Hello Everyone From Sunny Pennsylvania!

Hello everyone, from sunny Pennsylvania! It is really, really, really hot here.  We have had weather from the high 80s to 90s!  The humidity isn't helping, as well.  Needless to say, the washing machine is getting a lot of usage!  

Last week was a great week, as I was able to truly help someone in need!  They had been going through some rough times lately and have really needed to hear our message!  I'm so grateful to be here and see how lives have changed.  So many people are changing their habits and lifestyles to live in harmony with what God has taught.  I'm truly blessed to see this great work move forward and help people realize the happiness that it has in store for them.  The other day I burst into tears when a less active member shared with us the hard times that he's been going through and how the gospel message has blessed his life.  Again, I'm grateful to have this front row seat in seeing the great miracle of God's work.  I hope you have all had a wonderful week and stay cool back in Utah!

Pictures we drew of our favorite Book of Mormon story! 

This was my district playing a card game! 

A really pretty river we walked by

I was really tired yesterday 

I hope this one gives you some laughs! 

One Month Done!

Hello Everyone!

I can't believe that I have already been out in the mission field for a month now!  Time flies by so fast for me and the days start to blur!  I had a fantastic week this week and I was able to have
some great lessons with people that really needed to hear the gospel!  Two recent converts received the priesthood yesterday, so that was really cool to see!  We also have a baptism date coming up, but I wasn't there when the baptism invitation was extended.  It's still been great to teach her the lessons!  I had the awesome experience of giving my very first blessing this week!  It was very spiritual and I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to see these amazing things happen in people's lives!

My mission has been an awesome experience, as I have been able to live on my own and see the effect this gospel has on others.  I know that this gospel is real and that it can bless our lives when we let it.  I know that my Redeemer lives and that through Him we can all return to live with Him again.  I hope you all have had a fantastic week and I hope that you can feel God's influence in your life!

Food Challenge

Dino Nuggets

First Week in Pennsylvania!

Salutations Everyone!

I hope your week has gone well!  Mine has, because I was able to fly out to Pennsylvania last week!  The area is super gorgeous and the people here are really friendly and kind!  My first area is Carlisle.  My very first in the field companion is Elder Gray.  He's awesome and has been training me well.  My apartment is nice and so is my car.  I can't complain about anything here because it's super gorgeous! Actually, it's super humid here and it's cloudy almost all of the time.  But I'm ok with the clouds. 

No baptism yet, but there are some fairly recent converts and one little girl getting baptized soon. The work is going well here!  Teaching real people about the restored gospel in their homes is super cool and I've definitely had some moments when the spirit was really strong.  One fun mission story that I have already is about how a cop stopped Elder Gray and I when we were out walking around and asked us if we had a solicitation certificate.  We didn't, so he "politely" told us we needed one.

I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and that He knows and loves us perfectly and completely.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Elder Gray and me when we first learned we were companions!

This is on our fridge. I thought it was pretty funny! 

Just what one of the houses looks like here! It's a really pretty area!

 This a really cool plant that grows out here that looks like a heart!!!!

An ice custard shop. It's pretty good! Not too shabby.

The girl in the middle is getting baptized June 11th.

I got here just in time to prepare her even more for baptism!!!

Dino nuggets, ice cream, barbecue and hot sauce. This was a fun dinner!!

I have some videos on this dinner coming soon!

This is when I'm writing in my journal.

I also have a new blanket to wear around the apartment!

A dead rabbit we found while tracking!!!!

 This is a cool church building! These buildings are everywhere here!!!

The view from my apartment!

I have some videos I'd like to send you all!

I will try to send them at some point during the day!

I love you guys!

Welcome to the PPM

We are excited to welcome your son, Elder Ainsworth into the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh mission! He arrived safely on Monday afternoon and we enjoyed getting to know him at the mission home that evening. After some training on Tuesday morning he was off to work!

Thank you for helping him prepare to serve here in the PPM.  You can follow our mission blog at ppmmemories.blogspot.com

Blessings to you and your family!

President and Sister Johnson

Apartment Address

Hey Mom!!! So I made it to Pittsburgh and everything is going well.  Sorry again for not being able to call you the other day.  I'm liking my iPad and the things we can do with it are amazing!!!  I can check my email's and look at them, but I can't respond until my preparation day.  My preparation day is Monday.  This the address of my apartment: 1418 Bradley Drive Apartment E311 Carlisle, PA 17013.  Also, it apparently rains here a lot, so if you could send me my coat that would be cool.  My trainer or companion right now, while I'm out in the field is Elder Gray.  He's a pretty cool guy and we're getting along well.  Also, this was a great Mormon Message.  I would like the whole family to watch this!!!!

The Hope of God's Light

This was the mission home.

This is my apartment.

This was the first dinner.

 This was my failed attempt at breakfast.

 Last one for now, but this is my car I will be using for awhile in the mission field.

MTC: Week Two

Hello everyone!!! One week sure does fly by fast.  It feels like yesterday that I was sending the first e-mail!  I'm doing well, but I'm pretty sure I'm getting a kink in my neck because of the beds we sleep on. This week was more of the same:  lots of studying and class time, but it's been very awesome learning how I can share the gospel with everyone.  Also, much to my surprise, I've actually gained two pounds while I've been here!!!!  Instead of being 135, I'm now 137.  It’s not much of an improvement, but it's the most weight I've ever gained in 2 weeks!!!  Last week I told you that I was teaching TRC investigators, which are real people that we teach the Gospel.  My companion and I have had new people this week, which has resulted in the best experience that I've had in the MTC so far.

This the story of one investigator that I taught, whose name is Travis.  Travis finished two years of college in California and moved out here to Utah, to live with his aunt and uncle.  When he was playing football in high school, some of his teammates were Mormon and asked him to look into our church. He didn't accept the invitation until he came here and saw all of the church buildings.  He decided he might as well see what our religion is all about.  That's where my companion and I come in.  When we first taught him, he told us that he has looked into other religions and was having a hard time believing that he could have a personal relationship with Heavenly Father.  We spent the majority of the first meeting sharing scriptures and asking him to pray.  The spirit was strong and I immediately knew that me and my companion were teaching a real investigator of the church.  The next day we followed up with him and asked him if he had prayed and received an answer to his question.  He said that he had prayed, but didn't feel like he got anything from it.  We taught him some of the ways that he may feel like he is receiving an answer, as well going over the scriptures that we read together.  We bore our testimonies to him that if he prayed next time with real intent, he would get the answer he was looking for.  Yesterday was our last time teaching him and what we heard from him filled my companion and I with the spirit of love and gratitude.  He said this time when he prayed, he was really wanting to know if his God in Heaven loved him and if He was really there.  Travis explained that when he finished his prayer, he felt an overwhelming feeling that he couldn't describe and he felt like he received his answer.  My companion and I were absolutely blown away that he was able to have this amazing experience.  We were able to finish our lesson with him that day and we also went over the plan of salvation, because he felt like he didn't have a purpose in life.

I'm so grateful for my experience with Travis.  Through teaching him, I've felt the love that Heavenly Father has for His children and how much He wants them to return to Him.  I'm sad that I'm not going to be able to continue teaching Travis and I pray that other missionaries teaching him will bring him to the gospel.  Even though I'm not perfect and I make mistakes, I know that I don't have to be a perfect missionary, just a progressing one.  The next time I write to you, I will be in Pittsburgh!  Any letters or packages that you wish to send me, please send them to my mission home or I won't receive them.   I know this was a long post, but I hope that by reading about my experience with Travis, you will feel the same way that I do.  God be with you till we meet again!