April 24, 2017

Hey mom ! This week was pretty good it just rained some more and yesterday it finally got sunny

 but now it's raining again today.  This week we have just been working hard and teaching people as 

much as we can ! We had an investigator with a baptismal date get really mad at us and tell us to

 leave and so that kind of sucked but I think he was having a bad week so we're going to go try him

 this next week and see how he's doing.  We have a baptism this weekend and I'm super pumped

 for it ! On Friday I went out to Susanville for an exchange and had a really good time and

 almost got attacked by a huge pit bull ! So I was walking down the street and I gave this Indian 

guy a book of Mormon and I asked if he knew anyone that could use a visit and he pointed to the

 house across the street and so we went over to it and there's a big gate out front and we went 

through it.  I knew there was going to be a big dog in there and sure enough, a big ol pit bull

 came flying around the corner and started going for my ankles and so I was up against the fence

 and went to kick it, then jumped the fence and it just about got my ankle!!  Haha it was a good 

adrenaline rush and then I walked down the street some more and there was a guy having a yard

 sale.  He was selling his Foosball table and I asked him if he wanted to play a game or two and

 we did.  I beat him of course and then I started talking about the book of Mormon and stuff

 but come to find out he's a JW and we said OK and left, but it was a good time on the exchange.

  We went around Lake Alminore and it had a way pretty sunset !  I love this area so much because

 there's good views of trees and lakes instead of sage brush and desert.  The ward

 is super good and I still bless the sacrament every Sunday and play the piano so it's good ! This 

week we don't have too much planned.   We're just going to work hard and focus on the baptism and 

pray that it gets sunny !  Anyways, have a good week and I can't wait to skype you in three weeks ! 

love you mom 

Elder Johnson

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April 17, 2017

Hey mom ! This week was pretty good last Monday me and Elder Steck went on a hike above our 

house and it was a cool view, I'll have to show you a picture. Then on Tuesday we went to Reno 

for the zone conference and it was really good ! Elder Neilson, who is over all the missions in the

 world, gave a few good trainings and I was able to learn a lot from him. Then Wednesday we went

 out to Clear Creek, California and had another meeting on how to find people to teach and then it

 just rained all day.  Pretty much this whole week just rained and it's raining today and it's supposed 

to rain tomorrow ! I've learned that we can pray to have it stop all we want but instead I've learned

to pray to have strength to work through it ! That's how Heavenly Father works, is we can't change

 our circumstances but we can pray for strength to get through our trials of whatever it may be.

 Friday we went back to Reno for interviews with president for 15 minutes then we went

 and ate at a Steak and Shake and it was really good ! Saturday was good we just went out and did

 a lot of service through the day and had the Easter dinner at Sister Sandlin's house!  She's an 

awesome member and her son is serving in St. Augustine, Florida and that's where Elder Werner is

 from so it's a small world ! Today we're just taking it slow again and we might go on another hike

 or something but our investigator that we told you about last week of how he wants to get baptized ?

 So he didn't show up to church yesterday and we didn't hear from him but then we get a text from

 him saying he doesn't want to get baptized anymore and so we're meeting with him tonight at 7

 to talk about why and it's because his brother is an Evangelical christian and I think he showed him 

some false doctrine and stuff so we've been praying for him and hopefully we can get some things

 figured out tonight !  It's been a busy and rainy week ! Thanks for all you do mom and I'll try and

 send pictures ! love ya

Elder Johnson

I also got grandma's package and yours as well ! Thanks and if you could tell them thanks as well ! 

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April 10, 2017

Hey mom ! I'm on early because we have a busy day ahead of us but this week was really good ! We had a really cool experience and we found an investigator and set him with a baptismal date for the 22nd of this month ! It was awesome how it all worked out. So Me and my companion were getting ready to go out the door and he's like "lets go biking" and I was like "nah Elder, I biked for 6 months and I don't want to" and then he kept saying lets go, so I went ahead and we went biking.  There's a big hill in front of our house that's on the highway and we biked up it and it was tough but then going down on the back side was really fun. We then started tracting through a trailer park and no one was answering their doors for us and so we went back to the bikes and my two favorite members were at this property place and so we walked over and started talking with them for a bit and he asked us if we wanted to go to the Polka Dot, which is a hamburger shack with shakes and stuff, so we said yeah sure and when we got there we were standing in line and there was this kid I met when I first got here to this area.  I hadn't seen him since but I went up to him and I started talking to him and I invited him to come play basketball with us at the church (we go to the church every morning and play basketball) and he said he would and then we went our separate ways. That next morning he actually showed up for basketball and we played a few games of 21 and then afterwords my companion said would you like to take the lessons from us and he said sure whats the first one.  We taught the first discussion in our gym clothes and the spirit was so strong ! We testified of the Book of Mormon and he's like "do you guys have one laying around I can have" and we gave him one and then I asked him if he wanted to see the baptismal font and we showed him it and we told him that Jesus Christ was baptized and wants us to follow his example and he said
 "So when can I get baptized !" and we said how about the 22nd of this month and he was super pumped ! It was a great miracle this week and it's awesome how everything happens for a reason.  Because the member that took us to the Polka Dot said he had a feeling to go to the property place in east Quincy (that's where we were at) and within half a day we have a new investigator and he's getting baptized ! The Lord truly has a plan and everything works out how it should ! Whether they are led to us or we are led to them but that just goes back to the talk at conference where he said always listen to the promptings of the spirit.   Because that member did we're going to have a baptism so its way awesome ! and then we went to Portola and had a fun bible study but it also snowed on us here ! Portola got 10 inches of snow and we got two inches but it all melted away.  The weather is just like back home.  I love it here in California !  We are going to Reno tonight and all day tomorrow because the Mission president over all the missions in the world is coming to our mission tomorrow so we're going to be doing that. So I'm pumped for the Costa Vida haha and I'm feeling really good ! I've been working out in the mornings so that's been helping my lungs and I'm trying to lose some weight because I've gained about 15 pounds so far and it's showing haha but my companion is so awesome ! He's the best one I've had yet and we get along really well and work super hard together and we're definitely hanging out after the mission. But other than that it's been a good week and last Monday me and my companion found some gold ! A member helped us with some gold panning and we found a few good sized flakes so it was fun.  Today we are just helping out with the primary party and going to Reno so nothing to special.  The weather is kinda cloudy and cold but it's all good.  Anyways it sounds like your doing really well and I'm doing good here and I'm grateful to be out here on the mission ! Best decision of my life and I'm living everyday to the best I can and serving the people and building my testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Savior ! Love you mom and have a good week ! 

April 3, 2017 (2)

Hey mom ! This week was really good ! We went to Susanville on Monday to hangout with the zone 

and then we went to Greenville later in the week and taught our investigator with baptismal date 

again and he's going for that goal but we just got to get him off of smoking.  Then we did some

 service for an older lady and raked her whole house but other than that not a whole lot this week !

 Today we're going to go try and find some gold with a member so we'll see if I have any luck ! We

 watched conference with members across from our house and it was a very good conference ! 

The Prophet said to read the book of Mormon everyday so that's good to hear that you and Brianna

 are going to try and do that !  Thanks for all you do mom love you ! 

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April 3, 2017

Elder Jared Johnson
Quincy, California
April 2017