LAUREN'S OCTOBER 13, 2014 E-MAIL

ANOTHER WEEK IN PARADISE!!!

This was about a month ago at a zone activity next to the bay. So pretty!

Sister Wang and I! It was really windy as you can tell!

Giving Sister Housely a piggy back ride. She's super tall!

Me being weird! Also these are our zone t-shirts. :)

Sister Chen from Canada! She left this past transfer. She's the coolest!!

Me in front of the Moraga building! It's a pretty building :)

Greetings Mother!

You go girl! I'm glad you and Dad saw Meet the Mormons! Wasn't it good? Have they been advertising it on TV and stuff? You should invite a friend to go watch it with you!!

Something gross happened this morning! We went to the public laundry room at our apartment complex to do our laundry, and when we walked in something smelled rancid. Then I looked down on the floor and there were maggots all over the floor!! It was disgusting!! Sister Wang couldn't see them at first because she wasn't wearing her glasses but when she looked closely she freaked out because she hates bugs. It was so creepy. We think something might have died in there. We called the manager and he went and cleaned it up but when we went back to check it out again, there were more maggots! Luckily there are two laundry rooms so we used the other one. It was just nasty though. After that we were freaking out at everything we saw that resembled a maggot haha. It made for an interesting morning though. :)

Hmm let's see....well last week was good, but another slow week. We had two appointments scheduled with M****** but both of them fell through. Then we rescheduled for Saturday, but he didn't show up to that one either and since then hasn't been responding to our calls or texts! So that's been a big bummer. The only reason we have needed to meet him so often is to finish teaching him everything for his baptism which is next weekend. At this point though, if we can't meet with him this week, it doesn't look like it will be happening which is sad. We just need to find out what's been going on and how we can help him. He's been having a rough time at work because his boss is kind of a meany.  A couple of weeks ago on our p-day we were talking to him outside of where he works because he works doing landscaping stuff in that complex, and his boss drove by and yelled at us to "talk to him when he's done working!" Haha it was a little rude but funny because it was like something out of a movie.  Anyways, we have faith that his baptism will still happen on that day but first we need to make sure we're on the same page with him. A couple of weeks ago things were going great! But, when good things start to happen that's when Satan likes to jump in and be dumb.

Other than that, things are going good - Brother G****** is doing awesome! Everyone is so surprised and excited about his decision to get baptized. He is such a funny, nice, easy-going guy. During my time here I've seen a big change in him. He's a lot more enthusiastic and open. It is so neat to witness how hearts can be changed because of the Gospel. :) Oh also on Friday Sister Wang had to go to the eye doctor because she had a weird bubble-looking thing on her eye that had been there for a few days. It turned out to be nothing serious though, just an eye blister that can result from rubbing the eye too much or from contacts. So she got some eye drops and it's gone now. :)

Last week we also had some neat things happen at the Visitor's Center! Yesterday we got to the VC 30 minutes early to eat lunch, and when we got there there was a Chinese family that couldn't speak English. Sister Wang was the only Chinese speaker there at the time so she talked to them and asked if they wanted a tour. They said no because they had already looked around, but she had the brilliant idea of taking them to the Chinese branch which was still going on in the Inter-stake Center across from the VC! So we took them over there and quietly introduced them to the Elders. They were super sweet even though I couldn't communicate with them. And it's funny because Sister Wang said when they got there and the Elders starting talking to them, the dad turned to the elder and said, "Shh....I'm trying to listen." Haha. Anyways, so that was awesome. I think they go back to China soon (which is a bummer because they can't get baptized there) but, at least a seed was planted and they got to go to sacrament.

Well, that's it for this past week. I hope everyone has an awesome week this week! Halloween is coming soon! We get to do deep-cleaning on Halloween and I'm super excited. Haha. I love you all! Read your scriptures every single day and spread the Gospel!!!

Love,

Sister Johnson

Also a few tidbits from our back and forth e-mail from Monday:

What have you done today for your P-Day?
 

Today we got some groceries, went to the dollar store and I bought a kitten calendar!! I am going to write miracles that happen on each day (I wish I started this at the beginning of my mission!!), then we ate at burger king because we had some coupons hehe, then cleaned a little, then came to Oakland to wash our car but a lot of other missionaries were washing their car at the mission home so we came to email then we went to wash our car and then we came back but Sister Wang started talking to a Chinese guy and we showed him around the VC and now we're back emailing :)

Do you ever meet any really mean people?

Actually I haven't come across that many really really mean people, people have been rude but not any extreme ones yet. I talked to a lady on the phone and she was pretty rude though. The other day I talked to a lady who was just really upset off the bat and asked all these questions about what we believe and I was just calm and answered the best I could but she still wasn't happy at the end. But honestly I have no problem talking to rude people. It doesn't bother me at all haha. I'm just really nice and if they are rude back it ain't my problem! And they'll regret it a lot some day anyways which stinks for them and then I feel bad for them hehe.

Look for another post next week and a special post for her half way mark next month!  Bye for now!

SISTER JOHNSON'S OCTOBER 6, 2014 E-MAIL

CONFERENCE WEEKEND!

 

Oakland Temple Visitor's Center Sisters from Spring, 2014

Hello!

Yes! Conference was awesome!! I loved it. We watched the Saturday sessions at the Visitor's Center, which was super fun watching it with the other VC sisters. We were on shift but were in Elder Poulsen's office until someone came in, then some of us had to leave. It was a little slow that morning, which isn't what we want haha but it was nice because we got to watch basically all of conference. Sunday we went to the church and M***** and Brother G***** with his family were supposed to come, but neither of them showed up!! And actually, no one else showed up either so Sister Wang and I were the only ones at the chapel! We felt kind of like losers, but conference was still awesome. In-between sessions we went to Brother F****'s house (our ward mission leader) and they fed us lunch, so that was fun. The second session of conference, Sister G***** came to the chapel so we watched it with her. I thought about what it was like to watch conference before my mission - I have always loved conference, but it is different watching it as a missionary! It was just so excited and curious as to what topics they were going to talk about and wanted everyone in the world to watch it! Seeing all the apostles and prophet speak pumped me up so much! And SO many of the talks were answers to my prayers and recent things going on!

For example - last week we had a rather interesting experience. A lot to the story, but basically a member said they received revelation that President Monson isn't a real prophet. (This person says a lot of interesting things though. I was just a little shocked because they have a really strong testimony.) Anyways, it bugged me all week and I wanted to find a way to help this person. Well, the Sunday morning session of conference was the answer! I was blown away at how many spoke about sustaining the prophet and church leaders, how they receive revelation straight from God for us and I it was awesome that Elder Nelson specifically talked about President Monson. I really think those talks were given just for this person haha. But also, I think they were perfect messages for all of us and were what I personally needed to hear. I think we all need to seek for more guidance from our current prophet and church leaders and gain greater conviction of their callings. Think about it - we have a prophet of the Lord and twelve apostles on the earth. Whatever they have to say is going to be pretty dang important because it all comes straight from Heavenly Father. Forget for a minute about the news and all the stuff going on and follow the prophet!! He knows the way! So anyways, conference was awesome and I can't wait until the conference ensign comes out.

Also, last week we had a mini Zone Conference and we had the privilege of watching the movie, "Meet the Mormons," which comes out on October 10th! So everyone needs to go see it and invite friends! It was awesome! It looked into the lives of 6 different members of the church from around the world. It was funny and inspirational. You will really enjoy it! Our Zone Conference was in Antioch (which is far from our area) and after Sister Wang and I went with Sister Kwok and Sister Shu to a Chinese buffet! Sister Wang and I were really excited because we have been wanting to go a Chinese buffet for a few weeks now haha. 

It is awesome too that you are reading the Book of Mormon again because I am too! We have been challenged by President Meredith to get a fresh copy of the Book of Mormon and start from the beginning, focusing on the Savior. He gave us topics and a color-coding system. If you want to do it with me you should! Here are the topics and colors: the Savior's words to be marked in red, His personal attributes (Christlike attributes) to be marked in blue, anything about the Atonement to be marked in green (focusing on the power of the Atonement and the grace of God) and I added anything about faith or faith in Christ to be marked in yellow (faith is one of the Christlike attributes, but I still want to distinguish it). 

Anywho that's it for this past week! Thank you for all that stuff and for wanting to send me a package - I honestly can't think of anything for you to put in it! Put whatever you think I'll like (but no junky candy stuff please :-)) I love you so much mother dear and everyone else so much!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Sister Johnson