27 Oct—Houston

Hey fam!

This week has been another good week. Actually, it has been busy. The reason why I couldn't email on Monday was because we had four days of leadership training. The meetings went from 7:30am to about 6:30pm. They were Tuesday and Wednesday last week, and Monday and Tuesday this week. We had to learn a lot. All the Zone leaders were there, and all the district leaders, and all the trainers too. It was awesome, and a great experience to learn from President Saylin, and all the other missionaries.

This area is really taking off, last Friday we had eight investigators with a baptismal date, and last night we were visiting two families that we had taught for a little while and tried to give them dates, but they always said no for some reason. But we applied some of the training which we received, and were able to teach to their needs and really get to them then; and they let us know their concerns, and we got to resolve them and now they all have dates. So now we have 13 with a date for baptism, and we are all excited about it. We are teaching some cool people and a couple of good families.

The area around here is a pretty rough one, but with that comes humble people. I really like it here a lot, and I hope I get to stay longer. This weekend we should be having three little kids get baptized. They are 10, 9, and 8. They really like church a lot. And their parents are willing to let their kids be baptized. We are still working with the parents, but with time they should be able to one day make the decision. It is really cool, their daughter prays that her daddy will one day want to be baptized, and I know that must really touch his heart when he hears that.

Well I am really enjoying the mission. I guess the new news about the zone is that we ended the week with 52 with a baptismal date, and that was really awesome! I think it was the most that the zone has ever had with a date! Elder Richards and I were super pumped up, and really excited for the missionaries in the zone!

Well, I really love you all a lot, and I hope you have a great day!

-Elder Johnson

18 Oct—Houston

Everyone,

MAN I AM LOVING IT HERE! Elder Richards and I are pumped up and had a week of miracles. I really feel it's because we are a very unified companionship. First, we are unified in our quest for obedience and desires to work hard.

Second, we are unified in friendship with one another. It all started during our second night together when Elder Richards realized that he couldn't find his GPS anywhere. It was in a plastic bag, and and we threw out the trash earlier that day. We finally decided that it was in the dumpster with all of our other Wal-Mart trash bags. We knew what we had to do. We had to go outside and dig through the dumpster together. We got there, and man the dumpster was full and STINKY! We started to dig and we couldn't find that GPS anywhere. Then we decided to pray, and before we knew it we found one of our Wal-Mart trash bags and we kept digging and found the bag with the GPS inside! We went back to the apartment, and just started to laugh, and we decided if you can dig through a dumpster together you instantly become a united companionship.

But that was just the start. I love our companionship studies together. We just talk and talk about the gospel and before you know it, BOOM! The Spirit is in the home and ends up sticking with us throughout the day. It's just awesome. You really can feel just a peace, and I guess the way to explain it would be as having a power with you. Ideas come into our minds of whom we need to go visit and what they need to hear. Just yesterday it was 8:00pm, and the day was done. We were done with our OYMs, and past our goals on sit-downs, and we didn't know what to do. We decided to head over to a member's home to visit their family, and boom we had the impression that we needed to turn around and visit Hermano Benitez, and so we did. We got to his house, and his son's friend was over (he came to church earlier that day), and we taught a lesson and now he has a baptismal date. I have had some good companionships, but this one is awesome! We are loving it and see miracles everyday.

The zone is doing well, and we continue to have momentum. I am just concerned that we are still having these pockets of baptisms. We should have three again in our area this month, Houston 4 South should have five more this month, and Houston 1 NE will probably have another baptism this month. These are the same companionship's that baptized last month and we need to figure out a way to help every companionship baptize during the month so there will be more balance in the zone. OYM's are coming back up as well as the sit-down lessons. We are doing great with our goals this month, and it's a great time for the Houston West Zone.

--Elder Johnson

11 Oct—Houston

Family!

I got some good news. My buddy Elder Richards, from my MTC group, is my new comp! YEA BOY! We are destroying this place! People here are pumped, because we are pumped. We try to call two companionships every night to get them pumped up! I am excited all of a sudden.

This week we received four baptismal dates; so that is really exciting. This Sunday we should have two baptisms. I really enjoy the mission right now. I don't feel stressed out anymore and it is really fun.

Today we are going to go and hit up some cool shops and see what's going on; to see if there is any cool things that we can buy.

Things are going well and I am excited. We want to plan a zone activity to carve some pumpkins and play some fun games.

Well I love you all, and thank you so much for all your prayers, support and letters. Have a great day!

-Elder Johnson

4 Oct—Houston

Family and friends,

To tell you the truth, I don't even know what to write these days. I guess I'll start with the new news. I will be getting a new companion. Elder Greenwood went home and he was a good missionary. He finished out his mission strong and work hard all the way until he stepped into the mission home this morning.

Our mission is very young now. This transfer we lost more older missionaries and will be welcoming newer missionaries. In the zone this transfer, every companionship is going to have a new companion and 5 missionaries will be training new missionaries. That is crazy, but exciting at the same time. When you train it's a make or break it time in the mission, because your good and bad habits rub off on the missionary you train. But we have some great trainers and they will do awesome.

Conference was awesome. I always enjoy all the good talks and feelings I get when I watch it. I only have one more conference to watch as a missionary! CRAZY! I liked the prophet's talk during priesthood session about choices, and how each choice we make will keep us on the straight and narrow path, or take us away from that path. It was cool, because I was studying about the gift of agency and the Holy Ghost a few weeks ago, and they talked a ton about that during conference.

Well, I need to go. I love you!

-Elder Johnson