Tuesday, May 19, 2015

"Can you tell me something that will heal me?” We said "Absolutely!"

ahhhh!!!! OKay CRAZY MIRACLE TIME!!! here's 2!
So remember R? He was the one that I met in at Sis S’s home and asked him to be baptized after 10 minutes of knowing him? Story time! 
So every tues and thurs we do splits with 2 people from the elders quorum. And on tues Bro F and Mc were supposed to come. The night before when we were planning for the day to come, I thought "hmmm, what if Bro F cancels?" But he never cancels....like EVER. He always takes one of us to do some home teaching. But I kept having that thought. Sis S came to my mind, so I scribbled her down thinking "okay this could be inspired?" 

Then I TOTALLY and COMPLETELY forgot about it. 
So tues comes around and we're heading to the church to do splits, when Bro F calls and cancels!!!!!!!!! So we called Bro McBride to see if he was still coming. And he said yes, and also said he had his 16 yr old son with him! Bingo! Splits are still on! So we get to the church and Bro M and his son are there. We told him Bro F cancelled and he said oh! okay, one of you can go with my son! And we're like "mwaahahah that's what we wanted" But we just said yes instead haha.

So I'm with Bro Mc and he says "So where are we headed!" Then I was like....shoot, I thought you had people.... SO we try to figure out something as we're driving. Then I thought of Sis S, still forgetting that I planned her name the night before. We start heading over there. On the way I asked "Do you know where she lives?"   "Nope.......do you?" 

"Nope." hahaha. So he decided we'd try someone else, but on the way we passed the street that sis s lives on! And I quickly told him to turn around so we could go see her. So we get there and there's a ford focus in the drive way. And Sis s can't drive.....
I said "If that's Rick I'm going to cry!"
AND LO AND BEHOLD! It was him! That morning I also asked that we'd be sent to where He needed us to be!
It was a great lesson! Then Sis S gave us a referral for her neighbor who lost her husband last sunday.

miracle two, L

So the next day we were out and about and Elder Watkins asked "Where to?" I said, let's go contact that referral! Immediately after this decision I felt MILLIONS of doubts and fears dump into my brain. I firmly declared "WE ARE GOING AND THAT'S THAT!" 
During the car ride we role played our approach to this woman who lost her husband, trying to be as loving and caring as we could. I was the missionary, and Elder Watkins pretended to be her. it went well! But I was SO nervous! I PLEADED AND BEGGED Heavenly Father that it would all work out. I said "Throw a shoe at me! or shoot me with lightning if I'm going to say the wrong thing!! Just please don't let us mess this up!!!!!"

When we parked she already spotted us and was walking towards us. We came out and introduced ourselves. She said EXACTLY WHAT ELDER WATKINS SAID IN THE ROLE PLAY. WORD. FOR. WORD. She then quickly declined and said she was going through a hard time. Elder Watkins testified that the Gospel has brought him answers and peace. L looked up and asked.
"Can you tell me something that will heal me?”  We said "Absolutely!"

She invited us over to her porch and we began answering her questions about life after death. She told us she felt so much peace and love from what we were saying. We told her it's not from us, but it is the Spirit of God giving her that peace. She smiled from ear to ear. 
I would give anything for you to see her countenance change as we spoke with her. Her hard look and broken smile melted away as we taught. And she indeed was "healed"
Please pray for L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We want to meet with her again!!!!!!!!!
I know this Church is truer than true. I know that God is real, more importantly He Loves us perfectly. I know Christ is truly the Son of God and through Him we can be cleansed from sin through repentance. I know it. I know the Plan of Salvation is REAL. And DOES heal the broken. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 
Elder Johnson

Pic! The Lord works by "small & simple things" He chooses to work through US!

 Make a wish! 
Have hope!

Monday, May 11, 2015

"If I could serve a mission again, I'd do it in a heart beat" I testify, that their is NO joy greater than that of sharing the GOSPEL!

Okay, so it's not about the numberssss, but I just wanted to toot our horn! OUR HARD WORK'S BEEN PAYING OFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So not saying how much, but our district alone taught about half of the lessons in our entire zone!!!
Is that crazy or what!!!!!!!!  Also we taught more lessons this week than any other week since I got here!!! yayyy!!!!!!!

Anywho. I"m doing SUPER!!! My face is 98% better!!! 
Just tin tiny miniscule things, but I can function normally now!!!!! Take that bell's palsy!!  

Skyping was AWETHOMMMEE!!   And thanks for the birthday wishes!!! 
My bday was yesterdayyy!!  (May10)  I'm now 14!   Kidding, I'm now 20! 
but 14 at heart!
I sure have loved my mission. It hasn't fully hit me yet, but I know I'm going to miss it so much.

I was privileged to be raised by wonderful and amazing parents. They are spiritual GIANTS!!!! and their stories of how they came to the church are amazing. 
Their sincere desire to serve carried them into the mission field in Korea, where they both met as missionaries. And my Sister April is now serving in Korea, and is constantly bumping into people that knew my parents as missionaries.
My parents always talked about their missions, something I forever treasure. They both told me this all of my life,
"If I could serve a mission again, I'd do it in a heart beat"

I admire how much they truly loved their missions. And their love for missionary service carried me into the field as well, and I can say in pure and total honesty.  "If I could serve a mission again, I'd do it in a heart beat"

I testify, that their is NO joy greater than that of sharing the GOSPEL! I know it! 
I KNOW God lives, He's real, He loves us, I know Christ lives, and He too is ever aware and ready to serve and help us. I know that this Church is True, I testify the Book of Mormon is true as well. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Elder Johnson

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ have a stubborn love for us, and They'll never leave our side

Hey Everyone!!! I love youuuuuu!!! Here's my General Email!!!

This week we had an AMMMAZING!!!!! experience!!!

In the morning I prayed and asked Heavenly Father to send us to where He needed us to be. We called to confirm our dinner appt that evening and it was cancelled. Normally i'd be a grumpy gills...mainly because I love the members and their food. But don't get that order mixed up okay?? ;) haha. But after the call I just had this feeling of peace that EVERYTHING would be okay. Anywho we went and tried a less active man that we had never met. He lived clear out in the middle of nowhere. We went to the neighboring house not being able to find it and we saw a woman out on her porch. We went and started talking with her about the Gospel and got to share some stuff about the family. I said something that I have never said before and I thought it was interesting.

We're all human, and we all have needs, everyone needs a sense of BELONGING. To feel that they are important and matter. We often turn to other sources for that feeling, but the best place for us to feel the most love is to our Loving Heavenly Father. We ended up giving her a Book of Mormon and it was awesome! She said her name is Del, and she had the coolest brown lab! Anywho she directed us to the correct house and we left. We knocked on the Newsom's door and the wife answered the door. She said that her husband wasn't home yet but would be back in about an hour or so.

I've REALLY been trying to follow the Spirit and follow bravely the promptings I've received. I've also tried super hard to THROW myself into the work and be anxiously engaged in a good cause!
So we went out and tried more doors! It  was awesome, I don't think very many people opened their doors but I was super happy anyways just going out and doing my best! It was awesome!

We were driving around and passed a woman parked on the side of the road. I had a feeling that we were supposed to talk with her. But I didn't say anything, so we left. I finally mustered up the courage and said that we needed to go back there and talk to her. He said he felt it too. It was funny because we both felt that we were supposed to talk to her but passed her car about 3 times haha. By the time we went back we saw her pulling up into her driveway. We both figured....eh, Might as well! So we went up there anyways and we gave her a card! It was great! I fear that often we are too focused on results when we follow promptings. Even if that was not a prompting, I am proving to my Heavenly Father that He can trust me. And I will continue to do so! And the good we do is never forgetten by the Lord. Ever. He takes that good and weaves miracles out of the small simple acts of sharing the Gospel!

Anywho, we went back to the New's and we saw a brown lab our front. Both of us were like...wait......Dol??! And sure enough Dol's had stopped by at the New's. We said hello and she said she was very appreciative that we were out there making sure Bro Newsom was doing okay and told us to watch out for him. What a nice lady!!!! She'll be baptized just you wait!~! haha. So we got in the door and had an AMAAAZING discussion with Bro New. His wife said that it was meant to be that we were there! She said while watching TV a show about JEsus that she had never seen before came on and then POOF! we knocked on the door and gave her a becausehelives mormon.org card. 

Coincidence!!! NO! Anywho, so we began talking with Bro New. He is such a wonderful and inviting man, but really struggles with depression and other things. We testified from our hearts of the Atonement of Christ. The Spirit was so thick. We read scriptures about how God can turn any weakness into GREAT SPIRITUAL STRENGTH! He was so grateful for the help. He said "Wow Elders, I'm so grateful that you came over here, you gave me Hope"   We seriously just showed up and then the Spirit dumped words into our mouth! It was SO awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Also, Del came over to bring a dinner over to the N's because she is an awesome neighbor (is she a dry mormon or what!) and Sis New fed it to us! Gee does Heavenly Father take care of us or what! I was so grateful, and it confirmed to me the feeling I had that morning when Heavenly Father said "It's okay, it'll all work out! You may not be over at dinner, but I have something even better!" And surely it was even better!

I testified my guts out of the Atonement of Christ. And how we are NEVER alone. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice, BEING ALONE IS NOT AN OPTION.
Because of Jesus Christ's Atonement we can receive God's help, and indeed, He cannot leave us, it's not in the program! Only we leave Him by disobedience and rebellion. But God will never leave us. The Spirit was so strong. I loved ever second that lesson. One that I will not soon forget. 

We said a closing prayer, I was deeply humbled and grateful that God surely knows His Children and He knew that we were supposed to be there at that time. God's love for Bro N and Sis N was so evident that He hand picked and sent us over there to help. What a blessing. the Lord truly answered my prayer when I asked that we could be "instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their redeemer" (mosiah 27:36)

When we were leaving I felt another prompting to ask if there was anyone they knew of that we could visit. Preach my Gospel says "teach when you find, and find when you teach!" So I figured I should ask for referrals. Something that I've tried to do with everyone. They suggested their less active daughter. I asked for an address and he could only remember parts of it. He left the room to call his daughter and ask. We kept talking a bit with Sis N and then Bro N came back.
"So did you talk to her?"
"Yes, just got off the phone, But it was strange because she's the one who called me!"

That. Is. NO. coincidence. We just happened to be there at that time! And his daughter called him LITERALLY the second he left to go call her!!!!!!!!!!
God works in mysterious ways! But it's so obvious that He will never leave us alone. He loves us too much to ever leave us. In fact His entire existence and purpose is "To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" His entire purpose, all He days 24/7 is help us come back to Him! What A perfect Father!

Our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ have a stubborn love for us, and They'll never leave our side. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Elder Johnson

PS!
My face is doing FANTASTIC!!!!! thank you for the prayers! This is the fastest recovery EVVER. I am almost normal! maybe like 90% healed?


Also my BIRTHDAY IS ON MAY 10 THHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! :) I turn 20!!! :)