Let them know how appreciated & special they are to you, to those around them, & especially to Heavenly Father!

Hello Friends and family!!!!

wow has it been the best week everrrr!!!!!!  Okay first things first!

My new companion Elder Devyn Gish. and guess what?!!?!?!?!

HE'S FROM WEST JORDAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

can you believe it!!!!! He went to copper hills high school though. Well..I guess I can forgive him. haha kidding!

He's soooo cool!!!! He's 18 and FULL of FIRE!!!! wwow. He is a fireball and a half! He's exploding with spiritual goodness and he is SOOO cheerful it's crazy. I really like him a lot! He's such a great companion. He's definitely up there on my list of favorites!!

Anywho. This Christmas is going to be the best! Our Mission president really wanted us to focus on Giving instead of Receiving. Before I thought and pondered on what he was asking, I was thinking all about myself. About my own Christmas. I kept thinking about how I could have the happiest Christmas for Elder Johnson. But As I've pondered and read Christmas Stories about service, and really thought about Christ's sacrifice for me. I realized I can do the same thing. I can give up my own wants and help someone else that has less than I do.

Anywho. He really encouraged us to go and sing at Hospitals and care centers. I personally have been using my violin as much as I can. I've been used and abused! But in the best way I can mean it. I've really felt great love, and I'm so grateufl I was allowed to bring my violin on my mission. It has been such a great tool and I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father's let me share it!

Anywho. I invite each and everyone of you to really think about Jesus Christ and what He's done for you. And then go and do your best to help others feel that same amount of love and charity!

I love you all! Thanks for being shining examples, thanks for your love and encouragement. It is REAAAALLLLLY appreciated. I challenge you to go and talk to someone, and just let them know how much they mean to you. Graciously offer words of love that come from the heart. Let them know how appreciated and special they are to you, to those around them ,and especially to Heavenly Father :) I know I will!

I love you all!!!

Much Love!

Elder Johnson 

pics:

MY NEW COMPANION!!!!

Only in PA where the roads are spaghetti noodles does this sign exist. bahaha!!

Heavenly Father's love is so great that we cannot comprehend it in mortality.

Bonjour family and friends!!!!!!

How are things for you?!!?!?!? Things are going pretty swell!!!

Sheesh this last week went by so fast it's RIDICULOUS.

From the top!

Monday we went over to the Monongahela Area and had loads of fun with our district, we played hackey sack with the 7 of us! (the union town Elders are short one for a few weeks)

Then I stayed the night in union town with Elder Childs on exchanges. Then on Tuesday we both went to my area and did some work there. Then we went back to monogahela and stayed the night!!!! Sheesh!! It was 3 days of craziness! On Thursday our district went to a members house in monongahela and caroled. The Kerry's planned it all out! Sis Kerry had a group of older women come and they had a little Christmas gathering, in the meanwhile we were hiding in the basement. We went up and surprised them with caroling! It was a beautiful moment.

After they all left we hung around and Sis Kerry thanked us for what we do as missionaries. It was so wonderful. She bore her testimony to us, and the Spirit filled the room so strongly, we all felt it. It was hard not to cry. She told us that one of the women there said that us caroling was the high light of her entire year.

Wow, what a privilege it was to give up myself for someone else. That moment, by far is greater than anything I could have received.

I hope and pray that we all can have more opportunities like this. It may seem tough, it may seem difficult to find ways to do so. We may even feel afraid. But I testify that this is exactly what Christ would do, and I testify, that I have been blessed far more than those that received. A Christlike Christmas, comes from a Christlike attitude. Thanks for being so supportive and kind to me. You all are wonderful examples to me.  Thanks for being firm in the faith.

I know that God loves us. I testify that Heavenly Father's love is so great that we cannot comprehend it in mortality. 

Please remember how much your Father in Heaven appreciates you. I testify that Jesus Christ does live. I know it. I know His Atonement is real, and is accessible to all. Especially to those who think they don't need it. Last Christmas a Bishop told me that the Atonement is like air. We never worry about running out of oxygen. It is always there accessible and never runs out. 

I know this to be true too for Christ has always been there for me. If He can do that for a 19 yr old weird Elder in PA. He most certainly will do that for you!

I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pics. I saw Sis Zebroski!!!!!! And here's the Sisters in our district!

Merry Christmasss!!!!

PS. President Johnson called yesterday! and GUESS WHAT?!?!?!?    I'm TRAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please remember the TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas. If you haven't PLLEEEASE watch "He is the gift".

Hello family and friends!!!

WOW this week was GREEEAT

on tuesday we had our zone conference where we learned about the "He is the Gift" initiative going on! And wow it has been so great talking about this new video. If you haven't watched it, please do! It will touch your heart and the Spirit will fill you with a deeper appreciation of the Savior if you let it! It sure did for me.

Anywho, We have had such a great week. We saw Darnell twice this week. And the lessons were FANTASTIC. Darnell's had some really rough times lately because his girlfriend, who's been struggling with some stuff. Anywho, Bro Punjack was able to come with us and was totally able to relate to Darnell and help him out. 

He told him. "When we do things our way, it'll never work out. Sometimes we get angry as the answer and try to just shove our way through something. Or we try to bring others to Christ by dragging them there. But when we humble ourselves enough to do the Lord's work His way, everything works out in the end. We will always be able to fall on our knees and pray to our Heavenly Father. We can pour out our hearts to Him. He's there, waiting for us to talk to Him. He's always there on the other side of the door. We just have to open it."

As he spoke the Spirit touched Darnell's heart, it was so clear that the Lord had sent Bro Punjack. It was so clear that the Lord was comforting His son. Darnell has been progressing sooo rapidly. He immediately applies the Gospel when he reads something or hears something. He is an experimenter! Every time he is told something he wants to prove it, and test it out! 

He has only noticed holiness and goodness as he's done so. He's beginning to realize how wonderful and good this church is. He thanked us so much for coming, and said he feels so much better when he sees us. Heavenly Father loves him so very much. He sends you and I as His representatives to show that love. What a privilege! 

I love you all. Thank you for your prayers, and for being so thoughtful and kind all of these years. Merry Christmas. Please remember the TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas. 

If you haven't PLLEEEASE watch He is the gift. And Discover what the Lord has intended for you to hear. Then Embrace it, let Christ into your soul and feel His love envelope you. Let His example change you, and do likewise as He would to your fellow men. 

And SHARE THE GIFT! This is the most important part. Sharing!!!! If you've seen the video, share it! 

The Lord's work is done His way. The Lord's servants the Prophet, Thomas S Monson and the 12 Apostles started this project. This might just be me, but I'm pretty sure it's inspired!!!

hahaha.

I testify as the Lord's Servant that Heavenly Promises are kept. I testify that Christ does Live and His Atonement is real. I know it because I have prayed and felt so much peace. I've felt Forgiveness.

I invite each of you to share the gift of Christmas, and share this video. It's touched my heart, and I know it will touch yours too.

 I pray, that you will feel the special Spirit of Christ's birth as you share this Christmas with others and serve. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love yinz. Stay true to the Book in Blue!  

Elder Johnson

Yesterday he came to church & we were FREAKING OUT. The members immediately welcomed him!

Hello my friends and family!!!

Things are going SOOOOOOOO welll!!!!! Sheesh! where do I start?!

Alright! Well, we've got a new investigator named Darnell and WOW, I've never met anyone like him! He is so prepared for the Gospel he's basically already baptized! He has no word of wisdom issues, he hates alcohol, he has a CAR, and he loves learning about the Gospel. Best of all! He is a DO-er! He immediately applies anything he learns. He told me that he taught himself how to remodel his kitchen. He said "Why should I pay someone if I don't know if I can do it myself or not? I don't know if I can't, I might as well learn and try it out!" I told him to do the same thing with the Gospel! He is SO great. He does everything we tell him to. He even asks us for more scriptures to read! And it's so clear the spirit is teaching him.

He's SO great. The last time we saw him we read Mosiah 3, and the whole time he was asking tons and tons of questions! Then HEEEE would teach USSS about what he just learned! He is SO cool!

Yesterday he came to church and we were FREAKING OUT. The members immediately welcomed him in and he felt right at home! During Gospel Principles he asked great questions and totally understood what was going on. We talked about the Council in Heaven, and about our agency and how addictions take it away. He told me about his job as a psychologist. When someone is addicted to alcohol they not only lose their agency, they become chemically addicted and their genes are effected. When that person has children the gene for an easier addiction to alcohol is passed down. I'm not sure if that's true or not but it sounded good to me! Talk about SCARY! 

After church he told me how much he loved it. He said it's so great because he actually WANTS to be there. He said he got so much out of it because he enjoyed being there!

It's so amazingly clear that God is preparing His Children for the truth. Happy holidays everyone!

Keep the faith! Don't do drugs! Remember God loves you more than you can comprehend :)

Elder Johnson

She came to church!!!!!!!!!!

Hello family and friends!

I hope you're all happy and alive and doing well!!

This week was GREAT. The work is picking up!!! yayayyay!!!!

This week was filled with great happy boosters! 

SO, there are nooo coincidences my friends! Last Saturday we went over to the monongahela Elders area and helped them do some service with a few members. Later that day we were doing service for a lady too. We were pretty excited to help, but then she cancelled.

While helping out the Elders my companion left his jacket in a members car and we forgot about it. Later we found that the keys were in his jacket... and that the member wasn't going to be able to get us our keys back until after 5 pm. We found this out at 1. We made the best of the situation and crashed in on the Elders dinner appointment. It was great!

Yesterday was our stake Priesthood meeting and it was SO great. Not to mention the beautiful things taught, but I got to go and see some old friends in Pitt 3rd!!!!! The meeting was held in my greenie area!!!!!!!!!!! SO GREAT.

Remember Samantha the Hawaiian? SHE CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was so wonderful seeing her there. It's her first time being in a church in over 20 years. 

It just goes to show that Heavenly Father is always there for us, and will always help His Children come back. I testify that God lives. I truly know that Christ did Atone for us. And I truly know God will never leave us. in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.  

 With love,  Elder Johnson

She immediately grabbed & hugged it. She was so grateful to hold another Book of Mormon!

Hello family and friends!

Things are going swell here on a mish!

The other day we had a neat experience with contacting a referral. It was getting to be night time as we were walking by looking for the house 1725. We passed a really dark and scary house and Elder Klima says "That house is freaky, I'm glad it's not that one"

I read the address.     1725.

We went to the door hoping for the best, and a small Hawaiian woman came out to greet us. She let us in and started to tell us all about her life. It ended up being and amazing visit. She joined the church almost 30 years ago and still remembers so much about the church and the Gospel. She has gone through so much affliction and has been struggling to keep her family in order and functioning well. She's going through so much I can't even list it, and she is still trying to serve her family. It was a very tender moment to see her love for her family and how much she was willing to give for her kids happiness. She is such a wonderful woman. 

She told us how she was tearing the entire house apart looking for her Book of Mormon, and she was sure that her husband had taken it away from her. When we arrived she was so happy to see us. We told her we had another Book of Mormon for her and she immediately lit up. She immediately grabbed it and hugged it. She was so grateful to hold another Book of Mormon.  We gave her another that she will be giving to her close friend. It was so beautiful. We left with smiles on our faces, and she looked so much brighter.

The Book of Mormon truly can bring peace into our lives as we study with Faith in God that He can help us. I've felt so much peace when I read the Book of Mormon.

I know Christ really did Atone for all mankind. I truly know that God loves us infinitely, more than we can understand. I love this Church and this Gospel, and I know that it is true. In the name of jesus Christ. Amen.

With love,

Elder Johnson.

We all testified with boldness of the truthfulness of the church.

Hey Friends and Family!

So this week was CRAZY.

A few weeks ago we did some service for a member in the branch. We cleared out some trees and cut down some stuff. Little did we know there was poison ivy there too!!!

Yup! You guessed it! We've got poison ivy! My companion has it really bad and his arms look like boiling bubble gum! Just kidding. But it does look painful. Here's a picture! I wore a jacket when we did service so I'm pretty clean. Just a little bit on the inside of my elbows!

But anywho! OKAY STORY TIME!

SO we got a referral over the phone for a man named David. He requested a Book of Mormon. We drove over and his wife was there to greet us. She explained that her husband wasn't home but would be the following day. I was really excited, I thought we had found "The one".  I couldn't have been more wrong.

We went over the next day and brought Bro Punjack with us (the one with the injured foot) and was warmly welcomed. We went into the living room and the man stood at the doorway. I knew something wasn't right here. He said "Gentleman. I'm very pleased you've come here today and delivered your Book of Mormon, but I must be honest with you," He reached into his wallet and pulled out 3 business cards that said a church name and underneath was his.

He was a minister! And wanted us over to teach us about the true church of Christ! That's super backwards!!! And they still believe in the Book of Mormon too so it was so weird talking to him. We were bible bashing..but with the Book of Mormon. It was so intense. It was like trying to teach a scripture tank. 

But all in all, it actually was a really neat visit. We all were extremely edified. We all testified with boldness of the truthfulness of our church. There was great respect and love. The Spirit was very powerful as we spoke. I don't think he will join the church any time soon. But I do know that we completed what the Lord wanted us to do.

I love you all :) Thank you for your love and support. Thank you for your prayers. I've felt so much Heavenly help. Thank you. 

Elder Johnson