Hey

So not too much happened this week, it was pretty much a normal office-elder week except we have been able to get like 4 lessons a day lately which is way awesome compared to the usual. Its been awesome and they all are awesome and they are really counting too. Which is good because we really need to change our area for the better, which is starting to happen. It's awesome, on NOV 2 its what they call here all saints or souls day and apparently on this day is when everyone goes to the graveyards to like pray for and visit all their dead loved ones or just to celebrate the life of some of their saints. So that'll be interesting. But i just cant believe in like 2 weeks i hit my year mark....like where did it all go? i cant believe ive been on my mission for ONE WHOLE YEAR in 2 weeks. That's 365 days! that means i have only 365 left and i know itll fly by all too fast. Im very much in between right now, and im amazed how there are days and parts of the mission that are soooo hard because you think it might just get a little easier but it never does. The language has, however, there are still so many other challenges though, but no biggie, im really growing. On the mission its almost as if you never stop being stretched, although thats not a bad thing because it the only the Lord can help us grow. So i honestly welcome the stretching because its the Lord way of refining me and it's the way He helps me learn, and become who He wants me and who i need to become. So im not afraid because i know that God knows my purpose and what i can become and He knows who i want to become after my mission, so i trust whatever He throws at me and try to take it the best i can. Sometimes it takes me a little longer than i would hope, but i know that God understands and He's soooo very patient towards me. I feel His help quite a lot. I honestly feel like my growth has been a lot since ive been here in the office and just out on the mission. In a way the mission makes you grow up fast, you have to, you teach to so many people, some very old and experienced, some just starting out, and some right in between. Also, you have to like really see things as adults do. Its crazy. Like no matter how frustrated you are with people you have to think of other ways to help them, how would the Lord help them, and its really hard sometimes to just get a simple understanding of these people and get inside their head, however, if you think of solutions and not problems through prayer, its awesome what happens, and all the times you have to just reteach the simple lessons and finding each new way to teach it for each new person, it really makes you think like an adult i feel. I think that might be one of the ways we can grow up on a mission, even if youre not ready to grow up, you grow up anyway. Through much prayer and diligent seeking for change, you really do grow up. The mission has been a crazy experience for me and still continues, both bad and good, but still a great experience nonetheless. 

 Today we played flag football, because of of the Elders got a football in his package and so that was fun because that was a few of the Filipino Elders first time, and they werent bad either. :)   It was actually really fun, because it wasnt basketball, which is like the ONLY sport they play here. So that was really fun, despite the getting up at 530 AM, it was good. 

I hope all is well with you all down in cold Washington :) I do kinda miss the green beauty of Washington, there still plenty green here, but its not quite the same. Oh well, 

No regrets, 

The joys of a mission 

Elder Johnson