week 18

hey family.

so i have learned alot this week and i continue to try my best. i got my transfer call. im staying in Gig Harbor another six weeks. but im getting a new companion named elder giles. i went on spilts with him in elma once for a day he is quiter he can play the piano im not quite sure all about him. i have been talking to president alot about whats been happen here. he is well aware of it. he ask me daily about how im doing mentally and physically which has been an extreme help to me. although bad news i have been sick again this last week probably the samething as i had last time. i have heard that usually you will get sick like this every 4 months or so. because it is extremely wet up here. something in body is not to immune to it up here some kinda of virus that does really well up here if that makes sense. so hopefully i can get over it cause it sucks. sister weaver has been super helpful in it all and should be getting doctors appt. tuesday or thursday. we had stake conference this weekend. there was some really good talks about faith and about looking at yourself and going to basics and starting there. personal worthness to personal prayer to personal scripture study to companions. then go and work. its really helped. i lvoe this gosepl so much. i want to share a scripture with you: so look at this scripture what does god ask us to do then what does he promise us:
121 Therefore, acease from all your light speeches, from all blaughter, from all your clustful desires, from all your dpride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings.
 122 Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let anot all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be bedified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.
 123 See that ye alove one another; cease to be bcovetous; learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires.
 124 Cease to be aidle; cease to be bunclean; cease to cfind fault one with another; cease to dsleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be einvigorated.
 125 And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of acharity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and bpeace.
 126 aPray always, that ye may not faint, until I bcome. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself. Amen. so the blue is what god ask of us which might be alot but i think what we get in return the green is so much better than what he ask of us. i feel that god does this through out he asks than promises us blessing to helps us make the right choices. this has really helped me this week. i love prophet of the restoration what joesph smith says. maaybe god has asked me to swim in deep water. i have found out that if i take eyes and look at in the stand point of the eternities in stead of just this life. god could have asked if i wanted to do have this trial in my life and we agreed but here on earth we ask god why did you give this hardship in my life. its kinda of funny. anything thought i would share. i love you guys so much. miss you guys too.

Scripture: 1 Nephi 2:16
16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the amysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did bvisit me, and did csoften my heart that I did dbelieve all the words which had been spoken by my efather;

quote:President Wilford Woodruff
There never was a set of men since God made the world under a stronger responsibility to warn this generation, to lift up our voices long and loud, day and night as far as we have the opportunity and declare the words of God unto this generation. We are required to do this. This is our calling. It is our duty. It is our business.

Im going to the firside!!

hello,
this week has been of those week filled with power and spirtiual experinces i will share many experineces and scriptures and i hope you feel the power that i have felt in this distant land of the WA-TAC.

Monday:
monday was pday. we emailed in the morning. then we went and walked down to the downtown area. right on the waterfront. walked out on to a dock and took pictures then walked down to this old ferry land that looks out and over the puget sound. and mount rainer. throw some rocks into the water like a little child. beautiful day. then we went and play a famous Wa-Tac game. called murder in the dark super fun. then hid and go seek. really fun. then we had a dinner at a family. who is from the south. i tried grits eh its okay not my favorite. but there was bacon and ham. eggs and cheese french toast. super fun family.
Tuesday:
tuesday was a super great day. we went to a place called zions camp. its between belfair and shelton. its owned by the church. we had a choir practice. i love singing so no disapointment. then we played kickball of course with soccer deep in the golden years of my past helped maybe a little. then we did archery not so good at that. then played frisbee in which we play alot of here. then we did a ropes course. first: there was tire in which we had to help everybody pass through without touching the tire. the last person kinda ran and jumped through the tire pretty cool. the tire represented baptism and how to help investigators to baptism. second we went to this one called a wall. about 11 feet tall. again everybody up and over the wall. last person had to jump and we had to catch him and help him up. thrid was called a faith fall. you got up on a stump and fall backwards in hope that the people would catch you. it was super tough for me. but look up to faith in god that he would not let me down. then finally. there was a bunch of stumps in the ground and you could not touch the ground. we had to hold hand with the people in front and behind you then somebody had to crawl around everybody to go around the stumps. hard to explain hopefully pictures on the wa-tac blog. then we had a fireside. president said these things "Repentance is becoming something you are not when you began" "Repentance is not getting out of Eygpt, is getting into the promised land." really helped. then we wrote something down that is holding us back from progressing us on our mission then burned that little peice of paper in the fire. then we sang amzing grace. i feel we that were there that day grew together as a mission. i met a lot of people and made many friends that day.
Wednesday:
wednesday was district meeting. we talked about faith and repentance. i think the greatest thing about this was the ditrict leader set all these strings up in the gym and at the end was a picture of christ. you were bind folded and you had somebody be the holy ghost to guide you but could not put your hand on any string and the rest of the distict was make tons of nosie and trying you to go a wrong path. super amazing. also wednesday. we had dinner at the johnsons oh wow what a thing. we had shepards pie. and salad.
Thrusday:
 nothing really big happened today. although i had little C's has happened since utah.
Friday:
friday i will just highlight dinner. we got a show and a dinner. the family we ate dinner on a farm. when we got there. there was a dying sheep so the dad decide to shot it. now again reflecting on the golden years of my life. sheep are not my favorite animal.
so i was okay with this. he shot it three times now thats not something that happens everyday. i tried lamb for the first time super good.
Saturday And Sunday:
im goning to combine these days although i will reflect on both. Saturday we had the opportunity to drive to silverdale which is about 30 mileas north of me. for a fireside. this was super amazing and spiritual experince for me personally. the spirit is so strong at these firesides. a scripture reminds me of the feeling i felt: For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation. now i have not seen no vision but the feelings that i felt goes right a long with that. Then sunday we had the opportunity to go to Port Angeles wow i was excited and so happy. saw canada again. the same feeling came again.

now these firesides have helped me so much with my testimony of the savior is so much stronger im so blessed. and i hope these blessing come upon you as my family. i love you guys all. i have been on my knees alot and that is something i have learned. "when the world knocks you down, your in a perfect position to pray to that God who loves you" then he can help you get back on your feet. he can do that for you he has been there and will guide you to that path again. he loves you and lives.
My favorite song :
He lives to guide me with his eye.
He lives to comfort me when faint.
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears.
He lives to wipe away my tears.
He lives to calm my troubled heart.
He lives all blessings to impart.
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”
i leave you my testimony of christ with my love and bless upon you. pray always return to him that loves to til the end!!

Finding Joy In The Journey

hello out there!!

this week continues to be dull and just nothing exciting. although dinners finally picked up and we have one about every day which is nice and they are super good food. some different meals i have had this week. crab and shrimp potatoes and corn. another night steak and mashed potatoes. homemade hamburbers with mac and cheese so good. and the people coming up i have heard is super good. saturday was full of service. we helped this family in the ward move bark and compost into their garden and this other family helped them prepare for the dad to be deployed to iraq. which is has been different experience. there is alot of military families in this ward. we continue to have a blast and i continue to lose weight im down to 184 again super happy. we play basketball alot and to the gym. it feels really good to be back down again but i can tell you im getting old man. i get out of breath more easier during sports. stake conference is coming up which im super excited for. we share the stake center with bremerton stake while our stake center is being built. its really weird. so our home is the upstairs to the stake offices which is different never seen that before. in way of investigators we really have nobdy on date or progressing its just been a so so transfer. im goning to ask for your guys help on something so i can stay more focused on my mission. which is to not talk about sports or update me on scores or trades or bowl games or anything dealing with sports i would be much happier. i have prayed hard about this subject and this what the lord and i want and see best for my mission. that has been on of the biggest struggles on my mission so far and it doesnt help when your companion talks about byu football everyday and all day. all football makes me think about is home and personally this transfer has been the hardest because i have been more homesick because of this reason. although prayer has helped its like i said super tough to deal with. i hope you guys can help me with this. i love you guys alot and miss you dearly. messages of hope would be helpful.

In order to be guided in life’s journey and have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, we must have a “hearing ear” and a “seeing eye,” both directed upward.11 We must act on the direction we receive. We must look up and step up. And as we do, I know we will cheer up, for God wants us to be happy. i would like to add something that has strengthened me throughout this these last couple of weeks. Carl B. Cook said;

We are Heavenly Father’s children. He wants to be a part of our lives, to bless us, and to help us. He will heal our wounds, dry our tears, and help us along our path to return to His presence. As we look to Him, He will lead us.

The Lord is my light; then why should I fear?
By day and by night his presence is near. …
He is my joy and my song.
By day and by night he leads … me along.

I bear testimony that sins are forgiven and burdens are lightened as we look to Christ. “Let us remember him, … and not hang down our heads,” for, as President Monson said, “It is better to look up.”

 i add that when we look to the lord jesus christ he can heal us i promise you that.

Love you guys, continue to find joy in the Journey

Scripture:
Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Qoute:Sancity Yourselves
 

Book Of Mormon Testimony

wow, hey there hello family from the distance land of Gig Heaven. we are live and reporting on the many great and wonderous things of your missionary. he is well and quite living, at least he is still breathing walking and talking.

haha oh my hey family.
this week has been super slow but this last three weeks will fly by super fast. there is alot coming up and great things. to come
we have done alot of hard work and we have four new pots and continue to strive for the stars. gig harbor is complete oppostite of anything i have ever seen before. image park city with a harbor and you have gig harbor. its super nive and peaceful. nights are great. weather has cool off a little but continue to see sun. have not seen rain since i left aberdeen. one exciting thing this week is i hit my four month mark on sunday. as many of you know i have a great love for singing. and continued opportunities arise im in the ward choir in gig harbor 1st and i will be in the stake choir for stake conference coming up the 22nd and 23rd. and i also will be in the missionary firesides in silverdale (which is north of here on the way to PA) and the Port Angales fireside the weekend of the 16th and 17th.im super excited to return to the great land up north and be able to be in PA again. a week from today (tuesday) we are doing a special training at zions camp but before that we get to mess around on all the different things they have like archery, rops course, and many different things they have there. im super excited, zions camp is near belfair which is west of here. today we had interviews with president and sister weaver which i really enjoyed. for labor day, we went to tacoma mall which was great. i didnt buy anything but there was alot of people there. and getting to drive across the narrows. anyday is fun. saturday we helped with this community services project the run across the narrows. i got two really cool shirts from it and was wearing a super cool bright construction vest. i mean anytime you wear a vest thats bright orange is fanatsic. and i was right next to the narrows bridge, we play basketball alot here at 630 in the morning. we go to the gym and work all the time. and we go to chiropractor on wednesday for free and get our backs adjusted not sure if it helped. buts it free. memebers are really great up here. i have learned alot. im learning how to garden. all sorts of stuff. its been great. i finished the book of mormon on friday and i started and finished jospeh smith history. now working on doctrine and covenants continue to return and study trhe book of mormon. i have had the opportunity to bear my testimony of it. if i learned anything more than anything else is how important thew book of mormon plays in our conversion to jesus christ. i would like to bring in the help of one of fellow brothern in whom i serve with: Jeffery R. Holland;
For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history—perhaps like no other book in any religious history. And still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have died—from Ethan Smith to Solomon Spaulding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator. In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, “No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.”
I testify that one cannot come to full faith in this latter-day work—and thereby find the fullest measure of peace and comfort in these, our times—until he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of Mormon and the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it testifies. If anyone is foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore unknown text teeming with literary and Semitic complexity without honestly attempting to account for the origin of those pages—especially without accounting for their powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on what is now tens of millions of readers—if that is the case, then such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she leaves this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or around the Book of Mormon to make that exit. In that sense the book is what Christ Himself was said to be: “a stone of stumbling, … a rock of offence,” a barrier in the path of one who wishes not to believe in this work. Witnesses, even witnesses who were for a time hostile to Joseph, testified to their death that they had seen an angel and had handled the plates. “They have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man,” they declared. “Wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true.”
i know for a fact that is true and i also add my testimony to you that i know that the book of mormon finds people when they are down and out in the last innning before we are about to give up hope and raise our hands and say im done. the book of mormon sweaps in their with a word and a feeling of peace thats brings you to your knees to thank God, your very eternal Father in heaven for that trail of faith and hardship in which we have endured well to the end. The book of mormon lifts and provides the means on which we can lean on Christ and find comfort, the trails we go through are nothing like what mormon and moroni have gone through. i mean think about if you saw your entire family beening destoried by that cunning and wicked devil through whatever means he can to slip his hand into your lives. i invite you stand and attack with the army of god that cause for evil with the book of mormon and testimonies. i promises you that by the power of God and through Jesus Christ you can be and will be uplifted comforted and find joy in the journey through this life on this planet. Jesus Christ lives and loves you til the end you are and always will be a daughter or son of a living and awesome God!!
 i leave you my wonderful family in which i love and pray for daily, in the name of my redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen
 i love you guys so much
Peace,
Elder R. Johnson
Quote: Jesus does not give us easy things so we can be mediocre people, but gives us hard things so we can be extraordinary people in the life to come!
Scripture: Mormon 8:24:
 24 And he knoweth their aprayers, that they were in behalf of their brethren. And he knoweth their faith, for in his name could they remove bmountains; and in his name could they cause the earth to shake; and by the power of his word did they cause cprisons to tumble to the earth; yea, even the fiery furnace could not harm them, neither wild beasts nor poisonous serpents, because of the power of his word.