Elder Harrison Johnston

I don’t know what else to say, beside, this has been the greatest experience of my life.

I love being a missionary.

 

Love, Elder Johnston

p.s. J. and T. were both baptized this week.

 

Well if I didn’t know it before, all the trunky emails reminded me that I have one week left.   This week is going to be absolutely crazy. Time is moving fast. I am sprinting to the finish line. Time is just moving so fast. This last week is nuts.

So Monday p-day then today we are so packed busy every moment.  Wednesday morning the AP’s are picking me up to take me to Farmington to help with transfer news until Friday night I will be back in Bayfield for J.’s baptism, then Saturday is T.’s baptism, then Sunday is two confirmations and all 3 of us got asked to speak and then I will be going home.   I don’t say that to be trunky. My mind has realized I am going home but not my heart.

J. is doing amazing!! He is so close the Spirit and follows everything that God asks him to do. Even if it is really private he is always so open to us and so committed. I love him. His baptism is going to be amazing!!

T. is in Utah celebrating her Birthday so hopefully she is having fun.

I. is doing great. He had his interview for the priesthood and is really excited. So solid.

We met a lot of crazy people. The past few weeks we have met no one but elect people so this week Heavenly Father sent us to all the crazy ones.  One guy kept trying to prove the church wrong with the Bible but he had no idea where the reference were and we would show them to him. It was funny.

Another guy wouldn’t let us talk with him unless we loosened our ties, because we “work to hard”. Elder Waite would not, the same guy who was Bible bashing refused to call us Elder and called us by our first names. As we drove away Elder Waite said “it kinda makes me uncomfortable because I am not representing myself right now I am representing Jesus Christ.” The way I felt as he said that I imagine what is is like to be proud of a child.

Having the time of my life as always.   We helped W. with his vapor shield again and took pictures.
Life is just grand. I love this place.

Yesterday I boar my testimony and told all the members I was leaving in 10 days and after they all told me to move back. Tempting.

I love being a missionary

Love Elder Johnston

Email from August 28, 2017

I don’t think there is such a thing as a bad week here in Bayfield. Lots of amazing things happened this week so I will focus on the highlights.

S. WAS BAPTIZED!!!! That was great. She is such an amazing lady and is really looking forward to her confirmation on the 3rd. It has been a lot of fun teaching her.

T. had her interview for baptism and pasted it super easy!! She is getting really excited. When we go to teach her she pretends to be uninterested but deep down she is super excited and every once and a while she shows it!

J. had his interview with President Adams yesterday. Such an amazing kid!! I am excited for his baptism. He loved Stake Conference this weekend.

We got a new investigator L. who set up the appointment we had with her in her member friends home and just told us to show up and then just begged to baptized basically. I never would have guessed it from her but I am excited.

We also got a new investigator named W. K., he has diabetes and leukemia and so we go and help him in his house a lot. We put in a new vapor shield under his house and then we taught him in our service clothes. It was really weird teaching some one in a t-shirt and jeans, but the Spirit was still strong. W. definitely had the gift of discerning of Spirits he just looked at each one of us and totally nailed who we were. I am the leader, Elder Kaluhikaua is the lover and Elder Waite is the soldier.

I had exchanges with my District leader and I was in Mancos for two days and by the end of it I was ready to come back to my home in Bayfield.

I love being a missionary it is so much fun!! At stake conference yesterday all the full time missionaries were asked to stand up and I was so proud to be able to stand up!!

This really is the best. Even thought the members all like to remind me how I have no time, and apparently they think I have an unlocked heart and are trying to set me up on all these dates with their kids who are going to school in Utah, yeah NOT happening. Lol.
Time is just going way to fast.

Love, Elder Johnston

Email from August 21, 2017

I am having the time of my life here in Bayfield!

This trio is the greatest blessing!! We work so well together and we get along well and teach well. Just perfection!!

J. is doing really well!! He has such amazing faith and strong desires!! He started the Book of Alma over again because he liked it so much! He also is thinking about going a on a mission. He even came to mission prep yesterday. He also is sharing the gospel with all his friends. We taught him this week about callings and home teachers and all the amazing involvement of the church and at the end he said “I think this was my favorite lessons. My fear was that after I was baptized I would be forgotten and just become another member in the congregation. But it is great to know that I will have a part and that I will be important.” He is so excited to be baptized!

S. is doing great!! She has her interview tomorrow. This past week we were going over the baptismal interview questions and it was so amazing to see her strong testimony and willingness to follow God. She already has a strong understanding and testimony of the Sacrament. Just super exciting!!

T. the daughter of the active member family is going to be baptized! She finally prayed about the book of Mormon and got her answer. When we taught them again we asked if she wanted to be baptized and she just said yes. It was so easy! Her date is September 9th. That is going to be a crazy last weekend!! What a blessing.

The work is going amazing here in Bayfield! We found this new part member family this week the P. and they are going to take some work but the 15 year old son Z. has a lot of real intent. I’m excited.

I love being a missionary. The experiences don’t stop! The Lord is so good to us!! Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us and he keeps it!

Love, Elder Johnston

 

Email from August 14, 2017

This week has been incredible!!!  So many things to talk about!!!

We have been so busy this week.
So N. S., the guy that gave us $100 then set a dinner appointment. Well we had dinner and got to share a message afterwords and they are such a great family!!! So ready for the gospel. We got out of their house and I was running and jumping and just going nuts!!

That same day earlier we met this lady J. She trapped us in her house for 2 hours!! When we first started talking to her she was high and super friendly and then it wore off and she got kinda mean. She had a lot of hard to answer questions. Not doctrinally but could easily offend people. A lot about gays and other choices. She kept targeting Elder Waite and wouldn’t let Elder Kaluhikaua or myself talk. But Elder Waite stood by the truth and his testimony and was bold. It was a fun experience.

J. is doing amazing!! We saw him last night and we felt like we needed to invite him to pray about going on a mission. Well he already has been!! He has a strong desire to serve a mission!! He has been praying about it a lot!! Such an elect individual. I almost started crying in the lesson, (luckily I had ran out of tears in the truck on the way to his house). Yesterday was one month exactly from the day I get on a plane and it was just powerful to bear my testimony to him and talk about my love for missionary work.

We were driving from J.’s house and right as we got onto the main highway we got this text from T.’s dad. T. is an investigator we have had for a while who just wouldn’t commit to being baptized. Her and her two siblings were adopted by an active member family. Her siblings were baptized but she wasn’t. Anyway to abbreviate the text she finally prayed about the Book of Mormon and got her answer!!! So exciting!!

We also got to teach S. She is doing great. Last Sunday the lesson in Sunday school was on the Word of Wisdom and we asked her what she thought about it “I think its exciting. It just amazing that even that is part of the Gospel. I saw Sister C. (member from the ward) at the gym and said, ‘This is what we do!’ I love it”   My jaw just about hit the floor. She is so ready for the gospel. She even takes notes when were are teaching her! She is so ready. The promise from PMG (“As we begin to feel that what we are learning is true, we will desire to know all that we can about the Restoration.”) is being fulfilled quite literally.

I am thankful for the Blessing of the Lord in this area!!
I am having the time of my life.

Lots of beautiful scenery.
Full moons
and Sunsets

Love, Elder Johnston

Email from August 7, 2017

This week has been exciting!!!
Monday we played scatter ball with a bunch of the priests from Bayfield. It was a blast.  Tuesday we woke early and went to the mission home. I was able to see Elder Geilman (and a bunch of other missionaries) right before they went home. That was hard.  Then we went to the training meeting. That was so exciting. So many trainers and trainees it took forever!! We were one of the last ones go get assigned. WE got Elder Kaluhikaua!! He is form Farmington Utah and rest his family is from Hawaii

This has been quite the first week.
We had a lot of busy things that kept us form proselyting his first day. Wednesday I did my plan. This whole going home thing is getting very real. We did some community service at the senior center (it is important for later). That night we taught S. She lives in our area but a friend in our Zone leaders area introduced her to the church so they were teaching her for a while. She is on a baptismal date of August 26th. So we finally got to teach her, and it was in the relief Society president’s home. It went well. Very spiritual.

Well Thursday morning we woke up and both Elder Waite and Elder Kaluhikaua had been puking all night (they got food poisoning). So that was interesting. We then left to Durango for district meeting and we were driving and out of nowhere Elder Waite just puked all over us and the car. So we didn’t go to district meeting! We ended up staying home all day while they continued to puke their guts out. Making some memories!!

I. is doing well. The YM president is doing great getting him to advance in the priesthood.  J. is also doing amazing. His mom (Pentecostal paster) won’t let him get baptized. So his new date is September 8th (his 18th birthday) and also my last weekend as a missionary!! It will be amazing!!

We met some other amazing people this week. A part member family we had no idea about just randomly texted us asking us to come finish the lesson with them so they can get baptized!

A member took us to his neighbors to give them a Book of Mormon and we have an appointment with them.

N., that guy that gave me $100 in Durango a few weeks ago. WE FOUDN HIM!! And he gave us a pound of bacon and we have a return appointment with him.

The work is just going amazing!! I wish time would slow down!!!

We also had an MTC camp on Saturday. So we drove us to Vallecito lake and taught the youth and role-played with them. It was a lot of fun!! It rained on us a ton. I got soaking wet!!

I love being a missionary!
Love Elder Johnston

Also I finally got a bed so I don’t have to sleep on the floor.

Email from August 1, 2017

We will start with the big news first!!

TRANSFERS:
Elder Waite and I are both staying here in Bayfield but we are getting another greenie. So we will be in a trio!! What a way to finish!!! Super excited.

I. WAS BAPTIZED THIS WEEK!!!! It was an amazing baptism. Tons of members came to support him and also a lot of his nonmember friends and family came and the Spirit was super strong!   God just worked it out all perfectly. The priest who was going to give the talk on baptism (also the one baptizing him) texted us Friday saying, “could one of you give the talk, it just isn’t coming to me”. So Elder Waite prepared a talk and it was just the perfect talk for I. and his family!!   Then the baptism was super spritual. I wish I could explain it!!

Brother A. (the YM’s leader) gave an incredible talk about the Holy Ghost. Then on Sunday he confirmed him.  It was just a super exciting day!! His mom agreed to listen to the lessons as we come back to reteach them to I.

The rest of the week is just a conjumbled mess. I was in Mancos for 3 days on exchanges, because that is the only way it worked out for miles. But it was a great opportunity for Elder Waite, he took over the area just perfectly.

We found a new investigator this week, B. She said that she believes God directed her here, “whether it is for me to meet you or for you to meet me, I don’t know” is what she said!! So I am excited!! Another amazing week in the work of the Lord.

We have been having crazy lightning storms and it has been muddy!!

Our apartment is too small to fit 3 beds in the bed room so last night we had to move the coaches int the bedroom and now we will be sleeping in the living room. It was an adventure.  This is so much fun!!!

Love, Elder Johnston

Our Ward Mission Leader took the picture at the baptism and he only took one and I didn’t look at it. So I look super mad. But I was actually super excited.

Email from July 24, 2017

Two decades!!

I bet you can guess what I am about to say.

Another great week here in Bayfield!!!! Tons of work to do!!

My Brithday was well. I figured that this would be the only time in my life I could devote my whole birthday to others. And we did. We did 6 hours of service. (it was mostly unplanned) people just called needing our help and we were able to give it. It was a lot of fun!

Our investigators are doing well. I. is ready for baptism! He went to a football camp this week and he even took the Book of Mormon with him so he could read it every day! The Priest Quorum is doing amazing and befriending him. One of the priests is going to baptize him!! I am so excited for him! He is such a good kid!!

J. is doing great as well. Loving church and also being befriended. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation and temples this week. He just soaked it all right up he loved it!!

The work is continuing forth. Lots to do and not enough time!!
We had zone conference this week and that was amazing!!!! Learned so much and was also able to see old companions!

I love being a missionary.

The other night we were driving home on this dirt road and there was just this huge ball in the middle of the road! It was a PORCUPINE!!!

Sunday night we were driving around and we had 10 minutes left and we were trying to find one new investigator to reach our goal! Well then I got pulled over!!! I didn’t use my turn signal so I got a warning. The amazing part was that I wasn’t mad. Before the mission I would’ve been super upset complaining “doesn’t he have anything better to do on a Sunday night?” But I wasn’t mad at all, I even thanked him for pulling me over to keep us safe. God’s ability to make more out of us than we can on our own is amazing!!

Love, Elder Johnston

Email from July 17, 2017

This week has a been another incredible one!! Bayfield really is just amazing!!
It is weird to think that I will be 20 years old tomorrow. I still feel like a kid sometimes. We teach a lot of youth and they say they are like 17 or 18 and I think, “oh I am the same age as them” well not anymore!!!

Last week I expressed a lot of fear of coming home, well I am happy to say it is all gone. It was just the perfect storm this week. I went on exchange with Elder Anders (one of my zone leaders) and he has been the last companion of alot of missionaries so he had a lot of good advice for me. Then the very next day in district meeting the Zone Leaders gave a training on working with the members and the Spirit was really strong. We went home at the end of that day and I was thinking about going home and there was no fear! It was all gone. All I felt was that I could succeed! Now that doesn’t mean going home will be easy. I still love being a missionary and the change will be hard, but I know with the Lord’s help I can succeed.

Anyway!!! Back to the work.
I. is doing great. He is really prepared. We went over the baptismal interview questions and he answered them all so well. We also told him that he could go on a mission when he was 18 and he said “Really? That would be awesome!!” I am excited for him.

J. (the kid who asked to be baptized at the end of church last week) he is doing great!! I was on exchanges that night so I haven’t taught him yet but from the text he sends us when we follow up on his Book of Mormon reading, he is also really prepared.

We met a lot of great people this week as well. This one guy told us we were a miracle. He also said “you guys are beautiful, much love” as he was closing the door. But he is prepared for the Gospel!!!

We met another great priest aged kid this week, Z. We went to go teach him yesterday and his sister answered and said he wasn’t home so we talked to her for a few seconds then were walking away and Z. comes running out the door, “wait, don’t leave!” It was funny.

No complaints here. Doing lots of walking. Enjoying the rain. And meeting lots of Catholics

We had dinner one night with a Catholic couple who’s son had joined the church years ago and then served a mission and all 8 of his kids have served missions. They were very nice to us. Then the next morning we were working out at Deacon J.’s house and he invited us in for breakfast!! Then we also met tons of Catholics on the street. If they aren’t careful there won’t be a Catholic congregation here anymore. 🙂

Email from July 10, 2017

Another incredible week has come and gone. Time is just moving way to fast.
We have had some great miracles this week. The first one is what happened on Sunday. Our investigator I. came to church. We told him we would walk down to his house and then walk with him to the church. Well we were walking down the street and he drove up in his truck and said “I wasn’t sure if you guys were still coming so I left myself.” Then he gave us a ride to the church. It was ward conference so I was really worried he wasn’t going to have a good time. But the priests in the ward did a great job at fellowshipping him. During sacrament meeting President Smith called Elder Waite and I up to the stand, and then at the end of the meeting I. was leaving with one of the priests to Sunday School.

Then a member we ate with a few days earlier stopped us and said “I found someone for you to teach” and explained that he had been reading the book of mormon and was wanting to get baptized. (she didn’t tell us that he was at church today) but she said she would call us so I was anxiously awaiting the call. Well we went to priests quorum to be with I. and that other nonmember (J.) was there too. The lesson was on ordinances and covenants and I was worried because the member teaching was getting a little passionate and going off like he does. But the spirit taught I. and J. what they needed to know. At the end of the lesson J. asked “how can I get baptized?” I wish I could have seen my face. We have an appointment with him on Wednesday at his member friend’s house. I am very excited.

Great things are happening here. Elder Waite and I also started our “Bayfield Member Missionary” plan. At dinner appointments we are sharing a message to invite a member to do a specific thing. The one we are focusing on now is loving people at church. We are inviting all the members to introduce themselves to two new people every Sunday. We have a plan to call them and see how it went. I am excited. The work is growing.

The amazing thing is that God works it all out. Thursday, Friday and Saturday were really hard. We were working hard but I just didn’t feel like we were achieving what we should. I was a little discouraged and was thinking about home a lot (which I hate because whenever I think about home I only have fear). But then Sunday was amazing and now I am all pumped up again.

It is amazing to see God’s hand in it all. Honesty I am exhausted all the time. I can feel my body begging to rest, but there is a power beyond my own that gets me up in the morning excited for the day and that same power keeps me going when my body cannot.

I love my mission with all my heart. This week has been full of hard emotions. I have been avoiding the fact that I will be going home soon(not too soon) and all emotions about going home I have ingnored. Well Thursday during district meeting all those feelings hit me. It made me sick to my stomach and I started to cry. Then we had a role play and the scripture the missionary shared with me was: “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof.”

Yeah that hit me a little. But it was good because President Adams talks about the pendulum of a departing missionary. They either swing to one side and think about home too much and don’t finish strong, or they don’t think about home at all and they finish strong but then struggle when then get home and can’t start strong. Just as important as finishing (anything) strong is starting it strong.   I was probably at the end of not thinking about home at all, but God is mindful of what we need and he is the master planner.

I love you all.

Love, Elder Johnston