General Conference, Bed Bugs

Hello Everyone!

Sorry I didn't write last week.  It was crazy! For reals.

Anyhow, I hope everyone had an amazing General Conference. I loved it! If you didn't get a chance to check it out you should check it out on LDS.org

I had a really cool experience when we got a lot of the missionaries involved for a service project at an apartment of one of our investigator's apartment.  It was a beautiful sight to see everyone serve selflessly to meet the needs of a family in an underprivileged circumstance.  I was filled with the spirit and of love.  That's how I decided I wanted the scripture Mosiah 2:17 on my missionary plaque.

As for this week

We had bed bugs in our apartment.  Only the Spanish sisters were getting bit. Anyhow yesterday was a huge hassle because we had to take ALL of Our CLOTHES, towels, pillows, bedding, and anything with fabrics down to the Wash And Dry down the block and dry EVERYTHING. Then we bagged it all up, brought it back up the hill, and sprayed our apartment down with some chemical formula. We then left to go to a dinner appointment and had to stay out of our apartment, windows open, for 6 hours.  We returned that night to reassemble our lives. It was a LONG day!

Today is Transfers! With officially means I am no longer the new missionary! Yeah for that :)  It was cool to be on the other side and do the cheering/greeting rather than the one being cheered at lol.

And I received a package from my mom with pictures printed out from my whole Utah trip visiting Tristan! Thank you sooooo much Mom =D

As for the recent spiritual experiences

First was a lady named Dorothy who I met on the bus.  It was on Monday after I found out one of my really good friends, Elder Richards, was getting transferred upstate and would be leaving on Wednesday.  I was super bummed out about this fact and I was talking to him on the bus.  I'm convinced Heavenly Father knew it'd be hard for me to talk to others that day so he put people in my path who would help me continue to do missionary work.

I was sitting across from Elder Richards and the lady next to me tapped me on the shoulder.  She asked me what we do. I was like, "Hi! We're missionaries!" It was a total 180 from what I had been feeling.  I was able to share a little bit more with her but her stop was coming up so she quickly gave me her address.  It was such a cool tender mercy from the Lord.

The other spiritual experience that has been the highlight of this week was when we went on Monday to visit a less active.  I had met her two weeks previously at church. When I talked to her I felt the spirit so strong!  I knew I needed to visit her.  We set up a time/day for us to come by but that fell through.  The day after I met her, Monday at zone conference, I was talking to one of my zone leaders about getting permission to visit her since she wasn't in our area.  When I was telling him about my experience with her at church again I felt the spirit so strong. I told him I was feeling the spirit and how even though I wasn't sure why, I KNEW Sister T and I needed to visit her.  This last Monday we had the chance to go see her and it was one of the coolest experiences.  Heavenly Father helped me see her for all that she is and showed me the ways we as missionaries can help her.  We're going to start visiting her and her granddaughter on Mondays to read the Book of Mormon with them.  There is a lot more to the situation but I am so impressed at the person she is.  She's pretty rough on the edges, but she has such a big heart!  I love it =) I have so much love for her! I am thankful Heavenly Father directed us to help her through my impressions of the Holy Ghost.  I know that as we work with them the growth that comes will be incredible!

The last spiritual experience I want to mention is from the other day.  I asked Elder Richards to give me a blessing of comfort.  Missionary work is hard and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve around righteous examples who can help lift me when I am down.  Blessings to me are so cool because you can really feel the Lord's spirit as the person giving the blessing mentions things or says things that hit home to the heart.

All is well out here in NY! Our Transfer theme is Obedience.  The transfer them is something Sister T. and I do in our companionship as a goal for us.  Last cycle it was Diligence.  The days are long but the weeks are fast!

I am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the way it can transform our lives little by little, day by day.  I am thrilled that the Lord has something amazing in store for me that he is shaping me into.  He has a plan for all of us! He knows what we are capable of becoming.  May we all strive to let him work in our lives and shape our existence into something better than we can do ourselves.

I love you!

Peace and Blessins'! Peace And Blessings!

Love,

Sister Emily Johnson

Special shout out to those I heard from recently

Thank You!

Mica for the package! I loved it! I will be writing you soon!

Olivia for the letter.

Tristan for your constant letters and package.

Ethan for the postcard

Mom for everything you send