Blog: New Year Part 2

Hello everybody! I feel like it has been so long since I have had the
opportunity to sit down and tell you about things that are happening
right now in the mission. But I actually do have some time today. So
sit down, get some hot chocolate. It's been a good week.
First of all I would like to thank all the members, friends, and
family that sent me letters, packages, prayers, love and faith. It is
always nice to get a touch of home away from home during the holidays.
And with every letter that I read I truly did feel the love and spirit
from each one of you. So this is a little shout out for all you
wonderful children of God! Thank you so much!
As I have reflected on this last year I think a lot of thoughts spun
through my mind since it will be the only entire year of my life being
a full time missionary. And I thought about all the people I had the
opportunity to meet, befriend, and love. And oh how the love of God
filled my soul. Every doubt that Satan tries to put into the heads of
God's faithful servants seemed to vanish as I felt probably what was
just a small fraction of the love Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus
Christ have for me. Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. It's 2016!!!!
I can't even believe it!!!! It's literally beyond my comprehension.
Anyways, this week was really good. Even though I just emailed last
Friday, it was kind of a short bara bara email (I can't think of the
English word). But basically this week we ate... and ate and ate and
ate, SO MUCH FOOD!!!! It was very delicious, but I think I will need
to be doing some more biking for a while. As some of you may not know
in Japan new years is like Christmas. People are not super inclined to
listen to us very often. So the ward members got together and made an
eating schedule for us so we wouldn't have to be out so often. And
some of them fell through which gave us some time to go out and
dendou, which I was actually grateful for since it had been what I was
praying for. But eventually we found ourselves having time to dendou
on New Years Day night. Literally nobody listened to us. But we kept
knocking doors, praying, knowing God would lead us to someone who
would hear our message. We were walking around having no idea nor
promptings on where to knock. When we found ourselves right back where
we started so I looked at the apartment and noticed some lights on so
we started up the stairs to the first door. We knock and wait and hear
footsteps coming. And who comes out of the door, but lo and behold
Brian (we're pretty sure that's his name). An american guy from Iowa.
Who was also very surprised to see us. Said his past girlfriend was
Mormon and after talking with him for a bit said we could come back
and talk with him on Monday. He said he probably won't change
religions, but maybe the Lord has other plans. But it was such a
beautiful night where we were able to feel the blessings of God. It
was amazing!
Then this last Saturday we had another amazing miracle. A member had
invited her friend to have a New Year party with us at the church.
When they came over we just chatted and things and got talking about
prayer. The previous day the two of them went to visit her friend,
Miyuki-sans, grandma. They got lost and didn't know where to go. So
Hara-shimai stopped and suggested that they say a prayer. They prayed
and literally a few minutes later found the house. As we talked about
this experience my companion, in all her awesomeness, shared her
experience about her brother and grandma who had passed away and the
great blessings about the temple. Then Miyuki-san opened up about her
grandpa and how she felt she had been selfish towards him her whole
life and how much she loved him. The spirit was so strong. She was
crying, I was crying, my companion was crying. Not that the spirit is
indicated by crying, but it was so amazing to see the spirit help her
open up so she could hear and accept the message. We all looked
fantastic. And we taught her about baptism, eternal families, and she
said she wants to learn more about our church and that she had been
studying religion lately. Hara-shimai was shocked and had no idea. It
is amazing to see the Lord prepare people to hear this message! She is
so prepared by the Lord, and I can feel the Lords love for her and her
grandpas love for her as well. I know she felt the spirit so strongly
and that God really needs her to hear this message. Because it CAN
help people and it WILL bless their lives if they only let it.
The gospel is so true and I can see it changing me and those around me
everyday. Glad we have the knowledge that we do and the opportunity to
share it. I love my Savior and am getting to know Him better day by
day.
Hope you had a happy new year and a merry Christmas!!!!

Love,

Sister Johnson