The Spirit is Our Connection To Heaven

HELLO,

How's it going?   There have been so many things happening this week!  First of all, a ton of Aubrey's friends came from Roosevelt!  And this kid actually came to my apartment when I lived in Ventana.  He was friends with Jessica.  Anyways, it was ironic you sent me a picture.  They told me it was Jessica's homecoming and Aubrey looks so pretty!!  We also took soooo many wonderful tours.  We even took people from Samoa!

I sang in church on Sunday.  We had 7 investigators that were supposed to be there... none of them showed.  I almost cried :(  I am not sure what is up with Susie.  But one of our investigators that we didn't think would show came!  We hadn't met with him since Sister Tietjen, but he loved church.  He looks tough... he has earrings and tattoo's, but a really good heart.   My favorite.  After I sang, Dieter came up to me and said, "you sing good for an old lady." haha

One of our solid investigators name is Derek.  We found him after leaving a members home.  It was soooo funny!  Sister Heckert is learning how to contact and give cards to people.  It's one of my favorite things to do and she won't do it.   haha.  I told her it was her turn when 2 guys were walking down the street.  She turned around and jumped in the car and said , "no, you can't make me!" and so I started counting to three and telling her to get out of the car... just joking though. haha   So I ran over to them and that is how we got Derek!

We ran into a situation with him as well... he called us and said he wanted to meet us at his work and so we were like sure, that is fine.  Well, we got to his work and he said bye to his work friends and then opened the back door to our car and hopped in!!  I started to panic... #1- strict rule... never be alone with a boy. #2- We aren't allowed to drive people in the mission car and #3- It was soooooo weird.  We told him the rule and that he couldn't ride with us and he got so sad... because he had no ride home.  Then we felt terrible!  He said he understood, but he wouldn't get out of the car.  We thought that it would ruin things... I just wish I could put into words how awkward we were and that situation was.   He finally got out of the car 8 minutes later.  It was the worst! 

Then I found a frog this week.  So I caught it and I brought it inside the visitor center.  I walked up to Sister Walker and told her to hold out her hands.  I put the frog in her hands and she dropped him and screamed!  Oh man, it was so funny.  Her husband is a prankster, so she is used to it. S he jokingly says she is never going to trust me ever again.  I remember when I did that to grandma Johnson :)  Sister Heckert and I are alllwwwaaayyyss joking around and laughing.  It's really fun, but then we are serious when we need to be and have taken some really spiritual tours together, but she definitely brings out my joking side.  So, Sister Clark and I scared her one night while she was in the shower. :) 

We had some really neat experiences this week.  As a back up one night while it was pouring raining...we went tracting.  We had no umbrella, so we thought people might let us in because they felt bad for us.  We brought our hymn books and we asked if we could sing them a hymn... it was amazing how quick the spirit cam.  We want to do that again.  It was a really neat experience with people. 

We were also studying one day this week and someone knocked on our door....no one ever knocks on our door.  Except when the seniors are coming over to do cleaning inspections.  So, we go answer it and this lady is selling something.  Right when we opened the door, she said, "Your Mormons!"  She saw our name-tags... she said that she was a Mormon and that she was from Salt Lake!  She called us Elder's, so we figured she wasn't too familiar with the church, but we were able to hook her up with the missionaries and she said she was wanting to go back to church, but didn't know where to go and didn't think there were many Mormons in Ohio.  It was so meant to be!!!

Have you seen the new Mormon Message?  It is really good.  We watched it and it actually really helped this week.... Mike came to Sunday School and while we were sitting there, I felt impressed to share that story.  It was almost as if the spirit was screaming at me to share it.  Mike said before that he wanted to change his life, but he wasn't getting answered and he didn't feel like God was there or even cared if he was.  Well, I shared the story... (you will have to watch it- http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3701964025001) and right after that, he said he wanted to learn more, meet this week and become a Mormon. 

I really love the spirit.  The spirit is our connection to Heaven.  If we follow those promptings, miracles will happen.  I really really feel like this was one of the miracles. 

I love you!

Sister Johnson

I Was Called to This Mission For A Reason

Hi :)

How are you all doing? How is the weather in California?  We have taken a lot of people on tour this week from California... some have been from our area or have family in Aliso.  I didn't know any names though. 

To answer your question... We did help out with the Kirtland 5k.  It was super fun!   I just wanted to run it so badly!  We helped pass our water... there were some quick guys there.  They ran the 5k in the 16 minutes.  It was nuts!  There was also a ton of fun music... we were dancing and singing along... Elder and Sister Sorenson were dancing too, so all the Sisters took that as being okay :)  I also was able to see a ton of people from my previous areas.  It was so good to see them. 

I am singing 2 more times before I go home... I will be singing next week in church... and then Sister Heckert and I are doing a duet at Zone Conference.  We have no idea what we are going to do!  But hopefully we can figure that out soon!  President Vellinga just loves music, he always has us sing a ton. 

I really know that I was called to this mission for a reason.  I keep realizing it more and more.  Something I really wanted to learn before my mission was how to be a better teacher.  It turns out, my mission president is one of the BEST teachers in the world.   Everyone always knows who he is.   He teaches people how to teach for a living.  He specifically teaches people how to teach the Gospel.   I love my Mission President.   I want to be like him!

We took 5 tours on Saturday.  We kept coming back in from tour and they would ask us to go on tour immediately again.  Well, right when we came in from our second tour in a row, they came up to us and said they needed us again.  As I walked in the doors, I saw a familiar face and then I saw another familiar face... I wasn't sure if I was seeing things clearly.   It was Russ and Ann!!  They came to Kirtland!   It made me nervous at first and we had to take a really big group.  I hugged Ann and started to tear up.  Russ said that he couldn't hug me yet.  haha.  There was a family with 10 kids... I didn't feel like the best tour guide because I just wanted to talk to the Sewell's, but it was really fun to see them!  They are really so sweet.... I feel like since I have been a missionary, you can always tell who is really in tune and prepared to come to Kirtland.  The Sewell's were prepared.  They are wonderful people. 

Susie did not come to church. In fact, we have not heard from her since church.  Will keep you updated :(  I really don't like Satan, but on the bright side... Sister Clark and I were able to be companions again this week!  It was so fun :)  I love her... our day pretty much fell through but we were able to see a lot of miracles and even muck horse stalls again. 

I heard a quote this week that says, "Your personal knowledge of God is not only the greatest gift you will ever give, but it will bring you the greatest joy you will ever have." 

I know that God and Jesus Christ live.  A big part of how I know this is because of how I feel when I read or hear people who have seen Them and then testify that God and Jesus Christ live.  Do you remember the apostles this last conference?  Especially Elder Holland when he said, "I am more certain that those keys have been restored and that those ordinances are once again available through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than I am certain I stand before you at this pulpit and you sit before me in this conference." 

or Elder Packer when He says, "I bear my witness that the Savior lives.  I know the Lord. I am His witness. I know of His great sacrifice and eternal love for all of Heavenly Father’s children. I bear my special witness in all humility but with absolute certainty"

Or even when Joseph and Hiram bear testimony of them right after the Father and the son showed unto them the plan of Salvation... “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!  “For we saw him” 

I feel it's true when I hear these testimonies... the world may try to prove it otherwise, but whenever you doubt, you can lean on these great testimonies. 

Go to heaven!

Love, Sister Kelsi Denae Johnson

He's Everyone's Personal Savior

Hello family! 

This was a great week... there were some sad things that happened too and also funny.  One of our investigators doesn't really understand our purpose.... we accidentally woke him up when we called trying to set up an appointment and I said, "oh I am so sorry that we woke you up, we can call you later!"  Then he said, "No. Don't worry about it Sister Johnson... I just love waking up to the sound of your voice..." Then I said "what?"  because I wasn't sure if I heard what I thought I heard... and he kept repeating it and was way flirty.  I just tried to talk over him and was awkward.  Hopefully he will understand our purpose more when he meets with us!

My companion is famous!  She is in a picture in the For Strength of Youth pamphlet (pg. 21) and she is in bible videos.  If you want to see her... watch the video "A house divided" at 1:50 and 4:45 I think... :)

https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/a-house-divided?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/ForTheStrengthOfYouth-eng.pdf?lang=eng

Everyone keeps reminding me that I am so close to going home.  It's hard to avoid it, especially when I am on tours every day and the 2 questions they ask are.... "Where are you from and how long have you been on your mission?"  I'm so glad that I am training because it keeps me focused and on top of things.  I really want to do EVERYTHING before I leave and I just want to keep talking to everyone.  We are going to go tracting this week (we usually don't plan for that, but we want to sing at people's doors.  I am so excited :)

Our investigator, Susie, found out that I am pretty close to going home... she was not too happy.  We met with her this week and it was so wonderful.  We taught her and her kids about the Book of Mormon and they LOVED it.  They told us that we were going to church but then last minute we got a call from a member and he said that she didn't want to come to church because she didn't have clothes....soooo.... I grabbed almost my whole closet and put it in a bag and gave her my clothes.  I really love Susie, Kylie and Kenzie and didn't want clothes to be an issue not to come to church.  So they came and they loved it :)  I bore my testimony for the last time on my mission and I looked at Susie and she was crying.  Then in Relief Society, she started to cry too.  She really felt the spirit on Sunday.  She keeps saying, "I don't know what I am going to do without you.  You aren't allowed to leave me and the girls..."  She said I can live at her house.  She isn't joking when she says it. ha  It's kinda stressing me out... we just all connected really well.

On a sad note... Justine dropped us... she said not to go back to her house....bubuuuuutt we are missionaries.  So of course we aren't going to give up that easy!  We ignored her text and we are going to make her cookies and bring them to her today :)  Her heart will soften, I know it will.

Sites have been less and less busy.  We had thousands more come to Kirtland this summer compared to last summer (over 22,000).  Kirtland has such a special place in my heart.  Some of the tours were really spiritual this week..  I wish I had time to tell all of the experiences...

We went to a trainee meeting with President Vellinga this week.  I really learned so much.  I want to be like my mission presidnet one day.  He is such a great teacher and he really makes it so you do a lot of self-reflection.  He was talking about how there are missionaries who just went home and who are about to go home this next transfer.  He was talking to the new missionaries and telling them how he wanted them to feel when they ended their mission.  He said he usually asks the missionaries if they can list people that they have grown to love on their mission...  I started to think about all the people that I have grown to love and I could not stop crying.   As a missionary, you really do feel how much the Savior loves these people.  He loves every single one of us and He is everyone's personal Savior.  I have really come to understand that more and more....

President Vellinga also said, "No lazy people will go to heaven."  It's so true.  Our church is not a "once a week" kind of church.  We are constantly moving, serving, helping and trying to become more like our Savior and trying to become closer to the Lord. Work... is a big piece of how we are going to get to Heaven.

Go to Heaven!  Love you.

Sister Kelsi Denae Johnson

ps- I have a video... we sang to Bill from the Community of Christ because he is moving... it was so sweet.   I don't think it will fit on my email... so I might have to wait.

pss.... I've been at 2 meetings with Elder Hutzler because all the trainers and trainees have been together.  So I saw him the moment he met his companion and he was excited to see me!   I am shocked he remembers me.  He looks just like Jared.    I won't see him again.... we already said, "Bye"    Tell Dave Hutzler that his son is a power house. He kept raising his hand at the trainee meeting and I commented on what he said and I said, " I like what Elder Hutzler said."

oh I forgot to say... I mucked horse stalls this week!