Sunday, June 16, 2019

June 10th, 2019: Up, down, and around

Hello Everyone!

Another week gone by! Man, does time fly! So many amazing things happen during the week and it always surprises me when it's over. It's been a wonderful week, as every week is. I love it so much. It has been an adventure!

We had exchanges, which, for me, is always a tough day to get through. Appointments always seem to fall through on that day and you spend time trying to find out what the heck to do. It didn't help that I was in Charleston all day, where we don't really have any investigators. With how boonie it is in my area, we typically try to stay in one place that day. Sister Buhler, my amazing sister training leader, and I spent a lot of time knocking doors. Luckily, we were able to find a good street to tract on. We got a couple of potentials and we even placed a Book of Mormon! That was exciting.


We are planning on going to the temple soon! I am so excited! I miss the temple! We have a lady in our ward, Sister S., who we have been working with for awhile to get her temple recommend. She just got it yesterday! Now we just have to find someone who can take us all there. Sister S. doesn't have a car.

We started teaching this lady named Tonya. She lives next door. It was actually pretty weird how that happened. She was one day looking at the apartment to buy. We see her and say hi. Suddenly, Sister Nelson is doing all this stuff that just was kind of a curve ball for me. But it was fine. I found out later that the Spirit told her that we were going to teach her and that all the stuff she said and did was just from the spirit. Crazy! Couple days later, we see her in front of the other apartment. We go over and talk to get. She got the apartment! We celebrated with her and got talking. Then she says, "I'm looking for a church to go to." Well, lucky for her we know a great church to go to! She came on the following Sunday. We then go over to teach her this last week and get to know her more. She tells us about herself and the struggles she is going through. We then started telling her about the Book of Mormon. She was like, oh so you guys are Mormons? We were like, yeah, we're members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She then tells us that she was baptized in our church. Uh....what?! It doesn't seem like she remembers anything, so we are still going to teach her. We are currently working on finding her records.

We had lunch with a less active member on Saturday. She is a small, Vietnamese old lady. It was an interesting lunch to be sure. She was going to take us to Fort Smith for lunch, but she then decided to buy it and come back home. So, we had it at her house. It was pretty good. Nothing to amazing, though. But she did make us this disgusting drink. It was basically just ice, black beans, and sugar. It was disgusting. I didn't drink too much of it. Neither did Sister Nelson. We both thought if was gross. But, Sister Chu surprised us at the end of lunch, asking where we sit in church. We told her where, and she said she was going to come to church! And she did! Happy day!!! It took us by surprise. 

Our nights have been a rollercoaster this week. We've started doing this book of Mormon study with Sister Sp. Some nights are amazing, where we read with her and she feels like the scriptures are talking to here and she raves about how amazing these studies are and how much they help her. Others, its mediocre. Sometimes she will even cancel because things don't work out. Then, sometimes we get nights like we had on Friday. She calls us in tears and says she doesn't want to do it anymore! She talks about how its too hard and nothing is helping anymore. That was a fun night. But we talked her through some things. It didn't fix anything, but we called her in the morning. She was doing better and then we went and saw her that day. She's doing okay now. But it is always an adventure with her. You never know what it's going to be like with her. 

This week, I've learned about how to be in tune with the Spirit and recognizing his voice. Even after almost 3 months of being on a mission, you still have to learn exactly what the Holy Ghost sounds like. But, you can recognize him. I've learned how close I am with him and how much of a friend he is to me. He understands me and will always help me. I can always rely on him and I know I won't be led astray. I know that as long as I am living righteously, I can always have him right next to me. I have strengthened my faith a lot this week. I'm trusting Heavenly Father's plan and the Holy Ghost and that what he knows and says it best.

This week, I would like to talk about families. I hope you are all close to your family. If you are not, I would encourage you to do so. Nothing is more important than your family. We have been promised by our Heavenly Father that by being sealed in the temple, we can live with our families forever. But, it is up to us if we want to. Do you want to live with your family forever right now? Would you rather be separated from them and walk away from them? So you let contention rule your life and home and let it creep into your relationships and let it break them apart? Satan is actively trying to tear down the most important thing. He knows that the family is one of the most valuable things in all of eternity. He knows our weaknesses and will attack us on all fronts, never leaving us alone and working to destroying us. Do not let him. Please. I beg you to build up those who are important to you and do what you can to make things right. I have seen so many families that have contention ruling your lives, and I wish there was something I could do to help them. Unfortunately, sometimes the most I can do is pray. I would invite you all to focus on your family. Try to make it the center of your lives and work earnestly to rid yourself to unloving feelings you have. If you have answered yes to any of my questions, turn to Heavenly Father for guidance and forgiveness. He will help you. He loves you. He loves your family. He knows what is best for you. Listen to the Spirit. Let him guide you in your everyday life. Allow Him to help you and keep yourself in time with his direction and promptings.

I love you all very much and I wish the very best for all of you. I hope you all are doing well and are keeping yourselves close to Heavenly Father and actively seeking out the Holy Ghost and the light of Christ in your lives.

With all my love and prayers,
Sister Savannah Johanson






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