Dear Family & Friends,

The MTC continues to be a Heaven on Earth:):):) This week went by so fast I'm having a hard time remembering what I should tell you! Hahaha! But first I got to tell you about all the people here at the MTC. They said that there are currently about 4,000 missionaries (1,850 Sisters) where there used to be only 2,000 missionaries (400 sisters). Dynamics have shifted a lot! But for the 4,000 missionaries here there are over 4,000 employees at the Provo MTC. It is incredible what gets done in one day:)

 

Sister Butler is from the other district called to the Marshall Island Mission speaking Marshallese but I see her all the time. The first time we met we spent an hour trying to figure out how we knew each other...then it clicked, we're just Soul Sisters:) We talk like we've been best friends for years, and I know I know her. That happened with Sister H (my companion) and Sister Butler's companion Sister Seegmiller, they just know each other! It's crazy! There are two Elders in my district who are seriously twins separated at birth because they act JUST LIKE EACH OTHER. It's happened a lot around here we don't just act like family because we sit in the same tiny room for hours, and hours, although that is true. We had a district meeting and talked of how we all got to be here and the stories were crazy! Our district leader, Elder Maisey got his mission delayed for ten months and they never told him why. Another Elder got called to come a couple months early, and another one called the Mission Office and changed his date to come earlier to get back in time for a semester of school. It's a miracle how District 52-F came to be, but I'm pretty positive it wasn't planned on this side of the veil.

 

A Story from this week:

Sister McDaniel and I were planning for a lesson with our investigator, Terawaa. We were teaching about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance for our third lesson with him. Our lessons have been really good with him, and he follows through with all of our commitments so I really wanted to include a soft invitation to be baptized (**Soft invitation: Not setting a date, but encouraging to think about and start preparing for baptism.) Sister McDaniel agreed but five minutes before the lesson asked if we should really bring up baptism if we haven't even taught him what it is. I replied that he has a Christian background, and I thought it would help him really push along with his conversion process (We only get five visits). We talked back and forth, I was really pushing to bring up baptism and she was really against it and time was short. We started to get really impatient with each other and did not have the Spirit with us. TIME CRUNCH. We gave ourselves one minute to breathe, and then started talking again if we should or shouldn't and our investigator was almost here. Every time we teach, we start with a prayer so after our prayer Sister McDaniel looked up at me smiling and said, "Sister Johnson, I was thinking, do you want to ask him to be baptized?" I was so thrilled! And right then our investigator came and we started teaching. I was glowing excited! The whole lesson I just couldn't wait to ask him. (We had spent hours memorizing the **seriously long** baptism invitation. I asked him, "Terawaa, Ko kukurei ni ira ana, katoto Jesus Kristo n te, ara ma te na babatitoaki aroun te aomata n te......(it keeps going and going).....te bong ai?" He was smiling because I was smiling and said, "E tuai, e tuai iroun aeng." which means: "I'm not ready, I'm not ready, but yes." Man alive. I realize now how important having the Spirit is! Sister McDaniel and I kept our "argument" all very contained but you have got to be on the same spiritual wave length as a companionship to invite our other companion, The Holy Ghost, to teach the lesson. It was such a big moment for me because I was so frustrated at my companion because I knew I wanted to bring baptism up but she didn't want to at all and I had four minutes to:  #1. Get in tune with the Spirit. #2. Get humble enough to not want a baptism commitment for me, but listen to our investigators needs. #3. Feel charity (COMPLETE LOVE) for my companion and #4. Ask for forgiveness for having a short temper. Anyone who knows me knows that if something like that happens I refuse to talk about it in the moment. I can't handle talking about an argument that just happened; I need time to calm down, maybe even sleep on it, and then I'm ready to talk. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone to have an argument and deal with it right after it happened but I thought about the counsel that Devan gave to Crissy, "You don't need to put emotion into every argument you have. Just talk about it." (along the lines of that, so thanks Devan :)

 

Now for, "The Funnies / Keep Sister Johnson sane / If you don't laugh you're going to cry MOMENTS":

 

1. This one cracks me up. Hahahah. Alright. We were teaching our other investigator Benoka and things weren't going to well. He could NOT understand our Kiribati, and we definitely didn't understand his. He wasn't acting interested and didn't even make eye contact with us. We struggled throughout the main portion of our lesson and Sister McDaniel asked him to read a scripture and he said no. We asked him to pray, he said no. He said something to us, but we couldn't figure it out. We were sitting on the edge of our chairs, trying so hard to get this man to act interested in what we had to say. After an awkward five minute pause, Sister McDaniel was so discouraged and frustrated that she threw her elbows on her knees and face in her hands and didn't realize but she was in more of a rocking chair type chair and fell over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahhahahahhahahaha. Oh it was so awkward. So funny though. So funny.

 

2. Latest find in the dictionary! batokiaa: a man with extraordinary strength, like to kill a dolphin or whale. Hahaha, what?

 

Well last thing: we made a dictionary! Our goal is to learn 15 words a day (so much harder than you would think) and we finally got enough to laminate! So we started our little dictionary of Kiribati.

 

Much much much love,

SJ

Sister Johnson.

Thank you for your prayers, I can feel them!  

Week 2 (but who's counting right??)

her crazy district

Lizzie writing out a prayer to practice

Dear Family,

First of all you just gotta know what goes on in a computer lab on Preparation Day....madness. It makes me laugh every time. You walk in and see all these Elders and Sisters leaning at a 45 degree angle into computer screen typing faster then the Provo speed limit would allow. The noise of all those clicking keys sounds like a jungle in here! Hahaha.

 

WOW. Let's talk about this week's adventures. I really prayed about what I wanted to send home because I only get a few words; but I decided what I wanted to talk about is the power of listening.

 

In the Missionary Training Center I have been so surprised about the amount of time focused on learning to communicate. We spend at least HALF of the time we have in devotionals, lessons, and classroom studies learning how to listen and be effective in communicating. On Tuesday we had a devotional and the speaker, Richard Hinkley (emeritus status) spoke on listening. He talked on how missionaries are not psychologists, or counselors, but we are Representatives of Christ, and Christ would listen. He challenged us that next time we were listening to truly listen to what they were saying. When listening to an investigator DONT think about what you are going to say...let them talk, and when it's your turn your mouth will be filled with what the Holy Ghost would have you say. Being a Sister Training Leader I decided to put this into good practice and WOW! I've got to tell you about it!

    I was tucking one of my sisters into bed and she started talking about how she was "flirting with the idea of going home." Of course I immediately wanted to tell her why she was here, why she was needed, why her districts needs her talents...but instead I just let her talk about why she wanted to go home. At the end I said one or two sentances but she had completely talked herself out of it. She realized that she wanted to be here and she felt at peace going to bed. I love this because she figured it out for herself. If I would of jumped in and told her why she needed to be here, she would have never really expressed the root of her concern and clear up those problems. It was really powerful!

    This one is the craziest.

    Last night I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning...I was so exhausted but I stayed awake for an hour. Finally I decided to take a lap. (Me and Sister McDaniel often take a lap when we are studying for too long in our classroom, and it helps SO much to kinda "restart". We just walk outside of our building a couple times to get some fresh air) Anyway, I started walking around my floor (It's shaped as a rectangle) and literally ran into this Sister sitting on a couch. I was half asleep so I said sorry and kept walking. I got to my room and decided to take another lap (not sure why..just did) I saw that Sister again. She asked if I was okay and I told her I was super good I just couldn't sleep. I asked her how she was and she started talking...and talking..and I soon realized that this Sister seriously needed to get her concerns out and talk to someone. So I sat down on the couch and listened. I didn't think of what I could say, didn't even comment on her situation just let her completely dominate the conversation. This Sister ended up telling me about her concerns for her district, her life story, her discouragement as a missionary, why it was hard for her...this sister talked for forty five mintues. During it I thought, "Oh man, I just wish I could be sleeping right now, this is directly cutting into my sleep." and would wonder why she was getting so personal with me when she had just met me. BUT I remembered this. God has no time, so why should I...because in reality I'm on God's time. So she talked and cried, and finally it was winding down. I knew we both needed to go to sleep (it was way past midnight now). She was talking about how badly she wanted her district to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, feel converted, feel mature enough to stop playing around during class...and I stopped her and said. "Sister, can you change your Elders?" She thought about it for longer then I expected and said 'no'. So then I asked her, "Then what can you do about it?" She must of been on the same spiritual wavelength I was because she responded that the only thing she could do was pray. Nailed it. So we kneeled down in prayer...and mercy I was in tears. I can't remember all of it but it ended up being an answer to MY prayers! She said something like, "Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much that Sister Johnson couldn't sleep. (Then she looked at me and said, "Sorry if that sounds rude." ha:) Thank you that she just listened while I rambled....then she told all her concerns about everything we had talked about. She ended the prayer with asking that I could learn my language...It was so sweet. I just listened, that's all I did but I did it with my heart. I didn't comment or say anything to change topics...there is so much power in listening. I walked her to her room and we both got a full night's rest in the six hours we got:)

 

A couple days ago we were talking with our district and I realized this. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world but here at the MTC. Not even Heaven! Because at the MTC, the Spirit of the Lord is so strong you ARE in His presense. All you boy cousins and girl cousins. Start getting ready now! A mission is SO SO hard (especifally if you are learning a langage) but BOY! It's LIFE CHANGING.

 

There is so many miracles and incredible things that happen but honest to goodness this is 100x harder than anything I've done. It's basically finals week every week, but you've got to keep everything you learn in long term verses short term cramming. It's a 18 month test and you've got to know your stuff. So Me and McD have moments that help keep us sane.

Funny Fact #1. We have one correct dictionary for our class, and half (SERIOUSLY HALF) of the words have to do with coconuts. Hahaha! I wrote down some words to show you, but I forgot the paper so I'll write them next week but there is a word for a three-day ripe coconut, a baby coconut, a coconut that is green, a coconut that is past ripe....oh. my. word. Haha, this language...

Funny #2. Every Wednesday we get a new bunch of missionaries. They all wear a orange dot on their name tag and EVERYONE says hello to them in their mission language. It's so cute! Anyway, Me and McD devised a plan while taking a break in between our class. We spotted our victims and walked up to them (they looked really lost.) We said our hellos and asked if we could bear our testimony in our mission language. They said yes. Here's our conversation.

They asked, "Where are you sisters going?"
"Oh we got called to the Atlantic Ocean Mission. (Then we bore our tesimony in WHALES {GET IT, FROM FINDING NEMO? DORA!}) And all I could get out in my best whale tone was, "I know that this church is true." Hahahha. We laughed so hard. I realize that at home this story would only be funny to Sarah but bearing our testimony in whales CRACKED us up. We thought we were the funniest little missionaries....talk about missionary humor. We showed them where their building was and me and Sis McD were happy little campers the rest of the day.

 

WOW. This is so long! My word! Well thanks for reading,

Love y'all to the moon and back.

 

Sister Johnson

 

Week 1 at the MTC

MAURI! (Hello) From the Provo Missionary Training Center. Thank you so much for all the emails, letters, and prayers that were sent my way this week! Let's get started with this email.

 

The MTC:

The two things you don't have time for in the MTC is: being discouraged, and being tired. If you are discouraged about the language that means that you are comparing yourself with other missionaries, companions, etc and you are focusing on yourself. Our purpose as a missionary has NOTHING to do with us. It is to invite others to come unto Christ by HELPING THEM recieve the restored gospel. In my district we have a medical student from Berkley, and several who scored in the high 30's on their ACT's. It's so hard not to compare when we are all in the same classroom, but learning this lesson has helped me so much! My progress in Kiribati is slow...but I can count to ten PERFECTLY. (Got to celebrate the little things, huh? :) The other thing you don't have time for is being tired. You have GOT to stay focused and alert in the classrooms because any part of the language only gets explained once. We have almost nine hours a day to study Kiribati, and that's not enough time :) Our district is kinda crazy because we are supposed to have three teachers for the duration of our stay but we only have half of one...so...you guessed it...we are having to learn the language on our own!

 

The Companions:

Plural! Yep! I have two of the funniest people I have ever met in my life. My first companion is Sister McDaniel. I've had a week to try and figure out the best way that I could describe this hooligan and here's my analogy. She's got the friendliness and loudness of my home girl Madi Encer...with the quirkiness of Hailey Messer...with a character like the main girl in StarGirl. HA! (If you got all those references..100 points) SHE IS CRAZY! But I love her to death. Funny story that will tell you exactly her personality. There is an Elder from our district from Kiribati going to Fiji so we always try to say hi to him and talk with him in Kiribati. Well we were walking to lunch and Sis McDaniel thought she saw him so she starts to yell his name...he doesn't respond and we're walking closer to him...she starts waving...no response...she starts yelling his name walking fast toward him (keep in mind she's 6'1 and the Elder is barely breaking 5'0.) She is waving her whhhhhole arm. No response. So finally she just walks right in front of him and literally waves in his face...and it wasn't the Elder! Hahahaha! (oh I'm laughing so hard telling this story in this computer lab.) The Elder was so confused. Hahahaha. Oh Sister McDaniel...She cracks me up.

 

Second companion: Sister Hengehanga from Tonga! She grew up in California so she speaks english, but here's my analogy for her. A gangster version of Katie Tooele. Truth! She is super soft spoken but talks like she came straight from the hood. She is so funny! Here's her personality. We were walking to lunch and we heard these Elders trying to speak Spanish with the most American accent I've ever heard. As they walk past Sister H says, "Nice progress...Elders" SUPER sarcastically. Haha! She isn't going to Kiribati, but she is the only girl in her district (Going to New Zealand speaking Samoan) so we don't go to class together, just to lunch and devotionals...things like that.

 

The District:

Oh my word District 52-F is...it's home here at the MTC. Sister McD and I are the only girls in our district so there is a lot of food analogies about the gospel, but they are such an incredible bunch of guys. They are SO funny. There are nine of us headed to Kiribati. I'll try to include pictures.

 

The Spiritual Stuff:

And here's the last the best of all the game. WOW THE SPIRIT. On Monday we taught our very first investigator in Kiribati. We sat and wrote out exactly every syllable of how to say it in Kiribati, went over and over and over rewriting, redrafting, combining everything so far we had learned in the MTC. We each said a prayer, took of our shoes (the custom) and knocked on Benoka's door (an empty classroom). We said our hello's, how are you, got to know him (but we had NO idea what he said, we just asked the question) and then asked im if we could share a message. Sister McD procedeed to teach him about the Resoration. She asked him to read a scripture, but he said no..the tension in the room was thick..but we kept going. It was my turn to give my part of the lesson so I did. then I was to bear my testimony that God loves us...and I got all chocked up..cause I looked down at sweet Sis McD's feet. I saw her blistered feet and I knew that God knew we were trying our best. I didn't know what I was saying, but the Holy Ghost doesn't always speak in languages or words, but I was testifying of God's love...weither I had the words to say it or not, the Spirit was there and it was so strong. I guarentee it wasn't a spiritual experience for anyone else in that room but for me...he didn't know what I was saying...but man if I don't learn anything else in the MTC I learned that the Holy Ghost will testify. Regardless if you have the right words, regardless if Benoka wanted the lesson or not..the Spirit was there to teach. It was such an incredible experience. The lesson really went kinda bad, so after me and Sis McD found an empty room, said prayers on our knees, and then just cried/laughed that we taught our first investigator. Whew.

 

Every day there are miracles here. EVERY. DAY. This laguage is crazy, and we do have to be so disciplined to use the resources they've given us and learn this language but I am so so SO thankful that I am out here serving. So thankful.

 

So I mentioned it last week, but I was called to serve as the Sister Training Leader! (Sister Zone Leader) Since the influx of sister missionaries they have assigned one sister per zone to serve in this calling to give support to the sisters. When the old one was giving me all the information she said, "Basically it comes down to this. Have compassion for your sisters." I'm glad that Heavenly Father gave me something that I could actually do here in the MTC. Every night I go around to my sisters and "tuck them into bed" We talk about how their day went, how they feel, if they miss home or not, how the companionship is going....those sorts of things and I LOOOOOOOVE it. I love my sweet sisters. They are the world to me! I also go to a lot of meetings, which puts more pressure to learn the language because that time it cut..but I know God will help me all figure it out.

To wrap it up here is a list of gratitude:

#1. I am so thankful for ENGLISH.

#2. I am so thankful for my companions, district, and zone.

#3. I am SO GRATEFUL for the letters you sent me! Thank you thank you!

 

Man, this gospel is so true. At our last devotional I looked at the whole audience of missionaries with their name badges on, and just felt that there is no other church like ours. We are doing exactly as the Lord commands, we're finding and feeding his sheep.

 

I hope you all are good at home, I pray for you people!

Love love love love LOVE YOU!

 

Sister Johnson :)

Hello from the MTC!

Lizzie sent a quick note this week since her p-day won't be until next Thursday. She only had a few minutes but this is what she wrote home:
"Big news! I got called to be the 'Sister Leader Co-ordinator' a.k.a. the Zone Sister Leader! It's a new thing due to the influx of sisters. haha! Tomorrrow, I teach the first lesson in Kiribati. Me and my companion are the ony sisters in our whole district. We only have 8 people learning Kiribati. "
They added one more sister so she is now in a trio. She drew a picture of her and her companions and it is pretty funny so we will attach it.

Entering the MTC