Monday, June 24, 2013

Patience is Required



Hello hello :)

How is home?  How's summer?  It's summer right? ha ha.

You can tell that it is summer here.  The tours have been coming in like crazy.  A lot of girls camps, youth conferences and even senior groups come in. ;)  We were at sites 3 days this week instead of 2.  One of the days we had 1200 people come when we went to Kirtland,  then when we went to the Johnson Farm, we had over 500 people from 8 am -12.  There are only a couple of us at the Johnson Farm, so we kept going and going and going.  It doesn't seem like it would be tiring because it's just giving a tour... but when the tour changes every time and you are trying to listen to the spirit ... it becomes mentally/physically tiring, but it's all a good kind of tired.  :)

Mom... thanks for the note at Walgreen's.  I freaked out haha.  The lady who had my meds said there is a lil surprise attatched to your meds... I was way confused and there was an envelope that said, "open Me" haha.  It made me happy :)  Love you too!

We were tracting this week and we see this guy from a little ways away behind his garage and so we go behind his garage to go say hi.. (he looked kinda intimidating) and as we walk up he says, "don't worry, I'm not going to shoot you."  He said it really creepy and we both are not really into details I guess.  I didn't pay attention that he was holding a huge riffle - loaded.  Not sure what he was doing, but he didn't shoot us, so it's all good.

Brother Lauck came to church this week, but we had a little bit of a struggle because he showed up drunk to our lesson and was really argumentative at everything we were saying.  I looked at Sister Joseph and said, "he's so drunk" and she just said "huh" with a super dazed and oblivious look. haha  We will be teaching him the word of wisdom this week. :)

From the youth conference tours... it was really neat.  We had some of the same people from Kirtland and the Johnson Farm.  A lady came up to me and said told me that they had a meeting the night before, she said that everyone was sharing their favorite part of youth conference and one of the groups I took said "the tour with Sister Johnson while in the School of the Prophets."  It made me smile.  I am glad they felt the spirit.

Did you listen to the broadcast?!  It was so good!  I got so pumped... so was Matthew Gallego's mission testing out the Facebook thing?  In case you didn't watch it, they talked a lot about member/missionary work.  We might get Ipads (hint from our mission president) and we can go on Facebook and blogs and start using our technology for missionary work.  How cool is that?  The work is truly hastening.  70,000 plus missionaries are out and 173 new mission presidents.  I love this work :)

We met some really cool people this week.  In our prayers we were focusing on praying more specifically that we will recognize those prepared people, that they will recognize us.  Later that day I felt like that happened.  We met a dad and he has had so much contact with the LDS church and seems so interested.  We are going to start teaching his family.  I felt like we recognized him and he recognized us.  I know our prayers were answered. 

We were talking to this guy named Tsan this last week and I asked him what he thought our purpose was in this life. He said he didn't know.  It made me really think.  I tried putting myself in his shoes.  He has no family, not very many friends, in a foreign country, no religion, no job and doesn't know if their is a God and has always been an atheist.  I don't know how I would get up in the morning if I didn't know there was a purpose.  I feel like I take advantage of what I am doing, what I have and what I know.  I have a loving family, the opportunity to serve Heavenly Father 24/7, I know about this Plan of Happiness, I know what I need to do and I know I am a daughter of God.  What can be better?

Sometimes it is hard enjoying life and finding that joy and peace.  Thomas S. Monson said, "Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of a more serious nature.  There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all.  Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting that frequently the Heavenly virtue of patience is required." 

Sometimes I forget what I know, and I am impatient where I am in life.  When I was 15, I wanted to be 16, so I could date. When I was 17, I wanted to be 18, or when its summer I want it to be winter or even being on a mission and wanting to be a mom.  I feel like I have always wanted to be somewhere that I am not.  Instead of just enjoying the journey and being patient!

There will always be something to complain about. "We can spend our days feeling sad, alone, misunderstood or unwanted, but that isn't why we are here on earth"  We really are children of a loving Heavenly Father.  We have A LOT to be happy about.  If you look at all of our blessings and all of the happiness that is around us then we will be so much stronger and so much happier.

I have seen that serving others and serving our Heavenly Father is a way for that happiness. I am still learning patience, it's definitely not easy, but I know if we have it, we can endure our struggles and hardships.  The trials and challenges can't always come easier, but we can always become stronger.

I am so blessed to be in this wave of missionaries all throughout the world.  I know why I am here.  I know where I am going and I know why we go through hard times. I know that the church has been restored with that proper authority and I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father.  I want everyone to have that peace and happiness from knowing that too.

I love you all so very very much.

Be happy, be strong and enjoy your week!

Sister Johnson

                       "LIFE IS SHORT
                                  :)
    SO SMILE WHILE YOU STILL HAVE TEETH"




Roads near the Johnson Farm...

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