God so Loved the World

Hola Amigos!

So what to say to you all. This might be a short email...this week was just amazing!! We had so many lessons!!! And we had many mighty miracles and we are teaching just the most awesome guy ever. I was really worried for him cuz the last lesson we taught him he got upset at us for asking him questions during our lessons and told us not to ask questions. And so I was praying a lot, because asking questions is so important in discussions so you can help them understand and know what you need to teach. So I prayed a lot a lot about our next lesson cuz I wanted to help him progress but didn't know how to do it if he wasn't going to open up to us. But lo and behold we taught him this morning and the spirit guided us in what to say that got him talking and opening up without even having to ask questions. It was awesome :)

We found these two guys this week...we were going to visit one guy we taught last week but his grandson and son were outside. So we started talking to them and the grandson was a former who had met with the elders a couple years ago. We were asking him what he remembered, and he remembered a lot! He started talking about the plan of salvation and 3 kingdoms of glory. But then his uncles who had been sitting in the car not really paying any attention to us started getting mad. He was saying there was no middle ground, only heaven and hell. Soon enough he started bible bashing, but not with us he started bible bashing with his nephew! And we just sat back and listened cuz we didn't know what to do. But it was so cute, his nephew would say, "Well that's what I love about the Mormons. They're all about the straight and narrow path. Don't look to the right or the left, just the straight and narrow path." Then his uncle pulls out the bible and has his nephew read it. I think it turned into a sermon.. Hell fire and brimstone was being called down and he was yelling and getting excited. It was interesting. But we wanted to meet with the nephew again, so we said we had to go and I shared a scripture with them and bore my testimony and asked when we could meet with him. The uncle jumped in and set up an appointment and gave us his number. We tried getting the nephews number but he said we could just reach him on his uncles phone...so yes. Later that night when we were tracting a car pulled up next to us and rolled down the window to talk to us. Lo and behold, who was it but the uncle!! Ah! He was everywhere. But we have yet to meet with them again..but it will be interesting I believe. 

Anyway...back to spiritual matters. I have been able to see the power and importance of the atonement this week. It's the basis and center of this gospel. I'm so grateful for the knowledge and power of the atonement. I'm learning why it needs to be at the center of all our teaching. Because it's the one and only way. 

I hope you all take time to read from the Book of Mormon everyday and think about the atonement. What better time than..Halloween time?! I think Halloween is perfect for it ;)

We are gonna carve punkins this week and since we'll prolly be on lockdown halloween night we're gonna trick or treat at the other sisters apartments and role play door knocking! Yay missionary fun :) Happy Birthday Daddy-o! How old are ya now? Like 62? Hope you don't feel that old, eat lots of ice cream and cake for me. Maybe I'll do it myself; thinking about you in the south end of the country!! 

Love you all! Have a grand one.

Sister Ali Johanson