Olá!

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. I was able to talk to my family on Skype which was an amazing experience. It was so much fun to see all of them. This Christmas was amazing for me because it wasn't about the presents or food (which are great), but it was so focused on the Savior and on people. We had opportunities to teach so many people the past couple of days. Everyone was so welcoming and it was an amazing weekend. It has started heating up more and more this week going into summer here. It was extremely hot and we had barbecue and fireworks, so it felt more like Independence Day than Christmas. Haha. We had dinner on Christmas Eve and on Christmas with a family of investigators that are super excited about joining the Church. We also watched some Christmas videos with them. They just love the messages that we bring. It is fun to teach people that not only accept the message but rejoice in it.

We had a Christmas reunion/party with all of the mission. It was a lot of fun to see other missionaries and have a fun night of singing, activities, and dinner. It was pretty far away so we spent the night in the mission home, which was also very different, but a lot of fun.

Other than Christmas things this week was pretty normal. Lots of lessons which is a lot better than just walking all day. The hills are extremely hard now because of the heat. We go through so much water every day, but it has been fun because I am enjoying being able to speak and interact with people more. The days go a lot faster when you can understand what is going on and you are actually talking with people, not just being talked at. haha.

It is crazy that we are already heading into a new year. It feels just like yesterday that 2016 started. I am excited for the opportunity to think about ways I can improve this year and be more like the Savior. I love the chapter in Preach my Gospel that talks about the attributes of Christ. It is important for all of us to always be striving to become more like Him. This new year is a great opportunity we have to think about ways we can improve, and then act on them every single day. It will be weird being away from home all of 2017, but I am excited for more opportunities to serve and teach new people. This truly is the Lord's work and I am so happy and grateful to be a part of it.

Amo Vocês!

Elder Johnson