Writings from West Virginia: Highlights from this week!

Hello family and friends! Another week is gone again! How time is flying by.

Last P-day, after emailing we went up to Bluefield for Zone P-day! Had a great time, played Rugby and Football (two hand touch of course) and partied with the cool guys in our zone!

The highlights of the week start on Tuesday with District Meeting that morning! There is only four of us, us and the Hillsville elders, so it's a bit of a smaller meeting, but it's still awesome to be with all of those guys. They are some pretty sweet elders! We came up with some companionship/area goals for the week for teaching lessons, and we hit our goals! How cool is that!? So cool, that's how cool. Working hard and becoming unified are the best way to hit your goals and see success in whatever you are doing! Works for us anyway!

After that, Elder Garrett and I headed back to Wytheville for exchanges! We had a blast. We also had some cool experiences during the day that we were together! We went to lunch with the District after our meeting, and while we are getting our food our Relief Society President texts us and tells us that J., our investigator who is getting baptized soon, had her baby (we knew that) and that her fiance was there with her and it would be a great opportunity to go teach him! So Elder Garrett and I rush over there (legally of course) where J., her mom, and G., her fiance all are! (And little E. of course. Can't forget about him!) We get to talking and get to know him a little bit better, and we start sharing scriptures and teaching a lesson. Well, I get a prompting, and I know I'm supposed to follow it, so I go for it, and invite him (G.) to think about making the same commitment that his fiancee is making in a couple weeks of baptism! And he said he would think and ponder about it! What an experience! He is coming to church next week, and hopefully going to have an amazing experience!

After exchanging back on Wednesday, Elder Bean and I had the opportunity to teach D., D., P. (D.'s son) and his friend R. the Plan of Salvation! Funnily enough, as we are teaching, D. starts to teach with us! I've never met someone so prepared as he has been. He is ready. If you all would say a prayer for him to be able to beat his habit of smoking, that would be great. I know that through our combined faith he can stop. R. also listened attentively throughout the meeting and I gave him his very own Book of Mormon and Restoration pamphlet, and testified that I know that the book I gave him can change his life if he reads it, and he seemed grateful and thankful! What a cool kid.

On Thursday, after an awesome Weekly Planning session, Elder Bean and I went over to Main street to help our investigator and her boss move some stuff into a new store they are opening up down from their old one. It was a great time! I don't think her boss really knew what to make of us at first, and she asked us a couple of the normal mormon questions (mainly polygamy). We established a pretty good and open relationship with her that day and answered all the questions that she had.

On Friday we headed back to the store to finish up moving stuff, and the boss was a lot more open to us, and started asking us questions about our beliefs! She had a question about our view of heaven, so we got to teach her the last half of the Plan of Salvation right there in the store. The Lord can use any situation to teach one of his children, I testify of that.

The next day, Saturday, we were walking down Main street and I felt like I should go in there and give her a card. So I did! She didn't outwardly seem too interested in the rest of our message, but I know that she was thinking about what we told her. We planted a seed, if nothing else!

Also on Saturday, we got to pick up a new investigator, T.! He is the boyfriend of Sister B., who returned from being less active about a year ago. He's a big, funny guy from the county over who likes to joke around. I like him already! We gave him a Book of Mormon and Restoration pamphlet, and he told us that he'd read it. Sweet!

Lo and behold, the next day at church, in walks Sister B. towing T. right behind her! She brought him to church! Members are awesome. He looked like he had a good time and hopefully we'll be seeing him this week so that we can build on the experience that he had at church! So cool.

After church, Brother Wh. took us out to see some people! We got to see D., his first cousin who has been coming to church, and teach her the Restoration! The message seems to have sunk to her heart, and hopefully we will be able to invite her to be baptized in the coming weeks! Pray for her too. She is an awesome girl, has overcome a LOT in her life.

Those were the highlights for the week! Thank you everyone for reading this email. I hope my experiences can strengthen you as they've strengthened me! Have a great week everyone, and make it the best ever!

Love,

Elder Brax Johnson