¡Hola!
Well I have officially been doing the Johnson online MTC (Missionary Training Center) for 2 weeks now. Honestly guys the first week felt soooo long as I was adjusting to the daily missionary schedule, but this week literally went by so fast. I felt like it was only yesterday I was typing up my first email, it's crazy! But this week was super exciting as we prepared for Easter too!
On Thursday during my morning class, we read from the Book of Mormon (a fantastic book about the interactions of the people in the Americas with Jesus Christ after he died and was resurrected, similar to His interactions with the people in the New Testament of the Bible) in Spanish and it was ROUGH. Everyone in my district (all 12 of us missionaries trying to learn Spanish for our missions) was stumbling through it, so I definitely need to practice reading out loud more! Then in my evening class we got to teach our teacher, Hermano Chavez, a 10 minute lesson on any gospel principle we wanted. We had done this before, but me and my companion, Hermana Dunn, did a lot better this time then the previous time. Hooray for improvement!!
On Friday it was the worldwide fast focusing on controlling the current pandemic, protecting Caregivers, strengthening the economy and on life returning to normal. I participated in the fast by sacrificing 2 meals on Friday because I believe that prayer paired with fasting can truly be a powerful plea to God. I testify that God hears our prayers because He is always there for us, just like my Earthly parents are there for me, we just have to be willing to speak to Him and then open our hearts to listen to Him. I know this is true because I have prayed to my Heavenly Father and I have received answers to my prayers, sometimes in the form of scripture verses or through feelings of comfort, peace and joy. I know that He can answer your prayers too if you pray with a sincere heart and with real intent.
On Saturday I realized just how fast things can change...the first line in my journal for Saturday says “Guess what? I still stink at Spanish”. I know that just on Thursday I felt like I was getting better at Spanish but on Saturday it just wasn’t clicking for me like it had earlier in the week when we taught our MTC teachers. I couldn’t seem to think of what to say in Spanish OR in English… it was extremely frustrating since I thought I was finally making some progress. Then that night during family scripture study I played an Easter song that Sister Pyatt, a very nice woman in my ward, shared with me and when it played I could immediately feel the spirit in the room. I realized that I had not been teaching by the spirit that morning, which is what made it so difficult. As the song ended, I felt a warm fuzzy feeling in my chest that made me feel happy and loved, I know that feeling is the spirit. I felt impressed to share how I was feeling with my family and Aidan, my youngest brother who is 12 years old, said that he felt the spirit too as something “warm”. This was the first time that he had ever shared he felt the spirit! I then asked the rest of my family how they felt the spirit to help Aidan recognize the different way the Holy Ghost (the spirit) talks to each individual person.
Monday and Tuesday were pretty much the same rollercoaster as Thursday and Saturday were. Monday was good and I felt like my Spanish was getting better. Then Tuesday came and I was back to feeling frustrated about my Spanish.
Then on Sunday it was Easter!!! We started the morning with an Easter egg hunt like we do every Easter, but I was never a missionary during the previous Easters. Now to paint a picture of past Easters...usually we are all half awake, but as soon as we sit at the top of the stairs and see all the Easter eggs “hidden” throughout the house, we immediately start making a plan of attack for how we will push the other siblings out of the way to get the most eggs into our basket...ok now we are back to this current Easter Sunday. :) As a missionary, I didn’t really think I could push Ethan and Aidan out of the way just to get eggs because you know, missionaries must be Christlike. So I decided to give them a head start and figured I would just go slow collecting my Easter eggs. This plan worked at first but with Ethan being too asleep to care much about finding Easter eggs I quickly went back to my old ways of getting Easter eggs, but dialed down a notch. In the end I miraculously beat them both in our egg count, but being the Christlike missionary I am, I gave them eggs so that we all had the same amount. I think that this is really just proof of how God blesses His missionaries. ;) On a more serious note though, I absolutely love Easter. Partly because of the time I get to spend with my family, but mainly because of the meaning of Easter. We celebrate Easter because it was the day Jesus Christ, our Savior, was resurrected after He died on the cross for us. Because He died and lived again, we can too. Because of Him, death doesn’t have to be the end and we can live with our families forever. Because of Him we can find hope, peace and joy during difficult times. I know that Christ made this sacrifice because He loves each one of us so much, with the love a brother has for his siblings.
I seriously love the gospel of Jesus Christ soooo much. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God who translated the Book of Mormon and restored the church on Earth for us today. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and that Jesus Christ is His son. I know that Jesus lives and He loves us. And I cannot wait for what’s next. I love you all and hope you’re doing well!
Love,
Hermana Johnson
Pictures!!!
1. Here’s me, Aidan and Ethan sitting at the top of the stairs ready for the egg hunt. I have been up and ready for the past 2 and a half hours, but the boys had just woken up.
2. Here’s a nice action shot of me putting eggs in my basket, but also taking the time to look outside and let my brothers get some eggs :) and Ethan being barely awake enough to care about what was happening
3. Lastly here’s a nice picture of the Johnson kids after the boys got ready for “home” church.
