July 27, 2015

hey every one i'm sorry that i haven't been very exciting in my emails, i don't really know how to be.

i can't seem to figure out to be more emotional or enthusiastic through email. i also want to say i'm sorry for not pictures very often I've been trying to look for a cheep cord to transfer over my pictures to the computer because i have lost my other one..... then last week we were at a car show with an investigator and i was trying to take a really cool picture on the other side of this fountain of this sweet 1970 an half split bumper Camero, i slipped and fell some what into the water and my camera stopped working.... these may seem like excuses but i promise they are not. i've been trying to look around for a cheep camera and haven't found one.

i truly am sorry mom that my emails haven't been more jam packed with cool experiences and more info. i'm trying so hard to be a good missionary and to focus on the work and trying to keep my mind off home and other things that i don't need to worry about......

i'm still trying and i'll keep trying.

honestly this week has been pretty good president foote likes to call more often with all of the missionary's then president Harding did. so that's pretty cool that we get to talk to him on more of a daily basis. we have a baptism coming up on the first of august a young girl of the age of nine and she is super excited to be baptized and to follow Jesus Christ example, along with her grandmother's too.

i really wish i could sent off some picture to ya'll because i have changed a little maybe in size no i'm not getting fat or huge but my face is looking a little more full if that makes sense.... it probably doesn't but oh well.

i really wish the mission life was more exciting or i guess more a peeling of a story to give out, either that or i'm just really bad at telling it i don't know, it's probably that i'm not good at telling it. i love the mission and i love learning and growing out here in the field even getting to know my companions and what they are like...... honestly elder Holt is going home in two weeks....... that's most likely the nicest way and appropriate way to put it. i have leaned a little from him but other then that... like i said he's going home in two weeks.

this week has started off good i rally hope that it ends well. last week i did not email grandma or really anyone else but ya'll and the mission president that was all. i'll try and get better at that as well. well tell everyone that i said hi and that i miss them. and the tell JILL that her cool picture will be sent off as soon as possible..... i hope to hear from Ya'll soon.

ya'lls missionary

- JOHNNY   

July 20, 2015

so...... haha not getting any skinnier......

the mission field is really good i've learned so much being out.

we got weighed and measured the other day, and i'm currently at 185 pounds, and i'm finally at 6'1" but they said that i'm probably not growing any more then that.

bummer ha i thought that i was going to be taller then dad..... i guess i can just settle for being taller then mom :) haha love you....

our new mission President really likes me and said in our interview that i might be in leadership roll sooner then i think.

sister foote automatically new who i was from day one. she said that my name was the first one that she could get down, and she automatically remembered where i came out from along with saying that they are very familiar with the coos bay area. pretty cool right.

i've learned so much about the gospel that i didn't know before probably because i didn't pay much attention in seminary..... sure wish i did.....

for the longest time i've a lot of questions and have been confused with all the other questions the people have asked us.... not being able to answer those questions really bugged me to the point where i had a meeting with the bishop in Dallas ward that i'm serving now.... a lot of the questions that i had asked him are pretty simple and not very hard questions but have no answers to them..... so i looked to our father in heaven, and fasted along with diligent scripture study..... and all i acquired was a since of peace and convert, knowing that i guess those random questions that where bugging the heck out of me didn't matter.... and that i needed to keep focused on the work at hand.

because of these examples and experiences that i have had my testimony has grown sincerely stronger then i have ever thought it could. this week has been more ...... not only exciting but worth while to go out and to share the gospel with everyone i came in contact with.

my prayers have become more sincere and meaningful. i feel like my relationship with heavenly Father and Jesus Christ has become more dear to my heart then has ever before in my life.

you have always asked how i'm doing and if i have had any spiritual experiences..... i'd have to say that has been the biggest one yet, and i for awhile i just tried to do the tough guy thing and not worry about it thinking that it would just go away sooner or later.

my mission has become more of a learning/ growing experience for me as not only a young man but as a priesthood holder as well. i just want ya'll to know that a completely honor and respect the both of you for being amazing parents and for helping one another to raise the three of us kids. and want to apologize for all the.......trouble haha that we caused you growing up.

thanks for pushing me through school and struggling haha well dealing with ....... me

i love you so much and am grateful to have the both of you in my life.

that's really cool that Collin is going to be helping dad out when he can..... i'm glade that he is staying out of trouble some what hahaha.......

maybe if i play my cards right and do what i'm told to do and follow all the rules, as well as being exactly obedient to the mission and the commandments..... that heavenly father will bless me in showing my that path that i need to take further in the future.

hopefully the odds will be in my favor and things will work out.......

so the things that i really need other then money..... are.....

(1) i really need a camel pack.

(2) my waste size is 34. and length is 34 as well.

(3) mhmm... i need new shoes my shoes are goners for sure!!

(4) i also need a new suit the crotch in my light suit tore all the way up, and i asked if some one could be able to fix it, and they said that i'm better off getting a new suit all together.

other then these things, that is really what i need honestly...... 

alright well i love you and tell everyone that i miss them.

hope to hear from yall soon, haha stay out of trouble.....

LOVE ALWAYS JOHNNY

July 13, 2015

dang sounds like a pretty chaotic week :) did you get my fathers day card?

man i miss the track and every buddy.....

my new area is really fun and exciting very country.

my new companion Elder Holt is really cool we get along pretty well.

being on bike on week and in a car the next.... is pretty hard..... but i manage :)

we've been working out hard in the mornings and i hat to admit i'm either getting fat or i'm getting big one of the two.

i weighed my self this morning and i'm sitting at 198!! when ever we are on bikes it feels like we are back at the YMCA in the bike room just sprinting hard on those bikes again.

but in this case we are on hills  and biking back up those things man i tell ya....

but the work is going well and these past few weeks have been a little hard..... mainly because on the 4th there was a tragedy.... the ensign ward lost a very special person..

we were helping take down the flags of the fallen solders here in Paulding county and we finished before the fire truck that we were on in the morning and no accidents accrued thankfully.

but that afternoon as the fire truck was coming around in the parking lot where we met up at, with the momentum the truck was caring the elders quarm in the ensign ward flew off and hit his head. at first it didn't seem real as we all watch so helplessly........ automatically the fire department was at the seen but the priesthood was the first to respond and we gave him a blessing leaving the rest in the lords hands. on the way... to the hospital in the helicopter he was brain dead and there was nothing else they could do. the funeral was this past Saturday..... very sad day for everyone here in this area he was a very well known man.

Sunday was full of the topic on the supreme courts discussion and over ruling with all the state now having to marry gay couples...... idk but what has this country come too...... other then all this crazy and sad stuff going on.

a really need to get another suit though like really bad!!!! yesterday i was getting into a members car for a team up and my slacks ripped right up the middle, and my other suit that i came out with doesn't fit me any more....

very sad day because now i have to just wear one of my other slacks with just a white shirt and tie.

so i'm doing my best to pay more attention to the prompting of the spirit, and i'm on the 4th time going through the book of Mormon, my testimony for it has been strengthened.

i'm building my foundation very strong and i love serving and sharing the gospel with everyone i come in contact with.

its good to hear that max is doing well :) i still don't have a picture of him..... haha but i guess i can keep waiting for that to come.... :)

tell every one that i said hi and that i love them so much.

hope to hear from you soon, talk to ya'll later

were fixin to go play some ball with the zone.

LOVE ALWAYS

JOHNNY

July 6, 2015

well this week has been extremely laid back and we haven't taught very many people since i have got into this area but the work is still pressing on strong.

my new companion Elder Holt is really cool and we get along really well other then our differences he's defiantly a city boy and knows nothing about cars and or animals. but other then that he's really cool so far one of my favorite comps.

the sister that got in the car wreck is in Utah and i don't really know very much other then that.

our new mission President is really cool a lot more easy going then President Harding.

the slide shows that he and sister Foote showed where really cool and it had some pretty nice music to go along with there presentation.

President Foote is really Awesome. i like him.

I have not yet met Elder Gillespie but maybe will later on in the mission.

in the past few weeks i haven't had any spiritual experiences but hopefully soon here in the near future i will.

any weird experiences uhmmm...... not that i know of but stay in tuned and i'm sure something will happen.

the pictures that ya'll have sent me are really small when i click on them to see them better they just get smaller is there a way that you can send them bigger?

haha i hope to hear from all ya'll very soon.

i love you all 

LOVE ALWAYS JOHNNY   

June 29, 2015

hey y'all how's every one tell them all that i love them so much:) 

my new area is Dallas Georgia, My new Comp's name is Elder Duncan Douglas Holt, He is from tooele, Utah and has 4 brothers and sisters. he's really cool and is really big into wake boarding.

honestly only a couple things that i really need!!!

1.) home card.

2.) shorts and hoodie

that i really need until later on down the road in the mission i let you know.

i love all y'all and miss y'all so much. tell grandpa chuck i said hello

Love Always

JOHNNY

June 22, 2015

hey everyone :)

so transfer news came today I'm getting transferred this Wednesday heading to my second area.

I don't remember all of the questions that you asked last Monday, please send them again and I'll be shore to answer them.

Fathers day we had stake conference and it was awesome we had a general authority come and speak to us funny his talk was a lot on how when he was a missionary and he was told over and over to go home and to start dating right away then get married.

his talk ended up being on that kind of subject mainly towards all the young people that were there and listening, also he started talking to the missionary as well.

we had two investigators there and they said that they felt the spirit a lot when the stake president and his counselors got up and talked. our mission President also was there and he had a really good talk on family's and how much they are so important he also talk a little bit on how his journey here has been and expressed his gratitude and love to all that has been a part of his life and the missionary's lives.

for Fathers day dinner we went to a new members home and they fed us these fish tacos that the wife said was her home town famous fish tacos..... they used fish sticks out of a box and Mexican rice  with some home made ranch and then normal tacos toppings.

I started to tell them that we had fish tacos once but our family favorite is chicken tacos. well my favorite.

I still ate it, it was good Elder hope had like seven of them tells you how much he liked them.

so this is my last p-day here in the twin oaks ward, i got a call this morning from the AP's about transfer news and they told me that i'll be going to a car share area so I'll be able to ride my bike i already told you that haha :) my bad.

we get to meet our new mission President here in the next couple of weeks. pretty excited for that i wonder how he's going to be.

so down here it may be all muggy and gross but it is really really  hot but its cool cause i don't burn at all I've been tanning real good :)

alright well i love you all and miss you thanks for the support. hope to hear from you soon.

LOVE ALWAYS

JOHNNY