Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, Today is Thanksgiving. If any of you don't like it, you can bring that up with the Canadian Government. I enjoyed it though! It's great as a missionary in the Hampton Area. Since Elder Nelson and I are in one of the few wards, and People here like feeding the missionaries, Thanksgiving meals were offered by many people. Thanksgiving is technically just today, but most Canadians Celebrate it all weekened, so we had a Meal at Bishops today, and we will be going to Kevin and Melanie Graef's tonight (some of my favorite people!) This week we were finally able to meet with a lady named Lisa. FLASHBACK! Elder Smith loved knocking apartment buildings, it was my 3rd week or so in the mission, and he decided to take me through a couple. We walked into the entryway, and were going to try to buzz our way into it, when a guy walked out. We started talking to this guy, and wandered back outside with him, he said he had to go but he punched in his code and gave us his apartment number to meet with him at another time. We knocked the whole apartment and eventually came to his apartment. We Knew he wasn't home, but we knocked anyways. Suddenly! a women opened the door, and gleefully cheered "Missionaries!!!" after which she proceeded to say she would be able to meet the next teusday, and as i took out my planner to write this down, she grabbed it and wrote her number, as well as her husband Randy's (who we had just previously met). She talked on for a little longer and then said she had to go finish cooking or something. and so Elder smith and I got our First words in "Goodbye". The appointment for Tuesday fell through, and following this we simply couldn't catch them at home, and they never answered their phones. This week, we had a little extra time after visiting Gary, and suddenly i remembered this experience with Lisa. Prompting? I think Yes! Lisa lived a few apartments down the road from Gary so we drove on over, and we knocked on her door. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. awkward long pause.... a guy walks past, he mutters under his breath "don't go to apartment 20, we ain't interested"... KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.... another long pause, and just as we were about to leave Lisa opened the door. She was sick at the moment, but once again set up an appointment for Saturday at 11:30! We show up at 11:30, our member just cancelled on us, because his kid had thrown up everywhere. Lisa answered the door! we ended up walking to the park, because we couldn't meet with her alone in her apartment (Randy was at work). So, there we were at this little park, Lisa, Elder Nelson, and Me. Sitting on a bench. Scaring away any child who may have liked to play on the playground. The Lesson was awesome! I had Challenged Elder Nelson to lead out, and he dived right in! he was so gung-ho to teach the restoration, I had to slow him down, so that we could speak with Lisa First, and get to know her. This led us into an amazing conversation, in which Lisa Told us that when she was taking the missionary lessons in the 90's, she was nearly baptized, and she told us all of the concerns she had which stopped her. She told us a lot of her ideologies, which was totally the Character Of Christ! She had Come to find that we must not sympathize for our fellow men, but rather Empathize, and focus our all (energies and efforts) outward (like a Fire, rather than the black whole's people often are now). We Identified the one concern she really has is that she want's to know Heavenly Father is a real man for herself (in extension). In the end, Elder Nelson gave her the Book of Mormon, and we were able to give here the section of Alma 32, which is on faith, to study. This is the true church. God has a plan for each of us, and in the Moment we may not enjoy it, but that's why we're here. Our ability to experience sorrow, and pain were limited in the premortal existence, and therefore, so was our ability to experience Joy! (2 Nephi 2:11, "There must needs be an opposition in all things). Part of Faith now is trusting God, that though he will take us through some crazy wilderness of afflictions for now, this is simply the pathway to the promised land! (and don't worry, he'll take care of you along the way, you may even get to spend a while in the land Bountiful) I love you guys Elder Johnson