one Year Mark

Well tomorrow's my year mark as a missionary, and that's cool. I like being a missionary, what a great way to spend this part of my life! some people are partying in college, but I'm partying with Jesus! This has been a stellar week, and pretty packed. We had transfers last week, and I lost Elder Hoole sadly. Though he was replaced by Elder Kearsley! who is also a stud, I love him so far, and he really loves Ice cream so I think its going to go well. We visited the Hopewell rocks last week and they're neat, they are some gnarly rocks on the bay of fundy that erroded really cool, and when the tide is out you can go walk under them. (The bay of Fundy rises and falls 50 feet every day!) We got two new cool investigators this week, Carla and David, they were potentials given to us by some other elders. We buzzed their apartment, they let us in. We Walked up stairs, and there were two people just standing in their doorway staring at us as if to say "Yes, We are glad you are here!" in a more awkward scary sort of way. They immediately let us in, and told us about how interested they were in the mormon church, and how they saw the light in us that they also saw in their other mormon friends. They were cool. We also had a miracle on monday, Our day was packed, and for some reason I felt like we should put one new investigator down for a goal (when that didn't make sense in the plans). Well we showed up late to one guys house and he said he was not able to meet anymore, because his fam was in town. We walked out and saw a guy walking away down the street, and Elder Kearsley said "Speak with Everyone" so we yelled hello to the Older man, and ran to speak to him. We had a stellar conversation with this man named mike, and he invited us into his sweet home which was nearby. (reminded me of this old House!) We talked with him, and he had a lot of questions relating to the Restoration. Lo and behold! new investigator. Love Ya'll! Elder Johnson

Life is Good

So this week was pretty good. We had a lesson with Kurt and Parker again, and we took bishop once again. We got to hang out with Kurt and Parker while bishop interviewed their mom, and that was pretty sweet! it was roughly 35 degrees fahrenheit, and raining, so we just ran around and played tag! Fun Stuff. I Also Got to call Me Madre! I love my mother with all of my heart, She's the life of the party. simple as that. Oh, and she makes phenomenal cupcakes. I miss those quite a bit, and it didn't help when my dad described the white chocolate raspberry cupcakes she just tried😌 This week President Pratt (our mission president) asked us to focus on getting a mother's day miracle. He challenged us to pray for a miracle in every prayer said, and fast to have a miracle. For me the miracle I recognized was having four Solid investigators come to church. It's never easy to get them to church, but when they do they mean business, so we were quite blessed to have Jeff and Terrilynn there, as well as two dudes the same ages as my brothers, Kurt and Parker. Life is Good. Faith comes by choice not by chance. God is great, root beer is good, and people are crazy.

This was a pretty sweet week

We had the opportunity to do quite a bit of finding this week (Looking for new investigators! Knocking lot's of doors) We knocked in this Trailer park that made Elder Hoole and I feel like we were back home in the states. There was even one house with the Confederate flag. Not many people answered for us there, but one old lady did and she cussed us out for having hundreds of wives. Oh Well! other than that she was a sweet old woman. This week we taught Jeff and Terrilynn quite a few times, and we were able to teach a couple of new investigators named Kirt and Parker. They are so cool, they are the same ages as kaden and Porter, and they are the sons of a returning less-active mother (who is also really cool) we Taught them twice this week, and it's awesome teaching them. Kirt is super smart like kaden, and he's just a thinker, while parker is a feeler. We had the opportunity to teach super simply, and they told their mom after they left "I'm not sure what it is, but i feel super happy!" and she taught them about the spirit !Kirt and Parker live about 30 minutes away in a coastal town named Shediac. We taught them, and bishop wanted to meet briefly with their mother before we went, so we hung out with the boys. just over an hour later they got out, so we had just had a blast with Kirt and parker, we played baseball, threw boomerangs, and played hot potatoe (don't worry, it was with a tennis ball) That pic of me with a note in the window was sad, this one lady was super excited to learn more, came back for when our appointment was and she didn't want to talk anymore! too bad. We'll stop back later. There is also a pic of me at shediac beach, the warmest beach north of South Carolina, (though it was flippin cold today!) And there is a pic of me riding the giant lobster they have there. A picture of my comp and I covered in cigarette dust from helping a guy move. Love Elder Johnson

My Mothers Pride

Jeff hooked Elder Hoole and I up this week! We got some pretty sweet Track Suits from his Company "MMP" It doesn't actually stand for "My Mother's Pride" but he won't tell us what it really means. We look pretty fresh though! So Jeff Came to the church for the first time this week! he din't come to sacrament meeting, but he came to a fireside on Saturday, and Terrylynn came with him! Elder Hoole and I have been nervous to have him there at church because there are a few members who come off a little strange. Anyways they loved it, and the spirit was strong as the members shared their conversion stories. Afterwards they drove their fellowshipper, Andy williams, home. and They went in and had a good hour long chat with him. It is so awesome to see how far they've come! We Also are teaching a wonderful woman named Nathalie, who was at the fireside as well. She was talking to us about joining some sisterhood, and we were really confused. She started talking about how she would love to join once her kids are older though, so she can knock the doors, and we realized she wants to be a sister missionary! and she is already a stellar Non-member missionary she tells all of her friends and family about us, and bears her testimony to them. Can't wait till she get's married, so she can get baptized! I love how the gospel of Jesus christ really helps us find the greatest joy in our lives, I love you all! have a great week! (oh and if you have any funny jokes you would like to send me, I'm totally down) Elder Johnson

Monkey Town

I've been transferred to Moncton, New Brunswick! and gosh by golly I kind of like it here. We've been working our tushes off, and teaching some lessons. Last night we had one of the neatest lessons I've ever taught. We are teaching a guy named Jeff, Who is a former Hood Rat. He Reminds me of the Godfather, just 25 and with Uggs Moccasins. So Jeff is having a real hard time teaching his daughter, because half the time she is with her Real dad, and He's no good at all. So last night we totally changed our lesson to help her learn about Jesus. It was Awesome! By the end She was really understanding who Jesus is and why he is important in her life. She's one of the cutest 6 year olds! second only to Ava (My sister). Easter Night we had just gotten out of a dinner with some members, and we met two African America women in the streets. They were so nice! We had a 20 minute conversation, and then we held hands and prayed. I love you all! thank you so much for the birthday wishes. Elder Johnson

Come talk to this guy about God.....

So here's the setting. Elder fullmer and I in Dapper short sleeve white shirts for the first time since august, walking up to a less-active members house. A black Dodge Caravan drives up and we hear someone yelling at us SARAH (the Driver, a Tattooed piearced pink haired woman):Hey! come here Jesus Men! My friend in the back is a Satanist. ELDER FULLMER (My Super stellar companion, and trainee): What brought you to that? DAVID (A super Skinny small man with long gray hair and a beard, cooly smoking a cigarette in the back seat): Ya when I was 5 I ran away from Home a joined a cult. ELDER FULLMER: 😶 HEMI (Another tatted up lady in the front passenger seat, very pierced): He's actually lying, though I was raised in a cult Well we proceeded to have a great conversation actually, they challenged us on a lot of the off ball questions, like polygamy and we told them how it was. Hemi actually answered most of the questions, and we found out she was actually an awesome former investigator. She even knew about the FLDS and RLDS groups! Half the time Sarah was filming us, but at the end she said " I came over because I was hoping to tease you!" I was hoping you would yell hellfire and Damnation at David, but you're too nice!" ELDER JOHNSON: "Well you can still tease us if you want" Hemi left us with some wisdom I really appreciated. she Said "Always be yourself. be 100% genuine, cause people these days can't stand it if you're fake." and I love it. I think this is something Many people struggle with today. As a missionary especially we are expected to be someone, but more and more I realize God just want's me for myself! So in short, Be Yourself! love yourself! Well we left as unlikely friends and then proceeded to finally meet with the less active we'd been trying to get a hold of! well I'm out of time, but I love ya'll! Here are a lot of pictures, I hope you enjoy them. I have a picture in the snow there, that was about a week and a half a go. the next one is of us at a booth, it was 20 degrees there! so warm! The weather is so bipolar, I don't understand how people live their entire lives here! that can't be healthy.

Prince of Peace Eh?

Well, we just had a fantastic General Conference! Way better than the super bowl, and it happens Twice a year! I love how simple the truths and doctrines are that were taught there, and its amazing that God is pretty plain and simple in his plan to help us return Home. I love that they each were centered on the plain and simple gospel of "Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End" I also love that that same pattern is how we are able to access the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. I am super excited about the Easter Initiative of the Church, "The Prince of Peace". I love that we can experience this peace in such trying times. Mormon.org is decked out with awesome videos of people who found peace through our savior Jesus Christ, and we learn how we can experience greater peace in our own lives through the principles taught on the page. I am so excited to share this with people, as peace truly is something that everyone craves in their lives. I invite you to check out the website, and share a video you like on Facebook! In my own life, I have found that Service is an amazing way to find greater peace. Out here our lives can be pretty hectic at times, and taking time to simply serve someone (strangers and family alike) gives me a break, and rest in christlike service. I love you guys! Have a Joyous week Elder Johnson