Wednesday, September 25, 2013

I Will Make Weak Things Become Strong


Hi my wonderful beautiful family! 

I got some e-mails from people saying they haven't been getting my e-mails.   

How are you guys?  And what the?  What happened to Kolton?  Ouch, that was so gross!  He is the only one in the family who breaks his bones.   Did he break his arm? 

Kathy Ellison wants you to add her on my fb mom :)  She is the one who is amazing and about to go to the temple!!!  I love her, she just called and said she misses us.  It's been a couple days... ha

So you know how last week I told you that Michael broke up with us?  Well, I think he has been thinking a lot... because he called and asked if he could come to church!  What?  So weird.  But he came... he said, "It was interesting".  I said, well, what is your definition of interesting?  He said, "not good and not bad." haha  but he said he will give it another shot, although he still doesn't really want us to teach him.  He knows it's true, that's why he is being weird :) jk  He might come to church when I sing and he is coming to watch General Conference with us at a members home and then he is going to go to Stake Conference with Elder Ballard.  He is going to get baptized.  Don't worry ;) 

Lisa and Jim didn't come to Kirtland.  I about cried... Then Jim... I don't know, we are surprised he hasn't gotten alcohol poisoning.  He has still been drinking like crazy.  All day every day.  Whiskey and beer.  He is trying to stop now and should have stopped now, we are going to see them tonight with a member who was addicted as well... Then we have Nora and others aren't as solid YET,  but they will be.  Nora's husband doesn't want her coming to church :( we are trying to figure out how to get her to come. 

Oh!  Some funny stories and cool things.  Michael is an author.  One of his books called "Unrequited" is going on Amazon as a digital copy in February.  He said that we made it into his book.  I want to read it when I get home.  haha

THEN get ready for this one...  so we took a lady on tour.  She had three kids 13, 10 and 2 or something.  Well, we are going pretty fast through the Johnson home because they were tired and hungry.  We get to the Revelation room... the best and most sacred room and she pulls down her dress, pulls up her shirt and says "come here" to her little girl and breast fed!  I was like.... wait.  Is this really happening?  I didn't know where to look. I felt soooo awkward.   Definitely saw everything and then I was telling the Sisters on our way to Kirtland what happened and then they took her on tour in Kirtland!  In the School of the Prophets! haha  That was a story for the Kirtland Sisters. 

Then we were taking a lot of tours from Australia   Another funny moment, we were walking out of the Whitney home and we were asking what the differences were between Australia and America?  They started talking about the toilets and how when you go to public places it automatically flushes while you are sitting there and then there are such giant gaps on the sides of the doors every one can see in!  They said they are never coming back to America for that reason.  They were laughing sooooooo hard that they were crying and had tears going down their face which of course made us bust out laughing!  haha  They thought it was the funniest thing.  Most fun tour I have ever taken.  We were practicing our Australian accents the rest of the day :)  I want to go there some day!

Sister Coontz spoke in church this last week and we are really trying hard to work with them members and trying hard to get referrals.  Bishop said he doesn't even want us tracting.  He said that our time is better spent calling and seeing members to get them to work on their missionary work.  So.. we have been seeing as many members and we told them that we are going to be annoying missionaries! 

I also went on an exchange this week.  It was awesome. I went with sister Gee.  We went to the Amish community!  They were everywhere.  I wish I had brought my camera.  The Amish men who have long beards are the married ones and the side burn Amish are single so we were finding all the single men. haha jk jk.  No Amish men.  no no ha   They are just cool.  We went and got an Amish cinnamon roll.  It was yummy :)  And the people that we were teaching were sad I wasn't coming back.  They were super cute and made me feel good :)  It was a good exchange.

So I have realized more than ever that I have so many weaknesses this week.  Like a million.  I kept praying that I could be better.  I was reading in Ether 12:27 where it talks about how our weaknesses can become strengths.

 27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them theiraweakness. I bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my cgrace is sufficient for all men that dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make eweak things become strong unto them. 

We just have to turn to our Savior.  We can't do it alone.  I get annoyed with myself when I think the way I think and do some of the things I do, but I know when we turn to the Savior, we can overcome anything.  We can become more like him and be happier :) 

I think of brother Greiner, when he said that before his mission he couldn't retain anything and he had the worst memory, but he turned to the Savior and worked hard on trying to become better and it worked!  He has a photographic memory now and remembers everything.  The Savior can mold us more than we could ever try to do ourselves.  Then Shelly Mann- she had Polio when she was 5.  She could not even move her arms out of the water, but when she did, she cried for joy.  She kept trying and trying and making goals to become better and she made it to the Olympics and got a gold medal for the butterfly stroke.  What an inspiration! I heard a quote... "that which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing is changed but that our power to do is increased". 

Sometimes we put an "artificial limit" on what we can become.  At least I definitely do.  But we don't have to.  We can become anything when we turn to the Lord for help.  Think of someone who you admire, who you strive to become, who is an example to you.  You can have those same attributes.  You can become the happiest person who loves everyone and loves life.  You can become humble.  You can become a scriptorian.  You can become anything and make any weakness into a strength. 

I know that the Atonement is real.  I know that when we humble ourselves and turn to the Savior, we will be happier and we can have immense potential.  I know that our Heavenly Father loves every single one of us.  He knows us.  He knows what our potential is and knows every detail in our lives.  He will do anything and everything to help us reach our full potential.  I know this gospel is true.

Love you mucho. 

Nana and Grandma Johnson, I love you. Happy birthday :)

Love,

Sister Johnson

"We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see."

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