From the trench.: Hope is Underrated

I live in the basement of an old woman and her 400 pound cat. In the living room she keeps a magic bowl that replenishes itself with fruit snacks no matter how many I eat a day, and every morning my companion makes us the most delicious breakfast sandwiches out of sesame bagel halves fried in honey with eggs and sausage.

So I'm basically living in a fairy tale.

Welcome to my latest transfer in the mission! I have a new companion (Elder Riggs) and live in a new house, but I'm still assigned the same area I've had for the last 4 months in northern Boise so I didn't even have to say goodbye to anyone. YES! (except Elder Burgess my last companion 😢 he was a good one)

It's the last few weeks for both of us since Elder Riggs is going home after this transfer and I'm reporting to the DR on October 28th, and let me tell ya – we are working like absolute maniacs.

We're both up at 6am, Elder Riggs has his Walmart steamer thingy shooting hot mist into the air mixed with his good smelling essential oil stuff. We're meditating like a couple of Himalayan monks, soaking in the tea tree essence around us and harnessing its organic powers to make us terrifying forces for good. We're out the door by 8am, burning rubber in our Chevy Equinox between appointments cuz we got people to teach on top of all these videos to make.

Elder Riggs is a madman, fueled by his sheer overwhelming love for the Savior and a drive that only comes with an imminent homecoming, this servant of the Lord is relentless in his pursuit for people who are searching for the most important answers in life: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?

We completed filming a big project aimed at answering such questions, which will go live on all our area facebook pages October 30th @ 7pm MT. I'll be sure to send a link to the event before then so you can watch it if you'd like. It might be my last video for a while, so I'm going a little crazy with it.

Hey, you know what's underrated? Hope.

I was reminded of the power of hope this week.

We ate dinner with a small family who had just received news that their father had been battling severe multiple sclerosis for several years, attributing symptoms all the while to arthritis instead of the real disease. MS attacks the nerves and brain, so the damage cannot be repaired – only slowed. The family remained upbeat while sharing the news with us, cracking jokes and keeping the atmosphere light, but I still felt heavy sorrow inside at the thought of this lifelong battle ahead of them.

Seeing good people in pain sucks.

Following dinner, we moved into the living room where I prepared to play a song off my phone for them: I Am the Resurrection by Rob Gardner. I asked them to think about what they had because of Jesus Christ while they listened to the song, and then played it. We all closed our eyes and listened to the divine, healing message proclaimed by the instruments and choir alike. After the initial chills hit me from the music's beauty, the Holy Spirit's presence gradually and discernibly filled the room like a warm, thick mist. As I immersed myself in the music's testimony of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost was able to testify of my Savior's love for me.

And it felt incredible.

When I opened my eyes at the close of the song there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Nobody spoke – we didn't have to. God was speaking for us.

We said a fervent prayer of gratitude together for the hope that Jesus Christ gives us, and left with the most powerful love in our hearts.

I freaking love all of God's children. 😊

https://youtu.be/ZIldYz4gcJs

Love,

Elder Johnson

1. The Leviathan