Hola y'all!
Alrighty folks I had a pretty good week as per usual (I'm so sorry about how long it is though, I really try to not make it so long but I just have so much to say!) filled with lots of good stuff :)
On Monday we had an interesting p-day...the other Sisters left on their bikes to get new dresses for Zone Conference on Tuesday, but when they came back they only had one bike...Sister Cottle had hit a rock on her bike (Doug) and the chain got all messed up, they barely made it to the store, but the store wouldn’t let them lock up their bikes, so Sister Utsch had to save us again by picking them up and trying to fix the bike at home. Then Sister Utsch came back for us in the afternoon to take us to Walmart to get groceries! We seriously have the best members ever! (so I’ve been told since I have never been in a different area) After p-day hours we got to have a lesson with sweet old Ms. Mary! She is the best, but it took 4 different phone calls to finish the lesson because she kept getting other calls BUT we got through the last half of the Restoration! (lesson #1) whoop whoop!
Tuesday was ZONE CONFERENCE!!! This is where all the missionaries in our zone (3 districts of about 5 companionships) meet up in Monroe for the day to hear from President and Sister Varner (for the last time before President Amos gets here on Monday), the AP’s (assistants to the president), the technology specialists, Zone Leaders and STL’s (Sister Training Leaders). We got to take pictures before and recite the Restoration Proclamation in our best dresses and suits (because ya know Zone Conference...fancy). It was pretty funny how fast the Elders took off their fancy suit coats though as soon as the pictures were done jajaja. For lunch we all ate pizza in the cultural hall, with socially distant tables and chairs set up of course. They told us that there was enough pizza for all the Elders to have 3 slices and for all the Sisters to have 2 slices...clearly they don’t know how much Sister Farris can EAT! jajaja After Zone Conference we took more pictures with President and Sister Varner, saying our goodbyes to them. The STL’s were so nice and gave us a ride home (1.5 hour drive) since we still didn’t have our car and the Sister technology specialists had already driven up, past Monroe, to get us and drive us back down to Monroe for Zone Conference. Y’all everyone here is just so nice and sweet to us!
On Wednesday the whole quad woke up exhausted from Zone Conference and night #8 on the floor (for bed bugs). Ya know pretty classic missionary problems...and it gets better. We had FIVE whole lessons scheduled throughout the day...only one of them actually happened...however that lesson with Lea went really well! We taught the plan of salvation and she understood everything and it all made sense in her head about where we were before we came to earth, why we are here and where we are going (email me if you want to learn more). After that lesson we got stuck talking to Clifton’s (Lea’s fiancee) sister for 45 MINUTES! It was all about dogs (my speciality), but we had another appointment so we kept inching closer and closer to the door until we could finally escape. To end the day, the Nashes (ward mission leader) took us out for dinner (since our appointment they were coming with us to fell through) at the Black Cat mexican restaurant. It's in downtown El Dorado that we didn’t know existed, but it’s our new favorite place! It was so cute and there was a courthouse, civil war monuments, little phone booths, just adorable! We’ll have to go there to find people and make a p-day stop there sometime since apparently we live in the not-so-fancy part of El Dorado jajaja.
On Thursday we did lots of studying...I realized how a missionary in isolation might feel...oof. We started the day with some service!!!!! We got to go to the Adult Life group home and play some games, make letters and talk with the people there. They were all so nice and really liked having new people there with them. Later that day we had exchanges (where we switch companions with the STL’s for 24 hours so that they can see how we are doing and we can learn from them) but since we have bed bugs...we had virtual exchanges over Facebook messenger for 3 hours. It consisted of Sister Farris and I going into different rooms (wack) and having companion study with an STL, then teaching a lesson with Sister Farris to the STL’s and ending with roleplays of missionary situations with the STL as our companion again...it was a lot of studying and practicing jampacked into a few hours. After we had personal study, went outside and saw like 2 people, had my second language study of the day since I missed the one for Zone Conference and then we all watched the MTC devotional while eating cake and Blue Bell :)
Friday was a pretty good day, it also marked one month since I got to the LBRM (Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission)! What better way to celebrate than with biking! We biked 7.5 miles as we biked to an appointment with Mr. Justin, but he wasn't home so we decided to bike to Ms. Elizabeth's but she wasn't home as usual so we left a note. So the backup plan for the backup plan was to bike to Mr. Richard's house. He greeted us with some side-hugs...not exactly allowed, but it's hard to explain that to someone who is very lovey so...we were there for an hour and he actually let us share MULTIPLE scriptures this time and share our testimonies instead of him just talking at us like the last 2 times we met with him. So we're still working on the whole talking stick thing and all of his we are "beautiful women" comments, but apparently Sister Farris says that's pretty normal. When we got home Sister Farris and I were hyping up our bike fixing skills after we got her bike fixed, so we decided to fix one of our member bikes and WE DID IT! We took off the back tire, replaced the tube and everything! We're pros now ;) For dinner we decided to get some BBQ ribs, ya know pretty Southern jajaja. Then our other appointment with Ms. Mary fell through so we decided to walk around outside in the rain where we scheduled a Bible study with a woman named Ms. Tiffany! Then on our way home we saw FIREFLYS!!!! They were so cool and looked like little Christmas lights flashing for 2 seconds, it was even Sister Farris's first time seeing them on the mission!
On Saturday we got to do some yard work for this lady named Ms. Pat who isn't interested in the gospel and was surprised at how hard we worked for free. Since she's pretty old and cautious about everything she asked that we wear long socks, long pants AND long sleeve shirts...I literally thought I was gonna die of heat with all that clothing covering me up! I know I've said this before, but this time for reals was the most I've ever sweated in my life!! On the bright side I felt like I was at the beach with the saltwater getting in my eyes. After that we hurried home, changed and went to our appointment with Ms. Tiffany...she wasn't home, but her son was outside, so we got to talk with him and give him the Book of Mormon and Bible. Whoot whoot! On our walk home Sister Farris's bag died...this was a tragic event because she carries around this ENORMOUS black shoulder bag (I don't know how she does it) and she says that she is defined by her "big bag, big journal (massive scrapbook-like journal) and big dreams" so it was a sad day. We tried duct taping it together but...it was pretty badly ripped. Then we got to teach Ms. Mary the first half of the Restoration, it was good but she talked most of the time (like most Southern people do) and she says that her cousin is a prophet...we'll work on that one...in more exciting news, our District leader called us that night to tell us that MISSIONARY WORK RESUMES AS NORMAL! This means that we can now go and knock on people's doors if we have talked to them before. It's very exciting stuff!
Sunday was pretty uneventful...we had sacrament meeting at the church with the Nashes and Brother Ricker, sadly Amber wasn't there but she was helping out her brother (so valid reason). The highlight of sacrament meeting though was when Brother Ricker tried to put the sacrament bread in his mouth with his mask still on jajaja. Since our Sunday service with Lea fell through we walked home, had the Sunday live, study time, weekly planning (major companion planning session to schedule the week) and made some bomb pasta for dinner. I even helped out with the sauce!
So basically it was a pretty good week other than the 13 nights we have spent on the floor because we haven't been sprayed for bed bugs yet...my testimony is growing so much every single day and my knowledge of the gospel is growing too and I am literally learning so much from all the missionaries around me. I just want to say that the mission is amazing and missionary work is the same no matter where you are doing it from. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me and that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior. I know that there are so many blessings that can come from accepting Christ and aligning our will with God's. I say this a lot, but I'll say it again, this is a gospel of true, everlasting joy and I get a glimpse of that every day on the mission.
Have a blessed week!
Smile because God loves you and remember that I love, love, love y'all too!
Love,
Sister Johnson
Things found in the street this week: (I'm gonna try something new)
-Clothing hanger
-Armadillo
-Q-tip
-Snake
-Lots of cigarettes
Pictures!!!
1. Sister Farris and I out street contacting being missionaries and all ;)
2. Ruston district aka the best district in the mission!!
3. Monroe Zone at Zone Conference!!
4. Last picture with President and Sister Varner!
5. A huge dog we got to pe VID-19t and give a treat to outside the Black Ca
6. Our version of church during CO
Pictures!!!
1. Sister Farris and I out street contacting being missionaries and all ;)
2. Ruston district aka the best district in the mission!!
3. Monroe Zone at Zone Conference!!
4. Last picture with President and Sister Varner!
5. A huge dog we got to pe VID-19t and give a treat to outside the Black Ca
6. Our version of church during CO
