Last Zone Conference and Mothers Day

 We so enjoyed meeting last Friday at Zone Conference with President and Sister Jones and the missionaries. Since this was our last Zone Conference we were asked to bear our testimonies. Our first Zone Conference and sharing our "arriving" testimonies seems like such a short time ago. As usually happens we gained new insights and developed adjusted plans to help with those in our teaching pool. This time it was using Alma 32 to re-commit an investigator or less-active member or ourselves. If there is something in our life we want to change to bring it closer in harmony to God's commandments, the designated test is to demonstrate our faith by "simply" keeping, with honor and exactness, the commandment that is troubling us and see if expected blessings follow.  The expected blessings will follow because God is a God of truth and cannot lie. See Alma 32 and John 7:17. (We had used Alma 32 in the early part of our mission but not with such clarity or effectiveness) We are definitely looking forward to the all-mission meeting on June 15 when we will be instructed by five General Authorities including, we have heard, an Apostle. If there is one thing we will miss the most about the mission it will be these awesome spirit-drenched meetings.

 We had a wonderful Mothers Day meeting. It was made even more so by the attendance of the less-active mother and her 9-year-old daughter we have been teaching. The girl is getting more and more excited about being baptized. Our intention still remains to do it on the 8^th of June. Because of some of her father’s medical concerns, we may have to postpone a week or so. We would like him to be the one who does the baptism. The Mothers Day tradition at the Branch is for the men to prepare and serve a fantastic meal with all of the trimmings. A recently activated member baked 12 loaves of bread and our Elders Quorum President baked three pies and made a jello...you get the idea. Tables are covered in fancy white paper. China, metal cutlery and glass glasses are used and the women, after Relief Society, are escorted one by one to their chairs. Then the men completely clean up after, including washing all of the dishes. Hmmmmm maybe that's why our attendance was so good.

We served nearly 50 people on Mothers Day including at least three investigators. 

Sister Johnson's Mothers Day gift. They are pretty pink Geraniums
which is a Native American word for "stinky flower".
An oxymoron in any language.

 We are pleased the mission president is going to try and replace us here in Iron Mountain. (I know, some of you are thinking we are impossible to replace...not so) It may not happen to coincide with our leaving so the mission will maintain the place until a new missionary couple arrives. This branch will surely benefit from further care, a different point of view on things and a couple with a completely different skill set. The Lord knows whom he wants and is preparing them. We also know all this will happen in the Lord’s time. We are counting down the weeks, only because there is much still to do and we want to make sure we can get as much accomplished as possible.

The adventure continues,

Elder and Sister Johnson