they wouldn't have bound me twice

December 9, 2019

Hey hey y'all!

This week was a lot of ups and downs with our friends but it was good stuff!

Here are the highlights:

• Sue is so so good. We love her to death! She has been reading and studying so much and is progressing really well. We taught her about temples and we set a date for her to go to the temple after her baptism! We are so excited for her.

• Alida, our sweet girl is sadly not on date for baptism anymore. Her mom decided it is best for her not to right now and it is heartbreaking because Alida knows it's true and wants this. 

• Robert is also doing really well! He got back from his vacation and told us after praying, he wants his baptism to be Dec 21st! He said he knows it is true and doesn't see a reason to wait. We got to teach him in members homes several times this week which were wonderful and we even got to watch the Christmas Devotional with him as well. He has really been studying 1 Nephi and always jokes that Laman and Lemuel wouldn't have bound him twice... 

• The Christ Child video is still my favorite thing. I could quote the whole movie to you in Aramaic and even sing the Psalm! We got special instruction from Elder DeVries on Saturday that we needed to share the video least 8-10 times between Saturday night and Monday night which proved to be a challenge but we are managing! It has such a strong spirit and peace you feel while watching, you could understand why we want us doing more. 

Something that was mentioned in church yesterday struck me. The speaker said "Every day, we are either forgetting or remembering the Savior." What are YOU doing today to remember the Savior? Or will you go about your normal day not giving Him a thought, forgetting about Him. I love this scripture from Isaiah 49:15-16, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget the. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." Christ could never forget us and has a constant reminder of us upon the palms of his hands. He suffered for us. He died for us. All because He loves us. Let us remember Christ as He remembers us, not just during Christmas but at all times.

we got hot n now—the only remaining hot n now restaurant that happens to be in sturgis

Love you all! Please continue to pray for no snow :))

♥Sister Johnson

riana.johnson@missionary.org

Sister Johnson

195 Memorial Dr Apt B 21

Sturgis, MI 49091

sister johnson²

December 2, 2019

hey hey! 

it was a good week here as always and we were extra thankful this week. I just wanted to let you all know how grateful I am for my Savior, Jesus Christ and His willingness to descend below all things, so we could repent and come unto Him. 

♦ we had interviews this week which is always my favorite! President Brennan, our mission president has so much wisdom and it is such a great opportunity to learn and recognize where to improve! bonus... we got qdoba while in Battle Creek :)

♦ we were able to go and serve at a church in Sturgis on Thanksgiving! we served people food and were in charge of making the coffee (who knows if it even tasted ok lol). it was wonderful spending time serving others and those who are in need.

♦ sister nelson forgot her tag when we went to interviews and I happened to have an extra so we were both sister johnson that day! we had a good laugh about it and people were very confused

♦ we had thanksgiving dinner with the Wierschkes! we love them and it was wonderful sharing the Christ Child video with them and the friends they invited to see. Christ's birth was so humbling and watching it brings the spirit more than anything else. 

Thanksgiving dinner 

♦ we have been sharing the Christ Child video with our friends and members everyday! i don't think there is anything greater to watch over and over again than this. please take 18 minutes to watch and feel the peace that it brings. 

♦ me and sister nelson made a goal to read the book of mormon together cover to cover by the end of the year and it has become my favorite part of our night! I learn so much from her and I love the strength that it has brought to our companionship. 

we took literally one picture this week i apologize 

here are some people i am very grateful for (pino not pictured but still loved)

also so grateful for these ones. everyone send me pictures of your dogs and give them a good pet for me :)

♦ warren and elizabeth came to church this week after having no contact in over a month. the Lord is so willing to bless us when we act in faith and we know that this was a great blessing!

♦ sue is seriously THEE cutest. we love her. she has so much faith and has been working so hard to give up coffee and smoking and she said she has felt SO much love from Christ. it makes me so grateful to have this gospel and seeing the impact it has had on her.

♦ also ya girl is goin home in exactly a year from today! mark your calendars and get excited :)

Part 7 of talking about the Christ Child video.. PLEASE WATCH IT. there is nothing more humbling than watching how the Son of God was born. I hope we can all work to focus our Christmas season on Him, and the importance of WHY Christ came- which is because he loves us. So let’s show Him that we love him by lighting the world and remembering Him.♥

https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world/the-christ-child  -after you watch it, email me and tell me about it! i love hearing the peace this video brings and i hope you all desire to feel that and SHARE it with others :)

https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world/service-prompts-sms-signup  -ways that we can serve others and help bring some light into the world!

love you all!!

sister johnson

riana.johnson@missionary.org

Sister Johnson

195 Memorial Dr Apt B 21

Sturgis, MI 49091

thanksgiving on the 21st??

November 25, 2019

hey hey!

great week here in sturgis as always. here's the highlights:

○ we had tradeoffs with sister tate and sister tupou and they are seriously so fun. we even got some jesus chicken (cfa) in portage which was the bomb.

tradeoffs

lol we also all wore the same shirt (different colors) on accident

○ we went to visit a less active family on thursday and come to find out they just had thanksgiving dinner! their kids are not in school right now and neither of the parents work so they assumed it was thanksgiving. they even went to look for the macy's thanksgiving day parade with no luck. seriously so funny- until they gave us each a crap ton of pie and we felt like garbage the rest of the night

○ we taught Sue again at her grandson's home and it was amazing. she wants so bad to be baptized and we are so excited to help her get there! she has even been sharing the Book of Mormon with her husband which is a crazy miracle since her husband has been against the church since his son joined over 30 years ago. 

○ we also got to teach Alida again! she is so cute. we always teach the plan of salvation with a little visual that spells out love and she wanted to make one for herself. when she finished it she taught it to us! so fun. we also made a little missionary name tag for her. she is so excited to be baptized, go to the temple and one day be a missionary. i love this girl!

alida and her cute tag :)

○ we taught robert again and that man is wild. he is seriously so smart and has been so set on learning all he can about the gospel! he even told us that he wants to become a member of the church! we are hoping to put him on date soon so stay tuned! 

○ estephania and arturo are doing good. we went over and taught them about prayer and they had sister nelson pray in spanish which cracked me up but she did good. they are such a sweet family and really want to have God in their lives.

○ the Christ Child video came out! it is so powerful to see what it was really like and how truly humbling it would have been for everyone involved. if you haven't already, please go watch it and make Christ the center of your holiday season.  

○ we got to speak in church this past sunday which was fun! we focused  

This week I found out that my sweet dog, Rosie, passed away. She was quite old and was dealing with a lot of health issues but she had been with me through all of my childhood. It was a little hard but brought me peace knowing that she was no longer in pain. I am constantly reminded why we need Christ's atonement. It is not simply for our sins, it is for our hardships, our pains, our tribulations. He knows us. He has felt what we have felt. All because He loves us and wants us to know what we are never on our own. I truly love Christ and for the peace He has brought to me. 

throwback picture of the cutest dogs

they have circle k here! i had no idea so we immediately pulled over and got some

sister heitzmann pointed out that we all were wearing black and white--which meant there must be a picture taken. isn't she the cutest?

always sending my love,

sister johnson

riana.johnson@missionary.org

Sister Johnson

195 Memorial Dr Apt B 21

Sturgis, MI 49091