Well we have so far survived Blizzard 2016! We haven't been allowed to
leave since Friday at noon, so we've had some very nice
roommate/companion bonding time! We've watched a lot of Mormon
Messages, and I'm pretty sure I've seen Johnny Lingo more times than I
can count. And we spent all day yesterday shoveling out cars for
people and my back is definitely feeling it today haha. But it was
awesome to get outside and help out some people. I still have no idea
what the final count is for snow, but I would guess around 2 to 2.5
feet. It reminded of the good times back in Mass (my heart goes out to
you, keep shoveling strong). So that has been our weekend. The rest of
the week was just pretty normal other than the fact that all the
shopping centers were nuts because people were preparing for
Snomageddon We had a world-wide mission conference that got broadcast
from Salt Lake City on Wednesday, and it was really great to hear from
the apostles and other leaders that spoke. Those kind of conferences
are always just the biggest motivation for us as missionaries. You
always walk out of that feeling like you can conquer the world, so I
am grateful for that.
This week we also had a family who we are teaching, the familia
Gaitan, commit to baptism! They just moved here from El Salvador and
have an crazy story, but they are living with the friends, the familia
Hernandez, who are members of the church and have been coming with
them to church for the past month. They are so great and I am so
excited for them to prepare to make than essential step in their
lives, and begin changing through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
This week I have also realized even more (if that's possible) how
grateful I am for the Book of Mormon. I have been reading it a lot
this weekend with all the down time we have, and I feel like every
time I pick up that book my testimony of it grows. I know it is true,
I know it was writing just for our days. It has been one of the
biggest sources of comfort in my life. If you ever need a reminder of
who you are and how our Savior feels about you, just pick up the Book
of Mormon and start reading. I promise you will feel it! He loves us
each individually and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to share
that with the people here.
Les quiero a todos y tengan una buena semana! Vayan bien!
Hna Johnson
Unfortunately I took most the photos
on my camera, and will not have access to a computer today :/
Monday, January 25, 2016
Monday, January 18, 2016
The Week it Snowed!!
Buenos días familia!
This has been a really good week and I can't believe it went by so
fast! It seems like I was just writing people yesterday. But this week
we've seen a lot of progression in the people we are working with, and
we found 4 new people who would like to learn more and who we have
starting teaching! I absolutely love each one of them, and I am so
excited for their future progress in the gospel, and pray that they
will have to hearts open to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I guess one cool example from this week is we were visiting a family,
and the padre almost never comes to church, but we were teaching the
Restoration to them (the story about the Church of Jesus Christ was
restored). And the Hermana's brother in law was there, and after we
had taught the whole lesson, I felt like I should ask him if he would
like a Book of Mormon and he said yes! He even came out to the car
with us to grab one! I hope he really takes the chance to read it and
pray about it.
Something cool I learned this week was from last night. Every month we
have an event called Why I Believe at the Visitor's Center where
recent converts and a special guest are all invited to share why they
believe. This month it was a man named Terryl Givens who is the author
of a couple different religious books. But he said something that
really struck me. He was talking about the story of Jonah and the
whale, and he said that this story invited us each to ask ourselves
the question, "How do we respond when others are seemingly blessed or
appreciated more than we think they deserve?" I really thought about
this and realized how often I fail to feel joy when Heavenly Father is
merciful towards others. We need to recognize that in His eyes, we are
all on the same playing field, no one of us better than the other.
Much easier said than done right? But hey, there is hope through the
Atonement of Jesus Christ!
I know that this is the only true church on the face of the earth and
that Jesus Christ is at the head of this church. I pray that you all
have a wonderful week filled with testimony building experiences! I
know I will :) until next week!
Hermana Johnson
This has been a really good week and I can't believe it went by so
fast! It seems like I was just writing people yesterday. But this week
we've seen a lot of progression in the people we are working with, and
we found 4 new people who would like to learn more and who we have
starting teaching! I absolutely love each one of them, and I am so
excited for their future progress in the gospel, and pray that they
will have to hearts open to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I guess one cool example from this week is we were visiting a family,
and the padre almost never comes to church, but we were teaching the
Restoration to them (the story about the Church of Jesus Christ was
restored). And the Hermana's brother in law was there, and after we
had taught the whole lesson, I felt like I should ask him if he would
like a Book of Mormon and he said yes! He even came out to the car
with us to grab one! I hope he really takes the chance to read it and
pray about it.
Something cool I learned this week was from last night. Every month we
have an event called Why I Believe at the Visitor's Center where
recent converts and a special guest are all invited to share why they
believe. This month it was a man named Terryl Givens who is the author
of a couple different religious books. But he said something that
really struck me. He was talking about the story of Jonah and the
whale, and he said that this story invited us each to ask ourselves
the question, "How do we respond when others are seemingly blessed or
appreciated more than we think they deserve?" I really thought about
this and realized how often I fail to feel joy when Heavenly Father is
merciful towards others. We need to recognize that in His eyes, we are
all on the same playing field, no one of us better than the other.
Much easier said than done right? But hey, there is hope through the
Atonement of Jesus Christ!
I know that this is the only true church on the face of the earth and
that Jesus Christ is at the head of this church. I pray that you all
have a wonderful week filled with testimony building experiences! I
know I will :) until next week!
Hermana Johnson
Monday, January 11, 2016
We Found New People!
Well this week kind of came and went. Vino y se fue. But it has been a
really good week. We found a lot of new people to teach the past week
and we've been able to get back in touch with a lot of them and start
teaching them. We have 2 wonderful new families that are really
excited about the gospel, and I was am just praying that I'll get the
opportunity to stay here long enough to help them make those first
steps with Heavenly Father and be baptized. But we'll see what the
Lord has planned for me :) I don't have too many funny stories for
this week, but there was one night when we were out knocking doors,
and it is in this huge apartment complex. There are buildings
everywhere, it almost feels like a different country (also because
almost everyone is Hispanic or African) but a lot of people had their
windows open and you could just see them going around their usual life
and I remember thinking, wow I am so lucky that I get to be doing
this. Everyone is just going around doing their usual nightly routine,
and I am here looking for people who want to learn more about Jesus
Christ. I am so blessed!
Well missionary work continues to go well here in Washington. My Spanish
is growing little by little, and I can't believe that next week I'll have been
out for 5 months. The time really flies.
Something I learned from my studies this week was in Jacob chapter 3.
Jacob is talking to the people about why they are writing the
scriptures. And it amazes me that the most important thing to him was
that anyone who read these records, the Book of Mormon, knows that
Jacob and his people believed in Christ. What better testimony can we
have other than that He is our Savior, who loves us and suffered for
us individually. I know that He lives. No tengo ninguna duda de eso.
El vive. Hoy y siempre y El nos ama. Well I love you all, and I hope
you all have a wonderful week! I know I Will! Keep doing good! Sorry
no pictures this week :(
Hermana Johnson
really good week. We found a lot of new people to teach the past week
and we've been able to get back in touch with a lot of them and start
teaching them. We have 2 wonderful new families that are really
excited about the gospel, and I was am just praying that I'll get the
opportunity to stay here long enough to help them make those first
steps with Heavenly Father and be baptized. But we'll see what the
Lord has planned for me :) I don't have too many funny stories for
this week, but there was one night when we were out knocking doors,
and it is in this huge apartment complex. There are buildings
everywhere, it almost feels like a different country (also because
almost everyone is Hispanic or African) but a lot of people had their
windows open and you could just see them going around their usual life
and I remember thinking, wow I am so lucky that I get to be doing
this. Everyone is just going around doing their usual nightly routine,
and I am here looking for people who want to learn more about Jesus
Christ. I am so blessed!
Well missionary work continues to go well here in Washington. My Spanish
is growing little by little, and I can't believe that next week I'll have been
out for 5 months. The time really flies.
Something I learned from my studies this week was in Jacob chapter 3.
Jacob is talking to the people about why they are writing the
scriptures. And it amazes me that the most important thing to him was
that anyone who read these records, the Book of Mormon, knows that
Jacob and his people believed in Christ. What better testimony can we
have other than that He is our Savior, who loves us and suffered for
us individually. I know that He lives. No tengo ninguna duda de eso.
El vive. Hoy y siempre y El nos ama. Well I love you all, and I hope
you all have a wonderful week! I know I Will! Keep doing good! Sorry
no pictures this week :(
Hermana Johnson
Monday, January 4, 2016
Feliz Ano Nuevo!
Happy 2016 lovely people!!
I hope all of your winter breaks consisted
of a lot of resting and sugar. Mine had a lot of the latter haha. But
New Years was fun. We went to bed like normal, and then woke up at 12
to say happy new year and went right back to bed! Haha yes very
exciting. But I really can't believe it's already 2016. This week has
left me reflecting on the past year. For me, 2015 was a year of a lot
of changes. I was at school, received a mission call, and now am here
back on the East Coast serving a mission! But the thing that really
made me feel grateful was for the number of amazing people I have met
this past year that have changed my life (yes that's you Adams). I
feel incredibly blessed to have met all of these people, and I
continue to meet people that change my life everyday! I think one of
the most heartbreaking things for me on a mission is to see people who
so deeply and permanently want to change their lives but don't have
the family support to do it. That is something I see a lot being on a
mission. The majority of the people that we help and teach have
families who do not support their actions and it makes me realize how
blessed I have been to have such an amazing family, both biological
and emotional, my entire life who have always encouraged me to do
good. I know that the plan that God has for each of us is exactly what
we need, and our experiences not only strengthen ourselves, but others
as well. I encourage you all to count your blessings this year! We are
all so incredibly blessed, but sometimes we just need to take a step
back and look at them to recognize it. Well, les quiero muchísimo y
espero que todos tienen una linda semana! Vayan bien!
Hermana Johnson
I hope all of your winter breaks consisted
of a lot of resting and sugar. Mine had a lot of the latter haha. But
New Years was fun. We went to bed like normal, and then woke up at 12
to say happy new year and went right back to bed! Haha yes very
exciting. But I really can't believe it's already 2016. This week has
left me reflecting on the past year. For me, 2015 was a year of a lot
of changes. I was at school, received a mission call, and now am here
back on the East Coast serving a mission! But the thing that really
made me feel grateful was for the number of amazing people I have met
this past year that have changed my life (yes that's you Adams). I
feel incredibly blessed to have met all of these people, and I
continue to meet people that change my life everyday! I think one of
the most heartbreaking things for me on a mission is to see people who
so deeply and permanently want to change their lives but don't have
the family support to do it. That is something I see a lot being on a
mission. The majority of the people that we help and teach have
families who do not support their actions and it makes me realize how
blessed I have been to have such an amazing family, both biological
and emotional, my entire life who have always encouraged me to do
good. I know that the plan that God has for each of us is exactly what
we need, and our experiences not only strengthen ourselves, but others
as well. I encourage you all to count your blessings this year! We are
all so incredibly blessed, but sometimes we just need to take a step
back and look at them to recognize it. Well, les quiero muchísimo y
espero que todos tienen una linda semana! Vayan bien!
Hermana Johnson
Our Sister party earlier this morning at the mission home.
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