Proud to be an American

Hi guys!!

This week has been pretty uneventful, but still exciting and..Spartanburg is just the weirdest place ever. It's like..you feel like nothing is happening here and then you look up and everybody is just flocking to the fonts. I don't know it's a really weird dynamic. We can't seem to figure it out. But it's a good thing I guess. It really makes you feel like it's nothing that you are doing..which I guess in all reality it's not. Except our faith and the faith of those around us.

We had a stake meeting yesterday instead of church and they split the wards in the stake. So they took out a chunk of our ward, which is kinda lummy because our ward was already the smallest one. But it's okay, that's what the Lord sees is best. Except it's really sad because the Bass family, our recent convert family, got taken out of our ward :/ I love those guys. But this will just give them a chance to prove to God that they are converted to the gospel and the church and not the people in it. Which I believe they are so it helps me to trust God and His will.

This week, I was slacking off a little bit on my diligence in making my studies really effective and meaningful. And I was just having a hard time during the week, but then I repented and realized that I need to have a lot more hope and a lot more joy during adversity. And I've just gained such an appreciation for repentance and the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost, enduring to the end). It really is the cure for any ailment, affliction, infirmity that we have in this life. It's brought me so much more joy into my work as a missionary and although I may not have an angel seeing, earth shaking experience to bring me closer to God, it allows me to use the atonement to edify and enlighten my life. So I hope you feel that too. I love you guys! Hope you have a blessed week.

Sister Johanson

This is the pictures from the 4th of July; us making paper hats.