Week 26 - January 19, 2016

Family! 

So glad you got my package!  Hope you liked everything.  The squid and the candies!!  haha  They aren't very good, but I wanted to give you a little taste of the Korean Life:)  Hope you enjoyed it!  I love and appreciate you guys so much.  My family is amazing!

(This is a picture of the squid candy Elder Johnson sent home for his family to try.)

(Elder Johnson's sister and her two friends try the "candy.")

This week has been great!  Full of lots of hard work and lots of blessings.  I am continuing to learn so much.  I am really trying to focus on applying all the things I learn during my personal study.  In "Preach My Gospel," it teaches that by living and applying gospel principles, I will be able to gain a better understanding and I will be able to teach more productively.  I have noticed that as I have been doing this, my knowledge of the gospel is increasing and new Ideas are coming to me.  During my companion studies me and my comp role play.  It is soooooo HARD.  But I am really trying to find my teaching style, and I am really focusing on trying to teach simple gospel truths.  Sometimes I get so caught up in how hard the language is and it is so hard for me to say what I want, but I am then reminded that If I stay simple and rely on the Spirit, everything will go smoothly and go how it is suppose to.  I am really learning to rely on the Savior in everything, and I am applying his infinite Atonement in my life. 

Something that I have been thinking about this week is that, we as people living on this earth, will never fully understand how great the Atonement is.  How powerful and infinite it is. The Savior really did suffer for the sins of all mankind and through him we can receive eternal life.  I am so grateful for the Savior Jesus Christ.  I am trying to become like him in every way I can.  I have really come to realize I just have to throw myself into his arms and trust he will guide me in my actions, this work, and my life.

I am learning and applying something that was taught to me while I was growing up by my most amazing parents:)))  It's the power of planning.  Planning is so important in missionary work.  Often times I find myself with so much on my mind and so much to do, and it just stresses me out.  I sometimes let things build up and it just gets distracting.  But I have noticed as I plan and find a way to accomplish the things, I see big results.  I have learned so much and I have so much to learn.  As I plan, pray, and execute with a purpose, the Lord helps me in all I do.

Me and my comp are still working hard trying to find investigators.  I love him! He teaches me so much.  We have two investigators right now.  One is really sad and really needs the gospel in his life.  We are trying to help him in every way we can.  He is slowly progressing, but he works on construction things so he is always unable to meet.

We have just been spending a lot of time talking to people on the streets.  It has its ups and downs.  I really want to meet and grow a love for my investigators and teach lessons, but I have started doing something on the street that has helped me grow spiritually and has helped me progress in my Korean teaching abilities.  I try to teach a principle of the gospel to each person I talk to on the street.  It has helped me so much.  I know as we keep working hard, the Lord will lead us to the people he is preparing for me.

I am grateful for prayer and and gaining a close relationship with my Savior.
I hope all is well.  I Love you all soooo soo much.  Thanks for your love and support!

Have a good week.

Elder Johnson

Week 25 - January 12, 2015

Family! I hope all is well! 

I got two post cards in the mail this week from Paris!  Thank you so much, they meant so much to me.  Thank you for all your love and support you show me.  I appreciated your email and your thoughts to help me discover my special gifts I have been blessed with.  Last week because of time purposes, I wasn't able to share a quote that I wanted to.  I can't remember who it's from, but it came from a talk in the Ensign that I read.  It goes like this, "Remember, its what you do with what you have that makes you who you are."  That is so true.  I am really trying to bless the lives of others by being myself and using the gifts that the Lord has blessed me with.  I am so grateful.

I am learning so much everyday.  I am slowly starting to find myself and I have made some big improvements over the past couple of weeks.  My companion is teaching me so much.  I love him!  He is the coolest Korean and is full of energy!  We get along so well, I swear he is like my twin--just in a Korean form haha.  I have seen huge improvements with my language ability from just serving with him.  I am able to understand a lot more, and I am able to say things I want to say better and better each day.  I have continued to pray for the gift of tongues and I know I am being blessed so much.  I am so grateful.

(Strength in numbers.  Elder Johnson with other missionaries serving in this area.)

 (Lower picture:  View from Elder Johnson's apartment in Gwangju.)

Being a missionary is truly remarkable.  I receive so many blessings each day and the happiness and love that comes from this work is incredible.  I know the Lord is very involved. 

This last week as we were out talking to people on the street, it was freezing cold.  We weren't having much success, but we continued to talk to everyone, and we eventually ran into this girl who was carrying a lot of groceries and looked like she needed help.  As we helped her, she saw that I wasn't wearing my gloves and my hands were about to freeze off! She reached into her bag and pulled out these brand new really nice leather gloves and gave them to me.  It was an amazing miracle!  I felt so blessed and I was so grateful.  I started to think back on why everything happened like it did, and it was simply because I have been showing the Lord my gratitude for His countless blessings he provides me. 

I am reading in the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi right now, and one thing I have observed is after each blessing the Lord grants unto Lehi and his Family, they build an altar and offer a burnt offering and give thanks.  In the back of the Book of Mormon when Christ visits the Americas, he tells us that the burnt offering that we need to offer him is a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  If we do this we will be blessed beyond our own.

I want to share an experience of something that happened this week that really sent me to my knees to seek an answer from my loving Heavenly Father.  A simple question.  Did Joseph Smith really restore this Gospel?   Did Jesus Christ and God really appear to him in the Sacred Grove and tell him that he had a work to do?

On Wednesday this week, I felt as if my testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith was taken from me.  I believed, but I didn't know.  I felt as if I was in a dark place--a place that I had never before been.  I wasn't myself, I felt depressed, and I really was having some negative thoughts.  I ignored the negative thoughts and put them away.  A scripture came to mind that is in Alma Chapter 32.  "If you can have no desire to believe, let this desire work within you."  I held tight to the testimony I previously gained of the prophet Joseph Smith, that I received on Originations, my trip back east to each church history sight.   After praying and asking for myself in the Sacred Grove, after thinking about that scripture, it brought me to another scripture in the Book of Ether which tells us that we receive no witness until after the trial of our faith.

I believed.  I started to really ponder the question.   Was Joseph Smith really a prophet?  As I read a talk about Joseph Smith given by Neil A. Anderson in this last conference, it immediately changed my thought process.  He gives a challenge in there of gaining a testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel.  There is also a quote that I love, "Spiritual questions receive spiritual answers from God."  There is not a more true statement that I can think of.  I thought to myself that there is only one way that I can find out for myself.  I realized that I could not rely on the testimony of my companion. 

I prayed.  I asked.  And I acted.  I can tell you with everything I have that Joseph Smith restored this Church.  Joseph Smith did more for the salvation of mankind save our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ only.  I am so grateful for the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It has brought me more happiness in my life than I can explain.  There is only one way in which we can know for ourselves and that is to ask.  Ask our loving God who gave us life.  Even if we need a reconfirmation.  Like I did.  When we seek the things of God, he will reveal them unto us.  I want to share my testimony of the restored gospel with everyone I come in contact with.  The Book of Mormon has brought more truth and light to my life than any other book here on this earth.  And without a young 14 year old boy seeking for truth, we wouldn't have it.  I am continuing to build my testimony on the Restoration of this Gospel.  And I know that this is God's true church here upon this earth.  I rejoice in the restoration, and I glory in my Savior.  I love this gospel, and I am grateful for the opportunity I can share it everyday. 

I love you!  Have a safe week!  I miss and pray for you every day!

Love,

Elder Johnson

Week 24 - January 4, 2015

Family!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!  2015.  

I'm so excited.  I have a lot of goals and things set that I want to accomplish this year.  I have so many cool and fun experiences that await me.  Sorry not a lot of time.  But this week in Korea I turned 20!  Every Korean gains an age on New Years.  It's super weird how it works.  Apparently every New Year's day, Koreas gain an age if you eat this special soup. Yesterday, Bishop invited us over and we all ate it.  It was a cool experience.

(Elder Johnson with his companions.  He thinks they are great!)

 (On the streets of Korea)

I don't have a lot of time this week. But I want to share with you something that I am learning--the principle of being yourself.  Sometimes as a missionary, that can be the hardest thing to do.  With all the things you are learning, studying, and doing, sometimes you tend to be someone you aren't.  Well, as I was going throughout this week, I was really focusing on being myself--trying to find all the special things I have been blessed with and using them to bless others' lives.  I know that I have been called to Korea because I have been blessed with special gifts I need to use to bless these people's lives.  I have been praying a lot to figure out what my gifts are and how I can use them.

I have also gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon.  For some reason, I realized that I haven't been reading the Book of Mormon as much as I need to.  I have been studying other things like "Preach My Gospel" and to help me prepare for my lessons.  But I had the feeling the other day that I really need to just focus my studies on the Book of Mormon.  As I have been doing this, I have really noticed new ideas and thoughts come into my head from just reading the Book of Mormon.  I know that when we read the Book of Mormon, we really receive special revelation for our lives.  I love this gospel, and it brings me so much happiness.

What is the Book of Mormon? 

(Click on the link above to see a short 5-minute video about the Book of Mormon.)

Love you.   Have a great week!  Elder Johnson

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