June 2, 2014

Hola familia, como estan? Esperamos que ustedes esten disfrutando el calor y la
clima! Esta muy bonita aquí en Aurora! It seems to have skipped spring but Aurora is as beautiful as ever. We had a really great week, full of surprises.

We were able to see our members come together a lot due to two deaths in the ward. Carmen was probably one of the happiest people I know, she had a great impact on me and the ward. She was baptized in February of this year. Since then, her and her son’s life have completely changed. She was older and has been suffering from cancer for a while. It really makes you realize how short this life is. It was incredible to see the kind of strength and understanding that the gospel gives us in the plan of salvation. It is hard to believe how blessed and fortunate we are to have the truth.

The other death was the mother of our bishop. That was hard on the ward as well but they were there to support one another. It makes one realize that life is very short. And the mission is even shorter.

We have been blessed with the most amazing investigators. We have hit a few minor road blocks (by minor I mean finding out that Alejandra, after 20+ years, has never been married and Jessica is now working 2 jobs) but God is greater than all and he works miracle according to the faith of men. And luckily for us, Alejandra has a lot of faith, so she is really striving to do
all she can to give up coffee, tea and convince her not-so-open husband of the importance of the true gospel. The funny thing is that we promised we would stop eating sweets until her baptism as she tried to stop drinking coffee… it might be a few more than 2 weeks, but maybe we will be able to eat the cake at her wedding :) Jessica as well is trying to give up smoking. It is very inspiring to see people trying to make such drastic changes in their lives. I know more than ever that this gospel is true, it makes us so much better than we would be without it!

Carmen and Oscar are progressing as well, hopefully everything will run smoothly from here on out… I usually like surprises but we had enough this week.

We are hoping that Hermana Sewell and I will be together for a little longer, especially now that our baptisms have been pushed back. I have really grown a strong love for the people here, especially our investigators. No matter what happens, I understand God knows where we both need to be but I will be thankful for whatever time I have left… Aurora is swimming in Hispanics
and I really enjoy that.  Also, I told Alejandra I would ask if you could maybe send some  pero/postum in my birthday package because we cant find it here... or if you have any other ideas for coffee replacements that would be much appreciated!

Thanks for all you do! Dejeme saber si hay algo que podemos hacer por ustedes! Que tengan un bonito dia! Les quiero con todo de mi corazón!

Con mucho amor, Hermana Johnson 

May 27, 2014

Buenos Dias Familia!

I love that God puts us in the exact places that we need to be, exactly when we need to be here. I love Aurora and feel so privileged to be working in the Lords vineyard. Unfortunately neither of our families on date were able to come to church this week. The adversary is continually hard at work, finding sneaky ways to keep people from the truth… Carmen and Oscar have an opportunity every few months to visit their son at the jail in Juliet. Their only time possible was Sunday and they didn't make it back to church but Hermana so excited to take him a Book of Mormon. They are determined to come this next week and we are praying to put them back on date for the 14th. Alejandra is progressing and can still be baptized the 14th but we are really pushing to get a lesson in with the husband. We are teaching the kids but the husband works everyday from 6am to 9pm. One thing that I am really learning is the importance of balancing time. Balance is key for a happy family (that rhymes).

I have been really focusing on the Atonement and missionary work this week. This gospel is truly amazing. And the more you learn the more perfect everything just falls into place. Every event in the great apostasy – from Constantine to the reformation, to Christopher Columbus… It was all in preparation for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith opened the way for the final dispensation and the fullness of the Gospel. And all was made possible through Gods perfect planning and the Atonement of His son Jesus Christ. I don’t think that we will every even come close to understanding the magnitude of how the atonement works in our lives. But we know that it is only by the Grace of God that we are saved after all we can do (2 Ne 25:23). We know that “through the Atonement, He heals not only the transgressor, but also heals the innocent who suffer because of those transgressions. As the innocent exercise faith in the Savior and in His atonement and forgive the transgressor, they too can be healed.” (Elder C. Scott Grow) “…Because of His infinite love, Jesus Christ invites us to repent so that we will not have to suffer the full weight of our own sins.” I have seen this time and time again in my life and the lives of others. 
Alejandra is really seeing the effects of the atonement in her life. She has always mentioned how much she loves us teaching because we are so happy and have the spirit. As she applies the doctrine we teach, specifically repentance and faith, her entire spirit is changing. She is continually happy and feels that her burdens have been lifted. It is amazing to see the atonement work in another's life and then learning to recognize it in your own.

We contacted a man this week who has been going through some really hard family trials. He saw missionaries in Chicago and wants to learn about our church. It was a powerful experience to testify that through the atonement and gospel of Jesus Christ, his burden of sin and ill feelings can completely be taken away. He was so receptive to the spirit, however his wife is not so receptive. Prayers on their behalf would be great… We hope he decides to keep investigating.
Hermana Sewell is continuing to do great things. We are trying all we can to give thanks back to God for all that he is blessing us with. Hermana Sewell has a lot of strengths, she is very intrinsically motivated and understands the importance of hard work and sacrifice. I'm thankful that she always strives to improve and better serve those around her.
I had exchanges with Hermana Trimble this week… it was pretty fun to be back with an old companion. It feels like we were never apart… just like the good old days!
We have really been stressing the importance of church attendance and we want all of our investigators to understand the importance of saving ordinances through the priesthood. Do you have any suggestions of how to approach that better in a lesson?
President Fenn is going well, he will be having surgery pretty soon… maybe before the month is over. Our ward has been going through some hard times with deaths and sicknesses, but I am so thankful for my testimony of the  plan of salvation.

Please let me know how you are all doing and what I can do for you! Tell me about your missionary work!! Everyone needs the Atonement in their lives and without the priesthood and saving ordinances in the restored gospel, they can only get so close to Christ! So share it!! Les quiero muchisimo! Gracias por todo que hacen!! Ustedes están en mis oraciones!
Hermana Johnson

May 19, 2014

Familia!

Feliz lunes! I hope you are having a great day! The exciting news of the day, I am finally an adult... yep, I picked up a skirt from the dry cleaners today :)

"I is plainly evident that the gospel, when lived, makes people better than they otherwise would be." That is a quote from President Gorden B. Hinckley that I read this morning and thought you would like it. I know that to be true. I am so much better becuase of the gospel in my life.

We feel so blessed, God is putting so many wonderful people in our path. We have been working with some families and finally were able to put them on date. As a zone we have been focusing on church attendance and we are finally seeing the blessings of our efforts (not that it’s ever from our efforts, God does it all.) However, yesterday, Carmon, Oscar and their entire family showed up 20 minutes early for church and stayed all three hours. Hermana Sewell and I laughed as we asked them after the last hour and the father said "I think there is meeting for some youth conference thing and we would really like to go if that is alright."

Five minutes after the first hour started, Alejandra and her entire family (including the husband who we have never met) showed up to church. It was a very spiritually sacrament meeting and we were so happy to see these families participating in ordinances of salvation.

The situation with David and Arturo is that his father is not giving permission for their baptisms. He works 7 days a week 6am to 9pm and we have only been able to teach him with the boys twice. He has no interest and believes that his sons are not making their own decision. So their baptisms are on hold for now, we are fasting and praying but if you have any other advice let us know.

We had an awesome zone conference this week! President Fenn is amazing, he never ceases to amaze! He started his speech with “When you are close to the point of dying you can think more clearly.” He explained that he is on a mission until he finished what the Lord has sent him to do and he will not go home a day sooner no matter how hard it gets. I am not sure how I got so lucky to have such an amazing mission president. He talked a lot about redoubling our efforts and rising up and doing better. He invited us all to take some time to do a serious introspection/self-evaluation. We need to be honest with ourselves and think, are we really doing the best that we can? Are we really sacrificing all that we should be to do the work of the Lord? He gave us steps to receiving spiritual power as an instrument in the Hands of the Lord and I invite all you to take some time this week and try it as well.

How to gain Spiritual Power:

1.       A commitment to do our best to keep the commandments (relentless focus to access the full power of the atonement in our lives.)

2.       Sanctified by the Holy Ghost: seek, listen, and follow its promptings. (How often do I ask the spirit to guide me?)

3.       Exercise faith in Christ: do I believe and expect miracles?

4.       Determination to speak as agents – When was the last time God used me as his instrument?

5.       Be bold in inviting people to change: illuminate all fear.

6.       Teach by the spirit.

Self-evaluation:

1.       How is my testimony?

2.       How is my scripture study going?

3.       How are my prayers? (Are they focused or wandering?)

4.       How is my courage?

5.       Do I recognize the spirit?

If your testimony ever feels week, I know if you immerse yourself in scripture study you will feel closer to god, your day will be different, and you will see miracles. I know that the Book of Mormon and the Joseph Smith was the prophet of the last dispensation. This knowledge is the solid foundation to an unshakable testimony. So in the words of president fenn, if your weak “Rise up and Do Better!” Because this work matters! And it makes us happy, I know that to be true!

Thanks for all you do. Thanks for your prayers and support, we saw the results! Les quiero mucho!!

Con amor,

Hermana Johnson

May 12, 2014

Espero que todos tuvieron un bonito día de madre!
It was so much fun to see you all yesterday!! I love you more than you
know and I love being a missionary. I just feel so privileged and
blessed beyond belief.
Well Aurora is great. We had a bit of a rough week (numbers wise) but
it's nothing that a little harder work and a little more faith can't
fix. Unfortunately I have found myself in the all-too-often position
of being comfortable and feeling like we aren't getting anywhere. I
hated to admit it to myself that I was getting lazy in my thinking and
my work. Worse than a self-realized call to repentance is the
accompanying feeling that amongst the lessons we taught and the people
we met there could have been missed opportunities. But God is so
merciful. For reasons I will never understand, he continues to bless
and forgive us. No matter he just forgets the past and tells us to
move forward. We saw so many miracles this week.
For example: Jessica is a member referral that we were able to serve
last week. We cleaned out her house and scheduled a return
appointment. She has been separated from her husband for a few months
however for some reason the morning we came for our lesson, he showed
up (unannounced and unknowing of our appointment.) As we taught the
lesson we came to find that the husband has a mother who is a member
in Mexico. He has never learned anything about the church and Jessica,
from the moment we prayed, knew that it was true. Although there is a
little more to the story than that, the highlight was the husband that
said "I just wanted to say thank you for coming. I didn't know why I
felt like I should come today, but this was the most beautiful thing I
have ever heard. I am sitting her with my family which is a miracle in
and of itself and we are feeling something that we have never felt
before" (don't direct quote me on that, was in Spanish. But from what
I remember it was something along those lines.) it is just amazing how
the spirit works in peoples hearts, and Heavenly Father leads us to
them in the exact time they need it.
The ward is great, we have began seeking inspiration to pair families
and investigators. We have a note with their information and daily
ways for the member help the progress of the investigator. It's our
way of sharing the responsibility with the members for the progress of
the investigators so when they do get baptized they will have that
solid friend and help, so they don't just get baptized and lost under
the rug. We are praying for its success and following up with members
continually.
Hermana Sewell is great, she is helping to push me and I am learning a
lot from her. Thanks for all you do. I hope everyone had a great
Mother's Day and did something extra special for their mothers. I love
you all and pray for you every night. Thanks for your examples and
prayers.
Con mucho amor!!!
Hermana Johnson

May 5, 2014

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Well It’s a beautiful day here!! The sun is shining, the apartment is clean and the work of the Lord is moving forward.  

I am being spoiled out here in Aurora with Hermana Sewell, she is great and pretty
focused. We are trying to work hard and seeing a lot of tender mercies. For
example, last night we had a lesson with the mom of our recent convert. Before,
she wanted nothing to do with us and wouldn’t even open the door, but now we
are becoming quite good friends. And even though she has no interest in "becoming
Mormon" we were able to clear up a lot of her misunderstandings and
misconceptions. She has agreed to start reading the Book of Mormon. And you
know as well as I do that that book has power to change hearts! So we will keep
her in our prayers and hope (and work) for the best.

 

We are still having problems with Arturo’s dad. The boys were supposed to be
baptized last Saturday, the dad gave permission however, when it came time
to sign the paper, his mind changed. We fasted for their family this weekend
and have a lesson with them and Bishop this Thursday. With any luck we can set
another date. It is difficult to know how to react in this situation because we
don’t want to cause any more contention in the family, after all, salvation is
a family affair. But maybe as the boys continue in the gospel they can set that
example for their father and his heart will change a little as well. 

We are working with a lady named Alejandra. She is amazing! We met her son one
day outside her house, he told us that they have had a lot of
different missionaries over and the mom likes to go to different churches and
stuff. So we stopped by one day and got to teach her the first
lesson. She is what you would call and earnest seeker of truth who has
just been confused by the craftiness of men...I hate how many churches there
are because people think that they are all the same. That it doesn’t
matter what religion you are as long as you’re a good person. And
although that is true to an extent, there is a lot more to it than that.
And we don’t have to live in confusion, because God has one true church!
And anyone can know if they would just put in the time and sacrifice
a little of what God has given us, to ask him. I have never been as certain
as I am now, that God has one true church! That God has restored His
gospel to the earth and that pray and personal revelation through reading
the Book of Mormon is the only way to find out. I find it very
interesting that people can find hours to search the internet and read thousands
of things written about Mormons but can’t find the time to
actually read from the Book of Mormon. Anyway.... sorry about that rant. Alejandra
knows that it is true. We had her at a family home evening the other night and
is coming to another family tonight. Whenever we teach her, the spirit is so
strong, and God just helps us to know exactly what to say to answer her
questions and resolve her doubts. The promise is true: "Therefore, verily
I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I
shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men; For it
shall be given you in the very moment, what ye shall say." (D&C 100:5-6)

 

I found a really great quote from Elder Maxwell, "Our
merciful and long-suffering Lord is ever ready to help. His 'arm is lengthened
out all the day long' (2 Ne 28:32), and even if His arm goes ungrasped, it was
unarguably there! In the same redemptive reaching out, our desiring to improve
our human relationships usually require some long-suffering. Sometimes reaching
out is like trying to pat a porcupine. Even so, the accumulated quill marks are
evidence that our hands of fellowship have been stretched out, too!" As we
strive to bring people closer to Christ and help them receive the blessings of
the restored gospel, many times we feel as those we are trying to pat a
porcupine. But I know that Christ would always do the same, no matter how many
times they rejected Him. He is always waiting for them to soften their hearts
and return home. I have a testimony of the redeeming power of the atonement and
the infinite love of my Heavenly Father. And thank goodness that we have the
gospel to be our anchor and guide so we don’t all end up as porcupines...

 

Happy almost mother’s day! It works best to skype next Sunday
around 4:00pm my time... (So that’s like 2:00 your time?) Would that work for
you? Because we will be at the church and it’s the only place we have wi-fi.
Hopefully that sounds good. Hopefully you can send me a confirmation or algo
before 6:00. 

Thanks for all that you do, I love you lots! Have a great day!!

Les quiero mucho!
Hermana Johnson

April 28, 2014

Hola familia!! Como han estado?
The weather is crazy but the work is great. We had a bit of a rough
week, there are few things worse than the moment you walk up to an
investigators door and see a newly-writen sign that says "somos
Catholicos, no podemos tenerles nada mas." We continue to feel blessed
but it is really hard to see so many people fall into temptation and
don't want to accept the message, even when they have felt that it's
true. We got dropped by many people that we have come to love, but I'm
realizing that Gods time should be spent elsewhere... because they
don't keep commitments. Knowing exactly what we should do in
situations like that is the quest of a lifetime and struggle quite
often with it. The worth of a soul is great, which makes it even
harder to let them go.
But on a more positive note, we are receiving many miracles. We set a
baptism date for the two villagomez boys and our progressing
investigator is coming to an FHE with her children tonight, so Hermana
Sewell and I are looking forward to another great transfer together in
Aurora.
I'm finishing elder Ballards book "Our search for happiness". There
are some really great quotes that ring so true in my life.
In the gospel we find that "there is no pressure on me to compete with
anyone for worldly acclaim and accomplishment." "...considered from
the unique perspective of eternity, fame and popularity are not nearly
as important as loving and being loved; status doesn't mean as much
when compared to service; and acquiring spiritual knowledge is
infinitely more meaningful than acquiring an access of wealth." "It is
that perspective and the attendant spiritual and emotional tranquility
that are among the positive fruits of knowing - really knowing and
living the gospel of Jesus Christ."
I'm so thankful for the gospel, it guides every decision and
underscores every relationship in this life. I love this gospel and I
just feel so very privileged to be born into it and to have a
testimony of it. I love you all!!! I hope you have a wonderful day!!!
Love you lots and keep up the good work!
Love Hermana Johnson

April 21, 2014

Well being a missionary is just about the greatest blessing anyone
could receive. You think you are giving a lot just to turn around and
receive more blessings. I can't thank my Heavenly Father enough for
giving me the opportunity to teach and testify of the atonement and
resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ. These are the two greatest
blessings in this life. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can
be forgiven and do better tomorrow with no fault and through the
resurrection we know that Christ lives. I love that just about
everyday I get to tell people this. At the same time, it's pretty hard
to testify and see people reject it. It's hard, but its great because
I get a hint of what our Savior feels.
I am so thankful for my testimony of these things and the opportunity
I have to share it with others. The other day someone asked if we
could really know Jesus Christ or what church was his church. I was
proud to say that I am coming to know my savior. Yes it is a lifetime
pursuit, but with everyday that we are faithful and serve others we
come closer to Him and knowing Him. After all he is our brother.

I know that through the resurrection of our Jesus Christ we can live
with our families again in his presence. Through saving ordinances
done through the priesthood authority of God proved perfect
understanding of that we are saved by the grace of God... After all we
can do!
Thanks for all your support and letters!! I love you all! I thankful
for your examples and your love. Have a wonderful week! And don't
forget to do your quarterly missionary invite :)

Con mucho amor!! Hermana Johnson