Monday, May 23, 2016

Faith is still believing even when it's beyond the power of reason.

Heyo guys!

This weeks email will be short, sorry. But this week has been crazy! We have been using our faith to make some miracles happen, and it has been working. I'll have to tell you more about the miracle next week after it happens (just pausing for effect).

Our elders in our ward got emergency transferred out so now we are over their area and the whole ward. So that's been something we've been trying to figure out this week. Crazy.

But I just want you to know that the most important thing we have in this life is the gospel. We've been listening to some church history cds and it's crazy to think that the church was peoples lives. And then you think about our prophet and apostles. That their life is the gospel, and sharing it. That we often think we are mortal beings that sometimes have some spiritual experiences, but in reality we are spiritual beings having a mortal experience. Some apostle I think said that once. But if we remembered that, I think the dynamic of our discipleship would change completely. But I love being a missionary and I love the gospel. I know it's true. Stay tuned for more South Carolina adventures. 

Love y'all!
Happy Wedding love birds! (Dressa and Jacob)

I love y'all! Have a great week!


Sister Johanson


Thursday, May 19, 2016

Your prayers will shape the destiny of generations to come.

Hello friends! Did you all have a good week?

This week was eventful in an uneventful way. We had lots of meetings and a lot of planning to do so we were inside a lot which drives Sister Johanson crazy. I just want to be out talking to people all the time. But everything turned out ok. We had MLC and Elder Kelton Jacobsen is now a ZL in Columbia so we got to see each other and talk a bit which was really cool :) Always nice to see old friends, kinda weird but it felt pretty casual.

We had stake conference this weekend and Elder Dube of the seventy came to our stake. He's this short, African guy and he was so funny. But the Saturday night session they focused on the importance of the one; and how God works by individuals. I also read this quote in my atonement quote book Mom gave me for my birthday. I don't remember exactly what it said but talked about how the atonement wasn't a mass atonement but it was very individual. And all God asks us is to find the 1. And He's placed at least 1 person in our lives that we can affect and share or bring back to the gospel. That's the role of latter day saints, is to be the hands of the Savior; and that's what the Savior would have done if He had been on earth. He always went after the one. So I invite you to think about who the 1 is in your life that God wants you to reach out to and invite the gospel more fully into their life.

We had some pretty crazy things go on at meetings and with investigators and missionaries this week and it was kind of hard. But we have to endure the trials if we want the product of a miracle. I love you all lots and lots and lots! Miracles are in abundance waiting at heaven for us to pull them down with our faith. So we're going to try to do that.

I hope you all have a great week!!! Lot's of good ole southern love headed your way from Sparkle City. AKA Spartanburg, SC.


Sister Johanson



Wednesday, May 11, 2016

iPod, iPad, try iPray, God is listening.

Hello all. Happy (late) Mothers Day.

I hope everyone had a fantastic week. Our week was kinda slow and a little frustrating but I guess the only thing we can really be frustrated about it is ourselves. We have some resolves for things we have committed to the Lord we will do so we can baptize this transfer and we kinda slacked off on some of them this week. But man, God is just so loving that He still helped us see some miracles this week. But we repented and we are going to do better this week and get back on track. Back to seeing lots of miracles.

Nevertheless, Spartanburg is still doing awesome. We had some families at church that haven't been there before so that was really cool. I'm just pretty excited about this area because we are working with so many awesome people who are progressing and are going to be baptized. And it's just pretty exciting.

I'm not super sure what else to say about this past week, but stay tuned for more miracle moments from...Sister Johanson. Until next week ;)
Love yall!!!


Sister Johanson



This is my favorite little girl. Her name is Ellie and she has no boundaries or bubble. She loves to let heads and get in your face. She's so funny.



Friday, May 6, 2016

Hope is Strengthened by adversity, you are not alone.

Hey fam bam, and friendios!

How's it going? Ah, well put your mind at rest it's going just peachy here in the southern state of South Carolina. "As I breathe, I hope." haha that's our state motto btw. Just South Carolina in a nutshell. #blessed XD

Well this week was just soooo good!! We had so many amazing miracles. We had lots of really good lessons and we are teaching some really awesome people!! And we had so many members come out with us. And God is just watching over our area, and just handing us people to be baptized. Our faith has really been growing and so we're seeing lots of miracles because of it. Faith is a power!!

Funnily, one of our part member families watched an anti Mormon video this week on Netflix so we ended up answering lots of their questions for the lesson, but what was really cool is that it went right along with the lesson plan we had. And it ended up being a really spiritual experience for everyone there.

So there's a scripture, and it may be in D&C but you know, just don't quote me on that. But it talks about being bold but not overbearing when we teach. And I read in this article this last week that overbearance is being bold without having love. But if we are teaching with love then we can be as bold as we want! You see that really well in the book of Mormon, and when Nephi preaches to Laman and Lemuel. He obviously loves them but is very bold. The Lord's sheep will follow and hearken to what we say, and repent.

But it was kinda funny cuz Sister Bird and I taught this guy last night and he hadn't read any of the book of Mormon. So we were teaching towards the commitment to read the book of Mormon while teaching the restoration. And Sister Bird told the guy that he was in his own personal apostasy. And then later I shared this scripture in 1 Nephi 13 where it says there are 2 churches: the Lamb of God's and the great and abominable church. So we told him if he wasn't a part of Christ's church he was part of the other church. And it was like the spirit kept bringing forth the words to say. And sometime I would start to want to retract them but then the spirit said no, teach. So we did. And he took it all in, and it was a great lesson!!

But anyway, miracles are out there. We just have to pull them down from the heavens with our faith. I love y'all. Hope you have a great week!


Sister Johanson