Week 22 and Week 23 - December 29, 2014

Family!

(Christmas was during the week Elder Johnson had been out 22 weeks.  Since all missionaries are permitted to call home on Christmas, no e-mail was sent that week.)

How is everything going!?  Probably crazy!!  Skyping you was the greatest thing ever! Getting to see all my family together and talk was so fun.  I will have to admit, hanging up was really hard for me.  :)

(All the family gathered together to talk to Elder Johnson on Christmas.  Pure joy for everyone!)

 (Elder Johnson and his companion, Elder Kim teh Wook)

I want to share a cool experience I had the other day.

As I got done with personal study on Thursday last week I went out side to get some fresh air.  As I was looking out across KOREA hah, something caught my eye.  All of the giant buildings.  I started thinking to myself... "How did all of these get here?"  "How were these built?  How long did it take to construct these?  Well, as I pondered these questions, I continued to look out on the land.  As I looked to the right, I saw a massive dirt mound and the beginning of a building being started.  Something called a foundation.  I kept observing, I saw many people working together, many machines, many functions being preformed.  I started to compare this to the situation I am in.  I have been experiencing LOTS of hard things and just asking myself... How will I ever learn this language?  How will I ever be able to complete these 2 years?  How will I teach the gospel?  How can I be built upon and how can I grow?

 

As I glanced to the big dirt mound and half-built building, I then glanced over the land and saw each building standing tall and complete.  I realized that I am just like a building.  I am not done.  I am not complete or even half way done.  I am building my foundation and slowly putting up pieces.  Little by Little I am progressing.  There are so many things to learn and to progress in, but I need to just focus on completing one task by one.  Digging the dirt, putting in concrete, and slowly applying each piece to my building.  One day it will be complete and standing.  Tall and wide.  With a sure foundation.

I am grateful for this Gospel and I am gaining a sure foundation in all I do.  I have to rely on my Savior for everything.  He gives me help and assistance when I am weak and need help. I am so grateful for the TOOLS in which the Savior has provided me to build my building.  The Book of Mormon, Preach My Gospel, my Companion, my family and many many others. As I take full advantage of these things, I know I will be blessed.

I miss my family and pray for you every day.  Have a good safe New Years!  Don't forget your New Year's goals!  I am excited for all of the fun adventures and experiences that await me in 2015.  Love you.  Thank you for all your support.

Elder Johnson

Week 21 - December 15, 2014

Family,  

There is a lot on my mind.  I'm getting transferred to the other house in my area. I'm getting a Korean comp named Kim teh Wook.  I am very excited!  He doesn't speak English very well from what I heard.  I know that I am going to learn a lot of Korean in this next transfer.  I'm very excited and I trust in the Lord that this is the right move for me.  It's going to be tough, but I'm excited.   

 (Books everywhere!)

There is always something to learn.  I am learning so much everyday.  The Lord is teaching me so many lessons.  I am so grateful for the chance to serve everyday.  One thing that I have noticed as I have been gone is to always be grateful.  I am sooo sooo grateful for everything.  I always try my best to express gratitude to the Savior. There is wayyy wayy too much to be grateful for.  I have really noticed that by showing gratitude everyday, I have been blessed so much.  I see things so much differently.  I can see the love of the Lord and I know that He is here helping me. 

How do I know He is there?  How do I know that through being grateful we can receive blessings?  Why is being grateful so important?

I want to share with you a very special miracle that happened this week.

About two weeks ago, Elder Skinner and I were at the train station and for some reason Elder Skinner lost his wallet.  We think that he set it down on the pay machine counter and some one stole it.  Well, we ended up spending the rest of our p day looking for it.  We didn't find it.  Because he lost it, we realized that we would only have to live off of about 150 dollars for both of us. (my money)  This is very difficult because we have to put about 50 dollars each on our bus card to get to appointments and church and things.  Well, that left us with about 50 dollars left over to buy food and things we needed.  Any way as the week went on, we were able to get by with spending about 20 dollars.  (We get money every 2 weeks.)  This last week we only had about twenty dollars to spend.  However.. It was Fast Sunday last week which meant I needed to pay my fast offerings.  My first thought was, "How in the world am I going to get by this week with just 10 dollars for me and my comp.  I can't pay fast offerings."  But, I knew without a doubt that there would be a miracle if I trusted in the Lord and paid a 10 dollar fast offering.  So I decided to pray before I paid my fast offerings.  First, I was thankful for what I had.  I was thankful to the Lord that I had the opportunity to pay fast offerings.  Then I pleaded with the Lord and asked him that by being obedient and paying a fast offering, I would be blessed and I would somehow or somewhere receive a miracle from Him.   Well, after I prayed and paid the fast offering, I immediately turned to my comp and told him that no matter what, we would be blessed and see a miracle.  We just need to do that right things and to give thanks for everything we have.  Be GRATEFUL. 

 As the week went on and on, nothing happened.  Well, as we were sitting in the church doing our studies, we received a call from the sister missionaries who had just left the church.  As we answered the phone, they sounded so excited and they told us that as they were walking down the street, they looked over and in the corner of the sidewalk there was 10 dollars lying on the ground.  They looked around before going to pick it up to see if it was anyone else's, but there was no one around them.  As they went over to pick it up. the 10 dollar bill was folded.  As they picked it up, miraculously a 50 dollar bill fell out from the center.  It was a huge miracle.  Me and Elder Skinner were so happy, and we realized how much the Lord loves His missionaries!  

After the sisters hung up the phone, I got down on my knees and told the Lord how grateful I was for this huge miracle he provided me.  I really know that when we obey the Lord's commandment and when we show gratitude in all things, we are blessed and miracles are provided.  I have a testimony that the Lord lives and that He loves us.  He knows us and He is always there for us.  I have seen many miracles as I have been serving my mission.  I am so grateful for all the Lord gives me and that I get to serve Him everyday.  It's not always the easiest thing, but I have learned a lot, and I know that this is HIS work and he is very involved. 

Once again, I love my family so much and I am so grateful for the love and support you show me and send my way.  The packages and presents have been great!  SOOOOOO GRATEFUL:)  I am trying to send a package as fast as I can. I have a few Christmas presents for the fam and a few letters.  I love you so much, and I pray for each of you every day.  What a great time to focus our thoughts on the Savior and all that he has given us, around this holiday season.  I wish with everything that I could be there with you and experiencing the things you guys are doing. 

(Elder Johnson's family is in Paris at the present time picking up his brother who just completed his successful two year mission there and will be going home with them.  Elder Johnson says, "Even though my family is in Paris, I am with them in Korea.)

It's tough spending the holiday season without your family. BUT, I know I'm exactly where I need to be--becoming my best self and spending some time coming closer to my Savior.  I am trying hard everyday to rely on Him and to become like Him.  I'm learning so much.  SOOOOOO MUCH.  It's crazy.  I love to learn and to just study.  Hah never did I think I would say that, but I am learning the hardest language in the world, and I am learning new things about myself every day!  I love you guys!!!  HAVE FUN AND BE SAFE!!! 

 LOVE ELDER 존슨

Johnson

Week 20 - December 8, 2014

Family!  How are you?

Hope all is well.  Sounds like everything is going well.  AHHHH!  Still can't believe Ty is coming home!  That's so crazy to me!  You guys are going to have a blast picking him up!  Can't wait to hear all of the amazing things!  I wish that I could go.  It is a trip of a lifetime.  Really embrace everything and write the experiences down.  Take some time to write down some of the feelings and experiences you are having.  These will be things you never will want to forget.  That is something that has become so important to me as I have been serving.  I keep a really good journal--always writing down spiritual personal revelation, cool experiences, miracles, thoughts, and answered prayers.  When I return home each night after a long day of service, I love to sit down and record small miracles and cool experiences that I saw throughout my day.  That time during the day is a time I really cherish.  As I look back on some of my prompts, I can see how the Spirit has led me in my missionary efforts everyday.  It is really cool to see how things are put together.  I compare it to a puzzle.  I have all these "puzzle pieces" that I collect throughout the day and at night, I have the chance to sit down and align them all up by the Spirit.  As I have done this, I have noticed many of my prayers being answered. 

This brings me to another point.  Through the day, the Lord is teaching me so many different things.  I have to really focus and be receptive so I don't miss the important lessons that He is teaching me.  I want you to compare this principle to your life as well.  So many times we are asking the Lord for help.  We are asking Him for so many different things and He is always there--always hearing our prayers and answering them.  Although, when we have feelings of doubt or unbelief, I promise He is always there.  So many times we are so busy and caught up in things that don't matter.  We are always so distracted.  The Lord is trying to teach us so many different lessons throughout the day, but we are too focused on things that aren't important.  I am really trying to focus on seeing the hand of the Lord in my life and to notice the lessons I am being taught.  As we focus on what's important and try to see the hand of the Lord in our lives, we can recognize our prayers being answered.

This week has been great!  It is starting to get super cold!  It snowed here a few times last week.  The cold weather eats through you!  It's crazy! 

 Let it snow!

Our Stake President's house

It's also Kimchee-making season, so the streets are packed with people buying all their cabbage and everything.  There are huge trucks that come in with tons of lettuce.  They make their Kimchee and then it lasts them until next year!  Haha!  How great is that!

This week I have also been focusing on giving selfless service to everyone I come in contact with.  I am trying to gain a better understanding of that principles.  When Christ lived on earth and taught his gospel, he gave His whole life to serving others.  Never did He focus on himself.  He always turned outward in love and compassion.  I have really been trying to focus on serving.  I have also been focusing on maintaining a positive attitude.  For some reason, last week after everything I did, I just had negative thoughts, and I was getting down on myself.  So, after I prayed and asked what it was that I needed to change, I knew it was to think positively.  Well, a few days later, everything seemed to be going wrong in the day.  However, my goal was to maintain a positive attitude in all I do.  So when things were going wrong, I didn't let it get to me.  I pulled out my planner each time something went wrong and I looked at my goal, "THINK POSITIVE."  Well, after about 10 times of doing that, I was walking down the street and after being rejected by plenty of people, I had a feeling to talk to this really old man walking down the street.  Long story short, he was my miracle.  He had been baptized many years ago and then stopped going to church.  We talked to him on the street in the freezing cold for about an hour.  It was such a blessing.  I know that because I kept a positive attitude, I was blessed.

Our investigators are doing well, slowly progressing.  We actually have a baptismal date for CHRISTMAS DAY!  I really hope it sticks.  It's really hard to explain.  He might have some issues to work through, and our Stake President met him and said that if we baptized him now without the changes being made, he would go inactive immediately, so we're really working on it.  We have a few others who are close.  We just have to continue working hard.

We are really working hard to give Christ a present on Christmas.  I want tho challenge you to think of something you want to give to Christ for Christmas--an act of service, etc.  This gospel is true.  I am learning so much every day.  I have really learned a lot from the Book of Mormon.  All the answers are in there.  I love and miss everyone so much.  Thanks for all your love and support.  Have a good and safe week!

Love,

Elder Johnson

P.S.  One thing everyone could do is share this marvelous video about the real meaning of Christmas:

He is the Gift

(Click on the link above to view this video.)

  

Week Nineteen - December 2, 2014

 FAMILY!
 
Happy Thanksgiving!  I miss you lots!  There is so so so much to be thankful for.  I have been going throughout this week with a prayer of gratitude in my heart.  I have felt the love of the Savior, and I have seen how many things there are to be grateful for.  This week as I have been focusing on gratitude, I have realized how much I have been blessed with.  I am and will forever be grateful for all the many blessings the Lord has blessed me with.  I am so grateful for an incredible family, for all the love and support you show and give me.  I am also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father everyday and to become more like the Savior, Jesus Christ.

This week I have really been focusing on faith--Faith in Jesus Christ.  How I can teach it. How I can understand it and How I can exercise it.  Faith is a principle of action.  We first must ask with faith, ask with a honest heart and believe that we can receive.  When we do these things, we can receive answers to our prayers.  I have been reading the Book of Mormon and really trying to seek for a knowledge--to understand and apply its teachings.  I know that I receive blessings and direction from its teachings.

We have been trying to visit families in our ward this week, trying to get referrals, and we are taking pictures with each family and giving them a Christmas present.  Its has been really fun to visit the families and share with them a spiritual message. 

We are still trying to really help our investigators progress towards baptism.  We are trying to give Jesus Christ a baptism for Christmas.  I am praying really hard on how I can do that. I know that through my hard work, I will be able to bless the lives of my investigators.
 
I am grateful for this Gospel and the happiness it gives me in my life.  As we learn and APPLY the Teachings of Jesus Christ, we can receive direction in our lives.  I hope all is well.  Have a good week!  I love and pray for you!  I will talk more about my investigators and other things next week!

 
Elder Johnson

Week Eighteen - November 23, 2014

FAMILY!  How are you? 

I hope all is well.  I thank you for all your amazing support and love you show me.  I can feel your prayers everyday. 

 Elder Johnson shows how fish are everywhere!

 This week has been great.  I am seeing the Hand of the Lord more and more in my life as I come closer to him and gain a stronger relationship with Him.  I have done a lot of self reflection these past few days on how and why I know this church is true.  I was really trying to look back on my previous life to specific experiences that I have had to help me understand the importance that this Gospel has had on my life.  As I thought of these experiences, I decided to write them down.  I came up with a few and I know that these were things I went through to prepare me for this time I am in now.

 

A cute family in Korea with Elder Johnson

A few weeks ago, Tyler sent me an e-mail that meant a lot to me.  He said, "I think the advice I could give is that in all that you do, search the Holy Ghost.  He is your constant companion.  Search Him and he will give you all things that you can say and do. I know in my tracting efforts, I have been guided by the Holy Ghost.  Don't  seek to be first.  Serve."

Well, I followed his advice.  I have really been seeking the gift of the Holy Ghost in everything I do.  I have been praying to be guided and to receive truth and light from the Holy Ghost.  I have a special experience that happened last week.  First of all, with the oven experience and second I have been lead to people while tracting by the Holy Ghost.  Last week when P Day ended, we had planned to meet with our investigator but things changed a little bit and he ended up cancelling.  So after me and my comp talked about what we should do, we decided to go out and tract.  Well, I wasn't in the best mood.  I was a little down and I had really been praying to receive strength.  Right before me and my companion left our house, I told him I wasn't going to bring my bag  and that I would just carry the Book of Mormon in my hand.  Well, I had this prompting for some reason I really needed my bag.  I ignored it.  I was prompted again.  I ignored it.  I got down on my knees before we left and prayed to feel the Love of the Savior and to be led to someone who needed to hear of the Gospel.  As I got up, I was just about to leave the house when the prompting came again.  Get you bag.  So of course after three hard promptings, I went and got my bag.  I had no idea why I needed it.  I had everything I needed.  All I thought I needed was my Korean Book of Mormon.  

Well, as me and my companion started to tract, we were on this busy road and as we were walking, I just felt like I needed to stop and turn right.  There was a street that nobody was on.  It was pretty dark and I couldn't see anyone. As we continued to walk down it, there was nobody.  So I said, "Lets just walk to that sign and we will turn around and go back out to the busy street."  Well, as we turned around, there was this girl who was down the road from us.  She had a lot in her hands and so we thought we should help her.  Well, as she got closer and closer, I could tell that she wasn't Korean.  She was from the Philippines.  As we started to talk to her, we introduced ourselves and told her what we were doing.  We began to introduce the Book of Mormon. Well, unfortunately we thought we didn't have an English Book of Mormon.  But as we continued to talk about the Book of Mormon, I had a feeling to check my bag.  Well, sure enough, I had an English Book of Mormon in my bag.  I had a prompting to put it in there about two weeks ago, and I kept trying to take it out but each time I had the prompting to leave it in.  Anyway, we were able to give it to her, and I know that we were lead by the Spirit through our efforts.  I am so grateful that Heavenly Father listens and answers our prayers through the Holy Ghost.  That is something I have been praying for, to be enlightened by the Holy Ghost to receive Light and Truth.

Elder Uchtdorf gave an amazing talk in conference called, "Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth."  We all have the ability to gain a personal testimony.  We all have the ability to feel God's infinite love.  Something he said in his talk I really loved, "In the end, we are all pilgrims seeking God's light as we journey on the path of discipleship."  That is so true.  I know God hears and answers our prayers.  I have been praying from the desires of my heart.  We often have MANY thoughts go through our mind and there are many things we want, but I really believe that the real and true things are found in our heart.  As we express our hearts, we can find Light and Truth.

Our investigators are doing well.  I'm working hard and trying my best to learn the language! It is very hard but I am progressing little by little.

I love you and hope you have an amazing week!

Elder Johnson

Week Seventeen - November 17, 2014

Family!  Hope all is Well!

I don't have a lot of time.  This week has been great.  Still working hard and trying to find new investigators.  My little fact for Korea is "Criss Cross Apple Sauce."  Cross legged kills me!  Hah!  I am trying hard to be able to sit cross legged for more than 30 mins.  HaHa!  It kills my knees.  But, it's getting better.  Koreans eat and sit and talk cross legged.  When we go to restaurants, we mostly take off our shoes and sit criss crossed.  It's great!

I have been working hard this week.  Trying to learn and grow.  I am learning so much from the scriptures, and I am really trying to study "Preach My Gospel."  We have 4 or 5 investigators, and we are really trying to help them progress.  Most of them aren't really keeping our commitments.  We met this guy from Vietnam, and he is really interested in our church.  We are meeting with him every week and are trying to help him understand the importance of this Gospel and how it changes lives!

I have been praying for specific gifts this week, and I have been being accountable to the Lord at the end of the day for how I will obtain each gift.  As we do our part, He blesses us.  I set daily goals, and I have seen so many blessings as I obey and accomplish my goals.

Sorry, I really don't have a lot of time this week.  The ward mission leader took us hiking today!  It was a blast!

We have an appointment in like 20 minutes, so we didn't have much time to e-mail.  Hope all is well. I love and pray for you every day.  Have a good week.

Love, 

Elder Johnson

Week Sixteen - November 10, 2014

안녕하세요!

Hope everything is going well! 

This week has been great!  Super busy and full of a lot of miracles!  Before I tell you about this week, I'll share my little facts about Korea.  Korea people exercise on these little wooded pathways  on the side of the road.  Not a lot of runners, just a lot of walkers.  Off to the side of these paths, they have these little exercise machines.  They are so weird haha. You can do the elliptical or a little sit up thing.  I don't know how to explain it.  I will take a pic and send home next week.  Me and my comp went running this week in the morning a few times, and we stopped and used the machines.  There were these two bars next together so I started to do some dips.  This guy walked past and didn't stop staring at me.  I'm sure he was thinking, "What in the world is that crazy American doing... we don't do that in Korea."  Hahah  

Another thing is the fruit here.  The fruit is delicious.  The members always give us fruit.  In Korea, we always eat the normal mean with all the crazy side dishes, and then after we always eat fruit.  It's great.  I'm getting kinda fat.  I am starting to really love the food and the people.  Korea is amazing!!! 

(Apartment bathroom of missionaries.)

This week has been amazing.  We have been super busy with appointments and have just been all over the place.  It has been great.  Me and my companion, Elder Skinner, are really working hard trying to help our investigators progress.

(Investigator and Elders)

On Thursday this week, it was a day that I will never forget.  We were super busy, our first lesson was with a Brother.  He is an academy owner.  His English is pretty good.  He is open to learning about our church, but he is Catholic and said he wasn't really  interested in changing religions.  We have been meeting with him for four weeks now, and he is slowly making progress.  We taught him about the great apostasy last week because he had a lot of questions about it.  We had to explain why and how God's power was taken off the earth.  Anyway, our lesson went really well.  At the end, he gave me four elementary school Korean text books for me to learn from.  It was amazing!  He is really nice.  I hope he can continue to progress.

After we met with him, we had an appointment.  We have have been meeting with him since I first got here.  He is my first investigator.  To quickly describe him, he is progressing but in a weird way.  He keeps our commitments and is praying and reading the scriptures, but he won't come to church.  We have tried to do everything we can to get him to come, but for some reason he won't come.  He tells us it's because he is really lazy.  He also has a weird phobia of keeping promises, he told us.  Anyway, before this lesson, I asked my companion if I could kinda take charge and lead the message.  The night before our lesson with him I prayed and asked Heavenly Father what it was that I needed to teach him.  

Well, the next day I believe I received my answer in personal study.  The Commandments.  If we love God, we will keep His commandments.  John 14:15.  That is exactly what he needed.  However....... we have taught him the commandments like two times already.  But I felt like that was what he needed.  So at the beginning of our lesson, he asked if I would pray in English and be sure to bless my family and my parents especially.  When I was praying in English at the beginning of our lesson, I felt the spirit so strong!  It was great!  Well, after my prayer, I got right into my lesson.  After about 10 minutes of me talking and having him read a few scriptures, he asked a question I couldn't reply to him in Korean, so Elder Skinner started talking to him.  Well, it dragged on and on and for about 45 minutes. 

Well, long story short, Kim's phone rang which was a miracle and so he hurried and went out and answered his phone.  I could tell that he was acting different.  Well, before he came back in, Elder Skinner explained that he tried to set a baptismal date to help him progress to, but he didn't like it and wanted to change subjects.  He tried to change the subject like three different times by trying to talk to me.  Well, I knew that when he came back in the room he would ask me to continue with my lesson, so I was thinking about everything I would say.  Well, as he sat back down in his chair, I started to say what I was going to say and then all of a sudden I stopped talking and put my head down.  The Spirit had a different way for me to handle the situation.  

As I put my head down and was looking at the ground, my eyes filled with tears.  The Spirit was getting stronger and stronger.  I looked up at him and he was stunned.  He was like, "Johnson, why are you crying?"  Right then I started to testify of everything I knew how to in Korean.  I was speaking the words that the Spirit would have me say.  I was filled with the Spirit so strong.  I explained to him how much happiness I have received from this gospel and how much I loved him and how much I know that this gospel could help him.  I shared a scripture with him. 2 NE 31:5.  After he read it, he just looked at me and in his broken English he said, "Johnson, I can feel your heart."  He said that like four or five different times.  I was grateful at that time to be able to be filled with the Spirit.  I don't know why I got so emotional, but I have received a lot of happiness from this gospel, and I just want to share it with everyone.  Sorry that was kinda a hard experience to share.  I hope you understand. 

I don't have much time, but I have really been being accountable to the Lord in all I do.  I have seen so many little miracles and blessings this week as I have created goals and been accountable to them.  I know that I am being blessed.  I am grateful everyday to serve the Lord.  Some days are hard but those are the days I learn the most.

I am doing great with the language.  It gets frustrating, but I push forward.  My desire to serve the Lord is very strong.  I came across Alma chapter 29 this week.  It talks about desires and how the God grants unto people according to their own desires.  I know that through my hard work and desire, people can strengthen theirs.  I am grateful for this gospel.

 There is so much more I want to tell you.  I will save for next week.  I am out of time.  I love you. Hope all is well.  Have a good week.  And know that Heavenly Father hears and answers all of our prayers.

Elder Johnson