Hello once again!

Hello Everyone

How are you doing? I have had an amazing week!  This week is filled with so many experiences that I will treasure in my heart forever.  You know how people talk about experiences from the mission and they know deep in their heart that Heavenly Father prepared that person or that family for them to work with as a missionary? Well I am happy to tell you I had my first experience like that where the spirit was lighting me on fire! haha. We've been working with a new family who was a referral from South Man (Manhattan). A single mom with four beautiful children: Girl 12, Boy 10, Girl 8, and Boy 4. They are the coolest kids ever!!! They have been through so much and faced tremendous hardship.  I love the children SO MUCH! We've become best buddies =)  

The kids truly love having us over.  Our first visit we really got to know her and her struggles.  After she poured her heart out to us we connected it back to the atonement.  We had such a strong desire for her to find the hope and peace she was looking for that would be found in the Gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

The next time we taught her we focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ and how baptism is the way we access the atonement in our lives.  During that whole meeting we all felt the spirit so strong! She cried at a few points, and both her and I commented on feeling the goose bumps that the spirit can bring.  I was amazed at how strong the spirit was when we talked to her about how that feeling she was feeling was confirming baptism was the right thing to do.  When we extended the baptismal invitation she said YES and that it wasn't even a question! The moments we have with her make up one hundred fold for all the frustrating moments we have contacting and trying to find people to teach.  The next time we visited we taught her and her children (who we had met previously).  Saturday night her and her 12 year old daughter came to the Young Women Broadcast at the chapel.  

All of the YW were super amazing about reaching out and welcoming them.  We also had our first member split that night. I went to a member's house with  because we were supposed to have a cottage meeting with an investigator we were working with before. The purpose of a cottage meeting is to have members and nonmembers over with the missionaries to eat dinner and socialize with a spiritual thought.  Unfortunately we got juked (aka stood up). However it was delicious food and great company for those of us who did go.
Today for P-day we deep some deep cleaning of the apartment for conference and it's AMAZING!!! We cleaned so much it's ridiculous! I was so happy to throw out a lot that has collected or been left behind by other missionaries. It's such a good feeling to have everything in order and organized. After that we went shopping for some summer clothes and there was a sweet store called Cool Cat and it's a store of all Jewelry! We shopped at Fordham (area) which isn't too far from us.

Also when we were doing some deep cleaning (sweeping, mopping, throwing things out, and organizing) I came across a ton of crafty/artsy things that had been left behind by another sister missionary. It was pretty much heaven =) It's my gift to me for cleaning. She left it behind with the intent of it being up for grabs. 
Mom I really appreciate the time you take to mail me cards/letters/pictures on a regular basis. I am such a blessed missionary.

I love all of you so much! 

Oh and Sam thank you for the microwavable corn on the cob! I haven't tried it yet, but I'm excited!
The only other thing I can report about at this time is the fact that all week we've been being fed by members, which has been such a blessing.  Especially because it's time I get to visit with the other missionaries and the members. 

Please keep Sister T. in your prayers? Her foot is giving her a ton of problems. 

May the Lord bless all of you and your lives.  Have a wonderful conference experience!

Love Sister Emily Johnson