Week 55 Letters and Pics

Week six in Circle City

(Title by Elder Johns)

July 22, 2013 letter

All

This week was very long. Not very much happened. 

No new investigators this week, we had a lesson with the SDA guy I mentioned last week. He's really nice and interesting, but only interested on an intellectual level, not a spiritual one.

It's been (relatively) muggy this week. It even rained twice. Rain and bikes don't mix, and neither do mesh backpacks (I picked one up at ross a couple weeks ago, it helps with airflow a bit.) We got covered in mud and tar from the backsp lash of our bikes and then it dried up again and we looked ridiculous with our shirts all covered in junk. 

Shoot, I don't have enough time to share the story with sister D'amore again. I'll have to write it out next week... Sorry!!! 

Thanks for everything. 

Elder Bryce Johns

It's my Pedal-powered-foot-air-conditioning-contraption (patent pending)!

In-n-out. A California phenomenon. People here seem to think that it's the best thing since french fries but it really isn't. Speaking of french fries, they may be made out of fresh potatoes, but they still taste like Styrofoam...

Elder Blackburn's lunch. Pizza pockets and ice cream. Recently he's been forgoing the pizza pockets.

ohm nom nom

Elder Blackburn, chillin like a boss.

Week 54 Letter

Another Letter from Crown Town

(Title from Elder Johns) 

Letter from July 15

All:

This week has been pretty crazy, in a good way. 

So here are some of the highlights.

Monday night we were riding trying to contact just a few more people before we turned it. We ran into a couple of young adults on the street and started talking to them. They had a lot of questions, and we basically taught a brief lesson on the restoration. After awhile they said "could you come back tomorrow?" Of course we said sure (we were about to miss our curfew anyway). So we go back, and it was basically a trap. Their mom was super contentious with a ton of anti-mormon crap, they had watched an anti video and had a list of the usual anti things. Throughout our time there The mom was like "I just want to let my children find out for themselves". Me being me, I was there waaaay too long basically just bashing. Which is really no bueno. In the end I testified of the Book of Mormon and we left. The spirit wasn't there, and as it says in Doctrine and Covenants: if ye teach by the spirit of God it is of God, but if ye teach not by the Spirit of God it is not of God. So yeah, I have to overcome my inclination to argue sometimes. 

But we also had some really cool experiences for the other side of the coin. 

We met an Seventh Day Adventist guy who wrote a book (Lord of the Codes) on "Bible Codes" (bellreasearchlab.com if you're curious). We went back expecting him to want to bash with us, and instead they invited us in to share their sabbath meal. We had a really good conversation and left them with a blessing on their home, and an appointment to come back and share more of our message. We''ll see where that goes. They were some of the most God fearing people that I've met in a while. (Although the whole bible code thing is a little weird, not gonna lie)

We also had a really amazing experience with Sister D'Amore. (unfortunately this may have to be a two-parter I don't have much time) I don't remember if I've mentioned her before, but she's a Less-active, part member family that we've been working with. We went over there for our scheduled lesson. her sister was there. We taught an amazing spirit filled lesson in total contrast to the one in the morning. AAnd i'll have to finish the story next week.

Thanks For everything,

Please write

Lots of Love.

Elder Johns 

Week 53 Letter (He hit is year mark during this week)

Week 53 Letter

(from July 8, 2013)

All:
It's crazy to think that I've been out a whole year. I'm haven't had a whole lot of time to reflect on that, but I will probably post my musings about it next letter.

But here's what's been happening:

Things are starting to pick up. Our investigator dropped us but we picked up a new one, and now he's on date for baptism. It's a rather cool story actually.

We went over to the Sutherland's for dinner. Which to be completely honest I wasn't overly excited about. (she seems to spend a lot of time pining about her wayward son, and we were having pizza again (we've been having a lot of it recently))
Anyway we were over there, along with her other (as of yet non-wayward) son and his friend Michael both of whom are seniors. We ate the pizza making small talk etc. After dinner I gave the spiritual thought. It was okay as far as dinner thoughts go, but we've done better. Anyway after the thought we asked Michael if he would like to learn more. To our surprise he said "yeah, sure." So we scheduled an appointment for Sunday and gave him a restoration pamphlet to read.

Sunday rolled around and we went over to the Sutherland's accompanied by our ward's young men president (who is a boss). Michael had read the pamphlet and had a good question about the apostasy. We answered his question and taught the doctrines of the restoration. It was really amazing, the spirit was totally guiding the discussion and was there very palpably.
Elder Blackburn did really great for his first time teaching an investigator. Michael understood everything, especially the importance of finding out for himself by asking God. The end of the lesson came around and I asked him, "Michael, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ, and be baptized by one holding the priesthood authority of God?" and he said "yes"...
Elder Blackburn and I were speechless. It has been so long since anyone really has accepted an invitation to anything, much less baptism I almost couldn't remember what to do.
"We've prayed about it, and we feel that you can be ready to be baptized on the 17th of August, will you prepare yourself to be baptized on that day?" and again, he said yes. The Spirit was so strong and testified to me that all of the work that I'd been doing here wasn't in vain. Elder Blackburn and I walked out of that lesson walking on air. Unfortunately, we wont be able to meet with him much this month because he'll be out of town. But it was an amazing testimony builder (of fasting too, we have fasted a couple times for the work to pick up).

We've also been making progress to get the ward involved in missionary work which is good.

Love you all, thanks for the prayers. Please Write
Elder Bryce Johns

Week 52 Letter

Week 52 Email

(from July 1, 2013)

All,
Not a whole lot to report on.

We weren't able to meet with Joanne, she wasn't there for our apointment and hasn't answered our phone calls.

Our ward boundaries got changed, we lost a few neighborhoods, and that's it.

The 5th Sunday lesson was on missionary work and we talked about where we were at, our goal to 2 baptisms by September and ideas for everyone to help with the missionary effort. Hopefully it comes to fruition soon. Tracting is miserable when it's over 100 out.

Let's see, A cool experience that we had recently:
We haven't had anyone signed up for dinner on the 28th all month, so the 27th we asked Bro Higgens, our homeshare if we could eat with them. He said sure. So at 6:00 on the 28th we (after ascending the mountainous hill in 100 degree weather) get home. We heard some talking in the kitchen and we peeked over and saw that one of the priests, Justin, in our ward was giving a Cutco demonstration to Bro Higgens. Justin had someone else with him that I assumed was another kid in our ward. So we mosey over and it turns out the other guy was Justin's boss, Austin, who was there observing. Anyway our presence sparked an amazing gospel conversation. Austin asked a ton of questions about our beliefs and told us about some spiritual experiences he was having at the time. By the end we were able to give him a Book of Mormon and explain that our invitation to everyone is not to take our word for it, but to pray and ask God.
Unfortunately he doesn't live in our area so if he wants to learn more other missionaries will do the teaching. But it was really cool, certainly a testimony builder.

We've been keeping track of the miracles we see each day. Sometimes we have to look hard, but there is always something.

Thanks for the prayers, Please write.
Elder Bryce Johns

P.S. If you have written and I haven't written back in over a month, I probably didn't get the letter.

Week 51 Letter & Pictures - New Companion (Elder Blackburn)

Week 51 Letter & Pictures

(email from June 24th)

All:

My new companion, Elder Blackburn is from West Valley UT, is 19 and the youngest of 8. he's pretty cool and we get along well, but he is very quiet. Seems to be a running theme with the people I train. We'll do well though, his heart and desires are huge so It will all work out. yay for role-playing 8P

We've set a goal of two baptisms by the first weekend of September. Our ward mission leader was like "well, I don't know how we're going to do that, but I guess that's where faith comes in." So we'll see how it works especially with the changes coming down the pike in how we are going to do missionary work.

Recently I've  been reading in 2nd Nephi chapters 25-29. It's striking how I can see the things that Nephi is talking about as I go about talking to people. But something in 2 Nephi 28:30  has been holding my attention recently. It talks about how God gives us knowledge and other things line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. So we need to continue to grow in knowledge because those of us who will listen to the counsel of God will gain more. We must remember that there is always more to learn. I've found that the more you learn the more you realize how much you don't know. It's pretty humbling.

Well, times up.
Letters are cool.
Thank you for your prayers.
Elder Bryce Johns

Elder Blackburn at what we thought was the highest populated elevation in our area. 1460ft (the bottom of our area is around 900ft)

Elder Blackburn Dan Jonesing to what is actually the tallest populated part of our area, 1500ft, where the super rich people live. In the distance you can see parts of Norco and Riverside. Usually you can see the mountains on the other side, but the smog is too thick.
 

A sign in the Unincorporated part of our area.