so spread out from each other.
Sounds like it is getting to be that great time of year in Boise, nice and cold... I have forgotten what it feels like to be that cold... I get cold here at night time and it is maybe 75 degrees... eeish.
Last week I think dad asked for anything that Elder Subadi does that is goofy... In Manado there are A TON of dogs everywhere... Elder Subadi is super scared of dogs, so anytime there is one in our way he goes to the other side of the street, or like the other day he asks if we can just not walk down the street... It always makes me laugh. My trainer, ELder marijanto went and played with any dog he saw, now it is the opposite. Elder Subadi is suuuuper javanese, so that adds a little humor into everything, the cultures of java and Manado are pretty different.
We are having a super good time together, I love the guy, he is a good hard worker. I am in awe that I have already almost been here for 5 months, and I am really bummed at times because that means I probably only have another month or so in Manado, but hopefully I am here until after Christmas!
Welp, I know the Church is true, I know God loves us, that's why he sent Jesus Christ, and that's why they have restored their Gospel on Earth again.
Don't forget to read the BoM every day!
Saya mengasihi anda semua!
Sampai Minggu depan!
Kevin


Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Mom & Dad,
Selamat Pengucapan syukur!
It is crazy that it is thanksgiving for you all tomorrow! I am jealous! Make sure to eat lots and lots and lots of rolls!
But first off, I need to ask a super huge favor. So tomorrow we got permission form pres. Groberg to go to Bunaken, which is an island off the coast of manado, for Pday ( We still email on our usual day, don't worry I am not apostate and taking two Pdays). But the thing is that the boat to go there is a little more pricy than we thought, and I thought i had enough in my personal account but I actually dont... Is there any chance I could get like 100 dollars put into my account ASAP so we can go tomorrow? Sorry to drop that kid of a request out of nowhere... I promise my second one hundred dollars (the first bit is for tithing) I earn when I come back home will be given to you to pay it back!!
Hopefully that is ok... Could you put it in my checking account?
Well this week has been super awesome. We have had a lot of really cool teaching experiences, plus it is indonesia so it is always a little interesting. Christmas season is in full swing here... gila so much fireworks. But yeah everyone is pretty excited. The branch here is having a christmas thing next saturday which should be pretty...different, haha. I will let you all know how it goes. Mom asked if there are any cool christmas traditions or things and I don't really know yet. And as far as good indonesian treats, there arent really any, the snack foods/desserts here aren't all that great (hence the loss of weight), just the real food is what is amazing. Hopefully i can learn how to cook some of it so you all can taste it... and hopefully I can find sambal in america because I cannot eat without it now. Sambal is tomato, onion and cabe smashed up and fried together. It is kind of like spicy ketchup and we eat it with everything. SO GOOD.
The rainy season is also in full swing... it has poured just about every day for at least an hour and a half in the afternoon after a very very hot morning/ mid day. I am still enjoying the rain, but if this keeps up my opinion might be a little different.
I was going to send some pictures of the house, but time is a wee bit short so not until next week..
Novita is getting closer and closer and closer... not much more to do but wait and pray, I am thinking this week or next week she will be baptized.
We had an awesome couple of lessons with a part member family. The father is hendra, he isnt a member, and his wife is a less active member. They are really awesome people, but have had rough pasts as far as the commandments go, and I think a lot of people have treated them in a way that has made them feel like they can't get better. We invited hendra to get baptized, and he accepted it right away, and was super excited about it. Then yesterday we invited them to live the word of wisdom, after watching hendra smoke two cigarettes, and they accepted to start quitting smoking. It is just great to see their desire to change and do what is pleasing to the Lord. Hopefully they will have the faith and strength to do it.
That was the best experience of the week by far, I am just loving this time to serve, I am getting a little worried that I will be moving soon though... Hopefully not until after Christmas, so I can enjoy it in a christian city where it will feel like christmas haha. But Whatever happens, happens.
I hope ya'll still know the Church is true, because it is! God loves each of us and wants us to be happy, that's why He has given us His Church.
Keep reading your scriptures and being awesome, and for reals, everyone has to eat one extra roll for me. :]
Happy thanksgiving,
Saya mengasihi anda semua!
Kevin