Hey family!
What a week! Zone conference with elder Bowen was awesome and I learned a ton about setting goals and showing God that I am ready for miracles. On the way home we got a call from Nancy (my young women's president and friend back home) she wouldn't tell us who it was, but she said she wanted to serve the missionaries. We met her at the church building and it was so fun to see her and her cute family!
I am really experiencing a lot here especially with food. I have now tried Pickled pigs feet, cheerwine (don't worry it is just a soda), Okra, and Hush puppies! We went to a families house for dinner and the husband is known for feeding missionaries pickled pigs feet. If they do they get to sign his book of life! Obviously I am not one to shrink from a challenge so I tried it with and without a cracker. It is not my favorite food, but it wasn't bad at all! While writing my name in the book I found sister Emily Trainor! She is one of my friends from Rexburg who served here several years ago. It was cool to see that I was in her same position just a few years later!
The rest of the week has been filled with missionary work, dogs, visiting members, taking treats to people. The Wilkesboro elders had a baptism on Saturday that we went to! Shawn is such a sweet boy that is so ready to make covenants with God. We went to lunch after and then went home.
Yesterday was stake conference so I got to see my district again! Conference was awesome and they rearranged things so that the 2 stakes in the area are now 3 stakes. This doesn't affect me much, accept that our STLs (sister training leaders) are no longer in our zone, and it was a cool experience to see God's hand in the changes.
I met someone this week that has not yet decided if he wanted to serve a mission. This was a cool opportunity for me to bear my testimony about serving a mission. I would like to share the same with all of you. In one of my new favorites talks, "His grace is sufficient", Brad Wilcox tells us that he imagines that judgement day will not be like what we have always thought. Rather than Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ kicking the unrepentant sinner out of heaven while they beg to stay, he says that is seems like it would be more likely, knowing God's nature, that they will actually be the one pleading with the unrepentant sinner to stay and the unrepentant sinners will be the ones that are begging to leave. He describes that their will be those that feel so unworthy to enter into the presence of God that they will beg to be cast out. What an interesting perspective. None of us are worthy, but his grace is enough to make up for our short comings. I have no expectation that I will get to heaven and say "Nailed it! Man I totally killed it, take me to my mansion!" But I have every desire to be able to say "I know I'm not perfect, and I know I'm not worthy to be here. But I used Christ's grace and I did my very best." My friends, I am not on a mission because I want to be able to earn entrance into heaven, I am on a mission because I want to feel like I can stay there in the presence of my Heavenly parents and family. Every day, my goal is to do my very best and I don't always do that, but I pray that I will have the strength to do my best to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and follow him so that I will one day be able to hear the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:21) I know that I am not perfect, but I am serving a mission so that I can give God my all. I love the people here and I know that God wants as many of his children home. I am just so honored that I have been called to this great work. EVERY SACRIFICE IS WORTH IT. I love you all so much, look for something in your life that you can improve so that you are giving God your all everyday.
This week daily repentance made me so happy! I encourage you all to find the joy of daily repentance!
Have the best week ever!
Love, Sister Johnson
1. Bowling with my district
2. Nancy found me!
3. Pickled pigs feet
4. Ridding our home of spiders
5. Jesus is the best
6-7. So is the book of mormon
9. Surprise toys with the district after the baptism.