October 10, 2016 - Heyo!!!

Hello everyone!!!!

So first of all to calm my mother's curiosity, she so graciously reminded me that I forgot to explain myself in the chicken picture a few weeks back. So we were eating dinner at one of the funniest ladie's house in the ward. She has a chicken coop and someone tricked her into having 3 roosters. She only wanted one, so she asked us to get rid of them. So we did :) Then that night the elders made us teriyaki chicken.... and it was pretty good :) 

This family has 3 teenage boys, they are super fun! One of the boys (he's 14) actually learned something in school and wanted to show his family by using the missionaries. It was terrifying! I was super surprised! Not what he said would happen! 😊

So this week was super exciting! We were trying to contact a lot of our less active members, there was one in particular we went to go try to see, mostly to find out if they even still live there. We go to this one house with a huge drive way. We start walking up the drive way when this dog comes out of nowhere and starts barking and growling at us, naturally we stop. The owner comes out (this older lady) and starts telling the dog to stop barking and to calm down, he doesn't listen.  So she gives up and starts yelling at us to not come any closer.... so we go back to the car, but that dang dog followed us all the way down snapping at our heels. It was great.

Also something that was exciting that happened this week was President Robinson told Sis. Lake and I not to knock on doors with no trespassing signs..... he said it is too dangerous for us and for the church.... the only problem is everyone in our area has a no trespassing sign... so that takes away at least 2/3 of our area we can't go to. That makes missionary work a bit more complicated. But this just means the Ward is going to have to step it up a little bit more. So it is probably a blessing in disguise. I hope all of you know how vitally important members are to missionary work! We can't do anything without you! Reach out to your missionaries, go to lessons with them! They need you! Ya, it is awkward and uncomfortable! But as I have begun to say since training, embrace the awkward!!! And always remember, there is no growth in a comfort zone and there is no comfort in a growth zone!

Anyways I hope you are all doing well! Keep being awesome!!! I love you all!

Sis. Johnson

POEMS BY VAUGHN J. FEATHERSTONE 

The Champion 

The average runner runs until
The breath in him is gone,
But the champion has the iron will That makes him carry on. 

For rest the average runner begs When limp his muscles grow,
But the champion runs on leaden legs. His courage makes him go. 

The average man’s complacent when He’s done his best to score,
But the champion does his best and then He does a little more. 

I feel this poem basically sums up life. Do we want to be champions? It is completely your choice. God gave you agency to become who you WOULD LIKE to become, even though he knows full well who you CAN become! Strive to be a champion in all things!!!! I love you all so much!

P.s. Also shout out to my sister Bailey and all my other xc friends! 
😊#claudwouldappreciatethis

October 3, 2016 - Conference is the best!

Hello everyone!!!!

This sums up mine and Sister Lake's relationship

So story time!!! We were looking at our Ward roster and we realized there were lots of people we didn't know! So we knelt down and said a prayer and looked at the Ward roster again and the name Groff stood out to to us. So we made plans to go visit her and see who she is. 

On our journeys to her home we were driving down this nicely paved road for like 10 min in the middle of the forest having a good ole time, jamming to some Motab, when we turned down this gravelly dirt, off roading road. We travel down this road for a good 15 min, then we turn down another road, for another 10 min and to add to this foreshadowing it started to rain! So now we are just super worried as to where we were going and who this person was and why we were going out in the middle of no where. Needless to say we were very worried. Finally we pulled up to this sign that said Groff. Under the sign is this dirt road that leads into the forest, and across the road is a gate that says no trespassing, gun signs and beware of dog signs. So I'm just thinking, is this a good idea? This seems like a very dangerous situation, do I want to put myself and my brand new missionary companion in a bad situation! Well we parked the car and went and stood at the gate for a good 5 min trying to decide what to do. From the gate we could see lots of broken down cars and metal run down things throughout the over growth of the yard. We still couldn't see a house anywhere and it was harder to see all the other things
with the limited light we had. Well we said a prayer and I decided to push forward. So we crept around the gate and started walking down this long road. Suddenly these dogs start barking all over the place! We were about
half way from the gate and this clearing up a head but we stopped cold turkey! Sis. Lake had had enough and I wasn't far behind so we turn back and start walking to the gate when we hear this lady yell from behind! She called out for us to wait. We turn and this older lady comes hobbling out of the clearing. It was sis. Groff, she was super nice and agreed to listen to us. Prayer is real everyone! Follow those promptings and have faith! it seems scarey in the moment, but it is worth it in the end!!!

Some of my favorite kids! So cute!

That is something that really stood out to me that we need to have faith, the Saturday session talked a lot about prayer, prayer is real everyone! The second you say "Heavenly Father" your father is zeroed in on you, listening, just trust him!

I love you all!!!
Sis. Johnson

This is sister training meeting! We were all blinded, but had a great time

September 26, 2016 - Hhhhiiiiii!

Hello everyone!

So this week was super exciting! We received two new investigators and started teaching them this week! We also got a new Ward mission leader, he is the best!

So this week we had trainer / trainee meeting. We had to drive 45 minutes in the pouring rain, it was raining so bad we couldn't see outside the car! It was scary. Then there was an accident that turned our 45 min drive into a two hour drive. But miracle of miracles, we still made it on time! And all the sisters except four of them were there! It was great to see them! I almost forgot that there were other sisters cuz Sis. Lake and I are the only sisters in our zone, so it felt great!

I'm out of time so sorry this is so short! I'll have to tell you about the chickens! It's a good story! Love you all! Make good choices!
Heavenly Father loves you so much! 💘💖

😊

September 19, 2016 - 8 months!

Well everyone today is my eight month mark!!! How crazy is that! Wow time flies by!

So I just want you all to know that I know Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers! It is so cool! So ya know how since coming to Wasilla we haven't had any investigators and things and it's been kind a tough?! Well Friday we had zone conference where we received so many amazing trainings and inspiration as to what we need to do to help our area! One of them is a forty day fast we are starting on Tuesday! (Don't worry we aren't fasting for 40 days, only one day, but we willbe  fasting about things that might be distracting us or keeping the spirit from being with us for 40 days) then  Saturday Sis. Lake and I asked the elders for some blessings and they were truly amazing! Then Sunday we fasted as a mission and that is when we saw so many miracles! First of all in Ward council so many of our concerns were discussed and resolved by a member of the stake! We hadn't had a
chance to discuss them with anyone but each other and the Lord and all of them were figured out! Then we got a new Ward mission leader who is so fired up and ready to go! He is going to help wake this ward up! Then last night we received  a call from our new member, whom we had just gotten done with all her lessons, and she said her daughter wanted to take the lessons! It was just a day filled with miracles! And it wouldn't have happened without all of your prayers! So thank you so much!

Another exciting thing that happened this week was we went to go see a potential investigator and he wasn't home, so we tracted in his neighborhood and this guy answers a door, he is very skinny and pale. He was wearing glasses and a dark shirt and all the lights in his house were turned off. Sis. Lake starts off by asking him a few
questions... And then it all turned upside down..... If you want to know the conversation read Alma 30, basically everything he said to us was said in that chapter..... Something I have never experienced before and never want to again!

I hope you are all having a great week! I love you all! Make good choices! Read the scriptures and pray! Choose the right!

Sis. Johnson :D
Me and my daughter, I was in the middle of laughing so excuse the silly face lol :)

September 19, 2016 - 8 months!

Well everyone today is my eight month mark!!! How crazy is that! Wow time flies by!

So I just want you all to know that I know Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers! It is so cool! So ya know how since coming to Wasilla we haven't had any investigators and things and it's been kind a tough?! Well Friday we had zone conference where we received so many amazing trainings and inspiration as to what we need to do to help our area! One of them is a forty day fast we are starting on Tuesday! (Don't worry we aren't fasting for 40 days, only one day, but we willbe  fasting about things that might be distracting us or keeping the spirit from being with us for 40 days) then  Saturday Sis. Lake and I asked the elders for some blessings and they were truly amazing! Then Sunday we fasted as a mission and that is when we saw so many miracles! First of all in Ward council so many of our concerns were discussed and resolved by a member of the stake! We hadn't had a
chance to discuss them with anyone but each other and the Lord and all of them were figured out! Then we got a new Ward mission leader who is so fired up and ready to go! He is going to help wake this ward up! Then last night we received  a call from our new member, whom we had just gotten done with all her lessons, and she said her daughter wanted to take the lessons! It was just a day filled with miracles! And it wouldn't have happened without all of your prayers! So thank you so much!

Another exciting thing that happened this week was we went to go see a potential investigator and he wasn't home, so we tracted in his neighborhood and this guy answers a door, he is very skinny and pale. He was wearing glasses and a dark shirt and all the lights in his house were turned off. Sis. Lake starts off by asking him a few
questions... And then it all turned upside down..... If you want to know the conversation read Alma 30, basically everything he said to us was said in that chapter..... Something I have never experienced before and never want to again!

I hope you are all having a great week! I love you all! Make good choices! Read the scriptures and pray! Choose the right!

Sis. Johnson :D
Me and my daughter, I was in the middle of laughing so excuse the silly face lol :)

September 12, 2016 - Training!!!!

Greetings to the lower 48!!!

So I'm running out of time! So sorry! But this week I have become a
trainer! Her name is Sis. Lake! She is the bestest! She is from eagle
Idaho! And I swear she came pre-trained or something! She is training
me more then I'm training her!

So at church yesterday 3 of the 4 less active people we have been
working with came to church for the first time in forever! Probably
cuz we only had one hour of church due to Palmer stake stealing our
building for their stake conference, but they still came! It is a step
in the right direction! Tender mercy for us for sure!

Also we tracted in the rain, it has been raining so much! The days are
getting darker, there is a chill in the air.... It rains so much here!
People are saying we will be having a normal Alaska winter! Yay!.....
Pray we will be warm! Let's see if that actually happens!

:)

(As a side note from the mom/Shauna - Angela didn't send any photos this week:( but I did find one on her mission Facebook page. She also sent me a video of her singing happy birthday to me:) She told me it is for my eyes only and not to share it, especially on the internet. So sorry, it is for me and me only, but she sure is a cutie! Just trust me on that!)

September 5, 2016 - Crazy week!

Hello everyone!

So first of all I want to give a shout out to my brother and brand new
sister (although we were sisters before, but now it's just legal!). 
Congratulations Sean and Allie on getting married and things! 
You guys look adorable in the pictures! I love you guys!

Sister Johnson in her bridesmaid dress.

Also, it is transfers this week! Sis. McGraw is headed back down to Babylon. 

She got the package we sent her!

I will remain here and I will be training!!! Aaaahhhhh!
We are getting 5 new sisters, so now after this transfer every sister
missionary will be training. Craziness! So my brother got married and
I have a baby! What a crazy week!


So crazy story! Friday night we went to visit a member from the ward that
is blind and deaf, and he made us dinner! He made us a Shepherds pie with 
garlic bread, and it was actually really yummy! Idk how he did it, but he did!

It was quite impressive!

Anyways, sorry this is short but I gots to go! I love you all so much!!!

😊sis. Johnson

-This little excerpt is from my personal email, but I had to share. Angela was very sad to miss her brother's wedding, but this is how her day went-

The day of the wedding the bishop of our ward gave me a blessing. And so did another family the day before (one of my most favorite families) and they both said that I'm where I am supposed to be and that he is watching out for you guys and protecting you. It is kind of ironic cuz the day they got married we had a zone meeting and the zone leaders asked me and Sis. McGraw to give a training on being focused on our missions............ I think they were trying to say something. Lol but it did help, we were very busy Friday thankfully :)