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
# posted by BenJohnson @ 9:48 AM 
