Converting Columbus: October 21, 2013

Hello!! I hope everyone is enjoying the fall and hopefully staying fairly dry and warm! :)

Quote of the Week (is a little long but it is one of my new favorites!)

"No pain that we suffer, no trial we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God...and it is through sorrow, suffering, toil, tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in Heaven!" -Orson F. Whitney.

This quote just gives me so much comfort, hope and strength to keep going and doing my best. I know that everything I go through now is making me who I will become and preparing me to become like our Father in Heaven to eventually live with him again in Heaven! :)

Scripture of the Week

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

I know without a doubt that Christ and Heavenly Father are always there watching over us, and if we ask for it, they will give us peace and comfort with anything we are going through or struggling with. All we have to do is ask and let them in!

Stories of the Week

1. So a little more details about meeting the Amish members of the church. We were able to hear each of the couples bear their testimonies and they were so simple and yet so incredible! They gave up everything for this gospel but they know it was worth it for the peace and happiness it brings! They have the sweetest spirits and I am honored to know them. We saw the bakery and the school the children attend. Since all the families were shunned, they were kicked out of their school so our mission president asked a senior missionary couple to teach them and they have been for almost a year now.

We were also able to see the bakery and try some of the best cinnamon rolls in the world. They are all so hardworking and loving to all. Even thought they have been shunned, they still live in the Amish community and practice the Amish traditions in the hopes of being able to help bring some of their friends, family, and neighbors to this gospel. We were also able to see them again on Saturday because they were speaking a stake fireside and we brought our investigator, Lorie, with us. She loved it and the whole experience was so spiritual and truly amazing.

2. We now have Elders here in our branch along with us! There names are Elder Shields and Elder Moore and they have both been on their missions for about a year. Elder Shields is quiet but really funny and Elder Moore is super nice and kind. They have both been working hard already and I am so excited to see what happens in the next few weeks. I would absolutely love to see this branch become and ward and I know it is only a matter of time, especially with 2 sets of full time missionaries!

Miracle of the Week

My miracle this week was yesterday. We had this 3 hour leadership meeting we had to go to but we had an appointment right before so it was a bit of a stress getting there. Plus our GPS took us the wrong way so we made it right before it began. It was taught by Elder Robbins of the 1st quorum of the Seventy and it was incredible. He talked a lot about all the excuses people have to avoid taking responsibility for our actions and mistakes. He also talked about how we need to just cross that out of our lives. In order to have 100% agency, we have to have 100% responsibility as well.

We also discussed how important it is to forgive others, forgiving others is really more of a gift and freedom for ourselves. If we strive to forgive others, and take full responsibility for our actions, we will be able to develop more love for others and other Christlike attributes that are so important to have. The whole meeting was amazing and I learned so much. We have so many new insights and things to help us with ourselves and a lot of our investigators. :)

Well that is about it for this week! I love and miss you all and I hope everything is going well! I pray for you all and can't wait to see you soon! :)

Until next time!!

Love always, Sister Britni Johnson :)