1 month down, 2 to go (Feb 1, 2011)

Ok so first off, I'd like to respond to some letters.  Thank you all for your letters.  I love them so much.  Dad, I'm loving the updates on sports.  I'm glad BYU and DHills are both doing really well.  I'm also glad to hear that work is picking up.  Ryan and Nikki can sure try to see me at the Temple but whatevs.  Mom, your letters/package have been great!  Yes i did get the package and love the watch and candy, Pictures, and newspaper articles.  So thanks thanks thanks!  It made me sad to hear you finally fixed the lights on the garage.  There was so much history in those lights.  But just like with us boys that used to terrorize the neighborhood, things change and we become better.  (ha i hope that analagy made sense:)  Thanks for the insights you share with me.  I wish i could talk to you about the insights i receive daily in personal study... and every other part of my day.    I am still doing basketball every day but sometimes i run a mile before hand.  I ran a 6 minute mile yesterday and that was pretty sweet.  By the time i leave here i want 5:40 or so.  I feel like every thing i do is goal oriented now.  Its finally getting into me.  The picture of Brock's prom group is looking fresh!  I'm glad Brock knows how to clean up nice.  To Blake, Congrats Bro!!!! LSU law school will be so sweet.  I can't believe you are flippin getting married so soon!   

So Things are going good here.  Last week was a bit hard with the language for some reason.  I hit a wall and felt like i wasn't improving.  So I made some goals and a study plan and it has helped out a bunch.  Elder G. and I are trying to SYL (Speak your language) as much as possible.  I feel like i can honestly say most of what i want to say in Khmae.  And it is so cool.  Some words i don't even think about it and they are naturally in my vocab now.  for example, haet avei just means "why".  Its cool ha.  We also taught a progressing investigator(one of the other teachers who speaks khmae) for 30mins in all khmae!  It was amazing!  The Lord really is helping me so much with the language. In the TRC we taught Lesson 2 in english and committed 3 people to baptism!  Even tho it was all role play, i got way excited when they said that they wanted to get baptized.  Ha it was sweet.   Elder D. left today to Long Beach.  So now it is just me and Elder G.  Its gonna be weird and i'm gonna miss Elder D., but he was way over ready to be gone. Just a random thing, on P-day/today we do laundry.  We, as in my district, the mhong elders, and Vietnamese sisters, all sit in there and just chill and relax and have so much fun.  Ha it is my favorite!  Who would've thought that Laundry would be associated to my favorite part of p-day? haha

Spiritual side: Like every week, i feel like i've learned so much!  I can't believe i still have room to fit it all in my head.  We watched a talk by Elder Bednar that he gave here about recognizing the spirit.  It was SO good and just what i needed.  He said that he gets the question most often from members "How do I know if its the Holy Ghost or just me?" his answer "Don't worry about it.  Just be a good boy, or good girl and do the right thing like you know hwo to and things will work out."  He told us that alot of the time we don't realize that something was a spiritual impression til long after it has happened.  Another cool thing he said was that if we aren't getting answers to our prayers even tho we are doing all the right things, it is because God trusts more as we become more like Him and so He lets us make the decisions.  And with that trust, we can act on what we know is right.  We just have to have faith.  Faith was a big topic this week.  Faith is Action!  Sometimes we have nothing to go off of, but we just have to put our faith in God and take that step and keep going.  God won't let us go astray.  Another thing i learned alot about was charity.  I studied it alot in my personal study and read a talk by President Monson from the General Relief Society Broadcast in oct 2010.  I encourage you all to read/watch it asap.  True charity is love in action. 

Alright im out of time but I love you and miss you all!  I will be sending a letter too I think.

Love,

     Elder Brady Johnson