Sister Emily A. Johnson's Mission Blog!: Transfers Preparation Day (Dec. 19th)

Thursday December 12th-Wednesday December 19th

Latest facts about mission life:

In January we have 15-16 missionaries coming into the field and 12 of those new missionaries will be sisters!
In March there will be 6-8 new sister missionaries!
In April there will be 10-12 new sister missionaries!

The final surge of missionaries should be finished by July. Our mission will have a complement (addition) of 109 missionaries.

Our mission will have 62 new missionaries in 122 days.

Today President Morgan talked about how we are in the mission field during this historic time for missionary work in the world. The church will reach the highest total of missionaries it's ever seen (75,000). We'll be missionaries when the number of sisters serving matches the number of elders serving.

In the next 120-180 days the number of sisters serving throughout the whole world will double!

The lesson he wanted to stress was how important it is for us to be good and faithful servants as mentioned at the end of the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25. Heavenly Father asks us to do small and simple things to test and try us. Can we prove ourselves worthy? The mission rules are small and simple so what's the big deal of breaking them? That is the Big Deal! That they are so small.

Heavenly Father proves us with small things to see if we are qualified to take on many things.

Sister Tu'akalau (TRAINER-my first companion) finished her mission yesterday! She was out in the mission 9 months when I started my mission. Oh how times change. I will love her forever!

I have a new (old) companion! Sister Asregadoo has coming to Harlem to be my companion! She will be with me for one more transfer. She finishes her mission in six weeks.

Sister Maldarizzi traded her places and went up to the Bronx to serve in Kingsbridge! That is the area I started my mission.

The Weekly Report:

Thursday December 13th:

Sister Maldarizzi and I went to Columbia university to meet a former investigator named Mulu. Sister Maldarizzi was the one who originally contacted him on the street. We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon in his native language (Amharic). He lit up with excitement and I felt the spirit so strong =) It was funny going through the index with him and hearing him pronounce the scripture names based off of what I couldn't comprehend to be anything more than a symbol!

Friday December 14th:

We had two very rewarding lessons with our investigators! I am so grateful to be serving in this area! We taught Brendan =) and Omer who we haven't seen in a while.

Saturday December 15th:

We taught one of our new investigators who is from Iran! He converted to being Christian recently because he had a change of heart. He's been coming to church ever since Sister Broderick contacted him on the train.

Sunday December 16th:

I had a really cool experience fasting for my investigators. I've been striving to have more meaningful fasts. The lesson in gospel principles (which was on the topic of fasting-how convenient!) and the closing prayer I said for my fast really helped me feel the influence of my loving Heavenly Father. I am looking forward to future fasting opportunities as a result of the positive experience I had.

Monday December 17th:

One of the Elders in our zone (who was also an assistant to the president) finished his mission this week. Monday at district meeting we had a "funeral" for him. We hold those for all the "dying" missionaries AKA missionaries who are going home. Sister Taylor put together an awesome rap about his mission that we all performed! It was soooo much fun =) That day we found out definite and confirmed information regarding the transfers taking place. We went to FHE (family home evening) with our ward so Sister Maldarizzi could say her good byes to a few more people from our ward.

Tuesday December 18th:

We had another wonderful lesson with Brendan. Than Sis. M. packed all of her things. I am glad we got to teach one last time together.

Today, Wednesday the 19th:

It was crazy to take in all the updates and news of the mission life. The surge of incoming missionaries will have a large impact on the time I have remaining in the mission. Also, because Sister Asregadoo is leaving in six weeks I think it'll keep me on my toes and prepare me to train in January/February. This is the Lord's work and I am excited to do my very best! It is weird to think that I am part of church history right now!

Upcoming: