Farewell... June 16, 2014

This past week was crazy!! Best part was Specialized training with President and Sister Pitt. It was the last time we will see them. Our zone was their last group of missionaries so it was pretty emotional. IT was very spiritually intense. We did some really inspiring role plays. at the end we all sat in a circle and everyone stood and bore their testimony of the Savior. It was really powerful. Lots of tears from everyone. Ill really miss the Pitts. They said that we are sacred to them and hope that we stay in touch when we get home.

      We had a crazy week this week. Transfers is tomorrow and im staying. ill be getting 2 new companions!!! 2!! pretty dang cool. Ill have to run Lexington for a few weeks till they get a good feel for the new area. Im excited. President and Sister Salisbury arrive very soon, i cant wait to meet them. Rebecca is on date to be baptized on june 28!! i really hope that shell make it. We're working with her husband Salvidor, he speaks little English but he feels the spirit. They come to church every week and we asked Salvidor what he thought about it and he said "feels good. warm heart" and touched his heart and smiled! super awesome!! i love being a missionary! 

         We went about an hours drive into a really far part of our area to see some less active members. We stopped at a truck stop for a snack. We felt really out of place cuz it was us dressed up all nice in our Subaru and these dirty trucker men with these huge rigs haha. For Pday there are some members that are taking us to a zoo safari  today haha that should be fun. being a missionary is the best decision ive ever made.

Who the Lord calls, He qualifies

So this past week was super awesome!! I went on exchanges with my zone leader. I was really nervous at first cuz i had to run my area. So of course i prayed. I asked Heavenly Father for the strength and faith to do what he wants me to do. Right after i prayed the first thought that came to my mind was "who the Lord calls, He qualifies" Its so true. He wouldnt ask me to do anything that i wasent able to do so i went forward with full confidence. It was a really good day and we talked to some awesome people. During the end of the day we went tracting and so i picked a place  and we got there an d we prayed before we started to find a couple that would be willing to listen to us or invite us bacl. After i prayed then spirit told me that you will find people. Im not even kidding; right when we got out of the car there was a couple that was walking to theyre driveway and we Talked to them and said we could come back!!!! Then we knocked on some more doors and every person said we could come back!!!!! one of the guys was drunk but thats ok, the Lord loves everyone. Another lady, We knocked on her door and she came out and looked at us and started laughing. Confused we asked how she was doing and imtroduced ourselfs. she was like " i know who you are, i just think its crazy that right as i sat down and started reading my bible you guys showed up. Long story short she invited us back and took a Book of Mormon!! as we were leaaving her house a guy walking stopped us and talked with us, gave us his number and said he wants to meet with us!! CARZY!!!! so this week was really awesome. We just had a really fun zone pday. I love my zone, ive git really awesome missionaries around me! I sed the crock pot for the Zone Pday

x

Don't let the bed bugs bite!

 hey mom! so this weel was kinda bad... 

We got infested with bed bugs and we were quarantined for 1 1/12 days. We werent able to go out at all and it sucked. After that, we had a bed bug guy come and exterminate them. he got to our place at 11, and finished at 4pm. We werent able to go back into  our  apt till 9pm!!! We went out to Goshan and help tear down a trailer for these people in our ward. It wss pretty fun. Theyre son Matthew is going on a mission to idaho in 2 weeks so we hung out with him and ate dinner at theyre home. It was fun, they have a really nice big 4 story home! and for dinner we had mahi mahi!!! it was super good! anyway,we came back home that night and we had to do ALL our laundry so we went to the laundry mat and did it all, we got home at 2:30 am.  OH! also we had to deep clean our apt and move everything to the middle of all our rooms to prepare for the extermination. Its still not put together but at least we arent sleeping in the living room anymore  

 despite all that, This area is seriously mind blowing how beautiful it is!!!! i took lots of pictures. We went on a walk last night and we went on this trail that went along the river and it was amazing. It went through this tunnel, super pretty. OH!!!! On thursday we went up to drive on blueridge pass, most breath taking place, its famous for its beauty. We stopped at this one place on the side of the road and we walked up into it and it was seriously so tropical and like a rain forest. There were waterfalls and trees and streams, it was like we were in the avatar world!! sooooo gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

This place is so beautiful, it does'nt even look real.

This looks like the Sacred Grove to me

Farewell Pikeville Kentucky Hello Lexington Virginia!

Elder Johnson has been transferred to Lexington Virginia.  He loved The people he met in Pikeville and Im sure he will never forget them.  We got to skype with him on Mothers Day and it was great to see his smile and hear his voice.  He is so happy being a missionary.  Today he wrote ,"We made a goal as a district to find 3 new investigators.  We found 2 earlier in the week but hadnt yet found another.  Sunday came around, so we searched right after we got out of church.  We tried a bunch of potentials, all really nice people, but none were able to meet with us.   We kept praying and looking.  It was getting time to go home, so we prayed again and tried one last person.  That last person let us in and we met our goal of 3 new investigators!!  It was such a faith building experiance!  The Lord answers our prayers in His time.  It goes to show that we need ot keep working and the Lord will help us.  It was definatly a testimony builder.

Easter Sunday in Pikeville.  

Elder Johnson's first snowy  winter was spent in Pikeville.  He had fun learning to sled

Flat Stanley, Hillbilly days and a pants burning!

its POURING rain today and the thunder is constant and loud! its fun!! We do tracting. We tracted up this mountain yesturday! we parked the car at the top, tracted down then walked back up! 2 miles round trip!! thats really awesome about the sweet peas! i love how you tied it into the gospel. The did apartment inspections the other day! it reminded me of when i went with you! It was a senior couple and they took us and the sisters out to lunch! then we had a flat but fixed it right up! ill send ya some pics! loveya!

The Easter Bunny Dropped off a huge box of delicious candy at my door!!! He said that you told him that i love sees ;)
Well i Forgot my satchel at the Capeners last night so i dont have any pics from this past week :( 

This week went by really fast! We went on excahnges with  the District leader, Elder Prince went with Elder Hurt and i went with Elder Rodriguez. they went to go see the Capener. when  i saw Ryker on sunday he ran up to me with a huge smile  and was like " Your back!!!!! " hahah  Me and Elder Rodriguez were in the MTC together and were in the same dorm so we were excited about that. Id say the highlight of my week was yesturday with the Capeners and it being Easter! She went all out for us! when  we got there we helped her finish up dinner then the Easter bunny had left some Easter eggs for the missionaries to find! And he made some really cool Easter baskets for us! She read us a story about the first Easter basket. Then this other family came over (the Shezzlys) theyre a non member family, friends of the Capeners We ate dinner with them and we had a lesson cuz Sarah was hoping that we'd teach them and expose them to the gosple. So we watched the Videos about Easter on the home page of Mormon channel then talked about the Atonement. It was really awesome because the spirit was really strong and the Non members were participating and their kids were to! it was so great! then Sarah gave her a Book of Mormon with her testimony in it! 

    This week was good. We met with Tammy and her son Robby. He reminds me a lot of Grant haha. Shes been struggling and dosent have a car to get to church in. Her daughter, Virgina was in  her room with her baby but came in every once and a while. Ross has been progressing really well and is trying to get his wife interested to! We havent met her yet. Sonny is really cool! We have an appointment with hm tuesday! his wife should be able to sit down with us this time. Shes been studying at UPIKE to become an RN ;) 

      We drove all the way to Elkorn to see a less active lady. The drive was amazing. All the trees are leaving and the colors of the bushes and everything is sooo beautiful! just like the pics me and mom looked up before i left. There was this abandon school with busted windows and all the doors open so of course we went in and explored! It was SUPER creepy and so awesome! we didnt go all the way through 1 cuz there was a pitch black hall way and we werent gunna go doen it cuz we didnt have a flash light and also it was time to meet with that lady. She was really nice. We shared a Mormon Message and she asked for a blessing. 

   Well i hope yall are doing good. i think about the family all the time and also members of the ward. and the Burdens. How is everyone? dont forget to send the pics of the family!!!! i wanna have them on my desk! :) OH! have you recieved my DVM thing yet!?? im itchin to drive!! Love you and dont forget to write. Love, Elder Johnson

       

Here is Elder Johnson, Elder Prince, and "Flat Stanley"  Cadence had to send Stanely on a trip somewhere and then make a report with pictures about his travels.  Im sure she will get an "A"

              

 This is a video of Elder Johnson at a "pants burning"  when a missionary hits the one year mark they burn a pair of worn out pants as a rite of passage. Glad to see he is still himself.

A Hillbilly Days parade float

"Hillbilly Days" is a big festival in Pikeville every year.  Elder Johnson was lucky enough to be there when it  was going on

Kentucky Fried chicken is taken seriously in these parts!

I guess there is some room for a word of wisdom lesson.

The long and winding staircase

Elder Johnson thought this place was pretty impressive.  

Elder Johnson and his companion met this man who happened to be from Huntington Beach.  He used to play basketball at Mile Square Park with Jareds dad!  Small world! He has met lots of interesting people.  Elder Johnson and his companion met a man who is a biker, they went to church together.  The man fishes with the Duck Dynasty family.  I 'm sure there are some good stories there.

Crazy staircase!! There is Elder Johnson at the bottom 

This sign was on the door of a house they saw.

Can you spot Elder Johnson on the right ?  They were doing a service project at this house.
He has had the opportunity to do lots of service.  He and some other missionaries attended a funeral for some people they met.  The family asked them to be the "funeral choir" so they did.  I guess you just need to be willing whenever the need arises.

This is a business right across the street from Elder Johnson's apartment.  He thinks the name is pretty funny.

Squirrel Anyone???

Elder "Soggy Bottom" Johnson fell in the mud again!

I have fallen in the mud a few times already and the other missionaries are starting to call me Elder Soggy Bottom.  At least I was in my preparation day clothes.  I was offered squirrel for a dinner appointment.  I can't wait to try it!  I NEVER say ewww or judge, or anything.  If I think something is gross, I clean my plate, say thanks, and drink lots of water hahaha :

Me and Elder Prince went on splits with president Roberts and a guy named Alex  from the branch.  I went  with Alex.  I was nervous cuz it was my first time taking the lead and running the show all by myself,  but with a prayer and faith I was able to do it.  Knowing that Heavenly Father is on my side and has his angels helping me at all times gives me a lot of confidence.   I was reading the book, Jesus the Christ the other day and found some notes in the margins written by Joseph when he was on his mission!  It was cool to think that same book went with both of us on our missions!  I've learned  a lot of things out here.  One is that money isn't everything.  People with less are always more humble, happy, and grateful to the Lord.