FAMILY! SO GOOD TO SKYPE!
Ahhh I miss each one of you
guys and love you so much. Everyone
looks so good. I have seen so many
miracles this week! The heavens are
opened! Hope you all had a good
week and all is well!
Bottom: Kind people taking good care of the missionaries in Yusung)
(Elder Young and Elder Johnson with a member.)
This week has been incredible. Elder Young and I have been able to continue
finding much success and we are truly giving thanks to the Lord for all he
grants us. I want to bear testimony that
I know the Heavens are opened and that the Lord knows each and every one of us
on a personal level, on a level that I cannot understand. He knows me better than I know myself. He knows each of my needs and he has given
them to me in the exact moment and time in which I need them. My heart is so full of love and gratitude unto
the Savior, Jesus Christ. I have been
studying Mosiah Chapter 2 this week and a few verses that have stuck with me
are these:
9: And these are the words which he spake and caused to be written,
saying: My brethren, all ye that have
assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak
unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle
with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and
open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and
your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.
Our investigators are doing great. We were able to meet with them twice this last
week. As we met with one investigator,
it was a miracle. We had the feeling to
basically share a member-visit-type message with him. We shared 1 Ne 3:7. We talked about the importance of commandments
and it was quite amazing. I really see
him progressing, and he understands the importance of the gospel principles. He came to church this week as well. The ward members gave them a warm welcome.
Through diligent prayer this week I
have:
First, opened my ears to hear the
words of the Lord. Furthermore, I have
opened my ears to my companion, investigators, leaders, and street contacts to receive
answers to my prayers. As I have been on
my mission, I have come to know that a great amount of my answered prayers have
come from the responses of my "fellow beings." I am really learning a lot from this
principle. I was able to go on a split
this week with my Zone leader, Elder Kidman. I learned so much. He is a great missionary and he was able to
share with me a lot of things that have helped him throughout the course of his
mission. He gave me many commitments, and I look forward to diligently doing
them and through them I know I can progress to the best of my abilities. I have been struggling to retain all that I
learn in personal study these past few weeks, but Elder Kidman gave me some
great advice while I study. He said study
like you are going to give a training. Prepare
little trainings and teach your companion simply, then share with each other
what you learned. I have done that a little bit these last few days and it has
really helped.
Second, I have really gained a
testimony of opening my heart, speaking the words from my heart not my mind. I have a testimony that the thoughts and the
feelings from the Spirit of the Lord are kept deep within the desires of our
hearts. There have been many times on my
mission where I have spoken from my mind and the feeling of the Spirit hasn't
been very strong. When I speak from my heart and follow the Spirit, I can
feel the love of God so strongly in my life. I have an experience to share with this
principle as well this week. Elder Young
and I were able to visit a member named 신연숙s this last week and as we planned to teach the Restoration
message to her, our plans changed according to the Spirit. As I was talking to her about what I learned
in personal study, she began to open up and talk about her husband 이창주b who is the other Elders’
investigator. I felt deeply impressed to
commit her son to share his testimony with his Dad. He asked me how he should do it and at that
time I thought for a second how Nephi felt when he was going to get the plates.
I shared 1 Nephi 4:6 and I told him that
he nor I knew exactly how it should be done, but I told him to follow the Spirit
and all would work out how it needed to.
Third, Open our minds to receive
knowledge of the mysteries of God. This
week I have been focusing on the Christ-like attribute of Knowledge. I have been praying to gain and seek new
knowledge and to know how I can help each one of my investigators. We have so much potential right now and I am
so excited. I have had to really rely on
the Lord and really seek for the Spirit. I have a testimony that he is leading Elder
Young and me down the path to success. I
also find it very interesting and know that the Lord does have a specific plan
for each one of his children.
21: I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has
created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by
lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own
will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should
serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
This is one of my favorite verses in
the Book of Mormon. This week I have
really been grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord. I really do love my mission. It has been such a huge blessing in my life. It has provided me with learning and growing
experiences that I would never have had the opportunity of receiving, gaining
or knowing. I say knowing because I have
come to know for myself. I have lived
the gospel my whole life, but it wasn't really until I left on my mission that
I could recognize with assurety that the gospel changes lives. That the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a feeling
of peace and comfort. That it gives us
purpose in our lives.
Thank you for all your support. I miss and love you. I can feel your prayers!
Have a great week!
Love Elder Cole Thomas Johnson.
The Lord is my light. P.A.C.E.
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