10 August 2015

Mom,

Elder Findling (6'6") and a giant BofM

Well, time just passes by so quickly. I really can't believe it. Only one more fast Sunday! I can honestly say that time does not slow down, even when you pray that it does.

My new area is great. There are a lot of good people and a lot of people who are just really ignorant. We got our first real taste of "persecution" the other day. It was a lot of people making fun of us on the street. It is very funny how some of the people who really profess to be Christians really dont act like it when some one stops them and asks if they would like to hear a message about Jesus. Even if you dont want to or are satisfied with your religion, there is an educated way to express that.

But we have been trying to find a lot of new people. And that has been easy for us because my companion and I get a lot really well. But he is a little bit tired of this area and really wants to get transfered. ​I dont really blame him but at least he is still working :D

Like I told Dad, we had quite the theme with nearly all of our new investigators.

They all had family problems. One couple was seriously considering separating and what a humbling experience being able to teach them about the Book of Mormon as our Manual for Happiness and the importance of prayer in their relationship. At the end of the lesson, we knelt in prayer and I asked what the wife would like to thank God for, she quickly said her kids, her job, and very quickly said her husband. Then I asked what she would like to ask God for, she buried her face in her hands and cried. She spent a good while in tearful silence and then offered a very humble prayer. She swallowed a lot of pride in that moment. I hope that she keeps it down.

Another was a lesson with 4 women, all mothers and daughters and a whole lot of problems. At the end of it all there was a lot of fingerpointing and pointing out eachother's flaws. Well, on Sunday only the mom went and the classes were about parents and charity. She cried the entire time. Hopefully, she will be baptized this sunday.

What are the Mormons doing on the side of 200+ year old Catholic Church?

And these stories repeated the whole week. The family is so important and it is truly under attack. I am so grateful for the family that I have. It is the foundation that I have and the one that the world so desperately needs. But it is also the one that the world is losing. And for that, we must defend it.

Also, one of our investigators "came out" to us. He had questions about the church's stance on homosexuals and when we explained it to him he was content with our answer. It was sad but he said that he is willing to change his life around. We'll see if that is true.

We dont eat a lot of fish here actually. It is a lot of chicken. A ton of chicken.

Well, I hope that you have a good week! I love ya tons!

Elder Johnson