August 7, 2017 - Here I come!

Whelp, we got transfer calls Thursday. And they are closing our area.

Sis. Dunlop is getting transferred to memory lake (best place ever!)

and I'm getting booted out of Alaska. Lol ;)

I love you all! See ya Thursday.... or Sunday.... or whenever!!!!!!!!

😊sis. Johnson

This sums up the last week of the mission

1. It's this Elders bday this month!

2. Food bank service with Steve and Betty (Betty was on the phone in the back)

3-4. Some of my wasilla friends came to say good bye! (Yes this is

Bobby D Smith, my blind a deaf cowboy)

5.this is Brent from the nature center. He is my favorite person ever!

6. Transfer calls, matching shirts, and ice cream

7.my fav family the burrups

8.sis. Henson love her!

9.my other fav family, these two are future sis. Johns missionaries!!!

10. The district

11. Hugs Ya'll!

July 31, 2017 - The final week

Yes, you read my subject line right........... this is the last full week of my mission. Hoy cats! Boy did that flow by!!! There is this poem my aunt angela sent me quite a while ago about missions, I can't remember if I have shared it already, but I'm gonna share it again cuz it's true! 

A mission is a strange experience.  It's a trial and a test.

A mission throws at you the worst, yet teaches you the best.

They told me this would be the best period of my life, but I guess they didn't explain it all too clear. 

I came out looking for a bed of roses.  I just wasn't expecting all of the thorns I've found out there. 

Since I've been out, I've never been so happy.  I've never been so depressed.

I've never felt so forsaken.  I've never felt so blessed.

I've never been so confused.  My mind has never been so clear.

I've never felt my Heavenly Father so distant.  I've never felt Him so near.

I've never been so discouraged.  I've never been so full of hope.

I feel like I can go on forever.  I think I have come to the end of my rope.

I've never had it so easy.  I've never had it so tough.

Things have never gone so smoothly.  Things have never been so rough.

I've never travelled through more valleys.  I've never ascended to so many peaks.

I've never met so many neat people.  I've never met so many freaks.

I've never had so many ups.  I've never had so many downs.

I've never worn so many smiles.  I've never worn so many frowns.  

I've never been so lonely.  I've never had so many friends.  

Man, I hope this is all over soon.

Gosh, I hope it never ends.

--Jack L Brinkerjoff__

This is the state of my mind right now.  But boy oh boy, I have sure loved my mission! One of my super good friends, that many of you might know, recently returned from his mission from Guatemala. In one of his last emails he said something that I just love! He said that "the last week of the saviors mortal ministry is the week that has had the most effect on the salvation of human kind. It is when he did the most for us. He instituted the sacrament, suffered in gethsemane, suffered and died for us, and completed his atonement with his glorious resurrection! And that is how my mission in Guatemala (aka Alaska) is gonna end! The last week of my mission is gonna have an effect on others in the same way." (Thanks Jordan) so that's been my thought process. I want to make an impact on people this last week and share the gospel with as many people as possible! 

1. Temple trip

Anyways since Wednesday we have had a lesson with Gavin, we had a fashion show as he tried on different baptismal suits to see what fit him. He's getting baptized on the 12 by his dad!!! We had a lesson with the ysa elders and Ripleigh, my favoritest human in the world!!! We had a lesson with Xander. He is such a great kid! He was finally confirmed in church yesterday so that's awesome!!!

2.exchanges with the best stl ever!!!

We went on exchanges, sis. Oliver came with me to eagle river where we baptized everyone... lol jk but it was a good ole time! Friday we had an amazing dinner with a part member family. He isn't a member but he is active. His daughters were visiting him for the summer. They are the coolest people ever!!! One of the girls is training to be an opera singer! How cool is that!?!? Anyways we had a super good discussion about the Book of Mormon and about missions. They have lots of questions! They came to church on Sunday and Cici, one of the girls, said that this week has been the most enlightening week she has had. I guess in gospel principles the spirit was super strong as they all shared experiences of how their prayers were answered. Sis. Dunlop and I got to do sharing time in primary so we missed it. That was a cool experience! 

3. Stacking wood at nature center 

4.a beaver ate this tree 

Anywho, just cuz it's my last week doesn't mean i still don't expect emails next week lol 😂 I still have one more pday! I love you all! 

😊sis. Johnson 

July 26, 2017 - I am still alive!

Hello everyone!!!!!!!

So I know it's a Wednesday and it's like way later then normal! But

all is well! We had temple day today so our pday got moved until

today! We got to go to the temple, we went to target! (They don't have

one in eagle river so we were super excited!!!

This week was great!

1.nature center monkeys 🐒

First off cool thing, if any of you get sister Chantel Savage's emails

you know already, but my friend Chantel is serving in Alabama and her

companion is my companions old roommate! Well, there is this super

noce guys in the ysa Ward who is from Alabama and he went to visit

home! So we gave him a package to take to them if he could find them,

well he did find them and delivered our package! And then we got a

package from them! The church is such a small world!!! :)

#tendermerciesarereal!

2. Sythe lords

On Wednesday we hade so many lessons! We met with sis. Erickson and

helped her remodel some of her basement. Then we read the Book of

Mormon with her. That is the deal we made. We also met with Gavin

Hinkley! We finished up the lessons with him! He is getting baptized

soon! Wahoo! We also finished up Gavin joe s new member lessons and

started Xander freitas new member lessons. He got baptized in Utah and

is getting confirmed so Sunday in our Ward!(don't ask, it's super

complicated)

4.oh ya.... I hit my 18 month mark........

(Don't worry mom, the zipper was completely 

broken and unfixable)

7. I didn't have an 18 so it's a click day banner instead

We have also been meeting with the members and promoting the bingo

game! Every member must have one! It's been going super great. Some of

the families get super into it and get competitive! It is so funny!

One family out of both wards got the very first bingo! So we presented

candy bars that our beloved Ward mission leader provided us with. Thy

were pretty proud of themselves for being first.

We tried to find a referral we got from salt lake who asked for a

bible, but she has never been home. On one of these stop-byes she

wasn't home so I pull away but we didn't know where we were going so I

park in front of this random house to figure our lives out and two

seconds later this truck pulls in pot the drive way and these two guys

with huge ponytails get out and stare at us. It was so awkward we did

t know what to do so sis. Dunlop pretended to be on the phone. I waved

at them, and they just stood at there car staring at us, not moving to

come talk to us or ask why we were creepily sitting in front of their

house, just staring............ eventually they walked around the

corner so we drove away but they were still on their door step

watching as our car drove away...... #lifeofamissionary

Other good news! Our Ward mission leader finally got back from

Fiji!!!! So we were able to have correlation meeting with him!!! I

love that family! They said I could come stay with them when I come

back to visit! I love that family!!!! XD

Anyways I love you all! The church is true! It is, it is! And the

temple is a place of peace and answers, if you are stressed, go to the

temple, if you need guidance, go to the temple. Even the grounds will

help you to receive the assurance you need to keep going!

I love you!

Xoxoxo

Sis. Johnson

😊

July 17, 2017 - Here comes the sun!

This weeks weather has been top notch!!!!!! It's been in the 70s and I'm dying of heat but loving every second of it!!!

Last Monday we put our beloved Gavin on date for August 5! His dad (who got baptized last Saturday) will be baptizing him and hopefully his brother :) We are so excited for them!!!!! We also helped out at the food bank again with Betty and Steve, which Is always a good time.

1- sisters in the zone

Wednesday was a rough day. We started a 40 day fast with both wards, and every time there is a blank day for either wards we fast to fill it, cuz at least one family needs to be fasting for 40 days straight. Well we had the privilege of fasting on Sunday and on Wednesday. Sunday wasn't to bad cuz we were inside most of the day for church. But Wednesday we both were dying. It was hot, and we were out tracting most of the day. It was hard.

BUT, we saw so many miracles, in every street we tracted on we found at last one reason the Lord wanted us to be on that street at that particular time. My favorite miracle was we were just about done tracting this one street and on our way back to the car we passed one of our former investigators house. As we passed she had just come outside to take her kids to speech therapy. So we were able to talk with her. She said she wants to raise her kids in the Mormon church but her husband wants to go to the Catholic Church so they are still working on that. She also said she lost the Book of Mormon we gave her, so we gave her another one. It was great! She is so prepared

I just want to teach her, but patience is a virtue and we will work on the Lord's timing, not mine.

2- lemonade stand

Thursday we got to help out at the nature center. We helped fix a bridge that the earth was trying to swallow up. The ground literally looked like jello it was so wet. Poor B smashed his finger. He's a trooper! Sis. Dunlop and I have decided that Brent will someday be a Mormon. Every Thursday he always has questions he asks us. Either

about the church or our missions, then every time we are about to invite him to church or to figure out what he believes he quickly changes the subject or says something sarcastic. Like we almost invited him to church and he stopped us, spread out his arms, and said "ladies, this is my church" (referring to the woods and nature) "I take care of God's garden".  We shot back "ya, and we take care of God's children, so we would love to see you at church on Sunday!" He just laughed and rolled his eyes..... we were only half joking.... someday B, someday!

3- idk what's happening here

Friday and Saturday were super exciting! We got to help out at Bear Paw! It's a festival that goes down in Eagle River. They have rides, booths, games, food, you name it it's probs here! On Friday they have what is called the Teddy Bear Picnic where families bring their kids and a stuffed animal and play games with their animals and just have a good ole time. I got to hand out medals to each kid, and help out at a bean bag toss. Then On Saturday we did crowd control for the parade where we walked up and down the parade keeping kids out of the street.

A lady got mad at Ssis. Dunlop for how unevenly the candy was distributed throughout the parade...... she was probs just having a bad day, but other then that it all went pretty smoothly! 

4- dinosaurs

After the parade the Beach Lake sisters (sisters Randall and Clawson) and us set up a free cookies and lemonade stand. The Beach Lake members made the sign and cookies and we made the lemonade. It was fun! Lots of people saw us and took some refreshments! We gave away five boms!!!! This one lady we offered her some lemonade and cookies and she was like " actually could I just get a Book of Mormon?" And we were like "heck yes!!!!!!" (No she was not a member). She said her sister was a Mormon so she wanted to learn more about what her sister believed in. And this other guy with a cool afro asked if he could take a Book of Mormon. We gave him one and lemonade and all the flavors of cookies we had and he was like "dang! I got the whole package!"........ almost sir, almost. He only got half the package, the rest is waiting at the temple. :) Alsm by skin is not used to all this sun! For the first time on my mission I am sunburned! My arms are so red!!!!

5- we were working, I promise!!!

Anyways I love you all!!! Make good choices! The church is true and will bless your life! In the Book of Mormon it says over and over and over again "keep Gods commandments and you will prosper in the land", whether that is in Utah, on a mission in Alaska, or in Fiji. Whether prospering means finding investigators, or just having enough money to buy groceries. The Lord promises if you are obedient to the commandments, any commandments he gives, whether it's mission rules, or keeping the Word of Wisdom, the Lord always keeps his promises and you

will prosper!!!!!

Xxoxoxoxoxox

Love,

😊sis. Johnson

July 10, 2017 - Happy 4th!

Hello everyone!

So this week was pretty grand we had the Fourth of July, that was fun. We didn't get to watch any of the fireworks because it was at midnight and it we were sleeping. They do it at midnight because it doesn't even get dark enough to see the fireworks until midnight so that's how that happened. We also got to walk around the parade that the city put on, you talk to a lot of super nice people and they even gave us some food so that was very nice of them.

Happy 4th!

We had zone conference this week and I met the new mission president, he is the best! He is super nice and zone conference was super spiritual. I got to see a video of myself opening my mission call forever ago.. So that was weird... but it was good motivation to remember to work hard!

This week we tracted in the bear mountain area and it rained all day long and we were soaking wet! It hasn't rained like that in forever. But it was fun. We also saw lots of fireweed so that means winter is coming soon.

Zone conference

It was also Sister Dunlop's birthday yesterday, she is now 20! We had a birthday party for her and for Brother K, the Mount Baldy ward mission leader, because it was also his birthday! So that was exciting, they had birthday cake and balloons and everything.

 Buster the bear outside our window

Anyways, I love you all lots hope you had a great week and remember who you are and what you stand for because that's important to know. Remember that Heavenly Father  loves you and so do I!

😊 sis. Johnson

The great Alaska

July 3, 2017 - Transfers and stuff

Heylo!

Last Monday we had a zone BBQ cuz it was the last one of the transfer and two of our elders were going home so that was fun! We also taught Gavin, he is still my favorite person!

Tuesday we helped out at the food pantry with Betty and Steve.

Wednesday I shipped off Sis. Anderson to the Palmer Lazy Mountain Ward and picked up Sis. Dunlop my new companion! She's the cutest! We also had our last lesson with Sherri before she moves to Ohio! 😥 but it's

ok she's in good hands with the mission over there!

Thursday we had a pass off lesson with the YSA elders with Ripleigh. So basically we are giving all our people away...... except Gavin!!!!;) we also got to help out at the nature center. We helped build a trail! That was freaking awesome! I love love love the people there! They are the best!!!!! Oh and guess what! I saw another bear!!!!!!!!!! This time Sis. Dunlop and I went for a walk for our morning exercise and as we were walking down the road a bear dashed out in front of us to cross the street. We got scared and ran all the way back to he apartment where we hopped in the car and went on a bear hunt!!!!! Don't worry we were safe.  We did find it. He was right next door to us. In all this excitement we didn't get a picture so you'll have to take my word for it ;)

#prayersareanswered🐻

Love you all!!!!

Sis. Johnson

June 26, 2017 - Grizzly bear!!!!

Hello people!

This week was super exciting!

Starting with Monday, we had a lesson with Gaviny. He is the cutest little 9year old ever! I love that family!!!! His mom was baptized about a year and a half ago and has gone through the temple and goes every week. His dad is taking the lessons now I and is getting baptized the first week of July. And now Gavin is taking the lessons and is so excited to be baptized! I love them!!!  We also stopped by a less active family in the Mount Baldy Ward. It's always crazy when we go over there but we managed to squeeze in a little video message. Their 17 year old said

she needed to come back to church. So we are going to help her with that!

President Nelson

Tuesday we helped out at the food bank. Steve and Betty are still some of my favorite people. We also read the Book of Mormon  with another less active family in the Mount Baldy Ward. Wednesday we did service for a lady in Mount Baldy Ward as well. She is working to go to the temple! We also met with a sister in the Eagle River Valley Ward. She is the cutest! She keeps telling us we are bringing back in a lost sheep. She's so cute and super sincere! We also had a lesson with another sister again. She is doing super great, but sadly moving soon :(

This is Sherri Polling

Thursday we did service at the nature center. We filled holes and fixed a bridge (rather we watched Brent fix a bridge while we cheered him on and gave him moral support).  We also had another lesson with Gavin. I sure love that kid!

Friday we went to the senior center and played bowling with them. Robert won... Again! He always wins haha then Friday night we went tracting. Now this is a cool story! It had been a pretty rough day. Persecution was stronger then normal and we were tired of not being treated like humans, it had just been rough. Well after all that fun

stuff we had now planned on going tracting. I didn't have the best attitude about it. I have never been a fan of tracting even on a good day. Sis. Anderson and I were being Laman and Lemuel and we had a murmur session.

Well we went tracting  anyways. Luckily the street was full of nice people. We got to the second to last house and this super nice catholic lady comes out and asks what she can do to help us. And it was a genuine question, she really wanted to help. She said she had a Mormon friend who had a missionary son. She took out pictures and sent them to our parents. She wasn't interested but just a nice person, really gave me an attitude adjustment.

Then we knocked on the next door, the last one of the street. And we asked if we could share a message about the Book of Mormon  and Jesus Christ. She said she loves talking about Jesus and invited us in. She gave us water and had so many questions! We were able to give her a Book of Mormon  she loved it, she said it made sense, it was the connection of the Bible to our day. We were like yes! We shared the restoration with her and talked about the church. It was awesome!

Even when your natural man tried to take over the Lord will still bless you so much just for trying and pushing through. That is what enduring to the end and the atonement do for us. No matter what we are going through, keep trying, use the atonement, and the Lord will bless you. He knows each of us and hears us, even if we don't necessarily pray for that things, he knows all about it!

Also we got transfer calls this week. I'm staying here in Eagle River with my new comp Sis. Dunlop and Sis. Anderson is going to Palmer in the Lazy Mountain Ward!

The view from the Young's mountain

Anyways I love you all! Have a great week!

Sis. Johnson

P.s. Oh ya and I saw a Grizzly bear on Sunday! We were eating with the Youngs (a couple in the ward) and it was nice outside so we went out to eat. They live in the mountains, and have this nice little tented gazebo type area a ways from their house, so we had a picnic. Well a little while through a Grizzly popped his head out of the grass not too far from where we were and stared us down. It was exciting! Don't worry we made it to the car safely, no one was hurt ;)

The bear, he's closer in real life, the pic doesn't do him justice!

5. A bee attacked us last Monday...