Stop focusing on burdens and start focusing on blessings.

Good morning everybody! I hope yall have a real blessed week :) Haha it's been pretty blessed for us. But you know me, can't really remember...🤔most of it. No meetings this week because of transfers. That only happens if you are not getting transferred, which I wasn't and neither was Sister Hill. So all is well with calm waters here in Spartanburg. But!! Guess who came to join me in the Greenville East zone?! My one and only greenie Sister Smith! Woo hoo!! She is serving in Gaffney so I'll actually be going on exchanges with her here in a couple weeks. Don't tell her that tho, it will be a surprise (don't worry it's inspiration not just for fun.)

Also! My good ole comp Sister Rymer came up to join me in the zone as well. Everybody is just flocking to me, just couldn't get enough :)

Don't worry there will probably be pictures of some sort next week; but you know, also we'll see because I'm sure you can tell from all the pictures I send, or the lack thereof, of how good I am at taking them.

But, it's been a pretty good week. Bad news is, is that the huge Mong family we have in the ward; Papa Lor (the head honcho of the family..or patriarch is probably a better word for it) passed away this week. And so Bao (one of the granddaughter in laws) was supposed to be baptized this weekend but instead we will be having a funeral :/ but it will actually be a blessing because now there will be time for her husband, who is a returning less active, to get the priesthood and be able to baptize her! And he is just doing awesome and is on fire. Also we will now have the aid of Papa Lor helping us out on the other side to bring back all of his family to the gospel. The Lord has a plan for us and more importantly for them and their family.

I've studied a lot about covenants the past few weeks. God is so good to us. He is so good. And not because He has to be, not because He is programmed to be, but because that is His character. Our great Creator and Master, is giving us everything He has. He has given us the very keys with which to unlock the gates of heaven and to enter in. The very tools to access heavens blessings everyday.There is this talk I read by Elder Holland and he talks about the way that we build the kingdom is one covenant at a time. The core of the gospel is about making and keeping covenants. And you know, God IS so good, and sometimes I get a little discouraged because I'm just not that good. My character is very flawed. But the way that we change our character is by acting on our faith. Elder Scott talks all about how our faith can transform our character into becoming like Christ's character. Which is an example of God's. And I think He's laid it all out there for us. He's left nothing out to show us how we can do just that. How we can become just that. And it's through our covenants, through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We gain access to Christ's atonement, we gain insight and power from on high. We gain the ability to become that very person of who we want to become. I love the gospel! I know it's true!!

I love you guys lots and lots!!! I hope you have a great week!

Love! Sister Johanson

Sorry I'm extra energetic this morning, that's what running will do to ya.