Johnson, Ethan

In other words, I have forgotten what it feels like to not be drenched with sweat. There were moments this week where I was at my very limit, and pushed past it, wavering on the edge of consciousness more than once, both spiritually and physically. I am exhausted, dehydrated, and heat stricken. And yet, I have never been happier. In theology, this dichotomy is utilized a lot (if you are curious, just take a look at the three verses I quoted last week), almost to the extent where one might be impressed to desire the experience of affliction–to lust for infirmity. Although I find immense joy in these difficult circumstances, I don’t find joy in the circumstance itself but in the aid I have received from my Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ. Yes, without this heat, I may not have had to rely on the strength of my faith as much as I would have, but it isn’t the heat that brings this joy, but my faith. In the face of adversity, much like any blockbuster major motion picture in the e...

Don’t fret, I’m alive. The tornado/storm/whatever you want to call it just barely touched Sealy so I was able to experience a small portion of the power that Houston experienced, so please pray for those who were actually experiencing it. Besides that, not much has been happening (which is an understatement because everything has been happening) but I just wanted to make sure you all knew I was alive. And alive in Christ, for that matter. I’ve happened to have been sharing some of my favorite scriptures this past week because a lot of our friends have been struggling, so I’ll share them here. Besides that, I don’t have a ton more to say. I’ve just been putting my head down, grinding, and God has been doing the rest. We have found tons of new people–I’m talking records being broken–and tons of new members which has been such a blessing and I can’t help but thank God for all of it. I love you all and can’t wait for this next week.  “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their...

“Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out…” (1 Kings 19:11-13) How can you hear the Spirit, this still small voice, when you have lost the ability to hear?  This was the question I had pressed upon my temple as Elder Lawyer and I drove to our new friend, Sonia’s house. We met Sonia just two days before in the streets outside of an apartment complex we regularly visit. We usually go to this particular apartment complex because a Spanish speaking family in our ward lives there and the wife was recently baptized. I first saw Sonia on the side of the...

I threw up all over the table at a member meal. I was trying to figure out how to best explain or introduce what happened on that fateful Monday night, but there's no sugar-coding it. I threw up at the Sanchez's house because I drank too much of their homemade cantaloupe juice (of which I am mildly allergic to). It was terrible. Already the depression had began to set in with the conclusion of P-Day, but this sent me over the edge and then back to the apartment to FaceBook find for the rest of the night.  The days that followed were a spew of insane hijinks, reaching inside and outside of Elder Lawyer and I's area. At one point we ended up at the one and only, the greatest restaurant of all time, Trump Burger, in Belleville, Texas. At the next, we were inside inactive members’ homes, giving blessings and fixing relationships. Then, once more, we ended up in the home of a secret service agent who served during the campaigns of an aforementioned former President getting relat...