Howdy!

On September 7, 2010 Elder Johnson wrote:

Dear Family and All You Other Folks:

So there is a sister in my branch who is from Aurora Colorado and who used to live in Castle Pines. She was in Grandma J's seminary class and is friends with Lindsay. Her name is Sister Naylor, and she's pretty cool. I guess. Yup.

This week we have been working with a Couple who's names are Julio and Bianca, they have a lot of questions and we are teaching them to pray and ask God to know if our answers are true. Bianca told us yesterday that it was either our church or the Jehova's Witnesses' church she wanted to join, but she needed to know for sure which one. Unfortunately: 1. we can only invite her to pray, she has to actually do it (which is hard for some odd reason) and 2. Her and Julio are not married, but they have two (really cute) little kids. So the law of Chastity lesson is going to be fun.... We are also teaching a Lady named Blanca who came to church last week, and told us to come visit her. She is looking for a church because she wants to have a family in a little while and wants a church for them to grow up in. We have a member who went through the same thing and wants to have a lesson with her in his house with his family, which will be great (If we could get into contact with her)! We are also working with Sandra and Felipe, who investigated the church before but didn't have time to keep on with it, but have a little more time now. We committed them to read the Introduction of the Book of Mormon and to pray.

My companion and I are having a good time together. He reminds me a lot of Mohamed (I don't know if you ever met him... he was a friend of Kevin and I. He lives in Sudan where he is going to school). Except elder Arcia is from Mexico (via Texas) and not Black. Ha ha. We had a great conversation about time last week (when no one wanted to answer the door) I'm sure you would have loved it, Dad.

I don't know if I told you, but Elder Glover came to Spokane with the rest of us. He actually got assigned to an area right next to mine, and he lives right across the hallway in the basement we live in. He's a great kid and a hard worker, and I'm excited I have the opportunity to work by him everyday.

I was reading in Alma 27 about Ammon's happiness at seeing his brothers after years and years of missionarry work. I have been praying a lot to feel that joy, even a little bit of it. It's hard work! Joy doesn't just come from asking for it. Joy comes from being thankful, willing, searching. Joy comes from seeing some one smile or even smiling at them if they yell at you. hard work.

Well it's time to wrap up. I love you! I pray for you!

Elder Iver Johnson