Sister Hannah Johnson: A Week of Improvement :)

This week has been much better than the last week... easier and full of fun surprises!

Monday was our first Pday and we were sooo busy... as always. But we got lots done and had lots of fun!

Tuesday we had this awesome experience where we all got together as a mission... and Elder M. Russell Ballard spoke to us! It was an incredible experience. We also brought Bill Marriot (yes the super successful person over all of the Marriot stuff!) it was an incredible experience. Some of the things Elder Ballard talked about were how we must KNOW the doctrine and how conversion ONLY starts when you feel something. He also talked about how we must have a vision for the people we are helping and one good quote I liked was, "you never plow a field by turning it over in your mind" :) This is the Lords work. Period. It was great there and the spirit was awesome. It was also great because I got to see Sister Taylor and Sister Weber... and I didn't cry! Aren’t you proud of me?! :P haha well I teared up while no one was looking... but thats ok :) we had some lessons that night as well. Our first week in the area we added two investigators.

This week we added another one, Ginger. :) J* is 13 and his older half-brother and sister were baptized in sept of last year (I think) and are super strong in the gospel. P*'s (the older brother) conversion story is actually going to be featured in the sept ensign I think, which is cool! :) but he is really progressing just in the first two weeks and has tons of family and ward support. O* is the daughter of bro M*. He is a convert who has lived here for a long while and she just moved here from Hawai'i and is letting us teach her the lessons! She is awesome as well.

So this week we had been sharing a car with the other set of sisters in the stake, which made things really difficult when you didn’t have a car and wanted to see those people in the trailer park on the opposite end of Lake point and its about 3 miles there and three miles back. We got a ride down and were walking back when someone pulled over and asked us if we wanted a ride... I said yes of course :) (Yes, her mama emailed her back about safety!) haha the weather has been super nice here though. Sister Latham is an awesome missionary, she has such a strong desire to learn and grow and progress herself as a missionary, she tries really hard and is dedicated to the work and to being obedient... which rocks!!! :D but going back to the car bit, we finally got our own!! Thursday the office called us up and said they had a car on its way down for us and we were so happy! Our prayers are answered!! It SUPER nice too. A 2014 Toyota Corolla. Still smells like new car and everything :) when we got it, it had just over 200 miles on it. SHWEET! Such a blessing from the lord. Seriously. But still working on a name. And this week because we know a little more about what we were doing, the number of total lessons we taught jumped from 13, which is under the SOE, to 19, which is above it! yay! and the members are absolutely fantastic!

I think one of the best surprises of all though happened on Sunday and today. Sister Steadman (her son Rhett Steadman served in our ward) told us to come to the Stansbury ward because there was a surprise there for us. So we did, and to my joyful surprise, there standing in the door is Jessi and Sister Rutter! Elder Steadman was one of Jessi's missionaries so she was down to visit and attending temples. It was great to see them and completely made my day! I asked if they had gone to the SLC temple yet and they said they were going to day... and so were we!! so all of us were at the temple together, even Elder Bickley :P is was quite fun, really. It was nice to see her and I’m still not homesick, which is great!

I continue to pray for friends, family, and people in my last area and today I just found out that Sister K* finally will be getting baptized on March 29! I’m so happy for her and just hope I am able to go down and attend her baptism, because it would be absolutely amazing!

Our ward mission leaders rock and they are all on board and happy to help. Everything is going much better, and I can feel the prayers from everyone, so thank you. I really appreciate it. and it was nice to get a postcard from the Websters this week! a little bit of home :)

Oh! and I finally had a doughnut with bacon on top... not too bad! :P our zone is great and our zone leaders are amazing as well. willing to help and support in any way they can and super close with the spirit. we've met most of the people on our progress record now, not everyone, but making progress! I’m really happy in this area and know this is where the Lord needs me to be, because if I wasn't, I wouldn't have been able to see Sister Rutter and Jessi, who is going to be a fantastic missionary.

Week three in Stansbury Park Stake, here I come. Ready to share the gospel and the complete and utter joy it brings me. I know this church is true and that there is nothing better I could be doing with my life right now. I’m glad people are doing well at home and happy for those on the right path.

Love you and talk to you next week! :) ♥