mi madre / transfered

I Am being transferred!!!! after 4 1/2 months in Newfoundland, they are shipping me off "the rock". I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve here, it has taught me a lot about church leadership, and the struggles that sometimes accompany it. I can honestly say that Dealing with the mentally ill as a church leader is a hard thing! Brandon, the hobo 21 year old guy that we helped get out of the woods and into a home in my time here, has a host of these illnesses, The most leading among them being ASPD, which leads him to being very manipulative. It has worn me out. I felt like a king who'd been checkmated. As a typical missionary I could have just dropped him and not talked to him, as a church leader I wouldn't have started work with him, or done anything till he made the efforts necessary to move. So E. Fairbanks and I have had an exhausting transfer. It was fun! don't get me wrong, I didn't pity myself really, i just got work done. But Our mission President noticed in us that we had "exhausted ourselves in the service of the lord", and so he whitewashed our area (meaning he took both me and E. Fairbanks out at the same time) . I'm now going to serve in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. and E. Fairbanks was telling me there is a sweet knife shop there! so as far as christmas goes, I might just want a sweet homemade knife from there for christmas. We shall see once I get there though. anyways. In hindsight, I'm sitting here realizing that I am spiritually and emotionally exhausted. I'm grateful that I was able to serve my God, and P. Pratt is sending me to be in a great area surrounded by great missionaries who I hope to help support, uplift encourage and inspire 😊 We went to a Pentecostal service on sunday, and the other week we went to the salvation army. I couldn't help but think that you and I need to visit some other churches once we get home, because its like a 2 hour singing time! its gospel karaoke!! pretty fun eh? I told one of the members that you and I would have to go visit his old church, he said once the band gets going and the spirit starts moving all the people get up and going! most of these people being over the age of 55, and getting going means dancing, singing, marching, speaking in tongues, and all sorts of other good stuff. Our investigator Crystal fed us Fish'n'brews. It was good! it was basically fresh cod, and salt cad, with some "brews" which is basically boiled bread, like hardtack, and some boiled taters. Cover that all in butter and it's "best kind" 👌 I got some Newfie pickled beets that I'll have to send to dad while I was there. I didn't like beets before my mission, but i don't mind them much now! Newfoundland is all over it's pickled foods. Here's a whole load of pics! some of us at the playground, others of us at our Final FHE, here in grand Falls. They're a unique bunch of people I've grown to love! Elder Johnson ​