November 30, 2015 Eggnog season!

Hello everyone,

Well it's been crazy! We didn't know transfers until they happened on
Tuesday, and President literally went through every companionship as
we are all sitting there waiting. It was so intense! He would read the
area and the missionary staying would stand up. Then he would read out
the new companion in the area, then you got up and sat next to your
new one. It was bad waiting for it, but defiantly brought excitement
to the meeting. My new companion is Elder Waites, he just left his
first areas Crescent City, and it certainly is different down here
than the tip top of the mission! He was surprised it is kinda cold
here haha. He's a short little half Japanese guy, and is super chill.
His Ward he was in at home is in Joplin, Missouri, so he says he's
from there, but his family moved there three weeks before he left.
He's lived in Beijing, New Delhi India, Zimbabwe, you name it. He's a
bit more cultured than I hahaha.

Well as you can see it is egg nog time, so I buy egg nog every week
and it brings me joy. We are starting our new Christmas video
initiative, "A Savior Is Born." Many of you have probably seen the new
video. Check out Christmas.mormon.org. It is a pretty sweet
interactive site. I can't believe it is my second Christmas out here,
it's bringing me back to greenie days. It doesn't go slow that's for
sure!

We had thanksgiving at the Maldonado's in our Ward. They have a bunch
of kids, like 6, under 11. It is interesting there and sister
Maldonado had 7 pies for us! Haha she was expecting 4 elders but now
the Ward is only us two, so it's shaking things up a little bit.
Thanksgiving we played the Turkey Bowl in the morning with the ward,
simply two hand touch football. We pretty much had permission to play
sports all day, so we did, and we hurt for about 3 days after. It hurt
so good! We also climbed the hill next to the stake center here, and
that made it worse. I have pics.

For district meeting, we talked about the first couple principles of
the plan of salvation. Sister Moore is in the YSA Ward here and I
asked her to teach about the Fall. Well what does she do? She brings a
box of jelly belly jelly beans, that has about ten good flavor a, but
for each good flavor, it has a bad flavor bean that looks just like
one of the good ones. There was stinky sock, skunk spray, dog food,
lawn clippings (which I actually liked) and everything else. Let me
tell you, the relief society room smelled like barf and weed and lots
of things mixed together hahaha. I think the point was knowing the
good, but also the bad, opposition.

It's been a good week, and we didn't teach so much, as it is pretty
hard a holiday week. But I'm so excited to work with these new
investigators we have now with the combined areas. It is going to be
an adventure. I hope you all know I love the savior, and this time of
year is such an amazing time to share him, and show his light through
us. I pray we all can.

I love you all.

Elder Janson

 Me wearing Johnson's glasses

Us holding my companion Elder Waites

Me walking up the hill

Going up the hill next to the stake center!

Festival of trees service! And thanksgiving

November 23, 2015 Crazy transfers this upcoming week

Hello family!

It's been such a good week! We had a great lesson with Charles again,
him and his girlfriend didn't come to church but that's ok. He really
wants to learn and has deep concern about why terrible things happen
like recent terrorism. He is in the Air Force and has seen so much of
the world and the bad things that happen. We taught the plan of
salvation and his girlfriend helped teach even though she hasn't been
to church in forever, but I feel we helped her as well to remember the
spirit she once felt.

We had an awesome stake conference! It was good to see all the
missionaries in our zone right when we figured out the news for
transfers. It turns out in our Ward it is going down from 4 elders to
just 2, and I'm the only one staying! It's crazy because that happened
in my greenie area too, everyone left and I was left to lead out the
whole Ward and I had no idea what I was doing! But now I have a better
idea what to do. It will be cool to pick up the other elders
investigators in our Ward. We have a couple named the Creswell's and
Ron, the husband, is basically a dry Mormon. he is waiting for his
wife to be ready. In gospel principles he says the most deep stuff
haha stuff I didn't even know about the gospel. In this combining of
areas, president told me I still have a car, so I can continue to be
fat :). What's dumb about this transfer is president changed it so we
knew we were leaving or not on Saturday, but we didn't even know where
we were going or who our companion will be. We find that out tomorrow
at transfers. So I don't know who my companion will be! I was pretty
irritated when I realized the policy change, but I'll be fine haha.

One night this week I was having a tough time and expressed it to the
other elders and the YSA sisters. They helped me feel a lot better and
I just was discouraged and felt I was doing much in this area.
Eventually I consented to a blessing haha and Elder Johnson gave me
one. It was one of the most comforting times of my life. It is amazing
to have the Holy Ghost so close to you and feel angels literally
lifting everyone. I know they are there when we need them and that the
power of God is right within our reach, we just have to reach out in
return. I love you all! Have a week of beautifulness!

Love, Elder Janson

 Zone pictures!

District "Bacon"!!

Elder Matthews, Me, Elder Sutterfield

November 16, 2015 Service Week

Hello everyone.

This week we did lots of service for a bunch of people. We go to the
Opportunity House, a thrift store run by a local church, and they have
some awesome stuff there! That's where we found the beautiful bacon
plush toy you may have seen in our pictures last week. Anyways, we
help them organize all the donations they get, which is a lot! I've
never seen so much turnover anywhere! You go there one day, and the
next, everything's different. They are pretty popular. We also go help
at the same organization's homeless shelter and make the dinner our of
whatever food they have on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It's a good
opportunity to get out and do something besides be in Proselyting
clothes! Haha

The other night the member had to bring us our dinner to the church,
so we ended up sitting there and making a series of raps about
missionary related things of course :) if you desire to see a video of
this ask individually haha. We have some serious freestyle skills.

We met a super cool guy named Charles who actually lives in our
apartment complex. I've never taught anyone who lives near us before
haha because usually they see us so much they are sick of us. But he
wanted us to come! We met him and his girlfriend who is a super nice
girl who is less active in the church. We brought our Ward mission
leader Brother Hansen and she recognized him so they struck a
conversation. Charles is an awesome cook and seriously wants us to
come for dinner. So we are! He recently made us bone marrow that we
ate today. It was interesting haha and super good though.

I hope you are all doing well and know how much the gospel can change
your life. It doesn't always happen quickly for someone to come into
the church and the gospel, but when they do, they don't regret it. I
love it so much and I love my savior!

Love you all.

Love, Elder Janson

 Me and Johnson chillin in the car today

Elder Matthews and Elder Sutterfield, also in our Ward, a pretty

hilarious picture

November 9, 2015 Zone Conference

Hello everyone!

It was a pretty good week of workin! We got to go to Fairfield for
zone conference and see a couple other missionaries, and see
president, the APs, and the tech elders. It's always fun to have a
little time to get to see the leaders of the mission and realize they
haven't forgotten about ya! We talked a lot about having "greenie
fire" all throughout our mission, not to let the light diminish. That
is something I'm struggling with, is just feeling burnt out and stuff.
It's nothing serious, it's just a way of missionary life.

If you could all pray for Christina, our investigator who got hit by a
truck and broke many bones. She is really our only investigator but
she is doing better and should be released out of the hospital soon.
She will have to be in a wheelchair for a couple months, so that
changes our baptism plans for her. But there are no coincidences. She
is definitely wanting to learn.

It's interesting how opposition comes out of nowhere. We were walking
around the other night, I think Friday, and we had a great night
talking to people and they actually were home and actually answered!
The last guy we talked to was some man who was at a moved away members
home and we figured out pretty quick he was way drunk and was telling
us how Joseph smith was not who we think he was. Blah blah blah blah
stuff I've heard a million times, and eventually we just walk away.
Haha sometimes we get some humorous rejections.

Another good piece of news is that we have a little mini gym in our
apartment complex. Elder Johnson doesn't want to run so I run on the
treadmill, which before the mission was the bane of my existence, but
now, at least I'm running a little! And there's weights and stuff so
I'm not as fat now. :)

I'm grateful for all of you, and I'm also grateful for the efforts of
the members here and how much they care about the missionary work.
They are serious about it! Remember how important you as normal people
play a part in missionary work. (Missionaries aren't normal people.) I
hope you all can do your best to hasten His work.

Love you all!

Elder Janson

Me wearing Sister Haefeli's jacket...

Us at Tommy Butler's house, he's an awesome member!

 Elder Hacking who is AP and my past zone leader, is going home!

Me pretending to be Elder Johnson, just wearing his glasses lol

November 2, 2015 Halloween

Hello people.

Well I had my last Halloween of the mission! Haha like that means
anything. We drove through a neighborhood and saw so many people trick
or treating, and while we are trying to give a dinner message there's
knock after knock. It was pretty funny. That night we weren't allowed
to knock doors of course. That might cause some problems as you can
imagine :)

Our fast and testimony sacrament meeting was one of the best I have
ever been too! Vacaville 4th Ward proves to be such an amazing Ward. I
felt the spirit like never before, and everyone just built on the
spirit even more. A recently returned sister, Sister Bosler shared her
testimony and shared Mosiah 2:41, a scripture I know well, but this
time it hit me so hard and I knew it's true! We are happy when we keep
these commandments and follow the gospel, that is what it is designed
for! The other elders in our Ward have an investigator couple Ron and
Wendy who have investigated for years. They are awesome and she just
isn't ready to commit. Ron, on the other hand, is what you call a dry
Mormon. Haha comments he makes in gospel principles class make me and
Elder Johnson look at each other like, "why is he not baptized!?" Haha
he knows so much and has the best comments about the lesson. Soon they
will be ready. Our investigator Christina came to church. We found her
by a member going home teaching and she was there with her mom, and
wanted to learn more. Pretty crazy to see someone so prepared. The
members in our Ward were super inviting to her and she has a date for
December 12th. Quickest progressing investigator ever!

Just as I felt the spirit confirm to me the truthfulness of the
testimonies being bore Sunday, I remember when I felt the strongest
impression of the truth of the Book of Mormon. I was at EFY trying to
figure out what to do with an hour of personal study! (Ironic right?)
and I was reading the Book of Mormon, and basically wanted to know its
truthfulness. As I read, I had a simple thought go through my head,
"you already know it is true." I remember that still, and I will never
forget! Sometimes our answers are simply to be reassured of truth we
know and treasure.

I love you all and hope life is good in the hood!

Elder Janson

 Chillin Halloween night with the sisters haha cuz we can't do

anything else.

 Missionaries using iPads :)

October 29, 2015 Temple Week!

Hello family!

Today we went to the temple and I've now hit all three temples that I
can go to on the mission, Medford Oregon, Sacramento, and Oakland. I'm
very proud of myself! Haha it's cool here because the members have two
temples within an hour of them. It was a quick drive. Brother Miller
took us in his Ford Flex, which feels like a very roomy spaceship we
told him. The members here are way nice to missionaries, possibly
because sisters used to be here, and people like sisters more :). Now
there are four elders in our Ward, so that's always interesting at
dinners.

The YSA sisters had a baptism of Rodney, the guy in the picture,
and he is the most golden investigator I've ever seen! I had the
opportunity to give my first baptismal interview as a district leader,
and it was amazing! The spirit was incredible and he had an amazing
testimony, especially of the prophet Thomas S. Monson. He was able to
watch general conference and said that was what really helped him know
the church was true. It's crazy to see this guy change his life. I
didn't know him that well, but I feel as if I already love this guy.
It's crazy how the gospel does that. We watched him get baptized on
Saturday, and me and the other elders in my Ward and the YSA sisters
sang Be Still My Soul for it. I did a solo, mom you would be proud,
I'm trying to get out of my singing shell haha. It was a sweet day.

There's a very interesting member in our apartment complex who knocked
on our door one morning and simply handed me some lyrics to hymns he
had written, but to the tune of actual hymns. He also believes there
was a Book of Mormon temple in Vacaville... Haha you meet all shapes
and sizes out here.

We finally have a couple people you could call investigators. One is
this lady Alex with 4 kids who is super nice and probably will be at
the trunk or treat! And this lady Kristina was there when the home
teachers went to see her inactive mother and she immediately anted to
talk to us. We had a lesson with her and she is very willing to learn.
It's a good thing! I feel very blessed to be out here. Something I
noticed this week in studies is that everything we do in the church
revolves around Christ. I mean, I knew that, but I feel as a kid I
never realized how vital the savior is, and how important it is to
know he is divine, he is the son of God, the God of Israel, the father
of those who accept his gospel and became heirs to his kingdom and
glory. God our father set up this plan, and his Son Jesus Christ is
the main way he puts that plan into action. I realized this week, I
love Christ! I felt it in the temple today, I feel it as I testify of
him, I feel it as I take the sacrament, and I love it! We don't just
do these things for fun or whatever, we do it because Christ lives, he
loves us, we can learn to love him, and he will come again! Think of
the overwhelming joy we will feel when we see him again, when he comes
to earth to reign. I know these things are true, we are to be
converted to Christ, not to the church, not to the prophet, not to the
missionaries or anything, but Christ. (As Elder Christofferson put it)
He is the author and finisher of our faith, I testify that in the name
of Jesus Christ!

I love you all, have a good couple days, then I'll email again :)

Elder Janson

 The Vacaville Zone at Rodney's baptism! He's the one with the

thumbs up haha

Picture at McDonald's with terrible lighting, we look very holy at least

Us at the Sacramento Temple today!

October 19, 2015 Welcome to Vacaville

Family,

So first, it's pretty hot here every once and awhile! It's a big
change from constant 60s. But it's cool. It rained yesterday and it
looked just like Florida rain. It was sunny and pouring at once, and
we entered a wall of  we saw before we were in it!

We have barely any investigators here, and our area is tiny! We still
have a car, and Elder Sutterfield, who I served with in Santa Rosa, is
now in my same Ward again! There are still 4 elders in Vacaville 4th
Ward, which is a more rare thing now. It's pretty fun though! Our area
covers just a little, it goes out of the main town for a couple miles,
but we never go out there. Something I've noticed about here, is in
our area, there are a million apartment complexes, it's pretty funny.
Many go to the Travis Air Force base, which was in my area in
Fairfield. My area borders my old area in Fairfield. It's about 10
minutes away, and all the other missionaries are within that distance
as well. Crazy stuff!

I think the goal now  is some new investigators. It's a bit sparse
compared to Eureka. I didn't like Eureka that much, but we did teach a
lot! It will be an adjustment for sure, but I'm excited to be with
Elder Daniel Moroni Johnson! We both have super Mormon names! He is
from Whitehorse Canada in the Yukon. He's a weird Canadian again, and
my past companion Elder Achal from Canada is my zone leader now. Haha
it's fun to be around these guys again.

I hope all is well with all of you! Love you guys!

Elder Janson

Saying bye to Elder Thomas and Sister bender and Siufanua

Sister Bender!

Sister Siufanua!

 

 Me and my comp, Elder Johnson

 We had a terrible clogged toilet incident at the church Saturday

night.... Hahaha