September 24, 2012

Johnson Clan-

It sounds like everyone had a eventful week! So did I, as always!

I am coming up on my 4 months out here! super crazy! time is going by really fast and i am loving the mission life! i am so excited for the R.S. broadcast on Saturday! then we can talk about it the next week :)

I got a letter from Kirsten last week and i was so excited! god answers prayers! she is the R.S. pres in her ward! I'm so happy for her! we had a baptism on Sunday! it went so well! Wesley is 18 and he should be on American idol! his voice is amazing! we have him sing for us every time we go over to teach him! a lot of the branch members came to the baptism and its always nice to have support there for them! yesterday was a great day! i love Sundays! they have always been and will always be my favorite day of the week! speaking of American idol... when does david artchletas cd come out? tell me all about it ! i cant wait to hear it when i get home haha. and the million other songs that come out within the year and half that i am gone. we go to a place ac called yogurt land every week and they are always playing music. i love music! and sense i have been out here i absolutely love the hymns! i have a new fav every day it seems like. one of our investigators who really wants to get baptized cant be baptized because he practices voodoo. it sounds worse than it really is i promise. he says he has good spirits and he has to take them back to the temple where he got them... which is in Haiti.... and hes not going there for a year. its crazy the lives that people have. its makes me ever so grateful for mine!

well on a spiritual side i can across a few things that i would like to share with you that i learned and was reminded of this week. A lot of our investigators talk about how hard life is and express there worry of challenges that they are facing. i have been reflecting on life and the hard things that we all go through. But i have something that they don't (at least not yet) i have a knowledge of the restored gospel and the mercy that the Savior is always ready to extend to us. in Alma 38:5 it says "...i would that ye should REMEMBER that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials and your troubles and your afflictions and ye shall be lifted up at the last day." what a promise! i know that as we "... call upon the name of the Lord, and keep his commandments.." we will be saved. we will be comforted! i love love love reading ensign conference addition talks. i find so much guidance and i cant wait for this upcoming conference. Elder Neil Anderson has said that, "by His grace He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself." I know that Heavenly Father will help up through are hard times. He will carry us through our troubles and he most definitely will lift us up from our afflictions! He loves us! i sit and ponder about that all the time. Heavenly Father loves us. individually. He is going to help us when we need it and when we don't need it! i love the many many things i am learning while i am out here.

Family, i love you so much. I have never been so grateful for each one of you. The support and love that you have shown me and continue to show me is something that i am forever grateful for! I hope that you all have a wonderful week! i love you and i pray for all of you everyday! i know that God answers my prayers and that you are all doing well. The spirit confirms that to me on a daily basis! I look forward to hearing for you next week :)! LOVE YOU LOTS!

love, sister johnson

p.s. i have 6 pages away from being done with the BOM again! whooo! Moroni 7 is one of my fav chapters ever! let me know what you think of it!! and i love you :)

1. Wesley is in the middle

2. slug bug

3. love my comp

September 18, 2012

Family,

 

We got the transfer call last night and...... I am staying in nova YSA and..... my comp is too!! We are really happy and super excited to have another transfer together! i forgot my camera cord so i will be send pics in the mail this week! I am beyond happy for grandpa to go through the temple! This is incredible news!  Its so crazy for me to think that its fall there, everything looks and feels the same here all the time. I've decided that I'm totally okay with that because then I feel like I'm not missing out on anything back home. I think it would be a little bit harder if it felt like fall here right now! We had a zone training this past week and it was really good! It gave us all that boost we needed! We had a small testimony at the end of it and it was prob the most spiritual testimony meeting I have every been at! The spirit was so strong! It was amazing! We also got zone t-shirts! They are pretty cool I will have to send a pic of one! Since I am staying in ysa and no one feeds us, I need to have a few cooking ideas haha. I've been studying Christlike attributes lately. Its been a great thing to study. I have a lot of work cut out for me that's for sure! Tues was the best day because we had a super good teaching day and then I got your package and like 3 letters! It was the best! Storms here are pretty out of control! The thunder pretty much shakes the apt. The storms come and go really fast though. We call it the wall of rain. The other day I was quoting the movie the 'proposal' on one of my favorites, and then I remembered that you me and grandma went to that at the movie theater! Good times for sure! One of the things I've learned since I have been out here is that when someone offers you help, water, or whatever, we accept! God blesses those who serve. So when we let someone serve us, we are helping them receive blessings! When I first got here, I would always say no to help no no no. But then Sister Andrus helped me realize that we need to accept the help when it is presented to us! I read an AMAZING talk in the conference Ensign. Its called 'the why of the priesthood' by Pres Uchtorf. That's how we teach out here. We call it the Why, What, How. We increase their desires, tell them what to do, ask them to keep commitments! Its inspired! I had two really great experiences this week. We were harvesting and we knocking into a mom and her two sons. She let us in and I began to say the harvest blessing (which is just saying a prayer) and I was given the things to say. When we opened our eyes, tears were running down this mothers face. She expressed her gratitude for the prayer I had offered and that I said exactly when she needed to hear. I was so grateful at the moment to have been able to be worthy of the spirit and to have him guide my words! That exact experience happened two more times throughout the week. I know that its because I made a goal to improve my harvest blessings. The Lord helped me improve so that I could better serve him and his children.

It is a challenging decision to make a step into something new and to leave your old life behind to more fully follow the example of Christ. Thank you for having the courage and strength and the desire to do so. 

 

Oh the title of this email. ha. I have had the song 'we built this city on rock n roll' in my head for about a month now! I find myself singing it every morning when I am getting ready! Its super random! I love you all so much! It makes me happy to hear that everything is going well! Please tell Gina Sheri and Dana thanks for all the letters and emails! I will get around to writing them back asap! I'm really grateful for all of the support I get! It helps me in ways I cant even describe!  i love you i love you i love you! I hope that you have a great week!  LOVE YOU!

 

xoxoxo sister johnson

September 10, 2012

 

 

To Sister Brooke's Friends -- she needs more of your mailing addresses in order to return a letter to you.  She can't e-mail you back.  Please send her a letter with your address.  She loves hearing from you!!  Thanks so much for your support!  

Sister Brooke Johnson

Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission

7951 SW 6th Street, Suite 110

Ft. Lauderdale, FL  33324-3211

 

Family,

 

This past week has just flown by! We have transfers next week so I will be emailing on Tues again! I cant believe I have already hit my 3 month mark! I absolutely love being a missionary and I love being here! Last night we got to go to the CES fireside that Elder Holland spoke at! it was INCREDIBLE! He knows his stuff! He was just talking about not 'checking out religion at the door' and holding to our standards! he also talked about attack Babylon on fleeing no more! you should listen to it if you get the time! it was super good! 

 My comp is so awesome! Shes from north cali in a town called ukiah! She's the baby of two sisters and one bro. Her dad is the bishop in her ward. She's been going to BYU-I (we're pretty sure we've seen each other) and shes studying humanities! She'll go back when she gets home in April! shes a lot like me. we get along really well! I'm a little nervous for transfers next week cuz i know i could be leaving... or my comp could be leaving and i would have to take over the area...! yikes! I am excited to let you know what happens though! Mother, i miss your cinnamon rolls and jam and all that yummy stuff! I'm pretty sure i talk about your cinnamon at least once a week ha. I have been practicing the piano a little bit here and there! its all coming back to me! which makes me super happy! i will continue to practice when i get a little bit of time to do so! I'm super excited that conference is coming up! i cant wait! its going to be amazing as always! i am ready to hear from all of them! Ive been reading talks from last conference and they just keep getting better and better as i read! School starts at BYU-I today... its crazy to think that I would prob be starting school right now!

I love Elder Scott and the way he talks about his wife. She was an incredible woman! that's for sure! I love how the gospel helps me want to be a better person and a better member of the church! I want more than anything to be who God wants me to be! I pray that he will continue to refine me for the rest of my life so that I can be ready for when Christ comes again! I was reading in 3 Nephi 21:29 and I love how at the end of the verse it says, "and i will be their reward!" Christ is our reward. Exaltation is our reward! I am going to do what ever it takes to make it there! I want nothing more than to be with my family, loved ones, and friends living with our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father for all eternity! I cant wait! Ive had some great studies on Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. and about the Abrahamic covenant! Its amazing the faith and pure desires of these men and the blessings that they have brought about for all of us!

Last p-day we went bowling and to Olive Garden! I was in heaven! Its was a blast!

Life is great and we are blessed with so many things! please send pic when you get the time! and i cant believe that everyone has started school! that's exciting! time just keeps on moving! please let me know if there is anything i can do for anyone from here! i love you all so much!!! xoxo

 

love sister johnson

 

I LOVE YOU!!

September 6, 2012 (3 Months!!)

Hello family! thank you for the emails! i loved hearing how your labor day weekend went! it sounds like you had a great one visiting with family, going to the fair, and just enjoying the weekend! I'm so happy to hear that everyone is doing well. if there is one thing that i love to hear its that everyone is doing well and is happy! I love that bri wants a bunny, of course she does ha. you will have to keep me updated on that situation ;) Well as always, i want you to know how much i love you and how grateful i am for each one of you! there isn't a day that goes by without me thanking my Heavenly Father for my family! i love you so much!!

This here on the mish are going so good! i have learned a lot this past week and my testimony has been tremendously strengthened! Everyday i meet people who have nothing, nothing at all compared to all that i have been blessed with. My purpose is to help them receive all the blessings i have! that's my goal! i want everyone to have an amazing family like. I want everyone to come to the knowledge of the gospel. The other day we were walking to our car. There was a hatian woman and her son grabbing groceries. We ran over to her and helped carry them up to her apt. we asked if we could prayer with her and she said yes. we offered the prayer and afterwards she was crying. and we asked what we could do for her and she said her brother had just passed away in hati. my hearted yeared to comfort her. but i cant do that. i couldn't. but i do know how she could receive that comfort and thats through the spirit! he is the comforter! i hope and pray that she seeks to know and learn more about the gospel so she can be blessed with the knowledge of the plan of salvation! Our investigator Miguel is so awesome! i cant wait for  all of you to meet him. he is always asking how our families are doing and if theres anything he can do for us cuz he knows we miss you! he invited us to his moms bday lunch on sat! i hope we can make it! he needs to get baptized! his only excuse is that he doesn't thing hes ready but he totally is! These YSA! they don't like to make commitments! Also, our recent convert, Alex, is incredible! we met him and he was baptized 9 days later. THEN, we go back a couple days after his baptism and he was asking about how he could share the gospel... hello, serve a mission!!! he just turned 22! he has such a pure desire to do whats right and to serve God! People like this strengthen me. The help me be grateful for every little thing i have been given! it has been SO hott here! oh my goodness! we teach mostly guys so we cant go inside so we stand outside and teach the lessons in the boiling sun while they stand inside their door in the AC. no big deal ha. it gets so bad sometimes that i literally feel the sweat drip down my back. its discusting to say the least! oh well- I'm a live and super happy! :) I love the hymn how firm a foundation pg. 85. "ill strengthen thee help thee and cause thee to stand.." I know that he is waiting to help us, waiting to bless us, we just have to call upon him! communication is huge! Heavenly Father wants to hear from us and as we talk with him, he will strengthen us and help us make it through another day! i know it because i have felt it! last week i was bummed out. i was letting life get the best of me and i was struggling! i pleaded that i would be able to recognize the spirit so that i could keep doing his work and what do you know, he helped me and caused me to stand! I have come to realize that when we are having a bad day, week, month we need to sit down and think about where we stand with our Heavenly Father! i know that as we strive to more fully follow the example of Jesus Christ, we will make it! those hard times will become great times! happiness comes from us choosing it! :) and that's what i choose! I literally have the best comp ever! shes amazing! i went on exchanges this week! it was kinda crazy! i was put with a sister that has been her for only 3-4ish weeks! she is my roommate so i know her.. that helped! but i was on my own! I'm still in training haha! it was a great experience and i learned a lot! I love going to members homes. this past week a missionary couple fed us lunch! the spirit is so strong in there home. there truly is a difference in members homes! i wish we could go to a members home everyday ha that would be a great boost!

Well my time is gone again. It goes SO fast! I love you all and cant wait to hear from you next week! its my favorite part of the week! i hope you have an amazing next few days! remember i love you so much! talk to you soon!

love love love, sister johnson

1.banana tree

2. the skreets (streets ha people here call them skreets because the are getto)

3. legit fort

4. alexs baptism!!!

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! XOXO