{4.25.16} FFLM Revival

Zone Conference

This week was good! John and his family (super cool miracle colombian family we found last week) is doing really good! The only problem is John Jr plays soccer at a really high-level competitive club and is having to drive to Orlando every Sunday.. but the finals are next week and then they'll be freed up Sundays for church! they've already come once, and really liked it. John's Aunt was there this week during one of the lessons and she had a ton of interest and has a really big Gospel Knowledge.

This week we also found this super cool girl named Leslie! She's 20 from Honduras (but she had blue eyes and whiter skin than me.. so weird), and when we knocked on her door she had just been praying. She was super open and has been studying the Bible a lot. We sat outside on her driveway and taught her the Restoration. The Spirit was crazy strong! One of the most prepared people I've knocked into. After the Restoration she was done for church and accepted baptism, return appointment--but the next day dropped off. Every day after--nothing. We don't know what happened!  But it was a great experience.

The Zone (and the Mission) is in a bit of a funk right now. The Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission is honestly the best mission on Earth! When Elder Holland visited the mission 3 years ago, before he stepped on the plane he grabbed the mission president by the face and said "keep doing what you are doing in this mission. You. Are. A. Legend." 

BUT WE"VE LOST THE MAGIC. Everyone is dragging. We still baptize more than any mission in the South East by 3x and more than any mission in the U.S. Outside of Utah, but when I came into the mission everyone was excited, loved "the FFLM Culture," and were stoked about missionary work! There are definitely a lot who still are, but as a whole the mission has been painted a "lack-luster beige" as of recent. So Elder Cutler and I have completely dropped, changed, and re-organized our Zone plan and visions to prepare for March, and Starting in the Corals Springs Zone, we are bringing back the FFLM Culture, from where it started and what it's meant to stand for. It's hard for anyone who has never been in this mission to understand, but we have a very unique culture in this mission. General Authorities and Apostles have noticed it, praised it, and applied it to other missions. Vince Lombardi and John Wooden won championships based off of Core Principles and Fundamentals; we're applying the same principle to the zone.

Don't take all my culture and principle talk coupled with sports analogies as something it's not; this is still the Lord's work and our purpose is to invite other to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end.  But as Anita Roddick once said, "if you do things well, do them better." 

Elder Juanes

Elder Jace Johns

3641 Turtle Run Blvd

Apt #913

Coral Springs, FL 33067

{4.18.16} Craziness

Juan Carlos #Trio

OH man. So much to say in such little time.

To start off, Jose is doing so well. He's seeing soo many miracles. He lost his papers (really, really REALLY BAD. You can't replace them) and so he hasn't been able to be renew his ID or residency status and it wasn't looking too good, but then the Doctors Office magically found them! Just out of no where.. they had his papers. So he was able to renew his licence, socially security (he refuses to work under false social security. He's 100% committed to full honesty after his baptism) He got confirmed this Sunday, also. His whole family came it was sweet! 

Speaking of Sunday, it was great. We had 9 People at sacrament. A colombian family we found this week came to church, and they're super laid back and so cool. The date really wants to learn more and has accepted baptism and we are seeing them tonight. We found them while we had a "mini-Missionary" with us. He was with us for a full 24 hours and basically got to be a fulltime missionary and do everything we do and live the same rules His name was Juan Carlos. He's from  Chiclayo (Shout out to Kam!) and didnt' speak any english, so Elder Cutler and I got some really good Spanish Practice. It was hard to go back to english.

When someone does something dumb in the Zone.
we just look at this pic, and everything is better.

Dang there's so much more I want to say but I just dont' have time. Lauderhill is great, being a missionary is great. Being a zone leader is great but I'm tired hahah. We had zone training this week and President Richardson came. The Training went really well and the whole Zone was pumped and behind our plans, visions, and President really liked how we presented his vision.  I'm definitely having to rely on God even more every day. I love the Lord! I love sharing the Gospel. I don't really want to come home (sorry fam). I'm gonna beg for an extension in interview at the end of the month so we will see what happens.

Elder Juanes

Elder Jace Johns

3641 Turtle Run Blvd

Apt #913

Coral Springs, FL 33067

{4.11.16} No Sleep 'til Lauderhill

Eber and Bro Madriz! 

More Sick Venezuelans. Coolest Fam. 

 The only ways I can describe this past week: no sleep & no time. So many new and different responsiblities; both anticipated and unanticipated. I've never been so tired in my life! But this week I have definitely learned a ton and it's been a great week.

My new comp is Elder Cutler. He's super sick! he's got 3 transfers left, and he's been zone leader for a long time so he can explain everything I need to do in regards to the zone and accounting and making plans. It's a perfect companionship though; we are definitely cut from the same fabric and a lot of his strengths as a missionary are my weakness and opportunities for growth. We've already had a lot of good times so I'm stoked!

Elder Cutler and I with Jose and his Fam! 

Jose is next to the pic of Christ.

Also, WE BAPTIZED JOSE. Can't any credit for it, but Jose is super sweet! He's Venezuelan and just the dopest. He's been here about a year and he was a lawyer. He lives with his whole family; they've had a harder time letting go of Catholic Traditions but i've been able to joke around a lot with the family and establish trust with them. We have a lot of hopes that the family can join Jose! They're great people. I love Venezuelans so much. Soy Venezolano de Corazon.

Other than that, this area and Ward are just great. The Ward LOVES missionaries, sharing the Gospel, and serving. It's a really strong ward and the members are just the chillest. The area is a lot of everything: blacks, Haitians, Central-Americans, South-Americans, Rich-Whites, White-Trash---everything you can think of. As a majority, it's a more affluent area with pockets of Ghetto or White Trash with your Big Apartment Complexes mixed in with Huge gated communities. It's everything.  the wards that meet in our building are like "mini Utah wards." So that's super weird. Sometimes I forget Florida is america. 

Have a great week!

Elder Juanes

Elder Jace Johns

3641 Turtle Run Blvd

Apt #913

Coral Springs, FL 33067

{4.5.16} La Vida Loca!

Elder Spotts, Elder Johns, Elder Cancino, and Elder Walker

Well this week has been a crazy one! To start off I'll update on transfers. Last night I got a call from President and I will be serving as Zone Leader in the Coral Springs Zone. It's an awesome zone! It's honestly the best zone in the mission, and it's where the AP's all served before they were AP's so they called me this morning too and talked it up as well as AP Tanner when he came on exchanges with me was always talking it up. It's consistently one of the most successful zones in the mission. Big shoes to fill! But I'm excited and.. well.. vamos a ver que pasa.

To update on Doral, Emely wasn't able to get baptized this week :( The goodnews is that it wasn't for any bad reason! Simply just because President Richardson didn't want any baptisms to happen this week due to conference and so we had to change it to this Saturday. I'm sad I won't be there, but I know she is solid and her family is doing so well! Gonna get to see her and her family tonight for the baptismal interview.

Mi Familian Venezolana. I truly wish I was Venezuelan.
Should probably get some sun first.

Doral has been one roller-coaster. I've often felt like Ron Bergundy in Anchorman, screaming in the phone booth "I'M IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTIONS." but I truly know that my time here has not only made me a much better missionary, but a different and better person. As President put it in his phone call to me last night, "Elder Johns, you've been through the fire a few times there with those members!" I can't say it any better. But I will miss all of them, and the crazy Cuban Culture of Hialeah Gardens and the incomparable Venezuelan Culture of Doral South.

Lots of Pictures. New address at the bottom!

Elder Juanes

Elder Jace Johns

3641 Turtle Run Blvd

Apt #913

Coral Springs, FL 33067