How are you all doing? I liked your pictures. :) cute! This week was soo long. I forgot to say Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! I hope you did something... skype or dad got to come home? :)
We just got back from seeing Jen Tanner! She really is so sweet. It was a little bit of home in a way :) I want a house like hers! It's so cute. She even took us to frozen yogurt :) It was thhheee BEST.
I forgot my planner and I can't think without it, so sorry if this is boring... I forget what exactly happened this week! To start, I know I said this before, but I LOVE my ward. I love this area. It's country, but not too country. I am so blessed :) Oh and I am singing in church in a couple weeks...
We went to sites a little bit more this week. With the pageant going on in Nauvoo and Palmyra, there were a lot of families and a lot of bus tours. We met some really cool people. I wish I could remember everyone and all of these amazing experiences! I was even having some running races with kids who were getting a little antsy. We got our picture taken a lot this week as well.
This one couple came in and were persuading me to go back into dental hygiene for when I get home. He is a dentist and said he has gotten a few people into dental school, so he gave me his info so that he can get me into a school when I get home. haha It made me laugh. Also, lots of boys have been coming in who are about to leave on missions. It's weird... everyone thinks I am younger than I really am. One boy came in this week and left his info, left a little note for me, asked to take a picture with me... and then he came to our ward on Sunday with his family! haha oh no..........
We also had a lot of BYU professors, an apostles family, (Elder Hale's) and a lot of book author's who know everything about church history. I was like... "yes! You probably weren't informed yet, but you get to take me on tour today." :) They just laughed... but I was pretty serious.
We got some referrals this week which was really cool. We haven't received many referrals before. We got one from Salt Lake from someone who requested missionaries and he lives in our neighborhood! Except... when we called, he said it was on accident. He was trying to request info on the Book of Mormon play, buuuuttt we are going to talk to him anyways! Also... in Rootstown we were teaching a girl named Trina, her mom and her daughter. She told Sister Joseph that she wanted me to contact her other daughter who lives by us! We also tracked into a lady named Jamie. She invited us right in and we taught the Restoration on the spot and she prayed. We have an appointment with her and her family again tonight :)
We are trying so hard to talk to everyone we see no matter what and there was this guy riding his bike down the street.... he looked pretty focused, but I ran across the street and said "heyy!" I felt bad interrupting his bike ride, but he said we could come back and teach him and we did! We were teaching him the Restoration... and it started to rain really hard. We stood up to get under the roof and we asked if we could just end with a prayer and we asked him to say it. He did... and while he was praying, he was asking if he could know if these things are true and asked that the truth could be revealed to him. Then he said, "please bless that the rain will stop so these ladies can get back to their car and so that they can get back home dry and safe." Well, instantly... the rain stopped. Think of Jurassic Park rain and then instantly stopping. He finished his prayer and we were like woah... thanks for that :)
We were teaching a lady last night named Vera. She is a less-active and we met at sister Young's home. Sister Young reminds me of you mom. The lesson was so great. The spirit was so strong and I really learned a lot from Sister Young in being bold, but loving. Vera says she wants to go to church and she wants her family to be together for eternity, but she isn't trying. It's a long story, but sister Young wasn't very happy.
Well, today is Pioneer day. We are going to head up to Kirtland tonight for a BBQ :) Elder Sorensen wanted to meet with all of us and talk more about the pioneers and Kirtland. They really were such great examples. I was reading verses 3 and 4 of "Come Come Ye Saints". Really pay attention to the words and put yourself in their shoes. "And should we die before our journey's through? Happy day! All is well! " That really amazes me. I never want to forget that all of the "success today is built upon the shoulders and courage of the humble giants of the past". We may not have had those mountains to climb, rocky roads to travel, no rivers to go through, etc, but we live in a world where crime is increasing, decency is decreasing, dishonesty, and evil is surrounding us everywhere. It's not any easier now then it was then. It is just different. We can learn from them. We can learn how they endured their trials and apply it to our own lives. They had SO much trust in the Lord. Trust that he would provide the way. They left their homes and families. Some even starved and family members died. They were willing to sacrifice anything for the Lord. That is true faith and trust. The cool thing is that we can do exactly what they did. "We can pray with trust for strength and guidance - just as our forebears did. That's what it means to walk with faith in every footstep." We can be pioneers.
Think to yourself, do you have the same amount of faith that the saints had? Do you have trust in the Lord? Would you be willing to sacrifice anything for Him? I know we can all have this and be like the pioneers then. We can be pioneers now :) In the dictionary, it says that a pioneer is, "one who goes before to prepare or open up the way for others to follow." We can only make it with the help of our Heavenly Father. Just like it said in this months Ensign, "May the life and ministry of Jesus Christ burn brightly in our hearts and minds and may the fire of our testimonies burn in our bones - just as it did in the lives of the Latter-Day Saint pioneers."
I love you all so much and pray for you every day. I appreciate all that you do. Thank you for the birthday wishes...
Love always,
Sister Johnson
"When we are uncertain of the path ahead, we fill up our hearts with faith, go forward in to the unknown and stop and pray again and again."
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