Tuesday, June 30, 2020

June 29th, 2020

Well, well, well.....

It's been a week. Very long to be sure. We are just chugging along with our new responsibilities and is a lot of uninteresting work of coordinating things and figuring out. We are crazy busy with all the stuff we have going on. We had training for Facebook specialist stuff and we also had a bunch of tech things we had to do. We spent a lot of time just sitting down trying to figure out our lives. But, we got a lot of stuff done and we still had time to do Facebook finding, to which I talked to 2 new people!

I was so sad to see Sister Brown gone! We had such an awesome time together and we were living it up! But, we will still have a fun time with Sister Dorton and I. We are still figuring things out because it's almost like starting all over as a companionship.

We have been working hard, trying to keep both areas alive, since we are over Central Park and Centerton 1st. We had ward Council and MCM with both yesterday. It was nice to get to know some of the members from Centerton 1st and get a feel for the ward. We also had an amazing sacrament and lunch outside with the Baccocinis from Centerton 1st. They are just the best and we had a blast! Funny story, we were running kind of on a short schedule and so we didn't have enough time to eat dessert (also, Sister Dorton couldn't make a decision because she was stuffed full!). So, they decided to just bring out this Tupperware, lasagna sized, FULL of tasty treats for us to eat later, along with plenty of other leftovers. We were not left wanting. 

One little interesting thing I discovered this week about fairness.
"That's not fair!!"
I'm sure we all have said that at some point in our lives, especially to our parents. We dont we get something, but our sibling does. Sometimes in life, we ask God that every same question. Why do they get something, but I don't? The answer is because He loves us. Our parents had to parent each of us kids differently because we learn and grow differently. The same thing goes with God. We each go through different things because we all learn differently and have to have different experiences to become who God wants us to become. Because He loves us.

Love you all!
Sister Savannah Johanson


Tuesday, June 23, 2020

June 22, 2020

(I almost typed in May. Oh my goodness guys, how is it already halfway through June???!!!)

Hey everyone!

Quick rundown!!

So, I'm in charge of editing a mission wide magazine that we have, and the deadline to have it done was this last week, so I worked on that. A lot. It was time consuming. But it was good.

We taught a man we are teaching a little bit more about the word of wisdom and why it's important. We challenged him to do a week without coffee (because he went a couple days last week). He was doing so good, but gave up on Sunday, which was really sad.

My trio is coming to an end tomorrow, which I'm sad about. Sister Brown is going to Gore, OK, and Sister Dorton and I will be absorbing Centerton 1 with Central Park. Also, we will now be in charge of Facebook stuff for the entire mission! So, we are about to be busy!

Crazy story! My companion sometimes sleep walks and one night, she left the apartment and sprinted down the road!!! I had to sprint after her so as not to lose her. Luckily, Sister Brown and I stay up after she goes to sleep to keep an eye on her. (Actually, we do it more because what she does is really entertaining. Pure drama!)

I've been learning about repentance this week and have been studying the addiction recovery manual. One of my sister training leaders would read it all the time, because it's basically the steps of repentance. It's really powerful and has helped me view repentance as a positive thing rather than a negative. All too often, we get scared of repentance, but the thing is, we all need it. That is why God and Christ gave us the Atonement, so we can improve and move past those mistakes we made. It can be scary, but it's so beautiful and freeing. I love it so much.

Anyway, I love you all! Have a good week!!!!

Love,
Sister Savannah Johanson





Monday, June 15, 2020

June 15th, 2020

Hey everybody!

It has been an exciting and busy week for us. I'm still adjusting to things and it's so weird not to know everyone in the ward. That's one of the things I miss about church. But it's a good area and I have a good feeling about things. There were some ok cool moments from this last week.

A girl named Sidney got baptized this week! It was interesting because she wanted more than 10 people there and that could only happen if we did it outside. So, we arranged to do the service in a member's backyard and use their pool. She is so amazing and was glowing. There were some beautiful messages shared and the spirit was really strong. She got baptized by the bishop's son, who she is really close friends with, which was pretty cool.

We had an interesting experience with someone while we were teaching Sidney's final lesson before her baptism. We did it outside in a pavillion and a woman was there at the park bench. We ended up talking to her a bit and talking about God's plan, faith, and we gave her the Book of Mormon. We asked her to text us if she was interested in talking more and to let us know how she is doing. It was kind of weird and we were only able to say so much to her, but her heart has definitely been softened a little bit and has been brought a little closer to Christ.

We're teaching a man named Jerry and he is amazing! He's an older man and has been taught by the missionaries for awhile. Sister Dorton was able to get him on date and we're working on getting him ready. He keeps on trying and has a desire to come closer to God. We are so proud of the progress he is making and love helping him feel God's love for him.

Over the weekend, we were able to be a part of service activity with the food pantry H2O. We were able to give boxes of food out to people in need and we it was so great to interact with the people there. We were there for so long though! But it was worth it, because they were so grateful to have us there and were happy to have us help.

My new favorite service is going to horses for healing. It's a horse therapy place where we go and help the groundskeeper with a bunch of stuff. It's a lot of work, but I really like it. I feel like I'm accomplishing things and I love being around horses!

I've been pondering a lot about humility this week. Honestly, it's an interesting concept that many people have a hard time with. I think to often we confuse self-deprecation with humility. Being humble does not mean we put ourselves down and minimize our efforts. Humility is loving ourselves and valuing what God has given us. The key to it is not comparing it to anyone else's. As soon as we look at ourselves compared to others, better or worse, we let pride slip in and we are valuing ourselves in terms of the world rather than God. When we take time to appreciate what we have, who we are, and what we are trying to become, we can find more love and peace in ourselves. It's not easy and we will slip up sometimes, but thankfully, we have the Atonement to make amends and continue forward.

Love,
Sister Savannah Johanson
























Sunday, June 14, 2020

June 8th, 2020

Well everybody,

It finally happened. I have been transferred. After 7 1/2 months in Prairie Grove, they moved me up to the Central Park ward in the Bentonville Stake. I was really sad to leave. I had grown to love it there and it was like a second home to me. I didn't even get to say goodbye to everybody, but I did get to say goodbye to some people which was really nice. I was really sad to say goodbye to Sister Fisher, as is now like a Sister to me.

But funny story, so when they gave me the transfer call, they only told me the area but not who my companion was. How it works is we get on a conference call as a stake of missionaries and the zone leader will list the changes within the stake. When they didn't say my companion, I asked who it was. They said they would find out and let me know. Well, they never let me know. So, I wasn't sure and figured I would find out at transfers.

I get to transfers, which was pouring rain by the way. I got soaked to the bone. I put my stuff on, say goodbye, and head up. I arrive in Bentonville and some missionaries are showing up. One is Sister Brown who I kind of knew and she was serving in Centerton 1st. She turns to me as and says, "Sister Johanson, did you know we're serving in a trio?" I did not. SURPRISE!!!! I am in a trio with Sister Dorton and Sister Brown, covering Central Park and Centerton 1st for three weeks until Sister Brown gets her new companion.

I'm slowly adjusting to things here. It's so weird being transferred after being in one place for do long with the same person. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing right now. But it will be okay. It's been pretty fun, as we have been pretty busy. We were able to visit some members and some people we are teaching and we got to help out with a service project within the stake. It was a food drive for a local food pantry and it was pretty fun. It was really hot, although. The cool days of Arkansas are officially over.

I've been learning a lot about obedience lately, as I have been reading the Ether chapters. It really is interesting how much we can receive in life and joy if we just do what Heavenly Father asks us. We are able to be happy when we are obedient. I also was reading the part where Ether was called as a prophet. I think it's interesting as we look at where Ether came from. His grandfather was a wicked king and it says that he "did that which was wicked before the Lord," but then Ether becomes a man of the Lord. Where we come from doesn't define who we are but the choices we make. If we want to change our lives and become a better person, there is nothing but ourselves from becoming so. We always have a choice.

Anyway, I love you all and I hope you have a good week!

Love,
Sister Savannah Johanson