October 14th

Well friends,

It's been a good week. Nothing new to report on, but good stuff nonetheless. We were able to see a lot of the people we are teaching and continue to help them in their lives.

We had stake conference this weekend and it was really good! It was all about missionary work and how we can do things as members. We were able to hear from our mission President, his wife, our zone leader, the person they are teaching who is getting baptized this next week, and some service missionaries. So needless to say, it was riveting! It even inspired me to be a better missionary!

We also had zone conference which was also super good. We talked a lot about freedom and bondage. A lot of the time we think of freedom as freedom from, but there is also the freedom to. By taking piano lessons, you are free to play it anytime you want. By completing a mission, you are free to say you served a full 18-24 month mission. There are so many things. By having faith, you are free from fear.

I know that we are all watched over and that things will be okay. There are times where we feel despair, doubt, anger, sadness, frustration, ect. The list can go on and on. But we will be able to do this. Things are hard for a reason, but Heavenly Father will make sure that it is never too hard. If you think you cannot do it, tell Him. He loves you and wants to help.

I'm grateful for all of your love and prayers. Thank you!

Love,

Sister Savannah Johanson

October 7th, 2019: I'm going to China!

Dear Everyone!!!!

What a wonderful weekend we had! I absolutely love being able to listen to the prophet and apostles. I learn so much and I can always receive revelation and feel the Spirit when I watch it. It is one of my favorite times of the year! Only 180 days until the next one! Who knows what will happen then. I’m sure it will be so exciting! I look forward to it and will be counting the days (literally).

The beginning of this week was a little bit slower, but we were able to go see a couple of people and continue building relationships with them. We are really working on finding ways to keep busy and on getting ourselves to be thrown into the work. It’s a process, but we will get there. Some things just take time.

We really got to help and get to know some of the members this week, which I actually really enjoyed. I really love this ward here. They are so wonderful and are doing such wonderful things. They have become my friends and I am so grateful that I have a chance to be here with them and get to know each and every one of them. They are so helpful. Getting to know the members in my mission areas has really helped me grow a love for people and listening to them and knowing how important they are to the work and the church. We are the church. The church is not an organization, but us members who actively participate in the gospel.

On one note, I now have to go to China, because I told my Chinese family we are teaching that I wanted to go and they told me that they would be my tour guide when I go. So, now it's a must! Oh, well!

I would just like to say how much I love my mission. I love the growth it has allowed me to make and the learning of the gospel and my own conversion. I know I have come so far and I am so grateful I was given this opportunity to come out and spread the love of our Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is such a beautiful privilege and I hope that I can continue to learn and grow and find myself growing closer to my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I am so blessed to have this gospel in my life. It brings me hope, love, peace, and joy, even in those hard times. Sometimes my joy looks different than other times, but it is always there. I can always feel my Heavenly Father close, even when I don’t recognize it. I know that this is the restored gospel. I know that I am a daughter of God with a divine purpose and destiny. I know that I have a Savior, who has borne all my sins and sorrows and has allowed me a way to return to my Heavenly Father so that I can live with Him again and be like Him. I know I’m am going where I need to go and that I can always find the path with looking up and feeling with my heart and the Holy Ghost. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, who restored the church to the earth, and I know that President Russell M. Nelson is also a prophet of God, who is continuing to restore it in this day. I have received guidance and direction from him and I know that he is leading us back to where we are meant to be. I love this gospel with all my heart. As this is my testimony, I’m going to close this in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

I love you all and am so grateful for all your love, prayers, and support. I keep you all in my heart and my prayers!

Love,

Sister Savannah Johanson

September 31st, 2019: We can do hard things

Friends!!

Here we are! Its week 26, which means.....absolutely nothing!! Just that I've been out for 26 weeks. Only about 53 more to go! Unfortunately, it's going to be a short, short letter this week.

It's been a good week, I guess. We went to 6 week training on Tuesday, which was good. It was a fun day of learning and seeing other missionaries and hearing from President. I especially loved seeing Sister Nelson, MY trainer! I was so happy to see her! I love her so darn much. It was so good to catch up and hear about good ol' Greenwood, one of my favoritist places in the world!

This week was a little rougher, to be honest. We completely ran out of miles for our car and didn't know what to do. We were trying to bike everywhere, but let me tell you, that was not easy. For one, riding a bike as an adult is much harder than riding it as a kid for some reason. Reason two, it is also MUCH different to ride the winding, hilly roads of Missouri compared to riding the safe flat roads of St. George, Utah.

I'm excited for General Conference! It is one of my most favorite times of the year! I love being able to sit down and listen to the prophet and apostles. I get as much as I can from President Nelson, as I always learn so much from him.

This week, I learned about how we can do hard things. Even when we think we can't. Unfortunately, life puts us in situations where we have to do things that we aren't sure we can do. It is so easy to get caught up in our own weaknesses and flaws, that we can easily decide that it is too hard and that we will never get to where we need to be. Let me tell you right now that those thoughts are false. We are given trials, weakness, experiences, and flaws to learn and grow and to be able to gain experience in life. When we say that we can't do something, we are stopping our personal progression from reaching that potential that our Heavenly Father sees in us. Our plans our different than His. He knows exactly what we need and where we need to go. As Nephi says, "I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." As my mom and the prophet says, "You can do hard things." That us exactly why we are here. We were never promised that this life would be easy, but we were promised that it would be worth it.

I love you and am grateful for all of you!

Love,

Sister Savannah Johanson