Week 34 Pictures

Week 34 Pictures

Elise, E. Cheney and I at her baptism, someone else baptized her.

E. Cheney and I

E. Plaster and I

Week 34 Letter

Week 34 Letter

All,

Never pray for patience.
It's a horrible idea because the Lord is going to give you opportunities to learn/exercise patience. It goes back to the whole idea that we need to be "be careful what you ask for, you just might get it." That has kind of been my experience this week. I got called to train and be district leader, but the missionaries in the district are fairly supportive.
I mentioned before Elise's baptism (and I'll talk about it later), it was hectic to set up, but sublime to be there. I wrecked my bike, but miraculously landed on my feet (the bike's okay). We're basically running out of people to teach, but one of our investigators accepted the invitation to be baptized (talk about that later too). I'm starting to get a fever, but I got to play an exciting game of volleyball today. E. Cheney's an "interesting" character(or characterS if he's reciting a spongebob episode or movie quotes), but... but... he's willing to work, and has a solid testimony of the gospel and knowledge of the scriptures.
Anyway, that's enough ranting. I am working on seeing the silver linings, and learning the lessons that need to go with them. So that way, I can "bear with patience mine afflictions" and share the gospel of happiness. Happiness is really important, the message that we share is the path to true happiness both in this life and the next. However, If we aren't using the tools it gives us to be happy we are robbing ourselves of blessings and we wont have the Holy Ghost with us to touch people's hearts. Basically we're wasting our time. That's the lesson I think I need to engrave in my heart, the sooner the better. Seriously.

Aside from all the negative things that happened (At least give me some credit, I found things to be thankful for with each...)
Elise's baptism went swimmingly. The spirit was very palpable as she and others bore their testimony after the ordinance. I think Elise is going to be instrumental in bringing her Mom back into the fold (there's a crazy, convoluted situation there). It was great to see all the support she had from both wards.

Elder Cheney and I also had a lesson with one of our Investigators, Emily. It was a great lesson on Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Recieving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring To The End. As we were wrapping up the lesson I felt impressed to invite her to be baptized, in my mind I was thinking "hold on, now? She hasn't even prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true yet." But I felt a very distinct "Yes now" so I said. "Emily, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ, and be baptized by one holding the priesthood authority of God?" And she said yes! She was beaming as she said it. I asked her how she was feeling, and she said "I can't even begin to describe it, but I know it's right."
We testified that the feeling she was having was the Holy Ghost affirming that her decision was correct and true. I love how relatively little role we play in people's conversion process. Sure, we're there, we teach, we invite. But it's really the Spirit that does all the work. That's why I tell people "Don't take my word for it, his (my companion's) word for it, or anyone at the church on sunday's word for it. Because we're all going to say it's true. But ask God, and let him tell you. It's an amazing thing to see.

Now here's the catch. We found out that Emily doesn't even live in our stake... We'll have to figure that one out now haha.    

With the announcement of 58 new missions worldwide (mostly from redrawing borders of existing missions) the Riverside Mission will be affected. They are creating a Redlands Mission. Redlands CA is currently part of our mission , so Us, San Bernadino and Carlsbad missions are all going to be shuffled around in July. I could possibly spend the second half of my Mission in a different Mission. We don't have any details yet, but big things are happening. The Lord is hastening his work for sure.



Thank you for all of your support and prayers, please write.
Elder Bryce Johns.

Week 33 Letter (Trainer & District Leader)

Week 33 Letter 

All,

Elder Plaster got transferred to Wildomar (adjacent to the northern end of Murrieta). I was sad to see him go. He's been a good friend and companion.

 I... (Drumroll please) am training a new missionary (a "greenie") and district leader... Apparently I need some serious humbling. So Tuesday was spent in Riverside waiting for the new incoming to show up (there was some meetings involved too, details). We had a dinner set up in the gym at the mission office for all the trainers and trainees (19 of each) and we mingled without knowing who was who. Later in a meeting, President Smart, his wife and councilors welcomed the incoming missionaries, and gave them the opportunity to share their testimonies. It was pretty cool. Then We were assigned companions. Turns out, I had been sitting next to my new companion at the dinner.

My new companion is Elder Cheney (pronounced Chee-ni). He's from Olympia Washington and is the whitest kid you've ever seen (he still has his "rain tan"). He's the youngest of 7 kids. He's pretty cool. He is really good at impressions. He's a little shy though, so we will have to break him out of that. He reminds me a lot of Gilbert. I'm looking forward to the next two transfers together. I'm not going to lie though, I am a little stressed about the added responsibility. The Lord will provide though. He always does.    

Elise is getting baptized today. So you'll get pictures Monday. Things got really complicated with her insane family situation and the ward she is getting baptized into (She technically lives in a different ward (I know, I know, I'm a poacher) but our bishop told us to teach her so we have), but it will all work out.

So yesterday was our first full day, and it was pretty hectic. Especially because we had to wait for his bike to be shipped down by the office assistants and figure out the details for Elise's baptism. But it all worked out.  

Not much to write, or time to write. We have to split our hour because Elder Cheney doesn't have a library card yet.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Please write. (those who have written. Thank you.)
Elder Johns.


Note from Dad: You can see pictures of Elder Johns and Elder Cheney on the mission blog site: riversidecaliforniamission.blogspot.com/

Week 32 Email

Week 32 email

All,

 

This may be my last week in Murrieta. Transfers are this weekend. Elder Plaster and I have been together for two transfers now, so anything can happen. We've made our predictions on what will happen in the zone. Loser buys a soda. I hope we stay together though.

 

We've gone a long way here, and knocked nearly every door in the area. The Lord has certainly blessed our efforts, mostly in small ways, but in a few big ways as well. Oscar was called as the Young Men's secretary on Sunday. He's looking forward to helping out with the Youth. We're also pretty excited about the baptism this weekend. Hopefully we can get everything put together by then.

 

This week was fairly uneventful. We taught a few lessons, got ahold of some people we've been trying to see for a long time. 

 

Elder Plaster is now the district leader and so we went on exchanges Friday and Saturday. On Friday I got to go out with the Spanish Elder, Elder Graves (He was my roommate in Highland so we're pretty good friends). It was fun. The weather was horrible. It rained hailed and was especially cold. I felt bad riding around in the car while Elder Plaster was on bike when we had no scheduled apointments (aparently no one was home). Elder Graves and I taught 6 lessons that day. That's more than we usually have in a week! Some of them were in English so I could participate but the rest I practiced my vacant smile while they chattered away in Spanish. 

We talked to an old lady in their branch who was from Argentina. She had a really interesting conversion and life story. In the 1950s in Argentina she thought the LDS missionaries were spies. So she followed them around and finally learned who they were and took the lessons. She was the 2nd person baptized in that city. A few years later an American Spanish teacher was staying with them and offered her and her husband a job in the US. They took it and their emigration here was abnormally smooth. She was working at a bank when she was contacted by Catholic nuns who ran a hospital. The nuns offered her a job as a nurse. The sister said "I'm not Catholic..."

The nun said "I don't care"

"I don't know how to be a nurse"

"I'll teach you"

"But I already have a job."

"How much do you make?"

"about $6 per hour"

"We'll pay you $10, you start next week."

And so she became a nurse for 5 years. Stuff like that would just happen to her. It was really cool listening to her.

 

On Saturday I was with one of the zone leaders. Nothing special happened. Not very many people were home.

Yesterday Elder Plaster and I were knocking doors and we met a guy with an enormous saltwater fishtank behind the door. He wasn't interested, but we complimented his fishtank and Elder Plaster said "Make sure you don't get starfish, starfish are just a path of destruction." Later he told me about how a starfish ate all the coral, anemonies and some fish from a fishtank he was around. Who knew how menacing starfish could be?

 

I taught the Sunday school lesson in church yesterday about Agency. It went well. God will not rob us of our freedom to choose. He has given us the tools to choose the right and to follow him. If we don't it is only our fault for we will recieve the wages of the work we do.

 

That's all I've got time for. Hope you all have an amazing week. Please write,

Elder Bryce Johns

Week 31 Letter

Week 31 Email

All,

 

This week has been an interesting one.

 

Elise is doing great. We've met with her several times since last monday. She's really excited about being baptized on the 16th. She is so ready. Even for someone so young she has a solid relationship with God and a good knowledge of the Gospel. She prayed to know if The Book of Mormon was true and if she should be baptized and she got a very clear answer in the affirmative. It's cool to see how personalized God is to each of us. He knows how to get to us the way we need it (that being said, we do need to be ready to listen.) To top it off, she bore her testimony yesterday in fast and testimony meeting. She was brief but sincere (how it should be) and glowed on the walk back to her seat.

 

We met with most of our investigators this week and had good lessons with them as well.

 

We also did some service cleaning Oscar's car and later on helped someone in the ward fix their BMW. Elder Plaster, the gearhead, was in the engine taking a head gasket off while I rotated and moved a rod connected to the steering column while someone worked on the other end. It was funny seeing the difference in our skill level haha. 

 

We went on a 9 mile hike this morning which was very fun. California is defiantly not Washington, but there is a certain beauty about it... (If you find it)

 

In closing, here's a thought I came across recently. There are only three things that we take with us beyond the grave. Our memories, our knowledge, and our relationships. Given that, what our our priorities in this life? Where do we place the most emphasis? Is it on worldly things that we will leave behind or things of an eternal nature?