Transfers

The baptism is not till this Saturday but I am very blessed because I already have permission to return for it:) Yazmin asked me if I would baptize her!!! To which I said YES!!! I am so excited this is my 

favorite picture ever! Yazmin is on the  and karla is on the far left. They are the two that will be baptized this Saturday. All the others are investigators. Lidia is on my left. We had a super good week. We are teaching a lot! 

 

It is also Montreal...  He will be getting married and then they will be getting baptized in April!

The Links Family.

The Anderson family ... They made Michael Cocunut cream pie.  He also Skyped from their house for Christmas!

Brother Dominguez from Las Vegas. Michael said he helps out a lot with exchanges.

This is the bishop and His wife! Super amazing family! One of the funniest men I have ever met.

This is Hermano Alegre. He is amazing and helps us out with exchanges all the time! He is from Peru. 

Transfer in the near Future

Dear mother, 

I am doing fantastic! So I am getting transferred on March 25th! It was the biggest shock ever. I thought for sure I was staying and Elder Rose would leave but its the other way around. I am special so I get to know where I am going. I am training again but in an all spanish branch in the Fayetteville stake. I have stayed in this stake for more than half of the Lord's mission (Clinton and Dunn). My first all Spanish branch. When I first got the news I was a little upset because we have 5-7 people who will get baptized right after I leave! Yazmin and Karla will be baptized on the 29th, only four days after I get transferred. Then shortly after that Montrelle and Kendra two of our investigators will get married and then baptized! Then Lidia and Tania will get baptized in April! So I was super upset about all this because I have worked super hard to get the area up and running and this will be the 4th on up baptism that will have happened right after I get transferred. I call it the Elder Johnson curse. Right after I get transferred at least two of the people I set baptismal dates/ taught will get baptized! I have only been able to have one baptism happen while I was in the area. I was thinking about all this and how much I have had to go through this last transfer when I realized that every area I have ever been in was a rough area. The area was down in the dumps you could say. Not a lot was happening. In each area it had been months to a year since the last baptism.  Every area I have served, in right when everything is going great, the area is up and running, the work is progressing, people will be baptized, less-actives are returning, we have a huge teaching pool... God decides to transfer me to a new area that needs a boost. I realized a few things this week:

1.  This is not my mission but the Lord's and he will send me where ever He darn well pleases! I am here to do His will not mine! When I got the news I was going to be transferred I was disappointed but I knelt down and humbled myself and asked God if it was His will that I go to this area? And why? As I did that I got a reaffirming sensation that it was His will but did not understand the why.

 Well the next day I learned why from a member who is in the Stake High council that this branch was about to be dissolved a month ago and an Area 70 said not to.  They had a meeting about it in which the stake president and the mission president were there ... and discussed what to do. I realize now, this is why I am going there because ...The Lord needs to get some work done! A miracle will happen in that area. I know it will. 

2. As long as The Lord sends me to find the people and  I invite them to return to God or be baptized ...then who cares if I am there for the baptism or not? They will remember me on the other side and it will be a glorious reunion! This time I have had to serve the Lord's mission ... It has meant EVERTHING to me! I have learned so much! I feel so sad for those who reject this opportunity because of the cares of the world. I love serving and would not give up this opportunity for any thing in the world! Love y'all! 

-Elder Johnson

Fantastic Week

Hey Mom,

I am doing great! Thanks so much for the letters and the tie! It is absolutely beautiful! All is well I was just getting a little bit stressed over it ... but all is well.

We had a fantastic week! We helped 20 people to attend church! There were four less-actives, seven investigators with nine of their children! The ward was like WOW. The most amazing thing about it was that Lidia and Yazmin and thier families came to church for the first time! There were ten all together. They came a little bit late into fast and testimony meeting and since I opened the area we have not had any Hispanics come to church so they were the first. I was super excited.  They came late into the meeting and we were sitting up in the third row, the meeting was packed and there was no room to sit any where. A member came and grab us and told us that Lidia and Yazmin were here with their children. We went out to go see them and we had to open the overflow and set up chairs.  When they came and sat down the whole ward ... was like holy cow. It was super neat! The bishop then got up and bore his testimony in Spanish. And another member offered the closing prayer in Spanish.  The rest of the meetings was translated. They absolutely loved it! We go back to see them on Tuesday but they will all be baptized on March 22nd.

We have been doing a lot of teaching and we are working hard. Brother Edge is doing great! He came to church this Sunday and we go and see him tonight. I am doing well and am continuing to work hard!

I have been studying a lot in Doctrine and covenants and in section 35 I found these verses and I love them: 

13 Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to THRESH the nations by the power of my Spirit; 14 And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight MANFULLY for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them.

I love the descriptive words manfully and thresh. It just goes to show with God on our side we are MANLY!! 

LOVE Y'ALL

Love, Elder Michael Johnson