Hello From Manhattan Kansas!

We are so happy to get our Elder's first email from the mission field. He lives close to Kansas State University and is in a basement apartment. He said that the ward members are really cool and is looking forward to getting to know them better.

Hey Everybody-
So this last week has been awesome! Monday I said goodbye to my district and teachers (I have a lot of pictures I'll try to send those later) 
Tuesday I left the MTC to Kansas and when we arrived we went straight to the mission office and ate lots of good food. After the meal they had missionaries come in to go on splits for a couple hours. They told us that I had three hours to invite two people to baptism and my companion as well. So four total. I thought they would have us place a Book of Mormon or two but invite people to be baptized is a little more tough. So I was really scared to go right to work and invite people. But nevertheless I went forth. And that was a super awesome experience. So we went around and talked to a bunch of new people and we met our goal just in time! It was awesome to teach people that have never heard of the LDS church. We didn't get anyone on date but most of them said that they would read and pray about the Book of Mormon. The mission president and his wife are really cool. I'm living in a basement of some old couples house. Wednesday I met my new companion and found out where I'm serving. So my trainer is Elder Flores he is from Arizona, speaks both Spanish and English, and is awesome. Here is a pic we just took. 
So we are serving in the Manhattan first ward. And we speak English 90% of the time because there isn't many people that only speak Spanish. Although we meet a family from Puerto Rico and they only speak Spanish and seemed really interested we are going to meet with them again tomorrow. And it is awesome here! 
I was told Kansas is flatter then a pancake but here in Manhattan it's a pretty bumpy pancake. There are so many hills everywhere. We got to bike this week so my legs are a little sore haha. But now we get to switch off with the car with other elders in the area so that's good. The members here are really awesome and feed us good.  
Being out in the field is so much better then the MTC. I've been having lots of fun and have been learning so much I have seen so many miracles and I haven't even been out long!
Love, Elder Johnson

He Made it to Kansas

4 October 2016

Brother and Sister Johnson,

It was our pleasure to greet Elder Johnson upon his arrival in the Kansas Wichita Mission. The enthusiasm and humility of all of our new missionaries adds greatly to the work. We wish to express our gratitude for your willingness to support Elder Johnson in his desire to serve the Lord as a Missionary. We know that many blessings will be realized by you and him as he fulfills this sacred responsibility.

Your missionary will appreciate a weekly letter from home. It can be a valuable source of strength as you communicate your encouragement and love. He has been instructed to write home only once a week. The nature of missionary work is so demanding that time does not permit more frequent communication. Distraction can become a barrier to his spirituality and to the work. Please encourage family and friends to be thoughtful in this regard.

We also ask that telephone calls, both to and from your missionary, be limited to Christmas and Mother's Day. These calls are specifically for the parents of the missionary and should be brief, meaning no more than one hour. Please contact the Mission Office at (316) 260-1343, or the General Church Office (801) 240-2531, in emergency situations and we will relay the message to your missionary. Please refrain from sharing troubling concerns from home as this frustrates the missionary and makes him feel powerless to solve the concerns. But do discuss his missionary experiences and your encouragement for his service.

I will personally meet with Elder Johnson on frequent intervals. Zone and District leaders will see and work with him also. We will do everything we can to help him be successful in this sacred calling.

Sister McCuistion and I express our love and appreciation for the privilege of serving with Elder Johnson in the tremendous responsibility and privilege of being an ambassador of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May the blessings of the Lord be with you.

Sincerely,

Mitchell D. McCuistion, President Kansas Wichita Mission

Elder Johnson, President and Sister McCuistion

at Keeper of the Plains Monument in Wichita

 The new Elders and Sisters

Last P-Day in the CCM

Its my last P day at the CCM and I am so excited to get into the mission field! It's going to be sad leaving my district because we are all so tight now. 

So this week has been really good. The other day we got our flight plans and all that stuff. I have to be at reception at 2:00 AM Tuesday and the bus leaves for the airport at 2:30 AM. Today we had to pack and weigh all of our suitcases and its crazy to look into my empty closet and think how I am pretty much done with the MTC. My spanish is so much better then ever and I can kinda understand when people talk in spanish now. But every day my Spanish is improving and my testimony is growing! 

Week 4? No Way!!

I'm doing great and having lots of fun! This week has been just a normal week. Thursday night we had a Mexican Independence Day celebration and it was real fun to listen to some mexican music and watch people dance and stuff.  
My Spanish is improving lots everyday. 
I cant believe that I am so close to being done with the MTC! My district is now the oldest in our zone and its weird to be the older guys of the bunch. 
I hear bangs all the time during the day and the night. I'm pretty sure they are just fireworks but some think they are gunshots. Im just glad I remembered to bring some ear plugs! 
This week has kinda been a little slow because its just the same thing everyday. But its all good, my district is super fun to be around and make the time go by faster.(we laugh a lot)
Braxton left the MTC monday morning and its sad to have him gone. From Sky View I think its only Ty, Jeff and me. But really just a typical week nothing too exciting.

So in my district its only Gubler, Hermana Pynes and me who are going to Kansas and we are leaving the same day. There are two other elders going to Kansas with us but I dont ever see them. 

Im all healthy! One night I woke up with a bad stomach ache and I went and threw up but then I was totally fine after that. It was weird (it felt almost like a dream) but my health is great and my teeth are pearly white:) 

Forgot to mention I got a hair cut today not from you. (you cut hair better)

Elder Johnson:)

 Mexican Indepenance Day

Los tres amigos 

 Los tres amigos riding a rollercoaster

Me posing on a random head statue 

CCM Week 3

Hey guys! Its been an awesome week we got to hear from 2 apostles! Sunday night we heard from M. Russell Ballard and it was awesome. He talked about how we need to realize how we are representing Jesus Christ. He also talked about lots of other things but a quote from him I really like is "Its all about what people (investigators) feel more than what they know" His whole talk was awesome and the coolest part was that he said he didnt even know what he was going to speak on when he got up to speak. Its awesome to see him speaking on the spirit the whole time.

Tuesday we heard from Quinten L. Cook. And his talk was on the fly as well! He talked alot about the importance of preach my gospel and love for your mission.

Yesterday we taught real people other then our teachers. We were told that they could either be an investigator, and inactive member, or just a member that has questions about the church. We ended up teaching two people that were members and had questions about prayer and why we are called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. It went well but they speak really fast and I only understood them like 50% of the time. we were able to teach and it was good! 

But other then that it was just a normal week at the CCM. Quite a bit of the Sky View clan left  monday and tuesday so sunday night we got a pick with almost all of us. Featuring two people that just hopped in the pic that I don't know.

Week 2 Down

Whats ups guys!? This week has been amazing! It went by so fast! Not much has really changed everyday is pretty much the same exept for tuesdays, sundays and P-day. Every Tuesday night we have a devotional and this week we watched a live video from the Provo MTC and Elder Christofferson spoke. It was really good he talked about how we are all loved by our Heavenly Father but we need to have Heavenly Father trust us and how we need to be missionaries that can be trusted by everyone. (Mission president, companion, investigators, etc). 

This past week we got two new investigators, Martha y Luis we have only taught them twice. But the other day with our lesson with martha we didn't really have much of a lesson planned and just went by the spirit and it was like the best lesson we have given yet! I'm learning so much everyday and my spanish is doing a lot better even though its not very good. Cada día es una día bien!

The temple renting is free to missionaries so that was cool. And we got headphones for the session but the veil was in spanish. Much harder. We take a MTC bus its cool and nice. I really havent seen many homesick missionaries and I am doing great! Padres no saben todo :)

I sent a letter but I guess its taking a while. I talked more about my first week and other things so that should be coming in the mail soon. I sent it Tuesday or monday. I ment to send it saturday but the post office was closed. I have seen Ty quite a bit I sent a pic with him. The language is getting better and Im learning and feeling more confident every day. Our rooms are small and each apartment has 3 rooms and 1 bathroom but its not too bad. But keep me posted about the next kevin jr. Cant wait to see! It rains alot but some days it doesnt. 

Much love

Elder Johnson :)

CCM Living Quarters

The Mexico City Temple with Elder Gubler

A Mountain in Mexico that reminds him of the Just Cause Three Base:/

The District

First P-Day!

We are so happy to hear from our Elder. They had a trip to the Mexico City Temple today and it took longer than they thought so if you emailed him and didn't hear back it's because they were really short on time.

Hey hey hey! My first week at the CCM is in the books! I love it here! The food here is really good and I have eaten too much for every meal. So my companion is Elder Gubler and he is a good guy his spanish is far supreme then mine. But I have the best district we are all such good friends and we have lots of fun together.

The airplane ride to mexico was awesome our plane had 100+ missionaries on it! But my first two days at the CCM were probably the longest days of my life. But since then everyday is going by faster and faster and Im liking it here more and more. The spirit here is so strong!

I have seen lots of friends here. The first day I went to a devotional and right after I ran into Braxton and Stewart. I see them pretty often and its awesome to have friends here. Jeff got here the other day and I was able to talk to him for a while. I wasnt able to get a picture because they only let us take pictures on p day.

So this last week we have been teaching Juan Jose. He is just a teacher here but we have taught him many lessons and its so amazing how I can teach with my crappy spanish, thanks to the spirit. But last night was our last lesson with him and he wanted to get baptized! 

Learning spanish is pretty tough but Im slowly improving. 

But today we were able to go to the Mexico City Temple and do a session! It was super cool and had a great time.And it felt great getting out of the CCM for some time. And I found out that I get to go to the temple every other p day! I hope you all are doing great!

Elder Johnson

Skylar and his good buddy Braxton Ward