JOHNSON IN WISCONSIN

My time in Marquette expired and i got sent to the other end of the mission way down south to Madison, WI. Im in the heart of Madison. Were at the campus library right now. UW Madison is one of the craziest universities in the country. We dont actually cover campus. There are another set of Elders that cover campus and teach all the single people. My area covers downtown, the isthmus, and the south side (kinda ghetto but nothin like Milwaukee). We ride the bus (booooo). The bus system here isnt very efficint for missionary work. the routes and schedules arent very convienent. We might be on bike a lot. Its not even winter here. There hasnt been snow for 2 weeks and we may not even have a white christmas. Thats unheard of for Wisconsin. The work here is tough. We dont have any investigators only a small list of potentials and less actives. SO im coming from one of the busuiset areas in Marquette to one of the toughest areas in the mission. We will be doing tons of tracting and street and bus contacting. I think Pres sent me here to jumpstart the work here. Ill do my best. My companion is Elder Josh Winkler. Hes from Fielding, UT (in the same county as Brigham City). He from the middle of nowhere farm land. He's really cool. I like him. Hes been out for 6 1/2 months so im his 4th companion. Hes my 8th. Were having fun although the first few days have been tough as ive been adjusting to the new area and everything and settling in from transfers. It took all day Thursday to get here. Whats crazy is that Elder J. Johnson (my 2nd companion) went up to Marquette to bust E. Thompson. I called them last night and it sounded like they are doin alright. The first few days of moving to a new area it takes a little while before we get up to full speed but were looking forward to this transfer. Im glad to be in Madison serving around some of my good buddies. Were playin basketball this afternoon. Ive already had a bum tell us that he was "A drunk homeless woman" and that he was going to "go sleep in the woods with the owls" and a guy on State street (the main street in Madison) played "Jesus loves me this i know, for the bible tells me so" on his giutar and kazoo (i recorded him on my camera) so im glad to be around all the crazies of a big city again. Life is good. Im not sure what time im calling next Monday. I will call you soometime before then to arrange the phone call. Probablt on Saturday or Sunday. Were having lunch at a members house that day so well get home 3-4 our time so somtime after 2 pm at home probably. Ill let you know for sure. The ward here feeds us every night. The ward is composed of young married college couples (most form out west). They have 2 nurseryes and seriously 30 babies. Its the loudest sacrament meeting ive ever seen. At least 30 married couples in thier 20's. Its crazy. In fact i guess the Thomas' in B2, their dautter just moved back home to Kenmore. Next week at church look for the Stangers. They just moved form here to go back home. I ddint get to meet them, they left the day i got here. I alos met a guy that went to Juanita high school that know the Wells, a brother from Bellevue, and a sister from Kent, so there is a lot of Washington roots in the Madison 1st ward. I love you all. I hope i gave you enough to read. I cannot wait to chat next week. Today's scripture is Proverbs 3:5. Have a nice week. Love Elder Benjamin.

Its not going in our backyard Russ, its going in our living room. Man for the 2nd year in a row im gonna miss seeing that movie. Yes we got tons of snow at the beginning of the week but the past few days its been sunny and rather warm (by warm i mean upper 30's, low 40's). Im gonna laught at all yous when i get home and you will all be bundling up for 35 degrees and ill be out in shorts and a t shirt. You dont even know what cold is. After emailing last week we played football with the zone (12 Elders) and it was snowing and 15 out side. One of the funnest things ive done on my mission. We then went bowling and had a chikcen enchilada dinner at the church. On Tuesday we went down to Appleton, WI and had our christmas zone confrence with the zones of missionaries. It was a blast. I saw a few of my former companions and many other of my buddies. We didnt get home to Marquette till after midnight. Thats why i wanna go somewhere else. Its been fun but im tired of all this travel time. Since Wedensday ive been at the normal grind of missionary work. I am most likely being transferred this Thursday (calls come tomorrow night).Im ready for a new area and companion. Its been fun with E. Thopmson and he's taught me alot but 3 months is enough. Its been tought at times as were very different people but i made it through. Yesterday was sorta tough for me saying goodbye to all the awesome members of the Marquette ward (i only attended church here 24 times). It was new for me as i didnt get very attached to the members in my previous areas as i was not there too long but I'll miss this ward big time. I also got a little homesick (for the first time in a while) as the YW put on a program for sacrament meeting and they were all sinignig this song (it sounded like an EFY song) and it reminded me of all my awsome friends back home and then i missed my family and then i was thinking about Christmas and how ill have a telephone to talk too and thats it and it was a weird sacrament meeting. I juts had all these emotions including being sad to leave this ward. I got over it though as soon as the meeting ended. Ill miss the people im teaching as well. Great news!! We set a baptism date with an old lady named Loana yesterday!! Its for Jan 7th. We tracted into her back in October and weve been teaching her every week. She already has read the whole BOM and has a testimony of it. She wants to be baptized. Im pretty excited, its every missionaries dream to see somebody they found on their own efforts get baptized (of course the lord led us to her). Im confident that she and Carly (whos date is set for Jan 21st) will be baptized even though I wont be there to see them. Its great to be a part of the process. Thats my exciting news. Well it seems i typed a lot. Thats ok. Lots of stuff goin on. Well remember the reason for the season.

In this culture it snows. It bagan snowing on Friday and has been in the 20's and snowing since. We have about a foot on the ground now. Im learning how to drive in the snow. I dont have much experience as i was in the passenger seat last winter but im taking it slowly. I was wondering when winter would arrive. Im actually in Iron Mountain, MI, where tyhe ZL's livve and were having a zone pday with football in the snow and then bowling and tomorrow moringin we go down to Appleton for our christmas zone confrence. Its gonna be a blast. Th work is movin along slowly. Its very difficult to see baptisms. Having smoebody convert to the church is a very long and slow process for many peoeple and im learning that. Our mission is one of the toughest if not the toughest mission in the U.S. It requires a lot of patience to sreve in Wisconsin and the U.P. There just arent very many members and the growth is slow. I love serving here though. I know the lord sends us where were suppposed to go. Ive met awesome people and had great experiences in each of my areas thus far that i wouldnt trade for anywhere else. I love the work and serving, even in the harsh winters, and this year's has just begun.