HEY MY FAVORITE FAMILY!

Sorry I am writing you so late in the week.  Monday was a holiday and tuesday was a bit busy so that leaves today.  To start out, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLIE WRIGHT! :)

So geez sounds like mom dad blake and karli had an awesome weekend at the BYU game in Mississippi!  It sounds like tons of fun. We have a guy in the gym that is like 60 somethin who absolutely loves us and we are best pals with him. He keeps us updated with how byu does. Oh we also have dinner coming up this week with the owners of the gym. Man those people there love us!  lets hope they turn into some investigators :)

So wowzers i have so much to tell you cuz its been a week and a half, and a very eventful week and a half.  Here i go.

This week was filled with just alot of good solid lessons with some inactives that haven't been to church in years, to lessons to members-the member missionary lessons which are sooooo awesome(by the way, no one has read them, have they? Come on people!), and then of course to investigators. 

Saturday i had elder M come to Lynn with me for tours and we had a great time.  It worked that we were booked the whole day and no appointments dropped on us! When does that ever happen?!  it was so great.  We got to go visit R and her family (our recent converts) and we took home teacher-and also the area seminary teacher.  We found out that L is thinking about going to byu when she graduates in 2 years and also that she is planning on taking seminary! How cool is that?! Im so happy for her and that whole family.  Then we got to participate in something so very special and that was, we gave them all back to school blessings and gave R a blessing cuz she has felt really stressed and run down. The coolest part was that she came to us, we didn't even have to suggest it.  They are such a solid family.  But ya so giving those blessings were so special to me.  It reminded me of when Dad would always give us kids the back to school father's blessings.  Dad, thanks so much for your example of always being worthy of your priesthood and always blessing our family with it.  Because of you, I was able to step in and help their family, because they have no one with the priesthood.  I want to be just like you dad and always be willing and worthy.

Saturday we also had a lesson with two Member referrals!!!!!!!!!!!! Two families that we taught the member missionary lessons had found friends and invited them to hear from the missionaries and we got to teach both of them at the same time!  SOOOOO LEGIT!  I love when members find us people to teach!  So we taught the Restoration to both and one had to leave early but said she really enjoyed it and wants to learn more.  R has already been to church a few times with a member but its just been impossible to meet with her. She really loved our message, we invited her to be baptized but she said no.  She said that she would read the BOM to find out if she should be baptized. So i of course gave her 2nd Nephi 31 for her to read and asked her to come to church and the baptism.

We also met with G that night and two of his kids.  We mostly taught towards the two kids and had G help teach with us haha.  G is just the best!  We taught about baptism and the reason we are baptized and it went really well.  He accepted the date of Sept 24th (Brock's B day) for him and his family that would prepare themselves. He really liked the idea of setting a date to hold the Lord accountable to help him know that it is something he should do.

Sunday was a crazy stressful yet rewarding day!  We were supposed to have 11 people at church but only 4 came, but still we were happy.  Right after, was the baptism.  So many people from the ward came that we had to have the meeting in the chapel(instead of the RS room where it normally is held) so that was cool. Bro. C spoke and it was amazing!  You people need to meet this man.  He is my hero!  He was so personable and his talk was pretty much just to R and her kids, and the spirit was soooo strong. then Bro. M baptized R and then V and then i baptized M.  It was such a cool experience.  M was so pumped for it and so right when i said Amen, he kinda just let his legs go out from underneath him and he went under, almost catching me off guard haha but everything went well.  After the people went back to the chapel to wait for the rest of the meeting,  After the welcomes to the ward and what not, the meeting was over and i asked Them all how they felt, and they all just smiled huge smiles and R says she feels Special and soo good.  M said he felt happy, and Vwas excited.  They are such a sweet family.  President and Sister Evans showed up for the baptism and came and talked to Elder G and I and said that we are doing such a great job in this area and that people are watching us and taking note on what we are doing together in this area and that President is very very pleased.  That was very nice of him to say.  We honestly feel like we aren't doing anything special, just doing what we are supposed to. And the Lord is blessing us immensely.

Days like that are what make being a missionary sooo worth it.  Even tho there are hard or frustrating times, the few good things just totally out weigh the bad.  I wouldn't trade this time here for anything! 

That night after the baptism we met with R. again and talked to her about the Plan of Salvation.  We only got to our life on Earth/ our purpose.  We were talking about the things we need to do now while we are alive in order to "prepare to meet God."  We said one of the things is baptism.  We then asked her what she thought about 2 Nephi 31 and about the baptism she got to witness that day.  She said that her eyes were opened today.  She realized that Jesus Christ was baptized in the same manner that we baptize.  Plus she feels that the Bof M is true.  So we straight up asked her again if she would be baptized and she said yes! We gave her the date of Oct. 1st and told her that we needed to meet with her about 7 times before then, and she said, "ya of course we can do that!"  The members we taught with are stoked, we are stoked and R really wants to be baptized! So sweet, huh?!

So in just two days we baptized 3 people and got 2 new people with dates.

On Labor day we went to the Temple with a bunch of missionaries and that was super awesome as usual.  Then we went to the Park at the Alewife Station and played soccer.  It was so much fun but also a little depressing cuz i got to see how much i have digressed and gotten out of soccer shape aka conditioning haha. I had a frightening thought that when i get home, Brock is probably going to be faster than me. OHHHH NOOOO. oh so just wondering, has brock grown any? how about gotten heavier? im stuck at 186lbs and cant get more no matter how hard i try oh well.

Elder G and I have been studying and discussing Faith a ton this week cuz it seems to be what everyone is struggling with.  The talk "The Transforming Power of Faith and Character" by Elder Scott has been one we have really disected and learned alot from.  Here is a bit of what he says:

         Faith and character are intimately related. Faith in the power of obedience to the commandments of God will forge strength of character available to you in times of urgent need. Such character is not developed in moments of great challenge or temptation. That is when it is intended to be used. Your exercise of faith in true principles builds character; fortified character expands your capacity to exercise more faith. As a result, your capacity and confidence to conquer the trials of life is enhanced. The more your character is fortified, the more enabled you are to benefit from exercising the power of faith. You will discover how faith and character interact to strengthen one another. Character is woven patiently from threads of applied principle, doctrine, and obedience.

       We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.

There you have it.  To get faith we do the small things and by so doing, we strengthen ourselves against trials and temptation.  So work on what you want to become this week by being what you want to become. 
I love you all and am so grateful for all of your letters, love, prayers and support!  I really couldn't ask for better family or friends.

Love,

     Elder Brady Johnson