Excitement, Lime Jello and More Miracles

We just ended a marvelous week. Brittney Stevens was baptized on Saturday by her husband. Sister Johnson, who could see Brittney's face from the piano bench where she sat, just couldn't get over the glow on her face. Brittney had that smile that just won't go away. Steve Lewis, the branch mission leader, literally got up from his hospital bed and conducted the service. Br. Lewis had known Will Stevens when they lived in Marquette. Br. Lewis did a great job. It was the 20th baptism he has been a part of since he was called to that position. The missionaries were excited, gave the prayers and acted as witnesses. It was good for them to have this success. Her confirmation has been postponed for one week to allow her husband Will to be ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood.

Later that day we met in Crystal Falls at what apparently was the first annual Iron Mountain Elder's Quorum party. The party came together very well. Sixteen active and less active brethren were in attendance. It was only the 2nd time I had seen one of the less active brothers since we have been here. Br. Klingman was the perfect host and we ate brats, burgers, venison Sloppy Joes and even had some coleslaw so we could say we had a more or less healthy food choice in case anyone asked, they didn't.  (No one remembered napkins, but then it was a man's party so...who cares.) I took our long term investigator with me and two of the less active brothers with whom we are working also attended. The Elder's Quorum President said a few words of thanks to the assembled group and I, at his request, gave two minutes of encouragement using Sec 84, the Oath and Covenant of the priesthood. It was well received. This party was called the "first annual" because its success has prompted the leadership to hold one every year in various locations around the branch.

Sunday was another great day. Sister Johnson played the piano which she is enjoying more and more as she is able to practice and get more comfortable with the Branch's grand piano. Imagine having a beautiful piano to play on our mission. That went way beyond her expectation. I had a new member, a less active member and a non member in my Gospel Principles class. It was great to have everyone there. The topic was repentance. I reminded the class that repentance isn't about where you were but where you are going and where you ultimately want to be. As proof they were growing (repenting) I had them look around the room and realize that, here they were in church on a Sunday participating in a Gospel discussion. It is important for all of us to look back often and take stock of the growth and improvement in our lives and to identify those weak areas which we need to improve. Our combined Priesthood and Relief Society class was taught by the Branch President. He introduced to us a Power Point presentation that was titled "The Mormon Next Door". It was authorized by the Seventy to take advantage of the current "Mormon Moment". It was not a doctrinal explanation but rather focused on how our religion improves our lives and the lives of those we serve. It used information from the recent extensive Pew survey/research about the Mormons. It is something we will need to borrow and use. After our potluck lunch (Sister Johnson made lime Jello with cottage cheese and pineapple, only three people had any Sister Johnson, me and one other adventurous soul) we held a Fireside for those 15 people who stayed. We shared with them the movie "17 Miracles" a great production. They loved it. The Jello was our tribute to the pioneers. A grand accomplishment of their posterity and a wiggly gift to the world.

Not that Jello, but close.

One of the less actives in attendance at the EQ party was Richard Matson the son of our 1st counselor. It is great to see him coming along. The Spirit is speaking loudly to him these days. During our meeting with him last week, we used instruction/role-play from our last district meeting to ask Richard if he remembered a time when he felt the Spirit, he did and said that memory was giving him goose bumps at that very moment. Our lesson was taken from Elder Hallstrom's conference talk "Converted to His Gospel, Through His Church". This talk re-emphasized the importance of the Church together with the Gospel. We are working to get Richard back to Church, ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood and to the temple. BTW we keep telling these people we are teaching that we intend to be with them in the temple when they go. So, unless we can get them all to go on the same day, we will hopefully be asking for permission for more than one additional temple visit before we have to leave for home.

The Lord is working miracles on our behalf and on the behalf of those we are teaching, consider: Richard's cancer has left him, he has been able to give up his medicines and is getting stronger by the day. He reported to the young missionaries that Elder and Sister Johnson seem to bring to him exactly those things he needs to hear.  Will, who had been unable to find a job for three years, re-connects with the church, introduces his wife to the church and finds a job just 10 miles from where he lives with no Sunday work and great benefits. Dennis, who has attended church now three consecutive Sundays, was just awarded a large sum of back pay that he was not expecting and an increase in his monthly living allowance. The Lord blesses those who follow Him, learn His precepts and keep His commandments.

That is our testimony. That is the truth.
Elder and Sister Johnson

New Beginning, No End...Yet

Today is the first day of the final year of this mission...no, literally it is the first day. When we think about it we wonder where the time went. Time, of course, "goes" nowhere, we are the only things that go. That is we go when we exhibit the faith necessary to move with the Lord's direction, in the Lord's way and within the Lord's time. We of course are also "In the Middle" as Pres. Uchtdorf  has instructed us. We appreciate his insightful message as well. I am just glad we have more time to seek, find and refine.


On Friday we visited with Br. Klingman and discussed the upcoming Elder's Quorum party he has volunteered to host. This coming Saturday we will be meeting in his beautiful backyard as an Elder's quorum to have the party. We commented on his beautiful yard with its majestic views at one of our first meetings. He said, "with a yard like this we should have a party". The Spirit whispered, "take him up on that", so we did. The result has been his interaction with more and more of the members as the party is being planned.  The party will be in Crystal Falls which is 30 miles NW of Iron Mountain. There are several inactive families who all live within 15 miles of this city, including the son of our 1st counselor. In fact Crystal, as the locals call it, was the early site of branch gatherings in this area; a factoid of which the members in that part of the branch are always reminding us. (Grandma Riggs attended church in Crystal Falls when on a mission here over 30 years ago). We are hoping to have 12-15 priesthood holders in attendance. Our (becoming) less active brother (Klingman) was in church again on Sunday. It is wonderful to see how the Spirit takes hold and encourages this process. 


Britney Stevens will be baptized this coming Saturday the 28th. We have been able to help by befriending the Stevens and giving the missionaries transportation to and from their appointment (we have a less active man we teach the same day). Will Stevens has ties to some of the members here which has greatly aided the families integration. The Stevens' lives have improved dramatically. Will found a job close by with no Sunday work required, decent pay and benefits that are some of the best around. (All of the foregoing is somewhat unheard of in the U.P.) Pres. Compton (2nd counselor in the Stake Presidency) met with us at church on Sunday. He had taught Will Stevens all four years of seminary when he lived in Marquette. Will graduated, but like some other of his peers, including Pres. Compton's son, went into inactivity. Pres. Compton, with much emotion, explained how he had been praying for these individuals. I am sure his gratitude overwhelmed him when he learned of Will's return and the upcoming baptism. It strengthened the resolve of Sister Johnson and I to do everything we can to help those we visit to feel the Spirit which will facilitate their return as well. This is what this branch has needed and will be a major blessing to the branch.


At our last Zone Conference last week we learned some interesting things about missions for example there is no briefing for an incoming Mission President. After 4 days of MTC training they arrive at their assignments and are given the keys (both kinds) and wished "good luck". Mission presidents do know always in advanced how many replacement missionaries, Elders, Sisters and Seniors, to expect, they just don't know the names. This conference , like the others, as remarkable as young Elders took charge and taught great lessons. The emphasis for this conference was to take the opportunity at each bullet point of each lesson to tie the bullet point concept to baptism if at all possible. If you wonder why such emphasis re-read 3 Nephi 11:1-34 and notice the emphasis given by the newly resurrected Savior. It was the first thing he taught, his "Doctrine". 


We had another car incident. The intake manifold on the Olds sprung a leak. It was small but it was enough to allow coolant into the oil and create a vacuum leak which lead to a very rough running engine. I replaced the one on the green Olds at about the same mileage. Although the 3.8 motor is super reliable this one part tends to fail after a few miles. (130,000 in this case) The manifold is made of a composite material and leaks from the harsh climate in which it operates. So once again the car is "totally reliable." We think we would like to be able to be repaired with the same lack of fuss and with the same ease if our plumbing fails. (Wait a minute...I guess I have!)





Is this not the best time of our lives or what,
Elder and Sister Johnson


And now for a political message. (Everyone else is doing it)

Hot, Hotter, Cooler, Coolest

  So here we are, back from a mostly HOT but none the less satisfying visit to Mesa, AZ. Getting to see and visit with family...priceless! New baby Claire Dawn was, well...like a newborn but much more charming and beautiful than average. She came with some minor medical issues that will be more of an annoyance than anything. (Annoying to her family but maybe more serious to Claire). None the less she is here and 99.5% in pefect health (We wish we could say that for ourselves) Priesthood blessings were bestowed and the Spirit confirmed that all will be well.

Claire Dawn Stephan in her grandmother's arms.

  Our son Alex has begun serving in his new calling in the Bishopric. This will be a tremendous blessing to him and his family. This, in good measure, because of the service he will be providing to people living in his ward boundaries.
  It wasn't all work and no play. You can see by the following photo we took some time to work on a "Little Deuce Coupe" Alex's father-in-law has purchased. What you can't see in this photo is the rumble seat. If you have no idea what that is you will need to talk to someone who was alive in the 1930s or, as a last resort, has silver hair.

1932 Ford replica 

  And lest you think that Elder J. had all of the fun, here is a picture of some wave action in my son's pool. Sister J. had to be restrained from jumping right in and joining in the melee. 

This is what is done in Mesa, AZ when the temps reach triple digits,

 The action around us was pretty much non-stop but our children were very solicitous in allowing their aged parents plenty of time and space for naps etc. The time passed quickly and we mostly relaxed, rejuvenating ourselves and preparing to re-enter the mission. Since the entire nation was languishing under a brutal heat wave we were not surprised to learn that a normally mild U.P. was also sweltering. The day before our return, however, the weather turned mild. On the 4th of July storms rolled through the Valley of the Sun and we were able to be outside as our young grandchildren discharged some obligatory fireworks. It was in the high 70s compared to the 110s that had greeted us just a few days before. What greeted us in Appleton, WI, however, was not at all pleasant. The temperature was 103 the difference being the 70% humidity compared to 12% in Mesa. Sister Johnson and I agreed that A/C must be the best invention the Lord ever prompted man to create. Also proof he knew way in advance about Global Warming.
  Saturday we enjoyed the Branch Picnic. It is an annual tradition. It was held, as usual, at Cowboy Lake. Don't ask, I don't know why. There was plenty of food and we we were able to visit with some less active members that we had yet to meet. It is our hope to be able visit with some of these in their homes and through our visit to encourage the Spirit to re-enter their lives. We enjoyed the national U.P. pastime of Cribbage. Many of the younger people went swimming and some fished. The weather was outstanding, maybe the same weather we enjoyed on the 4th in Mesa followed us.

Branch President Myron Berry in the blue shirt.

  Sunday services were great. We were missed. No, I mean really missed. A cassette player was substituted for Sister Johnson's piano accompaniment. The best thing that happened in our absence was a 20 year old less active member, who recently moved here from Marquette, was pressed into service at the last minute to teach the Gospel Doctrine class. It was reported he did very well and that was substantiated this last Sunday when he taught again. It was a spirited, Spirit filled lesson using great natural teaching techniques. You could literally see his testimony strengthening as he testified of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. His wife has agreed to be taught by the missionaries with a baptismal date set for the last Saturday of the month. Bless the heart of a very mild mannered Sunday School President, he asked and William responded. And that in a nutshell describes our responsibility to our fellow man...we invite, they decide!
  Going along with that theme was the conversion story related by the wife of our High Council speaker. As a young couple they moved frequently. One occasion found them in a condo with a single mother neighbor who was having some financial difficulties. Her landlord drove all the way to Michigan from North Carolina to see what, if anything, could be done. The only thing was to allow her to stay another month so that she could find something and not be put out on the street. To help defray some of the back rent she agreed to paint and clean the condo for the next tenant, he even stayed to help. While painting he noticed some Jehovah's Witness materials and asked her if she was interested in religion. Her response was, "No, my neighbor keeps bringing those pamphlets over". The neighbor was the wife of this young couple who had since made friends with a Jehovah's Witness. She was not interested in the religion, but kept giving the pamphlets to the single mother thinking religion might help her. The landlord excused himself and knocked at the door of the the young wife chatted for a minute and boldly asked if she would mind if he sent a couple of missionaries by. She felt "compelled" to listen. She was immediately drawn to the message of the young missionaries and a year later (It took the husband that long) they were baptized. That was 43 years ago. They became a happy, righteous family; served in many callings and have blessed many lives. The landlord's name was Stanley. The husband never met him.

Go serve and invite,
Elder and Sister Johnson

Bonus Material:

4th Abrahamic Religion (an iTunes comment)

    by FloydianEngineer - September 28, 2010

"The many who object to the LDS (Mormon) church being classified as Christian, might have a more accurate and fair perspective of this unusual religion if they looked upon it as the '4th Abrahamic religion' rather than a Christian denomination.  As a Jew, I find the Book of Mormon to be analogous to Islam's Q'uran, Judaism's Torah (and most of the Old Testament), and Christianity's Bible. Besides, I have read the Book of Mormon, and the tone and language is so obviously Hebraic, that I marvel that Christians would be so quick to reject it. But, shalom all the same. I find Mormons to be a far purer example of people who live the teachings of Jesus, than the myriad mega-churches that are so clearly in the business of making money. There is a part in the Book of Mormon that talks of the 'great and abominable church'. Take a look before you cast stones at Mormons."