Hola y'all!
This week I got to celebrate 2 holidays. Thanksgiving and my birthday. It was a pretty awesome week!
Monday we had a pretty chill pday at home in DeRidder. I got to call my family (my dad is in quarantine in our guest bedroom because he had just gotten home from a business trip to England - so that was fun). We also got cake and ice cream from Walmart for my birthday coming up on Wednesday. Then that night we had exchanges with the STLs from Alexandria. We met in the middle at some random place, called Cooter’s Bog. It was pitch black and there were definitely some animal and tribal noises coming from the woods...creepy! But don’t worry we made it back to DeRidder safely, me with Sister Jacobs and Sister Lynch with Sister Hollingsworth in Alexandria.
Tuesday was my last day as a teenager! That morning we went to go do service at ‘For the Critters’, a local non-profit thrift store. On the way out we saw our neighbors and they talked to us for like an hour since they'd never met Sister Jacobs before. She even invited them to come to church..they said no but we're still friends. Then we finally got to go do service - organizing clothes and cleaning things up at the store. Some lady even gave us some Satsumas. When we got back home our lesson got cancelled. Sadness. But we had our daily Book of Mormon reading with Brother Larimer. That night we went to dinner at the Mu'amoholevas. Since it was raining we didn’t get our usual Hawaiian barbeque, but they made us rice, curry and taro root (which looks like a potato but is definitely not a potato jaja). After dinner, Sister Jacobs and I left to switch back companions. Sister Hollingsworth made me cheesecake for my birthday on Wednesday! Then I got Sister Lynch back and we drove home to DeRidder.
Wednesday was my 20th birthday! For breakfast I made myself some eggs with left over sausage balls from Sister May - very yummy if I do say so myself. Then we went to district council in Many. The Zone leaders made a guest appearance to give a special discussion and refining. Afterwards we got lunch as a district minus the Nachitoches Elders...as usual. We all went out to Sonic and I treated myself to a shake since it was my birthday, ya know? Then we all had lunch together and Sister Lynch asked everyone to share their favorite thing about me - it was super nice. Sister Murdock even paid for my lunch by shoving cash down my shirt because I didn't want to let her pay for my lunch jajaja! When we got back to DeRidder our neighbor, Sean, was outside and he wished me a Happy Birthday and gave me 20 birthday punches. He said he would've kicked me too but he was feeling nice that day jaja. Before our lesson with the Jacksons we had leftovers from the Pembertons for dinner, delicious. At the Jackson's we ended up showing them President Nelson’s message of hope and they loved it. After we drove home and had a little birthday celebration. I got to call my family and open my presents with them and Sister Lynch made me a cake that I faked blowing out the candles (missionaries can't have fire) while my family sung me Happy Birthday. It was awesome. I love my family so much and can't wait to be with them forever!
Thursday was Thanksgiving!! One of my favorite holidays. For weekly planning we decided to go to a new park in downtown DeRidder. That was exciting. Then we went to the Marshall’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. They made the classics; a turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, corn casserole and some Southern rice dressing. It was literally all SOOO good. Then on top of that for dessert we had jello, sweet potato pie, pecan pie and apple pie, mmmm. After dinner we came home and got to call our families. It was a good day!
On Friday morning we had our first lesson with one of our Facebook referrals, Melissa. She even told us that she knows the Book of Mormon is true! It was a little hard to understand her over bad connections and technology, but it went well. That afternoon we finished weekly planning and called our entire list of people. I've never made so many phone calls at once in my life. We also created a post for Facebook of Sister Lynch juggling for our Alexandria Zone Facebook Page. She is awesome!
Saturday morning we had a district goal setting meeting over Zoom...let’s just say our district has some high goals, but we got this! Since we stayed inside most of the day we had to escape and take a walk that afternoon. The rest of the day we called members and made cookies for the Jacksons (they were Sister Lynch’s experiment, triple chocolate pumpkin cookies. So good).
On Sunday we went to church (little did we know it would be our last in-person church...RIP). Sister Lynch is arranging a piano piece for Zone conference so we stayed after so she could practice - that girl is talented. That night we got to go over to the Jackson’s again! Ja’Ron even had to remind his family to read Book of Mormon, and he is the youngest one. We read the climax of the Book of Mormon - when Jesus Christ visited the Americas. Ja’Ron had some really good questions about the plan of salvation. We were even able to talk to them about eternal families.
This holiday week I realized how much I love my family and want to live with them forever. And I know that is a blessing that comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ and being sealed to my family forever in the temple. Boy oh boy am I grateful for temples and His restored gospel!
Have a blessed week!
Smile because God loves you and remember that I love, love, love y'all too!
Love,
Sister Johnson
November Bug Bite Count: 18 bites
October Bug Bite Count: 39 bites
September Bike Mileage: 0.0 miles
August Bike Mileage: 46.9 miles
July Bike Mileage: 161.0 miles
June Bike Mileage: 61.6 miles
Pictures!!!
1. Sister Jacobs and I on exchanges
2. Birthday district picture with the other Sisters!
3. District selfie (minus Nachitoches)!
4. Sister Lynch and I eating some BOMB leftovers for dinner on my birthday!
5. Selfie with the Jacksons!
6. Calling my family for my birthday!
7. Sister Lynch and I doing our usual after 9pm activities...BLUE BELL
8. Me and a cat!
