Writings from West Virginia: It Feels Like Utah!

Hello friends and family! I am here safe and sound in Buena Vista, and I am having a blast! I'm with Elder Numbers, an awesome guy from Utah! We are already having a blast together.

Let's get into the highlights of the week!

Last Wednesday we went up with the Hillsville Elders and Bluefield Sisters to a place called Comer's Rock and Hale Lake. It was absolutely beautiful! Comer's Rock is a big lookout place, and it was just crazy to see so many of God's wonderful creations, all wrapped up in one great view.

That night I said my final goodbyes to Ch., S., Sister B., and T.. I also said goodbye to R. and J. and many other friends. Goodbyes are hard, but I'm thankful for this opportunity to be here in Buena Vista.

Thursday was a crazy busy day! Transfers was really fun though. Elder Bean and I spent most of the day with Elder Bingham as he packed up, and he and I hopped on the van around 4, said goodbye to Elder Bean, and headed East! I got into BV around 8:30 and met my new companion, Elder Numbers, as well as Elder Morgan, who is the District Leader of our district! He is with Elder Kelly, the same that I went to school with and served around in Kentucky! That is going to be super fun to be able to be with them.

Friday I finally saw some of my area! What's really funny, is that our area is like 2.5 miles x 2.5 miles. That's the whole ward. I'm serving in Utah! It's so much fun! I'm super excited to be able to serve here for the time that the Lord wants me to be here. I also got to meet our Ward Mission Leader on Friday, Brother T. He is a fireball who has an amazing testimony of missionary work and is just a hilarious guy to be around.

We went with Bro. T that night to see a less active lady named Sister C. She was baptized when she was a teenager, around 40 years ago. She got scared from some anti-material, and decided not to go back for the time being. The missionaries started meeting with her a while ago, and after a couple amazing spiritual experiences, she is slowly but surely coming back to her covenants! We are super excited for her.

Saturday was America day! Not a whole lot happened, it seemed everyone was out of town to go see the fireworks. We did have a cool experience that night though! We went to go try a former investigator, P. We walked up to his house, and he is sitting on his porch talking to his friend, who we've never met. We get talking, and the guy, C., is super impressed with what we're doing. He seems interested, so we get into the conversation about the Book of Mormon, and long story short, got a great potential investigator! We're hoping we'll be able to meet with him sometime soon. He committed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Wooo!

Also, the member who fed us dinner hung up a UK flag and fed us Fish n' chips. It was hilariously awesome.

Sundays are great here! Because of Southern Virginia University, Buena Vista has a really big Mormon presence. When school is in session, there are YSA missionaries that cover the 6 wards there, but when school is out, there isn't a whole lot of need for them, so we get to cover our family ward as well as the YSA summer ward! Two wards! Two sacraments! We usually only go to Sacrament in the YSA ward from 9 to 10 and then all 3 hours at the family ward from 1 to 4.

I had the chance to bear my testimony in the family ward. Elder Numbers and I thought it would be a great way to show the ward that we [the missionaries] are ready and excited to serve them, and that we really want to. I'm really thankful for the opportunity that we have to bear our testimonies in fast and testimony meeting.

Lastly, on Sunday we got to teach a man named J.! We picked him back up as an investigator and had a really good lesson with him and his friend B. It was a bit all over the place, but he did commit to reading and praying about the Book of Mormon, and B. said the closing prayer in the lesson! That like, NEVER happens! The Spirit can do some really amazing things.

That's my letter for this week! Thank you all for your kind words and support to me! Thank you for all of your prayers in my behalf. I know that prayer has power, and that God really does hear and answer all of his children who ask in faith. I love all of you, and hope this is the best week ever!

Love,

Elder Brax Johnson