the Holy Ghost

Dear Family,

I transferred this week to be with SISTER LAVULAVU which we have now been companions three times and have worked in FOUR areas with her. She was my trainer! And it's been the BEST to come back and work with her again..seriously..it's been a dream..this week went by SO FAST because we are just busy with the work! We have LOTS of investigators! We had one baptism this week and have four planned for next week, and two for the week after that! Wow! The field is so white here! 

One of the best moments of this week was yesterday. We went on splits -- and being brand new to the area made it a funny experience because I forgot where some of the houses were..but thank heavens for the Holy Ghost who really just led us to lesson after lesson! 

We have two sisters who are taking lessons with us (we PRAY that their parents will want lessons..still working on them...) and our lesson was about the Holy Ghost. 

Now teaching about the Holy Ghost is one of the most important lessons to teach..and honestly for me one of the hardest lessons to teach..really really describing how it FEELS..it's hard enough in English..let alone Kiribati.. so we decided to approach the situation differently. 

We choose two songs..one a really crazy loud heavy beated song and we asked them to note how they felt as the song played..then we found a really beautiful church song -- a piano arrangement of a hymn -- and asked the two girls what the difference was..could the feel the spirit leave as the first song played? What words could describe the second song? We described that the second song -- the spiritual song --is like how we feel when we receive the Holy Ghost..those feelings of peace and calmness..is how the Holy Ghost speaks to us.

I sure am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost..and have been really trying to understand how the Holy Ghost speaks to me..it's all a leanring process isn't it.. :)

Sure love you guys!! My little samoan daughter comes next week! 

Love,

Sister Johnson

Pictures!!!

These boys got new ties!! wahoo!

pretty happy Priesthood!

sweetest lady ever! 

this lady..my miracle less active we found out in the middle of no where..haha..she's a sweetheart..her name is elizabeth too! but in kiribati it's eritabeta

this was this morning..hahaha..only in Kiribati would this be allowed! Hahaha!

this was bishop of the bikenibru ward, I've been working with him for almost eight months..these are my PARENTS! so I took them to a resturant for one of my
last nights in bikenibeu

and the cutest little boy in the world

love this sweet sister!

sunset after pday

the zone! to put things into perspective..our whole zone of sisters live in one house!
And there are only four districts on the whole island! FOUR DISTRICTS..that's it!
That's all for my mission! Four districts! If this isn't the smallest mission!! 

White shirts & ties...

(thanks to everyone's generosity towards Devin's Eagle Scout project, we were able to send 105 shirts and 130 ties to Lizzie's mission. Thank you for your help and donations!!)

HEY DEVIN! GUESSS WHAT CAME IN THE MAIL?!?!?! WHITE SHIRTS AND TIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING! I didn't even know where to start?! I was so excited! I will start passing them out this week..so proud you!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't tell you how much people are being blessed here because of your good work! DEV! You are changing the life of so many!!! Thank you so much Dev, I love you so much, thank you so much for serving these people..

Crissy... THE PACKAGE CAME! And the skirt was GENIUS! Seriously couldn't believe that you sewed that! Thank you so SO SO Much..

And to answer your question about marriage..no - hardly NO ONE is married..most of them can't afford to get married..it only costs like five dollars I think..but it's not something that is really important..in the church it's huge, but outside of the church..not much.

I can NOT tell you how HAPPY I was to see all these absolutely AMAZING pictures of the extended family. I am so grateful for your gift with a camera mom! And I am SO happy that Ivy has found, "her one!" and sweet Drue is on a MISSION..ah, what a beautiful life we have..

One line that I really really REALLY love in preach my gospel.. it says: some missionaries are confident, some are very self conscience, but regardless of where you stand, place your confidence in the Savior. Focus all that good you are doing - and be absolutely CONFIDENT of the Savior and what HE can do! It's HIS love that changes people and it's HIS love that makes your work so powerful!  It is so true!!

UPDATE: I am not going to Christmas anymore! I had a meeting with the AP's and they said that President received revelation that I should stay on Tarawa and TRAIN! Haha! And get this..my child is from...G-U-A-M! Hahahah! I am 100% happy with it. I always told the Lord I'd do what He wanted.  

thanks for your prayers and support. love you guys!
love, liz

BREAKING NEWS!

WHOA. Okay before I respond back to all your sweet emails, GET THIS!

I AM GETTING TRANSFERED....TO.....

CHRISTMAS ISLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that the craziest thing you ever heard?! I am getting transferred back to Christmas Island..it will be my last transfer..WHAT?! MY LAST TRANSFER. I will stay there for two and a half months, and then I will fly from Christmas to Hawaii to UTAH AND THEN I WILL BE HOME! WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!! THAT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE IN MISSION HISTORY! It's just crazy cause i'm getting sent back out to an outter island! BUT IT'S SO TRUE!

Whew, gotta calm down, but here are the details. I will leave Septer 21 to go to Fiji and then stay in Fiji a couple days to wait for a little plane to fly me to Christmas Island. Get there Sept 26 and stay there until Dec 17.

It's just all crazy cause..man, I just gotta be so grateful for the Lord. My time in Christmas was incredible..and LIFE CHANGING..and now I get to go back to the island where I really grew up on. I was only there before for 3.5 months, and then got called to be Sister Training Leader here..but I have kept thinking about the investigators I left on Christmas this WHOLE TIME. And when I heard President felt I should go back...it clicked..There was work here I needed to do, and now there is work there I need to finish. I cannot believe it. Oh the Lord is good to us. And get this. My companion is...TONGAN! WHICH MEANS I WILL FINISH MY MISSION WITH LITERALLY 85% of my mission having been with with five Tongan companions..

Well I just had to get the word out! Oh which means, I won't get packages or letters again once I get there..so don't send any..but thank you for all of your love and support!!!!

love you!

sister tiaontin

A week in pictures...

a beautiful sunset.

The sweetest family, that changed my life. what struggles they have had. 

they have a small house and they never complain. they never wish they had more.
there is so much to learn from these people.

This is Nei. She is a MIRACLE! And just got baptized last week. This is at the chapel.

at her baptism! 

tribute to elder pauora who finished his time. he was an elder with me in Kiritimati. incredible guy, incredible voice.

This is little Bernard! He came to church, and we had a lesson after. He wanted a picture to put on his Duty to God book he's now working on. Whatta a sweetheart.

We live in Bouta now, which is about a 10 minute bike ride away from our area, so everyday we get a lovely bike ride to our area and this is the view! (PS- notice the road.. australia is spending 20 million dollars to give kiribati a new road! little by little!)

our cute little investigators home..let us all be thankful for what we have.

cute little kids..and that tin building in the back? that's the bathroom! 

In four months I will be in my house in America.

Dear Family,

This week was CRAZY! Isn't all weeks? Surely must be so.

But little glimpses of this week in the work:

1. My favorite of this week was when our investigator, "Bernard" received a witness that this church was true. We opened up his lesson in prayer, and then followed up. "Bernard, have you been able to pray about the Restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith?" His reply, "No, sorry I forgot to pray about it.." "Well Bernard, do you mind if we offered a prayer right now, and have you ask your Father in Heaven if it was true?" He agreed. We all got on our knees on his little grass hut and Bernard offered a sincere prayer. Right as he said Amen me and little Bernard made eye contact. He was smiling. So was I..we just looked at each other..and smiled..and then I said, "Do you feel it?" He was smiling with his whole mouth. He nodded his head, "Do you feel that happiness? That's Heavenly Father telling you that He is answering your prayers.." Our hearts were filled with the Spirit that lesson..we could barely talk right because we were all grinning so much! He is a wonderful boy -- son of a family of less actives -- we are hoping to all gather them up and help them come back into this church :)

2. There was so much rain, we little walked through puddles up to our knees! No exaggeration! When it rains, it pours here.

3.My Beloved Sister Cassita (the mission nurse) went home this week. I cried and cried. I can't even tell you guys how much she means to me..for this year and two months of my mission..it's just been us two white sisters, you can imagine how much we found comfort in each other. I gave her letters to give to you guys..so make sure you grab them from her when you go to her homecoming.

4. Most of all, you guys just gotta know that I love you, and care for you guys..and think and pray for blessings upon your heads.

Forever and always,
sister j

His hand...

The sisters are doing good here..i cannot believe how good Heavenly Father has been to me this week..he is helping me so much in this work..we were able to get another 50 lessons this week AND WE DIDN'T WORK IN OUR AREA ON TUESDAY cause we went on splits. Seriously the work is so good..I was so stressed about our area when I first got to it..there was no one to teach..but a little hard work..and a lot of prayer...man...this area is doing really good.

Funny story..so our power dies from 6am to 6 pm everyday, so we went and stayed at the sisters house..and they had a fan in the room, and I got so cold by having just a fan blow on me, I had to go get my towel to sleep with, and find blankets...I think I will DIE when I come back in December..I don't know how to handle it..hahahahaha.

So really really REALLY grateful to the Lord...He is literally placing His hand in His work...and we are teaching people we never even dreamed we would..and AH! It's just a dream! I am really loving loving loving it. Life is good. Life is simple. 

I've gotta run, but don't ever forget I love you guys!!

Sister Liz