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