GLEN WAVERLEY - Week 19 - March 5, 2017

This week has felt super long.. but still great :)

We had Golden Review for Sister Dobberfuhl and it was so fun. Even though I am technically not the golden anymore.. I still learned so much. I loved something that Elder Olan (one of the AP's) said. We were talking about faith and he said "Faith is not to change the will of the Father, but to give us the strength to act". I think this is so true because when finding or teaching, it is easy to forget that everyone has their own agency and they have to accept this message for themselves! 

We had interviews with President Vidmar this week and oh my goodness I love him so much. He is awesome and I am so blessed to have him as my mission president. :)

Tuesday was a day of unfortunate events for us. Sister Dobberfuhl woke up with an upset stomach and was feeling pretty crappy all day.  Then we had district meeting and we were half way there when Sister Guan realised she didn't have on her name tag. So we turned around and ran home real quick to grab it. She was running out the door and somehow tripped and fell down our front steps and twisted her ankle!! We grabbed the bag of frozen veggies and iced it for a couple minutes but then quickly were off to our meeting. Oh goodness. Then I had an allergic reaction to something and my whole face swelled up and was really itchy & irritated. Super weird and we don't really know what it was but it was red and swollen all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday. But my awesome district leader gave me some weird Chinese cream and it seemed to help so #blessed.

This week we had a lesson with our investigators Fiona and Tina and it was amazing! Fiona has been an investigator for 2 years, and Tina is her cousin. Tina just got here from China to stay with Fiona and her family, and she doesn't really know anything about the Church. So we have been able to teach them! Fiona has a super strong testimony but just doesn't feel ready to be baptised (yet..) so she often helps and testifies when we teach Tina. This week in our lesson we were talking about how God loves us and will help us in our trails. Fiona was testifying and shared the quote from The Pursuit of Happyness "Don't move this mountain that is in front of me, just give me the strength to climb it". I really liked that and it was such a powerful moment in our lesson. The Spirit was so strong that I just couldn't hold back the tears. I know that the Lord will help us and give us the strength to get through our trials if we ask Him. Most of the time on my mission I have asked Heavenly Father to just make it easier and to take away my trials and hard times. But Fiona reminded me that our trials are actually to help us and they shape us into who we are. I am so grateful for the trails I have had in my life that have gotten me to where I am today. This week as I have been praying for the strength to endure, I have felt power beyond my own and I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. I am so grateful to have a Loving Heavenly Father.

Thank you for the prayers and support you all show me. I say it all the time, but I honestly wouldn't be here without all of you.

LOVE YOU ALL! Have a good week and be safe.

xoxo, 

张姐妹

Sister Johnson

Shout out to my Grandma Dorothy Johnson in Texas

Building a shoe rack - my face is red from an allergic reaction.

Weird Chinese medicine to help the reaction - it worked.

A nice lady gives us fruit, oats and cookies every week.
The fruit and cookies are always gone, but the
oats are building up - we need some RECIPES!!

Love driving on these crazy roads in Melbourne, good thing
I'm not driving a stick shift.

Beautiful Summer Sunset
I love Australia.