Writings from West Virginia: Firesides, Testimonies, and Transfers!

Hello hello everyone! It's been a week and a half since this last email, so I have TONS to tell you about! This week really was a good week, especially for the zone. We were very blessed! 10 people in the zone in the past 2 weeks were baptized! What a blessing it is to see the fruits of all the missionaries' hard work over these last couple transfers.

Monday was a bunch of fun! After getting a free haircut by one of the members of our ward (Thank you Sister C!) we headed down to Lynchburg! We had a baptismal interview down there at 6:30, so we decided to go down early and play around in a "big city" (like 70,000 people, which is HUGE for me). We got to go to Ross, where I learned how wonderful cheap stuff actually is, and also got to eat at PANDA EXPRESS! #tendermerciesarereal

Like I mentioned before, I had the chance to interview J. for baptism, one of the Amherst elder's investigators. My first interview! That was so awesome. He was ready, and was baptized just this past Sunday! I'm so thankful I had the chance to hear his testimony of the Gospel. It was a wonderful testimony and reminder of why we do this work! Bringing people unto Christ, and let them earn their testimony too.

Tuesday was awesome as well! We had MLC, which meant a 3:15 alarm and a 4 hour drive up to Charleston! The meeting was really really good. We focused on teaching the doctrine simply and on teaching the Book of Mormon. I feel like I gained quite a bit out of it. It's so fun to be that meeting, as a mission council, being able to discuss the needs of the mission openly. We have another MLC coming up, a special one, with Elder Erich W Kopishke of the Seventy! That will be awesome. On the drive back from MLC, we stopped in Princeton, WV to drop some stuff off to the elders there, and we went to dinner! All 10 missionaries! (BV, Roanoke, and Pembroke Zone Leaders, as well as the Roanoke and Christiansburg Sister Training Leaders) It was a ton of fun to be able to sit down and just chat with President and Sister Salisbury over dinner. Got back just before midnight, almost got sprayed by a skunk, and barely even got my clothes off and sweats on before I was asleep, haha. Total time awake: 21 hours. I haven't done that in 18 months!

Wednesday we had the Ward Chili Cookoff! That was a ton of fun. Brother F. brought his crazy hot and homemade salsa that I'm pretty sure burns calories because it's so hot. We got to meet a few non members that people had brought, and so that made it all worth it!

Friday we got to teach Zone Meeting! I think it was received well and that people who contributed got a lot out of it. I certainly did! I had the chance to conduct, and so that is always really fun. We went out to lunch afterward and I had a HUGE Pulled Pork Sandwich Burger monstrosity. I saved some for the next day, haha. (See Picture)

We got to teach B. and D. again on Halloween afternoon! We went over the baptismal interview questions, and apparently D. is DEATHLY afraid of interviews. We talked about it and she seemed pretty resigned to the fact that the interview was going to happen, haha. But she was very animated and bold about her dislike for the interview and expressed her displeasure in a most forward way. She's so funny sometimes. Transfer info also came in on Halloween. Elder Brenchley and I will both be staying in Buena Vista for another 6 weeks! Woo hoo! What a tender mercy. We BOTH get to see their baptism.

Sunday was the fireside day! B. came to church that day! Woooooo! Not only that, but she got up, and with the help of President B., her amazing member friend, she BORE HER TESTIMONY AT THE PULPIT!!! I don't think I've ever been so proud to teach someone. That was amazing. She told us afterward, "I didn't tell you I was going to do it because I didn't know myself!" haha. Man, that was a blessing.

But anyway! Back to the fireside. All the weeks of planning, preparing, advertising, scheduling, etc etc ALL CAME TOGETHER! President J., our Stake President, conducted the meeting. What a powerful meeting it was! The Spirit was so strong. It was amazing! There was a musical number, Nearer My God To Thee, sung by a YSA girl that was incredible. The testimonies were awesome, just everything was perfect! I will definitely be hosting some more on my mission before it's over.

Monday was really fun for dinner! The L.'s had us over and we ate Cow Tongue! "Tongue Tacos" to be exact. Mmmmm. Elder Brenchley was very thankful they showed him the picture AFTER he ate. Apparently they bought it fresh! Haha, but after that we got to go help Brother L. with his Elders Quorum visits (He's in the Elders Quorum Presidency), and that was fun. Got to see some really good people. B. and D.'s baptismal interview was also Monday night! They both passed, which was awesome. They are ready and we are excited.

Tuesday morning we had a lesson with Brother W. He is a gung-ho returning less-active and recently moved into the BV ward with family. He has some problems that he is overcoming, and he is one of the sweetest, most tender-hearted people I know. We are teaching him the lessons, and then having him teach us next time. That will be really fun! Hopefully it will help him too.

We also, as we were tracting, asked this nice older lady, B., if we could rake her leaves. She let us, and we had a blast! We invited the W. boys to come help us, too! I got to use the big leaf blower, and that was awesome. If there were trees in Utah, I would totally get one for awesome easy blowing access. But what was funny is that her husband rolled up after a little while and gave us a $100 bill! HOLY CRAP! Who just rolls around with a Franklin in their pocket? AND HE WOULDN'T TAKE IT BACK. It will definitely going into Fast Offerings if he still wont take it. Not our pocket!

We also had a great lesson with B. and D. on service and the Priesthood. Seeing them again tonight for the family history lesson. That will be a good one!

That is my week! Thank you all for taking the time to read it. I love each of you and hope you have the best week ever! Let me bear my testimony before I go that I know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. I know it! And I thank my God that I know it, and have the chance to declare to the world what I know. Have a great day!

Love,

Elder Brax Johnson

Stopped at a lookout. It's all dead now and there are 6 BILLION+ leaves everywhere.

Me and the amazing Elder Numbers!

#partybus

From left to right: Elder Bingham, Myself, Elder Wilkinson, Elder Poyfair, Elder Brenchley, Elder Millard


Our wonderful Buena Vista ZONE! Elder H. Rasmussen Elder Goold Elder Anderton Elder Fidel Elder Kitchen Elder Kelly Elder Whiting Elder French Elder Malin Elder Hugentobler Myself Elder Brenchley Elder M. Rasmussen Elder Tunell Elder Ward Elder Underhill Elder Moser Elder Hallewell Elder Tupou Elder Vai Elder Hill Elder Ostler Elder Thompson Sister Lively Sister Pugh Sister Moeai Sister Ford Sister Banks Sister Harrison Sister Flake Sister Skanchy