Well a lot has changed in the last week. We had a leadership training on wednesday (which all the missionaries are invited to). While there I was just sitting down talking to Elder Cunningham who's the zone leader. All the sudden President Macdonald comes up to Elder Cunningham and asks, "do you think this guy is elect?" (pointing to me) He responded, "yes." Then President said, "Elect enough to go to Newport?" I just stared for a second and then said quite intelligently, "wait....what?" President teased me and said, "well maybe not smart enough to go to Newport." He then proceeded to directly tell me that I will be transfered to Newport this coming week. Newport is on the Oregon coast which is sick! I'm super excited. But....I'm also quite sad that I didn't get to see James get baptized. He was so close he was going to have the interview and everything but then something came up. But he will be baptized this saturday. Too bad I won't be there. But I know he will be baptized and so I have no reason to wallow in the sadness of it. I know the Lord has called me to a new area and that I have left my mark on Dallas. I also know that my mark on Dallas was a good mark. I'm going to miss Dallas a lot.
Also at leadership training I was asked to give a musical number. I don't think I talked about it in my last letter. But the Assistants to the President just called me and asked if I could play an instrument, and I said guitar and a little piano. So he asked me to have a short musical number ready on the guitar. I was super excited but also kinda stressed. We were already busy enough with all the work that was going on so it was hard to find time to practice and I didn't know what to play. So I went to this member of the ward, brother Burns, and asked him if he could teach me a hymn really quick. Brother Burns is WAY good at guitar and he made up this sweet arrangement to Come, Come ye saints that he taught me. That's what I ended playing at leadership training. It was really cool.
Oh yeah so basically everything happened at leadership training. Cuz I also met my new companion his name is Elder Mullenax. He is THE coolest guy ever. He talked to me afterwards and asked me if I could teach him some stuff on guitar. So apparantly he has a guitar in Newport. I was like huh? I thought you weren't allowed to have one. He said he's never heard that rule before. So I went my first 4 months without a guitar and I'm really allowed to have one. Bummer. But I think it is probably for the best. It is very easy to get carried away with playing guitar so it's good that I could focus on just my mission for the very beginning. He is a big fan of the Beatles so I think we will get along great.
So we kinda did this transfer a little bit weirdo because...well normally they wait to transfer you on Tuesday but I'm in Newport right now. For some reason which I'm not entirely sure they wanted me to be transfered on Monday morning. Well anyways the three streets I've seen of Newport look awesome. I also saw this HUGE bridge. But anyways....
So this letter is kinda jumbled sorry. But we taught Alicia and Braden this last week and something really cool happened. We just were teaching her the third lesson and everything was going great but then an inspired question popped into my mind. I asked Alicia how her reading and praying in the Book of Mormon was going. She was quite taken aback by the question because...well it didn't really have anything to do with what we were talking about but I'm so glad I asked because her response was this, "I believe it." She just straight up said it. It is so amazing to see her testimony growing. It is a truly awesome experience. Her baptism will be on the 14th of May I'm also very sad that I will not be able to be there but again, I know I am where I need to be.
Anyways sorry for the jumbleness of this letter but I hope you get what I was trying to say. Love you all! Thanks for your prayers and support.
Love Elder Johnson
