Week 38 - April 13, 2015

Family! Wow what a week. 

I hope all went well on spring break!  Sounds like you had such a blast.  I wish I could have spent it with you, but there have been tons of miracles that have come out of this week that I want to share!

Elder Young  and I are working hard.  Last transfer as well as this one I had an impression to ask my companions, "How many steps do you think the average person walks in their lives?"  I then followed up with a question, "Do you think that missionaries in the two year time period of which they serve walk as many steps as the average human does in their life?" haha  We laughed and after that question an answer came to my head.  I'm not sure if it was an answer as much as it was an inspirational thought.  It goes like this, "EVERY STEP FOR THE LORD."  Each step WE take, whether it be to church, to the next appointment, or to find OUR next investigator, WE ARE TAKING IT FOR THE LORD.  This is the Lord's work and it is moving forward.  It can be tough but It is rewarding, and I know that it is bringing us eternal blessings.  This phrase has become my motto for these last few weeks.

Conference was incredible.  I really felt the spirit and learned a lot.  After listening to each session, the importance of the role of the father kept flowing through my head.  As I have reflected a little bit throughout these last few weeks, I have come to know a little bit more on why I am here serving a mission.  I am here to not only save these people but to become all I can be.  I have never realized how important the role of the father is in the home until now. The role of a worthy priesthood father is more important than everything else in a home.  I am so blessed and proud to say that I have some of the most amazing and supportive people in my life.  I am so beyond grateful for a father who has taught me so much and has always been that worthy priesthood example in my life.  I just want to say thank you, Dad.

(Elder Johnson's dad)

Last week after email session, Dad emailed me and told me that he would pray for a tender mercy for me each day.  I want to share each day's tender mercy.

Monday:  Right after email session on Monday, we walked outside, on the ground we found a Samsung phone with about $200  cash in it.  We were able to find the person it belonged to and were able to give it back.  That is a tender mercy.  As we went out on the street to talk to people Monday night, we were able to bear witness of the restoration and teach a short lesson on the street.  That is a tender mercy.

Tuesday:  My companion and I  were walking down the road, and it was a road that is very empty.  No one really walks, rides their bike, or drives down this road.  (My companion lost his wallet... so we have been doing some serious far walks that we would normally take the subway to.)  As we walked down this road, a man on a bike came down the road.  He pulled in front of us and stopped.  After talking to him for about an hour, we had come to realize that he had met with President Shin before.  This man has a lot of background info that I don't have time to explain, but I shared a scripture with him in the Book of Mormon and before I shared it he quoted it.... haha super weird.  He knew the Book of Mormon very well and was a very smart man, and that was a tender mercy.  Also, we met a kid (our Stake President's son) that Chase Lindsley trained and served with.  He talked about him when I first got my call.  Super CRAZY, Small world, He is so awesome.

Wednesday:  We spent a lot of time on the street again, walking up and down the street getting rejected time after time, but as we continued to move with faith we found a grandpa to share our message with.  He wasn't very interested but he brightened our day and.. that is a tender mercy.

Thursday:  Two happy smiles from high schooled aged kids and a lesson with a new investigator that I met about three weeks ago on the street.  His dad is attending our church in Seoul, and I really hope we can help this man.  That is a tender mercy.

Friday:  Today was an unusual tender mercy.  Something that I have been praying for for the last two or three weeks.  It was to meet a foreigner on the street and share the gospel in my native tongue.  I have met a few and have been carrying an English Book of Mormon with me, but I saved it until I felt it was right.  As me and my comp were walking down the road, I saw the back of a kid's head that looked like a foreigner.  I approached him quickly.  It turns out that he is 19 from Louisiana.  He was one of the coolest kids I have met, and I was able to talk to him for about two hours.  He has a good friend serving in Peru, and I was able to bear my testimony and give him the Book of Mormon.  He said he would really read it and  he said he was super happy we met.  That is a tender mercy.

I have some other tender mercies that happened this week, but I am out of time.  We had a big miracle happen in the taxi that I will talk about next week.

I love you all.  I'm thankful for all the love and support you show me.  It means so much. Love is something that I am learning a lot about, and I have come to know that the Love of God is what keeps us going through out our difficult trials and errors.  The Lord allows us to fail to be made perfect through His atonement.  I am grateful for this Gospel and I know it is real.  Hope everyone has a good week!

Elder Cole Thomas Johnson.