Always feeling God in my life...

Well… this week I wasn't with my normal companion for most the time. We went on exchanges with the district leaders in the zone. Its always hard for me to leave my own area because I like to take care of that area myself. But I guess that's something I’m going to need to get over.

I had a lot of fun on the exchanges. We just go throughout our normal day but with a different companion and different area sometimes. One pretty funny experience we had on exchanges was with Elder Stevens. We were knocking doors out in the country and were on a doorstep when we smelled weed (not unusual). But I was looking around for some butts or something. But then I looked at the front garden bed which was about 10x25 ft. It was all marijuana plants! I had never seen so many in my life in one place. AND… we got a return appointment with the lady who answered the door. But anyways, that was the exiting moment of the week!

So I don't know if I’ve ever told you but each week in the mission we have a specific goal we try to get. This past week it was to have 80 church tours. A church tour is when we take an investigating person to the church house and show them around it. It can be difficult because we have to have someone take time and drive over to the building. But our area saw a lot of success. This week we took a few people on the church tours and the spirit is so strong… just naturally. What a great place to have a lesson!

Anyways, I have had a great week as usual. Always feeling God in my life. Lately I’ve been praying to recognize the blessings more. I know I have the blessings in my life and I feel like I do notice a lot of them. But I know there are countless out there so I encourage you to do the same. This week try to spot one blessing you might have not noticed before and thank God for it.

-Elder Johnson

I have really enjoyed this transfer so far...

Well what a weird week... not much has happened but seemed to be way busy. I guess the big thing of the week is a recent convert moved Saturday to Florida. So, that was kind of hard to say goodbye.

Umm since apparently eastern Washington has been burning up we have a lot of smoke over on this side of the mountains. I feel like I’m back in Cache Valley in the winter walking around outside.

I have really enjoyed this transfer so far. I feel I’ve been blessed with learning more about how being more and more focused on others bring greater blessing to everyone involved. I think of the Savior’s life and how it was centered on others. How much time he spent sharing everything he knew. I love these people I’m around here. I love the missionaries I serve. I love the people who lead me in the mission. And more than anything, I love the people I get to teach this gospel to. What a great, beautiful thing to be able to do this for 2 years and carry these lessons throughout my whole life.

I hope everyone at home is safe. I love you guys and miss you very much!

-Elder Johnson

Finding solutions...

Well exiting week! The pictures that are up (http://calledtoservewa-tac.blogspot.com/2015/08/mlc-81415.html) are from MLC we had an awesome training by Elder Blunck. Always a great place to receive revelation for the areas we cover. It was really nice to have the spiritual high but the meetings are always very long and tiring. I really loved that one thing we focused on and that is the "finding solutions". And just how nothing in life will happen until we search out a solution to a problem. And the fact that problems find us often but we have to find the solutions.

Anyways onto the crazy story of the week… so one of the first people I helped get baptized was a man in Tacoma named Eddie Johnson. We found him knocking doors. He was in his 60's and kind of lived a lonely life. He has one of the darkest pasts I’ve heard in my life. He wasn’t in contact with much of his family so the gospel brought a lot of comfort and peace to a old soul. He overcame a lot of additions before being baptized. Needless to say, he is very dear to me.

Anyways, back to the present in Silverdale… we were meeting all less active and recent converts in the area. So me met a gal named June who, with her kids, joined the church about a year ago. But, with a lot of crazy changes of missionaries in the ward, she kind of fell through the cracks and stopped meeting with them. We got talking to her. She said the night before she had called her step dad to talk to him for the first time in 6 years. They were both surprised when they heard the other one had joined the church! And to my surprise June’s step dad is Eddie!! What an incredible thing to see. What a great blessing for me. It is something so small that means so much to me. Call me simple minded, but it’s one of the greatest blessings for me on my mission.

Anyways, I love you all and hope all is safe. I love it here in the WA TAC. It’s very holy ground to me and I’ve gained a testimony of many gospel principles while being here. I love and miss you.

Elder Johnson

We receive a new found energy for the next 6 weeks...

Well another beautiful week in Silverdale with lots of new changes. To start off the week we had wonderful p-day where I got all my wiggles out. The next day was transfer day that is always a very busy day with lots of mixed emotion. Saying goodbye to good friends is hard knowing that I most likely wont see many of them till we meet at God’s feet. The transfer meeting itself is always very very powerful and is always huge spiritual uplift.  We receive a new found energy for the next 6 weeks.

My new companion is from Oakland, California. He is a wonderful guy… huge into all sports. We get along pretty well. Although I miss Elder Irava, it’s nice to get to know new people and learn from them.

Covering 2 wards has been tough. There is twice as much to do. Twice as many people to know. Twice as many streets to memorize. It can often be overwhelming but the greatest blessing is that I’m doing it all for the Lord so he makes it all possible. So there is no reason to stress about it.

I received a huge blessing this week. I got a call from a unknown number. I picked it up as usual and it was from a good friend from back home.  If anyone knew me personally they would have known my friend Elder Scott. He is someone who I would go out withy 2-3 times a week to do missionary work. Elder Scott (or Jacob now) is working in Seattle and plans on coming to Silverdale to take us out for lunch. I’m so exited to see him. He is one of the bug supports I had in my life spiritually before my mission.

Anyways, I hope all is going well. I’m sorry to keep it short. I’m a bum. I love you all and I’m blessed to have you all in my life. I hope everyone is safe. Everyone at home is in my prayers at night.

-Elder Johnson

Companion Letter (Elder Werk)

Elder Johnson will be getting a new companion today.  One of the little blessings of missionary parents is reading about Elder Johnson's work from another person's perspective.  Here is a letter written yesterday by his new companion, Elder Werk. A big thanks to Elder Werk's mother for sharing this.

So Transfers drum roll please.......... I will be getting transferred back to Silverdale in the Silverdale 1st ward as a Zone Leader over the Silverdale Zone (Silverdale Stake) this will be my 6th transfer in Silverdale. I will be with Elder Johnson. He is a great missionary hard working, and obedient. So perks to being a Zone Leader 1. You always get a car 2. You get a great companion because your both Zone Leaders so you have to be the example missionary for the other missionaries. 3. You usually get a pretty good area because the ward has to be an example for the other wards, and they are always very central in the stake. 4. I get my own phone, no more sharing a phone between the two of us. So Elder Johnson and myself are the Zone Leaders in the Silverdale Stake in Washington. Also there is only 10 other companionships in the mission that are Zone Leaders. I give you my solemn testimony that God will answer you if you have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and ask with real intent. I have a testimony, a sure testimony that Christ LIVES. I do not say or write that lightly he does in fact LIVE. If your testimony is struggling if you don't know the church is true yet or that God lives or loves you, then I invite you to lean wholly upon mine. I love this Gospel it is Eternal and will help us when we need it, and allow us to help others when they need it. I bear you my testimony of the Book of Mormon that it is the Stick of Ephraim that is talked about in Ezekiel 37, and that The Bible (KJV) is the stick of Judah. That those two books written by Prophets and Apostles by the Grace of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are a force for Good and that they are both TRUE. I leave that with you my beloved family, In the Sacred name of Jesus Christ Amen. That's all the time I have this week Love you all so much and don't worry about me the Lord's loving hand is in this. I hope you have a safe productive week. and I will talk to you soon. Love, Elder Kaden Werk

I am so very grateful for this past 6 weeks...

Well transfers are in and Elder Irava is going to Olympia and I am getting Elder Werk! I’m very sad to see Elder Irava leave. I’ve really really enjoyed being with him. But I’m a firm believer in the idea that a change is as good as a break. So I’m looking forward to this new found energy of the change that is coming.

I will not lie. The past few weeks have been really slow. We've been doing many hours of finding new people to teach but without much success. It is sort of frightening seeing this happen since I haven't had this problem before. So keep that in your prayers would ya?

Our recent converts that we baptized a few weeks ago moved to Florida this week. So it was kind of sad to see them leave. I was looking forward to going to the temple with them right before I went home. But that’s OK. They are very happy with the change.

We got new military relation missionaries! They are from Smithfield, Utah and are a very sweet couple. It made me think of, of course… they remind me of my Grandma and Grandpa Johnson. Although we have no base in either of my areas we still answer questions about the Washington Tacoma Mission when then have questions.

I am so very grateful for this past 6 weeks. it’s been a very healing few weeks. Being with a loving companion and turning more and more outward, I have been able to put away weapons of war slowly but surely.

I do love you all. I’m so so so blessed. I don’t know why I’ve received these blessing but I’m grateful for them. I hope everyone at home is safe. This has been a very, very quick transfer and I’m afraid the next year will go too quick.

-Elder Johnson