Aliyah's Baptism

This past week has probably been the busiest time of my mission by far! We had MLC, an exchange in Pierre, a Zone Training Meeting, and a baptism, but I wouldn't have it any other way! 

 Our Zone Training Meeting turned out so good.  Sister Wittwer was on fire up there and I really feel like we reached all the missionaries. We taught this one part on treating the missionaries with respect because even in the mission there can be hurt feelings and clicks and such, and we THREW DOWN!  I really felt like Heavenly Father helped us say what he wanted.

Saturday we had our BAPTISM, just like you! It was really neat thinking that we had a baptism on the same day.  I wish you could have been there to witness it because it was incredible! I was so excited for Aliyah and I think it really got her Dad excited to be baptized too.  I absolutely love that family and seeing them all talk about their goal of going to the temple was so spiritual.  But, as always, something goes wrong with the font.  Right before the actual ordinance was about to happen we checked the font and it was probably only a little higher than her knees and FREEZING!!! It was too late to really do anything, so she just had to bend her knees and freeze ("Stop rhyming. I mean it!" "Anybody want a peanut?").  So in my talk about baptism I mentioned that Aliyah had set four goals: pray every night, read her scriptures each night, get baptized, and be close her family.  After, the Bishop got up to welcome her to the ward and told her that if she kept to those goals her whole life she would be happy. BUT, then he said "If everyone just tattooed those four goals on the palm of their hand, it would be a much better world."  And he just went off on getting this tattoo.  My mission President was there, the Assistants, and all the missionaries serving in Rapid...oh my goodness it was so embarrassing but so funny. You have got to love members sometimes.  After the baptism we sent the AP's a text and asked if it is now approved to get tattoo's?  They said, "Yeah, we are all going to the parlor Monday to get them!"

 

 I absolutely love
Aliyah and I am so
happy she has made
this important 
decision!

Missionary Miracles

Dear Family,

 

This week has just flown by and I feel like I was emailing you yesterday. 

We have a baptism coming up this Saturday too and we are really excited! Aliyah is basically all ready to go and she is counting down the days.  This week we re-taught the word of wisdom and followed up to see how she was doing and her Dad(Junior) sat in while we taught the lesson.  When we came over then at the end of the week, the Mom(Jessica) told us he had quit drinking coffee right after we left and hasn't had any since.  He is quiet and keeps to himself, but is starting to sit in more and more.  In our last lesson with them this week we invited him to say a prayer at the end.  He seemed nervous, but he gave a simple, yet heart felt prayer.  It was cute and at the end when he couldn't remember what to say, Aliyah whispered to him to say, "Thank you for for telling us to not go shopping on Sundays, and thank you for the bread and water. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen."  Even though he is quiet and slowly coming around, we are excited! He came to church for the second week in a row and it was great! I think seeing his daughter get baptized this weekend will make him want this more.

 

 Well I hope you all have a good week and know how much I love each of you.

 

Love,

Sister Johnson

BYU - Here I Come!!!

Goodness I have been trying not to think about BYU all week, then on Sunday, one senior young woman came up and told me she didn't get into BYU. She told me that they had one of their largest amount of applicants this year. I didn't know her grades or anything, but she seemed like she would be a really good student! The whole rest of the day I was preparing myself for bad news...I thought for sure I wasn't going to get in. IT IS A MIRACLE...no joke. I really do not know how I got in. Well...probably because my stinkin' awesome sister applied for me! Thank you Brookie!

Tender Thoughts - March 18, 2014

 This week I have just had this renewed desire to be a better missionary.  I want so badly to be everything the Lord expects of me.  If Heavenly Father is anything like Mom and Dad, then I know he has high expectation for me.  He wants me to reach my full potential, He wants me to be successful, and He wants me to be happy.  I just want to make sure I do everything I can to talk to the people He is preparing to hear the gospel.

A sister gave me some advice this week that I feel is so true! Not just for missionaries, but for everyone! She said "Five minutes of awkward is well worth eternal salvation."  There are many awkward moments when inviting people to learn of the gospel, but the end result is worth it in the end.  I wish I would have applied this more at the beginning of my mission.

Well I look forward to this new week and hope that the people that we teach will be receptive to the gospel.  I believe that bringing people to this church, to Christ, is a righteous desire, and God wants us to succeed in that.  I love you all.

Sister Johnson