Monday, July 23, 2007
You guys got hosed....
The significance of that statement will be mentioned later. So life is movin along, you will not believe what phone call I got on Friday...no it wasn’t for free pizza....not it wasn’t from Steven Spielberg....it was from Sister Roberts, it was my trunky call. Every transfer she calls the missionaries that are going home in a few months...yah, it was weird. She asks if your Bishop, Stake President, Home address and all that stuff are the same (I’ll have to give her the new info when you all move to Silverdale) and then the last question she asks is what airport to buy your plane ticket for. I told her that since the church is paying I wanted to fly to Australia and she laughed and said "Elder Johnson you need to go home, plus I don’t think your mother would like that too much". I guess she is right. Its hasn’t really hit me yet that my time is getting shorter and shorter. I don’t think it does till they get on the plane, well I making the best with the time I have left although it gets tough at times.
We got some bummer news about Cynthia. To start with the good news we had a great lesson with her last week and she has decided to get baptized!!! That’s the exciting part; she has gotten confirmation through prayer that it’s right. The bummer is that her mom isn’t gonna let her go into the water. Booo. She doesn’t turn 18 till September of next year which means she will have to wait until then unless we can get written permission from her mom. She is cool with her coming to church and the lessons and all but when she asked about baptism she told her that they are Catholics and they've been Catholics forever etc. SO yah, I was pretty bummed after she told us on Saturday at the stake pioneer day picnic. I’ve been waiting to see a baptism forever and we finally have somebody ready to go and the mom nixes it.
I’ve seen a lot of disappointments like this on my mission, a lot of baptisms falling through, I guess it’s what I needed to learn to handle. She assures us that she is gonna stay active and if she has to wait a year, then she will so the good news is that she has converted although she may have to wait to receive all the full blessings. I’m tellin ya, I might get fired from some big job later in life and it probably won’t phase me as im getting used to disappointments. We still have hope and are praying that her mom will have her heart softened. I’ve seen many miracles and have faith that more will occur. Something really cool is happening with Ina Minney, the English old lady in that one picture, I’ll update you about that next week.......I’m gaining a stronger testimony of the sacrament out here and realizing how I can choose weaknesses every week and repent during the sacrament and see a change in myself.
Recently I have overcome road rage, 7 weeks ago when I first got transferred here and began driving again (after 6 months on a bus) I was yelling at everybody on the road (let me tell ya, they are horrible drivers here and the street lines make no sense) and I realized that it was making me angry and thus taking the spirit away. A few weeks ago I decided to repent and work on that weakness and took the sacrament with that in mind a few weeks ago and now I have no road rage at all. It’s amazing what the sacrament can do as we truly repent and seek to change and renew the covenants we made at baptism.
I and E. Greer also had a special fast yesterday and I’m growing in the fast department as well. I also am gaining a testimony of the word of wisdom as of last night. We were at the Spanish/Hmong Elders apartment doing numbers and faxes and we were outside on the porch with our cell phone where we get reception and a drunk guy without a shirt and a beer in his hand walked up to us and started talking to us. He was pretty funny and very plastered, probably the happiest drunk we’ve met in a while. He had some great 1 liners. Including "I may have to puke on your bushes". I asked him how many beers he had that night and his reply was " Counters don’t drink and drinkers don’t count" and then he told us he had a friend that served a mission in Peru and told us that we got hosed getting sent to Wisconsin and finally a girl, must have been his friend came up and grabbed him and he said "Sorry guys, but she's a lot hotter than you" and they walked off. It was pretty funny...lesson learned...stay away from the booze. Good ole Wisconsin. Well that’s the news for this week. Love ya lots. Later. Elder Ben Johnson
We got some bummer news about Cynthia. To start with the good news we had a great lesson with her last week and she has decided to get baptized!!! That’s the exciting part; she has gotten confirmation through prayer that it’s right. The bummer is that her mom isn’t gonna let her go into the water. Booo. She doesn’t turn 18 till September of next year which means she will have to wait until then unless we can get written permission from her mom. She is cool with her coming to church and the lessons and all but when she asked about baptism she told her that they are Catholics and they've been Catholics forever etc. SO yah, I was pretty bummed after she told us on Saturday at the stake pioneer day picnic. I’ve been waiting to see a baptism forever and we finally have somebody ready to go and the mom nixes it.
I’ve seen a lot of disappointments like this on my mission, a lot of baptisms falling through, I guess it’s what I needed to learn to handle. She assures us that she is gonna stay active and if she has to wait a year, then she will so the good news is that she has converted although she may have to wait to receive all the full blessings. I’m tellin ya, I might get fired from some big job later in life and it probably won’t phase me as im getting used to disappointments. We still have hope and are praying that her mom will have her heart softened. I’ve seen many miracles and have faith that more will occur. Something really cool is happening with Ina Minney, the English old lady in that one picture, I’ll update you about that next week.......I’m gaining a stronger testimony of the sacrament out here and realizing how I can choose weaknesses every week and repent during the sacrament and see a change in myself.
Recently I have overcome road rage, 7 weeks ago when I first got transferred here and began driving again (after 6 months on a bus) I was yelling at everybody on the road (let me tell ya, they are horrible drivers here and the street lines make no sense) and I realized that it was making me angry and thus taking the spirit away. A few weeks ago I decided to repent and work on that weakness and took the sacrament with that in mind a few weeks ago and now I have no road rage at all. It’s amazing what the sacrament can do as we truly repent and seek to change and renew the covenants we made at baptism.
I and E. Greer also had a special fast yesterday and I’m growing in the fast department as well. I also am gaining a testimony of the word of wisdom as of last night. We were at the Spanish/Hmong Elders apartment doing numbers and faxes and we were outside on the porch with our cell phone where we get reception and a drunk guy without a shirt and a beer in his hand walked up to us and started talking to us. He was pretty funny and very plastered, probably the happiest drunk we’ve met in a while. He had some great 1 liners. Including "I may have to puke on your bushes". I asked him how many beers he had that night and his reply was " Counters don’t drink and drinkers don’t count" and then he told us he had a friend that served a mission in Peru and told us that we got hosed getting sent to Wisconsin and finally a girl, must have been his friend came up and grabbed him and he said "Sorry guys, but she's a lot hotter than you" and they walked off. It was pretty funny...lesson learned...stay away from the booze. Good ole Wisconsin. Well that’s the news for this week. Love ya lots. Later. Elder Ben Johnson
Monday, July 09, 2007
My fingers hurts, and now your back is going to hurt, cuz you just pulled landscaping duty
Actually my finger doesn’t hurt, and I am not wearing a splint anymore!!! A nurse in the ward told me on Wednesday to take it off, so I did and I cleaned it and it looked and felt well enough not to wear the lovely cast anymore! It’s nice to have so much freedom. At first it was very stiff so I've been exercising the joints and now I can make a fist although the top joint that broke is going to be a while before I can move it fully and the tip is still sore so I don’t have full use out of it but it’s a lot better than before. I still wear the splint when I sleep and in the shower to protect the newly healed joint and it look different than my other fingers with a small bump but nothing too noticeable.
The other big news is that I'm getting hooked up with another sweet companion. The zone leaders get their transfer calls on Sunday night before transfers and Elder Anderson is getting transferred to Idaho Falls and I’m getting, bun dun dun....Elder Davey Greer!! He is stalwart and one of the best missionaries we’ve got, he hasn’t even been out a year yet, not till next week- so he is going zl pretty early. He is coming from Osh Kosh, just 15 minutes south and I served around him in Madison and was pumped for this upcoming transfer.........
This past week was one of the most draining and tiring weeks I've had on the mission. Last Monday we taught Beth and Cynthia the Plan of Salvation at the church with Spencer and Jenna and then we all went to play disc golf. Later in the week, Beth informed us of her desire to be baptized!!! And that she prayed and got an overwhelming feeling that what we’ve taught her is true. She is solid and will be baptized on September 8th, only because she is leaving this week for a job in Minnesota and will be back at the end of the summer. Cynthia is going well too, both were at church again yesterday, and were planning to set a baptism date with her this afternoon, probably sometime before the end of the month. We have been truly blessed this transfer. On Tuesday we had our mini zone conference with Pres. and Sister Barrett and boy did they look green. He is stellar though and has great vision for our mission and has the traditional knee slapper humor that we all expect from High Priests. He really scored points with us by taking me and my companion and the assistants out to the Outback for dinner that night as well.
On Wednesday we spent the 4th at the church for our picnic then all of us Appleton Elders went out to Wrightstown out in the middle of nowhere and spent the day with some of the 2nd ward Elder's investigators. They had a bunch of home fireworks that they lit off and a BBQ and yard games. It was a good day. Then on Friday night I and E. Anderson got permission to go to the Wisconsin Timberattlers game and guess what? They are one of the Mariners farm teams. A-ball. I had no idea till we got there and saw the M's logos and such. Cool stuff, it was a fun game. Finally on Saturday we had our stake wide missionary musical concert and had a decent turnout. I sang for the first time in front of people accompanied by another elder. E. Anderson played "The Scientist" by Coldplay on the piano and me and E. Morse sang How Great Thou Art to the music. The words fit ti the song and it was really fun. Then yesterday was the Sabbath, whew...I’m so exhausted. Life is good although things won’t settle down till next Monday, this week we lose the car and we’ve got transfers and got to go down to Fond Du Lac for a baptismal interview and we will be running our bum's off this week too. What maked it all worth it is that 2 prepared people will be getting baptized here this summer and that is exciting. Beth and Cynthia are becoming good friends themselves and we and the Benyos are all excited to see them both get baptized. I’m realizing that becoming friends with your investigators is really helpful is seeing them progress, once they can see past you as the robotic missionary and see you as a caring friend and see how much the gospel blesses your life, I feel that helps them grasp it so much better, at least that’s how its been for Beth and Cynthia, I never thought going disc golfing with your investigators would produce such results, but I’ll take it. Have a splendous week, the church is true, I’m busy and it’s hot but its all for the best. Love Elder Benjamin R. Johnson
The other big news is that I'm getting hooked up with another sweet companion. The zone leaders get their transfer calls on Sunday night before transfers and Elder Anderson is getting transferred to Idaho Falls and I’m getting, bun dun dun....Elder Davey Greer!! He is stalwart and one of the best missionaries we’ve got, he hasn’t even been out a year yet, not till next week- so he is going zl pretty early. He is coming from Osh Kosh, just 15 minutes south and I served around him in Madison and was pumped for this upcoming transfer.........
This past week was one of the most draining and tiring weeks I've had on the mission. Last Monday we taught Beth and Cynthia the Plan of Salvation at the church with Spencer and Jenna and then we all went to play disc golf. Later in the week, Beth informed us of her desire to be baptized!!! And that she prayed and got an overwhelming feeling that what we’ve taught her is true. She is solid and will be baptized on September 8th, only because she is leaving this week for a job in Minnesota and will be back at the end of the summer. Cynthia is going well too, both were at church again yesterday, and were planning to set a baptism date with her this afternoon, probably sometime before the end of the month. We have been truly blessed this transfer. On Tuesday we had our mini zone conference with Pres. and Sister Barrett and boy did they look green. He is stellar though and has great vision for our mission and has the traditional knee slapper humor that we all expect from High Priests. He really scored points with us by taking me and my companion and the assistants out to the Outback for dinner that night as well.
On Wednesday we spent the 4th at the church for our picnic then all of us Appleton Elders went out to Wrightstown out in the middle of nowhere and spent the day with some of the 2nd ward Elder's investigators. They had a bunch of home fireworks that they lit off and a BBQ and yard games. It was a good day. Then on Friday night I and E. Anderson got permission to go to the Wisconsin Timberattlers game and guess what? They are one of the Mariners farm teams. A-ball. I had no idea till we got there and saw the M's logos and such. Cool stuff, it was a fun game. Finally on Saturday we had our stake wide missionary musical concert and had a decent turnout. I sang for the first time in front of people accompanied by another elder. E. Anderson played "The Scientist" by Coldplay on the piano and me and E. Morse sang How Great Thou Art to the music. The words fit ti the song and it was really fun. Then yesterday was the Sabbath, whew...I’m so exhausted. Life is good although things won’t settle down till next Monday, this week we lose the car and we’ve got transfers and got to go down to Fond Du Lac for a baptismal interview and we will be running our bum's off this week too. What maked it all worth it is that 2 prepared people will be getting baptized here this summer and that is exciting. Beth and Cynthia are becoming good friends themselves and we and the Benyos are all excited to see them both get baptized. I’m realizing that becoming friends with your investigators is really helpful is seeing them progress, once they can see past you as the robotic missionary and see you as a caring friend and see how much the gospel blesses your life, I feel that helps them grasp it so much better, at least that’s how its been for Beth and Cynthia, I never thought going disc golfing with your investigators would produce such results, but I’ll take it. Have a splendous week, the church is true, I’m busy and it’s hot but its all for the best. Love Elder Benjamin R. Johnson
