JOHNSON IN WISCONSIN

Hey, I now go through my trials and challenges by trying to figure out what the lord is trying to teach me and what im supposed to learn from it. I went through that when i lost my camera and i learned that i need to exercise more faith in Christ when i face trials, even though at the time i was very stressed i look back now and realize it helped me learn and grow and will prepare me for my trials in the futre. Its awsome to see the lord give us object lessons in life and maybee this operation is for you to learn something. Be sure to pray often and talk with heavenly father about it and try and see what you can learn from your experinces in life, i do that a lot in the mission field. The scriptures teach us that when we put our trust in the lord we are promised with strength in our afflictions. Have a prayer in your heart always, check out Mosiah 24, its a great illustration of that, one of my favorite chapters. Also look at 2 Nephi 4, great sermon by Nephi. Oh boy what would life be withut the BOM. Well, tranfers are this week and E. Winkler is most likely leaving so i should be gettin a new companion and be in Madison 6 more weeks. Im ok with that. 2 transfer areas are wierd so im happy to stay another even with the bus during winter. Hopefully all the snow and cold will only last a few more weeks, its gettin reall old. Im much more pleasent during spring and summer. We have a few new people to teach as this transfer starts. Jamses doesnt want offical meetings in members homes anymore but said we could stop by. He plans to continue studying the BOM and about Joseph Smith but so far he doesnt feel that he was a prophet afetr he translated the BOM. With time i feel that he will come around. I am goinng to strongly encourage him to attend general confrence in a few weeks, nothing better than hearing the inspired words of a prophet and apostles. We got a new investigator last week, Nan Mulhern, a 76 year old widowed Irish woman we met tracting 2 weeks ago and gave her a BOM on her doorstep. We taught her the Restoration and she loved it and is a ver sweet older lady. Were taking Sister Watkind from the ward over there tomorrow for another lesson. Whats really cool is that she only lives 3 blocks form the church and she plans to go with us next week. SWEET! We hopefully gonna start teaching Tammy, the Burtons neighbor this week, the weather last week sorta messed that up on Saturday. We also have a nice list of potentilas that we are gonna work on and hopefully get some new investigatrs as we contact and teach them so this next transfer could be exciting. I will probably become the District Leader (i enjoyed it a few months ago so that will be nice) again and this will be the 7th transfer in a row that me and E. Larka, form Sweeden, will be in the same district. He is training on Campus so that should be fun. Tomorrw we are having a combined district meeting with everybody serving in the Madison zone at the Capital!! We got a swee hook up form a mamber and we get to use on of the rooms of the capital, maybee we can make some new laws while we are there. Another week has paseed and i still feel strong in the faith. I love this gospel and my time i have to be a missionary, its such a rewarding experience. I got a nice taste of the fruits of my labors today as Sister Guenther in Marqutte emailed me and told me that she got her temple reccomend and should be going to Chicago to get her endowment. She has only been a member for 18 months and has a had a rouhg firrst year and a half as a member going through a divorce and heath issues and a bunch if stuff and remember how she used to feed us every week? She told me that i played a big part in helping her prepaerf for the temple and get her recomned and keep her on track. It was nice to hear that i am impacting peoples lives from my service. There were a lot of people who helped me get where i am and thats whay i came out here, to share my testimony and joy in the gospel with others to help them and i guess i am doign that, even without tons of baptisms. The last few weeks me and E. WInkler have been discussing that part of our calling as a missionary (especially in Wisconsin) is to edify the saints, and i guess thats how i was able to help Sister Guenther. I love being in the service of my fellow man and God, Mosiah 2:17, sorry ill stop showing off. I get lots of time to read the scriptures out here. I will be 16 months on Firday and will only have 1/3 of my mission remaining. I cant imagine what it will be like not to be a missionary. Luckily i still have to wait a while before i know. Have a fun March week. What happened to February? Love you all so much and let the good times roll. Love, Elder Benjamin Russell (not Richard) Johnson