1st Week in the MTC

To the left of Jade is Emily Watkins (also from Vernal)
Behind Jade in the blue shirt is Sister Dorian her companion

 

Hey hey!!!!

 

How is it going!? I'm alive!!! Whoooo it has been rough!! Haha. But so good at the same time! Yesterday was the best day of my life! Sundays are the best! I couldn't even sleep last night cuz I was so excited to write you guys! It was like Christmas! I hope you're doing well.

Okay, let me just tell you about everything.

 

Okay, remember Becca Dorian? The girl I met at the Provo Temple going to my mission as we were taking pictures?

 

Alright, just so you remember.

 

Anyway, after ya'll dropped me off they walk you to the building, you pretty much get sent through a shoot where they give you an envelope with your companion's name on it and your nametag in it and keys, room, etc. Then they give you a lil tourguide and you pick up your bags and go find your room. Guess who I saw on my way to my room? Brisa Ruppe! And then Sara McQuivey! It was awesome! We could only say hi for a sec but it was really really cool. After we drop off the bags in our room, we go find our classroom. I get in there, and whaddoyaknow my companion is sitting in there already. Hermana Dorian!!!

 

We seriously have the best teacher in the MTC. Her name is Hermana Mackay, and she is so funny! So I walk into class, she's like "Hermana Hijo de Juan!" and  asked me where I was from. I was like "Vernal!" she's like (in all spanish of course) "Oh my family is from there. Do you know the Goodrich's?"

 

Yeah. Hahaha.

 

So I was like "That's my stepdad's last name!" and she's like "Oh somos familia!" (We're family!) So you're going to have to ask Greg about who he's related to cuz obviously I don't know very much. But Hermana Mackay and I are determined to find out. She is seriously the greatest. She always uses such powerful scriptures when she teaches. I love it.

 

We have 4 hermanas and 6 elders in my district. Hermana Green and Hermana Scott son muy amoroso y muy simpatica. I just love them. Hermana Dorian is such a good companion for me, she really knows how to lead by faith and not fear; which is something I struggle with. One problem. She is not a big fan of Jade Johnson. Not a big fan. Like- that's a huge roadblock. Pretty much what happened is... well a lot of things. For some reason I felt really like- I don't know- I went into weird Jade awkward mode on friday and part of saturday, and I think it took a toll on our companionship, cuz I was just ... like not in a good mood I guess, and awkward and weird and not happy. Not that I had a bad attitude but I didn't really have a good one.. Anyway, I was like "What!? What is this, this isn't me." So I decided I wanted to change my attitude. Well, that doesn't always change things for everyone else haha. So I prayed for a miracle. Haha. And then came Sunday. Sunday!! Was such a great day!! First we go to music and the spoken word as a Relief Society ( a big giant relief society) and ... K I LOVE singing. I dind't even realize it until I got here. "Jesus es mi Luz" is seriously the best song ever to sing in spanish. Anyway, then Mary Ellen Edwards came and spoke to us about how many awesome experiences we're going to have on our missions and stuff. So great. Our branch president came and spoke to us about how companions are chosen by the Lord, and church was great, our branch president talked about Elder Bednar's talk about "Not Shrinking", and then I saw Aaron Smith at choir and I was able to talk to him and the other awesome elders about everything and they made me feel so much better. It was such a tender mercy. Then guess who I saw?? Greg Johnson! My EFY co-counselor!! The "it's all about having fun" kid.  That was such a tender mercy from the Lord. That whole day was. And then we went and listened to Elder Bednar's talk "The character of Christ" which was SO good, and it made us all feel so much better about life. And like- things were good. And it made me realize that the Atonement really can heal relationships. That the Lord is SO merciful, and He gives us so many second chances. I love it. And the more truely Christlike we are, the less focused we are on ourselves and the more focused we are on things that matter. This mission is not about me at all. It's about the Lord and His children, and bringing them closer to Him.

Let's see... Spanish!! Es muy dificil! Ughh!! Hermana Dorian and Hermana Green both took 3 years of Spanish and Hermana Scott took 6 years. Oh me? Oh I took one semester. It's so hard not to compare myself with them. But the gift of tounges is real, I have been amazed at how much I've been able to learn and how much I've been able to remember. The Lord truly has blessed me so much with so much ability and I'm so grateful for it. On Thursday we learned how to pray in spanish and Hermana Mackay asked us to pray just by ourselves, in our minds, and not worry about the words, but pray with our heart and really open our heart up to the Lord. What an amazing experience! It helped me to realize that it doesn't matter how simple the concept is, the Lord hears every sincere prayer of our hearts.

 

Anyway, yeah! It's been amazing. Thank you guys so much for the letters! I love every single one, it's like a giant hug in my heart. I love them. Thank you so much!  I miss you guys so much, but I know that this is what the Lord wants me to be doing right now and I know this is where I'm supposed to be.

 

Yo se que la iglesia de JesuCristo es verdad!! Yo se que Dio es amoroso!!!

 

 

Love ya!

Hermana Johnson

 

PS- ANYONE can email me. Just sayin. :)