Johnson

Ted and Jan Johnson

July 1976 – June 1979

Missouri Independence Mission

Currently residing in Boise, Idaho

CASI Foundation For Children

Johnson’s are Board Members of CASI Foundation For Children - web page that can be found at www.adoptcasi.org CASI stands for Children’s Adoption Services International.

Johnson Family – August 1997

I received the following letter from President Johnson. Like many of us, he and his family still have a great love for the mission.

Sunday, July13, 2003

Dear Elder Jerry Cox and all alumni of the Missouri-Independence Mission:

Maybe this time I can get this----machine to do what I want it to. I am not computer friendly in any way. Spent two hours this morning trying to reply to e-mail of last week but it all came to no good end.

With that having been said, I hope this finds you all well and in good spirits.

We have just finished a week long family reunion here at our home and we have had a wonderful time with the family. There are about 50 of us now and one grand son is serving a mission Minneapolis. The connections with the Mission are still with us. Just today two events are happening that I will write about. Paul, now a bishop in Utah is in the Independence area for a 25^th high school reunion for the Wm. Chrisman High School.

The other is in Bountiful Utah where President Jeff Clayton and his wife Marge are reporting their return after spending the last three year presiding over the Missouri-Independence Mission. The connection is in the fact that our son Clark married their daughter Jane. We have four grandchildren in common with the Claytons.

Last October, Jan and I and our two children who were born in Missouri, Jenny and Tyler went to Missouri with Clark and family and stayed with the Claytons in the new Mission Home, enjoying the spirit that lives in Mission homes again. Much change had taken place in these 25 years, such as a much smaller size, more Stakes and larger membership; but the missionary force is about what we had and the goal is 100 baptisms a month, which we nearly met a time or two.

To share a few items with all of you; during the end of our time there, a wonderful older couple came to join us by the name of Allred. They were asked to go to Chilicothe Missouri to become friends with the local people, which they happily did. We were so pleased to learn that there is a very strong Branch there of about100 people. Chilicothe is where the mob came from that attacked Haun’s Mill back in l836 and murdered many men and boys.

Another interesting development has been the disintegration of the RLDS Church, which now calls itself the Community of Christ. They are truly a confused group of people.

To illustrate, their new President does not claim to be a Prophet, just a church leader.

When we were there in the 70’s, Jan and I attended the meeting wherein Wallace Smith, grandson of the Prophet Joseph was giving his final address to the congregation in the Stone Church. He was the main speaker of course and spent most of the time in remembering the past. He was looking for more time to go fishing and traveling. Commenting on the condition of the world at that time, he lamented the declines in society, particularly in marriages and families, but said he had no advise to give them. When finished speaking he just sat down Then the congregation sang the hymn “We thank Thee Oh God, For a Prophet”. I wonder if they sing that song anymore?

On the growth side, we visited the Temples in Nauvoo and in Winter Quarters where there is a beautiful Visitors Center and across the street the new Temple there. In all, it was a wonderful experience.

Just a tip, there is a wonderful museum near the old market in Kansas City where an old paddle wheel steamboat has been dug out of a corn field in the area and the goods that were on board for sale in the western edge of the country (1856) are on display. It is well worth the time it takes to see this amazing collection.

As for Sister Johnson and I, we are spending substantial time, money and effort as Board Members of CASI Foundation For Children, a Boise based adoption agency with very strong connections with the top level government of the Peoples Republic of China and have been there and back about 8 times in that capacity. We have a nice web page that can be found at www.adoptcasi.org CASI stands for Children’s Adoption Services International. More about that another time.

Our daughter Kerrie and some of their children are with us still. She and her husband live in Lewisville, Colorado where he is serving as Bishop now. Some of you will remember her as having served as a missionary while we were in Missouri, spending most of her time in Kansas

With the sustained growth of the Church and its influence on the lives of so many we can truly be thankful for a truly remarkable Prophet for our time and for our fond memories of service to the Master in such a wonderful place. We love you all, love to hear from you all and remember that the door is always open at our house.

Until another time---Sure Love Ya

Ted and Jan Johnson---July of 76 to June of 79