So this week we had Zone Leader Council. It was really quite fun. Unfortunately it is an all-day affair and we don't get much time to work in the vineyard. The big change just took place in our mission. President Young no longer wants us to count tracting hours as a key indicator. That means that we will not keep track of how many hours we tract. That probably doesn't seem like that big of a change to you which it really isn't. But now we are trying to focus on finding rather than just tracting. So on the week we have zlc we also have to teach ztm which is zone training meeting. We really wanted to help everyone make a change. We had everyone think about and write down all the things that are holding them back. Things like obedience, skills and faith. We all wrote a list of 15 things that are making us mediocre missionaries. Then at the meeting we talked about the law of moses and through Jesus it was fulfilled. Then we all went outside and lit our list on fire and "sacrificed" those things. It was cool. We also set the goal for our entire zone to find 200 new investigators in september. We are very far off track right now but I have faith that we can make it.
The most amazing miracle you see as a missionary is the miracle of conversion. To see someone who starts out not interested and then change to getting baptized. I think of people like April. Last year she played a joke on missionaries who came to her door she pretended to be crazy. Those missionaries may have walked away depressed thinking there was no hope for her. But just one year later she is preparing to enter into the waters of baptism. Joe and April's baptism was going to be this week but they are still struggling quitting smoking. So we pushed the date back a couple weeks.
I also think of people like Jennifer. When I first got here she was the least solid investigator we had. We dropped her shortly after I got here. Then just a few short months later we call her and she asks if we will teach her. We come over and last night we just had a super spiritual lesson where she agreed to be baptized if she found out its true. Tonight we have another lesson with her in a member's home. It's awesome!
I think of people like the less active member, Paul Rock. Who, when I first got here had no intention of ever going to church again. The next time we stopped by he had planned to tell us to never come by again. But with God anything is possible. He has now come to church many times and has given up, perscription drugs, chewing tabacco and tea all so he can prepare to enter the temple. It's fantastic!!!!
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, God can change people. If he can move mountains and change the course of rivers, he can move a person. And he has done that many times here in Medford. I know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ everything can be made right and a persons weaknesses may be made strengths.
Love Elder Johnson
