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!