Shepherdsville 2/29/16

Hello all!

Journal entry from earlier this week:

What a day! I'm working harder than I've ever worked in my life. We woke up, exercised, studied for two hours, ran over to the home of a lady in our branch who's moving soon and packed a bunch of stuff on boxes. After two hours of packing 200 bottles of perfume and 100 lbs of food storage, we left for a less active member's home. There, we cleaned her kitchen and gave her a lesson. We then drove to a recent convert's house for a lesson. She surprisingly wasn't there. She called us crying and said her sister was gravely ill and not expected to live much longer. We bought flowers, made a card, and gave them to her. I think she really appreciated it. We went home, did some 12 week (my training program), drove to our mission leaders home and had dinner, found a less active lady nearby and set up an appointment with her, went to a lesson with Brother Elliott, then nightly planning. I'm exhausted, but it feels so good!

We had exchanges this week! I went to Brookside area with Sister Holt, one of my Sister Training Leaders. It was so fun! We were in Louisville, so it was a lot busier and there were much more people to talk to. We did some contacting in Shivley (Dad, were you ever in that area?) and it was really sketch, I guess there had been a huge shooting a few nights earlier. But there were two different  people we contacted randomly who had some time so we taught the first discussion right then and there, and both committed to be baptized! One of the lessons was with this lady who never had religion in her life. I quoted Joseph's description of the First Vision (for the first time in a lesson) and it was amazing. I felt an actual, tangible power which I know was the Spirit. I know that's one of the two most important events in history.

I was reading in 1 Nephi 15:35 where Nephi is making a contrast between the two choices in this life: God or Satan. We can dwell  in the kingdom of God, or be cast out. I love the word "dwell" because it implies coming home and staying, lingering, belonging there. There is never a dull moment in missionary work because we're working with people. Human beings are ridiculous, inconsistent, surprising, selfish, quirky, downright bizarre, terrified of vulnerability, all the while imagining they know everything. Yet every single human has a spark of divinity, however shunted, ignored, unrealized. It's in our genetic makeup and when we discover the Gospel and that we come from God there is a familiarity, a sense of home. 

Love you all,

Sister Johns

Shepherdsville 2/22/16

Dear friends and family,

Another crazy week!
We've been trying to pass Brother Elliott off to the YSA Elders because we know he will do so much better in a branch his age. He's still really struggling with the Word of Wisdom, so Sister Jarman, the Elders and I felt like we needed to teach a combined lesson on fasting. Little did we know that as we were praying and planning the lesson that night, Brother Elliott decided to fast for the next days' lesson. When we found out later and asked him what gave him that idea, he said "well, it's in the scriptures?" The Spirit orchestrates everything perfectly!

We stopped a man outside of the library and he agreed to meet with us. When we came to his house last night, member in tow, he greeted us with his adorable eight year old daughter who presented us with candy. The lesson went really well. He informed us that he'd gone online and skimmed through the entire Book of Mormon. I asked him what he excepted from our meeting together and he informed us he's looking for a wife. He said "I've been having this ongoing conversation with God and asking him for an opportunity to meet someone who could be a
mother to Jordan. The next week, two girls stop me in the parking lot and tell me about a church that's super family-oriented. So I consider you two an answer to a prayer. I just have to see if it's the answer I want." He and his daughter committed to be baptized!

I knew coming out here that I would experience a lot of rejection. But it's difficult to explain why that's so. Why don't people listen? It's true, isn't it? Elder Holland said, " I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation was never easy. We are the Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, He is our Great Eternal Head. Why would we believe...it would be easy for us, when it was never, ever easy for Him?" We are all the Lord's servants, and have taken upon us His name. Our lives should be a type of His sacrifice. When we make that covenant, that's what we're promising to do. But we are yoked with the Lord,  and it's possible through Him.

Have a lovely week, all!
Sister Johns

Shepherdsville 2/15/16

Greetings!
Firstly, happy belated Valentines Day. Mine was extremely unromantic (besides a seven year old boy giving me a rose at church but that doesn't count;). I also felt like have our minuscule congregation was missing because the weatherman said it might snow two inches and people here are wimps when it comes to snow ha!
Anyway, I learned this week that part of being a representative of Jesus Christ means that we feel for others a very small part of what Christ feels for us. When we make a covenant with God to "mourn with those who mourn" we are truly to feel that deep empathy and compassion for others that Christ does. Experiencing that this week helped me to understand our Savior more. He suffered for all of us once in Gethsemane. He did that so he could succor us when we need Him everyday. He lives, and weeps with us in our hardest moments.
As our investigator is the only 28 year old single man in a branch of sleepy old people, we decided we needed to start having him meet with the YSA elders. Which is really sad, but it's for the best. We called the elders to discuss the matter and they informed us they were having a baptism this weekend! So we drove to their area with Brother Elliott and he got to attend the baptism and meet the elders who will teach him eventually. The baptism happened to be right next to the temple, so he got to walk on the temple grounds.
When we got in the car to leave, Brother Elliott got really emotional. I could tell he felt the Spirit so strongly. Later he thanked us and said it was one of the best days of his life. I'm so excited for March 5th, when he makes that covenant for himself.
Love you all and have a fabulous week!
Sister Johns

Shepherdsville 2/8/16

Dear lovely people,

What a week! When I got my first glimpse of Kentucky from the plane as we were landing, I had this huge wave of nostalgia, like I was coming home. I know this is where I'm supposed to be, and these are my people.

My trainer is Sister Jarman, and she's fabulous! We decided we need to start a business and be Jarman and Johns, doesn't that sound good? 

We have two golden investigators at the moment! Brother Elliott is someone the sisters talked to about a week before I came. He was homeless, and they found him outside the library. He didn't seem interested at first, but as he read the BOM, he caught fire. It's amazing to see. Since meeting with the missionaries, he has found a really good job, found a place to stay, found a car, and several other miracles. We taught the WOW this week and I was a little nervous because he smokes like a chimney (just like everyone here I swear). During the lesson as soon as he realized what the Word of Wisdom entailed, he started getting anxious. Throughout the lesson, he talked himself into it though. By the end, he had taken half empty cigarettes out of his pocket, crumpled them up, and thrown them away. It's been the hardest thing he's ever done, but he's doing it. The Gospel changes people's lives. 

Our second investigator is Brother Bell, who's engaged to a member. He was a referral, so we met with him. Most of the lesson consisted of him telling us about how he met his fiance and how he wants to know what she knows for himself. We talked about the BOM, and committed him to be baptized. He agreed readily. When we told him the date (march 19th) we'd been praying about, he got really emotional. It was SO cool! I felt so humbled that the Lord would trust us with such a well prepared investigator.

The branch here consists mainly of cute, anecdotal elderly people. They're great. Our ward mission leader, Brother Decker, has the personality of a grumpy teddy bear. I absolutely love him. 

To quote Brother Decker, "When you're working for the Lord, the pay ain't great, but the benefits are out of this world." 

I hope you have an amazing week!

Love,

Sister Johns

Kristen arrived in Kentucky

Kristen arrived in Kentucky on Monday

See: http://gklmbrough.blogspot.com/2016/02/its-happened-againtransfers.html

At the Mission office with the Broughs and her new companion, Sister Jarmon

With President and Sister Brough

After a day of orientation, she was assigned to serve in Sheperdsville.