Family!
This week was
incredible. Full of so many miracles! I feel that I have to humble myself
before the Lord to really receive each of them with gratitude. I am so grateful
for each tender mercy the Lord has provided me with thus far on my mission. I
have had the on- going thought from the spirit this week of, "Do all things for
thy personal experience." Each thing we experience in this life is simply for us
to gain experience and to become a little bit better every day. I feel very
blessed thus far on my mission for the Lord placing people in my path whether
it be a member, investigator, companion, or random person on the street for
building me up and helping me to reach a little bit more of my potential. The
Lord Lives.
I want to start this
email off with a little funny experience yesterday that happened on the way
home from our member's home. We ran into these people from Alabama and they were
coming home from a baseball game. They saw that we were the Mormon
Missionaries and as we started talking, somehow we got on the topic of
football. Well, as soon as he made the connection to BYU and Mormons, he asked
me what I thought about the BYU game on Saturday. He is like, "Didn't you
hear or see what happened? THAT'S SO CRAZY!" Well, I had absolutely no idea
of what he was talking about........ until he later told me that BYU beat
Nebraska on a Hail Mary! Haha BOOM! I was super pumped! GO COUGS!
Six Months in Gwang Ju. Six Months in Youseoung. And now I made it to my 3rd area! Onyoung. I am so
excited to be here. There are lots of people the Lord is preparing and we are
seeking for the spirit to be led to them! It is a little different than my
last two areas. It is a small branch and we are close to being a ward. It is a
countryside area, which is very different from my last areas, (my last areas
were huge city areas). I am starting to get the feel and adjust. I am
super excited to see what we can bring out here in this area. There are lots of
great members in our branch and they all want to help and be involved with this
work. They are super great! Lots of responsibility and commitment to President
Shin and the Lord!
(The chapel in Onyoung)
The Lord will always
provide a way. He asks that we accept His commandment and follow it, doing all
we can to complete it. Nephi and his brethren failed two times in getting the plates. Laman and lameul wanted out. Their attitude was very poor and they
were not commited. But Nephi was rather an example and a believer knowing that
HE COULD ACCOMPLISH THAT OF WHICH THE LORD COMMANDED HIM. He understood that it
was a commandment and he was not going to give up but
find a way in which he could accomplish this great commandment given to him. It
took him three tries and on the third time he acted through the Spirit and found
success. He did it. He accomplished that of which he was commanded to do. The
Lord will provide a way to accomplish His commandments. He asks that we create that
way, (exercise faith). He will not always show us that way because if he does, we
won't be able to learn and gain full experience, but rather He promises that He
will be with us on the way while
accomplishing His commandment.
Something very
interesting to give some thought to.
As well as in Ether Chapter 2.... taking a look at how the Lord answers the two prayers that he
offered. I have gained a lot of knowledge about prayer and faith through that
chapter.
Also, I have studied
1NE Chapter 8 this week and understand that all that was good in Lehi's dream came
from his prayer he offered when darkness came. Very interesting how we can
apply the same
principles taught in
the Book of Mormon and apply it to our daily lives. I testify that the Book of
Mormon is and was written for our day, that as Joseph Smith states in the introduction
page that there is no other
book that man can get closer to God but by reading and abiding by the precpets
given in the Book of Mormon. As I was studying
about the fruit in the dream, we find out later that it was the Love of God, but
I think that we can put any gospel principle in its place and do as Lehi did
which was share and invite others to do
so. I am grateful for that opportunity to share and bear my witness every day.
Yesterday, we had a
baptism! We baptized a young couple with two young kids! It was such a
spiritual experience. So cool to see how baptism changes lives.
(At the baptism with Elder Boombasi, who is Elder Johnson's new companion.)
(One of the children of the couple above.)
Four investigators came
to church! We were in the middle of a lesson with our Uzbecastan investigator
and an old investigator from Cameroon suddenly came in, and we were able to have
a great lesson on the great apostasy and Restoration! We set a baptismal date
with our investigator Jenya from Uzbec.!
Lots of great
miracles this week!
LOVE YOU!
Elder Cole Thomas Johnson
(Spiders in Korea. Yikes!)
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