Arrival in the Mission Field!!!

After hearing from Luke on Tuesday I was so excited for him. I then got a call from the Ward Mission Leader in the ward he is in, which was fabulous!! I also got a call from the Mission President last night telling me that Luke is doing great and is in his new area, Anthem, AZ. I have become part of Missionarymoms.com and have linked up with a few ladies that also have kids in the Phoenix mission or who just arrived like Luke. One of them gave me this link and I thought I would post it so you all would see. The link is: http://azphxmission.blogspot.com/2011/07/first-arrivals.html

He is in the pictures, so take a look! I tried to copy the pictures, but apparently am not that computer savy so I will figure it out later, but for now, you can go to that link.

BY THE WAY, IT IS A BLOG DONE BY THE MISSION PRESIDENT'S WIFE!!! So cool!!! Makes things a little easier for Mom!!!

July 25th Email

They are letting me check my email today because I won't have a p-day tomorrow.  I can't wait to go out into the mission field and tell everyone about this gospel.  The mission home address is on the pack I got with my call and you can just send it there cause I am sure that I will be getting all the mail that you have sent there when I get there.  I have been doing a lot of orientations and have been getting ready to preach the gospel to everyone!!  I think that after today you can send me emails, because I think that I will be checking it in libraries and stuff and they don't have time limits on their computers. and you can always send me snail-mail cause they just forward that straight to my flat so I can read it.  I won't be able to write you as much, because in the mission field there isn't as much "down time" as there is in the MTC.  So I will write you guys every p-day, which I think will stil be tuesday.  I have learned so much here and miss you guys!! I was studying the scriptures the other day with my class and came across a chapter in Alma that really hit me hard it is chapter 16  if you guys get the time you should read it, it is a good one.  Tell Keara that I got her letter and that what she needs to do is read the Chapter in PMG entitled Teaching Skills and the part in that chapter call how to begin teaching, I think that it would help with her to try and to teach her friend.  When I teach investigators that chapter really helps me to know what to say to make sure that you get your point across nicely.  Well I will talk to you next week when I have my p-day and will be in the mission field!!!

 

Love Elder Johnson

July 15, 2011

Dear Mom,
I GOT MY TRAVEL ITINERARY YESTERDAY!!  I am leaving July 26th at 8:40 am is when I board the plane to Phoenix, AZ!!!  I have to be on the shuttle that goes from the MTC to SL International at 5:00 am!  I will put a copy of this letter so you can see all the details.  I can't believe that I only have a few days left.  It has been starting to go really quickly!!  My companions name is Elder Weston and he is 5'10" and weighs 130 lbs! haha!! When you see the pictures it will look way funny!!  We haven't had any problems with each other at all!  I have grown so much and have made a lot of friends here.  I have just printed out some pics to send home so you can see my district and the people going to Phoenix.  I got package you sent and LOVED IT!!!  You guys are amazing!!  Than you for the air freshener.  The food gets us really gassy and our classroom gets smelly and we feel bad for the sister who teaches us...haha!!! I miss you guys a lot!!  But I always go to a scripture in the D&C Chapter 31...when you have time you should read it!! It helps me with my understanding as to why I am here.  I have been really enjoying my MTC experience here a lot.  I have come closer to the Lord and have learned a lot as I go out and teach by the spirit.  I have been guided by the spirit when I teach and have really testified through the power of the Holy Spirit to know of the truthfulness of this gospel, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.  PLEASE KEEP SENDING ME LETTERS!! I love hearing from you guys and what is going on! :)  Thank you for all the packages and for everything!! They are a real pick me up when things get down.  I got the shirts you sent me and they are a little big, but they do fit on my giant neck!!  I love you and miss you!!
Love ya,

Elder Johnson

MTC Companions, Elder Johnson and Elder Weston

July 19, 2011 Email

Hi mom!!

 

I don't have much time left but I wanted to ask you if you could post some of the things from my letters onto my facebook if you can.  Send me a dear elder to let me know.  I really like that service a lot better than this, cause when my district leader picks up the mail they all get jealous from all of the dearelders i am getting...haha and packages :)

 

Well my time is almost up but I sen you a letter today via snail mail and it says a lot more.

 

Love ya,

 

Elder Johnson

Letter to Dad

 7/12/11 (he actually put 11/12/11 on the letter)
Hey Dad!!
   The MTC is totally crazy man!! I have been busy learning and teaching, we have to cater each lesson to different investigators. I have been Studying and Praying a lot. Me and my companion Elder Weston have been going teaching and we have been doing pretty well but yesterday I had to teach my teacher and we totally bombed it!!! The Food here is good and I haven't had to bad of a stomach, but I got a little sick yesterday and took a nap today during our temple time. Well I hope you are doing well with all the Estrogen in the house. And oh yeah! I also got made the music director of the Branch that I am in, in the MTC. I pick out music to sing for priesthood and sacrament. Well I am having a great time here and I love all the people in my district. My district leader is Elder Brame and he is going to Pheniox as well as my companion and two others there are Six others who are in my district that are going to Carlsbad, CA. They are all great fun!! Well I got to go have dinner.
Love ya Dad!!
Elder Johnson

Letter to Keara

7/8/11

Dear Keara,
I am glad to have gotten a Letter from you!! I don't know how to respond to these dearelder and MTCdelivery things, but I haven't checked my Email about those things to see if it is in my in box, but my P-day is on Tuesday so I will check then :). So I would love to get your email so I don't have to send letters like this cause my handwriting isn't the best, but my Branch President said that a handwritten letter is more personable so I thought I would try it out for a while. (I took out the middle part) If I could ask you to get a PMG book and  really study and read it. I have been doing that over these past few days and I wish I would have read it more before now because it has so much truth and guidance. So I hope to get lots of pictures of home so I can hang them up and keep looking at you guys. Well I have a lot of studying to do so I will write you again and I love you!!!
Love,
Elder Johnson

Email to Mckenna

Hey Mckenna!! I love getting emails from all of you!! I am so jealous that you get to go swimming, the only swimming I get is in a shower...I have had a great time here and my companion's name is Elder Weston he is from Indiana.  The schedule her is get up eat go to classes eat go to more classes and then eat then go to bed...it is a tough schedule, but i am starting to get used to it. I am sending pics to home and they should be there within the next couple of days.

 

I love you so much

Elder Luke Johnson

Email to Mom

Hi Mom!!

(I edited the first sentence as it wasn't important.) I love the dearelder.com thing because I can only get on email every P-day I can't see your emails until tuesdays, so keep doing that with everyone in the family:) I won't respond to all of them because I have little time during the week, excepct p-days but I love getting them :)  The MTC is a very spiritual place I have prayed so much and have been studying PMG a lot with my companion.  I have had the opportunity to teach different mock investigators and figured out that I need A LOT of work organizing what I am going to say to the people.  Sundays here are so different we have meetings in the morning, priestood in the afternoon, sacrament at night and then a devotional later a night, the devotional was not someone cool but the lessons he taught were really nice.  They are feeding me really well here and I am timed on my email use so I am sorry that this is kind of short and doesn't make sense...

Tell everyone that I am doing fine here in the MTC and having lots of spiritual experiences.

Love you

Elder Luke Johnson

Email to Madie

Hi madie!!

Thank you for the Email!! :) the MTC is way fun, and I am am leaning a lot!! I am glad you did Esther for my favorite scripture hero because she is the best ever!!  I am glad you went swimming and I am so jealous!!!! I can't go swimming for two years!! ahhh!! I went to the temple grounds on Sunday because the Temple is closed but me and my companion took a lot of pics and I am sending mom them to put on the computer :) Well I am doing my laundry right now and waiting for it.  Sunday's here are different then back at home we have sacrament at the end of the day and a lot of meetings and it is really boring, but I am learning a lot. well I got to go but if you use the Dear Elder. com thing that Keara and mom are doing I can get back to you eairlier, because I can only go on email on tuesday's.

I love you so much

Elder Lukey Johnson