It was kinda funny the looks we got

howdy! 

this week has been a crazy one with transfers and gettin my new companion! His name is elder Yocom! hes from Logan Utah! hes full of life and ready to work! we get along real well! i look forward to workin more with him! 

I got to serve a day in Lexington this past week! it was really fun bein in a past area! While there we went to the jail and visited a member. it was kinda funny the looks we got; LDS missionaries in a jail haha. but the guy was super coo! hes got plans to be super active in church when hes released. he reads his scriptures and shares the gospel with the other inmates! hes such a cool guy. we had a district meeting this weekend and there is a senior couple in the district; the luecks. They lived in Fountain Valley for a year and helped build the new stadium at Huntington Beach high! what a small world! we all went to a restaurant as a district, it was a lot of fun! 

Well not to much has happened sense thursday. hope yall have a great week! 

love Elder Johnson 

Our jaws were on the floor!

hope yall had New years was awesome! Elder Anderton and I got a pizza hut BBQ pizza and sparkling cider and had a party for 2 at our house haha. We had a really great week! Went on an exchange with Elder Stout, that was a blast!! hes an awesome. He finishes his mission in 10 days! crazy! We got 2 really awesome referrals, one being from Sister Salisbury! (mission Presidents wife) The one from sister Salisbury was a lady who called the mission office asking about a family history class that she heard that our branch had. shes excited and said she would come. family history is such a great finding tool, people really like to do their family history! the other referral is a women who saw a church ad on Facebook and requested scriptures. so we went to her home and gave her scriptures and she welcomed us right in and was excited to see us! She has been looking for a church and wants to come with us! our jaws were on the floor haha! it was so exciting to find someone who was so willing and ready to learn! 

  Our area here in Covington is doing great and im so thankful that i get to serve here. We had a Zone meeting in Lexington, that was a powerful meeting! i love gathering as a zone and learning from one another. im really glad i decided to serve a mission. it has been the best thing i have ever done. ive come so close to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Its such a fun and exciting time to serve full time! so many opportunities to share the gospel are all around us.  

Transfers are next week! im gunna guess im stayin. BUT! ya never know where the Lord is gunna send ya! have a great week! love yall so much! 

Elder Johnson 

So we hid in the closet and waited till they left!

 Got the transfer news! im staying in covington! President Salisbury called me yesterday and asked me to be a district leader trainer! so ill continue being a district leader as well as training a brand spankin new elder! im pumped! ill get him late tomorrow. Servin with Elder Anderton has been fun! hes a good kid, really easy to get along with. Man, we had a lot of things happen this week, i wish i had time to write about all the adventures we had! 

Well our pipes froze cuz it got so cold so only cold water came out... so the shower was not pleasant. we got it fixed, but we're planning on moving to another house soon! the ones we looked at were nice! 

Alicha, in the White Sulphur area got baptized on Sunday!! i got to interview her for baptism! she has such a light about her and so prepared for the gospel! her finance baptized her. it was my first time interviewing someone for baptism, i felt so inadequate haha. I was with Elder Stout, on an exchange. we went to this cupcake place to get hot chocolate. Long story short, the credit card thing wasn't workin so we got a free cupcake, hot chocolate and pepperoni rolls! not as good as Pinkys though ;)for all you golf fans out there, we stopped by the Green brier, a very cool lookin place. 

awkward storys of this week; tried opening this persons glass screen door and the handles feel off haha, they didnt answer so we put it back together haha. On sunday we were getting some baptismal clothes for alichas baptism, we had to go through the womens bathroom to get to them so we had a guy stand outside to make sure no ladies came in, well he didnt do his job... as we were in the closet by the baptismal font, we hear a lady come in! so we hid in the closet and waited till they left hahaha. 

Well gotta go! hope yall have a great week! ill be back monday! 

Love Elder Johnson 

Our jaws were on the floor!

hope yall had New years was awesome! Elder Anderton and I got a pizza hut BBQ pizza and sparkling cider and had a party for 2 at our house haha. We had a really great week! Went on an exchange with Elder Stout, that was a blast!! hes an awesome. He finishes his mission in 10 days! crazy! We got 2 really awesome referrals, one being from Sister Salisbury! (mission Presidents wife) The one from sister Salisbury was a lady who called the mission office asking about a family history class that she heard that our branch had. shes excited and said she would come. family history is such a great finding tool, people really like to do their family history! the other referral is a women who saw a church ad on Facebook and requested scriptures. so we went to her home and gave her scriptures and she welcomed us right in and was excited to see us! She has been looking for a church and wants to come with us! our jaws were on the floor haha! it was so exciting to find someone who was so willing and ready to learn! 

  Our area here in Covington is doing great and im so thankful that i get to serve here. We had a Zone meeting in Lexington, that was a powerful meeting! i love gathering as a zone and learning from one another. im really glad i decided to serve a mission. it has been the best thing i have ever done. ive come so close to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Its such a fun and exciting time to serve full time! so many opportunities to share the gospel are all around us.  

Transfers are next week! im gunna guess im stayin. BUT! ya never know where the Lord is gunna send ya! have a great week! love yall so much! 

Elder Johnson 

This year has gone by way too fast!

 It was such a great Christmas! Christmas eve we took people plates of random desserts. We stopped by to give one to the Tucker family. she opened the door and had us come right in and took our jackets and just went in the kitchen and started making us food! hahaha the Lockhart family had us over for Christmas breakfast and skype! they are a great family, made us feel right at home! we were well taken care of.  Talking with the family was the best Christmas present ever!! its funny how much my siblings have changed, especially Cadence! my parents didnt change much, looking 10 years younger than they are as usual haha. 

     We stopped by to see Darce hayes again, and my favorite part of that visit was her telling us how church should be. We need to be making joyful noises and yelling "Praise Jesus!!" and clapping our hands! haha. Shes awesome. 

      Tim came to church yesterday!!!!! i wondered how he would react to the service because its really different to what hes used to. i said a prayer in hopes that he'd enjoy it. before and after the 3rd hour he was going on about how comfortable, calm and welcomed he felt! he said he felt warm and like he was meant to be there. After he said that 6-7 people told him they were glad to see him and to come back haha. i explained that he was feeling the spirit and he smiled and agreed and said he wants to bring his family. As we (a member drove him with us ) were taking him home he started asking about baptism and how it works! How cool is that!? 

    New years comin up, and so is my hump day! (year mark). this year has gone by way to fast! Ive grown soo much this year. ive learned a lot about myself and even more importantly about my Savior Jesus Christ. I love yall!! have a happy new year! 

                              Love, Elder Johnson 

MeRrY ChRiStMaS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!! 

man, what a time of year! Everyone is so happy and excited and nice! it should be like this all year round! its so great being a missionary and talk about the true meaning of Christmas with people! especially being able to represent Him who the Christmas season is all about! Using the #HeTheGift pass along card has been soo helpful, AND successful! 

Well things have been going good with Jodie and Logan. She is really working to be baptized and i know it is gunna happen. Satan is working hard but he wont win! 

We had a GREAT lesson with Timothy! we brought Bro Wilkins with us and they were able to connect so well! Bro Wilkns used to be baptist and have the same concerns that tim has, before he got baptized! tims wife sat in with us, which she didnt do before! theyre both excited to come to church. Tim was saying that "something" inside him is telling him that this is the right path for him! Ahh, gotta love the when the spirit works with people like that. 

had my first district meeting as a district leader on Wednesday! i think it went well! there is a senior couple in the district, theyre awesome! the whole district is great! its not as scary as i made my self think it was. i love being able to serve others and learn more about myself and how to be a better Preach My Gospel missionary. 

The branch president has this huge mansion that they made a bed and breakfast. they had a high priest party there on this past week, it was a lot of fun! i was scared that i was gunna mess up or break something haha. We  went over again this weekend to help them rake up leaves. there were soooo ,many, but we had a good time! 

have a merry Christmas! I appreciate the packages, letters and emails! love yall so much!! 

Elder Johnson 

Get to wear his name over my heart

What a week of AMAZING miracles! We have been having some really awesome things happen here in Covington. Its a great place filled with even greater people. The main highlight of this week was with Jodie and Logan. She has been working really hard to quit smoking so she can be baptized, and this past weekend she and Logan had some powerful experiences.

We had the stop smoking workshop lesson with her and brother Kevin Milburn. Kevin has recently (6 months ago) come home from a mission. We set her on date for January 31. she was hesitant so we asked her to pray about it and let us know the next morning how she felt. She called us in the morning and told us that she had a dream and was told by her father (who has passed on) that she needed to be baptized!! Were so pumped! At church she was having some pain and craving and asked for a blessing. After the blessing she looked at us and was like " what vudo did you do to me?!" she was joking hahaha, but she got a teary eyed and said i feel tingly inside, a good feeling. We explained that it was the Spirit. It was amazing. AND  Logan who dosent ever wanna pray because he is shy, asked to say the closing prayer in class at church!!! it was such a pure prayer. 

    We went over last night cuz she wanted us to take the rest of the cigs that she had and all her coffee and stuff to make it. So we crushed everything and tossed it! #NoRegrets. She also told us that she has no desire to smoke anymore, cleaned her house and Logan is nagging her about not smoking s we're excited! She wants to be baptized on Jan. 1 now! its possible if she quits!   

    In other exciting news, i got to meet Darce Hayes, one of our Sassy, soul filled gators. She loves Jesus and loves to let us know! hahaha i love her, shes probably 75, black. We gave her a large print Book of Mormon so she can read it. 

    Its weird being away from home and not doing all the Christmas traditions with the family and friends, but i love it here. Its special to be able to represent Christ, who the season is all about. Get to wear his name over my heart. I cant wait to skype the family! I hope all yall with missionaries out have a most wonderful Christmas and enjoy talking with them. Love yall so much and truly appreciate all yall do. Have a great week!! 

   Elder Johnson