There is no way i have been here for 2 weeks... seriously it feels
like years.
Well this week was way better than last week i finally feel like I've got a
handle on this whole mtc thing. it is seriously crazy here and we do almost the
same thing every day. wake up eat study for 3 hours eat, go to gym, study for 3
hours, eat and then study. we also check the mail twice a day which is always
fun! but dear elders don't come till like four. PLEASE WRITE on dear elder!! it
is seriously the best!! Shout out to my amazing dad who sends me one every day.
i don't know what i would do with out those dad.
since all we do is study and eat i will tell you about studying for 9 hours
a day. so we have two teachers... plot twist! our investigator "Andrea" from
Argentina (i don't know if i told you about her... we taught her 5 lessons
starting our 3 day... in only Spanish) well she is our teacher now! she is the
cutest and sweetest person ever and i love her so much! she is from Utah but we
all thought she was Latino... we were wrong haha. she served her mission in
Argentina though! so we have class with her in the morning and then we teach her
as an investigator. She plays this 60 year old woman in the lessons when we
teach her and she legit falls asleep during them! it is super awkward but
funny. our other teacher served in Paraguay and he is super nice too. we have
had him since day one. we are teaching him now and he plays a less active
teenage boy. the lessons really do feel real. and in reality they are because
our purpose as missionaries is to "invite others to come unto Christ" and the
"others" are everyone so by teaching our teachers they can feel the spirit and
come closer to him! how cool is that!?
we spend our other 3 hour study block doing person, companion, and language
study. that is always tough to get through but we manage.
things are still rough but they are getting better day by day. we have the
most amazing Sundays that make everything worth while. this Sunday Matthew
Holland spoke so naturally Elder Holland and his wife were there!!! Elder Holland
spoke only for a few mins to introduce his son. we also sang happy birthday to
sis Holland! i sang in the choir! So Bro Holland spoke about Joseph Smith and
his "path to Palmyra" it was seriously the best! it was exactly what i needed to
hear. he talked all about how difficult the prophets life was and how he couldn't
not have been who he needed to be if he did not suffer so much. i think the
biggest thing i have learned here is that hard times are so important because
they are the perfect opportunity to grow closer to Christ. I really do feel him
with me everyday. His promise to make our backs stronger to bare our burdens is
100% true. I know it with every part of me now. Things aren't easier here, i
still can barely speak Spanish, i still don't sleep well, and i still don't always
feel like i want to be here. but I KNOW he has made me so much stronger so that
i can now handle it all. and I know this will all be worth it. I love this
work! but it is work. okay so back to Sunday... so Bro Holland had the UVU choir
with him and they sang the first prayer (to the tune of come thou fount) in the
middle of his talk. it was remarkable. then when he got to the part of the
prophets death a soloist sang a poor wayfaring man of grief. and at the very
end we sang with the UVU choir "praise to the man" the whole thing was so
incredible and my testimony of Joseph Smith grew ten fold!
At Tuesday night devo the talks were really great as well. I don't remember
his name but i think he was from the 70. He spoke on the attributes of Christ.
With each one he talked about what we need to give up to then receive those
attributes. it was great.
so the girls in my district are great (crazy but great) and one of the
other AZ girls is so great! she is probably one of the funniest people i have
ever met. she has the best stories! Her name is Hermana Tidwell. On Tuesday
someone said to her "do you have a name tag?" and she was all "no.. oh wait I
DON'T!" hahah it was great. but we were waiting for the bus to take us to main
campus so we couldn't go to the rooms to get it. luckily i had one on my scarf
and one on my coat so i let her wear one for the night hahaha. we figured
having 2 Hermana Johnsons was believable enough. But that night we had
district meeting and the Presidents wife said bye to her and called her Hna.
Johnson hahaha so... that's awkward haha.
Oh before i forget!!! we sent off our favorite district on Monday ): but
they had to call new leaders for things because they were leaving... so i was
called to be Branch Music coordinator! which isn't that big of a deal but it is
still really cool. i get to pick the songs for sacrament meeting and for
priesthood! and i assign the musical numbers for sacrament! so i get to work
with whichever district is leaving that week cuz they always do a special
number. The 1st Counselor extended the calling to me and he was so sweet. he
said they immediately thought to call me and that they were so happy when they
prayed and got it confirmed that yes i was the person the lord wanted them to
call! it was definitely a tender mercy because it helps me to have a "job" and
to feel like i am actually doing something for here and now not just for the
mission field. He also told me that i had one of the most beautiful voices he
had ever heard and that i sing like an angel. he is so tender and almost cried
when he was talking to me! he reminds me of you dad so that is another tender
mercy. the whole presidency and their wives are just so amazing and sweet.
they all really want me to sing in sacrament.
well i love you so much and i will talk to you again in one week!
Paz y bendeciones!!
- Hermana Johnson
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| The Gang! |
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| Valentine's Day Flowers from Mom! |
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| The View Outside our Apartment MTC North Campus |
