Shepherdsville 4/25/16

Hey!
This week could adequately be described as riding 8 different
rollercoasters at once, each traveling at a different velocity and
altitude.
Brother Elliott had a little slip up and wasn't able to get baptized
this weekend. It was very disappointing all around, but he's still
hanging in there. We reset his date to May 27th. Because we no longer
where engaged Saturday night, we decided to go to Thunder Over
Louisville, which is a pre-derby air and firework show. We got Brother
Aubrey and his niece and daughter, Stephani and Jordan. They all went
on rides and saw the sights as Sister Jarman and I talked to as many
human beings as possible. The fireworks were amazing!
On our way to Louisville, Brother Elliott called. He was having a
family crisis of sorts and his foster mom (who is a chaplain living
near Shepherdsville) needed immediate help and he requested a
priesthood blessing for her. We gave him some member's numbers and
waited to hear back.
Sunday was hard because so many investigators and recent converts were
struggling.  Brother Bell has felt with major family issues since
being baptized. Brother Aubrey didn't come to church and expressed
cold feet for his baptism this Friday. I was hurting for Brother
Elliott and his family struggles as well. Missionary work sometimes
feels like a battle, where our numbers and dwindling and so is the
faith to conquer. We've done everything humanly possible to help. It's
moments like that where you "stand still and see the salvation of the
Lord." So I waited for the miracle.
It came. Brother Elliott's foster mom's heart was softened from the
trauma, subsequent blessing, and the ardent testimony of her son.
She's requested missionary discussions from us, and wants her daughter
and son to be involved as well. God is truly amazing!

And now, a random insert. We pulled up to the park to do some
contacting and saw a group of old men playing some improve bluegrass.
We approached them and next thing we knew they had given us chairs and
a guitar and were prodding us to "play something". We played and sang
"Come Thou Fount,"  invited them to learn more about the restored
gospel (a difficult endeavor since all had loud instruments and were
half deaf), and went on our way! Next stop, Nashville!

Love you all,
Sister Johns

Shepherdsville 4/18/16

Hello people!

It's been another beautiful week in Sheep-town!

 

Tuesday night around 8:30 we were driving in the pouring rain, trying to find a less-active that no one knew anything about. We pulled up at the base of a steep driveway, got out and hiked up. At the top of the hill there was what used to be a trailer. What remained were several heaps of blackened rubbish, children's books and toys, still smoldering even in all the rain. It was kind of haunting. We taught several lessons on the importance of enduring to the end this week, and used the story to illustrate. The lady who used to live there had made covenants and expected to keep them. It's so important that we don't ever give up. 

We had an awesome baptism this week! Brother Waxler is someone we found knocking on someone else's door. He's one of those people who you wonder if they're Mormon already, he is so prepared. 

Brother Elliott gets baptized Saturday. He's positively glowing and so happy. It's going to be one of the best days ever! 

Love you all,

Sister Johns

Brother Waxler

Jarman and Johns at Bernheim Forest

Jarman and Johns at Bernheim Forest

Jarman and Johns at Bernheim Forest

Bro Elliot's hats

Shepherdsville 4/11/16

Greetings all!

For the month of April, Sister Jarman and I decided to step up our
game and contact 140 people every week and we've also been working on
the quality of those contacts. Satan stepped up his game in response.
This week, a lady barked at us to 'get off my property now,' and a man
adamantly professed Mormonism to be false doctrine. Many people
mistake us for Jehovah's Witnesses ("Y'all are J dubs?"), and most
feel like they already have a relationship with Christ ("Ah luuuuve
Jesus! Thank YOU!") When we asked a lady if she knew of anyone who
needed a message about Jesus, spun around angrily and said "YOU."

Although not a single person we've talked to this week was interested,
we've had several super amazing investigators fall into our laps!
Brother Elliott set us up with a lady who's played the role of mother
in his life and we've had two lessons with her. She's a chaplin with a
PH.D. in religion. How crazy is that?

It's shown me that when we "bind the Lord" and keep our commitment to
the things in our control--reaching our contact goal--He knows He can
trust us with the children He's prepared to hear the truth.

This week we had Stake Conference and it was focused on missionary
work and strengthening members. Elder C. Scott Grow came (get it,
haha?) and read from Ezekiel 34:2, where the Lord is admonishing the
church members, "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed
themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?" The Spirit of
Elijah that has been prophesied of our day, is a spirit of preparing
the world for the Second Coming, and assisting Christ in the
Restoration of the Gospel. Christ is coming soon. We cannot afford to
only feed ourselves. We are under covenant to God to feed His sheep.

Love you all, have a blessed one!
Sister Johns

Shepherdsville 4/4/16

Hello all,

I hope everyone enjoyed General Conference!

I have an extremely fantastic story this week. Ahem...

We've been meeting with Brother Aubrey since February. A week before
he met us, he had been praying to find some decent people to meet. He
made a deal with God that if God provided those people, he would do
all he could to make them happy. So, God sent us. He was probably
like, "Here are two decent missionaries, make them happy." God is
seriously hilarious. Anyways, Brother Aubrey took it as an answer to
his prayer, although with much trepidation. He's had a lot of
experience with religion, and is really skeptical about everything.
Several weeks ago, he tried to drop us. But God kept him awake all
night badgering him (his words) about a comment made in Sunday school
about priesthood. Someone had said often they felt unworthy of
blessings. Brother Aubrey had a strong impression during that lesson
that of course, NO ONE deserves blessings, God gives them to us when
we need them--especially when we don't deserve them! So after a night
of stewing he told us he wanted to keep meeting. He said, "I heard
about y'alls General conference. So I made God a deal. If the prophet
talks about my whole blessing idea, then I will get baptized." This
man gets revelation in such bizarre ways--and God seems to give him
what he wants even if it's not what he expects--that we didn't
question it. Or put it past God.

A major concern we've been having with him is that he doesn't have a
concept of the role Christ plays in salvation or his relationship with
Heavenly Father. He's always had a very close relationship with God
and doesn't feel like a Mediator is necessary. We've prayed and
studied how to help him with this. A week ago, we had a lesson about
prayer and asked him to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, which he
refused to do.

For several weeks now, he's been praying for an answer. He sincerely
wants to know and is willing to change. He's gotten really frustrated
at God for not giving him an answer. The other day he said, "Everyone
in testimony meetings is always like 'I got an answer and I know this
is true' and I'm like, 'where did you get yours?! I want one of
them!'" During one of these frustrated rants, Sister Jarman pulled out
the story of Moses when the Israelites were stuck between Pharaoh and
the Red Sea. They were about to be killed, but in the last possible
second, Moses was guided to part the Red Sea. She said, "I know God is
willing to give you an answer. Sometimes we have to stand still and
see the salvation of the Lord. And sometimes that doesn't happen until
the last possible second."

Fast forward to this weekend. When making his deal with God, Brother
Aubrey did not anticipate said Conference to be ten hours long.
Nevertheless, he agitatedly sat through all of the talks. In the last
few minutes of the very last talk of the last session, Elder Holland
(bless that man) made a statement about how God gives us blessings
whether or not we deserve them.

We called him afterwards and he said, "That wasn't what I expected but
I can't deny that was my answer. I do believe the Book of Mormon is
true and I'm going to keep moving towards baptism. And...I guess I'll
start moving towards Christ too." Hearing him say that was the
greatest, most joyful experience in the world.

There is no greater feeling then to witness someone come closer to
Christ. This entire process has strengthened my testimony of God. He
knows exactly how to communicate with us in our own language. I would
invite everyone to seek personal revelation more, listen more in your
prayers, and note the pattern of His hand in your lives. You will see
it, and understand His love for you far more intimately than ever. He
lives.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
Sister Johns