Book of Mormon Art Tours

Hello Family!

I'm back to the sore feet days in the city, and it's great! Here's a funny from the week. The other night as we were leaving a building I was looking at our schedule on my tablet to see what was next and I ran straight into a glass window next to the door hahaha!! Also in the city there are air grates along the sidewalk that go to the subways. So when a subway whooshes by, air comes rushing out. So we as sister missionaries in skirts try to avoid those haha!

We have a really sweet investigator named Jennifer! She's a media referral which is so cool! We have a cool piloting program with media referrals in our mission where there are ads specified for individuals who search anything relating to God, the purpose of life, and other religious things like that. So we are getting tons of referrals here in the New York New York North Mission which is amazing! Anyways, she saw an ad on facebook and now we're meeting with her! She's wonderful and accepted an invitation to baptism so we're excited to keep teaching her!

One of my new favorite things that we do here is Art Tours at the Manhattan Temple/Lincoln Square chapel. As you know, half of the building is a temple while the other half is a church, so it's very unique! We have 14 original paintings of Walter Rane's depiction of Book of Mormon stories there on display. Walter Rane is a local New York painter who was actually in the bishopric in my Harlem Ward, so it's fun to know him personally. We offer free art tours of these original paintings and are able to teach about the Book of Mormon through pictures. I love it!! You all need to Google Walter Rane's art if you haven't seen it before and look at his beautiful paintings! (Shoot me a little email and tell me about your favorite one and why!)

The reason we have this Visitors Center type thing with the sisters giving art tours is because in the last 6 months we have had two baptisms in our mission from people just walking in to the building out of curiosity and missionaries happened to be there. So we're trying to keep missionaries available there as much as possible:) Many miracles in the NYNYN Mission and many to come! #whitechristmas (white as in baptism clothes) 👼🏻 That's our goal:)

I hope you all enjoy your week! I love you lots!

Love, Sister Johnson

My first Shake Shack shake at Grand Central Station!

BYU in New York??;) (It's for Yale)

New York Public library

Guess what... :) Transfer#12

Hello Family!

You'll never guess where I am right now... back in the CITY!!! I am serving in the Manhattan 2nd Ward which covers from 110th street to 34th street of Manhattan on the east side of Central Park. I was super surprised to be heading back to the city again, but I'm glad to be back:) I love Manhattan! My new companion is Sister Randall from St. George, Utah and I love her already! She is a dancer and the oldest of 5. I am so excited to serve with her here:)

I was pretty sad to leave my little New Paltz Branch. I love the faith and examples of the members there, and it felt too soon to leave them, but I promised I would come back. During my last week there we saw a lot of success! We had a Book of Mormon finding activity at the campus with our big Book of Mormon board. We would ask people if they had heard about the Book of Mormon before and it was amazing! One student walked right up to us and without us even asking said, "No, I've never heard of the Book of Mormon. Tell me about it." We taught Chris, met him the next day and had a great lesson, and then met him again on Monday! He is sincere and really has a desire to know more and know if this is true! 

Another was a girl named Amanda who has been so prepared. She has a lot of questions about Jesus Christ right now because she has been studying a lot of different religions. I asked if she ever wondered why there are so many churches on the earth and she said "No... (then after pondering for a while) why?!" I explained Christ coming, the Apostasy, and the Restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith and she was amazed! She was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and learn more. We got quite a few other potential investigators from that as well, so it was definitely a success! 

I know the Book of Mormon is true. It has the answers to all the questions we have if we sincerely study and ponder what it teaches. I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and called him to be a prophet in these latter-days. We are living in the dispensation of the fulness of times, and what a blessing it is to share that with others!

Make it a great week!

Love, Sister Johnson

Beautiful Fall Hike at Mohonk

Walkway across the Hudson

In front of our New Paltz chapel

SUNNY New Paltz campus:)

Me and Sister Perkins at transfers

 We went to a super awesome museum about the city of New York and the transformation from when it was just a piece of wilderness land to now! Amazing:) My wonderful new companion, Sister Randall!:)

Our zone

 

Strengthened by the Lord.

Hello Family! 

We had a special experience during Sacrament this week in our little branch:) We have a member who is blind, Brother Krom. He plays the piano sometimes and after years and years of being a member he finally received the Aaronic Priesthood. For a long time he just didn't feel ready, but he got it two weeks ago and has been so excited! This last Sunday he helped pass the sacrament for the first time. One of our young men guided him as he passed the bread and water with his arm around him the whole time telling him when to go, turn, and stop. It was so special to think about how the very thing we were remembering, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, is what will someday restore him to perfect health. Jesus Christ himself caused the blind to see when he was on the earth, yet Brother Krom is still blind. Why do we have to deal with those things now? Why do bad and hard things have to happen to good people? It's hard for sure, no doubt about it, and we all have our share of imperfections and weaknesses in life, but I truly believe that they are all for our benefit if we let them be. If we draw closer to Him and trust him, he can help us:) 

Just like in Alma 2:28 with the Nephites and their weaknesses as they went up to battle, but "nevertheless, the Nephites being strengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, therefore the Lord did hear their cries, and did strengthen them, and the Lamanites and the Amlicites did fall before them." We can overcome our enemies (weaknesses and imperfections) in the strength of the Lord.

Three times so far we have used a Conference Talk that ended up being perfect for what someone needed! Keep reviewing them, they're amazing!:)

We had a busy day today with hiking this morning at Mohonk Resort and then with our district we walked over the Hudson River on the Walkway in Poughkeepsie! It was lots of fun and I'll send pictures:) Make it a great week! Love you:)

Love, Sister Johnson 

General Conference

Hello Family!

General Conference was amazing, wow! I love the encouragement, inspiration , and unity we can feel at General Conference and I know those who spoke to us were called by God and spoke His words:) I love General Conference!! And now that we've heard all these wonderful talks, what are we going to do about it? Therefore, what? Like Elder Anderson said, "There is a treasure chest of heavenly direction awaiting your discovery in the messages of general conference. The test for each of us is how we respond to what we hear, what we read, and what we feel." Is that not a wonderful and exciting promise? A TREASURE CHEST full of guidance, blessings, and help! So, what are we going to do?! These talks are like our modern day scriptures specific for the next six months of our lives. I encourage you to "feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." Review the talks and act on the messages we have received because they really will tell you all things you should do in the next 6 months!:) 

We had a super great Missionary Finding activity at the SUNY Campus yesterday! We had one of the young women in our branch, Lizzie, paint a world map on the back of our Book of Mormon board up here! (Sounds familiar right? Flashback to the city!) She did a great job and we were able to talk to a lot of people about Family History work and introduce them to the restored gospel:) We found two new investigators and the Elders found one as well, which is already heading towards more than we have found in a while! It's been amazing as a mission to focus on individuals age 18-30. This is the decade of decisions always talked about, and this is an amazing time to change their life! We've been spending a lot more time at the campus, and it's been fun to act in faith and have cool little contacts with people.

We also did some fun service for a few members this week! We got to paint someone's room and we did some yard work cleaning and organizing so that was fun! 

Also it's Sister Perkins birthday today! Wahoo:) P-day B-day! Here's a funny story about her in honor of her birthday:) She grew up on a farm and the other night she told me how she would clean their chickens. In my head I was like, "aww they give their chickens a bath, how cute!" until the conversation turned to chopping their heads off... different kind of clean;) She's great though and I'm glad I get to be her companion:)

Make it a great week! 

Love, Sister Johnson 

1-2. Service!

3. Sister Perkins driving!

4-5. The world map Lizzie painted for us:)

Agents for Change!

Hello Family!

This week has been great! Lots of laughs and happiness:) The thing that has helped me this week is something that President Smith has taught us my whole mission. He always says, "BE AN AGENT FOR CHANGE!" If we look in D&C 58:27-28 it says:

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."

President has been teaching me this for a year, and I'm glad he's been persistent because I feel like now I get it! If it's going to be, it's up to me! It's our choice to be happy, to smile, to believe, to find a new solution. If you want to be happy, do it! If you want to change, do it! You are an agent unto yourself:)

I felt like this Women's Conference taught us a lot about being an agent for change as well. In Sister Eubank's talk she talked about finding a new solution, being different, and doing it happily! The way to make a difference in the world is to be an agent for change!:) President Uchtdorf's talk also taught us that we are not victims! Choose to be glad, not sad or mad. You have the power to choose, so don't let experiences make you sad or mad. You can do this!

This Sunday we also had a special little sacrament meeting in the home of one of our members, Sister Rolufs. She broke her leg a month ago and hasn't been able to come to church. Instead of just taking the sacrament to her, we decided to take the whole meeting there! Me and Sister Perkins helped her clean and prepare the day before, and then 8 members and us 4 missionaries were there. It was a wonderful meeting and it was so special to be in her home with faithful saints. I have never experienced such a small sacrament setting growing up in Utah, so it was nice to get a taste of what is was like for early Saints and saints here on the East coast and other parts of the world where it's small. What's amazing too is that it's not about the church building, it's about the priesthood authority. The Spirit was there as we were gathered in her humble home, and I'm so glad I have a chance to serve here in this area:)

Well, General Conference is this weekend! Bring your questions, and prepare to be an agent for change in your life! I love you all! Make it a great week:)

Love, Sister Johnson

Here is after our little Sacrament meeting at Sister Rolufs:)

We have a blind member, Brother Krom, who plays the piano which is amazing! I love our sweet branch:)

Make it happen, Captain!

Hello Family!!

I have a day of miracles to tell you about! It was on Monday, and everything Sister Perkins said happened! We looked up a less active family we've never been able to meet and on our way out Sister Perkins said, "Wouldn't that be cool if we met them in their driveway?" Right then the bus pulled up and out came one of the daughters. We talked to her for a few minutes and as we were leaving again Sister Perkins said, "Now watch the rest of the family drive up." And they did! So we turned around and got to meet them for a second.

Then we went to a different less active family and we had met a neighbor boy walking his dog last time so Sister Perkins said, "What if we see Roger walking his dog again!" We pulled up, and there was Roger walking his dog right in their driveway! We talked to him and the kids cause they were all friends. Then as we were leaving Sister Perkins said, "Now watch Sister Martin drive up." And sure enough, there she was driving down the street! So we turned around and talked to her too! What?! It was crazy! Sister Perkins has so much faith, 4 for 4!! My eyes were big, jaw dropped the whole day and I kept saying, "Nooo waaay, are you serious?!" Sister Perkins kept saying, "God made it happen, capt'n!!"

We have a less active family who is amazing! They have a testimony, but they just aren't acting on it right now. We had a great lesson with Sister Salinas though, and helped her realize her desires and what little things she needs to do now to get started back to activity. We've started calling her every morning to pray with her and sending her a little scripture to read. So far she loves it and she wants to come back!:)

We started an ASL Class (one of the Elders knows sign language), and we invited people from the Branch and lots of students from the SUNY campus. We had two people come last night, one was a returning member and one was a student from the campus! So far so good! 

I hope you all make it a great week! Love you! 

Love, Sister Johnson

p.s. How is your scripture reading going?:)

More pictures from Apple Picking last week!:)

Transfer #11

Hello Family!!

Can you believe it's already a new transfer? I can't! This last transfer went by so fast it's ridiculous! 

Last week we went to the temple which was so great! It was so fun to travel to the city, and so peaceful to be in the temple. I love going there and I'm grateful for the things I'm always able to learn there. Sister Precour from our branch drove us down there:) We have FHE with her and her four kids on Sunday nights, and this week I learned something new about love. She asked a question about how we can love everyone, and if that was really possible. During our conversation I surprised myself by saying something that I definitely feel is true and that the Spirit taught me. As imperfect human beings it's hard to truly love everyone, mistakes and all. But when it is hard to love or appreciate someone, we can trust in God's love. We can trust Him that they really are His children and that He knows and loves them. We can lean on that love until we can gain the love of our own. Trust in God's love, it is perfect and forever. He loves all of His children and when we struggle to love, we can lean on His love.

This transfer I will be staying in New Paltz and my new companion is Sister Perkins. She is from Florida and is wonderful! I'm excited to get to know her better and work with her more. She can be quiet, but it's a strong kind of quiet. She's super funny though, and I love her already! We have great plans and goals on how to help our little branch:) 

As I have been reading the Book of Mormon and Jesus the Christ I have learned so much about Jesus Christ. He loves us so much, I know that. It's amazing to learn more about His life, upbringing, situations and how he handled them, and his infinite patience and love for all of us. I'm sorry to be sending this so late, but I wanted to send our mission Book of Mormon reading challenge home. You can start now, you don't have to follow the exact day or try to catch up, but I invite you to read with us and focus on learning more about Jesus Christ and his atonement!

I love you all! Make it a great week:)