7/13/15 Too Many Little Hills

Family, it was another crazy week here in Eureka. Me and Elder
McKinley were busy beyond anything on Wednesday and Thursday, I've
never been so tired biking! There are too many little hills here, and
some very large ones! It gets a little crazy after a while. We went
all over and have to organize rides to parts of our area we can't bike
too. It's a real struggle with no car, but we've been managing
anyways.

I hope you saw our amazing video of me and Elder McKinley on the
dinosaurs at the park. That is the result of our tired minds and
bodies. We get to such levels of awareness :).

We had a crazy lesson with Sister Dade again and she expressed her
same irrational concerns about prayer and such. At the end was the
highlight. Elder McKinley suddenly speaks up and says, "I feel
impressed to share something with you." He goes on to say that the
lord needed her for his work, and he needed her now. The spirit in the
room was beyond tangible and I knew right then it was the lord
speaking to her. What a sweet experience! She is pretty hardened to
the spirit, but I know she felt something.

Last night I thought me and Elder McKinley had our suit coats stolen
out of the relief society room, and I was very distressed! Then at the
apartment I decided to write down all the blessings of the day. I was
having a bad day for sure. Right then our Bishop, bishop tulmau, calls
and explains he saw our coats in the room and took them into his
office just in case. I was so relieved, and found it as a direct
blessing for counting my blessings! It was sweet!

I hope all of you remember to count your blessings when everything can
be irritating you. It is hard, but you will be blessed for it. I can
testify to that!

Have a wonderful week!

Elder Janson

Sweet zone pictures at zone meeting!

 We might have enough BOMs for awhile

Eureka sunset

 

Me.... Scaring someone I guess

 

"Elder Janson being weird" in Sister Aguilar's words

"Elder Janson being weird again

7/6/15 Week of July 4th

Hello!

So it was quite a busy week to say the least. July 4th was a blast! As
you can see from the beautiful photos :). We went to hand out Otter
pops downtown, which worked surprisingly well even though the
Popsicles were pretty much kool aid in a tube. But we talked to so
many people, and again, I wonder, why is it so crowded in a place such
as Eureka?? What are people doing here!? Hahah it was fun.

We met our mission president on Saturday morning as well! We all went
to McKinleyville and him and a couple of his kids were there, as well
as his wife of course. He is such a nice jolly guy! His daughter
recently got back from a mission and she and her fiancé were there...
We're all just like 😑. Hahaha it was awesome though! It's an odd
feeling to have a different mission president, but he even said
himself, "if you need it or not, you now have a clean slate!" So here
we go!

Earlier in the week we taught a sister who is so incredibly stubborn I
couldnt believe it! She is a member, and we went with Bro Richards,
our ward mission leader to see her. We literally talked to her for 10
minutes trying to get her to say the opening prayer!!! She simply
would not. She was trying to be all joking about it but inside im
thinking, "your a grown woman and you are arguing about saying a
prayer!? Are you 5!?" Haha I understand people are afraid of what they
don't know how to do, but she knows how! Anyways it was a good lesson
in patience for me, because boy did she get on my nerves!

I was able to go on exchanges! I normally can't because, well, all the
people I have stewardship over in my district are sisters haha. Can't
really work that one out. But I was able to have Elder Green, the
other district leader come to my area for a day. It was so fun!! He
was one of the guys in my MTC room and we may be too close friends
haha. But it was one of the best exchanges. We went on splits with the
members that night and I had the coolest experience. I was with Bro
Timmons going to see some members, and I asked him about a particular
member we had down as being taught. Right then, brother Dement texts
us about that very members wife, who was in the hospital! It was
crazy, but I know the spirit was just leading us to someone who needed
us. So we went to the hospital, and I got to meet this lady's family
and everyone and participate in giving her a blessing, she's a super
nice Hawaiian lady and it was an amazing experience where I felt love
for someone I just met. I thoroughly believe only the spirit of God
can do that. I thank him for that!

It was a sweet week! I hope you all are being the amazing people I
know you to be.

Love, Elder Janson

Me and Elder Green contacting downtown, Elder Sutterfield snuck

some pics in, so many people!!!!

Taking pictures with street performers...

Hermana Figueroa and me and Elder Sutterfield

So patriotic

Elder McKinley lookin good

More patriotism at Bro Cowden's

Us and Jared, coolest kid!

Almost ate a dead lizard :)

Driving selfie!

Elder green pretending to be Elder McKinley, who is a roper

Thought you all would like this, what angles protect us from on the mission

Handing out lemonade downtown

Meeting new mission president!!!! President Wright

#westcoast

6/29/15 President Alba leaving today :(

Family,

Well we had our all mission conference and it was pretty sad to see
sister Alba and President Alba speak to us for the last time. I've
never cried twice in a meeting hahaha. It's weird how close you get to
them, and now it's all changed. The new mission President, President
Wright is here today, officially the president at 5. Pretty weird. I'm
looking forward to a new experience, but I will miss all that
President Alba and his wife did for us. They truly love the Savior.

I was able to get music on my iPad so I'm not dying in silence
anymore! Motab for life I guess haha. I also want to thank my parents
for the very patriotic tie, I'm excited to rock that. Ties are the
only thing we get for excitement. Kind of sorta kidding :).

We got to meet this man named Clay, who is amazing! He called a member
of our bishopric and asked to have missionaries come. He technically
is under the sisters area in 1st ward but we met with him to see what
his plan and expectations were for us. He is one of the most humble
men I have met and has addiction problems, but his ex wife is a member
and he knows the gospel and atonement will help him. Hopefully he can
feel the spirit through the sisters and eventually make that change in
his life.

Overall, the biggest news is the change in the mission president. Our
area is doing well and we are working with a lot of members trying to
get them to church! Got a couple older ladies to come and it was
awesome to see them there. We are trying as a district to step it up,
as well as our zone. It is not the easiest work way up here, but as we
keep trying and relying on him, we will have success!

I love you all!

Elder Janson

Saying bye to president :(

 Me and McKinley modeling in Humboldt county :)

Chick-fil-a life

6/22/15 What a week ...

What a week...

So this week literally started in quite a terrible way. Literally
right after emailing you all. We decided it would be a great idea to
to China Buffet for lunch! So we did! And ate some food, I didn't eat
a bunch, but we ate. Well that night we had dinner with the Hermanas.
The member happened to give us some really greasy tacos, that tasted
good then. Well that night we both just felt super queasy. We were
like what's going on!? We get home a little early because I couldn't
take it anymore. Well after a bit I just throw up everything and it
was nasty! So for the next three days I felt like crap and was never
hungry at members dinners. Not a fun experience getting food poisoning
form a Eureka China Buffet. Sometimes we are so smart haha. I drank a
lot of Pepto Bismol for a little bit, but I'm ok now :). What's
amazing though is now I'm pretty grateful to have 4 sisters in my
district and sisters in my ward as well, because they both came and
brought me sprite, Gatorade, crackers, and ginger ale! I was like,
wow! I'm good to go! Hahaha when Sister Day and Aguilar brought some,
as they walked away we were like, "did it hurt!?" "What?" They say.
"When you fell from heaven!!"  I think they really appreciated that.
Hahaha

A couple days ago Sister Day got sick as well, so we went to their
rescue and got her Pepto and gave her a blessing. It was pretty cool
to be able to help her when she needed it. We biked all the way to
their apartment and it was awesome! Our district is pretty awesome.

So I had another stake conference here! I just had the one in
Fairfield and now up here in Eureka! It was a bonus I suppose. We had
Marcus B. Nash and another Seventy here for this stake conference. The
stake presidency was being reorganized because the president was
moving. At the Saturday night one Elder Nash brought such power and
spirit to the meeting. It was just an interactive thing on ward
councils and then he brought President Alba and some missionaries and
others up, and testified of the power that we as missionaries have.
The spirit basically hit all of us like a ton of bricks. I loved it!
Elder Nash is basically my new favorite general authority. :).

We had our last interviews with President and Sister Alba. It's really
sad that they are leaving but it will bring a lot of changes! I don't
know what to expect, but then what do we really expect serving a
mission!? A bunch of unknown pretty much!

I love you all and hope you have a sweet week!

Elder Janson

  What the sisters see when they pick us up

Elder McKinley pulling a bike alongside him, had to borrow it while

he got his fixed

Me in little chair

Building an absolutely disgusting chicken coup. Now those clothes

smell like chicken poo.