God sent Him, Mary wrapped Him, will you let Him in?

Merry Christmas everybody!!! 

Hello! I hope you are all very ready for Christmas. The saddest part about Christmas being so close is that it is going to be over very soon :'( so sad. 

This last week was so fun; we had Christmas zone conference. We learned all about how to be healthy and not get sick from the mission doctor and then we learned about how to hit the standards of excellence by our AP's. Man oh man, life is so fun isn't it? You just will never stop learning and having ways to improve. I feel like I should have things down by now and just know everything! But alas I do not. Sorry to all of those that that probably comes as a shock to you :) But I'm grateful for opportunities to improve otherwise I would just be stuck! Haha we also watched a hallmark Christmas movie called Christmas in Conway. It takes place in south Carolina! So fun :) it was very good and cheesy just like Hallmark videos are. But there were a few parts where the married couple kisses and all us awkward missionaries are just cringing and squirming in our seats. But besides that it was good :) 

Let's see...what else happened this week. We had some ward activities, we had a relief society activity and we made those cute snowmans at the bottom of the page, and our ward Christmas party was last night. We are all stocked up on sweets and food for the rest of my existence. So blessing or a burden..I'm not quite sure. 

I was reading in the Book of Mormon this morning in 3 Nephi, right before the signs of Christ's death. And it talked about the different groups that the Nephites split themselves off into and how they weren't united with each other but were "at peace" in the sense that they decided to mind their own business and not go to war against each other. And it made me think of this goal that everybody is trying to come to of world peace and how the world just goes about it in that way. They feel like if they can quit all the wars and just separate from each other and promise not to fight against them, someday we will have peace. But recognizing the difference in what we learn later in the book of mormon after Christ comes when for a few hundred years the people lived in complete peace imparting of all their substance one to another. That this Christmas season reflecting on who Christ is, that He really is the Prince of Peace. That is what He came to bring. So there is nothing in this world that will bring ultimate and lasting peace without the use of Christ Himself. Like one of the latter day prophets have said, the only thing that will save the world from it's calamity and self destruction is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that's what we are doing! We are saving the world. One person at a time. I'm grateful for this Christmas season and what I get to be doing during this time of year. I love you all and hope you have a great week full of love and service and Christ filled activities. 

Merry Christmas!!!!

Sister Johanson