Week 43 - May 18, 2015

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!

 (Top:  Elders Hernandez, Kidman, Johnson, and Tucker)

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.

Week 42 - Mother's Day - May 10, 2015

(Since it was Mother's Day, all missionaries are permitted to make a call home.  Elder Johnson was able to Skype with his family and both he and his family were delighted to be able to talk, as well as see each other.)

 

Week 41 - May 4, 2015

Family!

 Sounds like all is well.  I am beyond excited to Skype next week together! So much so say and catch up on!  I miss and love you guys!

This week has been great.  Me and my comp have fasted a lot for our investigators, and we really feel like we have a lot of potential this transfer.  We are working our hardest and giving the best we have everyday to the Lord.

It's starting to get super hot here!  Each night before we plan, we are just dripping in sweat! The humidity factor is coming in huge!  Also, this last week there has been this weird yellow dust stuff in the air.  The Koreans say it comes from China and so if you look on the ground its all over.  Pretty weird! 

We have had a lot of miracles this week.  We had Zone conference and I learned a lot. President Shin mentioned PACE.  It was cool to know that it has made it around our mission a little bit and to know that through those 4 letters we can really feel the spirit strongly. 

This week at Zone Conference, I felt as if the things I need to consecrate myself to are the love of the people and expressing more gratitude to my Savior.  I remember being a first transfer missionary and each and everything that came my way I was so grateful for.  I spent a lot of time down on my knees being thankful, and I have come to realize that these last few weeks I haven't been expressing that same level of gratitude.  I have been focusing the majority of my prayers on my needs and asking the Lord to help me in each area I need help in.  As I have been doing this, I have still been carrying that same spirit but I feel as if when our hearts are full of gratitude unto the Lord, we are blessed with a sweeter more abundant spirit.  I feel as if it is that same feeling that Lehi describes in his vision of the Tree of Life.

11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted.  Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it (as I am grateful, the fruit will) filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

There are many different kinds of fruits in this gospel of which we can partake of, but I have a special testimony that when we partake of the tree and pick the fruit of gratitude, our hearts are full unto the Lord.  I have experienced many miracles from gratitude on my mission, and I know that when we continue in thanksgiving unto the Lord, He will always give us more.

Thursday night I had the opportunity to meet with president Shin and an investigator named 김병곤b.  It was a special experience that I will hold on to for a long time.  The spirit in the room was peaceful and observing president Shin teach was quite amazing.  As I sat there in the chair aside from President, the thought that was running through my head was, "We desire his salvation."  That is so true, we as missionaries are giving selfless service everyday to the Lord to bring His children the salvation they need to return back into His presence.  김병곤b has great potential and we are now starting to work with his two sons. He wasn't able to make it to church this week because of the holiday week-end, but he committed to us that he and his sons will attend this upcoming Sunday.  We are going to be praying and asking the Lord for the Spirit to help him draw closer to baptism, and we are planning on giving him a baptismal date this next week. 

I am learning the principle of planning.  Not only planning itself, but sticking to the plan! Sometimes in lessons I feel myself drifting from the plan, and it is sometimes hard for me to recognize if that is the Spirit but I know as I plan effectively and stick to the plan, the Lord will direct me in his ways. 

I love you!  Hope everyone has a good week!  Be safe, have fun, and PRAY!

Love, Elder Cole Thomas Johnson

The Lord is my Light.

Week 39 and Week 40 - April 20 and 27, 2015

This week has been great! 

We have found a lot of success.  It has been one of my most successful weeks on my mission.  I am really trying to focus on the Love of God.  I am trying to testify from my heart and get the words to really come from my heart through the Spirit and to the heart of my investigators. 

Last transfer we spent hours and hours on the streets walking up and down trying to find people to meet with, and this week I felt as if we have found a pool of people that we can teach.  I am really excited to work with them, and we are really trying to focus on getting the members involved with lessons and things.  I love the members here in Korea.  I have gained a strong love for each one of them, and I love getting to know who they are and their personal conversion story.  It's really interesting to hear.  Even as members who were born in the church, I believe we all have our special conversion stories.  Young or old, we all have our personal witness of the Love of God.  If you haven't found it, I encourage you to search for it.  It will come.  I often find myself researching and strengthening my personal testimony.  I have learned so much and I have grow in so many ways.  I am letting the Lord take my life and lead me to where it is that I need to go.  One of my favorite scriptures that comes out in the Book of Mormon is Mosiah 7:33:  When we trust in the Lord, he will have our backs and lead us to the path he has prepared for us. 

I have had many questions and prayers answered this week. I  have been led by the power of the Spirit and am trying to focus on things out of Love.

This week I was able to meet with a foreigner, and he was from Florida.  It was a great opportunity to testify of the happiness that this Restored Gospel brings.

We had lots of miracles as well this week.  It was stake conference and we had the opportunity of getting three people to come out!  That is huge because usually it is super hard to get people to come to church.  Among those three people, one was found on the street two days before.  They learned a lot and we are excited to continue to meet with them.

Korean is still crazy!  It teaches me a lot about who I am.  I have learned so much patience through learning this language.  It is slowly coming.  I am able to sit down with people and express myself a little bit and to teach the lessons through simplicity.  Simplicity is a huge!!!!

I want to finish telling the miracle story about the Taxi from a few weeks ago.

On the way home from general conference, we had to hurry home because it was getting late and so we realized we needed to take a taxi.  None of us had a lot of money because it was at the end of the period we receive money, and we had to take a taxi all the way across Daejeon.  Maybe like a 30 minute ride which was going to cost about 15 dollars.

Long story short, I looked over at my comp and Elder Hernandez and said... "Do you think that we will be able to pay for this?"  They said, "uhhhhh I have no idea!"  I then followed up and asked a question, "Do you have faith?"  We all just kinda laughed and thought about it for a second.  I told both of them that we should pray to have this taxi driver's heart opened to our message and that Elder Dursteler in the front of the taxi can convey our message through the Spirit.  We all sat in the back of the taxi individually praying and as we continued to pray and exercise our faith, we got closer and closer to our destination.  As it came time to get out of the taxi, the taxi driver stated the price and as we started to get out of the car we looked at each other and all kind of thought, Ahhhhh, well we almost didn't have to pay..." But as Elder Dursteler pulled his wallet out and only had like 3 dollars he looked at us and said,  "Hey we need some more."  The three of us that were sitting in the back grabbed our wallets and then the  taxi driver said, "Ahhh, don't worry about it.  It's okay.  I heard a great message from you guys.  It's on me."  We were so excited and stunned!  We ended up just giving him what we had because we knew the Lord provided a big miracle for us!  We were so excited and I really do know the Lord loves his missionaries. 

Love you all.  Have a good week!

Love Elder Johnson

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.

Week 37 - April 5, 2015

 We have to open ourselves to the Lord, allow him to teach us.  Be willing to change and want to learn.  Strive our best to live as He did and become as Him.

Week 36 - March 29, 2015

Family.

This week has truly been incredible.  A week that I will not forget.

I had the opportunity of baptizing one of the biggest miracles of my mission.  His name is 천준상.  I feel as if the Lord really lead me to this man.  I am humbled and I am grateful to have been able to have the opportunity of meeting him here on my mission.  I will have that life long relationship with him, and I will forever love him.

I feel as if lately I am being taught a big principle of this Gospel from the Lord.  It is the simple principle of Love.  The Love of God is what heals and changes hearts.  As I have been pondering these last few days of what really matters in this life, the words, "The Love of God," have kept flowing through my mind.  I often find myself meeting with people on the streets, in class rooms, or in a cafe trying to tell people that this is the right church and trying to prove it through scriptures and things.  It really hurt me when people wouldn't just listen to  our message and realize that this is the true church on the earth.  But, I've realized a lot lately.. That's not why I am here.  I am here to love. Love each and every person I come in contact with, with the absolute most perfect Christ-like love. One of my favorite talks is by the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, called "Love is the Essence of the Gospel.  It just talks about loving and caring for everyone.

Love is the Essence of the Gospel

(Click on the link above to listen to or read this talk Elder Johnson is referring to.)

A few weeks ago I met with a Jehovah's witness that I met one the street, and he set up another appointment to meet with us.  When we sat down to meet with him before we started talking, I just looked at him and said, "Before we start telling you about our beliefs, we are not here to try and change any of your beliefs, fight or try and force you to believe what we teach.  We are only here to help other people come unto Jesus Christ and add to the truths that you already believe."  As we continued meeting with him, he was just trying to prove specific scriptures to me about what things really meant.  I just sat back and allowed him to talk.  I just had a feeling to let him talk and after he finished (which was like 1 hour after), I finally just bore my personal testimony of the personal truths I know and how it has blessed my life.  I realized that, that is why I am here.  Just to love each of God's children as He would.  I am not here forcing people to believe, just inviting and loving.

The pure love of Christ heals our hearts.  Even in our most hard times.  When we doubt and when we feel like we can't move on, we just have to rely on the Savior's mercy and grace. It's something that I am slowly coming to learn.

I have been able to have one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission and in my life this last week. 

Going back to Gwang Ju was quite the trip!  To make things short, me and my comp were literally .3 seconds from going the opposite way and ending up in SEOUL!!!  Right as the train was taking off, the Spirit told me soooooo strongly, "ASK SOMEONE."  I turned to the next guy to me and was like, "Hey, this is going to Gwang Ju, right??  He said, " Noooo!!"  I literally jumped off the train with my comp and the train doors shut and the train took off!  SO CRAZY!  Me and my comp were dying!!  hahah

As I finally ended up in Gwang Ju, we got the church all set up for the baptism.  It was so good to see everyone again.  The Gwang Ju members and the missionaries who were serving there, I have really developed a strong love for them.

The Baptismal service started, and the Spirit began to fill the room.  Me and 천준상  walked down into the font and the Spirit came into my heart with a  perfect peaceful calm feeling.  As the young man came up out of the water, I knew that the sacred ordinance being preformed was allowing him to start his journey on the straight and narrow path.  The path back to our Heavenly Father.

As the baptismal service continued on, I could just feel a spirit of peace.  I am so so grateful for the Lord leading me to him.  I know that he has definitely become such a huge miracle in my life, and I will forever remember his conversion story.

This week has been great.  Full of mixed emotions and I am continuing to just push forward with an attitude of PACE. I have really taught those 4 letters to each missionary I have had a relationship with here.  It is something I will never forget.  In our most happy and hard times, we must have a POSITIVE ATTITUDE because it really does CHANGE EVERYTHING.

 

I, also, want to say thank you for doing the Gift of Tongues prayer for me.  I want you to know how much I have noticed it and how much it has helped.  Wow.  It is really amazing how the Lord answers our prayers.  I am praying three times a day for the gift of tongues and I can feel your prayers on my behalf.  My Korean this week has gone up, and I feel fluent in what I know.  I still have a long way.  I don't know a lot and it is very difficult to speak and understand, but I am grateful for the Gift of Tongues.  I know the Lord blesses his missionaries.

It's my Birthday!  My first one on my mission.  I love you all and thank you for all your support.  I can feel your prayers.  They give me strength!  Have a good week!  I am so blessed.  Be safe and remember to show others the Love of GOD!

Love,

Elder Johnson