Great Examples to Me and Others

Good morning/afternoon/evening to you all!

You know most people would think that when a missionary arrives at his 1 year mark, the missionary would be happy.  From what I have felt, that is not so true.  In the first few months of my mission it was a struggle to get out everyday and not think about home.  Getting used to mission life and the culture is not very easy.  As time went on, my love for the culture and missionary work has grown. Now half way done,  I do not even want to go home.  Sad thing is I know that I will have to go home so I will have to learn everything I can now  :)

Francis' baptism last week. Elder Johnson, Francis and Elder Simpson

Our first class font

For being a supply elder we actually had a lot going on this week!!  Well, we have a lot to do every week but just doesn't have to do with going out to teach.  So, on Tuesday we had our usual district meeting that was instructed by Elder Adams.  Each person in the district came ready with a Christlike attribute that we studied to share with the district members.  After each person shared, he spoke and asked us, "how did the attribute take part in Christ's life?"  It was a great instruction followed by our now annual lunch at "Emmas locals" <--- 3 times this past week haha.

When a supply elder...

Between Tuesday evening and Wednesday evening one of the zone leaders (Elder Makoti) came to be with me in my area while Elder Simpson went with the other zone leader (Elder Akudago).  I really enjoyed the exchange because I got to learn so much more about the area that I did not know before. Oh.. Elder Makoti was trained in the area I am in now. He is going home at the end of the transfer next week so we walked all around to see less actives he knew and others.  I have 3 new investigators from that one day.

Thursday was the day some people in my MTC group have been waiting for.  The non citizen card renewal trip to Takoradi.  I went with the AP's and we journeyed with others the 90 minutes to get there.  After renewing our cards we got to go eat at a chop bar that I actually went to once when I was in Takoradi.  It was all we could eat (paid by the mission).  You can be sure we all ate a lot.. :)

All you can eat chop bar in Takoradi with MTC group for non-citizen card renewal trip 

My awesome MTC comp Elder Sakala

Friday-- Office. Drove. Laughed. Ate.

Saturday was yet another exchange,  but I went with Elder Adams in his area (that is actually a shared area with us).  I got to meet with those they are teaching and it was pretty sweet.  I am happy for Elder Adams and Elder Jager, they have really worked hard to get people.  Really great examples to me and others.

Elders Johnson and Adams on exchanges

The new office couple is here!!!!  It is weird to have "neighbors."  We have to be a little more quite now ;)  They are really awesome people. We have been showing them around and helping them get settled into their place.  Sister Durrant was really awesome and brought us chocolate chip cookies on Saturday night.  She said, "my first time baking so I do not know if they will be good." LET ME TELL YOU THEY WERE REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!  Cookies. :)

Enjoy,

Elder Johnson

Basic Things

Good morning to all of you,

Once again this email will not be very detailed due to 1. Being an office Elder   2. I am a little lazy at emailing right now.

Zone leaders/District Leaders/Ap's/ Mission President of the GCCM

Monday as we all know was America's birthday!!! We celebrated by treating ourselves to some nicerish food then we have on a daily basis. It was a great time to spend together (4 office Elders and the Assistants to the Pres). A comment was made by one of the AP's who goes home in 3 weeks to Utah - we as an office are the most unified group of all the past office elders. #YAASSS

Our sweet bonfire on Monday night. about 7ft or so tall... cant see that at scout camp

Tuesday was our office/ district meeting day. At district meeting I went prepared to instruct on how to make our prayers more meaningful. For the instruction I passed around copies of a devotional talk given by Joseph B Wirthlin entitled "Making our Prayers more meaningful". And we also listened to it on a speaker so we can see and hear it. The instruction was based off of PMG pg. 93 "Pray in Faith". I enjoyed continuing my learning on prayer the days that I was preparing for it the week before. Prayer is THE BEST. What a great gift to be able to communicate to the heavens :) Hope we pray morning and night.

Later on Tuesday evening we were put in charge of picking up the Telecom Zone leaders (old zone) and the two District leaders from Telecom at the station. So we had 8 total Elders staying in our apartment.... bye bye good smelling bath soap!!!

Wednesday was a great day but a long day. We had missionary leadership council from 10:30am- 5. The zone leaders usually go once a month but this time the District leaders joined in. So I got to take part :)  Instructions were given on baptismal interviews, companion exchanges, stuff from the office Elders, and Leadership in the Church of Jesus Christ by President Stevenson. That evening we transported my last companion 30 minutes to his apartment because he would have traveled alone in a taxi (basa basa). We then transported my TC Elder Park to the mission home so he can go home for recovery.  He had a surgery gone bad on his in grown toenail 8 weeks ago and has not been healing so he will recover and be back soon :)

Elder Johnson spotted in MLC

Thursday was going to be a great day but Elder Simpson's stomach decided to give him problems yet again. So what was supposed to be a day of teaching turned to my companion sick. But we were at the office and then due to a couple things with the other companionship we went on an exchange. I drove Elder Jager around to do his office things in Cape coast.

Friday was yet another office day. More buying supplies. #SUPPLYELDERFORLIFE.

I made pancakes for the apartment on Friday morning. No syrup but we used Chocolate spread instead

Saturday we went out to teach finally!!!! And to make things even better we had our investigator Francis interviewed for baptism :) His baptism is going to be this Saturday. I could not be any more happy for this occasion!! Francis is a solid guy. His wife and young son were first to be baptized in November 2015 and Francis was not interested. Francis said he decided to start to come to church and be taught by us because of the change he saw in his wife and son :)

Sunday lunch!! Fried rice and some pineapple.

The worst part about this week is one of the less actives we have started to see again literally RAN away from us. She is a big girl and WOW can she run quick when she sees us walking to her.  Helina was baptized and stopped coming to church 6 years ago even after bringing the rest of her family to the church. I know the reasons but will not share.  All I will say is that she was not doing CPR!!!! Thats right, CPR. Church attendance...Praying... Reading her scriptures.  Let us all do the basic things (plus more) so our testimonies will always be improving and not backsliding.

Alma 5:22-31

Throwback to 11 months ago (temple visit while at the MTC)

Have a great week,


Elder Johnson

Happy Independence Day 'merica

Text from Elder Bay this morning -

"Happy Independence day my 'Murican brothers. Bless the red, white, and blue and all the hamburgers and hot dogs that our families will eat without us today."

Ghanaian stove

So, mepakyew enjoy your hamburgers and hot dogs. I am satisfied with my fried rice and chicken ;)

Elders Zohner and Johnson

Anyways, this last week was a pretty good week!!! Elder Simpson and I did our best to get office duties done so we can go out and DO WORK. Sunday night last week we were pumped.  Monday did work, still pumped.  Tuesday was an office day but still got lessons in, and Wednesday went down hill.  Elder Simpson ended up eating some not good food on Tuesday and had some stomach problems on Wednesday.  I knew something was wrong when he did not get out of bed to exercise with me.  So Wednesday we spent some of the day in the apartment.  Once he felt a little better the office Elders came to pick us up to grab lunch.  After we went to the office so Elder Simpson could be close to a bathroom and so we can get something done.  The craziest part about Wednesday is we met 2 member families, one from Utah and another from Georgia. The husband of one of the families is from Ghana so they come back every once and awhile. I talked to him and greeted the others but could only converse with the Ghanaian.  White people freak me out now :)

Missionary Coordination Meeting

Random Photo

Elder Simpson and I are excited because we have a baptism next Saturday! The interview will be done by the zone leaders hopefully the end of this week so we can announce it at church on Sunday. Francis will be the one to be baptized and he really is the golden investigator. We really do not worry about him as much as the others we see. Really no problems and hopefully none will come up. The two brothers we are teaching, Micheal and Derick have not been consistently coming to church. Which is a problem because they accepted a baptism date of July 30. Missionary work is not easy at all but is worth it :)

Elder Simpson was authorized to drive as of last Monday, he is happy to get me out of the drivers seat :P

Have a great week!!!

Elder Johnson