Past white..this field is ready to harvest.

Funny of this week:

This Sunday was the primary presentation..the best line of it was when one of the little sunbeam boys shared how much he loves the prophet, "Brigham YumYum" (Yumyum is a type of Asian noodles here..you can imagine the members response..we were all roaring in laughter..hahaha)

HELLO TO MY WONDERFUL FAMILY.

Ah, it feels so good to talk to you..and to share experiences that I've had..give you a little insight to the world in which I live here on the small island of Tarawa, Kiribati.

What can I type? What can I share? There was so much of the Lord's love in this week of the work. LOVE. The word that can change the world!

On Friday we had a, "Missionary Program" with all the YSA. We met at the chapel and had a little training. The training I gave was about tracting..and I spoke about my sweet Elder Monte J. Brough whose tracting efforts of over fivety years ago is still changing the world. How one Elder in little ol' England changed the life of my grandparents, parents, and myself. I am on a mission now..I am here in Kiribati because of the efforts of tracting..because two missionaries decided to follow the spirit to find my family..AH, I tear up every time I talk about it..just in gratitude..and that work that He did..combined with the missionary work you did Dad in New Zealand..and combined with the work I am doing here..WOW. This missionary work is so powerful and will continue to move on.

After that we went out and tracted from 11:00-6:00 pm. The sun was sadly against us that day..it was fiercly hot..but it didn't get us down. We were able to recieve 26 refferals. BEST DAY EVER!!! Sister Tiatia and I were BEAMING ear to ear. We really have been praying about the direction the Lord has wanted us to take in this area..and we felt this was the biggest answers to our prayers!

What was so incredible to me was that when we tracted we really REALLY saw those who have been prepared by the Lord. One lady said, "I've been waiting a long time to take lessons with missionaries..but my husband has never allowed it until now.." Another man said, "You don't smoke, or drink..right? That's why I support this church..I've thought about joining it for a long time." One young woman said, "I've started lessons with the missionaries before..but quit..this time is different..I want the lessons now." Those were just three that I witnessed..but so many more stories like that from the YSA after our day of tracting.

I don't think the field could be any more white. 

I couldn't give up the opportunity to bear my testimony..something that I have learned is of MORE worth once you share it, give it away, inspire people with it...This work..This work is real. This work is going forth.The Lord is working with Us..He has prepared these people to hear. He is waiting for them to be healed..to trust Him.. The Lord Lives..He lives, He lives.

I love you all with all my heart..but THIS is where I want to be..in the whitest field in the world.

This is my last sprint..my final lap..my head is down..and I'm not looking at that finish line until I see it under my feet. This is the happiest time of my life.

I love you guys more than you know. 

Sister Johnson.

{This Septemeber reached the third year since Elder Brough has passed away...all the gratitude to him for his missionary work and to the Brough family. Sure love you Uncle Monte. }

TIATIA AND TIAONTIN

members!

ME AND THE SISTER TIATIA!

this is where we get our food! hahaha! these are the little stores I was
telling you all about a while ago..

Dearest Family,

Haven't gotten a big email out to you all in a while..been really focusing on getting personal emails out to everyone..but time calls for a big email. LOTS has happened..sometimes I just wish you could come see the work for a day out here..it's phenomenal, exhausting, and rewarding..you feel all of it in one day. Time has no gravity here..it doesn't exist..we just wake up and work until the sun goes down.

On Oct 9 my trainee came, Sister Tiatia. Her parents are pure Samoan and she was born in New Zealand..she's already graduated from BYU - H in a degree in Social work. She's 23 years old..and she is here for the right reasons. Love her, LOVE HER. She is great.

Because she just got here, we do a LOT of studying..studying the language, gospel principles, how to teach, how to talk, and a big part: learning how to be a missionary..and how to understand the culture here. It's been really cool because honestly..this is my first time being companions with someone "younger" (mission speaking) than me, so I get to do a lot of teaching to her: learning the language and learning about the people, and all sorts of things..learning what to do in certain teaching situations..etc.

Training is good - I really enjoy it. I have never pulled so much of the work before..so I'm really growing in strength...for example: doing ALL the talking..from morning until night (Poor Sister Tiatia, Kiribati people just speak so fast..), learning not to get stressed when there is much to do, being optimistic, just learning a lot of really good lessons right now. I really am thankful for our Father in Heaven for helping me continue to PROGRESS during my mission. New stages, new challenges, new people..which reminds me..

..the most important part of this email...THE PEOPLE.

Ah, I think I'm going to die when I have to leave this place..I love these sweet people so much. If we could all be more like them. Right now we have a lot of investigators. I just moved into this area about three weeks ago..so still fairly new. It's cool because Sister Tiatia just got here too, so we are learning the area together.

One thing that we really felt to focus on was families. That's every missionaries dream..teaching families..so that's what we have been working on lately..spent almost four hours on weekly planning (any RM will get it ;) trying and decide..how can we complete their families..how can we prepare our investigators for the temple..what can we do to get their family members to except the lessons..so on and so forth...we figured out that we have EIGHT potential families that could be completed...so we are just going to keep working hard, hard, hard!!!!!

Spiritual experiences this week: MWAITI (Kiribati word for many)

(Haha, everything I say in English, I then translate into Kiribati for Sister TiaTia..so I find myself talking in both languages.and tend to do a lot of remixing!! Hahah!)

Highlights of my spiritual life this week was:

-Stake Conference

1. The Stake President had an INCREDIBLE talk..I'll have to tell you about it one day. 

2. Reading the Book of Mormon:

a. In Kiribati - to help me learn to speak better Kiribati and learn the gospel in the Kiribati language and

b. in English - to gain a personal testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ..wow..that has been EYE OPENING.

Well, that's my email..just sure love you guys..make sure you go to the temple..I'm really missing the temple..LOVE YOU!

All is well,
sister j

She's here!

Hi - sorry we got off to a late start today due to laundry...lots of it!! haha!

As for my little daughter...SHE'S BRILLIANT! Born and raised in NZ then graduated from BYUH (in social work) and was residing in Australia when she got her call..she is 23 years old and very very very gentile and sweet..oh..I am so thankful for Heavenly Father! Best transfer ever! I LOVE training..it's just teaching little by little everything that I've learned on my mission..it's a beautiful time to reflect..and teach Sister Tiatia everything I know about being a missionary..I often think of the wise words you always tell me, "Your generation has to be better than mine.." I feel that is true now! I am training her to be a better missionary than I was. I like to give her her freedom, and let her grow at her pace, while standing beside her and encouraging her to reach a little higher. 

Because I am training it has let me reflect on really how much I have progressed on the mission...I had long forgot those long frustrated days when I couldn't understand anyone..and felt left out..learning the Kiribati languages was hard...but a year later I am so grateful I did. 


I wish I was there to hear Joe and Emily Brough...I bet they did an amazing job...tell them that I'm training my little misisonary to be exactly obedient..we even had personal and companion study on PDAY ;) Hahahaha, little things do make a big difference :)

MOM! I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN I READ THAT YOU spoke of our Savior to that man..AND THAT YOU PLACED A BOOK OF MORMON!  I am so happy for you! I am so so so grateful that you are being a missionary! You, Sarah, and Criss are all doing so good to be missionaries all over the world! AH! I LOVE IT! And how beautiful and clearly you spoke to him! Ah, I am so grateful mom..so so grateful! 

That reminds of me a section in PMG that talks about "How to Begin Teaching" that's what we missionaries tell everyone..we don't come to force anyone, take away their truth, bad talk any religion..we just come to teach lessons..and it is their responsibility to decipher with the Holy Ghost if it is true...LOOK AT YOU GO MOM! YOU ARE A MISSIONARY! 

Thanks for the pictures..I'll fill you all in next week!! Love you!

Sister Johnson