Returned!

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Brookside 7/31/17

Hey fam--

What I love about Kentucky

-Teeth are a rare commodity 

-The Confederate flag is hoisted and people don't bat an eye.

-You can order gravy on pretty much anything at any restaurant 

-You might get invited spontaneously to join an amateur bluegrass group--they'll just hand you a guitar

-You might be in the middle of a lesson and your investigator will yell in the other room for her son to "warsh the tolet"

-Everyone calls you "baby girl" or "honey" or "sweetheart" or "ma'am"

-You will come to identify different brands of cigarettes by smell

-Everyone loves Jesus. Everyone has a testimony that God lives. Half of everyone has a story about how they almost died four times and God saved them and that's why they're still here because they have a purpose.

Here are some random funny quotes that I've collected my whole mission for your, eh especial delectation...

"Be dignified, they said. Ride a bike, they said. In a skirt, THEY SAID."-Sister Johns

-"What's your name?"

-"Lee-ab."

-"Liam?"

-"No, Leeab. L-I-B, Lee-ab."-Convo with Kentuckians

"I'm praying for you...scientific prayers." -Atheist college professor 

"Adam have kids? He doesn't have a rib, how is that possible?"-12 year old investigator

"WHOA. We're gonna get translated." -President Brough

"Our family is like a discombobulated bobble head." -Sister Dewey

"I'm saved by grace! Get off my case, prune-face!" -President Brough quoting baptists

"One can never be overdressed or overeducated. Except on Pday." -Sister Johns

Have a blessed week!

Love,

Sister Kristen Johns

Brookside 7/24/17

Dear peepsies,

Miracle story: So Bishop texted us an address of a less active lady that had just come in. Saturday, we went to find her. We entered one of the sketchiest trailer parks I've ever encountered and that's saying something! As we were walking up to the address, a woman called out to us. "Are you the Latter-Day Saint missionaries?" She invited us in, sat us down, and told us her life story. How she was baptized when she was eight but a series of events caused her to reject not just the church but God. We mostly listened. Then we invited her to come back. I asked her if she had a Book of Mormon and if she would start reading it again. She hesitated. She said, "I will try. Can you leave a copy? I don't know where mine is.." Suddenly, her young daughter ran from the back room and shoved a triple combination into her hands with a quick, "This was in the hall, mommy," before she ran outside. The woman gaped at the book in her hands, then looked at us speechless. It was a huge testimony to me of how aware God is, and how He prepares things for us so that we can have faith in Him if we recognize those tender mercies.

Funny story: We sang and played the piano with the elders at the nursing home again. One of the ladies was positively smitten with the elders. She asked Elder Moody if he had a girlfriend and he said no. I asked her if she was volunteering and she threw both arms into the air haha! Sister Mitchell and I were dying. 

Have a good week!

Sister Kristen Johns

Brookside 7/17/17

Hey all!

Firstly, it's SO HOT. 

Got offered sweet tea by a man who was drunk TWO different times. I was so hot and it was cold and it was liquid...I've never been so tempted to break the word of wisdom haha jk

We biked a lot this week for multiple reasons. One, we're trying to save miles for the month. Two, the entire mission has been challenged to find a new investigator every day, so we need to talk to more people! And three, I am SO SICK of driving all over kingdom come haha! It's been really fun. And hot. 

I dont know if I mentioned that Sister Vaughn is in my district now? It makes district meeting SO much fun. We really shouldn't sit together, we're a distraction. We call one of our zone leaders Grandpa because he's been out for over 20 months and he reminisces and remonstrates with the air of an aged soul. 

We had two lessons with our Jdub investigator! He is the most prepared human I have ever encountered. He literally just wants to find the perfect church and he's so humble about it. He came to church yesterday! Just sat there like a little sponge, soaking it all in. Poor man probably had about 30,000 questions with words and phrases being tossed around like "President Hinckley" "sealed in the temple" "baptisms for the dead" or jokes about the pre-existence. I don't think we realize how different our services are to a comprehending mind. 

We had double dinners last night, woot!! Guess what that means? The ward is warming up to us, yay! Anyways, dinner no. 1 was with a returning less active and his fiancé who is currently our investigator. They started meeting the the sisters about a month before I arrived here and they have changed SO much. They positively gushed all through dinner about how wonderful church was, the revelation they got, the spirit they felt. They are very determined to be sealed in the temple one day.

Dinner no. 2 was FHE with our returning less active family. One of the kids prayed that "Dad will come back to church and we can all be sealed in the temple soon." Melted my heart. Two of the boys expressed a desire to serve a mission. The spirit is in that home SO much more than ever before. Sister Mitchell and I were so happy!! 

Really cool experience this week: We were at the gas station and had to go in to get a receipt. On our way in we noticed a man who stepped out of his way to open the door for us. My "prepared person" alarm went off haha and on our way out we contacted him. He got really emotional and shared some hard experiences he just had like two days before. He kept saying "this is what I knew when I was a kid. I know God sent you both here at just the right time." God used us to remind one of His children of His love. It also was a reminder to me that I still have a purpose here and God still needs me to open my mouth and talk to everyone!

Have a lovely week,

Sister Kristen Johns

Brookside 7/10/17

Hey all!

Lovely week! Here are some highlights:

-We drove down to Shepherdsville (my first area!) for a Fourth of July
ward party! Saw all my people. The fireworks show was AMAZING. Sister
Endemann and Honey are still companions and they were in Louisville
for MLC so they just drove down to party with us.

-Had an amazing lesson with our J-dub friend. He is very much a humble
seeker of truth. It was probably the most spiritually potent first
lesson I've ever had!

-We sang with the Elders at a nursing home and it was really fun. It's
so cool how music can bring the spirit so powerfully. The residents
loved it, although I think they'd prefer a little more "Amazing Grace"
and a little less Mormon hymns haha!

-Had a mini Zone Conference and met the new mission president!
President and Sister Hughes are absolutely adorable AND they're from
Idaho, soooo. ;) I thought I'd be really sad about the Broughs leaving
but I already feel so much love for the new ones.

Love ya!
Sister Kristen Johns

Face painting

Thanks for the package!

Brookside 7/3/17

Hey all!

It's been a fantastic week! 

In my past few areas I've come in and been like, "LET'S WORK WITH MEMBERS!" And we've hit that really hardcore. In ward coordination I felt the impression that we should still work with members of course, but should really focus on personal finding. This area is wonderful like that--so many soft hearted people. We worked hard last week and now this week is packed with appointments. It feels good.

Some unique experiences this week:

-Taught a lady from west Africa who speaks 15 different languages and is working on her third degree in college. Did I mention she's blind? She asked for proof for what we were teaching and I just sort of handed her the Book of Mormon. It was cool.

-Set a return appointment with a very humble, newly converted Jehovahs Witness. That's a first!

-Got our bike rack stolen off our car. It's completely useless without the clips, which are safely stored in our car. I was hoping the thief would realize that and put it back on, but so far no dice.

-Contacted an older couple as they were in the process of moving and they gave us six garbage bags of their granddaughter's unused clothing. Blessed! 

-Had my last exchange with Sister Andrus! I felt like my life was coming full circle because Sister Andrus is in my first area, Shepherdsville. And when I was there I went on exchanges to Brookside because it used to be an STL area! (Our meeting place for the exchange is an obscenely pink liquor store, see photo no. 1)

-The less active family we've been working with came to church for all three hours for the first time in forever. Made me happy happy:)

-Went to the temple to do baptisms with Sister Mitchell's recent convert! It was absolutely lovely. Saw a couple different people from my old areas! 

Love,

Sister Kristen Johns

Church!

Aldi shopping!

Brookside 6/26/17

Hey fam!

Wowza, lots to write.

Got to Brookside Tuesday afternoon. Sister Mitchell is super hilarious
and snarky, it's great. She's a 6'1" five year old with a "refined
palate" (she eats mainly chicken nuggets and PB and J haha). She's
only been in the area for five weeks so it kind of feels like we be
white washin'.

If you like daily odd compliments, attend Louisville 4th ward. My
favorite for this week-- "Your clothes match really well for someone
who's going home soon."

Also, if a sister in the ward brings their friend to church, don't get
TOO excited about the referral. She most likely just convinced her
friend to come by telling her that the church with help fund her
non-profit organization in India and Africa. So much for real intent.

Ward coordination was quite interesting! We share the ward with the
Spanish elders. The ward members are quirky and endearing. They call
us by our first names sometimes. The ward mission leader is younger
and looks and talks JUST LIKE Faromir from Lord of the Rings. I'm sure
we'll get along just fine.;) The assistant ward mission leader/gospel
doctrine teacher/every other odd calling you could imagine is a
convert of five years and he and his wife...live and breathe for
missionaries. Their life revolves around missionaries! I've actually
met quite a few ward members like that on my mission. I'm currently
trying to think of a name for people like that. Not sure if it's a
disease or something more praise worthy. Haha

I'm currently trying to understand the ward and the area as fast as
humanly possible so we can make some good stuff happen. It's like
alright we got six weeks let's GO GO GO!

It's an adventure!

Love,
Sister Kristen Johns

Evansville 6/19/17

Dear people,

So I'm gettin' shafted to Louisville! Brookside to be exact. Brookside
is where I went on my very first exchange (it used to be an STL area).
It's also the closest I will ever be to Shawnee and Shively, Dad.:)
Kind of stoked about that!

President and Sister Brough's last Zone Conference!  I feel very happy to be serving around such normal, classy missionaries;)

You can't hug your mission president. But you can do this. And that's almost the same thing:) I'm really grateful to have this F1-11 flying, off-key singing, occasional four year old, exactly obedient, and extremely bold man as my mission president!

Exchanges with the Olney sisters! Got to go to Illinois one more time. Thirty minutes after we took this picture, Sister Mendon and I got a phone call from one of their branch members who needed a blessing from the Elders for a sister in the branch in the hospital. For a solid thirty seconds, we thought one of the sister missionaries was in the hospital! We freaked OUT! Hahaha it was funny. We also were obligated to run away from a raccoon later that night.

Have a great week! 

Sister Johns

Evansville 6/12/17

Heyy fam! 

This week was great. 

Had MLC! Probably my last one. President and Sister Brough got us all prepped for the new president. We met in the Eastern Parkway building instead of the mission home, which was nice. I just have to say, it was SO nice to be around all my old companions again! Sister Endemann and I may or may not have snuck out and played ping pong in the basement during lunch haha. 

Two exchanges this week--whew! I went to Owensboro with Sister Ellie Glad! We were chatting about where she was from and we made the connection that she grew up in Mt. Pleasant and knows a lot of the Palmers! We probably have met at some point and didn't realize it haha, isn't that funny?

Sister Thomas came here to Evansville later in the week. She is five feet of joy and we had so much fun. We both did the math and realized we've both been on about 30 exchanges on our missions. Such a good experience. 

So we had a goal set for a certain number of new investigators for the week and Sunday we were three short of our goal. Sister Mendon contacted a lady from our car as we drove by and she referred us to her neighbor who let us right in! We had a lesson and then walked down the street and tried a potential who also let us in. We had a really powerful lesson with her and her teenage son. Three new investigators in less than an hour! God is GOOD!

Have a fab week!

Sister Johns

Double District Meeting

Sister Glad

Sister Mendon

MLC!

Evansville 6/5/17

How was your week, Sister Johns?

In a word, NKAJOCAUWNK. Thanks for asking.:)

Hahahaha, just kidding, this week was just crazy sauce!

Firstly, here's a journal entry excerpt:

Sunday. Good day. I realized today that part of having charity means
"rejoicing in the truth." And lately, Satan has been REALLY ticking me
off with his lies! People want comfortable, smooth gods. Be a nice
person (Or if you cant be a nice person, at least don't hurt anyone
according to the Pentacostal-turned-Buddhist today). No depth, no
breadth, no life, no CHANGE. April didn't come to church today, no
excuse offered. I spent part of personal study marking my New
Testament for theological warfare and studying how the word "try" is
doctrinally incorrect. Yoda is right, turns out.

One of our investigators we've been working with the past few months
dropped us this week. So sad! She felt like she got an answer from a
movie that recently came out which portrayed Christ basically telling
the main character that there is no religion, just believing in Him.
She'll get there someday.

I had my last interviews with President and Sister Brough before they
go home in a two weeks. That was the first time I've seen President
tear up. I love them SO much. They have helped teach me more than I
can ever thank them for.

Have a wonderful week!
Sister Kristen Johns

Evansville 5/30/17

My dear people,

If you're wondering what happened this week, I am sitting here wondering myself what happened. Haha. 

We're still working with our two families--this week we focused on serving them. They are coming along slowly but surely! 

I have an analogy for you. And maybe I've been living near the South too long ha, but I think conversion is like oil in a fryer. In order for the fries to be done they need to be fully saturated in the oil. That's like our investigators--in order for them to be fully converted to the Savior and His gospel, they need to be fully immersed in it. What we usually need is a basket. The metal basket holds the fries and lowers them into the oil. I think of the basket as members, callings, the church organization, family history, activities--anything that helps the investigator lower into the vat and stay there long enough to be saturated. 

Without the oil, the basket is pointless. But oftentimes, the basket is the means to the ultimate end. So be the basket for other people. That's your role in their conversion.:)

Have a fab dayy!

Sister Kristen Johns

Exchanges with the Jasper Sisters!

So THAT'S how pineapples are made....

Evansville 5/22/17

Dear fam bam,

New companion! Sent Sister Fehrenbacker to somewhere in the deep hollers of Kentucky and now I have Sister Mendon! She's been serving the past six months in Hanover, my old stomping grounds. It's been special to talk about people I used to work with! The area is thriving. 

Sister Mendon is the workhorse I've been praying for my whole mission haha! We've set some goals and we've seen a lot of miracles this week. God is blessing Evansville! This transfer is only five weeks, so it's going to fly. It's President and Sister Brough's last transfer! I'm going to miss them SO much. 

One of the most difficult struggles of my mission has been helping people to accept the Restoration. People bash the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, church history and the church organization all the time. It's wearing sometimes. 

I really believe that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ came down from heaven to bring back light and hope and the authority to access God's power and revelation. I really believe that actually happened.

I really believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only church being led by a living, breathing Godhead. 

I really believe these things because I've read the Book of Mormon everyday for years. Samuel the Lamanite gives the reason we've been exhorted to study it DAILY, "...As many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the hold scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them"(Helaman 15:7).

I really believe that. And that's a big deal.

Love you all!

Sister Kristen Johns

Four generations! I'm a great-grandma!

Evansville 5/15/17

Hey there!

This week zipped by. 

We accidentally took a small road trip halfway to Bowling Green, Kentucky in the middle of an exchange.

Was told by our now former investigators that it's a pity such bright girls are walking in such darkness. 

Found a less active who wants to come back to church a few weeks ago, and her boys are now preparing to be baptized next month!

President called again. Sister Fehrenbacker is going to be in a trio in Somerset, Kentucky! I'm getting Sister Mendon. She's spent her last six months in Hanover, so I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about! 

We have been officially immersed in the Midwestern/southern culture and now cook fried chicken on a regular basis. 

Summer is basically here! The humidity and bugs have arrived, and I think I saw a firefly the other night. Best thing ever!

Skyping home was lovely, especially doing a three way call with Brianna--I mean the other Sister Johns! Ha! 

Love you much!

Sister Kristen Johns

Me and Hermana Starling

Mother's Day 2017

Evansville 5/8/17

Dear fam bam & friends,

First off, I want you to know that I celebrated Cinco de Mayo very thoroughly this week. We went to eat Mexican food for one reason for another about seven times.  

Sister Fehrenbacker and I have been focusing a lot more on goals this week, and we've seen SO much success from it! Found a ton of new people, so that feels really nice. We're supposed to be doing a training for Zone Conference about that, so we've been studying a lot. I've come to the conclusion that goals are a way Heavenly Father helps us to apply the gospel--having faith and repentance especially. It's how He helps us progress. 

Aaaand, here are some pictures. 

MLC againnnnn! That moment when you take a random picture..and realize you've been companions with everyone in it (except one)

Exchanges! Sis Kerr came to E-ville with me.  She and I went on her first exchange ever together, so it was so cool to see how she's grown up so big! *sniff

Not sure whyyyy we have light sabers in the apartment but...I'm not complaining  ;)

We played on a playground last Pday and it was glorious  :)

Cheers!
Sister Kristen Johns

Evansville 5/1/17

Hi there!

-Had dinner with a couple in the ward. Recently, Sis F has been staying off dairy for health purposes (not happiness purposes, I mean come on) and we got there and they were having...chicken alfredo. I passed the massive bowl of dairy-ness to her and whispered, "it's blessed." The husband does something top secret for work, hence his crazy tattoos, piercings, and braided beard. Or at least he says. haha

-Had two back to back lessons with very intelligent humans who are well versed in the Bible and see no reason why we should have a Book of Mormon. Somehow we got accused of knowing our Bible better than the Book of Mormon, and I took that as a compliment. What I took from the situation is how a lot of people don't understand the first principle of the gospel: faith. You receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. I can't PROVE to you the Book of Mormon is true, you have to experiment yourself. 

Something that happens a lot in this area is cute, young Baptist couples will be super nice and invite you in, feed you treats, then basically tell you you're going to a very bad place for a very long time. I'm actually quite proud that we managed to have two lessons with a cute young Baptist couple, be fed brownies and milk, and escape before Hell even came up! Woot woot! 

-That awkward moment when you have a Word of Wisdom lesson with your investigator and she takes you out to lunch after and orders one of those items you just mentioned was against the Word of Wisdom. *facepalm

-Once upon a time, we had an exchange with the Hermanas in our ward. I was with one of them in the evening clear up north in our area for a dinner appointment. We knocked on the door and a man answered who was obviously NOT the lady we were trying to see. We returned to our extremely high tech car which locked us out AGAIN. Meanwhile, we realized who signed up for dinner and that she lived about 30 mins away. We had a ward coord meeting in 30 minutes, so we called the Sisters who happened to be nearby the lady and THEY went to the dinner appointment instead of us. So that's how come they got two dinners and we got only zero. Haha I rock this whole exchange thing!

-Had another exchange and I went to Mount Vernon! We drove there and went straight to a dinner appointment. The family took us out to eat...in Evansville haha. We were on our way home when it started pouring rain and storming and everyone's phone was going off about a tornado warning! It was so exciting! Thankfully, the sisters in Mt. Vernon live in a basement, so all was well. 

-Got a referral from the Elders. He was a very angry man who at first seemed super unwilling to even talk to us. But he heard us out. He had little to know concept of God, so we taught him very very simply. Then we showed him how to pray. He got pretty emotional, and I realized that I had just seen someone talking to their Father in Heaven for the first time in their life. It was a really special experience. 

Love you all!

Sister Kristen Johns

Evansville 4/24/17

Dear people,

It's been such a blessed week. I feel like I should share bits of a talk that Sandy recently gave in her first sacrament meeting as a member. With her permission of course. 

"I was praying for direction and a little inspiration and I waited for that still small voice. What I heard was, "you are an onion." A what? 

I've though about onions a lot this week. When the missionaries first met me they probably thought I was a lot like this onion--flaky on the outside and tough underneath. I did show a tough side to the world. I was bruised and dented..angry and disillusioned with life. I hid inside that tough layer--it was my comfort zone. 

I didn't make it easy for the missionaries (I call them the mercenaries). They just kept coming back. They shared the Plan of Salvation and encouraged me to read the Book of Mormon.

Little by little cracks were appearing in the onion. 

I realized I thought of Jesus as a historical figure. I believed He had done the things I'd read and heard about but that was a long time ago and not relevant to my life. Now, you can hear 1,000 times that Christ died for you but until you open up and allow yourself to internalize it...you hold on to the layers that separate you for Jesus. 

In Matthew 26:39 Christ asks God if there is any way to change what was about to happen."O my Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me..." Now right there is a colon which indicates a pause. I hear God say to Jesus, "My Son, I wish it could be different, but it can't. You see, in about 2,000 years there will be an onion in my garden. I love her and I want her to be with me again. But the only was is for you to do this for her."

Jesus did this for me not knowing if I would reach out if I would  make the choice to come to him. 

He did this for all of us.

If you don't know Jesus or if you do but there are layers between you...ask if you are an onion too." 

I was so grateful to read this. Sometimes it's hard serving in the bible belt because so many people are convinced that they know their Savior already. It was a good reminder to me that ultimately we come to know Christ through His restored gospel, and it's a constant effort. We're all onions!

Love you!

Sister Kristen Johns