Transfers & Temples!

Bonjour family and friends!

This has been quite an exciting week!! This past weekend we got our transfer calls... I better not pack my winter coat because on Wednesday, I will be transferred up to BRUSSELS!! (don't stress mom) We will be the first missionaries back in Brussels since everything happened. There hasn't been any missionaries there for over 3 months so we will have to do a lot of "finding" to build up our Amis because we are not going to have any. The Stake President has been requesting missionaries because he said the area and the ward really need them. I'm excited to see all the miracles we are going to have! I couldn't think of an area that needs the gospel more than Brussels right now. I feel at peace because I find comfort in the Lords promise that,"I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." No doubt, he fulfilled this promise with the other missionaries as well. This is going to be such a fun adventure. I love being a missionary!

This week I had my last lesson with Bertrand and Frederick. We told them that because it was my last lesson we would teach about one of my favorite topics... So we taught them about temples! It's definitely something they didn't know about before but they seemed to like it. It was cute because their son who is 18 months wouldn't stop crying...but when I brought out a picture of the temple he stopped crying and started pointing at in. He has some learning difficulties so he hasn't learned how to speak or walk yet. Ironically, one of the only words he can say is "Mormon." We taught them about how families can be together forever because of the temple! I'm looking forward to seeing them "twice in white" (baptism & temple). We were all pretty sad that I wouldn't be here for their baptism but because Brussels is close enough to Lille I will be able to go to their baptism in August!

Bertrand, Frederick & Gabor!

We also were able to visit the family that is from Ecuador that we taught last week. This time we were able to go with one of our members who spoke Spanish. That made things a WHOLE lot easier! We were able to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the little 9 year girl had lots of good questions. At the end, she said she wants to be baptized! They are going to set a date next week and teach the rest of the missionary lessons. The sweetest thing was that the mom said that they have been really missing the "word of God" in their home so she felt like she was sent "angels."

On Sunday we were able to have dinner with an American family that just moved into the ward. It was so weird to have an American meal and actually speak English at the dinner table! It was definitely refreshing. We have actually heard a lot of English lately because people are coming in from all over the world for the Euro 2k16 soccer games. It's weird to hear people all the mettro and actually understand everything they are saying! It was Father's Day when we had dinner at their house so we shared a message about the important of building our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Going to miss these girls!

The relationships that we develop in this life will be one of the only things we can take with us in the life to come. Therefore, we should try to do all we can in this life to develop and strengthen our relationships with the people we love. President Hinckley said, "Nothing you have is more precious. … When all is said and done, it is this family relationship which we will take with us into the life beyond.” One of the most important relationships we can have is our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Unfortunately, it's often the relationship we neglect the most. We need to set aside time everyday to build our relationship with him and the other people we love. He is also the greatest example of a father we could ask for. I love this quote by President Packer, "Of all the other titles that He could have used, He chose to be called “Father.” His use of the name “Father” is a lesson for all as we come to understand what it is that matters most in this life." I really do believe that being a "Father" is the most important "title" any man can obtain in this life. Happy Father's Day!

Love, Soeur Johnson

When it rains, it pours!

Bonjour family & friends!

Wow, I have never seen it rain quite like it rained here last week! We were already outside when it started raining so we got caught right in the storm. We only had one umbrella so half our bodies were kinda dry and the other half of us was totally drenched. It rained so much that everything started flooding. We walked down into the mettro and it had about 2 inches of standing water. Let's just say it wasn't the best day for street contacting but there were lots of opportunities for service! There were people slipping, grocery bags breaking, and umbrellas flying everywhere! It wasn't so fun the next morning when we woke up sick but it definitely was fun in the moment!!

We had another lesson with Bertrand & Frederick! (The ones that are getting baptized)  We taught them about the 10 commandments and keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. I walked out of the lesson just feeling so grateful that I have the opportunity to teach them. They were telling us how they want to make their baptism the beginning of a "new life." They said that after they come up out of the water they don't want to touch a pack of cigarettes again. They said they want to have a changed life. They really just have the sweetest testimonies! I have noticed that as their testimonies begin to grown and strengthen that Satan has began to work twice as hard. They have had a lot of challenges come up in the last couple weeks but they continue to have such great attitudes. On Sunday they were supposed to come to church but their car broke down. They usually drop off their 18 month old son at their parents house so that they can watch him during church. They didn't have any way to get him there so Frederick (the mom) stayed home with him but Bertrand decided not to let anything stop him from coming to church. He took the mettro and came for sacrament. It ended up being fast and testimony meeting! It couldn't have been more perfect. He said he was really touched by people's sincerity. A lot of people bore their testimonies about trials and how the gospel has helped them get through hard times! The scriptures promise us that if we.."Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good." We can be reassured that God will not always remove our burdens from us but he will always make them be for our benefit.

ice cream is always a good idea!

We had the absolute coolest experience "porting!" We went to visit one of the Amis but she ended up not being home. We had extra time so we just decided to go porting at one of the streets by her house. We were at a house that was about half way down the street and a woman answered the door. We started explaining who we were and why we were there. Her response was, "I know, I actually talked with your other colleagues last week." Apparently, the other sisters contacted her and her husband on the street the week before! They talked to them for like 30 minutes and then gave them a brochure. I asked her what she thought and she said she actually really liked it and wants us to come back! There is no way that could be just by "coincidence" that of all the people we talk with and all the doors we knock on we happen to come across her within a week of her being introduced to the gospel on the street. I'm excited to have a lesson with her and meet her family!

This week we also started teaching an Ami who is from Ecuador. She has two young girls and an older son. I was sitting in the lesson wishing that I had paid attention in high school Spanish class... She was trying to speak French but it was definitely a mix of Spanish as well. We brought them all Books of Mormon and started teaching them about the restoration. I just thought about what an amazing blessing the gospel is for families as we all sat around in a circle with our Books of Mormon in all different languages opened!

We had such a cool miracle happen at church. At the end of church some random lady came walking into the building. Some members starting talking to her and realized she wasn't a member so they introduced her to us. She explained to us that 35 years ago she met the missionaries and they gave her a Book of Mormon. She started reading a little bit of it and realized that it had the "same spirit as the Bible." She said that she studies languages and has gone to Jerusalem a couple times. She said that the writing in the Book of Mormon is very similar to other ancient writings she has read there. We explained that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets in the Americas. She said, "There is no doubt that this book is sacred so I knew I couldn't get rid of it. It has been on my shelf all these years because I have never known what to do with it." She doesn't live very far away from the church and she always thought the building was beautiful but had never gone in. She was cleaning out her house because she is moving and came across the Book of Mormon. She decided that she didn't have space for it but didn't want to just throw it away so she brought it to the church to return it. We tried so many times to get her to keep it or trade us for a newer version but she wouldn't! We also tried to get her number or address but she said she wasn't interested right now but maybe in a "couple of years." The ending of the story is pretty sad but it still was a really cool experience! I pray that missionaries will one day knock on her door again and that then she will be prepared to hear the gospel.

35 year old Livre de Mormon!

All these miracles made me think about the scripture in Alma 26:30... "30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some. 31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us." In missionary work and in life, we don't always immediately see the "fruits of our labor." Sometimes it's hard to know if the things we are doing actually matter or are making a difference. Most of the time we will never know how big of a difference we have made or how many lives we have touched. God asks each of us to be his "instrument" and to follow the promptings of the spirit. Sometimes we may never know why we were prompted to do certain things because the results aren't immediate. I think sometimes parents who have children who have "wandered" may feel that the "fruits of their labors" were few. However, He promises that if you,"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." When it comes to saving souls; whether it is missionary work, raising kids, or reaching out to those who have wandered, our labors are never wasted! Have a wonderful week.

Love, Soeur Johnson

Forgetting how to speak English...Oh no

Bonjour family & friends,

This week we had another "finding day" in Lille! We had a lot of success this time and saw lots of miracles. We are super excited to follow up and hopefully get some new Amis. In the afternoon, I went with Soeur Clements and a member from our Ward out contacting. We were able to contact a couple people and had some great conversations. We also something really embarrassing happen as well... We contacted a lady who was from Germany and is here studying for her science degree. We started contacting her in French like normal and then she asked if we could speak English because that was easier for her. We said, "Of course that's actually easier for us too!" (Or at least we thought so) We started explaining who we were and why we were here.  Except every time we tried to say something it came out in French. We tried multiple times and literally could not find the words to say in English. Finally, our member who is French but speaks English said, "Do you want me to explain it for you?"  So in ENGLISH our member had to introduce us and contact this lady for us. It was so embarrassing! So maybe one of the reasons I wasn't sent state side is because being missionary in English would have been such a struggle.

Still wearing coats in June!

We visited that Catholic family again that we "ported" into last week. We met the Grandpa this time and he basically recited the entire Bible to us. It was super impressive how much he knew! We gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to read it. I actually just finished reading the New Testament this week! It has really strengthen my testimony of the church and the Book of Mormon. President Benson said, "The Book of Mormon … verifies and clarifies the Bible. It removes stumbling blocks, it restores many plain and precious things. We testify that when used together, the Bible and the Book of Mormon confound false doctrines, lay down contentions, and establish peace." I have been reading them together and it really is a great way to help strengthen testimonies. It also is a really great way to learn more about the attributes of Christ and how to become more like him. I can't think of a better way to draw closer to Christ than to study his life and his teachings!

France is beautiful!

This week we also had the chance to see one of our Amis that we found a long time ago on the street. She has been working a lot so we haven't been able to see her. We felt like we should pass by her house and see if she was home. Luckily she happened to be there and she even let us in! She was super happy to see. I guess she has been going through a hard time because she had a close friend who recently died. We talked with her for awhile and then shared the scripture in 1 Nephi.

We don't always know or understand why things happen in our lives but we can always rely on the fact that God loves us and he will watch over us. I hope everybody has a wonderful week! All is well. Church is true.

Love, Soeur Johnson

Big doors & Baptismal dates

Bonjour family and friends!

We had zone conference this past week! We talked a lot about the importance of presenting the Book of Mormon. We also talked a lot about the importance of planning and setting goals. President Babin said,  "Always be thinking about where you want to go and how you are going to get there." I think that was really great advice that we can each apply to our lives. It was also a fun day because my MTC companion got put into my same zone this transfer so I was able to see her and catch up on how everything is going. It's crazy to see how much we both have grown and improved. I am excited to see where we are both at by the end of our mission!

This week we had such a great lesson with the cute family we have been teaching. They have the cutest son who is 18 months old. They have been so receptive to all the principles we have taught them.  Last week, we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. They asked so many good questions and basically were asking us what they needed to do to be baptized! We taught them about the word of wisdom because we know that they have problems with smoking. They both know that smoking isn't good for them and they have a desire to stop. Next week, we are putting them on a "quit smoking" program. This past week we taught them about the organization of the church and how we have a living prophet. They really like the way the church is organized and were impressed how welcoming everyone was with them at church. We invited them to be baptized and they said yes! We set a baptismal date for August 13. I won't be here for the baptism but I will be able to skype in and talk to them after so that works for me!

Zone Conference!

On Tuesday, we had a little time before our next lesson so we went "porting" for a minute. When we only have a couple minutes in a neighborhood we always pick the houses to knock on by who has the coolest looking doors. We found this one that was made out of all rod iron and it looked more like a gate. A man came to answer the door and we told him we thought his house was beautiful and he immediately let us in! (I guess complimenting people's houses is the way to get in the door because it is usually never that easy) He gave us a little tour of his house and introduced us to his family. We said a prayer with them and they told us we can stop by again when we are in the neighborhood. They are very very practicing Catholics so it's going to be a challenge but that's what makes it fun!

"Miracle" door

This week I have been thinking a lot of what it means to be "prepared" to hear the gospel. I have had the chance to talk with a lot of different people and hear a lot of different perspectives/responses to more or less the same gospel questions and topics. There are obviously a lot of reasons why people don't accept or have interest in the gospel. However, there are some people that take great interest and in some cases even know it to be true but fail to do anything about it. In a lot of cases the excuse is used that these people are just not "prepared" yet. I have pondered a lot on why some people are "prepared" and others are not. I have come to the conclusion that there are a lot of people in the world that don't want to change. The people that are ready to change are the people ready to be converted. Change always leads to repentance. It's not an easy thing to change. To truly repent and to truly change, we much change our very nature. We must change our desires, thoughts and actions. True repentance often will require a change in our lifestyle. President Kimball said, “In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions. He must make them. He may need to come to hate the spotted garments and loathe the sin. He must be certain not only that he has abandoned the sin but that he has changed the situations surrounding the sin. He should avoid the places and conditions and circumstances where the sin occurred, for these could most readily breed it again. He must abandon the people with whom the sin was committed. He may not hate the persons involved but he must avoid them and everything associated with the sin. … He must eliminate anything which would stir the old memories.” I am grateful for the gift of repentance and to have had the chance to meet people who have had humbled themselves and are willing to take the steps necessary to change. Change is not easy but it is worth it. My challenge is for everyone to "prepare" themselves to make the necessary changes to live a life more aligned with gospel principles. In this life, there is always room for improvement! That's why we are here. Church is true. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

6 months down ... 1 year to go

Bonjour family and friends!

Time flies when your having fun. This past week I hit my 6 month mark! It's crazy to think that I am already 1/3 of the way done with my mission. It has been a totally different experience than I could have ever imagined. There has been a lot of hard days but also a lot of really good days. Overall, it has been such a great learning experience. There are things that I have learned by serving a mission that I couldn't have learned any other way.

The six things I learned in 6 months.

1. When in doubt..pray it out -My testimony of prayer has increased so much. I have learned what it truly means to "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart." I have never had to pray so fervently in my life. I have realized that prayer should become our first response no matter the situation. I totally agree with President Hinckley when he says, "I don't know how to get anything done except getting on my knees and pleading for help and then getting on my feet and going to work." There is not much I can do for those I love when I am half way around the world except to pray, trust that Heavenly Father hears my prayers & then go out and do his work.

2. Conversion vs. Testimony- I have quickly realized that there is a big difference between having a testimony and being truly converted. I had a testimony before I came on my mission but my mission has helped me to become more converted. A testimony are the things we know to be true but conversion is turning away from sin and staying true to what we know. There is a difference between knowing things are true and actually doing them. Conversion is a quest of a lifetime but something we should all strive to be better at. No doubt, I have been my first "convert" on my mission. It has helped me become more converted than probably any of my Amis have become.

3. "He makes weak things strong"- If you don't think you have any weaknesses, go on a mission. You will quickly learn that you have more weakness than you ever even knew! It's been a humbling and cool experience to see how the Lord has shown me my weaknesses and then has helped me to make them strengths. Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." If we humble ourselves he will use our weaknesses and shape us into someone better.

4. "Opposition in all things"- The most common question we get is, "How could there be a God if so many bad things are happening in the world?" It's interesting because before my mission I had a similar question. I had a really hard time understanding why so many terrible things happen to such great people. As my understanding of the plan of salvation has increased my testimony of why opposition is necessary has strengthened. We have been giving the precious gift of agency. How we use our agency makes ALL the difference. There are a lot of bad things that happen to people in the world as a result of other peoples agency. God can't control how people use their agency but he definitely will make the best out of the situation of those that have been affected by the bad choices of others. He will "consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain." There are other things in life such as sicknesses that have nothing to do with free agency. These situations are hard to explain. Understanding the plan of salvation can bring great comfort in moments of great difficulty. What we do know is "it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." The good and the bad things in life help us gain experience and progress. The purpose of our life on earth is to gain experience and without opposition we wouldn't be able to progress like we need to.

5. "I need thee every hour"- The one of the most important things I have learned is that I'm not capable of doing this work on my own. I truly need divine intervention to help me accomplish the tasks that I am asked to do. I am grateful I can rely on the enabling power of the atonement (grace) to help strengthen me to accomplish things beyond my own capacity. Grace can help lift and carry us through the times we need it most. It's comforting to know that we have access to that power no matter where we are or what we are doing. "We truly need Him every hour, whether they be hours of sunshine or of rain."-President Monson

6. Count your blessings- No matter our circumstances we can always find things to be grateful for. President Lorenzo Snow said, "We have every reason to rejoice and to be full of joy and satisfaction, notwithstanding the difficulties that surround us." We have been given so many blessings! We find so much more joy in life when we learn to appreciate and focus on our blessings.

Lunch at the only place that has real Mexican food in Lille!

This week we had a lesson with Isabelle and her two girls. (The last minute miracle from last week) we taught them in the park near our house. She used to be atheist but now she has technically converted to Catholicism. It is more like she believes in God now and the most popular religion here is obviously Catholicism so she just calls herself Catholic. She thinks all religions are good because it is all the same God. We started teaching her the restoration but we had to hurry through it because it started to rain. She made us get out our umbrellas so the Books of Mormon wouldn't get wet..haha. She absolutely loved the story of Joseph Smith. She has a really strong testimony of prayer and that it works. She kept testifying to us of all the miracles she has seen because of prayer. It was such a cool experience!

Helping at the Refugee camp!

There has been a big emphasis lately with reaching out and helping the refugee situation. It has become a huge problem here in France because there are so many refugees. On Saturday we had a stake service project and we traveled up to Dunquere to work in a refugee camp. It was a pretty humbling experience to see where these people have to live. They live in temporary houses made out of plywood. It's just a square room and they sleep on the floor. They seemed to vary in sized but generally they seemed to be 7x7ft rooms. There were even tents set up on the gravel that people live in. The saddest part is that these refugees are actually living in what would be considered one of the "better" places that they have for refugees. It was a good reminder that we have much to be grateful for and that we need to reach out and help those in need.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve a mission. Church is true! All is well. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

Mother's Day: My new favorite holiday!

Bonjour family and friends!

It's finally spring/summer in the north of France! The weather here has finally warmed out and I couldn't be more excited. It literally went from freezing cold last week to really hot this week. We have been asking people when it will get warm and they always say, "you're in the North.. So probably never." It's actually supposed to rain at the end of this week so maybe they are right!

The end of the transfer was this past week as well. I am staying in Lille for one more transfer to finish training Soeur Witham. The only thing that is really changing is that we are getting a new Soeur in our apartment because Soeur Ulrich has finished her mission. I am really excited for this next transfer!! We have a lot of solid Amis and I think we are going to really start to see them progress.

Springtime in France!

Overall, I have been blessed to have been able to have eaten really well here in France (as can be seen in the way I look in pictures haha) but this week was a little bit rough to say the least. We had the weirdest jello/jelly like thing with bits and pieces of green stuff in it, wrapped with some bizarre meat, and to top it off their was a completely raw egg in the middle of it. The worst part about it was that it was only our appetizer...yikes. Let's just say by the main course I was told that I didn't have to finish my plate if I didn't want too (which never happens in France) and we were given 3 different desserts after because I think she felt bad..haha. It was probably the most traumatic thing that has happened to me on my mission so far.. so I would say things are going pretty good if eating weird things is my biggest problem! All is well though because she said we can have potatoes next time to make up for it.

We had our finding day in Lille on Friday. The weather was absolutely beautiful so people were everywhere. It couldn't have been more perfect! For this finding day, we focused a lot more on involving members. We took members out contacting on the street with us for a couple of hours. It is really a great experience for the members to share their testimonies and it is really helpful for us to have members with us to better communicate and relate to the person we are talking with on the street. While I was contacting with one of the members we met this really cool lady from Russia! She immediately looked at my plaque and said, "Let me guess, you are Mormon?" I replied a simple, "Oui." She then said, "I don't know what it is, but I swear the Mormons always find me! I must have a "visage" that attracts Mormon missionaries or something because no matter where I am in the world they always seem to talk to me." I told her that it's probably not by chance that she has had contact with so many missionaries. She told me that she went through a time where she was really angry with God because she had her baby that was 2 months old pass away. I immediately tried to testify of the plan of salvation. We talked with her for a minute and before she left I gave her a plan of salvation brochure. She said, "I am not going to read it now because I am not prepared but I will keep it for the day that I am." I am hoping that day will come sooner than later for her so that she can feel at peace and have that knowledge that she will be able to see her child again.

To finish off our finding day we did a "Book of Mormon/Restoration" activity in the center of Lille. We had little Book of Mormon posters and a bunch of Restoration DVDs & brochures. We stood around for the first little bit singing some hymns while one of the Elders played the Ukulele. Some people would sing while others went around handing out Book of Mormons and DVDs. Overall, it seemed to be a really successful day!!

Soeur Witham & Me!

To end this wonderful week I got the chance to skype with my family on Sunday! Mother's Day is definitely my new favorite holiday. Being on a mission has made reflect on how many things I have to be grateful for. My testimony has really grown about how important families are. Everyone has different types of family but the thing that we all should have in common is that they should be the most important thing in our life. They should be our highest priority. I am especially grateful to have a mother who has taught me the importance of family.

This is absolutely one of my favorite quotes from a talk Jeffery R. Holland gave.  "How is it that a human being can love a child so deeply that you willingly give up a major portion of your freedom for it? How can mortal love be so strong that you voluntarily subject yourself to responsibility, vulnerability, anxiety, and heartache and just keep coming back for more of the same? What kind of mortal love can make you feel, once you have a child, that your life is never, ever your own again? Maternal love has to be divine. There is no other explanation for it. What mothers do is an essential element of Christ’s work. Knowing that should be enough to tell us the impact of such love will range between unbearable and transcendent, over and over again, until with the safety and salvation of the very last child on earth, we can [then] say with Jesus, ‘[Father!] I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’ ”To all of our mothers everywhere, past, present, or future, I say, “Thank you. Thank you for giving birth, for shaping souls, for forming character, and for demonstrating the pure love of Christ.”

Thank you to my mother and all the "mother like" figures in my life. Abe Lincoln says it best, "Everything that I am, I owe to my angel mother." Have a wonderful week! Love you all.

Love, Soeur Johnson

Mini miracles!

Bonjour family and friends!

This week we started off by going "porting" (knocking on doors). We ended up meeting this really cool family!  The mom actually was an exchange student in Idaho when she was 14. She said she actually knows about the Mormons but she only thought that there were Elder missionaries. She asked if we wanted to come back sometime and have dinner with their family! Such a miracle.

We ended up having another miracle in the same neighborhood! We had a referral from the St. George visitor center in the neighborhood so we decided to stop by. Luckily, they were home and they even let us in! We talked with them for awhile and we asked if we could come back the next week. The problem is that they are going to visit family in Italy and they could potentially be gone for a couple months. The husband is Italian so we were able to have a fun conversation about Italy and I told him about the places I visited this past summer. They said that we could definitely pass by again when they get back. I will probably be transferred by the time they get back so I will have to have the other Soeurs pass by again. They found out about the church because they went to St. George and went to the temple. They were very intrigued about our beliefs and wanted to learn more. Even though I am sad that they are leaving for so long, I am glad I got the chance to meet them!

finding day with Soeur Romney!

We had a lesson with one of our Amis that was found contacting on the road. She came to one of our activities a couple weeks ago. We had our first lesson with her this past week. She is a young college student and is Catholic at base. She said she is interested in looking at other religions. We taught her the restoration and she seemed pretty receptive. She is super sweet and nice! We have another lesson with her next week.

Notre Dame from last week

The biggest miracle of the week was on Sunday! The family that we have been teaching that was suppose to come on church on Sunday didn't end up showing up. We had 5 minutes left at the end of relief society and I stood up and walked out the back door because I needed to go the front to make an announcement. When I walked out the door I looked to the right and the family was walking into the church building!! They had messed up the time they were supposed to come. Even though they missed church it was still a good experience because we were able to introduce them to the members. We gave them a tour of the church and they said that this next Sunday they will come!! We have a lot of great things coming up in the next couple weeks/months. There is so much potential and work to do here! Thanks for all your love and support. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

Fun in Paris!!

Bonjour family and friends!

This was such a great week! A couple weeks ago we got a call from a girl who told us that she was going through a faith crisis and had a lot of questions. She said that her mom was a member but that she wasn't. She wanted to meet with us because she figured that we could help her. We ended up having a lesson with her on Monday to start off the week. We talked a lot about Christ and how having faith in Christ can help us get through trials and the difficulties we have in life. It's comforting to know that somebody else has felt the same pain and sorrows that we are going through.  In Alma 7; it explains the atonement really well and how it applies to us when we are going through hardships.  "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people..And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." He knows how we feel and therefore he knows what need. In moments of difficulty we will not always be given what we want but he will always give us what he knows we need.

We had a lesson with the cutest little family. The mom is Catholic and the dad is Agnostic. They have a 18 month year old boy. We explained the "Plan of Salvation" and afterwards we asked them what they thought. Their first comment was, "It's beautiful." They really liked how God is merciful and how people don't just go to heaven or hell. We talked about about free agency and how we have the opportunity to choose where we go after this life based on the choices we make in this life. They also really liked when we talked about baptism being a choice. The mom was baptized in the Catholic Church when she was a baby but she said it doesn't mean that much to her because it wasn't her choice. We talked about the importance of being baptized by the proper authority. They really liked the idea of priesthood and they want to come to church on Sunday to meet a priesthood holder! They have a lot of potential and we are really excited to teach them again.

Eiffel Tower with Soeur Hodgeman!

On Friday we went into Paris for Soeur Witham's legality. While they were doing legality all the trainers went out contacting! I went out with Soeur Hodgeman. It was interesting contacting right in center of Paris and comparing it to contacting in Lille. There seemed to be a lot less people who stopped to talk to us on the street because they were in a hurry to get somewhere. We actually found a lot more success contacting on transportation such as the mettro, TER, RER etc. When people are just sitting on the train it's a lot harder for them to use he excuse, "je suis pressé." (I am in a hurry) It was so fun to get to go around Paris for the day! It made me realize how grateful I am to serve in such an amazing place. It also made me excited to maybe eventually serve in the center of Paris! I would say life is pretty good if you get to do missionary work with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Church is true. Life is good!

The dream mission!

Love, Soeur Johnson

"We are the Mormons"

Bonjour Family & Friends!

On Monday we started off the week by having a "Crepe" night and invited all of our Amis. We had a new ami come named Sophie who the V'Dascq sisters found but who lives in our area. She has been searching for religion and we are hoping to have a lesson with her next week!

On Tuesday we went over and started teaching the after baptism lessons to Lucile and Alexandre. They are literally so sweet! On Sunday they got up in Sacrament and bore their testimonies. They have only been baptized for a couple weeks but I can already tell they are going to be really strong members of the church. Last week, Lucile was able to go to the temple with the youth so we talked about temples and the importance of families. Afterwards, we had dinner with their whole family. Soeur Witham was able to have her first official "French dinner" with the absolute cutest French family!

The next day we had another great lesson with the ami that we met on the street last week! This time we taught her about the restoration of the gospel and she was listening very intently. The lesson went really well and at the end we invited her to read the Book of Mormon. One of the questions she asked was, "Why is it so important to read the Book of Mormon and not just the Bible?" We told her that there are a couple really important reasons to read the Book of Mormon. One of the reasons we explained that it was important to read the B.O.M was that it will help her gain a testimony of the things that we have been teaching her. If the B.O.M is true, than Joseph Smith was a prophet, which means the Church of Jesus Christ has been reestablished, which means we have Priesthood keys on the earth, which means we have a living Prophet, which means there are covenants (ex. Baptism) we need to make on earth in order to return to live with Heavenly Father and our families again. The Book of Mormon is complete evidence of whether the church is true. If the Book of Mormon is not true than none of this other stuff is possible. The Book of Mormon literally is the "keystone of our religion."  She said she would read it because she can tell the things we are telling her are genuine. She works a lot so we probably won't see her this week but we are definitely going to follow up on if she read the Book of Mormon!

"Book of Mormon hour" in Valenciennes!

On Saturday we went up to Valenciennes for "finding day." We spent most of the day going contacting on the street with members and other missionaries. When I was out contacting with Soeur Gilbert we had a really funny experience. We contacted this young girl and started talking with her. She realized that we were from America and since we were talking about religion she said, "I have heard that there are these crazy people called Mormons that are taking over America!" Soeur Gilbert and I both looked at each other and kinda started to laugh and said, "Actually, we are the Mormons..." The girl was so embarrassed and she kept apologizing because she felt so bad. We ended up explaining to her what our beliefs really are and clarified the misconceptions about Mormons that she had seen on tv. We ended up getting her number and she said she would be interested to talk another time. I'm not sure if she gave us her number because she was actually interested or because she felt so bad.. Haha. We ended the day by going to the center of Valenciennes and doing a "Book of Mormon" hour. All the missionaries grabbed a Book of Mormon and just went around and started talking to people. One of the Elders got a live action shot of Soeur Clements and I contacting a man who ended up being really interested. We haven't been allowed to contact single men until just recently so this was one of the first men I have contacted. He wan't with anyone at first but his family ended up being there as well so after talking with him for a little bit we were able to talk with his wife and kids! We gave him a Book of Mormon and read a couple versus out of it with him. He says he is atheist but to me it seemed like he does believe in a God but just isn't a part of an organized religion. We invited him to read the Book of Mormon with his family and pray to know that it is true. We also got his number so that the missionaries could meet with him and explain more.

Live action shot of giving away a B.O.M!

This was definitely a "Book of Mormon" themed week. I am so grateful that I get to carry around a Book of Mormon everyday. It is such a powerful book and every time I read it my testimony is strengthened. I love this quote by President Hinckley about the Book of Mormon, "The evidence for its truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself. The test of its truth lies in reading it. It is a book of God. Reasonable people may sincerely question its origin; but those who have read it prayerfully have come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true, that it contains the word of God, that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel, that it ‘came forth by the gift and power of God … to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ" I am grateful for the opportunity that I have had to read it cover to cover and receive a personal confirmation that it indeed a book of God and that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet. I invite you to do the same! Church is true.

Have a wonderful week! Love, Soeur Johnson

L'amour de Dieu

Bonjour family & friends!

We started off this week by watching the last session of General Conference because with the time difference it was too late to watch live. One of my favorite quotes came from Elder Holland's talk when he said, "Keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever." I love the idea about being persistent and believing in good things to come!

This week on Friday night we held an activity called, "pancakes, ping pong & penseè spiritual." We thought it would be a fun way to get ours Amis to come to an activity and to get to know the members in a fun environment. We actually had an ami come that we have been having a hard time getting a lesson with and I think it was a really good experience for her! Sunday we had all three of our Amis show up to church so we were super happy about that. We are doing another activity tonight so hopefully we will be able to get some new Amis to come as well!

We did lots and lots of contacting this week. Which is good because that means we had lots and lots of miracles. We had the coolest miracle this week! We decided to try contacting in a new spot. We got off the mettro and started walking around but there was basically nobody. We decided that it would be best to just start heading back to the main city. We were a little discouraged because we felt like it wasn't a very good use of time because we weren't able to talk to very many people. As we were walking back we stopped and started contacting one of the first people we saw. As we were talking with her, she looked down at the Book of Mormon and then said she has heard of us before and she wasn't interested. We explained that most of the things the TV says about our church are wrong. We were able to give her a brief Restoration lesson. We asked if we could schedule another time to meet with her and she said no. We talked a little more with her and what she believed. Again we asked if she had another time we could meet with her. She looked around and said, "Okay fine.. But only to work on your French!" I just looked at Soeur Witham and we both smiled and said "hmmm sure..." We were able to schedule a lesson with her for the next day! We went to her house and were able to teach her the Plan of Salvation. We talked with her for a long time because she had so many different but really interesting questions. She shared with us a spiritual experience she had where she said she felt the love of God really strongly. She said she didn't do anything to deserve such a great experience and she doesn't know what to do now. We told her that she can feel the love of God all the time. We invited her to pray and she said she would do it. She says she can't even remember the last time she has prayed. After talking with her for awhile we asked if we could come back another time. She said that she admires our conviction and courage but that we couldn't come back. We decided to keep talking and testifying to her. She has some unique beliefs that are definitely different from anybody else that I have talked with. She believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God but the atonement wasn't necessary because we are all just going to live with God again. She said the purpose of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was to show God's love for us. We finally really had to leave so we asked her one more time if we could meet with her again. I explained that we had a lot more things to talk about that I know can make a big difference in her life. She finally said yes and we scheduled a lesson with her for this week!

Our lesson with her really got me thinking about the power that comes from the love of God. When someone feels the love of God it can literally change their life. That's what it has done for this lady. She says its something she has constantly been thinking about and wants to know what she needs to do. One of the best ways to see and feel God's love is through the blessings of the gospel. When we reflect and decide to focus on all the blessings we have been given, we can not help but feel the love of God. The happiest people in life are those that choose to focus on the blessings and not the trials. When we remember the blessings we remember the love of God. President Monson said, "Your Heavenly Father loves you--each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there." What a great promise and blessing we have to always have access to the "l'amour de Dieu!" We have so much to be grateful for. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

Birthday gifts & Baptisms!

This week was definitely filled with lots of surprises. The transfer ended this past week so I knew I was most likely going to get a new companion. What I didn't know was that I was going to get a called to train a new missionary... I just got finished being trained so that was the last thing on my mind. So my new companion is fresh off the plane from the MTC! Let's just say if I don't get the "gift of tongues" pretty soon here we might be having some problems.. Haha. She actually took a little French in High School so she can pretty much already speak better than me. I can understand a little better because I am more used to the accent here so I told her that we will just have to work as I team... I will listen and translate what people are saying and she can respond back to them! It's going to be a little difficult at first but I know being forced to speak is really going to help me learn French quicker. So I think it's one of those things that you don't realize the blessing of it until after. Let's just say that these next two transfers are going to be quite the adventure!

So for my birthday this year I went into Paris to pick up my new companion! My birthday gift this year was Soeur Witham. She is from Provo, Utah and we are pretty sure we played softball against each other in High School. Small world! She is super sweet and really excited about missionary work. I think we are going to end up getting along really well! We came back to Lille, dropped off her luggage and I took her to visit a member in Ward. For dinner we went to this Italian restaurant that I have been really wanting to eat at since I got to Lille. I got a big margarita pizza for dinner! Ideally, a home cooked meal from my mother would have been preferred but since that wasn't really an option, I thought a margarita pizza was the next best thing! Afterwards, we came back and had chocolate cake for dessert. This was definitely a birthday different from any other I have ever had... But hey I got to spend my birthday in Paris so that's a birthday present within itself!

Birthday dinner!

Before Soeur North left we were able to have our baptism for the 14 & 11 year old that we have been teaching. It was such a great day because they have been wanting to be baptized for awhile. They come from a part member family but the whole family ended up coming to the baptism so that was awesome! They are the typical cute French family so we always love going to their house. Plus, they literally live 3 minutes from the Belgium border so she always has the best chocolate for us. Let's just say I am excited we get to teach them the "after baptism" lessons too :)

Baptism for Lucile & Alex!

I took Soeur Witham out contacting for the first time! I was a little nervous because I didn't know exactly how it was going to go. It actually made me even more excited for this transfer because we were able to see a couple miracles! Our miracle of the day was this girl named Tiffanie. We started talking to her about the ways we find peace and joy in our lives. She immediately let us know that she doesn't believe in God and that she wasn't interested. We kept talking to her and asked her what the goal of this life is for her. She explained that she just wants to be a good person and so one of the things she does is humanitarian work. I assured her that she definitely seems like a good person to me! We explained that Christ was a perfect example of how to be a good person and that we can follow his teachings and example. We ended up praying with her and afterwards talking with her for quite a bit longer. At the end of our conversation I asked if there would be another time we can meet with her and talk more and she said yes! We said a lot of things that I don't remember because now looking back all I can remember is how poor our French was but how she could still feel the spirit. It didn't matter what we said because it's not us that does the teaching. Our responsibilities as missionaries is to just be willing to open our mouths so that the spirit can do the teaching. Afterwards, we both looked at each other in shock and said, "That was a miracle that she understood us because that French was horrible... Haha." It was such a great testimony builder of teaching with the spirit. It brought me a lot of reassurance to know that as long I am willing to open my mouth the spirit will fill it and touch the hearts of people. They probably won't remember/understand what I said but they will always remember what they felt! Church is true. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

"God is with us"

This week we had what we call "finding day" in Lille. Missionaries came in from other areas to spend the day trying to find "new Amis" for our sector. We were able to get members of the ward involved and went out on "splits" with them so that we could have even more teams of missionaries out. Overall the day was really successful and we were able to talk with some really great people! The last person of the day that we talked with was a college student from China. It was interesting because we found out she was actually Christian. She said that it has been hard because her family is Christian but not very many other people from China are. She came to Lille for school but hasn't really been able to go to church because they are all in French and she doesn't understand French very well yet. I told her that our church is Christian based and that she can come on Sunday and we will translate for her! It is going to be General Conference anyways so we can have her just watch it in English. I am really hoping that she comes and has a good experience.

Easter dinner with the missionaries!

This has definitely been a week full of lots of different emotions. Obviously, everyone has heard about the recent events in Belgium and the missionaries that were injured. I was just with all those missionaries within the last couple weeks so it was definitely a shock to hear the news. Everyone is very grateful they are alive and are praying they will all be able to have fast recovery. They will all be back in the US by the end of the week. It has been cool to see firsthand the good that has come out of such a terrible event. The amount of people that have been willing to talk and pray with us has literally doubled. Even people that are Atheist have been willing to pray with us because they wanted to pray for the people in Belgium.

Last transfer with cute Soeur Clain!

This week was also Easter! This year Easter became so much more meaningful. I feel a lot of gratitude for the knowledge that because Christ was Resurrected that we can be too. Who knows if the burns the missionaries received from the attacks will ever fully heal in this life. However, I have a strong testimony that because of Christ our bodies will one day be restored to their perfect form. Alma 40:23 "The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame." On Easter Sunday, we also had the opportunity to do a mission wide fast with the families of the missionaries who were injured. It almost feels like Thanksgiving because everyone is just feeling really grateful for all the blessings and miracles we have seen this past week. We broke our fast together by having a big Easter dinner at the church! We had a lot people on the street this week that asked how we could feel so at peace and not be fearful when terrible things are happening in the world. I think Soeur Clain (the sister who was also hurt during the attacks in Belgium) puts it the best way, "It's simple, God is with us."  I couldn't think of a better way to say it. No doubt he watches over and protects all of us because he is indeed "with us." Church is true. All is well here in France! Have a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

Anchoring in Christ

Bonjour Family & Friends!

We started off the week by heading up to Valenciennes again! One of the Sister's has a hurt knee so we go up and do exchanges with them. We went out contacting and met a couple of really great potential amis! That night we were supposed to go to a members house but they forgot we were coming so they took us out to a Chinese Buffett instead! It was actually really good and it was fun to finally get to go out.

Zone Conference Activity!

We had a lesson with Marie-Aude this week and we taught about tithing. Every time we teach her I realize more and more how prepared she is to hear the gospel! Apparently she has already been paying tithing in her other church. She told us that she knows she has received a lot of blessings from paying tithing. She even told us that she will bring her tithing on Sunday! It was kinda sad because we had to explain that she can only pay tithing after she is baptized. She was excited to pay it because she knows all the great blessings that come. Last week, Elder Christofferson also talked about tithing a little bit because he said he felt impressed to do so. He said that usually people talk about the blessings that flow from paying tithing but he wanted to talk about the protection that comes from tithing. He said that we are promised that when we pay tithing "the fruits of our labor" will be protected. He said tithing helps bring protection to our families, jobs, homes etc. It was interesting perspective that I have never really thought about!

Zone conference with Elder & Sister Norby!

We also has zone conference this week. We talked a lot about importance of anchoring ourselves in Christ, involving members, and improving our contacting. I really enjoyed when we talked about anchoring in Christ. The definition of an anchor is.. "A person or thing that provides stability or confidence in an otherwise uncertain situation." We live in such an uncertain and always changing world, which makes it so important to be anchored and to trust in something that will never change. Christ is the ideal person to anchor our faith in because he is the one person that understands how we feel. He is the only person in this world that can truly empathize with us. When we are anchored in Christ our faith replaces our fears. When we are anchored in Christ we are filled with hope. One of my favorite scriptures is Ether 12:4.."whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men.." President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the polar star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith." I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

Apostles & Belgium Gaufres.. Lots to be grateful for!

Bonjour Family & Friends!

We started off this week by traveling to a town called Valenciennes! We spent the entire day on Tuesday contacting people to help the area find new amis. When I was on splits with Soeur Ulrich we found a family that seemed really interested. We gave the information to the Valenciennes sisters (Soeur Gilbert & Romney) so hopefully they will be able to set up a lesson with them! The highlight of the day for me was when I was with Soeur Gilbert we met a girl who didn't believe in God but was still willing to talk to us. She told us that she wanted to believe in God but she just can't with all the bad things happening in the world. Ironically, one of the first examples she used was the attacks on September 11. We were talking to her in English so I was able to really bear testimony and express my feelings on why in those circumstances it is even more important to believe. We talked to her for about 30 minutes and concluded by giving her a "Plan of Salvation" brochure and inviting her to pray to know if the things were true. We kept bearing testimony over and over again and were really hoping she felt the spirit. She kept asking, "Well how do you know for sure?" It reminded me of a scripture in Alma 30 where a man named Korihor was asking for a sign to prove that there is a God. Alma responded by saying, "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." There will be times when we find ourselves in those moments when we have to decide to have faith or to doubt. Sometimes it seems easier to doubt and say that miracles don't happen or God doesn't exist. No doubt there are many difficult moments in life that make having faith difficult. However, if we look around us, we can be reassured that God does really exist. There are signs all around us that God does exist and that he is looking out for us.

Girls trip to Belgium!

On Sunday we had Stake Conference! We had the amazing opportunity to hear from Elder D. Todd Christofferson from the Quorum of the 12 apostles. He challenged us to ask ourselves, "Is there something I need to change? or What can I do to make myself a more holy person?" He said striving everyday to become a better person is the best gift we can give to the Lord. He also bore a powerful testimony of the Resurrection and how Christ knows us all perfectly and personally.  It was such an amazing experience and afterwards I was able to shake his hand. We had 5 amis in attendance listening so I am hoping they were able to feel the reality of his words!

Stake Conference with Soeur Romney

We ended the week by spending today in Belgium! It was such a great week. It's even starting to feel more like spring here... We all have so much to be grateful for. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

"I accept!"

Bonjour Family and friends!

On Tuesday we had "Finding Day" in the City of Villeneve D'ascq. For the month of March, (every Tuesday) we are going to an area in our district and spending the whole day contacting so we can help find them new amis. I started off the day on exchanges with Soeur Romney who is new this transfer. It was a good experience for both of us because we both really don't know French very well but it forced us to speak and really have to try to listen. We actually understood generally what was being said so we were able to communicate pretty well! It was pouring rain the whole time we were trying to contact so it was difficult to find people to talk with. We get along really well (besides the fact that she is from Boston so she likes the Red Sox) so we made the best out of it! We get to go on exchanges again this week so hopefully we have a little more success. After lunch, I went on exchanges with Soeur Gilbert. We decided to go knock doors so we found this cute little street. All the houses had little gates that we had to ring like a hand bell. I guess the neighbors didn't enjoy that we thought it was cute because they called the police on us.. Haha. It was about time to go back anyways so we just jumped on the bus and headed back! In the evening I went out "door knocking" with Soeur Clements and one of the members. We just went by the houses next to the church so most of the people already had heard of the church but we did find one family that said that the missionaries could come back!

Finding day with Soeur Romney!

We had another lesson with our Ami Marie-Aude this week. We taught her about the "Plan of Salvation." She was super receptive and again asked really great questions. At the end of the lesson we again explained the importance of baptism and invited her to be baptized on April 23! She at first said that she thought it was too soon. We told her that we felt that she was ready and that we could teach her the things she needed to know before that date. She got tears in her eyes and said, "I accept!" She said that she doesn't do things unless she feels good about it but she has really good feelings about this so she knows that it is the right thing to do. A couple days after the lesson she was able to attend the baptism of the 8 year old girl that we have been teaching. I think it got her really excited because right after she kept asking if we had a "baptismal dress" for her yet and if we were going to have a "buffet of food" after her baptism too. It's fun to see how excited she is about being baptized and how happy she gets when she talks about the gospel!

At "La Seine" river (last week)

Even in these short couple weeks we have been teaching her I have seen the joy that comes as her testimony grows into conversion. She reminds me of one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon. In Alma 5:14 it says, "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?" She is starting to have more light in her countenance as her testimony grows and I can tell that her heart is changing because she is becoming converted. Conversion requires us to turn away from the natural man/selfish desires/sin and turn to God. Conversion requires action that will lead to change. She has decided to act on her testimony (the things she knows to be true) and get baptized, which shows that she is in the process of becoming converted. It makes me reflect on myself and my own personal conversion. It reminds me that we need to be constantly working on our own conversion. (Alma 5:26) "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?" Conversion is a process of a lifetime and if we stop acting upon the things we know to be true we will fall away and lose the joy we once felt. It is so important that we keep strengthening and staying true to our testimonies. Are we still as converted as we once were? Do we still experience the joy that comes from conversion? I know that there is no greater joy than that joy we fill when we are truly converted to the Lord. Elder Bednar said, "When we are truly converted we can be reassured that the things we are doing in our lives are in accordance to God's will." My challenge is that we all become more personally converted to the Lord. That might require us to give up something of our own selfish desire. I know that as we become more converted to the Lord we will feel greater joy than we have ever experienced! I'm grateful for this gospel. I'm grateful for the people that I have met here because I am supposed to be helping strengthen their testimonies but actually they are helping strengthen mine. Church is true. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

Answered Prayers

Bonjour family and friends!

We started off this week by going into Paris for my legality! It was fun because I got to see all the people that I was with in the MTC. We all had to go to the doctor and get some tests done so that we can get approved for our 1st year legality in France. Afterwards, we had a little bit of time so we were able to walk around by Notre Dame and get crepes before we had to head back to Lille!

In front of Notre Dame

I also went on exchanges this week with Soeur Ulrich. We went and visited this cute Brazilian family in Belgium. They are recent converts and just moved here 3 months ago because they wanted the kids to be able to have a better life. They are saving up their money so they can travel to the temple and get sealed. They are so excited and it strengthened my testimony to see how much faith they have. Afterwards, we went out contacting for a little bit. We met this family that had the cutest little girl. We asked them if they believed in God and both the parents said no... just as we were about to say something else the little girls eyes lite up and she said, "Oui!!." Apparently, after her grandparents died she started believing in God. She has been studying with the Jehovah Witness's for a year... By the way she is 9 years old. It was so cool to see how excited she got when we talked about Christ. She literally just glowed like a little angel! Her parents said they are letting her decide her religion. We gave her a brochure but weren't able to set up a lesson. They said they will give us a call if she is interested. It was definitely the highlight of my day.

We had two lessons with our new ami Marie-Aude this week. She is the sister of the brothers who got baptized a couple weeks ago. Our first lesson we taught the restoration and the Joseph Smith story. After we explained what happened with Joseph smith we asked her if she thought it could be possible that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. Her response surprised me. She said, "Well yes of course! My preacher told us about a 14 year old boy who had a question, prayed about it and God and Christ appeared to him. I just never knew what his name was." She goes to an Evangelist church so we were shocked that she would have heard the story before. As we asked more questions we began to realize that it really was the Joseph Smith story she has been hearing all these years. Her preacher liked to use it as an example that God answers prayers. She is a perfect example that people are being prepared here to hear the gospel. A couple days after we had another lesson with her! We were supposed to teach the "Plan of Salvation" but we didn't feel very good about it. At last minute we decided to switch the lesson to the "Gospel of Jesus Christ." Before we started the lesson we asked, "Do you have any questions?" She replied, "Yeah I have one. What is the gospel?" We quickly responded, "Actually, that's exactly what we planned to talk about today!" It couldn't have been more perfect. We told her about how last minute we felt like we should change lessons. She got a big smile on her face and said, "I think God answered my prayer." I didn't think things could even get any better but they did! At the end of the lesson we invited her to baptism and she said YES! She said she thinks she is going to be ready in 2 years.. We told her we think she can be ready way sooner and that she should set a date. She said, "Okay. March... 2017." Haha. Honestly, I feel like she is ready right now. She asks so many great questions! She studies the Bible so she has a really great foundation. We got her to move it up a whole year by just telling her we thought she was ready so I don't have any doubt that she will be ready to be baptized way before next March. I am excited to watch her progress and develop her testimony in these next couple months! Miracles Happen. I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Love, Soeur Johnson

A "different" kind of happy

Bonjour Family & Friends!

This week it snowed in Lille!! It didn't stick to the ground so I was really happy about that. It was for sure the coldest week we have had. I am hoping that now it will start to feel more like spring but that might be wishful thinking! This week we didn't have very much luck door knocking but that's okay because we had some other really great lessons!

We had a lesson with our ami Ana. She was doing really well and was even considering baptism. However, she just recently told her parents about how she is looking into the church and they got really mad at her. Her parents are atheist and she is the only child so they are really protective. She hasn't been coming to church because they told her she isn't allowed to go to the church building. She still lets us come teach lessons at her house. She is also going to be coming to Stake Conference because technically it is not being held in a "church building"... We are really hoping that her parents hearts soften because she wants to join the church but won't unless her parents are okay with it. She says one of the reason she likes going to Church is because she likes that everyone is so happy. She said she is happy when she is with her friends but at church she feels a "different" kind of happy.

We also were able to get two new amis! We started teaching the Mother of one of the members in the ward. She hast started coming to church and even began reading the Book of Mormon. She is Catholic at base but isn't practicing. She had some really great questions and we have another lesson set up with her for next week. The two brothers that the Elders baptized last week brought their sister to church! We have a lesson with her tomorrow so we are hoping that goes well. She is super quiet and shy but seems like she would be really receptive. They have a total of 7 siblings in their family so we are hoping they bring a different sibling every week... haha.

Soeur North, Soeur Ulrich,  Soeur Proudfoot, ME

We finally got the opportunity to teach one of our Amis who told us in January that she didn't have time to meet with us until March... We have been dropping by her house to give her cookies but that still didn't seem to be very effective. We finally asked one of the families in the Ward if they could help us. They invited her and her daughter over for dinner this week and then invited us. It was such a great night! Dominique (our ami) and her daughter seemed to have a really enjoyable time. I think it is also good for them to develop friendships and get to know people in the Ward. For our spiritual thought we decided to share the "Because of Him" video (http://www.mormon.org/becauseofhim) and Helaman 12:5. We decided that it was important to talk about Jesus Christ because I feel like that is a topic that always bring the spirit. Dominique says she is Atheist so I didn't know how she was going to respond. After we finished watching the video the member made a couple comments and then asked Dominique to share her thoughts! I was really impressed because she had some really good insights and was very willing to share. She talked about how she thought it was interesting that in the video they compared things that were thought to be impossible to Jesus Christ. For example, they showed pictures of a light bulb, space travel, tearing down of the Berlin wall, prosthetic limbs, printing press etc. These were all things at one time thought to be "impossible." She said, "If those things are possible, why not Jesus Christ?" AMEN! I don't think she could have put it a better way. We were able to share our testimonies of Christ and the spirit was really strong. You could literally feel the feeling change in the room when people starting sharing their testimonies. We finished off the night by playing pictionary and having ice cream! It was my first time having ice cream in France so I was really excited. I was telling them how much I liked ice cream and they said, "You are such an American." The ice cream in France isn't as good as in America but I think the pastries make up for it.   I hope you all have a great week!

Love, Soeur Johnson