May 16, 2016

Well this week has been really great! Lots of cool things happened.
The week started off pretty slow, but as it went on we were able to get things moving and had a pretty successful rest of the week! We taught a few people, we really drilled hard into john about coming to church; and he still didn't come.. I'm lost as to what to do with that whole situation. So we are going to try our best to work through it. Hunter is doing good! He didn't come to church last Sunday, so we went over and had a nice long talk with him... haha So he showed up this past Sunday! So it was really good to see him there! We really just need his mom to get on board.. but it's tough, so we are still working on that.

We taught Kyra! She is doing really well! I actually wasn't there because I was on exchanges! But I heard it went well! So that's good! Then we went and saw Ben yesterday! He is doing amazing! We also found out that he is a rapper! If you look up Franchise on YouTube you will see Ben Lewis! He is awesome! haha But we talked with him and committed him to read and invited him to have his wife and family in on the lessons and he was totally for it! So we set up a time with him, that his wife would be there. So we're excited about that! That was pretty much our week! haha

 Something cool that happened was that I got a really nice bolt action air soft gun. So we have been having fun with that out side! haha Perks of cleaning up abandoned houses! Anyway, I hope you guys have a great week! Love you guys tons! :)

 Love, Elder Johnsen

Skype Pics

I forgot to add a couple of skype pictures to the last post, so here they are:

Not sure why this one won't rotate.  Oh well...  You get the idea.  He is so happy there!

May 9, 2016

Well, since we talked yesterday there isn't much to say. haha But I loved seeing you guys! Seems like everyone is doing great! haha I cant wait to get home so I can just see y'all whenever haha! I guess the only really big thing that happened this week was that we got a new investigator. She's a UN baptized youth. She is 9yrs old and her parents want her to be baptized! So that's really cool! She will be hard to teach, because she has a big attitude.. So that will be interesting trying to teach her haha! Otherwise I'm doing really well; as you guys know, but others that get the email don't. I did dislocate my shoulder which kinda sucks.. haha So, my left arm has been pretty much useless the past few days haha. But yeah umm... not sure what else to write! haha I hope all is well! I'll talk to ya next week! Love, Elder Johnsen

May 3, 2016

This week was really good! We taught a lot, but I also learned more about what I want to do in life. But first starting out, Hunters mom came to town but didn't talk to anyone about the baptism. So everyone got pretty upset about that! We really want him to be baptized, but it's hard when his mom isn't going to put forth any effort or even talk to us. So that's very frustrating. John is doing great. We had a good lesson with him the other day. He thought it was cool that we have been emphasizing a lot on faith. We told him that we just pray to seek guidance on what we teach him and that Heavenly Father has been guiding us to teach him about faith. So that hit him pretty hard that WE aren't just thinking of something cool to teach. So we're slowly but surely progressing with him. He also took us out riding the cross country trail in Greenville again. So it was nice to talk to him since it's a pretty long drive. So he is doing well.

We recently got in contact with one of the part member families that we have been trying to teach. We talked to their daughter and got her number since she is a UN baptized youth, and we are going to start working through her to meet with her and if her family wants to join in they can, but they are so not active. But we are hopefully going to be able to have success there! So that will be cool!

This week at church I found out there is a member that is a dentist and so I really wanted to talk to him about how he became one and all that jazz.. and I'm almost positive I'm going to join the military. He told me he went to 4 years of school, became an accountant and hated it. So he decided to become a dentist. So he joined the Navy, because he said he didn't want to pay $100,000 a year for dental school. So the military paid for it and he is now in the military as a dentist, and he says he loves it!  It made me really re-consider the military. They have such a great program with helping people get to college and things like that, if you do military service. So that's something I have been pondering on. I'm still wanting to become a dentist and I know serving this mission has really made that clear to me.

That's all for this week. Nothing really new happening. I will try to make something interesting happen this week to mix it up a little as well! So stay tuned! haha I miss you guys tons! And I love you guys a bunch! :)

Love, Elder Johnsen

April 25, 2016

This week was just like any other week haha We taught people, got in trouble, and had fun! The beginning of the week included Elder Godfrey leaving and saying bye to everyone, so that was quite interesting! We visited a lot of families and said hi to many people! As a present to him leaving, John took us up to his favorite biking trail in Greenville, which is like almost 2 hours out of our area.. haha So that was cool! We got to ride bikes for hours and then went to dinner with John's daughter. It was a good day. We didn't get home until after dark, but it was a good trip talking to John about the church and things of that nature! He is doing really well! We love being with him and really just want him to come to church, so we are trying really hard for that! We met with Hunter this week. He is doing really well. His mom is coming into town this week to see him and to visit with him so we are also hoping to meet with her and answer any more of her questions. We really want this to be Hunters decision, not his dad saying it's a good idea. So we don't think that's a problem, but we just want to make sure. Otherwise he is doing great!

 

We also saw something really cool with one of our investigators, Ben! We had a church tour with him and he brought his kids without us knowing. We had a really good church tour that we kinda just planned on the spot, not really any planning at all! It went well! After it was over we asked the kids what they thought and they were super excited and wanted to come back! So he told us he is going to use one of his vacation days so he can come to church! So that's super exciting! We are going to try to start teaching his wife more since I have never seen her at a lesson. So we want to baptize this family! haha They're great though! That was pretty much our week!

 

We had Bishop come out with us yesterday! It went pretty well! It's crazy to see how less actives respond to the lessons when Bishop is there. haha It's like they're scared and they need to be as active in the lesson as possible. It's funny! haha I do miss Godfrey, but my new companion is just as cool! haha And GUESS WHAT! He is from ARIZONA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is from San Tan Valley and he knows some of the people I know! haha It's been so much fun! We talk about Arizona and needless to say we are getting along pretty well! He loves basketball, and dropped out of high school. Not that he sucked at school, he just didn't like Combs High. He is cool though and really good at teaching. He has been out 10 months so not too long but not a newbie! Hopefully you all have a good week! :) 

Love,

Elder Johnsen

 

I was sent these pics from members in North Carolina:

'Stake Conference brings Elder Johnsen back to New Bern!  Have a great Sunday!'

Michael, Elder Pitts (his previous companion), Elder Taylor (Pitts new companion) and Elder Godfrey.

 

Got this one from someone else.

'Happy Sunday! From Stake Conference last week.'

 

Pictures from Michael:

Elder Godfrey's last day before he transferred.  John is in the middle.  John owns a bike shop and gave both of these guys the bikes they are on.  So generous and very appreciated by these guys!

 

Biking with their white shirts.  :)

 

Michael jumping a pretty big jump.  I'm glad he didn't get hurt!  Elder Godfrey is behind him.  I'm sure they had a blast!  They both have a lot of experience doing 'stupid' stunts!  :)

 

More pics...

 

 Transfer Day, I'm guessing.

 

 

 

April 18, 2016

This week was pretty cool! We got transfer calls! I'm staying and getting a new companion, Elder Godfrey is leaving for Little Washington, which is just north of New Bern, so I will still get to see him every so often! I'm a little bummed he is leaving. I thought for sure he was going to stay just one more transfer, but I guess not. Otherwise, we had a pretty good week! Elder Novak, now known as Donovan, came back to the mission and visited so that was cool to see him! We took him out to a few lessons, which went really well! And needless to say, we spent a lot of time with him visiting some family's with him. Made me realize I'm going to need more than a week to visit people.. haha I couldn't do it all in a week! But it was super weird to see someone that was a missionary with an iPhone and all sorts of weird stuff.. It was different, but I'm super excited for that day!

 

This week we also did service for someone by pulling out the transmission on their Ford Ranger! haha I got it done with my companion in under 3 hours with like no tools, and it was just on jack stands. And of course it was an automatic, so that made it even harder and heavier, but we got the job done and I was happy to be working on a car again! Still don't want to do it as my profession, but it made me have an even stronger desire to get home and build my car up again and to go out racing again. I miss being behind the wheel of a car... That's the biggest thing I miss since being out here. Driving my car around without being tracked and without having to worry about mission leaders getting mad. Not like I'm being an idiot, but I guess I just miss my car a lot after working on the guys Ranger. We saw john, he is doing well! He is taking us out to a trail in Greenville for us to ride on our p-day which is super cool! Then we will be having dinner with his daughter who goes to ECU, so we're excited! He told us that as soon as he finds out this is true he will be joining the church. So that was nice to know that he wants to join, but also needs to know that it is true! So we are working on that for him. We know church will be a big way for him to be able to know it is true, we just need to get him there. Hunter is doing great! We keep resetting his date because of mission rules... So we are working on setting a firm date.. So we will keep you posted on that one. Otherwise nothing new there.

 

We had a crazy experience this week with a family that is living on the streets. They're a part member family. We really want to teach the father, but we are scared that he will only join because that way they can then get lots of help from the church. So we are treading lightly with the situation. She is pretty well known around the stake for needing money and help.. So we are trying to see what's going to happen. Hopefully we can work through it.. Bishop is involved, so he will be a big help but I can't share much information about them because of their situation. But if anything spiritual wise happens, I will let ya know! Otherwise the rest of our investigators are not really progressing all that well, so not much else to say on them.. We are having fun and are teaching a lot! I'm excited for my new companion and how we will work together and the things we will do down here in Morehead! I hope you guys have a great week! Do something different to change up your week! hah I love you guys! 

Love,

Elder Johnsen 

 

 

Jeremy and Kim Thomas surprised Michael and took him and Elder Godfrey out to dinner for his birthday.  She sent me a video of the servers bringing him a birthday dessert while singing.  He was so confused.  He had no idea they knew it was his birthday.  I may be guilty of telling them!  :) 

Kim is one that Michael converted in New Bern.  She is amazing and I look forward to meeting her.

 

April 11, 2016

This week was really good! It was my birthday, of course. Seems like everyone under the sun found that one out. Thank you for all the birthday wishes! It was a good day, my companion surprised me with going out to dinner with a family in the ward, total surprise. And then we went to John's where we launched off fireworks and things of that nature in his back yard! haha So awesome! It was a great birthday!

We taught lots this week! Only Hunter came to church, no other investigators.. Which is a bummer but things happen. With John, we found out it's more of a social thing, like I said last week. But it's also his wife that's really holding him back a lot.. So we are working through that. He told us that we challenge him with things and in turn he challenges his wife, so she is at least open to him. So we keep telling him that it's going to be through his example that he will get through to her. And so, he knows it's true and such, so its interesting. We're working with him there. We also made sure we weren't a wedge between him and his wife, he told us we weren't so that's good! Hunter was not baptized, but we did send missionary's in Raleigh over to his mom's house and they said they had a very pleasant visit with her and that she agreed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon! So we are hoping for big results there! She said she would be open to him being baptized! So we've set him with a new date of the 23rd of April! So we are hoping for that to go well!

Do you remember Craig, from my last area in New Bern? He was baptized on the 9th! So that is super exciting! I'm so happy for him! I just wish I would have been able to make it! We have been working a lot on the member roster here, trying to find less actives and part members to work with and we have been having huge success with that so far! We have found about 5 part member families that sound pretty willing! So we are going to try to start working with them! But otherwise nothing too crazy, I'm sorry this is brief but I am out of time! haha

Thank you for the birthday wishes! I love you all and miss you guys a ton!

Elder Johnsen

Enjoying an evening at the Beach...

 

April 4, 2016

This week was great! We had lots of fun, of course! First we'll start with April fools days. We had zone meeting that day so on the way back we stopped in an area before leaving New Bern to let the Harkers Island missionary's experience the 'kick yourself' machine in New Bern that I knew about. It was pretty funny! haha Then we stopped in Havelock where those missionary's told us they were not going to be home. So we went and moved all their beds into their attic without them knowing and left them there. So that was quite enjoyable! haha Then we drove home haha.

 

But this week we had some good experiences teaching people. We were able to set a girl named Ashley a date for May 14th. We're hoping that still works out, as she is not the most solid person we are teaching. So hopefully we can get her to church! Hunter is still doing good, we sent the Raleigh missionary's over to his moms house to answer her questions and to help her agree to have Hunter baptized! So we're just waiting on a response from them and from Hunter's mom! But, we are praying that he will be baptized this Saturday! John is doing great as usual! We finally found out he knows it's true! His only hold up is his wife! We got into a bash with her a little bit and he stood up for the Book of Mormon and the church, so that was crazy to see! We just don't want there to be division between him and his wife.. We also found out that this will be his first time going to church with out his wife.. So we're working through that concern. He did listen to conference on his way home from where he was picking up his car. He loved it! He listened to almost the whole conference, until he lost reception! But he told us he is dying for us to show him how to watch it so he can watch the other sessions! But otherwise that was pretty much our week.

 

This past p-day we went to Fort Macon which was pretty cool! I have finally started to notice how weird people look at you for being in dress cloths on the beach... They think your some kind of fool.. It's pretty funny! haha Yes, missionarys go to the outer banks! It used to be a sisters only area, because of the temptation elders would have being on the beach all day, but they recently opened it to elders and took the sisters out. Which like blew every missionary's mind haha. The east coast has some waves... nothing like chasing mavericks on Pebble Beach where we used to live, but the water is warm so that makes up for it. It's interesting serving in a surf town.. there's nothing to do.. Like, there's surf shops everywhere, people barefoot riding long boards and skate boards.. funky. Not my kind of town.. haha For fun, people go to the ocean, when people are bored, they go to the ocean.. super weird.. haha I prefer Arizona so much more, but it's cool to ride around feeling like you're on vacation! :) So this makes up for me missing out on Newport Beach. Or... are you guys missing out on Emerald Isle, and Atlantic beach? :) I think your missin out! But anyway! I hope all is well! I love you all!

Elder Johnsen