July 29th, The work is picking up! :)

Hello!!! :)

This week was transfers and we have a third companion! Her name is Sister Glaab and she is incredible. Not only do we have a third companion but the sisters from a neighboring area don't have an apartment yet so they are also staying with us and have been for the last 5 days. 

We went from 2 to 5 in our tiny one bedroom apartment. There are 2 cots in our living room, one cot in the bedroom and suitcases all over the kitchen floor. It is a little bit crazy but super fun and I love it! The other sisters drive 40 minutes to their area everyday to do some proselyting and such and then drive back every night but hopefully they will have their apartment available by Thursday or Friday. 

They also made some crazy changes. So each area or companionship is in a district which is similar to a ward in the missionary ward. And each district has a district leader who leads and cares for the missionaries. Each of the districts belongs to a particular Zone which is equivalent to a stake in the missionary world and their are 2 Zone leaders over each zone. Those Zone leaders report to the 2 Assistants to the Mission President who report to the Mission President. With the influx of sister missionaries there are also now Sister Training Leaders which are similar to Zone Leaders but they are just over sisters where the Zone leaders are over everyone in their zone. 

Anyway, so this last transfer, they split every zone in half because there are so many new missionaries coming in and the work is progressing and growing in so many areas. So instead of 5 zones, there are now 10. They also opened up a ton of new areas and put elders and sisters in a lot of areas. It is crazy everything that is happening but so exciting and I love being a part of it! :)

Quote of the Week  [ TWO quotes this week! ]
You don't ever know how strong you are until being strong is all you have left!

I love this one because it is so true and I have definitely experienced this a little bit lately. Being out here most of the time, when things are hard, the only option I have is to be stronger, to work harder, to be better and to rise above all the obstacle. To turn to my Savior Jesus Christ and ask him for the strength to get through it! 


Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you! 

This one is good because the only thing we can control is what goes on inside of us. It's all about our attitude, our thoughts, our inner peace and what makes us who we are that determines our happiness and joy in this life! :)

Scripture of the Week 
Alma 26:12 "Yea I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself but of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea behold many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land for which we will praise his name forever."  

I found this scripture as I was studying about humility. This really sums aup how I have been feeling lately. I truly am nothing without God and Jesus Christ. They are my rock, and my strength. I can nothing without help from heaven but with heaven's help I can do all things, all I have to do is ask. Christ has promised us happiness, strength, love, peace, joy and countless other blessings temporal, spiritual and eternal if we just come unto him, follow his example and ask for his help. I have really learned how to rely on the Lord and put all my trust in him. I am still learning and I am grateful for that chance to still learn and grow and always have him there with me every step of the way! Jesus Christ is my Savior, Redeemer and foundation!

 
Miracle of the Week
It happened yesterday. For the last like 5 or 6 Sundays, Sister Mitchell and I have tried to hard to get people to church to no avail. We have done everything we can but nothing has worked. Finally, this last Sunday, we got 5 people to church and it was so exciting! It was such a testimony to me that we truly are blessed after the trial of our faith! All of the people that we are teaching are progressing well and Kirstie has decided to get baptized. She said that God told her this the where she needs to be and she is listening to him! It's so awesome to see her love, strength and testimony of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father! Time short this week so I gotta go! Talk to you all next week! I love and miss you all so much but I am grateful to bear hear serving the Lord and spreading his Word!!! :)

Love always, Sister Johnson! :)

Our new trio!

One of my favorite sisters in an a area close to ours. We got to know each other on exchanges! :)

July 24th - 6 Weeks to date!

Hello!!!!! 

I love and miss you all so much! :) I am running short on time so I will try to get through it all quickly!

Quote of the Week

"It's all part of the test. It's not so much what's happening, it's how you deal with what's happening. He's seeing what you're made of!"

I love this quote. A member shared it with us as we met with her and her husband. I think it explains our purpose in this life perfectly. We need to prove ourselves, our capabilities and what we are made of to our Heavenly Father and that is so cool and motivating to me at least!

Scriptures of the Week

 2 Nephi 4:26-35 

I am not going to type these up (click link above) because I forgot to bring these scriptures with me but please look them up and read them! They are incredible and they really make you think! I found them during personal study and they are so powerful and motivational! They are my new favorite scriptures~! :)

Stories of the Week

1. Destiny was baptized!!! It was of the best days ever! She was just beaming and the spirit was incredible! Her whole family came and none of them are members but they were tearing up a little bit and I know they felt the spirit. I am excited to follow up with that. We also had someone else we are teaching, Savannah, come to the baptism which was way cool. She doesn't really believe in God but she is reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know if God really is there. She felt good at the baptism and she was really happy for Destiny. I think Savannah will start progressing quickly and I am so excited for when she feels God's love and presence and gets her answer. We are fasting and praying that she will and I know it will be soon! I can't wait! 

We are teaching a few other people and that is going well. The branch is so awesome and more than happy to help out with fellow-shipping and going to teach with us. 

2.Someone else we have been teaching, Kirstie came to church on Sunday and she coming again this Sunday. She accepted the baptismal date of August 24th and I am super excited! She is ready and I am so happy to see her changing her life and learning more about this incredible gospel. 

We have had lots of really cool, spiritual experiences and I just love being a part of it. I love looking back and seeing how much I have already learned and grown and to see how far there is to go but to know that I always have help. I have come to love everyone around me and see them a little more like Heavenly Father sees them. 

Miracles of the Week

This week my miracle was yesterday. We had a training and there was so much stuff taught and so many great ideas. I loved every second of it but it is also hard because you realize how many things you need to improve on and it starts to feel a little overwhelming. But I realized yesterday that I just need to pick like 2 things right now to work on and take it one step at a time. As Sister Mitchell and I chose what we would work on, we noticed an immediate difference in our lessons and the Spirit that was there. We taught completely by the Spirit and focused on those we were teaching and exactly what they needed. 

It was so incredible to experience that and be a part of it because it made me feel so blessed to be able to be the Lord's mouthpiece and messenger and that I could feel the spirit testifying through me and the Lord helping me know what to say and how to help them. I decided I want to feel like that all the time and I am going to try harder and harder to always be like that wherever I go and whatever I do! :) Yesterday was the perfect day and I am so grateful for it! I love this area and I hope I don't get transferred but I know that wherever the Lord sends me is where I am needed and I am more than happy to do that! :)

Funny Story of the Week

Yesterday I got my first offer to marry a member's son! He is on his mission right now but gets home in like a year and she said she is going to keep track of me and have him look me up when we both get home. It was pretty funny and flattering and I just laughed because it was also a little awkward and I really didn't know what to say! :)

We just got transfer calls and Sister Mitchell and I are both staying here in London. But we are still going to transfers because Sister Mitchell is training again so we will have a new missionary and become a trio! I'm super excited because I love this area and I didn't want to leave! :) Anyways, all is well and everyone can start sending mail and packages to the same address, the one in London  on Claudia Dr. 

I love my mission and I am so grateful for everyday I get to live on this beautiful world and serve my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ! All is well and I will talk to you again soon!!!! Love and miss you all! 

Love always, 

Sister Britni Johnson

P.S Sorry this week's email is a little and scattered and all over the place! 

The Gorgeous Sky

Another One at the Baptism

At Destiny's Baptism!

Our Branch President's Gigantic House

A Swan in the Pond in Front of our Branch
President's Huge and Beautiful House

 A skunk that is the pet of Savannah and Sister Mitchell is
holding it because I was too freaked out by it

July 15th, 2013 - An Awesome Week!!!

First off, Happy Birthday to Dad!!! I love and miss you so much and I hope it's a great day!

Second, shout out to Hannah! I love you so much and I want you to know that you are my strength and I look forward to your letters so much! :)

Scripture of the Week
1st Nephi 15:25 - "Wherefore, I Nephi, did exhort them to give heed to the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always, in all things." 

I love this scripture because it describes exactly what I am doing and exactly what we all should be doing in our own lives and in helping to strengthen and help all those around us! :)

Quote of the Week

"I promise if you do all that you can, God will magnify your strength and you wisdom. He will season you!" -President Eyring- 

I just love that because all he asks of us is to do all that we can and he will do the rest. He will strengthen us and help us to become better and molded into the best person we can be! :)

Stories of the Week

1. Last Monday, after we emailed our families, we went to the Madison county fair which was cool. Some of the member of our branch were there showing poultry and other animals and racing horses and such. It was fun but pretty stinky! :)

2. Next, we had district meeting on Wednesday and the assistants came to our meeting. Sister Mitchell and I were asked to Role Play with one of the assistants, Elder Beck. We were to teach him the Restoration. so we taught him just like we would any investigator and afterwords he gave us some feedback. He told us some stuff that helped us our a lot and then he turned to me and told me that he was amazed. He said for only being out for 4 weeks, I teach like I have been out for 4 months or more. He couldn't believe my confidence and sincerity and it made me feel good. I needed to hear it and I know the Lord was working through him to help me in the ways that I need it and it was awesome.

3. We had exchanges where two of the sisters from another area both came into our area and we split up. I went with on for part of the time and then we swapped. It was awesome because I thought I had just become dependent on Sister Mitchell and I didn't realize I could teach on my own. But when we split up, something changed in me. I became so bold and suddenly I wasn't nervous at all about tracting or teaching complete strangers and bearing my testimony. 

I normally do OK but this time it was amazing. I felt so much love for all those we met and I could feel the Spirit so strongly testifying through me. I loved that feeling that I know that I can this with Jesus Christ's and Heavenly Father's help and strength and they will always be there for me no matter what! :) I loved having those sisters in our area. I found such a renewed excitement for the work and energy and positive attitude as I found that love for those I was teaching and passion for what this gospel means to me.

4. Destiny is amazing! She is so ready and told us the other day that she is like 99.5% positive that she is going to serve a mission in 2 years when she turns 19 which is so awesome! She is still set to be baptized and the whole branch is excited about it! Almost everyone is going to be there and we are bringing some of our other investigators which should be super cool! :)

5. This week we also taught Jennifer, who is Apostolic Pentecostal and a little bit crazy but we love her and she is very open, Suzanne, who is old and a little bit crazy but she is willing to listen and we think she is ready, and Anna who is a short little purple haired girl who is like mid twenties and she is adorable. She is ready to hear the gospel and accepted the baptismal date of August 24th. We just have to help her quit smoking and get her to marry her boyfriend or move out so she can repent and be baptized! I am so excited to see where that goes! :) 

There are also other people we are teaching and it is all awesome! I can feel a big wave coming on and it is so exciting because we are working hard and so is the branch and we are definitely seeing blessing from it! :)

Miracles of the Week
So Thursday night was a little rough. I was emotional and sort of homesick and just worried about everything and Sister Mitchell was awesome enough to listen to me and let me cry it out. Friday morning we set up for me to get a blessing from a ward member later that afternoon. Right before the blessing, we got a call from President Nilsen but we missed it so we listened to his message. He just told us how proud he is of us and the work we are doing and he loves us and is so excited to see what miracles happen and how much the work is progressing here in our area.It was exactly what we both needed to hear and I know the Lord was working through him also. 

Then I got the blessing and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The brother who gave it was so in tune with the spirit because he addressed so many things I didn't even mention and it just showed me how much My Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know me and love me. He told me so many things and I need to hear and specific things I can do that I will be blessed for. The blessings were specified and I felt so loved and comforted. I could feel so much love an power enveloping me as I was given the blessings and I was just bawling my eyes out. It was so incredible and I felt so ready and determined to focus again and give all my heart, might, mind and strength to serving the Lord and my mission! :) 

I love being a missionary so much and it is such a comfort and strength to know that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father know and love me always. They will always be there for me no matter what and they are happy with my decisions and work and effort I put into my mission. I love seeing all the miracles and blessings throughout my life and I am so grateful for the knowledge and surety I have in this gospel, this church and this life as I know what is expected of me and how to fulfill it. I know this church is true. I know my Savior is my Redeemer and he has spent all his life serving and guiding us. he does everything for us and we are truly nothing without his love and strength. I am grateful for this opportunity to give a little back to my Heavenly Father and to learn and grow so much! :)

So quick important notice, next Thursday (July 25th) is transfers and so for the next 2 weeks starting today everyone sending any letters or packages to me should send them to the mission office address, not my address. I don't know if I will be transferred or not so to be sure they make it to me, send all mail or packages to: Ohio Columbus Mission, 19 Clairedan Drive, Powell, OH 43065

I will let you know next week if I am transferred or not but for now just do that. Also because next week is transfers, our p-day is Wednesday so I won't be emailing until then :)

I love and miss all of you! Hope to hear from you soon! :)

Love always,

Sister Britni Johnson

Dinner at a cute restaurant called Henry's with members and Destiny! :)

Our awesome new shower curtain a member got for us
 because our old on was dirty and gross! :) Coolest thing ever :)

July 9th, 2013 - Almost one month in the field!!! :)

Hey all!

First off, Happy Birthday to my amazing brother Braden who I love and miss dearly! I hope you had a fabulous birthday!! :)

 So this week has been awesome! 

Scripture of the Week 
Moroni 8:25-26 
"25 And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth a remission of sins;
 26 And the remission of sin bringeth meekness and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God."

I came across this scripture while reading the Book of Mormon this week and I just loved it so much! It is truly inspiring because it sums up the whole process of conversion right there and what we need to strive for continuously. It is so inspiring and it meant so much to me as I strive to become better and grow more! :) 


Quote of the Week
"There is neither man or woman in this church who is not on a mission. That mission will last as long as they live, and it is to do good, to promote righteousness, to teach the principles of truth, and to prevail upon themselves and everybody around them to live those principles that they may obtain eternal life."

This quote is awesome because it talks about how each and every one of us is always on a mission. We always have the duty and responsibility to spread the gospel and be an example as a member and a representative of this church. 


Highlights of the Week
1.  We met with Destiny twice and she is amazing! She is right on track for her baptism on the 20th of July and I am so lucky to be a part of it! Things are going well and she is continuing to grow so strong in this gospel already and we have only known her 3 weeks! :) 

2.  Our dinner appointment on Saturday fell through so we decided to go out to eat at Bob Evans which is like a breakfast place. We were there waiting for our food when this guy comes up and just sits right next to us. He asked us about the Book of Mormon and then started laughing and said he was member of a ward next to us. We chatted for a bit and he was so awesome and then he bought our dinner and left with his family. It was so nice and I really appreciated his excitement and that he was willing to just buy our dinner randomly. I guess just one of the perks of being a missionary! :) 

3.  We helped a less active member pack some clothes up because she is moving in December and it was awesome! She is so sweet and ready to come back to church. Each time we meet with her she becomes more solid in her resolve to come back to the gospel and this week she promised she would come to church which so exciting and I love her! :) 

4.  On the night of July 3rd, our city had a fireworks show and we didn't think we would be able to watch them because we have to be in our apartment by 9:00 and in bed by 10:30 but they did them at about 10:00 and they were right outside our front window. We had like the best view and it was awesome! The show lasted like 15 minutes which was great and I loved every second of it! :) Fireworks are an incredible boost of excitement and gratitude.

5.  Sister Mitchell was invited to go to a training meeting last Tuesday because she is a Sister Training Leader which is like the equivalent of a zone leader but they are only over sisters. But I wasn't invited so I went to work at the mission office for the day but it was awesome! I never realized how much work it takes to keep mission running smoothly and there are only 2 senior couples in charge of like all of it. I definitely learned a new appreciation for all their hard work and the fact that that is why we can be successful as missionaries. 

6.  Last highlight is that we had a district fun day last Monday during our P-day. We had a little barbecue in the woods and it was so relaxing and nice. I almost felt like a normal person for a few hours which was surprisingly peaceful. 


 Funny Story
So the other day, we ate dinner at a member's house. There little boy who is like 6 was so afraid of us. He wouldn't look at us or anything and it took his parents forever to get him to come down for dinner. It was the weirdest thing because I am not used to be disliked because I am a missionary. But then halfway through dinner, he turned right around and was joking with us and wouldn't stop talking to us. He was a little smitten by us and our attention and during dessert, he sat right next to me and watched me eat for like 5 minutes. It was a little creepy but mostly just funny and he started crying when we left because he wanted us to stay. 


 Miracle of the Week
So we had been having some troubles with finding new investigators and not having any success or progress. We were trying so hard to keep our spirits up and work harder to be our best but it wasn't really working. Finally yesterday we had a breakthrough. We didn't necessarily get tons of investigators or high numbers in lessons and appointments, we just just had a great day. We finally stopped focusing on the people as numbers and just worried about helping them in any way we could. We had specific people we planned to visit rather than tracting aimlessly and we just had positive attitudes all day. We met a lot of awesome people and some of them were very open and willing to hear more and meet with us again. It was an amazing day and I am so grateful for the Lord watching over and blessing us for our hard work. He tested us for a bit and then blessed us with what we needed right when we needed it to help us learn and grow and continue to be better and work harder. 


I am so excited to keep learning and growing and I am amazed with how much I have learned already! My testimony is so much stronger and I love bearing it every single chance I get! It's truly amazing and I am grateful for my Heavenly Father, the Spirit, and Jesus Christ-my Savior and Redeemer!! :) 

This Church is true and I love it! I love serving the Lord with all my heart, might, mind and strength!!! :) I love and miss you all!! Lovin' life and Livin' my dreams!!! :) 


 Love, Sister Britni Johnson

District Fun Day!

 Ohio Skies are gorgeous!

Fireworks-messing with some settings on my camera! :)

Another awesome fireworks shot

Another shot of Ohio skies! :) they cease to amaze me every day

An awesome package I got from Jill and Steve Sundstrom! 
Thanks so much guys, I love it and will put those sticky notes to good use! :)

July 1st, 2013 - A Month Just Flies By!!

Hey all!!!

I love and miss all of you!

Since my last emails have been a little scattered, I will try to organize this one a little bit better!

Scripture of the week: 

Ether 12:27 

"And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men who humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

I love that scripture so much because it says that our weaknesses are gifts to help us humble ourselves and draw us closer to Christ. We truly need to learn to depend on Him and be strengthened in Him. It has helped me a lot lately because I feel like I am constantly realizing all the weaknesses I do have and it can be frustrating sometimes but I am learning to depend on the Lord in every aspect of my life and I feel His strength and power within me. I feel His love for me and His hand in my life every step of the way and it is such an amazing comfort and blessing!! :)

Quote of the week:

 "Every worthy change means risk; risk of losing an old and damaging habit for a new and improving life."

One of our investigators, Destiny, found it and I love it so much! It is so important to be willing to change and take that risk to become a better person constantly and strive to be more righteous and Christ-like! :)

Miracles:

1. I finally enjoy tracting/knocking on doors which I never thought was possible but it is. It isn't necessarily fun all the time but I really don't mind it and all the slammed doors are totally worth it when you find that one person who is willing to listen and ready to receive the gospel. There are so many people searching for the truth and I am so ready and happy to find them and share this glorious gospel with them! I know the Lord has blessed me with the strength, courage and determination to be open and willing to share the gospel with everyone and anyone who will listen for even a second! :) Life is great and I am so blessed in thie work of salvation.

2. I had a bit of a rough day with worrying about my mom and things were just frustrating. I was struggling with focusing and having a good attitude about the work. But that night I got a letter from Grandma Bentley that said exactly what I needed to hear. It was truly amazing because I immediately felt so much better and I know it was Heavenly Father looking out for me and sending me exactly what I needed to hear to keep me pressing forward and with steadfastness in Christ and His work! :)

3. Yesterday, we taught our Golden Investigator, Destiny who is truly amazing! She is such an example to me. We have met with her three times this week and her baptismal date is July 20th. She will be my first baptism and I am thrilled. We have become really good friends and she is so inspiring and such a good example to me. She reads preach my gospel before each of our lessons. She takes pages of notes throughout each Book of Mormon chapter we leave her with. She has already changed her life to live the word of wisdom, modesty, tithing, the law of chastity and everything. We didn't even have to teach her because she read it in true to the faith and applied it before we had the chance. We had dinner with her at a member's house last night and then afterwards we watched The Testaments. The Spirit was so amazingly strong and we all bore our testimonies afterwards. Half of us were crying and when it came time for Destiny to bear her testimony, the Spirit was incredible. Her testimony was so sweet and simple and yet so powerful and I look up to her so much! She is already talking about getting a temple recommend to do baptisms for the dead and possibly going on a mission in 2 years and we have only known her a week! I am just so grateful for the opportunity to guide her into the waters of baptism and the privilege it is to learn and grow with her! I love her and I can tell we will be friends forever! :)

Stories:

First is we had a bit of a scare on Wednesday. Tuesday night we went into a house with bed bugs and sat on the couch but we didn't find out until Wednesday that there were bed bugs in it. SO I stripped my sheets and blanket and everything and threw it in the dryer for about 20 minutes in the hopes of killing any bed bugs that might have been on it. We also sprayed this stuff all over that is supposed to paralyze the bed bugs and eventually kill them off. And we followed that up with some serious prayer and pleading that we wouldn't get any bed bugs because that is the last thing we need. The Elders that were here before had recently moved because their old apartment because infested with bed bugs and I am so glad we didn't have the same thing happen. We have yet to find any so I think we are safe! :)

Second, we did some service this week. We painted the window frame of an old lady who is a little bit crazy but she is the mother-in-law of one of the members so we helped her out. We also made this pastry for another member in our ward who is pregnant and bedridden, scheduled for a c-section tomorrow. She has been craving it and asked us to make it for her. It's basically cinnamon rolls hollowed out and made into a cone shape, coated in sugar and filled with pudding. They were so good and we felt bad because they fed us breakfast before and then sent us home with some of the pastries. We got a lot out of it for it being service but it was awesome and it was nice to get to know some members a little better! :)

Anyways, Life is truly amazing! My testimony is growing stronger and stronger everyday! I love my companion, she is amazing and we have so much fun together. Our branch is remarkable and so willing to help out in any way possible. I am excited to see our efforts joined and what results we can come up with! I love this gospel, this work and I am so blessed and grateful for this opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I will continue to press forward and be the best missionary I can be and I know with help from heaven, miracles and can and will happen!!!! :)

I love you all and miss you so much! 

I'm lovin' life and livin' my dreams!! :)

Love always, Sister Britni Johnson

the delicious pastry we made as a service for a member

Our lesson yesterday with Destiny. From right to left: me, Destiny (our awesome investigator), Sister Mitchell, Courtney (a member) and her little brother.