tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53467326655048329432024-03-13T01:49:00.700-07:00Elder Austin Johnson“It is in doing —not just dreaming—that lives are blessed, others are guided, and souls are saved.”
Pres. Thomas S. Monson November 2005KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-65850753306379967752011-04-29T00:17:00.000-07:002011-04-29T01:08:04.049-07:0060 Tornadoes and Still Kickin"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajqXx5sIjlphM6gQbXGbjQfDl-7VN6wdHSZiuTztkcIK2KwbmoE6ZDwhSCnroJicqOgadvhuYHxz9p8_hOpm-67syuMx9GUlmz_NJGGo0H_5Su5QUzyff1BoQPAxZDU04yzkF6ldGM1c/s1600/198095_201279163224142_100000261795065_713138_1436288_n%255B1%255D.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600908835486143890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajqXx5sIjlphM6gQbXGbjQfDl-7VN6wdHSZiuTztkcIK2KwbmoE6ZDwhSCnroJicqOgadvhuYHxz9p8_hOpm-67syuMx9GUlmz_NJGGo0H_5Su5QUzyff1BoQPAxZDU04yzkF6ldGM1c/s320/198095_201279163224142_100000261795065_713138_1436288_n%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a> April 18, 2011<br /><br /><div>"We had about 60 tornados in the state of North Carolina this week. Several in our area too. They are figuring about an F3 that just barely missed our apartment. It was so close to us that we had RV parts strewn about in the parking lot in front of our apartment. Our apartment is on the second story and when it came close, we decided it was time to flea to a giant brick building called the "church". We figured, if we die, then we couldn't die in a better spot, right?"</div><br /><div><em>So, Elder AJ continues with humor in the midst of disaster. Holding their own, the missionaries press forward. Half of the missionaires have been called to service projects with those that have lost their homes and properties in the disaster and the other half continues to teach. </em><em>We keep the people in southern states in our prayers and ask the Lord to give them strength and courage!</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div><em>The missionaries continue to work and Elder AJ relates that the Baptist seminary students give them "a run for their money." They have to decipher between bogus referrals and real ones, as the seminary students send referrals to get them tied up with them instead of teaching those who are ready to hear. They think things have slowed down and hope their time can be better spent in the coming days.</em><br /></div><br /><div>"The members feed us great out here, just call me the pillsbury doughboy. Just call my stomach the danish roll, LOL. So Monday we went and played soccer with a family, that was a blast. Their 12 year old son went tracking with us and even talked with the people. What a stud! The mission is a roller coaster, but I will tell you what...I am going to cry like a baby that just got spanked when I have to leave the members here. On the 30th we will have a chance to meet with Richard G. Scott. Everyone is super excited, so I will tell you how that goes."<br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>"There is no obstacle to great, no challenge too difficult if we have faith." - Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley</div>KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-63633540718178273562011-04-28T23:36:00.000-07:002011-04-28T23:54:50.472-07:00"A Once in a Mission Experience"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62mI6Z5_Fne8It7lobWbN97EixqOQjIMs0bf7Y3CfzBuYI5tftSnaEteGf7raVqJpd2jGLrfiMgMrkrD4ZTg6AAmtXYDrXz1rIQdKY_41qjStzhcYpmjEJTmimjQpgAm7bw8nplsM26Y/s1600/SDC10006.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600895381370104594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62mI6Z5_Fne8It7lobWbN97EixqOQjIMs0bf7Y3CfzBuYI5tftSnaEteGf7raVqJpd2jGLrfiMgMrkrD4ZTg6AAmtXYDrXz1rIQdKY_41qjStzhcYpmjEJTmimjQpgAm7bw8nplsM26Y/s320/SDC10006.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>"President Cotterell has a special assignment for us on preparation day, this week. He asked us to take our P-day later this week and invited Elder Butler and I to participate in a question answer panel session with baptist seminary students. So, basically we met with about 30 baptist preachers and they asked us about what we believed. There was President Cotterell and Sister Cotterell, my compagnion and me and a sister missionary companionship. It went pretty well. Needless to say, I was very nervous. We were very respectful on both sides and I think there was a great deal of mutal understanding achieved within the community because of it. It was definetly, as once in a mission experience."<br /><br />Elder Austin is now serving in the Wake Forest North Carolina area. The heart of Baptist seminary schools and universities. He loves his new companion, Elder Butler and looks forward to serving and teaching in the new area.<br /><br /><br /><br />"There is no other labor in all the world that brings to a human heart, more joy, peace and serenity than proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ." - President Monson.</div>KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-74881261218919736802011-04-28T22:58:00.000-07:002011-04-29T00:15:27.893-07:00"Some of the Great People of Fayettville"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyYTP320-D1etmoxFxkxFQ8i3WFu0X1Pk0glL3iMXnZKgVAgWMBmUY1GjxEx_51HAbXrJbu-ZBnJpnCTHIu0U1GVow2tyS9aiv1DqoHJBntb80aiX6WoVxNDcPrq2wIh27a2Jw2n48gY/s1600/SDC11713.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600900452820344290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyYTP320-D1etmoxFxkxFQ8i3WFu0X1Pk0glL3iMXnZKgVAgWMBmUY1GjxEx_51HAbXrJbu-ZBnJpnCTHIu0U1GVow2tyS9aiv1DqoHJBntb80aiX6WoVxNDcPrq2wIh27a2Jw2n48gY/s320/SDC11713.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabISY-z8knmBUc25bOcJUTqXmwmdchBvA1oV3qbMR6qrczpk4c_yqJFHQ2036d3d1EAwMn7kpuu3Xzh5cOwWuAF-ZI907dFNVcpGUBRPKNL0WYI4Vs8OJQ72q7G8CFYX0xEWbTkPCM3Y/s1600/SDC10119.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600900059754804498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabISY-z8knmBUc25bOcJUTqXmwmdchBvA1oV3qbMR6qrczpk4c_yqJFHQ2036d3d1EAwMn7kpuu3Xzh5cOwWuAF-ZI907dFNVcpGUBRPKNL0WYI4Vs8OJQ72q7G8CFYX0xEWbTkPCM3Y/s320/SDC10119.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGw7mHhMQLMTibS2rn3qA_2vvt595yl3ERw_Ewhhtnedk3XYlzJe3AkOIFteVKJlqnHRENWepZTTfcsEh5ixmA8fGP1U23qbtboI8TYHmz1FLSiHl3OOCelLWNbVh9iTLNcpab2sSXcFo/s1600/SDC10103.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600899809888626738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGw7mHhMQLMTibS2rn3qA_2vvt595yl3ERw_Ewhhtnedk3XYlzJe3AkOIFteVKJlqnHRENWepZTTfcsEh5ixmA8fGP1U23qbtboI8TYHmz1FLSiHl3OOCelLWNbVh9iTLNcpab2sSXcFo/s320/SDC10103.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9YrpR0nuFgUBDubY0NKxCVWw8XxGdMIniI20TcvmvjikiFTVGxMUSkr6WzB7d9NVDs3zQoW74B3gupUyJwsI1rP8nypYHCNN3T3gHGde_uvmFqAu1dU4l72aPp1PZCrhvyq7u8XbQvM/s1600/SDC10044.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600899608540870386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9YrpR0nuFgUBDubY0NKxCVWw8XxGdMIniI20TcvmvjikiFTVGxMUSkr6WzB7d9NVDs3zQoW74B3gupUyJwsI1rP8nypYHCNN3T3gHGde_uvmFqAu1dU4l72aPp1PZCrhvyq7u8XbQvM/s320/SDC10044.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMl0Cl7lF5MkB3SfNeaeXlTRvn3DT64IGtXELVqnpkbcDvEdxRbxtgZ8P6Is4S7nkZ33EkiyDVDJvBuQ-s6ofRZqhRW4-vi40GfkLEnURL2S74qKQG71pTE1783UVtgyPjQKYookyA0g/s1600/SDC10016.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600899511238003602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMl0Cl7lF5MkB3SfNeaeXlTRvn3DT64IGtXELVqnpkbcDvEdxRbxtgZ8P6Is4S7nkZ33EkiyDVDJvBuQ-s6ofRZqhRW4-vi40GfkLEnURL2S74qKQG71pTE1783UVtgyPjQKYookyA0g/s320/SDC10016.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VnB1CR7ocBB_sfxmIySxdU76agU1MURdbVgJwu85Sqm5atBN0Bzj8lNnIxRwhVls-WlmgCnSCqPQG9eVFRQoYueZ0WdresutHTiwC3N4Ei8T4kMyxN722s8o-Wy7BTkJ6eK15Vpe9ig/s1600/SDC10035.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600899319102247490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VnB1CR7ocBB_sfxmIySxdU76agU1MURdbVgJwu85Sqm5atBN0Bzj8lNnIxRwhVls-WlmgCnSCqPQG9eVFRQoYueZ0WdresutHTiwC3N4Ei8T4kMyxN722s8o-Wy7BTkJ6eK15Vpe9ig/s320/SDC10035.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCOFeKQ5NN_FP80HseokpIgwZYXmz0lA7a58_hve7plBgAKPALcv7c_slpSEh9zhblXiicL2CGY721gcae7UKwHYePF9MNZNxev9mFmHP8NClq5Gwk5XiDLey9WF8chXGsufn7sdR2uQ/s1600/SDC10008.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600899131012006642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCOFeKQ5NN_FP80HseokpIgwZYXmz0lA7a58_hve7plBgAKPALcv7c_slpSEh9zhblXiicL2CGY721gcae7UKwHYePF9MNZNxev9mFmHP8NClq5Gwk5XiDLey9WF8chXGsufn7sdR2uQ/s320/SDC10008.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7zqUn_lCLrc0VIMuACcpfluQoek8slPuvRqbDyU5L3HRnwYQsAuFW1y3PFxQ7Y-BVNd4UDlOaL3u04OH18o6mSAyZ8wSEDPJkXXDAbIiWDs8YA3J_npq-IwSBMHjsan-IBuUYyEn5Ag/s1600/SDC11314.JPG"></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-44221974029181484652011-04-28T21:48:00.000-07:002011-04-28T22:58:02.974-07:00"Excerpts From Letters Home"February 21, 2011 letter home<br /><br />"Well the cat is out of the box, yes I am getting transferred. It was a big suprise to me... I am anxious to start in a new area and with a new compagnion. I guess it helps to restore the greeny fire once again when you go to an area where everyone and everything is new to you right? I am sad to leave Fayetteville however, I have truely grown to love the people in this area. They are so great! I am leaving behind 4 baptisms and alot of friends. It is amazing how attached you can become to people in just three months." (Elder Austin Johnson is transferring to Wake Forest, North Carolina)<br /><br />February 14, 2011 letter home<br /><br />"Well it has warmed up here quite a bit and I am so thankful... no more cold weather...I hope. It has been a slow week, but I will say this, the Lord is working miracles in this area, not ones that can be expressed in letters. I will simply say that there are alot of neat things happening here and I know without a doubt that Jesus Christ lives and knows me and you."<br /><br />January 31, 2011 letter home<br /><br />"The Bishop went on splits with us this week...it was a really good opportunity to build our relationship with him. He gave me a last minute assignment to speak on Sunday too. He said he was trying to find a way to send the message that the people needed to start living the gospel by doing the little things... ." <em><span style="font-size:0;">(Evidently the talk went so well that the Young Women's Leaders tried to sign Elder Austin Johnson up to give a fireside talk!)</span></em><br /><em></em><br /><em>"</em>I never really realized how important it is to missionaries to be close to the ward members until I got thrown into a state across the country where I don't know anyone. It has been fun! I still look back at my call to serve... and I feel that I'm being prepared for something by serving here. "<br /><em><span style="font-size:0;"></span></em>KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-90467005286120428442011-01-12T11:28:00.000-08:002011-04-28T23:56:57.945-07:00"Ice Storm shuts down the South"<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600880052271687362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSwsjknvsuy9Vr3Ce7mk432pLNLrELNQ5HNiw5SV0KhsH3hVl-Gd7uMHu7b1ModTeYRJJWiujftsOdAlVbFyIuB0qY95LjvU5U6QsvUJ-LoLY7fEYJWXPfsjYew6TkpTYeCtTkAxGg-U/s320/abc_gma_ice_storm_110114_wg%255B1%255D.jpg" /> <br /><div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Excerpts from Associated Press Raliegh North Carolina:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"The snow and ice storm that has shut down much of the South slowly rolled toward the Northeast on Tuesday.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Southerners seemed resigned to waiting out the winter headaches such as slick roads and paralyzed airports. Across the South, communities remained encrusted in ice and snow for a second straight day. Road crews fared a little better than in the storm's opening hours, owing mostly to their lack of winter equipment. Frustrated motorists sat idle on slippery pavement or moved at a creep. Millions of people had to just stay home.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Mail delivery was restricted to just a few places because postal employees could not get to work. Schools and business stayed closed Wednesday out of caution. The storm has been blamed for 11 deaths and many more injuries."</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Apparently, the freezing temperatures with ice rain made this a miserable environment this past week. Elder Johnson and Elder Tabil were unable to get out by foot or bike for two days. Our missionaries kept an upper lip and made the best of their long hours studying and preparing. They were unable to send or receive mail since Saturday, January 8th. Hopefully things will become bearable soon with warmer temperatures.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div></div>KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-14605121032594939192010-12-24T06:33:00.000-08:002011-04-28T22:40:25.490-07:00"Humble Means... excerpts from Dec. 13th Letter"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gqP8nwZr6O6-zY0HsD1IAjcGx20nICVgCGSDepbRnINcDsFIF6NWGZxanYJIrTYWQfXcRfqdH2gnWB9LUB5j4TXci2yKZcm9oUyKCxK_e2eohkTUIrfVEa3gOZukQOYjEZA0ZCn71io/s1600/SDC11555.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600876068456884530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gqP8nwZr6O6-zY0HsD1IAjcGx20nICVgCGSDepbRnINcDsFIF6NWGZxanYJIrTYWQfXcRfqdH2gnWB9LUB5j4TXci2yKZcm9oUyKCxK_e2eohkTUIrfVEa3gOZukQOYjEZA0ZCn71io/s320/SDC11555.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>"...We live in a trailer, and it is a piece! The weather is miserable. Elder Tabil and got really sick and he had to take 2 days to recover. I took that cherry bark as soon as I felt sick and the worst I got was a runny nose. It is frigid here and we are just hanging in there. The area is mostly ghetto. There are a few rich neighborhoods, but mostly impoverished areas. It is really humbling. the area is tough. Almost no investigators which means we get the privilege of tracting!!"<br /><br />"...We ate dinner last night with a family from Nigeria. They are an amazing family. Their 25 yr old son, Gift, cooked us dinner and told us tons of stories about life in Africa. Ahh! It brings a smile to my face just thinking about them. They have hardly anything, but the father treated us like kings. The love felt by the members, no matter how poor brings tears to my eyes. One family in particular are pretty well off and love to feed us and challenge us at pool. They also are making us a christmas package! When we began to protest and we were told not to get in the way of their opportunity to serve =D. Ahhh I love that family. On Thursday I went on an exchange to Dunn with Elder Scott. We visited a family with a very shy 3 yr old and so I made it a point to connect with her. By the end of the night she was dragging me all throughout the house showing me her toys and playing with me. She told me after dinner that I was her favorite. I dont like being so close to the spirit sometimes because it turns me into a teddybear. When she said that, it brought tears to my eyes. Later that evening her dad pulled me aside and said he was looking forward to when we are transfered here. He went on to explain that his daughter only opens up to those with a good spirit, and it radiates from me. He said he looks forward to seeing me again."<br /><br />"...The ward takes care of us. We caught wind that the Relief Society is putting together care packages for us for Christmas. On a side note, I love the blanket! It gets down to 50 degrees in our place at night and that blanket is the only thing that keeps me warm. Thank you for the effort you put into it."<br /><br />"Well I'm sending home a Christmas card soon. I love everyone so very much. It is hard to express to you how much I miss each of you. I try not to think about it, but you enter my thoughts every day. I am so impressed by your willingness to be missionaries too. Keep up the good work! You are such good examples to me and I love getting letters from you (hint hint). Well, that is all I've got today. You are in my prayers every day. I love you so very much and can't wait to see you again!"<br /><br />Elder Johnson<br /><br />"There is no other labor in all the world that brings to a human heart, more joy, peace and serenity than proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."</div>KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-29857135003086582702010-12-24T06:28:00.000-08:002010-12-24T06:32:43.690-08:00"High Tech Mission President sends YouTube Clip"See the latest...<br /><br />President Cotterell vedio tapes the West Fayetteville Mission District singing at a Christmas Zone Conference. See the Youtube clip that was posted by the Mission Home for family and friends to view.<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MulXoi_fp2Q&feature=related<br /><br />Austin will be on the far left - watch as the camera pans a shot of all the missionaries. <br /><br />Merry Christmas!KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-50370982545933982632010-12-24T05:56:00.000-08:002011-04-28T22:31:47.918-07:00"Excerpts from Austin first letter from Fayettville:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja29fkjUP6JM41CBBAqeItlCkxn-Vh6AYSJdisj1dQ2AygJXg1HkrdCyY_K5-0WMXe1BPl7f7ZyBU3O6T1j4VHhwWEBBgtFl6Qp8h_MwWTYsgDdu4n2yEwoWjdiCq0LNdUZC1FKtWOzDw/s1600/SDC11460.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600873994032244898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja29fkjUP6JM41CBBAqeItlCkxn-Vh6AYSJdisj1dQ2AygJXg1HkrdCyY_K5-0WMXe1BPl7f7ZyBU3O6T1j4VHhwWEBBgtFl6Qp8h_MwWTYsgDdu4n2yEwoWjdiCq0LNdUZC1FKtWOzDw/s320/SDC11460.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>"My new companion is an older guy named Elder Kayden Tabil. He turns 21 next month. He is Phillipino. We have the same purpose and we should be able to get along, and so far we are pretty good friends. He has only been out 5 months next month, so he started off our relationship by saying that we are actually there to train each other. He is a great guy and together we have grown spiritually to a height that I haven't before. We are serving in the Fayetteville 4th Ward. It has been a slow area ... so Elder Tabil and I are working double time to catch up, but overall our mission is on fire. Well my first baptism is this Saturday. We only have 2 other investigators, so the theme of this transfer has been to find."<br /><br />"...we prayed and decided to pack a lunch and spend our day right in the heart of the ghetto. 15 min after we prayed, we received a phone call from a member telling us an address for someone to visit. The house was on the street that we had decided to go visit- if that isnt neat! The next morning we received a referral and this one was for the street right above the last street. Sufficeth me to say, we needed to go there and the Lord was telling us that. As soon as we got there we instantly found success as people were interested in our message and wanted to learn more. I am very humbled by the power of prayer and obedience. It works, it really works. That was the most successful day I have had so far."<br /><br />"As for my transition, it has been different. I spent the first night at the mission home where President Cotteral interviewed me. As I was leaving he pulled me aside and said "you are a different missionary. You will be one of the greats here. I look forward to serving with you." I thanked him and he insisted his point. I hope I dont let him down."<br /><br />"The ward has been very warm to me. They love to help the missionaries, and while we don't have very much money, they fill in the rest. The lord provides for his own. I am convinced that one reason why missionaries live in such humble circumstances is so that they can bear witness of this to those who struggle with principals such as tithing. It may not make sense to us, but it does workout."<br /><br />I feel the lord's love in my life and am doing fine. Please don't worry about me. One amazing scripture is 3 nephi 18:32. Read it and see what you can gain from it and then tell me. I will tell you next week what I have learned from it."<br /><br />"Share this with everyone. I love you all and wish you the best. - Elder Johnson"<br /><br />Austin leaves everyone with a challenge-<br />His challenge: leave a message with every member of our extended family; grandparents, cousins etc.; simple say "we just wanted to say we love you and are thinking of you. Have a great day." You'll be suprised at what this can do!</div>KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-67641740032893412612010-12-02T18:54:00.001-08:002011-04-28T22:47:52.452-07:00"A Letter from the Mission Home"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8slT-XQ1Y8vnujzNYOsFotyYdufxuJ41wx1UdKXZa3KMibfiKcpd1OuJBDm25MB06V5GvmN2Ad2fNWh60aPN4yT1g6U7zG7_Wcm-7VHc-K4c3nCPKODe8WYmQz36vMong4VKPTpYAjY/s1600/SDC11445.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600877560354312322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8slT-XQ1Y8vnujzNYOsFotyYdufxuJ41wx1UdKXZa3KMibfiKcpd1OuJBDm25MB06V5GvmN2Ad2fNWh60aPN4yT1g6U7zG7_Wcm-7VHc-K4c3nCPKODe8WYmQz36vMong4VKPTpYAjY/s320/SDC11445.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Dear families of missionaries in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission,<br />We are thrilled to have welcomed your missionary to our mission! We received 14 new missionaries so it has been a very exciting and a very busy time!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzb-RzjFcbjmZfQLTilAu-5Apfo_sepQVn5J_ed8Cnic1QWS3uLArMBh_RqpRC3E6QfuS44CX1KUPtdAa0QRBrflcZlA1WM5vkQBSAwhPO1urcZfs1zgRlsghRm76DUvTdHRhZ97XxNQ/s1600/SDC10058.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600871921622173330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzb-RzjFcbjmZfQLTilAu-5Apfo_sepQVn5J_ed8Cnic1QWS3uLArMBh_RqpRC3E6QfuS44CX1KUPtdAa0QRBrflcZlA1WM5vkQBSAwhPO1urcZfs1zgRlsghRm76DUvTdHRhZ97XxNQ/s320/SDC10058.JPG" /></a>After they all arrived on Monday we took them to the mission home for dinner, interviews with President Cotterell, a testimony meeting and dessert. After that everyone was ready for bed. All stayed here in the mission home, Sisters upstairs, Elders in the basement.<br /><br />After breakfast on Tuesday morning, all of the missionaries were taken to the mission office to meet the office staff and to be oriented in some of the things they need to know to be a missionary. From there everyone traveled to the Apex Stake Center (the stake center right next to the Raleigh temple) to meet their trainers. This is a wonderful experience for them to meet the missionary who has been specially picked to train them and to set the course for them to have a successful mission. Everyone had pictures taken with President Cotterell and I, and then with their trainer. They had some practice role-playing and finally I served them lunch.<br /><br />The transfer meeting began at 1:30. At this meeting all of the missionaries in the mission who are being transferred come to find out where they are going. They then leave for their new areas. Many of our new missionaries asked me what they would be doing when they got to their area on Tuesday night. I assured them that they would get right to work with either teaching appointments or contacting.<br /><br />It is a pleasure to serve with your missionary. We felt a strength from each one of them and look forward to getting to know them individually, working and learning with them.<br /><br />These are the missionaries, their companions and the area they are assigned to:<br /><br />Elder Armacost is serving with Elder Owens from Orem, UT in Durham<br />Elder Bartlett is serving with Elder Nielson from St. George, UT in Zebulon<br />Elder Dalton is serving with Elder Scott from Rochester, MN in Goldsboro<br />Elder Forsey is serving with Elder Brown from Mesa, AZ in Raleigh<br />Sister Gallego is serving with Sister Dodge from Highland Village, TX in Durham<br />Elder Garrard is serving with Elder Weichers from Apple Valley, CA in Knightdale<br />Elder Jaros is serving with Elder Crowley from Midvale, UT in Greenville<br />Elder Jenkins is serving with Elder Kopp from Lake Havasu City, AZ in Henderson<br />Elder Johnson is serving with Elder Tabil from Magna, UT in Fayetteville<br />Elder Koplin is serving with Elder Maughan from Queen Creek, AZ in Smithfield<br />Elder Loftin is serving with Elder Worthen from Syracuse, UT in Hope Mills<br />Sister Matthews is serving with Sister Joseph from Hinckley, UT in Hope Mills<br />Elder Pace is serving with Elder McKensie from Sandy, UT in Raleigh<br />Elder Rigamoto is seving with Elder Casper from Basin City, WA in Pembroke<br /><br />Your missionary will fill in more details in their next email to you. Our preparation days are on Monday. They will look forward to an email from you at that time. They will use the same "myldsmail.net" address that they used in the MTC. Emailing privileges are for immediate family only. Missionaries have a limited time to read and respond to emails. Be aware that most use computers at the public libraries. On holidays those libraries are usually closed so the missionaries wont be able to email until Tuesday of that week. We encourage you to write uplifting and positive letters that will help them to keep focused on the important work they are doing here.<br /><br />All other mail should come through the US Postal system and be mailed to the mission office using this address:<br /><br />Missionary’s Full Name (we have several with the same last name)<br />North Carolina Raleigh Mission<br />6508 Falls of Neuse<br />Suite 100<br />Raleigh, NC 27615<br /><br />The day the mail is received it is forwarded on to your missionary. This can only be done if the mail is sent by First Class, Priority or Express mail. If you choose to use UPS, Federal Express or parcel post mail it cannot be forwarded. Those items will get to your missionary, but they must wait at the office until someone travels to your missionary, which could be 3-6 weeks.<br /><br />Once again, it is a pleasure serving the Lord in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission with your missionary.<br /><br />With love,<br />Sister Cotterell (Mission President's wife)</div></div>KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-19774392324691022332010-12-02T18:40:00.000-08:002010-12-02T18:53:52.517-08:00"With one minute to spare..."Austin suprised us with a phone call from the Dallas, Texas airport Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. Evidently, the missionaries are allowed to make a phone call during their airport departure. How sweet it was to hear Austin's voice and to hear how ready he was to get to Raliegh to serve. Austin and 6 other missionaries from his district reported to the MTC travel office at 3:30 a.m. to catch the 6:30 flight out of Salt Lake. They had a smooth trip to Texas, but somewhere either at the Salt Lake airport or Dallas airport, two missionaries missed their flight. We are assuming the increased security checks at the airports might have given the missionaries a challenge. Austin told us, "...the other 4 of us made our flight with one or two minutes to spare, PHEW!" So, Elder AJ is off to North Carolina. We assume it will be a week or two before we are able to receive mail as he will be receiving a trainer companion, new assignments and settling in. The excitment continues and Austin says that he is more than ready to get to work. He had had enough of the brick walls of the MTC classrooms. He is psyched to have a chance to use his discussion skills and said that those he worked with at the MTC commented that he and Elder Dalton really invited a strong spirit into their discussions. Those that were taught and approached by Elder Johnson and Elder Dalton felt they were two very strong missionaries. What a great start!KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-36539073911447325292010-11-18T20:23:00.000-08:002011-04-29T16:00:52.833-07:00Busy, busy...Learning alot..."<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9T0m1YL3MJCtpBiXvtw1MEJvFG97BxMA8x0FBzsPoMNdyBtmztC_QsP3_ljtAaGg9AqfQlTcvX_6_gQwkS5j2UY1B83B-Oc-eA9fbZ-EvP9bx7FoV0sDhdjTAbWR-1dRkB6HwkxJpCRs/s1600/SDC11303.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601143807384784834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9T0m1YL3MJCtpBiXvtw1MEJvFG97BxMA8x0FBzsPoMNdyBtmztC_QsP3_ljtAaGg9AqfQlTcvX_6_gQwkS5j2UY1B83B-Oc-eA9fbZ-EvP9bx7FoV0sDhdjTAbWR-1dRkB6HwkxJpCRs/s320/SDC11303.JPG" /></a> November 15th and Elder Johnson continues with his enthusiasm for the training. "I'm doing fantastic! I love the MTC and the spirit that prevails here. My district is amazing. 1/2 are going to Raliegh like Elder Dalton and I, but the other 1/2 are going to the Farmington New Mexico Mission. (That mission happens to include the Flagstaff Region) Cool right? So, keep an eye out for Elders Chapel, Smith, Juarez, Bessendfer, Jeske and Adams. The others and myself will go to Raliegh...."<br /><br />"Everyone has adopted my study journal technique. Elder Dalton and I always get our stuff done quickly and have time left over, so we have been stoppping elders walking around and practicing giving them a short message. This week we taught 7 mock discussions. Next week we have 6 more mock discussions and 2 discussons with real investigators. Ha Ha, they don't mess around at the MTC. The schedule is rigid, but I feel good. What I am most pleased about is that Elder Dalton loves to be busy."<br /><br />"Pretty exciting. So ya, Learning alot."KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-90098858733821996122010-11-18T20:14:00.000-08:002011-04-29T01:00:23.193-07:00Doing amazing at the MTC!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxsA1Z5sLgFvbVu_jO_1aQRLlVBfQO1McKpkZCL9bfCvWXYbHltbggzayenoZYF1h-OmKWP3V-l-daaachH1acANix94uNvDDilTLnct5drOOFRHFLOYJ_UxPFjdEvGMSg0sS3JiRi8I/s1600/SDC11415.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600912227640394818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxsA1Z5sLgFvbVu_jO_1aQRLlVBfQO1McKpkZCL9bfCvWXYbHltbggzayenoZYF1h-OmKWP3V-l-daaachH1acANix94uNvDDilTLnct5drOOFRHFLOYJ_UxPFjdEvGMSg0sS3JiRi8I/s320/SDC11415.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>Elder Johnson's first letter home and he's on fire! "...Frankly, I'm loving it here. My companion, Elder Dalton is a great guy, and my roommates are great too. My district is already best friends and it is only the 2nd night here.... The more we do, the more I feel I already know how to do this. That is what my teachers have seen too. I am doing amazing!" MTC IS THE PLACE TO BE.</div>KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-82703160118850605162010-11-12T07:35:00.001-08:002010-11-16T06:44:36.944-08:00"The First Day of the Next Two Years"Well, there he goes...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpsr4Way-XftkBXiC86oRw5_NnJhXLfwYYu3CMAZrKpcXx69ktyRhiUE92nd4VqXl-3iCy-Gj4OK_PjfG7qAbwf5uiLWrUE3bTTo8wn5kr5JErxu8jKSqv55Ojm1PIilbqhzPYhDRPqQ/s1600/off.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpsr4Way-XftkBXiC86oRw5_NnJhXLfwYYu3CMAZrKpcXx69ktyRhiUE92nd4VqXl-3iCy-Gj4OK_PjfG7qAbwf5uiLWrUE3bTTo8wn5kr5JErxu8jKSqv55Ojm1PIilbqhzPYhDRPqQ/s320/off.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538897688547814850" /></a>Austin reported to the LDS Provo Mission Training center (MTC) with three suitcases, a backpack and a big grin on his face. Our day began with snow, low lingering clouds and beautiful colors on the trees - Austin's favorite kind of day. A 6:30 a.m. rise and shine, a special father's blessing, a lingering lunch, pictures by the Provo Temple, lots of hugs, a few tears and tender hearts, and then the final launch. We drove up to the MTC in line with hundreds of other missionaries and their families and took our spot on the driveway. A host missionary quickly met Austin at his door, helped him with his bags, swiftly engaged in him conversation, as we snapped one last photo and said goodbye. Ready as ever can be, he began his first day at the MTC. <br /><br />Austin will keep us posted on his P-Days (prep days) hopefully once a week and we will post his updates and status on his facebook and this blog site. He will be at the MTC from November 10th through November 29th and then he goes to Raleigh, North Carolina reporting on December 1st for his first assigned area.KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-25373081908598190232010-11-12T07:17:00.001-08:002010-11-12T07:34:42.739-08:00"A Farewell and Words of Inspiration"Austin gave a wonderful talk in church as his farewell talk on October 31, 2010. We were blessed to have family and friends join us that day and give support. Austin's friend from U of A drove all the way up to lend his support, as well as uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents and flagstaff friends. Austin shared examples from the scriptures and from his life of those who have exemplified characteristics that helped to shape his life and inspire him. We were inspired by the reminder of the brother of Jared, Benjamin Johnson (great great great gr?? grandfather), Joseph of Egypt, his experience shoveling snow for widows in the ward and his scout leaders when he was young. Each example demonstrated a quality of Christ that each of us must master if we hope to be like Christ; faith, hope, obedience, charity, virtue, dliligence, knowledge, humility and patience. Austin concluded "...all of these stories have one thing in common, these people all did their best to follow Christ. That is what we are here to learn- how to follow our Savior." He showed us a plain piece of paper and talked about what it takes to make this piece of paper into a paper airplane with the features to fly. He then molded it into a paper airplane and encouraged us to allow Christ to help mold us and point us in the right direction. "My hope," he said, "is to allow myself to be molded into what the Lord needs me to be." <br /><br />It is evident that Austin is ready to serve and we were inspired to do our part here at home inorder to support his efforts in the field.KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-8324474170049316702010-08-13T19:19:00.000-07:002010-08-13T19:32:13.649-07:00Envelope Please...Austin's Mission call arrived. ANNNNNNNND... Austin will be going to Raleigh, North Carolina as a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. He will be a missionary serving and sharing the restored gospel to those in North Carolina and we anticipate he will probably return with a southern drawl. Austin reports to the Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah on November 10, 2010. Three more months to prepare and he is off.KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346732665504832943.post-53735321065396823462010-07-26T16:46:00.000-07:002010-07-26T17:38:14.320-07:00Papers in... ANTICIPATING...Done with physicals, interviews and paperwork...the Stake President did the final submission for Austin's mission reccommend last night and so the anticipation and wait begin for a mission call. Austin remains calm, cool and collected and continues to work at his two summer jobs saving as much as he can for his mission and school. We are all so excited for Austin and congratulate him on a sharp focus and a very successful summer.<br /><br />After a great first year attending BYU and setting himself up with two waiter jobs for the summer in Flagstaff, Austin was able to take a family trip to the Teton National Forest with the family for 10 days. We all soaked in family fun- hiking, camping, whitewater river rafting...lots of talk time in the car too! We topped the trip off with a visit to BYU for the Stadium of Fire on the 4 of July and Austin saw some old friends. BYU is the place for Austin and he looks forward to returning after he gets off his mission. Austin also squeezed in a quick trip down to the Phoenix Valley to take his grandpa out to lunch and spend time sharing and talking. It was a special time that Austin knew would be important before he left for two years.<br /><br />The mailbox has become our friend and our Postwoman is even standing by... where will he go? Stay tuned for the opening of the envelope...KPJohnson Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14610636263333496856noreply@blogger.com0