Concrete Bear

I'm pumped for General Conference! Here are my guesses on whats going to happen.

New Apostles:

1. Tad R. Callister

2. L. Whitney Clayton

3. Lynn G. Robbins

New Seventy

1. Nelson Boren

2. Donald E. Mullen

3. David Wilkes :)

This week was great! There is a family in our ward that are all active except for the father. The father had not given permission for his 9 year old twin children to be baptized until this week when the daughter turned 8 and wanted to be baptized. So she was baptized this week and the twins are planning on being baptized in the next few months. 

Last night we had a great lesson with Justin. He expressed that growing up he had prayed many times but never felt like he got an answer. I know I and most of us in the world have struggled with that same problem. We had a very edifying discussion about how to recognized answers from God.

So last night we made a bear out of concrete inside our apartment. I don't really know why. Elder Morse just really wanted to when he saw the empty container of animal crackers shaped like a bear. You can't really see it but there is an "M" on his belly because Moscow High school's mascot is a bear. And the High School is literally right outside our door. I'll send a picture when its done drying and we've peeled the plastic off.

Love you guys!

-Elder (Andre) Johnson

Yo - 3 things...

Yo

1. About a week and a half ago Elder Morse and I went to the Monsons (member in our ward) house to share a quick message with them. Turns out their parents were visiting from Pleasant Grove Utah! They also work at the MTC. Oh ya and the fathers name is Thomas R. Monson. We shared a quick message sang them a song and left. A few days later we came back and the Thomas Monson and wife were still in town. They said that due to some car trouble they had spent a lot of time at Les Schwab. They had a good gospel conversation with one of the workers named Justin and he said he was interested in hearing from the missionaries. We just met with him last night at the Monsons house and the lesson went really well. I was floored that Thomas Monson comes into town for 4 days finds us an awesome person to teach, sets it up so we can teach in a members home then leaves. 

2. Last p-day I got an email from somebody named Travis. He said that he was interested in meeting with missionaries. So we set up a time and met with him. He is super solid! It was incredible to hear how God has been guiding him and how he has courageously followed. He had met with missionaries about a year and a half ago but didn't follow through with baptism. But he said that he knew that God wanted him to start meeting with us again. 

3. Last Monday I was on exchanges in the Troy area. Troy is a tiny town 30 minutes outside of Moscow. There are also a few other tiny towns in their area. Elder Dugan and I were together. I came out with Elder Dugan by the way so it was fun to be reunited with him. We decided to got tracting for a while and we had the classic "Homecoming talk" experience. After being rejected a few houses in a row we knocked on one and a lady answered the door. It was obvious she wasn't very interested and she mentioned that she attended another one of the churches in town. We stalled by asking her if we could sing her a song (I had my ukelele). You could tell she kind of wanted to say no but she couldn't resist so she agreed. The song was about familes which got her talking. We had a good discussion about protecting the family in our society. Then she asked us a question, "Are your families strong in their faith in God?" We both said yes. "Thas really really good" This kind of gave me the impression that hers wasn't and it concerned her a little bit. So we talked a little bit about the spirit world. She became very interested and asked "do you want a drink of water? Come on in." She got us some water and sat us down at the table and got everyone else in the house to come join us. So we started teaching! It went super smooth. Every question she asked was super good. At one point I started quoting a scripture then I looked down at my scriptures and I had unknowingly flipped right open to it! She eventually opened up to us about how her father didn't believe in God and had passed away. She was pretty worried about what would happen to him. It was amazing to see the relief that came on her face when we told her about Gods plan. Unfortunately I don't get to teach the family because  they're not in my area but I'll try to stay informed on how things go with them.

Elder Morse and I got to speak on Sunday again. We got asked on Thursday if we could do it. The member of the Bishopric that asked us was gone about a month ago on the Sunday that we spoke so he asked us if we could speak. We were both super excited for the opportunity. When we got to church everyone was like "why are you speaking again?" but by then it was too late. Our name was already on the program. HA HA! We both talked on faith. I learned a ton preparing for it! Faith is a deep concept. We know that its believing in something we can't see but we also know that we can do some crazy stuff with faith.  

"and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea."

Snap

-Elder (Andre) Johnson

Apostles, Baptisms, Burning holes in Suits, and Brigham Young

Apostles

This week Elder Daniel L. Johnson of the Seventy toured the mission. It was super awesome! I had a personal interview with him! That was fun!

On Sunday all the missionaries from our zone and two others went down to Lewiston for their Stake Conference because they were having a special visitor. Before the conference we had a missionary meeting with Dallin H. Oaks and Elder Stapleton of the Seventy. It was sweet! Man he is a good teacher! My favorite part of the meeting was then end when he was testifying of Jesus Christ. He quoted doctrine and covenants 46 which says something like "to some it is given to know of Jesus Christ and others it is given to believe on their words" "I know that Jesus Christ lives". Oh snap! He was pounding his knuckles on the primary podium.

Baptisms

Gregory got baptized!!!!!!! It was a little crazy before service but once it started the spirit was super strong!

Burning holes in suits

We had the classic missionary experience of boiling water in the kitchen an hour before the baptism because the hot water in the building ran out. We were boiling water in a giant metal pot that covered two of the stove circle deals. The whole stove was extremely hot when we were done. Unfortunately Elder Morse was leaning over one and burn a whole in his suit. If you look closely at the picture above you can see it. 

Brigham Young

We walked into A&W to buy a hamburger and this bearded man walks up to us and says get whatever you want its on me. Then he pulled out his Wallet and showed us his drivers licence which carried the name Brigham Young. Nuff Said

Elder (Andre) Johnson  

Probably a felon or something

Its been cold and rainy lately. We had to wear our jackets for the first time. It was literally Elder Morse's first time wearing a jacket. He's from Tucson. He was pretty excited about it.

Well I've got an exciting week coming up. Elder Daniel Johnson of the Seventy is touring our mission. I've got a meeting with him this Wednesday night, then also with our zone on friday. I was also very surprised to hear that I will be having a personal interview with Elder Johnson on friday morning. AHHHHH! I might as well confess to him that I chewed gum in public last week because if I don't the Spirit will tell him. (that's only funny if you are familiar with the White handbook). Its nothing special. A bunch of random missionaries were selected to do interviews with him. He just wants to get a feel for the mission.

This past week I made beer in the apartment. Alyse's fault. Don't worry I didn't drink it. For my birthday Alyse sent me a homemade root beer making kit. So we made it and it was delicious! But we left one of the bottles out over night and the next day it smelled very strongly of alcohol! I actually thought it was pretty cool so I kept it for a few days. Every day it got stronger and stronger. But eventually I dumped it out when I realized that I was probably a felon or something because I'm underage. 

Yesterday we got antied by a Seventh-day adventist, athiest, and a Christian. It was interesting to see how they all used the bible to try and prove our doctrine wrong and prove their's right. Even the athiest was quoting the bible. The Seventh Day Adventist and the Christian both claimed that the bible was the perfect source of knowledge yet they both interpreted it so differently. It was amazing how different their doctrine was. Joseph Smith was right when he said  "for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible". 

I'm glad to know that we can go directly to God for answers. That is the most powerful evidence we can receive in this life is witnesses from the Holy Ghost. We love the scriptures. We learn from them. We believe they contain the fullness of the Gospel. But we also know that all truth is confirmed by the Holy Ghost. That's how we Know that God is real, that Jesus is the Savior and that the things being taught from the scriptures and from the Prophets is true. The Church is true!

 

-Elder (Andre) Johnson