Elder David Johnson

Hello and greetings to all of you wonderful people!

To report in on this week, it has honestly been very trying. Lot's of opposition has come into our lives recently, but rest assured it has not changed my faith in christ and his redeeming love. I would just like to begin by saying thank you to all of you. Thank you for all of your prayers, as they have been felt and observed. Thank you for your daily sacrifices for my sake and for the benefit of those who are less fortunate than others. Thank you for standing out and standing as witnesses of god in all times and in all things and in all places. "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid". May the lord bless you in flowing abundance for your generous acts of love and kindness.

Let's review this past week...

Tuesday: We got a referral from a person named Frere bersnow and he showed us to his girlfriend's house. We gave a lesson on the restoration and we could really feel that they were willing to act on our message. after that we went to a member's home, frere dada. He is confined to a wheelchair due to unknown causes. He is one of the happiest people that I know here in madagascar. He is always cracking a joke or two to lighten up our spirits. After that we went to Sr. Florene's house to give a short lessona\ and to confirm that friday was still ok for us to come over and help repair her wall. It rained quite a bit that day and I did not bring a umbrella...oppsie! I was sopping wet, and yet I was never happier in my life!

Wendesday: This day was very challenging yet uplifting because it was my 19th birthday! I didn't get to have a cake or blow out any candles, but it's ok. The best present I got was that of the lord: comfort. THis day, elder keener yelled at me because I had different dinner plans than anticipated. He grudgingly forgave me, and I didn't really want to talk after that. I would kind of expect someone to speak kindly to me on my birthday but it's ok. At least it teaches me not to do the same thing to others. On this day I taught a lesson with elder keener to Frere laurent. I recall that we had shared a scripture but I'm not entirely sure which scripture we had shared. But in a nutshell. that was my 19th birthday! Thank you for all of your good wishes!

Thursday: On this day we had district council with our district. WE got 2 new elders. elder whitesides and williams. Elder whitesides is from grand junction. colorado, and elder williams is from southern california. We had a great get to know you intro to our meeting by saying what star wars character our comps would be. Elder keener said I would be the dilligent storm trooper that you only see for 5 seconds until he gets blown up. I said that elder keener was the flying character that talked with count duku on the same episode and planet that obi wan kanobi and anakin and padame get chained to pillars and attacked by monsters. Everyone had a good laugh, and afterwards we went out and ate at a nearby restaurant. We taught a lesson to lalaina again about fasting and tithing, and he seemed to accept the concept into his life.

Friday: This day was hard because we were going to do service for Sr. florene but we got rained out and had to cancel. When we got back home elder keener needed me to get some taxi fund money. I looked for it and asked again where it was when he called me stupid and told me to go look for it again. I didn't want to go look for it again, but eventually i found it. THat night we went to the bishops house for a meeting. When the meeting was over elder meldrum threw up on the staircase leading outside, which was sad. But, we had a good laugh about it the next day.

Saturday: I didn't really do anything this day because I had to stay home with elder meldrum. I read my scriptures a lot and prayed a lot about what I should be doing as a missionary.

Sunday was also uneventful because I had to stay home for that day too with elder keener. He had gotten sick with the same bug that elder meldrum picked up.

Despite all the hardships I have faces this week, my heart has been softened to those who are downtrodden and suffering in this life. I have done all that I can to make their life more positive. Jesus Christ always strove for the best of his people, and I strive towards tat perfect yet acheivable goal. I know that Jesus christ has helped me to look past the darkest of my life's nights and to look over the horizons of the world into what my purpose as a disciple of jesus christ really is into a future full of sparkling promises forever to be cherished. That promise lies with all who desire to folow jesus christ, that whosoever will sow good shall reap good. Put your mind to it, and you can achieve. You want to know the best pep talk for a member of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints basket ball player before the championship game? "Draw near unto me, and I ill draw near unto you; Ask, and ye shall recieve; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Brothers and sisters, with my thought blended with president monsons," Let us ever choose the harder right than the easier wrong"

Yours truly,

Elder David Johnson