11/24/14

ictoria Paige Johnson (victoria.johnson@myldsmail.net) This sender is in your safe list.
Sent:	Mon 11/24/14 3:22 PM
To:	Lexi Johnson (papaversatiny@hotmail.com); Robert Johnson (cars4play@gmail.com); Courtney Eyring (splotchee@gmail.com); Mallory LeSueur (mlesueur13@gmail.com); Emily Shepherd (emily.shep12@gmail.com); Sarah King (sbking6@gmail.com); Ashlyn Tryon (artryongirl@gmail.com); Brooke Bryson (ewbryson@gmail.com)

Happy Thanksgiving!!! This week we have thanksgiving dinner with a cute Return Missionary sister in our ward and her family. She just spoke in church this Sunday for her Homecoming talk and let me tell you, everything she said blew my mindddddd. so awesome. Everyone be sure to remember the missionaries in your ward this holiday season! They love the love from members!

 

 I am thankful for.... SOMETHING AWESOME. there is a TRADER JOES IN OUR AREA. man this place is heaven. We are going to TJ next week to do our shopping. I am so excited for coconut cookies and Mochi and delicious foooooods. HOLLLAAAAAAA.

 

So this guy here at the community center sitting next to me is watching some videos or something. Maybe SNL? AND he is CRACKING UP. so hard. Laughing his head off. It's hilarious. It's all quiet and he has his noise cancelling headphones and he is laughing so hard. hahahahaha  

 

this week we went on exchanges twice!

The first one-- I went to a different ward with Sister Vainuku and her comp went with sis Smoot. We biked the entire day. UP AND DOWN HILLS. let's not talk about how incredibly sore I was the next two days. But biking is sooooo fun! We had a blast together!

Another Exchange we went on this week: I went with Sister Otuafi and Sis Smoot went with her companion. Sis Otuafi is form Tonga as well! She is the sweeeeetestttttt everrrr. no joke. It was definitely meant for us to spend the day together and learn from each other. Her ward covers the "rich area" of Rancho Cucamonga.... perfect place for driving around and looking at houses! THEY WERE HUGE. After being in the cali-ghetto-desert for 7 months I forgot what beautiful houses look like. Don't worry, we didn't drive around and look at houses... we did the Lord's work instead.

It is a very humbling experience to be a Sister Training Leader.... It's insane how we are viewed and looked up to by the other sisters. I always feel like I am learning more from them than they are learning form me.... To be honest, I'm not really sure what I am doing or why I am an STL. I often feel inadequate and not capable of fulfilling this calling. But I know that since it has come from the Lord, I must go and do. And he will help me along the way! It's crazy weird and hard to try and keep up our own area as well as help other sisters with theirs... But it's way possible.

 

YSA life is fun! Who knew? hahahaha but really. Going to the activities and being friends with so many cool people is awesome.... Not in a "I get to party all the time and not do missionary work" kind of way. But instead, we get so many opportunities to serve the members and their friends that they bring to the activities!! Like legit, YSA age kids are so not afraid of bringing their friends to parties and FHE and Institute and CHHURCH.

 

For example, we met this girl Monica. She isn't a member, nor has she been taught before by missionaries. BUT last week she went to a family ward and this week she came to the YSA ward. All because of her bff who is on a mission and other friends who have been inviting her! And she loves it! she loves church! and she told us she feels so good, feels the spirit so strong, and wants to keep coming back. We are trying to teach her but her parents are kinda iffy... but I'll let ya know what happens!

Also, this recent convert in the ward brought her friend to church also! She lives in Texas though, so we'll be sending the missionaries to her.

AND! This other guy we have been trying to teach named Wes came to church for the second time... WHO DOES THAT? Who comes to church before we teach them? YSAs do. It's insane and so awesome. They have such open minds. They are looking for a searching for the truth.

     WElllllllll, except Idk if I would say Wes was looking for the truth... I think he is just looking to learn more about different religions.

 We were finally able to teach him the restoration after church yesterday. And the spirit was so powerful. But he, was only paying attention to the intellectual side of everything instead of recognizing the good lovey warm awesome peaceful promptings of the spirit telling him that what we were teaching was true. He was proof that if we do not humble ourselves and pay attention to the feelings of our hearts instead of the worldly knowledge in our head, answers will not come. It was really cool as we were able to testify to him that God only answers the prayers of those with real intent. If we do not intend to act on the answer we receive then God does not intend to answer our question. simple as that. BUT, if we truly want to change and bring our lives in harmony with God's teachings, if we truly want to act on whatever God tells us, then he will never fail to guide us onto the path. God will always show us the way BUT only when we are ready and willing.. Powerful stuffffffffff.

 

Can I tell you how cool it is that our ward covers Fontana... and that Fontana isn't in our mission... I feel like such a cool missionary when we get to go there. hahahahahahahah #missionarylife

 

 "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things." (D&C 59:6)

I am so good and happy and thankful right now. So many wonderful things filling my heart and mind. Let's be real, I could write a novel about all the wonderful things I am grateful for.. but the number one thing on my mind is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that we can change... that with every trial we have an opportunity to become better.

 I am grateful that we can repent.

 President Packer said "Repentance is they key with which we can unlock the prison from inside. We hold the key within our hands, and agency is ours to use it."

I am grateful for Christ's infinite and eternal sacrifice. And because of that, I think it is only fitting that we sacrifice things in our life for him. "Thou shalt sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness.." (D&C 59:7) So! I have another little challenge for ya'll... sorry I am full of those. But It's something I try and do daily and weekly and monthly and transferly and quarterly and yearly. Anyways. Choose one thing that you want to sacrifice for the Lord. For example.... maybe junk food, or cussing, or thinking negatively about someone, or talking about people and how they annoy you, or listening to bad music, or staying up late, or texting and driving or whatever. And starting thanksgiving until Christmas sacrifice that thing in Thanksgiving to Him!!! Maybe after a week or so you can add another thing to your list of what you are sacrificing.. but moral of the story is, as you sacrifice your worldly desires for the Lord, you will be inviting the atonement into your life, and therefore you will be able to see the hand of the Lord molding you and shaping you into someone you were capable of becoming all along.  "Learn that he that doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come."

 

anyways! I could go on and on and on and on and on about how much I love this gospel and about how much I love being a missionary....

 

Love you! hope you have one stinking awesome thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!

te quiero! te amo! que tenga un buen dia y semana y thanksgiving!

 

Sister Johnson