Shaken but not Baken

So as you probably may of heard there was a pretty good sized earthquake down here in Chile and you know it was a pretty good time! I am here next to the coast right now and there was a huge Tsunami warning and everything and it was looking like bad news for us that's for sure! The big old sirens were going off and everyone in Chile was going nuts. When the earthquake hit we were in these really old ghetto apartment buildings and I thought we were dead. The thing started shaking pretty stinking bad and it was making all kinds of scary noises. What's funny is we had just started the lesson and we were praying when the earthquake hit. Everyone started booking it out of the buildings. We seriously all thought that we were toast! But we were all okay after all.

When we were walking back it was chaos. Like I literally felt like I was in a war movie or something people were driving like idiots there was a couple of car wrecks and we were just booking it back to the house when we get a call that there was going to be a tsunami from our zone leaders.  Without hesitation, we knew it was time to start booking it out of the low land and start getting to the high ground.

Lucky for us our apartment was right in the Tsunami warning zone so hahahah thats a good old time right? But also lucky for us some other elders live in a really old scary apartment building a good ways up the hill. 

So we booked it for their house that is a 10 story building but is super ghetto.  All through the night we could feel the aftershocks and at one point we thought the apartments was going to fall in. But all in all it was okay haha! Well you are wondering right now why is he writing me this story on a Thursday? We got a call from the zone leaders and they told us to write are families to tell them that we are okay! 

So that's that why you got an email today!  hahaha. Also BTW there was not a tsunami here which is kinda funny

Well that's all Love you all!

Elder Johnson

Editor's Note:

Here are some links of the earthquakes that Lance felt.

The 8.3 --> http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20003k7a 

A 7.0 aftershock --> http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20003k7w

A 6.3 aftershock --> http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20003kfv

Picture taken from the web

Tiempo por un Bautismo!

I am super stoked to announce we had a baptism this week!  His name was Martin! We where not able to actually baptize him because his step-mother wanted his grandpa to do it for him. Martin is 13 years old and says he is thinking about serving a mission now! We are super happy for that. We found his step-mother and she had been inactive for about 3 years.  We found her and now she going to church every single week with Martin and his dad. Our next goal is to get the dad baptized. He is kind of a "Goon" though, so its going to take a lot of prayer and fasting to get him humbled enough to accept his baptism. We were able to confirm Martin on Sunday at church. 






I would like to thank you all for your support and love. I am working hard down here in Chile and I'm doing the best I can to make due with what I've got! I love you all and I hope you have a rad week! Sorry about the picture its pretty chanta! 

Love you all!

Bible Bashing, Big Dogs and a Hard Cover Book of Mormon

Me and my comp had one heck of an experience yesterday. This pastor dude decided he wanted to fight with us. We wanted nothing to do with him we were just walking down the road minding our own stinking business then all the sudden this dude decided he wanted to fight us or bible bash us. We where already having a cruddy day so we kinda M16'd him.... It was pretty bad but funny. He was pulling all kinds of crap on us and we were able to come up with something to respond to him. It was pretty funny. because we where both just letting him have it. 

He kept trying to accuse Joseph Smith and stuff so we started talking to him about the first vision. He said that Joseph Smith wrote the book of Mormon. but no he actually translated the book of Mormon. Then he said he read half of the book of mormon and said he didn't feel anything so I looked him in the eyes and said Mr, If you really read the book of mormon then tell me whats it about. Tell me what's in it. He didn't know what to say so I explained to him that lying is a sin and he needs to repent of that now. I also explained to him that we are representatives of Jesus Christ and so he just lied to Jesus Christ. Ohhhh he started freaking out. Then my comp asked him what the name of his church was because him being a pastor owning his one church. He said it was the church of 

Pentecostal. 

Then I said thats neat, We are the Church Of Jesus Christ not the church of Pentecost. He got all mad and went running into his house. I think that's the last we will see of him. But during this whole thing he was saying all kinds of crap that  wasn't real. like Joseph Smith raped children and that when we close temples down that we rape woman and do bad stuff in the temples because he had learned all of this information from an ex member of our church. Haha right because an ex member is the person to believe when it comes to learning things about not our church but the Church of Jesus Christ. I can't believe some people.

But other than that we had a pretty good week this week. We have a baptism this friday. So we are super stoked for that. My hardback Book of mormon saved me this week from getting bit by a HUGE dog. Haha we where walking down the road and I had my hardback book of mormon in my hand and this huge dog comes running out of no where and so my comp just starts booking it. But instead of running I took three steps back stood my ground this thing comes running up and I Swing and miss this dog by about half an inch the thing turns around and starts running I chase after it until it was pretty far away. I was super happy to have my good old hardback Book of Mormon with me.

Well thats about all for now. 

I hope you have a  great week this week

Love you!

Elder Johnson

My official return date

Well I am on my one year count down today. Wow right? My return day is the 12 of july and yesterday was the 12 of july pretty crazy how much time has passed. I plan to become the best missionary I can this year. I want to take this second year of my mission and just go as crazy as I can. 

I want to just work like a mad man to take care of what needs to be taken care of. I want to take out the trash this year.
I want to thank you all for keeping in touch with me and for your love and prayers my shoulder is doing a lot better and I will now be able to finish my mission which is a huge blessing. I am so happy for every thing I have been given and for my mission too. Thanks for all your love and support I could of not done it with out you guys helping me out and for helping me stay out here. I love you all and thanks for everything. See you in a year from now! I still don´t have one year in though thats whats funny! Well take care of yourselfs and I love you all.
Elder Johnson 

P.S. Funny fact time. I have now lived in chile longer than I have lived in Paradise utah haha how weird is that? 

Good Old Times

Haha well this week was another winner. 

Strange question time

1. Can you guys listen to hip hop from God?

2. Happy Asian FRIDAY!

 Me, What the heck is Asian firday?

 Black dude, Isn`t that how you say happy hacinan flag day in english?

3. Is there a lot of dirt in Utah?

 Me, yeah I think so? 

So QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU GUYS?

IS THERE A LOT OF DIRT IN UTAH? 

Well besides that it was a great old week my comp broke the sink, as you will see in the good old foto del semana.

Haha JK the computer is dumb and won`t let me send you a picture but we will save it for next week deal! 

As for the work its going pretty good out here. Just working like always the sister missionaries got shifted out because some weird dude tried following them on bikes or something and so the president's wife said no more. So now its just me and good old Bradesters runnen the good old El llano? Well K rad the vida!

Sorry I can`t make this longer take care!

Love you guys as always!

Elder Johnson

Been too long!

Hey!  Sorry I really suck at writing these but oh well haha you get one this week. I hope that you all have had a great week and as always don't forget to read your Book of Mormon and say your prayers every single week. 

Well we had change meeting nothing really changed as for me. I am still in the same place right now which is rad because we got some sick people here who are ready to follow Christ and get baptized which makes me super stoked. As for my shoulder well yea we are working with it still so just keep me in your prayers and that would be super duper rad. 

as for the foto del semana its pretty self explanatory I think. STOP HORESIN around yea guys and go REPENT SINNERS. Nah just kidding but just remember that your brother suffered for you so you could return one day to his kingdom. The power of the atonement is real guys I use it everyday. I wasn't always the best dude. But I am working on becoming the better dude every day out here. That's why we are here on the earth is to become better every single day. A saint is a sinner who keeps trying. Thats what we all need to remember at times I think. Well as always I love you guys. Please keep me in your prayers. Also got some homework for ye all haha. Find your favorite verse from the Book of Mormon and send it to me this week. I need some new stuff! Love to hear from you this week guys.

LOVE YOU

ELDER JOHNSON

Not out of the Woods just yet....

Well heres the dealy deal here. So If I come home with out proof that I need to come home there is a 100% chance that I will not be able to come to santiago again and they will send me to some state mission IF I go back out. I really don´t want that I have a sheet of exercises that can help rebuild my shoulder but they hurt REALLY bad. My shoulder is driving me crazy. I can´t sleep sometimes when ever I try to use it for anything it doesn't work...

So even if it doesn't need surgery I might have to call it quits. But anyone that really knows me knows I will put up a reasty fight before I go down so yeah I am going to keep battling it out for as long as I can. Because I don´t want to have to come home. 

Well I got a bap for my birthday so that was sick also thank you so much for all the birthday wishes you guys are RAD. I love you all that took the time to send me a birthday wish I got the foto del semana aquí para ustedes! I promise that I am not that fat in real life its the shirt or something haha I look like a pig! Also her name is Daniela Andea Sotanzo Aguillena She looks REALLY Happy haaha

Well as always.

1- Me, So all is good for church this week right!? 

Investigator- No no I can´t go.

me- Why a not? 

investigator- Because every time I take the sacrament it makes me REALLY HUNGRY. LIKE REALLY HUNGRY 

Me- Okay do you want me to bring you a bag of cheerios or something? 

Investigator- Yes that would be great.

Me- Okay cool see you this sunday.

CASE CLOSED! 

Hey Guess what its my birthday today!

NO NO ITS NOT STOP LYING ELDER JOHNSON YOU JUST WANT ME TO MAKE YOU FOOD!!

Me- Okay your right maybe its not my birthday hahahaha

D Day

Well pals and palettes.

I think this might be my last email for a couple of months. I am going to go to the doctor and see if there is anything I can do to last but my dad gave me a good example. 

Running a bad shoulder in the mission is like running a dirt bike with bad wheel bearing is it. One day its just going to fall apart and your just going to fall over and be broken in a lot more ways than you want to be. 

Also in the book of Mormon it takes about putting down your weapons of war. I am fighting a war with my self. When things like that usually happens its just pointless and can be resolved really easy if one side is willing to give in and make the right choice. look at the civil war for example. 

It makes me sick but I have to do this which is really sad. I am thankful for each one of you. You are the ones who kept me out here. I want to give a huge shout out to all my missionary friends too. You guys a rad keep going at it. 

I will be returning if I do have to come home. I don´t want to do this but I need to. It hurts really bad right now. so thats not to good. 

But remeber 

Weak things can be made strong.

We all are faced with choices. Some are hard to make others are easy. But always remember that you won´t regret the right choice. 

Well as promised 

La foto del semana 

Well....that sucks!

Ha ha....but not really a ha ha ha...So...I got to make this one shorter. But I tore my Rotor cuff in my right shoulder... no this isn´t some sick April fools joke. Like for reals as you can see down below in the foto del semana that's me in front of the Temple in Santiago its a pretty crappy deal. If you could send me some prayers so I don´t have to come home and get usury or some stupid deal like that on it that would be rad. I love you all and thank you for all the support and love from each one of you. You guys are amazing. Well as always Hope you guys all have a rad week this week and hopefully I don´t have to see you all for a really long time. But if I do have to come home I will do everything in my power to get back out here. I love it out here and I really have changed so much. 

I will be a very different person that is for sure. But I feel like everything will be okay so don´t worry to much please. Just give me a quick little prayer that I will be able to stick it out. 

Love you all

ELDER JOHNSON

Flashback to the beginning!

Flashback to 2014:  Photos found on the mission Facebook page.

Lance's MTC group - 2014.  Lance on back row, right - leaning on pillar.

Lance and Jaykob Brooks - companions in the MTC.

HA HA HA Whoops!!!!

Mark 16:15 "...go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature."

Well I just looked at the photos I send you guys and they weren't the right ones. Thats bad....

Oh well sorry about that. 

Anyhow I am going to be starting a new thing every week where I compose a mass email every single week for you on paper and type it out for you guys so you guys can get some ratch emails from me that are pretty rad I guess. In my emails I will have the Foto de le semana also we gonna have the 3 sayings of the week hahah. Well for this week the three sayins is

1. I'm pretty sure this back pack is biodegradable.

2. If we rode this bike any futher today I am pretty my butt would fall off. 

3. No Enya won`t be your girlfriend after the mission.

We gonna have Rad Story time by Elder Johnson, too along with weekly states so you guys can see that I am actually working. Also we gonna have Weekly Inspirational Scripture too. pretty cool right. 

Well This week for rad story time by Elder Johnson

Well,  we had to be to lunch to this guys hobo shack by 1:00 but it was like 12 miles away from our house so we decided to head on out around 12. The other elders in our pension were coming too so that made it even better. Any way we where riding and we where like 1 mile in and all the sudden all crap broke loose. Elder Aguita got a flat so we tried fixing it for like 40 minutes. But to no avail it didn't really work so crap. So we rode back to the town to get a tire for him when my pedal decided to fall off. Haha thats right my pedal fell off what a suprise. So we went back to the house and grabbed a tool and fixed it. Then we where riding up the hill and it fell off a again so we decided to go to this ratch dude named Mayestro to have him help us out while we where there the other elders walked back to get help on there bike. It turned into a huge mess trying to get everything figured out ha ha. Man those bikes are some hardcore stuff. On the way there Brush got a flat tire too and we manged to get to lunch at 3:00 ha ha ha what a great day. 

I decided to hit the REALLY COOL DIRT PILE thing on my bike this week too and I kinda went off to fast and cased my bike and busted three spokes and bent my rim even worse so that was good. ha ha not. Good thing I got a sick video with lots of air and getting chased by dogs after words. 

As for the states we had a whole Whopping 38 people come to church this week hahaha we also managed to find 6 new people that are progressing as of right now. its super cool we still have our dates set for may for the baptisms so I am stoked about that too. 

For the scripture this week I have down Moroni 9:21 (Behold, my son, I cannot recommend them unto God lest he should smite me.- editor's note:  I thought I would be nice and post the scripture so you didn't have to look it up.  When I did, this gave me quite the laugh!!! :) I think Elder Johnson may have given me a wrong verse????  Corrections will be made when I get the correct scripture. ha ha ha)

I love this scripture and it gives me a lot of hope not only in my personal life but for all my friends going through hard times too. Well As always I love you guys tons hope to hear from you guys soon

Love Elder Johnson

Not long but you got Pics

Well you guys don`t get a super long email this week but you get some pics so yeah that's cool. 

My shaving cream....

A HUGE pizza

Mission Conference and Luncheon

Sup Peeps?!

Well....sorry I haven´t sent out a big old email for a while I had to take care of some stuff with some other people and was a little strapped on time but I was all right and doing okay. I am finally in a new sector now its called Melipilla its pretty rad. I am on a bike all day and now the work is pretty fun I will be sure to send some pictures next just I have to back my pictures up today so they don´t all get eaten up or some stupid thing like that. 

Well right now I have 2 fetchas (baptisms) set which is pretty rad. I think they are going for it if I can get them to keep going to church. But other than that nothing to wild. Haha I saw this dog the other day get plasterd by a car on my bike that was pretty gnarly but other than that nothing to crazy haha. 

Well I hope you all have a great week and don`t forget about your old pal in chile. 

Love you all and have a great week!

Love Elder Johnson

Shoota!

This is the LancerGhini!!

Well...I only have one hour to write people so I am really pressed for time which is sad because it is not enough time to write everyone. Please keep emailing me if you want. I love hearing from you all and I promise I will get back to you one day ha ha. (probably not until 2016 ha ha JK)

Life is pretty good out in the mission.  The days go by super fast. I got some pictures for you guys this week and so I hope you like them.  Sorry I haven't sent any in a while. I will spend more time writing everyone next week and I will write more efficiently to you all. But remember my family comes first. 

Sorry I can`t make this longer....

Love you all

Elder Johnson

Hello Utah!

Na que Ver!

Well this week has just been the same as the last week and the week before that ha ha. Its pretty funny out here in the mission. I really hope I get out of this sector I have been here for ever! But that's okay the ward is all right but all the cool people are in the other part of the sector that I cant go into so it kinda sucks. 

I have literally contacted every single house in my sector and I still haven't had a ton of success here. It kinda is sad but we are going to keep going hard. I just hope I can find some people soon. 

Well I washed my pants for the first time at a dry cleaner for 3 months man they sure feel and smell better! My new comp is kinda different. I kind of don't like him a whole ton but we will keep working and I learn to love him. There are very few people I can't get along with in this world and he is one of them which kinda sucks but oh well! :) 

Well Thanks for all the support and love I can`t wait to hear from you all next week! Tell me what your favorite scriptures are! I want to make a list that I can use to teach people with. Remember its not for me its for the people of Chile through your help you could really be helping someone through me so please help me with this! Remeber I will always write you eventually if you email me. So please send me email if you got some time I want to hear how you all have been! 

Out of time!

Love you all Elder Johnson

What's Sup?!

Well its been a while since I have wrote one of these sorry I did`t get to respond to all your emails there is a lot to respond to sometimes ha ha! But thank you all for the support I love you all more than you know. I hope all is well back at home. My week was good. Just the same as always. Literally its the same everyday. ha ha. The days freaking haul though so that's nice its like you get up and the day is over basically. 

I hope you all have a great new years and I have a challenge for you all read this scripture this week. Read Alma 5 26-33. Yeah good? Its pretty self explanatory. I want you all to focus on verse 33 Its my FAV. God is very loving and forgiving we have to make the effort though. Be sure your ready because its going to be a real cruddy day if your not and there is nothing you can do about it. 

All is well in the mission and we are working really hard. Nothing really too crazy this week just the same stuff we deal with every day; getting chased by dogs, having people scream curse words at us because its the only words they know in English. Yeah its all good out here. I made a goal to only speak Spanish, so no more English for me. I am starting to think in Spanish, too!  It's really strange. I feel like my English is going to be in the trash when I get home ha ha it is already starting to get pretty bad. 

Well as always, know that I love you all and I want to thank you for your support and love. With out the mission, this would all be impossible, so, thank you for all you have done for me. I hope that you all have a great week this week and don`t forget your pal in Chile!

Love you all! 

ELDER JOHNSON