Picture from Member in CA

Note from Elder Johns dad.  A member from CA sent a Facebook picture to a member friend in our ward asking if they knew Elder Johns.  Thought it was a fun picture so I posted it here.

First Email From the Field

Email from Elder Johns

I don't have a lot of time. Since I have recieved no mail in the field ( ,'8^/ ) I can't get a library card and am bumming 15 minutes off of Elder Clark's time (the library computers have a 1:15 minute time limit)
Remember: Long emails recieve short answers. If I get a letter beforehand I can read, process and reply. So I will probably hand write a better answer to your emails when I get the hard copies. Anyhoo...

Did you recieve the letter I sent? 

I don't know the address of the apartment complex where I'm staying so just send letters to the mission office. They will forward them. that address is:

Elder Bryce Johns

California Riverside mission

5900 Grand Ave

Riverside CA 925041328

My first week has been excellent. My trainer is Elder Clark from Inkom Idaho. He's really cool and we work together really well.

We are serving in a town called Highland. It is in between San Bernadino and Redlands. The palm trees are really weird I have sworn never to get used to them haha. We are covering both the highland 1st and 2nd wards so we have a car. Half the town is semi-ghetto and the other half is fairly nice. The split between the two is very apparent, and the wards are split along similar boundaries. 

Anyway we have been busy We have a couple progressing investigators. who I will have to write about later. I haven't gone tracting. In our mission we do a thing called OYMing, (open your mouth) or street contacting which I am getting used to. Our mission has been promised that if we do 20 OYMs a day we will get a baptism a month. So far our numbers vary depending on how many appointments and such we have. We have been stood up several times which is kindof funny. I saw the most ghetto icecream truck i have ever seen lol. I really wish that I had learned spanish though, I'm not sure how I am going to learn it.

The work is going excellently though. I am taking an active part in lessons. Teaching lessons isn't very hard if you "teach your testimony". It's great to have the spirit guide you. I'm excited and ready to do this for the next two years.

Oh yeah, they had me speak in sacrament last sunday. I learned about it saturday after study time. So I pretty much winged it and took most of Elder Clark's time. But it was a good talk.

That's cool that you got to go to the beach. I'm kindof jealous because it's really hot. Thankfully I have a car though, and i'm not in the real desert. 

Haven't gotten the part for the bike, The front axle thing with the quick release handle was missing.

Cool with the cd's the sooner the better. Ship everything through the post office. Because they can't forward things through UPS or Fedex so it could take weeks for me to get it.

We'll time's up. Once I get the hard copies of your letters I will write a more focused response and send it snail mail.

I'm not very happy with the Post office though. I put outgoing letters in teh box saturday morning and they didn't go out. So they will probably get out tomorrow.

Love you guys,

  Elder Bryce Johns

Write back soon (letters are best)

First Letter From The Field

Note from Dad:

We received several things about Elder Johns today (it was a lot of fun).  First we received a written letter (this is shown below), and a letter from President Smart (listed on the other post).  Then we received his first email (that will be shown in a later post).  We were also able to see the pictures from the mission blog and another one that someone sent to a member of our ward on Facebook.  So it has been fun hearing about how he is doing, and also to listen to his attitude.  We are very proud of him.  I will attempt to add a translation from the letter that he sent although it could be difficult without a universal translator.

Page 1 Translation:

Hi all,

I just wanted to drop a quick line to everybody and I will write longer replies on Monday (my P-day). I got into Riverside on Tuesday, the flight was uneventful, that day I met the Mission Pres. (President Smart) and his wife and the office staff and did a bunch of orientation meetings, then we went to teh mission home and met our companions, (there was also a great testimony meeting).

Anyway so my trainer is Elder Clark from Iakam Idaho.  Ware are serving in the Highland area.  We have both the Highland 1st and 2nd wards which are in the Redlands Stake.  Basically Highland is imediatately Southeast of San Bernadino and North of Redlands.

Started the work yesterday, and Man it was great. We did some street contacting or "OYMing" (open our mouth) and I talked to some people.  We got two return visits from that.  We had a couple lessons later in the day which went well (more detail maybe later) had dinner (we are supposed to gain 30 pounds on mission but I am determined to stay 140 ha ha) which was pretty good.  Our lesson after dinner was crazy spiritual. We were teaching two boys (9, 12) who were wards of the state living with their grandma.  They have had a rough domestic life that is rather complicated. (They were baptized but haven't been coming). But we testified of faith and prayer very strongly and the Spirit there was overwhelming. Sister Vegas then asked us to give her a blessing of healing (which I gave) and the member who was with us gave one of the boys a blessing of comfort.  It was one heck of a first day, and I loved it.  I can do this for the next two years! OH yeah, were in a car area, which is nice. (Haven't had time to put together my bike)

But,

"candy is great,

cookies are better

but please, oh please

just write me a letter!"

Page 2 Translation

Got to go now.

You can post this letter on the blog if you want.

I love you all

Your son/brother 

Elder Johns

P.S. Letters! Write them :) tell people to write them.

P.P.S. We can listen to CDs in the Car and on our dvd player, so send 'em on. (Also there is a band called "The Lower Lights" that I'd like you to lookup). MP3 cd's are probably fine but a couple normal ones just in case would be good.

P.P.P.S. Have you been posting my blog posts on my Facebook?

Apathetic Sheep

didn't want to be found...

... till the missionaries came

Letter From President Smart

We received this letter and picture from President Smart, Elder Johns mission president.

Arrival in Riverside

Pictures from the California Riverside Blog Page

We received a letter from the Riverside Mission President (President Smart), it had a reference to the mission blog page.  They had some pictures from the new missionaries that arrived this month, so I put the ones with Elder Johns in them here.

New Missionaries Arrive for the Riverside Mission (July 24, 2012)

Arrival At the Airport

New CA Riverside Missionaries

Dinner at the Mission Home

New Companions Elder Clark and Elder Johns

Elder Johns Has Arrived In Riverside

We didn't get an email this week, because on Tuesday he flew to California and arrived in his mission.  We were not able to talk to him, but we did receive a call from the mission telling us that he arrived safely.


We were told that he would have some orientation, meet his new companion and go to his area that day and Wednesday morning would begin his normal days as a missionary.


He did send us a message, or more like a little poem, through the Mission office.


It said:

"Cookies are nice, candy is better, but most of all, I would like a letter!"

So, he seems to be enjoying the mail, he is getting regular letters from us, but if anyone else would like to write him, the mission office address is on the blog, and soon we will post the address of where he is serving.


There was a small problem with his bike and we would like to thank Uncle Kim for helping with that, and for everything regarding getting the bike there.


His P-Days are on Monday, so we are looking forward to getting our first email from the field on Monday.  

2nd Email from Elder Johns at MTC

Note from Dad:

Sorry I didn't get this up until today, he posted on Tuesday. Anyone sending letters should now send them to his California Mission Address where he will be on July 24:

Elder Bryce Johns
California Riverside Mission
5900 Grand Avenue
Riverside, CA 92504

The Italicized comments are my editorials on his email.

Email from Bryce on July 17, 2012 (2^nd Email from Bryce)

...

Feel free to post whatever you want on the blog, I don't have a set piece this week.

That's cool about the garage, I have a hard time picturing it clean again haha. (Editorial: we told Bryce we cleaned the garage last weekend).

Yeah, I see Rudy (Elder Frazier from our ward) around pretty regularly, we talk on occasion and we have a picture of us pointing at the map.

Anyway, We've been doing a lot of role-playing and lessons, especially about how to learn/teach with the Spirit.

Sundays are pretty busy. We have a Priesthood, District, and Sacrament meetings, A fireside in the evening (which you need to be a 45 minutes early for to get a decent seat), some study time in the morning and meals. The study time is usually spent preparing your portion of the district meeting lesson, and a 2-5 minute talk for sacrament meeting. (there are 2-3 missionaries randomly selected to speak out of the 24 missionaries in the zone.) Once the missionaries speak a member of the branch president speaks, and they are usually amazing meetings all round.

For our Sunday devotional Jenny Oaks Baker came and played! I thought you'd (Mom) be jealous. She played "Amazing Grace", "I Need Thee Every Hour", "Believe Me, Father's Endearing Charms (or something like that....), "This is the Christ" and "I know that My Redeemer Lives". In between songs she she talked about how her testimony has grown throughout her career/ life. Also, her 5 kids age 15-5 played "I am a Child of God" on piano, violin, cello and guitar. It wasn't half bad. they take after their mother. the older two were really good. The 5 year old on the guitar kept making funny faces the whole time. I'd like a CD of hers if possible.

We've also been listening to a lot of talks which has been good.

"Watching what I am eating" may be something of an overstatement lol. But I am working on it.

Well yeah, Sisters are here too, but there aren't any sisters in my district so I don't have too much trouble with that.

(Responding to the How are the role playing lessons going questions from Dad)

The effectiveness of my lessons has been varying, but I've had some good ones, and I'm getting better at listening to the spirit.

Oh yeah, I got my travel Itenerary. I leave on the 24th to the Ontario CA airport. I have to leave the MTC at 5:00, which isn't all that bad. (Mom and Dad are wondering 5am or pm? We are assuming AM, but having a hard time with Elder Johns' “isn't all that bad” comment since he is not a morning person.)

Tell Anthony and Jessica to get writing! lol, They haven't written me back. also, could you send me Jessica's address, I think I wrote it down wrong.

Please Tell Nolan's family thanks for the care-package. It was excellent. The cookies were a big hit and I care all the motivational papers they sent. I have some hanging up. (I especially like the one that says things like "Never say I Can't" My companion doesn't like it much though) and the apron should come in handy.

Also please tell grandma Johns that I loved the card, but what alarm clock is she talking about?

…

Continued Editorial

(He sent some responses to his Sisters letters (one in email and two by letters)). We are all excited about him starting in CA this week and pray that all will be well with him as he starts his service in his mission field.

MTC Arrival Pictures and letter from first day

Note From Dad:

Sorry that the posts are out of order, here is the pre-MTC pictures and a copy of the letter he sent on his first day at the MTC.

Elder Johns First Letter from MTC (you might need some help translating it). I believe that he sent this the first day at the MTC.

Translation from letter:

Dear Family,
  I made it alive. This letter is supposed to be short, But I am doing great.  The Spirit here is amazing. They threw a lot at us today but they say if you can make it to Sunday it's smooth sailing.  I will write more on Tuesday. 

Love your son
Elder Johns

Elder Johns at Portland Airport
This is when he was dropped off by his family to fly to Utah on July 4th.

Pre-MTC Pictures (When Elder Johns was staying at his Aunt Robyn's home on July 4th & July 5th before entering MTC).

The shirt he is wearing was created for him at the Loren Jepsen family reunion, everyone wrote things for him to remember while he is on his mission.

Arrival at MTC Pictures (July 5th)
It is funny that it rained on the day he entered.  It should remind him of home as he starts his new adventure.

Elder Johns' First Email

1^st Email From Elder Johns:

Well, they say that if you make it to your first Sunday here you're good for the next two and a half week. And they may be right. I didn't exactly know what to expect about the MTC, which is a good things because my expectations would almost certainly have been wrong.

The MTC is many things; boring is most definitely not one of them. The daily schedule is packed from 6:30 AM -1030 PM with study time, lessons, teaching appointments, devotionals, meals, gym (sand volley ball is pretty fun), more lessons, and more study time, oh did I mention study time and lessons? While we don't do much physically, everyday is exhausting, physically, mentally, and spiritually. But the Spirit here is amazing. Nearly everything is centered on Christ. I have felt my testimony grow more than ever before in my life. Before I got here, I thought I had a fairly strong testimony, and a good handle on the scriptures and such... boy was I wrong! It has been a rather humbling experience, but the Lord has promised that through faith he will make weak things strong, and I have certainly felt that working in me. As missionaries we need to rely on almost constant revelation about what we need to study, what it meant, what the investigator needs to hear and such and we need to be listening to it all the time while I'm not quite there yet, I am on my way. 


My companion's name is Elder. It's funny how many people have that name here... (sorry couldn't help myself) Elder Bennett (he's going to Ventura CA) It took a couple days but I think we've finally clicked. We share a room (a "residence") with Elders Figaeroa (sp?) and Daines (both are going to Riverside CA too). Also in our district (class in other words) are Elders Hightower (the district leader), McKnight, Wikam, and Brown (all going to New Hampshire). For the most part we are a pretty good group. We do a LOT of role playing. Our teachers are named Brother Harward and Sister Knudsen. Aside from teaching us they play a couple of investigators, "Wes" and "Lacy" respectively, they are based on real investigators they taught, and they both play the parts REALLY well. We have scheduled appointments with them (separately). The lessons with them are pretty much as real as they get. (Our first one with Lacy BOMBED haha, it's funny looking back at it. our first one with Wes was better, but still not too great. Improving though).

We also do a lot of role playing as companionship’s/district. I am learning a lot about the gospel and how the spirit works. Everything boils down to the Doctrine of Christ. Which is: have faith in Jesus Christ, and his atonement. Repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost and endure to the end. Everything else is an extension of those doctrines, and through them we can have eternal life. The MTC is hard, But with God's help I know I can do it, and that it is worth it.

Elder Johns

P.S: Letters are great and apparently there is a website called dearelder.com were you can email me and they will give me a hard copy letter. Getting stuff in my box is great!

PPS: I'm cutting down on my food intake. The food here is usually good but there is a lot of it. I'm determined not to get fat.

PPPS: There is a lot going on but I can't write it all in the 5 seconds I have left.

Hello World

Hello world,

I, Bryce Johns, have been called to serve in the Riverside California Mission by Prophet Thomas S Monson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I will be set apart on the evening of the Third, travel to Provo on the Fourth and enter the MTC on the Fifth.

I'm getting really excited, but I don't have much time to write today, so I'll be brief.

This blog is going to be a general letter about how/what I am doing over the course of my mission. Periodically I'll write an entry and my parents will upload it.

Aside from direct family members, I'm only allowed to communicate via snail mail. If you would like to write me personally (Assuming anyone would like to write me) I will be more than happy to reply.

My MTC address is:
Elder Bryce David Johns
MTC Mailbox # 121
CA-RIV 0724
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Once I get out of the MTC my general address in Riverside will be:

Elder Bryce Johns
California Riverside Mission
5900 Grand Avenue
Riverside, CA 92504