hey everyone.
i quess i don't need to tell you about the tornadoes. we heard about them last night, we just got drenched. luckily my coat is good in the rain, the water just runs off. however elder neilson got soaked and he was drenched. he was freezing. so that didn't make it very fun. we were out tracting in very heavy rain and we meet a really mean lady. no only did she not want to listen to us, she said, your getting wet, and slammed the door. but oh well, it's her agency.
we have ahd some problems lately though but some amazing referals. most of our appointments fall through and two of our investigators asked us to drop them. one of them is the one that was committed to being baptized, but we think she's being pushed away by outside forces. the other is really busy and he asked for a thrity day break. but he told us he has felt a change since he met us. so theres stillhope for both of them.
on saturday we did exhanges with some elders in Louisa, one of which is elder beames, my companion from the MTC. We went to Goochland, it's in our area but about thirty minutes away, so it doesn't get done very often, and started tracting. the second house we got to was an older lady and she was excited to see us. it's turns out that the missionaries came by about a year and hlaf ago and watched the Lamb of God with her. they gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and never came back. she has read it and prayed about it. she knows it is true. we made a retrun appointment so well be heading by on mondya. then we came into a less active member and turns out she wants to come back it's just to far. she also has a brother, who is in intensive care. he had a brain annorism. he had surgery but it's still been very hard on her faimly. but what was amzing about it was that she just got there we arrived near her home. then she had to leave soon. it was an incredible experience.
we also recieved a referal gfor this lady, it's turns out she's not in our boundries, but the zone office wasn't sure. so we stopped by and she just said how much of a hard time she's been going through. she has tried to kill herself twice, and she has no income. she's in a bad mess and wants help, but can't find it. we can tell she's prepared.
sunday was amazing. we talked in church. i was the third speaker out of four. the last speaker was President Bria, the first cousilour in the mission presidency, and he was amazing. he told some amazing stories about missionary work. he talked about how he joined the church. he was in high shcool and a group a girls just kept saying hi to him. he had no idea who they were but somehow they knew him. he finnaly asks them and a girl invited him to seminary and wanted him to take her. he went the first day and did not want to go back. he ends up taking her and her firends to school and the whole day people were asking him how he got his car full of beautiful girls. well after school the girl he took to seminary asks him if he wants to go again. he said, the rest is history.
i heard another story about him from my companions. he went to France on his mission and they had a memebr of the first presdiency come. he said at France you were considered lucky to get one baptism your whole mission at france. but the general authority said, you ll can get one baptism each month, lack of appliciation is the only deturnant. (not sure if it's spelled right.) he amkes it his goal for the rest of the mission to do that. each companionship had intervies with him and he extends the goal to president Bria. he accepts his companion later tells him it can't happen. then they get called in again and he said, you can get two babtism each month. the first couple of months they had no baptisms but then he was praying in a park and a girl tapps him on the houlder and says she's been coming to church for a while and wants to be babtized. the next month he had two, then foyur, then 8. he had many babtisms there and i thought it was ana amazing story.
thats all i have for right now, but i was going to try getting a phone card,, but i quess you can send it to me, just let me know where to call if it turns out to be at grandmas. elder yelton will have it rough on mothers day though. he will call and then he goes home the next week. i also do need my birth certificate for my lisence. a copy will not work.
well thats it. no more probelms with emailing, i hope. (knock on wood.)
Elder Johnson
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
April 22, 2008
Dear Family,
Sorry, I'm not able to e-mail home today. They did not allow my companion's letter for a library card for proof that I live here, even though they allowed me to have a day pass last week. So I'm a little frustrated. So I have to write this time.
Well, this week has been amazing. We had many AMI's, which is a lesson to invite members to invite their friends into their home to teach them. It's very effective from what little I've seen. But basicly everything else fell through. Like Eloise, last week wanted to be baptized, now she has changed her mind. But the good news is she still wants the lessons. On Sunday, they held a program called the Mormon Chorale. It was amazing, it was about the Book of Mormon and how it's another testament of Christ. It was incredible.
It's been very rainy the past few days here. Yesterday we went tracting for a few hours in it. It was fun though. Elder Nielson been loving it, the pollen is no longer killing him. So far it hasn't been bugging me. Knock on wood.
Well I've really enjoyed it here so far. A lot of different faiths here. We ran into mostly Baptists, but also Presbyterians, Methodist, a Greek Orthodox, some Hindus, Jews, and Muslims. In fact on Sunday we talked with a member who converted last year from Islam and told us he a conversation with his father. His father doesn't like how he joined the church and how he betrayed Islam. But he said the church just built upon what he knew as a muslim. It was really interesting how he thinks all the different religions are actually stepping stones to prepare for this church. I'm also giving a talk on Sunday. So that's exciting news. Well that's all for today. Next week hopefully, I can type. No promises, though.
Elder Johnson
PS. What are gas prices like there? It's $3.50 in places, One day we drove by in the morning and that night it had gone up by 5 cents.
Sorry, I'm not able to e-mail home today. They did not allow my companion's letter for a library card for proof that I live here, even though they allowed me to have a day pass last week. So I'm a little frustrated. So I have to write this time.
Well, this week has been amazing. We had many AMI's, which is a lesson to invite members to invite their friends into their home to teach them. It's very effective from what little I've seen. But basicly everything else fell through. Like Eloise, last week wanted to be baptized, now she has changed her mind. But the good news is she still wants the lessons. On Sunday, they held a program called the Mormon Chorale. It was amazing, it was about the Book of Mormon and how it's another testament of Christ. It was incredible.
It's been very rainy the past few days here. Yesterday we went tracting for a few hours in it. It was fun though. Elder Nielson been loving it, the pollen is no longer killing him. So far it hasn't been bugging me. Knock on wood.
Well I've really enjoyed it here so far. A lot of different faiths here. We ran into mostly Baptists, but also Presbyterians, Methodist, a Greek Orthodox, some Hindus, Jews, and Muslims. In fact on Sunday we talked with a member who converted last year from Islam and told us he a conversation with his father. His father doesn't like how he joined the church and how he betrayed Islam. But he said the church just built upon what he knew as a muslim. It was really interesting how he thinks all the different religions are actually stepping stones to prepare for this church. I'm also giving a talk on Sunday. So that's exciting news. Well that's all for today. Next week hopefully, I can type. No promises, though.
Elder Johnson
PS. What are gas prices like there? It's $3.50 in places, One day we drove by in the morning and that night it had gone up by 5 cents.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
April 15, 2008
hey everyone,
it turns out that my p-day is actually on tuesday. so here i am. it is so amazing here. it is so green and yellow.(pollen) you can see it all over the car. so no i'm not in a bike area right now but its been great here so far. my companions name is Elder Yelton and Elder Neilson. Elder Yelton leaves in a month. he tells me he is very jealous. he is from Denver Colorado. my other companion is from idaho(i cant remember where). it been great here, the fisrt day the heat really got me but it's been fine since. i alsop have had two meals with members. one was a hispanic family and they were very nice. i liked the meal they had, chicken, rice, and salad. that was the second, the first was my first day here. it was an older sister, she was incredibly nice, the meal i'm still suprised it sayed down. it was sweet and sour macroni with meatballs, something that was supposed to be chicken, and canned fruit, all in a cassorale. it tasted much worse than it sounds, but i ate it. so be proud. there has been very many investigators were teeaching, so far evry lesson has fallen through sense i've been here but, i've meet most of them. one person's name is Jack. he is a retired lawyer, who is now selling realistate and cars. he is very friendly and is very intersted in the gospel. we also have been teaching a sister's friend in her home. her name is elouise and last saturday and her friend committed her to be baptized. she accepted. there another family that sounds very close to wanting to be baptized. it's been amazing here. oh yeah the area i'm in is called Gayton, it's still considered Richmond. it's just north of Richmond. i have also seen a Papa Johns here and i have also seen a Maggie Moo's. so it's got both my old jobs here. i'm really loving it here. the ward is very nice and many are trying to get friends intesrted in the gospel. my address here right now is
2532 Potomac Hunt Lane #1a
Richmond VA 23233
A few days ago we were tracting and turned out we were in a spanish area. so we had our jackets on and knocked on a door. we saw a light in a peephole and it goes dark and the lights turn off as we heard some scampering. so later we think they thought we were border patrol or something. we thought it was a little funny. we also served a nonmember on saturday. they had some friends who were members and asked if we could help them out. we filled up about thrity bags of leaves and rainign off and on. it started wehen we arrived but quit miost of the time we were working. she was very appreciative. she asked how many times we call home and we told her and she couldn't believe it. she said she would be praying that our mothers could handle it. she was very nice. so thats all that's really happened so far. i don't know if i need a phone card or not but i'll let you know. so for now that's all.
it turns out that my p-day is actually on tuesday. so here i am. it is so amazing here. it is so green and yellow.(pollen) you can see it all over the car. so no i'm not in a bike area right now but its been great here so far. my companions name is Elder Yelton and Elder Neilson. Elder Yelton leaves in a month. he tells me he is very jealous. he is from Denver Colorado. my other companion is from idaho(i cant remember where). it been great here, the fisrt day the heat really got me but it's been fine since. i alsop have had two meals with members. one was a hispanic family and they were very nice. i liked the meal they had, chicken, rice, and salad. that was the second, the first was my first day here. it was an older sister, she was incredibly nice, the meal i'm still suprised it sayed down. it was sweet and sour macroni with meatballs, something that was supposed to be chicken, and canned fruit, all in a cassorale. it tasted much worse than it sounds, but i ate it. so be proud. there has been very many investigators were teeaching, so far evry lesson has fallen through sense i've been here but, i've meet most of them. one person's name is Jack. he is a retired lawyer, who is now selling realistate and cars. he is very friendly and is very intersted in the gospel. we also have been teaching a sister's friend in her home. her name is elouise and last saturday and her friend committed her to be baptized. she accepted. there another family that sounds very close to wanting to be baptized. it's been amazing here. oh yeah the area i'm in is called Gayton, it's still considered Richmond. it's just north of Richmond. i have also seen a Papa Johns here and i have also seen a Maggie Moo's. so it's got both my old jobs here. i'm really loving it here. the ward is very nice and many are trying to get friends intesrted in the gospel. my address here right now is
2532 Potomac Hunt Lane #1a
Richmond VA 23233
A few days ago we were tracting and turned out we were in a spanish area. so we had our jackets on and knocked on a door. we saw a light in a peephole and it goes dark and the lights turn off as we heard some scampering. so later we think they thought we were border patrol or something. we thought it was a little funny. we also served a nonmember on saturday. they had some friends who were members and asked if we could help them out. we filled up about thrity bags of leaves and rainign off and on. it started wehen we arrived but quit miost of the time we were working. she was very appreciative. she asked how many times we call home and we told her and she couldn't believe it. she said she would be praying that our mothers could handle it. she was very nice. so thats all that's really happened so far. i don't know if i need a phone card or not but i'll let you know. so for now that's all.
Letter from Pres. Millburn
Dear Brother and Sister Johnson:
We were pleased to welcome your son, Elder Steven Roy Johnson, to the Virginia Richmond Mission. We love him already and are aware of his great potential to be an excellent missionary. He spent one day with us receiving orientation, and he is in good health and good spirits. His drive and determination will be of tremendous help as he joins a wonderful group of missionaries already serving the Lord in this area. Elder Johnson has been assigned to the Richmond Zone. His first companions, Elders Benjamin Lars Neilson and Andrew James Yelton are excellent missionaries who will do an outstanding job training your son for his service to the Lord.
All mail and parcels should be sent directly to your missionary. His new address is:
2532 Potomac Hunt Lane Apt 1A
Richmond, VA 23233
We invite you and your family members to read The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, while your missionary is in the field. As you prayerfully and earnestly read this book, you will increase your understanding and faith in the plan of our Heavenly Father.
We are thankful for the part you played inpreparing Elder Johnson to serve this mission, and we are honored to serve with him. Enclosed is a photo we took upon his arrival at the Mission Home. May the Lord abundantly bless you as you support him in this call.
Sincerely,
President Mark B. Millburn
We were pleased to welcome your son, Elder Steven Roy Johnson, to the Virginia Richmond Mission. We love him already and are aware of his great potential to be an excellent missionary. He spent one day with us receiving orientation, and he is in good health and good spirits. His drive and determination will be of tremendous help as he joins a wonderful group of missionaries already serving the Lord in this area. Elder Johnson has been assigned to the Richmond Zone. His first companions, Elders Benjamin Lars Neilson and Andrew James Yelton are excellent missionaries who will do an outstanding job training your son for his service to the Lord.
All mail and parcels should be sent directly to your missionary. His new address is:
2532 Potomac Hunt Lane Apt 1A
Richmond, VA 23233
We invite you and your family members to read The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, while your missionary is in the field. As you prayerfully and earnestly read this book, you will increase your understanding and faith in the plan of our Heavenly Father.
We are thankful for the part you played inpreparing Elder Johnson to serve this mission, and we are honored to serve with him. Enclosed is a photo we took upon his arrival at the Mission Home. May the Lord abundantly bless you as you support him in this call.
Sincerely,
President Mark B. Millburn
April 9, 2008
Hey everyone,
Last week was incredible. On thursday we had a huge number of referrals in the RC and I also taught with my two companions thi third lesson. It went very well. Then we had conference. Did you all think it was just amazing? Saturday night after Priesthood I started having ice cream withdrawls, but I was able to convince my companions to get some. Then monday and tuesday was the last time with my teachers, Bro Pomlowski and Sis Smith. I also had to get a haircut, mine was too long. So I'm not liking my new haircut too well, but I'm over it. Then tuesday we had our last devotional. The speaker was Robert S. Wood. He talked about truth. it was incredible. It was amazing. he talked about how to gain truth and explained the difference between knowledge and truth. He also showed us two graphs made by a non-member, one was about world population and the other was world capita. Both looked almost identical. Both were low until near the end and shot straight upward. He said it all started about 1820. (First Vision). It was very interesting. Also last Wednesday we had some new elders come into our zone that are going to Australia. That night our zone leaders and my companions planned an initiation test. It was really funny they recorded themselves singing My Girl. Now my companions sing it all of the time, but it was funny. (I wasn't in it.)
I just arrived at Richmond and it's airport was small compared to the one in Georgia. It is so different here. There a lot of trees and is really green. Before we even got off the plane, we felt the humidity. So far I think this place looks great.
Elder Johnson
Last week was incredible. On thursday we had a huge number of referrals in the RC and I also taught with my two companions thi third lesson. It went very well. Then we had conference. Did you all think it was just amazing? Saturday night after Priesthood I started having ice cream withdrawls, but I was able to convince my companions to get some. Then monday and tuesday was the last time with my teachers, Bro Pomlowski and Sis Smith. I also had to get a haircut, mine was too long. So I'm not liking my new haircut too well, but I'm over it. Then tuesday we had our last devotional. The speaker was Robert S. Wood. He talked about truth. it was incredible. It was amazing. he talked about how to gain truth and explained the difference between knowledge and truth. He also showed us two graphs made by a non-member, one was about world population and the other was world capita. Both looked almost identical. Both were low until near the end and shot straight upward. He said it all started about 1820. (First Vision). It was very interesting. Also last Wednesday we had some new elders come into our zone that are going to Australia. That night our zone leaders and my companions planned an initiation test. It was really funny they recorded themselves singing My Girl. Now my companions sing it all of the time, but it was funny. (I wasn't in it.)
I just arrived at Richmond and it's airport was small compared to the one in Georgia. It is so different here. There a lot of trees and is really green. Before we even got off the plane, we felt the humidity. So far I think this place looks great.
Elder Johnson
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
April 8, 2008
i will get to call tomorrow, about 6:45 to about 8:30 o'clock in the morning at Salt Lake. so just to let you know. but i will right to you tommorrow tell you about virginia.
we also will be able to call at 4:30 in georgia. so i'll probably call then. and i thought confernce was just amazing. i loved each session. i have a very cool story to tell you. my companion elder Peterson was in the referal center and he calls this lady who was excommunicated from the Catholic chuch because she was abused and divorced her husband. she told him how she just wanted the best for her kids and he beras his testimony and says just how important families are to the church and how she is held respossible because she was abused. then he committed her to watch confernce and she seemed very excited to see it. the teacher was listening on her computer and tears were in her eyes. so saturday morning confernce was all about families and one was about abuse. we all know she was suppossed to her that message. it was an amazing experince and he know wants to know if she watched it or not. but we are certain he did and that the speakers were inspired to speak about that. that's the cooloest story for right now. well i'll write you later. Elder Johnson
we also will be able to call at 4:30 in georgia. so i'll probably call then. and i thought confernce was just amazing. i loved each session. i have a very cool story to tell you. my companion elder Peterson was in the referal center and he calls this lady who was excommunicated from the Catholic chuch because she was abused and divorced her husband. she told him how she just wanted the best for her kids and he beras his testimony and says just how important families are to the church and how she is held respossible because she was abused. then he committed her to watch confernce and she seemed very excited to see it. the teacher was listening on her computer and tears were in her eyes. so saturday morning confernce was all about families and one was about abuse. we all know she was suppossed to her that message. it was an amazing experince and he know wants to know if she watched it or not. but we are certain he did and that the speakers were inspired to speak about that. that's the cooloest story for right now. well i'll write you later. Elder Johnson
Guess you didn't get week one...
hey everyonegreetings from the MTC. sorry my letter was little short, i just hadn't had much happen yet. my companion name is Elder Justin Monzingo from Pheonix. well he was my companion. he went home yesterday. it was really sad. but i gained so much respect for him because of it. he was forced to go and he just wanted to make his own decison before he came and he had some things he needed to take care of first. he had an amazing testimony too. my two roommates and new companions are, elder Peterson from wellsville, Utah, and the other is Elder Beames from Idaho. we all are going to richmond, along with four others. Elder Burmeister, Elder Meier, Elder Barr, and Elder, Peacock. there are all great. Oh yeah, Dan, Elder Burmiester was a secrututy guard before coming here. i have learned so much here and the spirit is just amazing. i love it here. yesterday we went to the referal center. there we called people upon the phone and checked on orders for dvd, or scriptures. it was fun but really slow, because we mostly had busy or answering machines. i did manage to talk to to people, one person had moved and no longer was there, and the other turned out she ordered something a few years ago and panicked when i asked if she recived the movie. there we also try to refer the missionaries there, but so far my whole district has just one and no clue how many attempts.i also have taught the first lesson to some volunteers here. it went so great and it also happened to be Elder Monzingo's last day. we did a great job and I knew Elder Monzingo had a strong testimony and i know he will do great, I can't remember what day it was but i placed one of grandpa's hankerchiefs in my suitpocket and i felt just so great. such a strong spirit entered the room and i felt so at peace. another great experience happened when elder monzingo was calling home. i was sitting in the secrataries office when i felt this presence walkin, but no one was there. then i felt a hand on my shoulder but no one was there. then over a speaker the music to God be with you till we meet again began to play. it was such an amzing experince. it was increbilble.Just to repeat, i love it here. the food is great, they've rarely had something i haven't liked. only once i didn't try anything they cooked. so i'm doing good. so i'm doinmg great here and can't wait to get to the Virginia Richmond Mission.Elder Steven Johnson
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
April 2, 2008
this week has been intersting. it was tough at first trying to get used to my new companionship. atleast i knew them already but it was still a challenge. Elder Riley Peterson, from Wellsville, Utah, was a soccer player for Mountain Crest, but he blew out both his knees early in the season. he said he was having a great year at the time. he thinks he could hav made all-state. then my other Companion, Elder Jarvis Beames, from Peoria, Idaho, was a wrestler and an allstate runningback. howver he can no longer play, he injured himself really bad and he told a story how when he entered the field that game, he just felt like it was his last game. he said if it is, i't's going to be one of my greatest. he said he had his best game ever in the first three quaters but then he went down in the fourth. it was very sad stroy but he said how it nevr hurt and how he stayed at the game. then he had surgery to repair it and it ended up not healing right. but he says how much it's strengthened him though. then this week as flown compared to the last one. the first week was dreadfully slow, but now your wondering where it's gone. yetserday we had Marcus b. Nash of the seventy speak to us. it was excellent. but nothing really bi is standing our right now. other than we taught a lesson on monday. we taught the Plan of Salvation and we were supposed to extend a baptismal commitment. the person we had however was incredibly stubborn and was supossed to believe in the Book of Mormon. he did think so, so it made it quite difficult.
> i also got my first referal at the RC. i called him up and it was a business so i though great no way anyone is going to talk. it turns out that he was just so thrilled that i called. he wanted to know so much more after watching the Lamb of God, and it was so amazing. another intesrting story there was from elder Burmiester. he had a person call him and just said that man found this card on the ground with that phone number and just felt like he needed to call it. they ended up talking for about an hour. he taught him pretty the whole first lesson. then my companion elder Peterson called someone up and said how they were praying for someone. it was so cool. it's just amazing there.
> now for a funny story. one of the Elders in our disrtict, Elder Barr(also going to Richmond) talks very loud in his sleep. i have also heard he's yelled a couple of times. wakes everyone up except him. so his Comapaion yesterday bought earplugs and ended up sleeping through the alarm clock. it was funny but i'm so glad i don't share the room with them lucky i never have heard him yell, yet.
> last thurdays we all got our plane information. i have a two hour layover in Atlanta, Georgia. so i will be in Richmond next wensday about 6:00 PM. just one week left here at the MTc before i make it to the missionfield.
> so everything is going great here, i can't wait to see confernce this weekend and who the new apostle will be.
> steven
> i also got my first referal at the RC. i called him up and it was a business so i though great no way anyone is going to talk. it turns out that he was just so thrilled that i called. he wanted to know so much more after watching the Lamb of God, and it was so amazing. another intesrting story there was from elder Burmiester. he had a person call him and just said that man found this card on the ground with that phone number and just felt like he needed to call it. they ended up talking for about an hour. he taught him pretty the whole first lesson. then my companion elder Peterson called someone up and said how they were praying for someone. it was so cool. it's just amazing there.
> now for a funny story. one of the Elders in our disrtict, Elder Barr(also going to Richmond) talks very loud in his sleep. i have also heard he's yelled a couple of times. wakes everyone up except him. so his Comapaion yesterday bought earplugs and ended up sleeping through the alarm clock. it was funny but i'm so glad i don't share the room with them lucky i never have heard him yell, yet.
> last thurdays we all got our plane information. i have a two hour layover in Atlanta, Georgia. so i will be in Richmond next wensday about 6:00 PM. just one week left here at the MTc before i make it to the missionfield.
> so everything is going great here, i can't wait to see confernce this weekend and who the new apostle will be.
> steven
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)