Happy New Years everybody!!! Man it was so good to see the lot of you. Yall are so great. Well this week, was pretty slow going as far as teaching and investigators go. We did have some good lessons with the people we did see so that was nice :)
Christmas was so good! On Christmas Adam all of our zone went to downtown Greenville and sang Christmas carols while some missionaries passed out the A Savior is Born pass along cards. It wasn't too successful because it was raining. But it was fun! Our Zone leaders asked me to be in charge of all the songs and conduct them. So everyone stood on the steps with their umbrellas while I stood out in the rain leading them in song. But it was fun, I enjoyed it.
Then Christmas Eve we got to spend it with the Kunzlers, there was no acting out of the nativity but it was still very spiritual and it felt like Christmas Eve. Holy cow, never so much mac n cheese in my life. Luckily it's not Kraft-y. It's the good kind.
Christmas morning we woke up and opened all our presents, I think we've got enough sweets to last the rest of my mission, so all is well. Don't bother sending me anymore.
For dinner we went to the Lahuskys and they had all their family over. We played the states game!! Man, it was a game me and Sister Smith introduced to them. They really seemed to enjoy whacking people on the head with a roll of christmas wrapping. Things got a little violent but no fatal injuries. All in all it was just a good holiday.
But to focus more on my favorite part of everything, Christ was very much at the center of everything. The more I showed the Savior is Born video the more it meant to me. Some of my favorite parts in that video is where they say "rejoice greatly." No wonder Christmas time is the most wonderful part of the year. Whether we realize it or not, the spirit of Christ is pouring out over the world and it's the real reason why we feel so joyful at christmas time. I rejoice because this week is New Years, and Jesus Christ has given me the chance to make new years goals. Things I'm going to change this year, so when I'm home this time next year, you'll know that the Savior has impacted my life greatly. That Because of Him I've changed. I hope that you'll be able to see the Savior in me more and I'm grateful to be doing what He would've been doing when He was on the earth. They talk all the time here in the south about being saved by grace. I'm so eternally grateful that we've all been saved by grace. But I hope to be changed by grace and I hope you will all be too. I love my Savior and my hope is that we live our lives so that when people talk of Christ, they immediately think of us.
I love you guys so much and hope you have a great new years! May it bring many changes and choices that lead us to our Father in Heaven :)
Sister Johanson JR
Sister Johanson's before and after picture of her rain biking adventure