A very successful week

This week we have been able to do lots of missionary work! We got 3 member home lessons, we got 2 new investigators from member referral, and taught 5 lessons with a member present as well as 2 less active/ recent convert lessons! That's the best I have ever done in this area! So we are really proud of ourselves! So that's been fun! We have also had a really strong member fall off. He got back together with his ex girlfriend and well, made some bad choices and is really being hard on himself. So we went over and talked with him and told him he needs to pray, read and come to church and talk to the Bishop and then he will start feeling better! So hopefully we can keep checking up on him! We also had zone conference and stake conference! They both went very well! They were on finding people, extending invitations, and councils. The Saturday night adult session was extremely funny. As they were talking about councils, they had a family that has been married for 3 years give a talk. But what they did was they both wrote down 2 things about the other person that really gets under their skin and they told the congregation without the other person knowing. haha It was super funny! And then they both talked about how they council together about those little things! I was going to record it with my gopro but I didn't think about it until after they sat down.. haha But that's been our week! Hope all is well back at home! I really am loving it out here! Time is just flying by! Next week I will know if I'm getting transferred out or not, which is crazy!!! Well until then! I love you and miss you all! :)

Elder Johnsen

Having fun in the car. 

 

Just another day after church.

 

Letter from June 8th

This week has been an interesting one... I almost died, more than once. I have been having some slight medical problems. And we now only have one investigator. So our baptism this week... we had to drop her all together, because she would not move out of a members house. (he being a male and she being female, they cant live together) So we told her 'when you find your own place we will prepare you for baptism again, but until then, you know a lot and are super ready'. So that kinda sucked. Yeah it's nice being able to see how people come and go throughout the ward, but I really would like it if we didn't have that. Since there's a lot of people that go on deployment and such, so it's usually a bunch of moms in the ward with no males to take with us teaching. And it's hard finding a third male for dinners at their houses. We are fed every night which is awesome! I bet the sisters were happy to have food! We have a member that when we text him to confirm that we have dinner he usually texts back saying, "sounds like a plan, dinner will be road kill with a side of garden snake." He's a really funny guy! I have yet to have seafood! Thank you very much! Everyone here prefers there great great great great great great grandma's deep fried chicken recipe. So lots of fried things.. haha So the new teaching method is really just us going 'Hi, were missionary's, ok sit down and listen' and we talk to 5 mins then were done! haha We basically run through the pamphlets really fast and ask a few questions here and there. It's pretty cool I guess, still trying to get used to it. That's been it for our week! We have one investigator that should be set with a date here soon! So hopefully I can tell you about that next week! But, back to what I said in the beginning. I found out this week that Elder Wood is a horrible driver... like really bad.. So I have been fearing for my life the past few days. The other day a fire truck almost took my life... good thing the Lord is looking after us... I have also had some slight medical things pop up. I have ebola and cancer. Just kidding, but my back has been in severe pain to the point where there were some days where I didn't leave my bed. I have been resting a lot and it is getting better, I think..? Either today or tomorrow I plan to see a chiropractor to have me adjusted again. So hopefully that clears up! But otherwise, I found the cleanest car in all of Norfollk!!! You should get it for Christina!  Love you all.

Elder Johnsen

Letter from June 1st

So this week has been a fun one! Elder Wood and I have been getting along great! Way better than my last companion! We have been learning a new way of teaching, so instead of teaching an hour long lesson we teach these short 14 minute lessons which flow really well! But we go through investigators very fast! So we will be focusing on finding some new people this week! We have one person we set for baptism this week! She is all set, except for that fact that she is living with a male member... So we are trying to figure that out. She is set for the 13 of June! Which just might be my last baptism before I could be transferred out! Transfers are on the 24th I believe, and we get the call on that Saturday before. So if you start sending me mail in the next week or two send it to the mission office,

1115 Cherokee RD

Portsmouth VA 23701

They will forward it to wherever I am serving at the time, and until I can get you the address of where my new area is. So the ward here is kinda small, but it's only small because there's a lot of inactivity.. and because we're on a Naval base there are lots of families moving in and out. We found out yesterday that last year 112 families moved in and 124 moved out. So it's always changing.. I still bless every Sunday, and I just gave a talk this past Sunday which went pretty well. The one thing I have been trying to do most is build member trust. There was a missionary that was here that ruined all member trust. So they never give refferals and never want to come out with us. But yesterday the new Elders Quorum President said 'hey if you ever need anyone for splits, me and my counselors will be able to go with you guys so we can cover more area'. So it's been a long process trying to build it back up, but im trying my best. The humidity sucks. Don't ever move to the east coast, it's not worth it! You will love the dry heat so much more after being here. I can see why people are miserable here... it all makes sense.. haha! But that has been our week nothing crazy new yet... Hopefully something next week! Till then I miss you all and love you lots!

Elder Johnsen