Elder Johnson's July 6, 2011 E-mail

Hi Mom,

Thank you for getting those things so quickly. The mission address has changed:

Elder Bradley Johnson

3250 Strawberry Rd.

P.O. Box 221649

Anchorage, AK 99522-1649

To answer your question: Are you still working hard? Yes, absolutely.  I'm not out here to waste time. If I was, I'd come home and do something else. The most pathetic group of people I can think of are missionaries that don't work. I work my tail off everyday. I'm the hardest working missionary in the whole mission.

The Matanuska Glacier was fun--it was our p-day activity. Never having been on a glacier, I didn't realize it was so dangerous. We almost lost Elder Ule on that one.

How am I feeling? I'm feeling great. I'm gearing up to leave the area, however. I imagine I'll be leaving the Colony ward on Monday. So I'm preparing the area so a new missionary could step right in and pick up where I left off.

Love,

Elder Johnson

He doesn't say much, but it sounds like he is really making his time count.  Steve says "he sounds like me when I was on my mission." He says he was the hardest working missionary in his mission too!

No e-mail this week

I used to love holidays, but now I don't like the ones that happen on MONDAYS!  So I waited through Tuesday to see if we would get an e-mail, but no luck.  We will hear from him next week.  We just have to be patient!

Elder Johnsons June 27, 2011 E-mail

Hi Mom,

Elder Benage is the one who's been taking pictures for me, so you should recieve a bunch soon. Yeah, that's the district that I was in with Elder Collins. 

Glad to hear things are going good. Call Jake and ask him specifics on weather, etc. I'll have to update you when I have more time.

Went King Samon fishing with Roger Lehrman-Bon and John Williams. Members pitched in and bought our fishing licenses. $30 each for a day-pass for out-of-staters. Didn't catch any fish. But again, we were fishing for men, not fish.

Got the birthday package. Thank you. There is no shortage of cookies as a missionary. Everyday people give us cookies, cake, pie, jam, bread, everything you can think of. Food is in no shortage.

But I will esteem you among the highest if you: 1) Go to Deseret Book and buy me a replica 1830 Book of Mormon. They're about $30 as I recall. Also, can you search online for a dictionary that was made in 1830? Amazon it. Please find me that and send it this week please, if you will to do so. Thank you.

Also, I need the Church-produced movie, Between Heaven and Earth, on DVD. $5, Deseret Book Bookstore

Love,

Elder Johnson

Elder Johnson's June 20, 2011 E-mail

Elder Johnson and his District

(I found this picture on Elder Benage's website!)

Hi Mom,

Real quick today again.

Went fishing with Roger Lehrman-Bon, Lisa's husband. We also took out Brother John Williams a less-active, ex-marine in Vietnam, who needed some love and friendship. It cost $40 for both Elder Tonga's and my liscense. I had to pay because he doesn't have any money. Tell dad I'm really sorry, and I hope that I haven't over-drawn any money. Tell him I chose to not buy groceries and instead bought the day fishing-passes. Didn't catch anything, but it was nice--even though we were fishing for fish, we were really being fishers of men.

I got the package with the voice recorder, but I have not gotten the birthday package. I did get both pairs of grandparents. Please express my love and appreciation when you speak to them. I will try to write a thank you letter asap. But thank them for me without delay.

Gotten letters from Isaiah and JA, and just got a letter from Marcus, which I have not yet read.

Thank you for everything. Please don't be mad that I've been distant in e-mails for a while. We've been busy teaching lessons most p-days, so we have little time.

Love,

Elder Johnson

Elder Johnson's E-mail dated June 13, 2011

Hi Mom,

 

Thanks for the e-mail and the pictures. Yours are coming soon. I hired a missionary, Elder Benage, to take pictures for me during activities and such. He's been doing a good job. I'm just going to send the jump drive--takes too much time to send via e-mail. I've got a lot of pics for you though.

 

 It's Elder Tonga's B-day today, so I'm keeping it short so we can get out to do stuff. We're going to Matanuska Glacier (see Dad's letter).

 

We're getting a different mission president. President Beesley, instead of President Clark. It was a last second change. Quite interesting. President Beesley is apparently a big deal, though. I'll tell you more next week.

 

Love,

 

Elder Johnson

 

A letter from President Dance to all the missionaries:

Dear Elder and Sisters of the great Alaska Anchorage Mission,

 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, an adjustment has been made to the assignment of Pres. and Sister Clark.  They have been assigned to the Russia, St. Petersburg Mission as of Thursday night, June 9.  I received a letter from the Missionary Dept on Friday June 10 advising me that the new president of the great Alaska Anchorage Mission will now be President Jon S. and Sister SuusE Beesley.  (They were featured in the Church News of March 12).

 

Sister Dance and I spoke to them on Sunday, June 12.  They are very impressive and are very excited to come.

 

You will meet them at the "Meet the President Meetings". 

 

(Brother Beesley recently retired from a high security position as the Chief Test Pilot for Lockheed Martin.  He knows more about the new military jet aircraft than any other person on the planet.  Basically the Clarks are going where the Beesley's were first assigned).

 

Have a great and safe preparation day, give my love to your family and we will look forward to seeing many of you this week.

 

With love,
--
President Alan R.Dance
Alaska Anchorage Mission

Elder Johnson's June 6, 2011 E-Mail - Yea! An E-Mail!

Please see a response to one of your questions. They're about to kick me off the computer cause it's busy and a students need the computers more than missionaries--at least that's what they say. And then I see the student get on Facebook, while I haven't talked to my family in three weeks. Frustrating.

No I did not get transferred. I'm training again. A new missionary--Elder Tonga from Tonga. The library was not open during the holiday, and on transfers I had to go to a trainer's meeting in Anchorage in the morning. Our new mission president is not here yet. He will be here in a few weeks. President Dance is still the acting president. President Clark is the new mission president's name. 

 

I'm getting kicked off. I love you. 

 

Love,

 

Elder Johnson

 

No E-mail today - Memorial Day

We probably did not get an e-mail because it is a holiday and the computers are on a community college campus and the library was probably closed.  Thats what I'm thinking, anyway.  So, if we are lucky they will take time tomorrow, but knowing Brad, we probably won't hear from him until next week. Waiting to hear from him is difficult, but we will try to be patient.

No E-Mail Today

So this afternoon I got a call from Jake Babcock who called to tell me that Elder Johnson didn't get transfered AND IS STAYING IN WASILLA!!!  I know Brad is happy about that. He has some baptisms lined up and Elder Collins still needs a trainer.  So another 6 weeks of the good life in Wasilla.  Thanks Jake for keeping us posted! 

Elder Johnson's May 16, 2011 e-mail - Questions and Answers

If you have time, tell us about your trip to Anchorage to get training, what President and Sister Dance are doing with the missionaries to say goodbye and what you have heard about your new mission president. 

 

The week's worth of training was long. We focused strictly on the fundamentals, so it's been stuff that's been drilled into our heads. But it was good to do, brought me back to focusing on the basics, which are so important.

 

We drove down--me, Elder Uluave (a DL), the ZLs, and another DL--in the morning to make it in time for meetings to begin at 8AM. Training went to about 11 or 12, then lunch which was provided by the ward sponsoring the training, then more training until about 4PM, then the 45 minute drive back to the area and the rest of the night.

 

How do you feel about having a new mission president? 

 

It will be interesting to see how the mission changes. I can't imagine it getting any stricter. President Dance is a relatively strict mission president. It will be sad to see President and Sister Dance leave, but President and Sister Clark were interviewed and called by general authorities--I'm sure they'll be cool, too.

 

When you get home we will take a trip up to Washington State to visit Grandma Maile and Pop and we will visit President and Sister Dance as well.  How is that? 

 

Sure, that'd be cool.

 

Not much going on on my end. We have a baptism this weekend--Elizabeth Coleman's. Don't know who will perform the ordinance yet, but it should be good.

 

Thank you so much for everything. Pictures are coming soon.

 

Love,

 

Elder Johnson

Elder Johnson's May 9, 2011 E-Mail

Hi Mom,

 

For your number one most important issue: Elder Collins and I have decided that we'd spend our P-Day taking pictures of things, so soon you will get a jump drive loaded with pictures.

 

Thank you for sending my e-mail to Isaiah, JA, Marcus and Sean. If any of the other "guys" (leaving that term to your discretion) ask about me, and greatly desire to contact me, they may do so on this e-mail, and I will get back to them as I am able, but don't give it to any girls that you run into, unless they are girls from IBIS or the SIM Fund, which you won't run into any.

 

It was great getting a chance to talk to you yesterday. I'm pleased to hear how excited Lauren is over all of the exciting things going on in her life. Tell her I loved hearing her story about her friend. I love Lauren and Brittany, and the wonderful example they are to me. I wish I could be as spiritual and pure and good as them. And I'm trying to make up for my prior meanness to them by helping others. I'm also practicing patience and tolerance out here, so that I'm not such a terror when I get back home. And you might let them know that.

 

Love,

 

Elder Johnson