We need to make everyday a Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving definitely isn’t the same when you’re on a mission but it’s not bad by any means! The morning was really fun I got to for the first time in almost 2 years got to run in a 5k. I had to stay right next to another missionary. He wanted me to pace him so it was nice to be involved with a race again. I was very surprised how good I felt while running! We were invited to a member’s home to have dinner and play games and we were very grateful to be taken in so quickly and with warm arms. I sure do miss home this time of year but I’m happy to be where I am :). This time of year makes me think of Alma 34:38. We need to make everyday a Thanksgiving.

This week we knocked into a young man who is 19 and married. We started talking to him and found out he never was introduced to Christianity. There have been few times I've had to teach Christianity on my mission and it is always way, way weird to try. This time was different though. I felt like I was able to express why I believe what I believe instead of what we believe. I felt more directed by the spirit than ever before on my mission while talking to a person. I look forward to continuing to teach this man and seeing him enter the waters of baptism along with his wife.

Alma 5:26… Oh man! I have felt a huge change on my mission. I’ve used the atonement more and gone through more growing pains in Washington then I could have thought I could. It’s so wonderful. I am so grateful for it. Each week is a new adventure with a new trial. I know I am not the only one who this is happening to but let’s keep asking ourselves the same thing Alma asks the people in Zarahemla "If ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?" I hope I do as well as everyone else, remember the changes in our lives, and strive to keep changing through Christ.

I love you all I’m so grateful for the support I hope everyone stays safe and feels loved!

-Elder Johnson

Well, my favorite season is here...

Well it’s been a cold week but hasn't been wet at all! Yay! This week we had an exchange which is always fun. I went with Elder Franks. Exchanges are always an adventure. It’s the closest missionaries get to a vacation! Nothing too exiting happened on exchanges except it was by far the hardest rainstorm I’ve seen while being in Washington!

Late Night

The mission has really been pushing member missionary work and getting the missionaries (us) to help members share the gospel and help us find new investigators. It’s been really really weird trying to do that because my whole mission I haven’t done it and it’s just a weird adjustment. I know it’s the way to make this work progress most effectively.

Well, my favorite season is here, Thanksgiving. Growing up I have always loved this holiday more than any other. It’s a day to have an excuse just to love everyone and be thankful for what they do. I have so much to be thankful for this season I don’t know if I have anything to complain about honestly. I have the best family ever. I have companions who I get to learn from and feel love from. I am a very blessed person. I don’t know why but I’m grateful to be so! But even more importantly I know we all have things to be grateful for. Even most importantly, the Lord. His sacrifice is for all and all can show thanks for it by using the repentance processes. I love my Savior.

My 3 companions

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday season. It really is the best I’m thankful for all your love and support I feel it every day.

-Elder Johnson

I don’t have much to say this week...

Oh boy winter is here! It’s always raining and always cold here now. This past we had a zone meeting. Me and Elder Brown put together the training and I think it was delivered well. I really hope to have helped inspire the zone in being more efficient missionaries and working with members more effectively.

I was able to give a talk in church this last week. I talked briefly on prayers being answered and keeping the Sabbath Day holy and how that this the prophetic priority right now from the prophet.

I won’t lie.  to everyone. I’m grateful again for the support I receive from everyone. It means so much to me. The Lord continues to be the greatest supporter of all and I rely on Him more now than ever before.

-Elder Johnson

Well, winter is here it seems...

Well, winter is here it seems. The days are cold, rainy. It gets dark at 4:30 and the nights are the same. Which seems to make the people on the doorstep really friendly or really not friendly. Pray for the first one. It does not however stop tender mercies from God and preparing people still to hear the restored gospel. And that exactly what me and Elder Brown witnessed this week while knocking in the dark.

We ran into a gal who had met with missionaries years ago and still had all pamphlets and the Book of Mormon and told us her favorite pamphlet was the one about the restoration! Never have I had an experience like this. It was wonderful to see how success can still come even though the weather isn’t as welcoming.

I know the Lord is preparing people for us as missionaries to find. One of my biggest fears about going home is regret. I’m so scared that I will go home and have regrets on my mission… a regret of not trying as hard as I could one day or teaching someone a way that I wanted to instead of the way the spirit was telling me to. And perhaps my biggest fear is a little ironic because it’s the fear that I would let a chance slip by to teach a prepared soul of God. I understand fear is not a good motivator but I think love is behind this fear. I fear that I would be wasting the dear time I've been given to by the Lord and not being able to help all the people I have the opportunity to help.

We also had MLC again this week in which it was one of the most productive one I've been a part of (perhaps because I had a lot to learn from it). We talked about member missionary work and how we as missionaries have to help the ward leaders fulfill the "prophetic priority" the President of the church has given us, to keep the Sabbath Day holy. I hope to better apply why I learned.

I love this mission. I just got my cousin Sam's last email home from his mission and that sucks I don’t look forward to sending that email home. Thank you all and please be safe this week.

-Elder Thomas Johnson

I live in a home! A real home!

Well, Gig Harbor is by far one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in Washington. We live 2 blocks away from the Sound and right next door to my new church. I live in a home! A real home! It’s so weird. It use to be stake offices and they gave it to the missionaries when they built the stake center! How cool is that?? There are six elders in the home with us. 3 of them are my companions and the other 2 cover a neighboring area. It is a lot of fun!

Same as my last area… we cover 2 wards which is always a brain teaser trying to work hard and long memorizing twice as many names, streets, calling etc.. I really enjoy the challenge. It’s hard enough to make me want to pull my hair out but not hard enough to want to shoot myself so that's good! I look forward to being here for quite a while and doing the Lord’s work.

To start off in this great area we had a baptism this past week! So what better way to get going then that? Am I right? The people in these areas are not what I’m used to here in this mission. It’s a more wealthy area and people are well off and are ok with it. It’s a lot cleaner of an area which means it is a lot safer. Which also means people already have their mind made up about their beliefs but that’s ok! Because we got a special weapon and that’s the Spirit They won’t see this one coming because they more than likely have never felt and recognized it. The spirit is a powerful tool our job is to bring a knowledge (Mosiah 27:36) to people and then it is up to them to accept that or now. I do love this gospel and my mission.

I just read an email from one of my friends who is about to go home from his mission and it almost brought me to tears thinking of leaving this place. I am in a place of miracles there are special forces helping us as we are the Lord’s missionaries. I never want to go throughout this life without it. I look forward to the next 8 months full of the spirit and witnessing miracles. What a blessing it is.

I sure do love you all but I do love this work more and it will always be my priority for it is what the Lord has told me to do.

-Elder Johnson

Oh, btw... we got locked up for Halloween so I did a puzzle of the last super for 5 hours when we weren't allowed to leave the church house. So that happened.