12/28

Hey everyone!! How was y'alls Christmas!? It was great being able to talk to everyone! I think the thing i missed the most was not being able to make Jared and Jake look bad on the football field..oh well..but that's okay kuz they would have made me look horrible in whiffle ball! ;) Well teaching wise, this week was pretty slow..pretty much all of our investigators have asked us to come back after the holidays! haha..but yeah..we were still able to bake some cookies for some people and we got some really good feedback..so that was pretty exciting! The ward here is amazing! they keep giving us lots of food and candy! i'm probably gonna weigh more than Justin by the time i get out of this area! ;) haha..jk. The Hills are still doin great, and so is Chris Williams! We're sstill looking forward to continuing to teach them! Well i love y'all and miss y'all so much!
Elder Johnson

12/21 Merry Christmas Y'all!! =)

Hey everyone!! How's it goin!? Soo this past week has been pretty amazing! First we had our x-mas zone conference in knightdale and that was an amazing experience!! We learned a lot and the Spirit was way strong!! Then on Thursday, we got to wake up early in the morning and teach the seminary class!! haha..that was so much fun! The lesson was on Alma chapters 1 and 2..so i taught chapter 1 and Elder Tibbitts taught chapter 2..I really enjoyed teaching chapter 1 because it was all about Nehor and the evils of priestcraft haha..We discussed why his doctrine spread so fast and why it was VERY wrong! haha..we also discussed the differences between Nehor's church and Christ's church and about how we see all the same stuff today! haha..But yeah..after the lesson we left about 10 minutes time for questions and we had a really great discussion on the importance of missions and how amazing they are! =) i had a lot of fun! haha..so then on friday..it snowed!! haha..for a grand total of about 15 minutes..which was lame..it was like God was teasing me..haha..i wanted snow SO bad!! oh well..there's still time left in winter! =) Then on Saturday..we tracted into a lady named Debbie who lived all by herself. She was way lonely and she said the only people that she ever talks to are her parents. She had no friends and was so desperate to talk to someone that she went inside real fast and got all bundled up so that she could come outside and listen to us teach her. While teaching her, we found out some major concerns of her..she felt like God is there and that she wants Him to help her, but she didn't feel worthy of His help and she felt like He didn't want to help her..So we shared some powerful truths about the love of God and focused on that for the rest of the lesson..which brought her to tears..it was a WAY spiritual lesson! Then on Sunday we had an investigator named Chis Williams at church! Chris is the man! He already has a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and he wants to get baptised really bad! so hopefully we'll be setting a date with him soon!

Soo..our district is doing AMAZING!! Every single companionship in my district has 2 baptismal dates..except for the zone leaders..they only have 1..haha..but yeah..the Lord is definitely blessing us big time in this month of December and we're seeing a TON of miracles!!

Well i love y'all and i'm looking forward to talking to y'all on Friday!! Merry Christmas!! hope y'all are doin well!

Love Elder Johnson

Our X-mas Tree! =)

Snow!

12/14

Hey everyone! Exciting news! The Hills accepted a baptismal date! WOO!! =D they're date is for Jan 30th!! We're way excited! They're doin so well and learning so much! So they brought up the word of wisdom before we taught it because they drink a lot of coffee and tea and they had heard that we can't do that..but then Jessica said quote "it really all comes down to do i want the Holy Ghost..or do i want coffee..and the answer to that is very obvious!" it was amazing! It's so great to see how prepared they have been by the Lord and i'm really looking forward to helping them get baptised and make it to the Temple! We also had a few other miracles this week while finding people, and we now have a "right good amount" of solid investigators! =) only problem is that a lot of them are hard to get to because they live so far away..haha..oh well..we're just way excited to be here and we're definitely being blessed in our efforts and the Lord is consecrating our sacrifices! =) Soo..the Hills gave us a christmas tree and we decorated it and it looks REALLY nice! haha..the top of the tree is the best part! The tree was too big for our apartment, so we just took the top off and instead of having a star on top..we've got a UNC hat!! =) haha..well hey..i'm looking forward to being able to talk to y'all on x-mas! Love y'all and i miss y'all! Take care!

Elder Johnson

Raleigh Temple!
Johnson St.
Top of our tree!

12/7

Soo..i love being in "The Triangle" the triangle pretty much consists of the area within the perimiter of the cities chapel hill, raleigh, and durham. There are so many people here and its a lot more fun to do missionary work because there's always people to contact and doors to knock! We went to the christmas parade the other day and were able to contact a ton of people! we even got to see Santa!! =D

but yeah..the Hills came to church yesterday! They even came to the chilli cookoff the night before and they brought chilli! I was a judge and i was trying to figure out which chilli was their so that i could choose it..but i couldn't figure out which one it was. =( haha..
But we also had a girl named Lee at church too. Her parents are way less active members and we've been trying to get them to church..but finally lee's mom was able to bring her to church yesterday! but yeah..lee usually won't be able to come to church because every 2 weeks, she's with her real father in Clayton, then on the 3rd week she's with her mother in garner..so it's kinda hard to help her progress..

well i can't wait for christmas!! i'm way excited for it! Well i love y'all and hope y'all are doin well! I heard it snowed in Houston! i'm kind've bummed i missed it!! they said we were supposed to have "frozen percipitation" last Saturday..but of course it didn't happen. =( well can't wait to talk to y'all on x-mas!

love Elder J

11/30

Happy late Thanksgiving! hope y'alls went well! mine did! The ward here is great and they are very friendly! soo..our investigators Eddie and Jessica Hill came to church again! They absolutely loved it! in fact, they even told us that all their kids have been talking about the past week was wanting to go back to church! The ward has also been doing an amazing job of fellowshipping them and making them feel comfortable! We should be setting a baptismal date with them this week, so i'm way excited for that! =) So things are going pretty well with me..i'm still trying to learn the area, but i guess i'm doing pretty well so far. So i love the car we get to drive in this area! We get to drive an '09 chevy malibu! =) they're pretty sweet! But yeah..the work in this area is still pretty slow..it's only been open for 8 weeks now so there's a ton of work to do, so i'm way excited to be here kuz i love working hard! =)

Well i love y'all so much!
Elder Johnson

Sister Jeffers & her grandchildren! (Michael Jordan's aunt)

Me and JJ!

Victor, me, and Peter

My Thanksgiving Turkey! =)

11/23

Greetings from Garner, NC!!

I am now in Garner, which is pretty much south of Raleigh! It's pretty exciting to be here in the city and I'm excited for my new district! Except I have sisters in my district now and I've never been in charge of sisters..haha..yeah it's a little awkward..but they're amazing missionaries! But yeah..Garner is so amazing! My new companion is named Elder Tibbits, and I'm actually follow up training him! He's only been out for one transfer and he's pretty amazing! We've been working hard this past week and we are having a really great time together! He's from a very small town named Panaca..it's somewhere in Nevada near the Utah border..but yeah..I'm way excited for this transfer! We're going to see so many great things!

This past week we were able to teach a couple named Eddie and Jessica Hill. It was amazing to see how they had been prepared for our message and for our church, so we invited them to come to church and they came with both of their kids! They had a really great experience, the members were great with the fellowshipping and Eddie is going to be coming to the turkey bowl this Thursday! But yeah..there's a lot going on here in Garner and I'm excited to be a part of it!

Soo..I've been thinking about winning the lottery so that I can go to the BUY Jeruselem Center! =) haha..that would be SO amazing..just even for a transfer..but it would also be WAY expensive..even for just a transfer..haha.. Well I'm excited for this upcoming week and being able to work with the Hills and some other golden investigators!

Well I love/miss y'all! Hope y'all are doin well!

11/16

Soo..I've got some bad news..I'm getting transfered =( I'm kind've bummed about it kuz I've really grown to love this place so much! It was really hard to say goodbye to everyone yesterday, I'm gonna miss them! So other than that, this past week went okay..I got to go to the temple, which was pretty sweet! I really enjoyed that! I also got to go on an exchange with the Zone Leaders, and I ended up being with my trainer Elder Condie over in Iilmington..it was so amazing seeing how much we've both grown since we split up! We taught one of the most spiritual lessons that we've ever taught together on that exchange! It was so awesome! Soo..I just found out that missionaries are gonna be allowed to play in turkey bowls, which is way exciting! =) The only bad news is that we aren't allowed to wear cleats =( so I am kinda bummed about that..but hey..at least I get to play football! =)

So..even though I'm getting transfered..I am kind've excited about meeting my new district! I get to be a district leader somewhere else, which means I get to work with a whole new set of missionaries, which will be way sweet! I'm looking forward to it!

Well I love y'all and hope y'all are doing great!

Elder Johnson

The Cavenaughs!

My Wallace district

Wallace Train Station

Hampstead Waterway

Sun Shot! (me & Elder Bentley)

11/9

Hey! How are y'all!? We had an amazing week and an amazing experience! It started at zone conference, where our mission president told us that there are dozens of people prepared to hear the gospel in EVERY SINGLE area. That really struck me because our teaching pool has been pretty bland lately..but Elder Kearsley and I knew that if we fasted and prayed for it, than the Lord would lead us to one of those whom He had prepared for us..so we did so. We then scheduled an appointment to contact a media referral..out in the middle of nowhere..so we arrive to the appointment last night, and our appointment wasn't there..but then we saw her neighbor outside so we went over and talked to him. We got to talking and he allowed us to share a brief message with him..at first, I didn't think too much about it..but as we prayed to start off the lesson, something told me that he was the answer to our prayers..and sure enough..we were right! I don't think I've ever seen anyone so prepared in my entire mission! We started off teaching the restoration, but we followed the Spirit and started talking about other things..and eventually he opened up to us and told us about a life changing experience involving his friend getting killed..so we were able to help him understand a little more about the purpose of life and he really enjoyed us! Then the more and more we talked to him, the more and more obvious it became that he was elect! He had been prepared by our Heavenly Father and we had been led to him as an answer to our prayers! At the end of the lesson, he was so in love with our message that he invited us to go and talk to some guys that don't know too much about GOD over at the fire station that he volunteered at..he also accepted a return appointment with great excitement for later on this week, so we'll get to invite him to church and hopefully to be baptised, which I know he will be because I know that he has truly been prepared to hear our message and is ready to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that we were truly led there, whether we knew it at the time or not, because this place was out in the middle of no where and we never would have found him by our own efforts! This experience has truly strengthened my faith and my testimony and I'm excited to be out here on my mission where I get to have so many great experiences like that!

Well i miss y'all! I hope y'all are doin well! We get to go to the temple this Wednesday, then transfers are next Tuesday. Please pray I don't get transfered! I love it here..haha!

Love y'all!

10/26

Hey Fam!!
How's it goin!? How did Jess's wedding go!? I guess I kind've gotta good excuse for not being there, huh? =) Well..this week was pretty great I guess! We got to teach Carey, who is the 12 year old girl that wants to get baptised, and we're going to be teaching both her and her mom this week so that'll be great! Hopefully, we'll be able to set a baptismal date for both of them!! Please pray hard for the both of them!!

But my district is doing well! There is a lady named Brenda getting baptised this Saturday (Halloween) and she's got a really great story! Apparently her car had broken down on the side of the road and noone was helping her, then the 2 elders pulled up to her and helped her out and invited her to church! So that was really great! There is so much more to that story too, but it's a really great one!

So probably the only other eventful thing that happened this week was my hand getting engulfed by fire from another missionary's object lesson and receiving a couple of 2nd degree burns from it..haha..but other than that, it was a pretty mellow week..

Well I love y'all and miss y'all! Hope y'all are doing well and I can't wait to hear from y'all! Stay on the "scraight" and narrow and "scrive" to get "scronger" every day! =) love y'all!

10/19

Hey everyone!! Soo..I've already decided everything that I want for Christmas..and these are things of necessity..haha..
I NEED:
2 longsleeve white shirts
2 shortsleeve white shirts
1 pair of black warm and waterproof gloves
a couple pairs of wool socks

I would really really really love to have:
An electric razor! haha..(it could even be a really cheap one, I don't care..I'm just really tired of shaving with razor blades everyday!)

But yeah..I would actually prefer to get these things long before x-mas..like as soon as possible!! Haha..Im just now getting to see how cold NC can get!! I am freezing! I don't like my companion right now because this is summer to him, he being from Idaho, and he won't let me wear a coat!! Haha.. but yeah..I am totally not prepared for winter and those are the things I am going to NEED!! This is the first week we've actually used the heater in our house! The cold just came out of nowhere! It dropped about 20 degrees in about 2 days! Haha..I was TOTALLY not ready for it..plus it was raining like crazy..it kinda made it a little miserable being on a bike haha..

But yeah..the 2 most important things out of that list are the gloves and the socks!! If I get nothing else for Christmas..please make sure I get those! (plus maybe some ties! haha..)

Well Elder Kearsley and I have seen some really great stuff this past week! Yesterday, we just got permission to teach a 12 year old girl who is on the cheerleading team with one of our members! Her name is Carey and she's been coming to church and mutual for the past couple of weeks and she has already told us that she wants to be baptised! We are way excited and are looking forward to helping her out! But yeah..this just helps me to know a little more how honestly and truly..all success comes from the members! I love what L. Tom Perry said.."Members are full time FINDERS..missionaries are full time TEACHERS" honestly to me..that just means that if missionaries are out tracting, than the members aren't doing their job. Now tracting is still way important..it shows the Lord how hard you are willing to work hard to have people to teach..but truly all success comes from the members. I've had so many great lessons and investigators by finding with my own efforts..but getting those type of people to church is another story. It is SO much easier if they have a friendshipper!

Well I love y'all so much! Wish I could be at Jess's wedding! I'm sure it'll be great!

Elder Johnson

10/12

Hey everyone! I miss y'all! Soo..missions go by way too fast..I turn 5 tomorrow..I remember thinking that 5 months was way old!! It's not fair =( I wish they still did extensions..maybe if I start talking to President Cotterell now, and bring it up everytime I talk with him, maybe I'll end up getting one! Haha..

Well..that meeting at the other church..didn't go too well..haha..it was a total trap! It just ended up being the pastor of the church, the former pastor of the church, and the pastor of a Pentecostal church. Yhen they just wanted to bash with us the whole time! It was pretty lame..especially because the first time I met the pastor, we agreed to the meeting as just presenting our beliefs, not trying to impose our religion on anyone..but than the pastor of the Pentecostal church..who also happened to be an excommunicated member of the church and even served a mission in South Carolina..brought a whole bunch of anti stuff and tried to attack us with it..it was really pathetic and kind've hilarious! =) But it still was pretty sad to see the state that he had fallen into because he couldn't hold the standards..but it did make me realize something..you should never try to prove a religion wrong by attacking it's doctrines..that will just turn into an ongoing argument that will never end..instead, what you should do is judge a religion by it's works! That's really the only way to do it! But yeah..we didn't bash at all..we just referred all anti and probing questions to Moroni's promise, which they even attacked as well..haha..oh well. =)

But yeah..this week went really well! We've got some new investigators that are looking pretty solid, so it'll be great to be able to work with them! I'm looking forward to this week!

Soo..I think I've decided that I want to be the next crocodile hunter when I get home. Everytime I see a lizard or a bull frog, I can't help but catch it and throw it at my companion! (which he loves by the way, him being from Idaho and never seeing a bull frog before) haha..but yeah..I saw my first chicken snake the other day! I would've caught it..but I got there too late..I got there right as the guy was about to cut his head off..I was too late =( Poor guy.. but yeah..if not the next crocodile hunter, maybe I'll do something with reptiles! We have an investigator who used to be a snake scientist..and he had tons of snakes and would even milk rattlesnakes! Thats way cool! It sounds like something I might have to do when I get home! =) (sorry mom)

But yeah..I'm doing well! I'm enjoying every minute of my mission! And if anyone could send me a dvd with Elder Holland's talk on it from last conference..that would be really amazing and probably the best Christmas gift ever! =)

Love and miss y'all!
Elder Johnson

10/5

So I've definitely made some major accomplishments this week! First off..I solved a rubiks cube all by myself for the first time! =) Second..I was actually able to make it through all 10 hours of general conference! Before my mission, I never in this world thought I'd be able to endure all 5 sessions..but I did so with so much excitement! I learned so much and it went by way too fast! The only bad part about it is that for all 4 of the regular sessions..us 4 missionaries were the only members in the church building watching it..Haha..that was pretty lame..but oh well. I am thrilled that I developed a love for conference over the past weekend..now I never want to miss another talk again! Haha..I learned so much and I can't wait til the next session!

So I was in Raleigh last Friday for a District/Zone Leader meeting..and our mission President, President Cotterell, is raising the standards quite a bit! I'm way excited to see how much we're going to grow from this! Soo..apparently President Cotterell has some pretty high expectations of me and Elder Kearsley and our potential here in Wallace..so hopefully we'll be able to see some great miracles and changes here in Wallace!

Soo..I'm definitely going to need some prayers from y'all..we tracted into a minister's house..and he invited us to pretty much come to his church this Thursday and teach the restoration to his congregation..I'm not really all that nervous..I just would appreciate it if y'all prayed for me this week because I want this to go really well and to be a great spiritual experience for everyone!

Well I love/miss y'all! Thanks for those birthday packages and cards! Hope y'all are doin well!

9/28

Wow. I feel so old. I can't believe I'm already 20..where did high school go? It still feels like my senior year for some reason..but yeah..its weird not being a teenager anymore, because I definitely still feel like I am and I don't plan on that feeling going away for a looong time! Haha..but what would be REALLY great..is if my age didn't matter and I could just stay out here for the rest of my life! =) I would not mind that ONE bit!! I am having the time of my life out here and seeing so many great things! So according to the zone leaders, my companion and I were the first companionship to teach 20 lessons in a week, which was the mission goal, so we were pretty excited about that! We're having kind've a big party today for our p-day to celebrate my b-day, Elder Wilson's b-day, and 20 lessons, and the Spanish elders, Elder Wilson and Elder Larsen, taught 16, so that was a really good week for the missionaries in Wallace! So last week was our mission tour and Elder Maynes of the quorum of the 70 came and spoke with us! It was great learning from him, and applying what he taught into the work! It turns out that he had a role in the dedication of the Houston temple! I just don't remember what that role was, haha..but he told us a story about how after 8 dedication sessions of the Houston temple and working hard all day long, he was way tired on the flight back and was trying to sleep on the plane..when he heard a loud thumping noise, so he looked back and he saw President Gordon B. Hinckley working out on some exercise equipment! Haha..so President Hinckley called him over, strapped him in, and made him go for a while! It was a pretty great story..haha..

Well I love and miss y'all! Hope y'all are doing great!

Love Elder Johnson

9/21

This past week has been really great! We had stake conference in the Wilmington Zone..and I learned soo much! There were tons of great speakers and great talks given..there was even a talk given who had served in the North Carolin Raleigh Mission over 50 years ago who gave a talk! That was a pretty great experience hearing from him!

So..we've turned in our golf clubs for the time being and picked up tennis rackets! Haha..we've been playing tennis almost everyday for morning exercise out in the middle of the street..then on p-days we go up to the courts and play a little tournament! It's so much fun!

As far as the work goes..Elder Kearsley and I have been tearing it up! We've got the most lessons taught this week in the entire zone for 2 weeks straight! We've been working really hard and seeing a couple of people beginning to have that spark in their eyes and developing a desire to get baptized! It's so great to see how the presence of the holy ghost can totally and completely change someones countenance! We were teaching someone, and at the beginning of the lesson, he didn't want to talk at all..he felt like we were just the most wrong, corrupt religion on the face of the earth..but the more we taught..the more open he became and it ended up being a great lesson!

Well I'm excited for this Wednesday! Elder Maynes of the quorum of the 70 is coming for our mission tour and we get to go hear him speak in Kinston..which is about an hour and a half away, but it should be really great! I'm looking forward to it!

Well I love/miss y'all! Hope y'all are doing well!

Elder Johnson

9/14

Greetings from one of the smelliest counties in the country! Haha..so yeah..Duplin County (which is where Wallace is) is notorious for all the pig/turkey/chicken farms there are all around here..I'm not sure if I have already told you this or not..but the best part about being a missionary is when you are riding on your bike down the highway..and a turkey or hog truck passes you..(which happens WAY too often..) but yeah..those are the experiences that make everything worth it, right? Haha.. but yeah..the house of Raeford chicken plant is up the highway..I don't know if y'all have ever had raeford chicken or not but it's a big chicken company that is all over the nation..but yeah..just wanted to describe a little bit more of my area for y'all! =)

So this week we have been emphasising on teaching a bunch of lessons! The zone leaders told me that Elder Kearsley and I had the record for the most lessons taught in the entire zone, so that was really great! We've been working really hard! But we have had a ton of let downs this week..I think Saturday was one of the hardest days for me as a missionary..but those are the days when you have to just keep pushing through and show the Lord that you are willing to work hard on the good days AND the bad! But yeah..do y'all remember me telling y'all about Ray? I've got some good news and some bad news about him..the good news is that we talked to his roommate and he really did want to come to church..the bad news is that..Ray is now in jail for about 4 years..for not paying child support..yeah..it was pretty ridiculous..but oh well..I know that as we remain diligent and obedient, the Lord will bless us and we will continue to see many miracles! Well I love y'all and hope y'all are doin great!

9/8

Hey! How was everyone's labor day weekend!? We went golfing for our p-day again! My swing is getting SO much better! I only lost 5 balls this time! Haha..but yeah..the work here in Wallace is going SO great! I'm having so much fun teaching these great people and I am seeing so many little miracles, as well as a few big ones! We have definitely been working really hard and being as obedient as possible! My new companion reminds me SO much of our cousin Joe Giles..haha..he looks just like him! But we've been getting along great! He's been out 9 and a half months and I've been out 3 and a half..but we're still learning so much from each other and having so much fun! So..I bought a little computer that keeps track of how many miles I ride each day so I can record it in my journal..guess how many miles I've ridden in 2 weeks..193.22! Haha..that's pretty amazing! My legs are in pretty decent shape! Especially now that Elder Kearsley and I have been waking up an extra 30 minutes earlier to go run..we just stay in front of the house and he jogs around the street, while I run sprints up and down it! It's been going great!

Well I love/miss y'all! Hope all is well!

8/31

So this week has been really great! I got my new companion..his name is Elder Kearsley. He's from a very small town in Idaho..right off of the Teton Mtns. So my first week as DL has definitely been a ton of work, but it's been goin great! I have grown SO much..just in the past week! My teaching has improved dramatically and so has my ability to plan out each day and making sure that we're staying busy and overplanning for the day! I have definitely seen some pretty amazing things this past week and times where the Lord has definitely had his hand in the work that we are doing! So..the mission president has prayed really hard..and has come up with an inspired Standard of Excellence for the entire mission for this transfer. Part of that standard, is each companionship baptises! We're excited for the opporotunity that we have to exercise our faith and accomplish this standard! In fact..Elder Kearsley and I are pushing for 2 baptisms a day and we've been praying really hard for the guidance and direction needed to help us accomplish this!

Well I love/miss y'all! Hope y'all are doin well!

8/24

Hey everyone! This week has been so sweet! On monday..we got to go to the Serpentarium down in Wilmington and we got some great pictures! Then we walked along the river walk for a little bit and saw the battleship! Then on Wednesday..we got to go to the Raleigh NC temple! (the SMALLEST temple in the world..haha..)but it is so sweet! I enjoyed it so much! Then the rest of the week was full of hard work and lots of fun!

So last night..we were driving to an appointment..and we were out in the middle of NOWHERE..on some dirt road..then in the middle of the road..there was a live water moccossin! I jumped out to grab a stick so that I could catch it..but Elder Condie wouldn't let me..=( I was kinda bummed..but at the same time I'm so thankful..because I would have definitely gotten bit..murphy's law definitely would have gone into effect..haha.. so instead we got some pretty good videos of me seeing how close to the snake I could get..haha..

Soo...we found out this week that Elder Condie and I are going to be separated tomorrow =( We're both moving on to better things..he's getting transfered somewhere to be a Zone Leader..and then I got the shock of my life..I was called to be the District Leader..I totally wasn't expecting that..I think I'm the youngest District Leader I have ever even heard of..I've only been out 3 months! I just barely graduated from being a greenie! I haven't even been follow up trained yet! Haha..so yeah..needless to say..I'm pretty nervous! But I know that by working as hard as I can and striving for 100% obedience..the Lord will help me out so much! I'm looking forward to seeing how much I'm going to grow from this! Well I love y'all and I miss y'all!

The Battleship!

Black Mamba

Forest Cobra

Mexican Rattler

8/17

This week has flown by way too fast! We're down to our last week of the transfer..so this very well could be the last week that Elder Condie and I have together! Last week was really great! We had zone conference on Tuesday..which was really great! I learned a lot about teaching for understanding and about the junior keystone of our religion, the apostacy. It is important that all of our investigators develop a testimony on the apostacy because if there was never an apostacy, than there was never really a need for a restoration in the first place! Then..I got to go on an exchange with the zone leaders..and I was with Elder Robertson, who is way sweet! He's from California..and he's totally a Calli boy! Haha..but I learned a lot from him and we definitely had a great time in Wilmington! We even got to see the house that Michael Jordan lived in while he was going to high school! Haha..we had a couple of pretty hillarious experiences while we were out contacting and knocking doors..haha..one of the guys that we contacted..tried to tell us that Jesus had a large tattoo on his upper thigh..and that it was in the Bible..he just didn't know where! Haha..that was pretty great..so yeah..I got to find out a lot about Wilmington..like the fact that the shows "One Tree Hill" and "Dawsons Creek" were filmed there! Maybe one day I'll "accidentally" walk through the set of One Tree Hill and contact them while they're filming! ;) haha..

Well I'm having the time of my life and there is honestly no place else I'd rather be! I love/miss y'all!

Elder Johnson

Goin down a steep ladder on the bike trails!

8/10

Hey everyone! Things are going really great! We had an amazing week! The work is really beginning to pick up!

It's pretty amazing how good of shape I'm in! Haha..it seems like all the missionaries around me are gaining more and more weight..and the only weight I'm gaining is from muscle! I weigh a little over 175 now! My companion and I have been waking up at 6 every morning and been running..and then when we get home..I do tons of sit ups..we've also got a little bench press so that helps out a ton, as well!

So the bananna spiders here get HUGE!! So elder Condie and I had an idea on how to make a little souvineer..we decided we were gonna catch one of these spiders and turn it into a big paperweight by sealing it in epoxy! Soo..we did that..we each caught one of these giant spiders by putting them in a jar and drowning them in this bug killer stuff..haha..so after we had them in there for about 30 minutes..we left them out to dry so that their legs would be out and the spider would be in a sweet position..so then when we got the epoxy ready..we poured it into the mold..and then we dropped the spider in it..but unfortunately..the spider was still alive!! It started moving and squirming around in the epoxy..and then it just folded its legs in..and the epoxy dried like super fast so now my little souvineer isn't nearly as cool as i thought it would be. =( oh well..

So yesterday's church was really great!! We had 2 investigators at church! One was a man..about 30 years old that has a wife and 4 kids..and he was really looking for answers in his life..we've been teaching him for a while now and he's been studying the Book of Mormon and he's really beginning to feel like this is true! So he came to church and during our gospel principles class..he was answering tons of our questions and they were all very intelligent answers as well!

Then there was Mona! Mona is the sweetest lady you will ever meet! She's got a baptismal date for the 12th of September and she is SO excited for it! She was taking notes like crazy during our gospel principles class! Haha..we talked to her afterwards and she felt like she was learning so much and really enjoying every minute of it! So i'm way excited for those 2!

Then after church..we were able to teach a man by the name of Ed Boney...we began teaching him this week and he is SO prepared, it's not even funny! During the first time we taught him..he began teaching us about the importance of the High Order of Melchezedik! He knew more about it than I did! Haha..so it was really great to teach him about how the Melchezedik priesthood has been restored back onto this earth! We assigned him a couple of chapters in the Book of Mormon to answer some of his questions..and then when we came back..he had read all of those chapters and more! He had even read all of Jacob 5 and had some really intellectual questions about it that we were able to answer! It was so exciting! He even told us that he prayed about the Book of Mormon and had a vision about it..and us coming that second day..un announced fulfilled his vision! So yeah..I'm way excited about Ed and I love teaching him!

I understand that Houston is going through a little drought right now..that sucks..because it rained here like everyday for an entire week last week haha..well I miss/love y'all!

Elder Johnson

The LARGEST frying pan in the world!

Stormy Wallace

8/3

Hey everyone!

I've had such an amazing week! I have seen so many things this past week that have definitely strengthened my testimony in the work that we're doing! There was one instance in perticular..I was on an exchange on Wednesday. It was my first time driving out here on the mission and on the way back from Wilmington, I got lost while trying to find my way to an appointment and ended up in some deep country area..haha..so I had no idea where to go and we weren't quite in our area yet so we didn't have any maps..so we pulled over on the side of the road and prayed for the Lord to direct us and help us to get back to town. So then..I just started driving..and somehow we immediately found our way back to town! Haha..It was pretty sweet! I was so grateful for the guidance of the spirit there!

Well..things are going really great..this letter is gonna have to be short too because I spent most of my 45 minutes writing my letter to the mission president today..but yeah..this week we were focusing on doing work with less actives. We asked the branch president for a short little list of less actives that we should focus on this week..and he handed us a list of about 15 names! Haha..but yeah..it's been lots of fun!

So I got to teach the gospel principles class in church yesterday! Elder Condie and I started up a gospel principles class because this branch hasn't had one in years! I can only imagine how hard it would have been to be baptised and then to just dive into the gospel doctrine class! That would have been really hard! Haha..but yeah..we were able to teach the plan of salvation to a couple of recent converts and they learned a lot! It was really great! I feel that this class is gonna help out a ton!

Well I miss/love y'all!

Elder Johnson

7/27

This week has been pretty great!  It hailed the size of marbles the other day and that was tons of fun!  I got absolutely soaked from all the storms we've been having lately..so someone told me that Houston is going through a little drought..is that true? I wish we could send some of this carolina rain over there..haha..

So it's amazing how many diffrent spiders there are here in North Carolina!  I've got like a whole encyclepedia of spiders on my camera!  I've taken like 10 pictures of diffrent spiders!  I love messing with these giant bananna spiders though..they get so big!  There was one almost the size of my hand on someones doorstep!

So as far as teaching goes..we're still doing tons of finding and it's goin pretty great!  Elder Condie and I are getting along pretty great and having tons of fun while working hard and staying obedient!

Well I miss and love y'all! Hope y'all are doin well!

Elder Johnson

7/20

This week was pretty good! We got a lot done and definitely taught some good lessons! We have the car every other day now which is WAY more effective!.. Especially because our area is so big!

So here's a little story on Ruby..She's had 7 kids and none of them want anything to do with her anymore.. she's been moving around from family member to family member because no one can stand dealing with her..So she was definitely feeling a little unwanted! She's been living with Peter for that past couple of months now and he's pretty much the last person left! There is nowhere else for her to go! It's amazing how many trials she had to go through to get here!

Then when we talked to her about the church earlier this week..She said that she loves it and that she feels like she's finally found her "niche." I just think it's so amazing how the Lord allows us to go through trials, and even though they might not seem like it at the time, they're always for our good! If it weren't for Ruby being mistreated and abandoned by her entire family..she never would have ended up here and received the gospel and all the blessings that come with it!

I'm definitely noticing big changes in my own testimony..It feels like I've gone my entire life..just being passive about my testimony and about the gospel..but now that i am actually applying things..now that I'm actually studying things out..now that I'm actually living these things every second of every day..I KNOW without a doubt..that this is all real! All of it. I mean..I've always known that there is a God..but I've never really known what that means to me until I came out here! I'm definitely regretting that I have not shared my testimony..or taught any of my friends and helped them to realize how much God loves each and everyone of them..and I am dying to be able to do that when I get home!! That's definitely gonna be one of the very first things that I do when I get home because I want them to have what I have..I feel like I can no longer just sit back and watch them live their lives, not knowing what I know..not seeing what I've seen..and not experiencing the love of God..as I have..I know that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God and is proof! It is hard core EVIDENCE that God has called a prophet here on this earth and that the Church of Jesus Christ..the SAME EXACT church that Jesus Christ himself established on this earth, has been restored! I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to share this with the people here in North Carolina! There are so many good, friendly, humble people out here and I know that the Book of Mormon will help them, and anyone else who will read it, learn more and come closer to our savior.

"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance, and this is my JOY"
-Alma 29:9

That verse is pretty much my motto..haha..I love it so much! Alma was the man!

Well I love and miss you all! I hope y'all are doing well!

Love, Elder Johnson

Hey!

So I turned 2 today! Its pretty exciting! I can't believe its already been 2 months! I feel like I just came out of the MTC! But..I have learned so much already and its pretty exciting that I've still got 22 months left to continue to progress!

Well Wallace has continued to be an amazing place and we have seen a couple of little miracles this week that have truly been inspiring to me! One day while we were out tracting..we got to the end of a street..but for some reason we decided to tract down 2 houses on the next street..so we knocked on the first door..no one answered..but then we knocked on the second door..and this lady comes out and seems really excited to see us! It turns out that her name was Kelly and she was a less active that hasn't been to church in years, but still has a testimony of it's truthfulness! But what was more exciting was her conversion story! She told us that every time she thought about changing a religion..a pair of Mormon missionaries would knock on her door! She would go like 5 years without even thinking about religion..and then the very day she does..a pair of Mormon missionaries knock on her door..so eventually she got baptised..but unfortunately, she fell away. But the morning that we knocked on her door..she had gotten an email from her dad, asking her why she was Mormon..and she said that really made her think and to ponder..but then...we knocked on her door!!

There have been so many little miracles like that that have just truly strengthened my testimony of how this is the Lord's work..all we have to do is work hard and be obedient and we truly will see how the Lord will perform miracles!

So Ruby got baptized!! It was so exciting!! Ruby is the sweetest lady in the world and she is so happy and excited for the opportunity to continue to progress in the church and in the gospel and to learn more about our Savior!

We got our new mission president this week..and I got to meet him on Thursday! His name is President Cotterall from Draper, Utah and he is pretty amazing! I had the chance to talk with him one on one for about 15 minutes and really get to know him and I am way excited for having him as my mission president for the rest of my mission, although President Wallis was amazing too!

So transfers were yesterday and I'm excited that I get to have at least another 6 weeks here in Wallace with Elder Condie! There is still so much work to be done and some pretty amazing investigators that are making my mission so much fun! We've got an investigator named Buddy Avent who is taking us golfing today..if it'll stop raining haha..so that'll be fun! I'm kinda sad that I haven't seen anymore snakes..just deer and foxes..and TONS of rabbits! Oh well..I've got 6 more weeks to try and catch one! haha..

Well I love y'all and miss y'all!

Love Elder Johnson

Our ENTIRE apartment complex! haha..

Ruby's Baptism!
The "Big A" haha..I ate the whole burger!

Hey everyone!

This week has been really good! We've still been finding a ton of people and there are so many friendly people here in Wallace! I had my first Zone Conference yesterday and I got to meet the new Mission President! He's really cool and I'm looking forward to getting to know him better! I've seen a lot of things this week that have been really amazing to see and its been great seeing the Lord's hand in our work! Ruby is all set to be baptised this Saturday so that'll be great! We also taught someone named Carl today, who's mother had passed away a while back ago..and he was expressing how confused he was about how God could let his mother die..so we were able to help him out using the Book of Mormon and explain the scriptures to help him understand!

So for the 4th of July..I got to eat barbeque with Michael Jordan's sister! Haha..she was pretty awesome..and she looked just like Michael! Haha..but yeah..I'm probably gonna get to see the house that Michael Jordan lived in this week so that'll be pretty exciting!

Soo..I ate almost an entire cow on Monday! Haha..it was pretty sweet! I took the "Andy's challenge"..and almost won! Haha..I ate the ENTIRE burger..but I still had about 12 fries left..and the rule was you had to eat the burger, the fries, and a large drink in 30 minutes..so I was pretty much just 12 fries away from having my picture on the wall..oh well.. =(

A couple of days ago..I was reading in the book of Alma..and I found my favorite chapter! Everyone should re-read Alma Chapter 29 sometime soon..it really amazes me at how great of an example of a missionary Alma the younger is!

Well I love all of you and I miss ya'll so much!

Memory Lane

My trainer Elder Condie and his trainer Elder Henley
My MTC district
Golfing in pross! Haha
Me on Peter's bike!
The giant catfish head in front of Peter's house!! (this looked like a deer head from behind!!)
The water moccasin in the tree!

Hey Fam!

Sorry I didn't send out an email last week..I was kinda busy kuz we were in a rush to drive all the way down to Topsail Island to see the Atlantic Ocean! Oh man..the water was so gorgeous! It was so blue and green and a lot better than the brown that I'm used to..haha..I've never wanted to swim soo badly in my life!

Well..we moved from Burgaw up to Wallace..so now we actually live in our area! Haha..so that was exciting..we had the place so clean before we moved that we're getting free Andy's burgers sometime pretty soon! Andy's is pretty much as big here in North Carolina as Whataburger is down in Texas!..(but Whataburger is still way better!) haha..but Andy's has this challenge that I wanna take..a 50 oz. burger plus a large drink and fries..and if I eat it all..its free! So I'm definitely gonna have to try that before I come home! So right now..because we just moved up to Wallace..we're tracting a lot and trying to find new people to teach! So far we're doing pretty good! The people up here are so nice! We even taught a minister last week and that seemed to go pretty well! Elder Condie and I are teaching pretty fluently with each other and we're having a lot of fun! I can't believe that it's already week 5 of my first transfer! That's so crazy how fast it has gone so far!

So Ruby finally came to church last Sunday! That's so exciting! But we're not gonna have her baptism this Saturday..we're gonna have it next Saturday because Elder Condie and I wanna go by this week and help her build her testimony of The Restoration of the Gospel..that way she'll be more solid when she is baptised! We're also working with this really sweet lady who works in a Funeral Home..her name is Mona Gore! Its kinda crazy how we met her! It started out because Elder Condie and his old companion gave this other lady named Lydia, a Book of Mormon..and then after teaching her a little bit..she got offended and said she didn't want the book anymore..but the Elders told her to keep it..it was hers to read. So Elder Condie and I are talking with Sister Jeffers one day, and it turns out that her friend Mona was asking her questions about The Book of Mormon because she had a copy that she had received from Lydia! So she had been reading it and became a little curious, and knew that Sister Jeffers was LDS so she started asking her about it! So then we went over to see Mona and we taught her an amazing first lesson and she was so excited and so accepting of our message! She was even taking notes while we were teaching her! lol..but we were able to set a baptismal date for July 25th! So hopefully she's elect and will be there!

Soo..another crazy story..we were riding our bikes down Penderlea Hwy..and we decided to stop by an investigator's trailerhouse named Erik..and he was outside working on someone else's trailer when we saw him..so we started talking with him. We asked if we could talk with him for a little bit and he said "Well..sure if you can walk and talk at the same time..I've gotta be done with this trailer by 8.." So we started talking with us and somehow the topic of trials came up and i was able to share with him 2 Ne 26:24 where it reads "He doeth nothing, save it be for the benefit of the world, for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him." After I read him that..he stopped and thought for a moment..then he was like "Ya'll wanna go inside and get some ac for a moment?" Haha..so walked over to his trailer..and right when he opened the door..a big wall of smoke came out! So he ran inside and it turns out that he had left the stove on and the entire trailer was full of smoke! He was like "Man..good thing you guys came by!" So then he turns the stove off and then goes and sits down on the couch..with the room still filled with smoke..and was like.."Okay..teach me!" Haha...we were like umm..I dont know if our lungs can take all this smoke..you mind if we teach you outside!?" Haha..so we went behind his trailer and had a really nice sit down lesson in his lawn!

Well..that's pretty much been all that's been goin down in the screets of Nawth Curilina! lol..well I miss y'all and I'm praying for y'all!

Elder Johnson

Elder Henderson holding me up with his finger

Mount Timp

Sis Crowfoot & me

Showing off my photography skills of the Provo temple

Me, Elder Petersen, Elder Steed, and Elder Baron airborne

Sloan and me!

Hey!

I'm really starting to like this place! I love how many fireflies there are out here! Its pretty awesome to be riding my bike at night and having tons of fireflies all over the place! Another thing my companion and I are trying to look out for are carnivorous plants! The venus flytrap only grows in our area..but its extremely rare! Touching it is a $5000 fine! So I have had some pretty amazing experiences this week! I found out that Michael Jordan is originally from Wallace!

So that was pretty cool..but whats even cooler is that I found out that his aunt, is a very active member in our branch! Her name is Sister Jeffers and she is really amazing! She just had a small stroke about 3 weeks ago, before I got there..and my companion was able to give her a priesthood blessing..and it turns out that while he was giving it to her..she was having another small stroke..but she survived! The doctors didn't know how..but she blames it on the blessing! So that is way cool! Then I finally got to meet her on Saturday and she was having a couple of set backs because the hospital gave her the wrong medication..so I got to give her a blessing! It was a way sweet experience and I know that she will be healed! Her faith is really amazing!

Right now we're working with a really sweet lady named Ruby, who lives with Peter. Her original date for baptism was this Saturday..but she wasn't able to make it to church yesterday because of her diabetes..so we're gonna have to push the date back a week..but she is really excited about being baptised! She loves the Lord and wants to do everything she can to please him!

We also met this way cool family this week named the Eakins! I have never seen anyone else so prepared to hear the gospel! They loved our message of the restoration because before we had even taught them, they had already recognized the great apostacy after Christ came to this earth! So they have been looking for a church that kinda taught this..which is why they had been going to a Methodist church..but they still don't even like that church! So we're way excited to be teaching them and we're gonna try to get them to church this week! They even know exactly where the church is! And the wife already has 2 friends that are members so things are looking pretty great! They are way sweet people! After our lesson..they offered to cook dinner for us someday! Haha..it was lots of fun teaching them and I'm looking forward to our next appointment.

So I'm already discovering that snakes and turtles are common here in North Carolina! While riding my bike..we came across this 4 ft black snake just slithering down the middle of the road! I would've caught it..but mom always taught me not to mess with snakes if Ii didn't know what they were. I found out later that they're called "black racers" and they are non-venomous and not really agressive! Soo..next time I'll catch it and have a really great picture! Haha..

Well our mission president, President Wallis will be headed back to Cincinatti in 2 weeks..which is kind've a bummer! I like him a lot! But he'll be replaced and I don't even know who the new president will be..I keep forgetting his name..but I'll let y'all know! Well I love and miss y'all! Hope y'all are doin well! Please pray for Ruby! Her diabetes has been really crazy lately and its the only thing keeping her from being baptised!

Love Elder Johnson

Hey Y'all!

North Carolina is great! Its great being back in the humidity! I feel like I can breathe again! I'm having a lot of fun teaching and the people here are really nice! I'm in a small branch of about 50 active members right now..its the Wallace branch. Wallace is a small town about 2 hours southeast of Raleigh and it seems like everyone we've taught so far is over 60 and African American lol..we even had some lady tell us that Martin Luther King Jr was a prophet and that we were wrong for saying that he wasn't! lol..but the area for the branch is much bigger than the town of Wallace. Its about 30 miles long and 30 miles wide and extremely rural! The branch building could seriously fit inside the chapel back in Houston! But I am still having lots of fun and getting pretty good at riding my bike and contacting! My dad's (trainer's) name is Elder Condie. He was a bmx racer from Ceder City, Utah! He's got some pretty sweet pictures of him in some races getting some pretty sweet air! But as a missionary, he is very strong in prayer and definitely knows his scriptures! We get along really well and I'm really glad to have him as my companion!

Haha..so there's a less active member named Peter. Peter is QUITE the character..very sarcastic and kinda crazy..lol..he rides around on this sweet blue chopper motorcycle with flame details on it...the only thing is that its a mini-bike and he pulls his dog behind it in a little cart! And he actually rides this thing around town! Well one day while we were driving back from an appointment, we saw him on the side of the road fishing in a creek...except he wasn't just fishing..he was catching! Everytime he dropped his line in..he'd pull up either a baby bass or a catfish! So we were talking to him and he mentions "Oh by the way..watch out for water moccossins.." Then literally 45 seconds later..Elder Condie points to a tree and says.."What kinda snake is that!?" I look and there's a 3 foot long cottonmouth just napping..in a tree!! I have never seen a water moccossin in a tree before! So..Peter being Peter..goes and picks up the first thing he can find..which of course was a pee bottle..and hits the snake with it! It was pretty sweet! My companion got it on video, I'll have to send it next time! haha..

Well last night..we got a media referal to go see this guy named Chris..and that was pretty interesting.. Chris had been to our church before when he was living in Memphis..and claims to have read ALL 4 of the standard works! But he was kinda crazy..haha..he was having problems because he keeps having these "visions"..he says he would write down the thing he'd see till he told his minister in the Methodist church about them and they kicked him out of the church and then people came into his house and stole his writings! But he's been really confused lately because he can't figure out what his visions mean and he wanted our help..he said something about the end of the world being 1265 days after July 11th..haha..but we gave him a Book of Mormon to read and pray about and also committed him to baptism and to come to church! So hopefully we can help him out over time..

Well that's all that's happened so far! I miss y'all tons!

Week 2

Things are going really great! The MTC is going by so fast! I can't believe I leave for North Carolina in exactly one week! (June 1st) I've gotten used to being tired..and to the fact that I'm gonna be tired every single day of my mission life! lol..I'm learning how to teach and I am already 10 times better than when I first started! My district is really awesome! I love it! And so is the district in my zone that leaves tomorrow..I'm gonna miss all of them! They are way cool! (and yes Mom..I am treating the sisters very well!) So this past Sunday..my companion and I became the ZL's! It's way cool! I know the responsibility will bless us in so many ways! But there is a problem with the flu going around in my zone..2 elders got sent home last week because they had the flu..and the entire MTC is on a no shaking hands/hugging rule..which is extremely hard to keep!!

Well everyone keep me in your prayers! I miss all of you!

Love Elder Johnson!

MTC

Hey everyone! Things are going pretty great here at the MTC! The first 2 days started out pretty slow..but they are really starting to pick up! My companion Elder Peterson and I are making great progress with the lessons! We got to go to the temple today and had a really fun time with that! My district is pretty fun! I love how friendly everyone here is and I am excited to get to North Carolina! I have learned so much here at the MTC and I have experienced so much as well. There have already been times where I have felt the spirit soo strongly! The only thing I don't like about the MTC is that I am tired ALL DAY LONG!! Sometimes I really have to struggle to stay awake in class..but I am still learning so much! (and don't worry..I haven't fallen asleep in class..yet.) Well..that's all I can think to write right now..I love y'all and I miss y'all!

Elder Johnson

I'll Miss Y'all!

Well..its finally here! The moment I've been waiting for my entire life! I leave tomorrow to go on my mission where I will be serving for 2 years in the Raleigh, North Carolina mission! I am very excited to go and serve the people of North Carolina and I'm looking forward to inviting them to come unto Christ.

Although a lot of y'all already know that I'm mormon, y'all might not know what exactly I believe and I really regret not letting y'all know. But I know that Jesus Christ, our savior and redeemer lives! He truly lives and He loves each and every one of us! (Mormon or not Mormon) and He wants us to be happy. So He and our heavenly father have prepared a way for us to return and live with them and our loved ones after this life and experience joy and peace for all eternity! Please...at some point in your life, invite the Mormon missionaries into your homes and ask them about this great plan of happiness! Even if it is just once! And then you make the decision for yourself whether or not you believe it, but I promise, if you choose to believe it, you will never experience a greater joy then when you do! =)

I'm going to miss y'all SOO much!!! If you want to keep in touch with me, or you have any questions about what I believe..you can write me an email at http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.dearelder.com and I am in the North Carolina, Raleigh mission! I'll be praying for y'all! =) See ya in two years!