MOORABBIN - Week 35 - June 27, 2017

I hit my 8 month mark this past week and it really opened my eyes that time is seriously flying. Being on a mission like this, is a once in a lifetime experience and I have less than a year left! woah...

This week we had our zone conference and it was with all the missionaries that serve in/around the city. So it was a smaller zone conference but it was AWESOME!!! President Vidmar is such an inspired leader and an inspired man. He knows exactly how to help us, encourage us and support us. I am beyond blessed to have him as my mission president!

The trainings that were given by our zone leaders, and the assistants were so awesome as well! We talked a lot about faith and about how our Savior Jesus Christ is soo involved in this work and is helping us along the way. Zone conference was almost 7 hours long, but it was incredible and I learned so much! 

We have been working with a lot of our investigators this week and they are all awesome! We are still trying to help them continue to progress and set some baptismal dates, but they are heading in the right direction so it is going pretty good!

Teaching is still super hard for me.. you know... asking a question and then sometimes not knowing what they said... Or not being able to fully express in Chinese what I want to when I am teaching. BUT I honestly do love teaching. It is such a humbling experience every time I get to teach someone! I love when I get to tell someone about Jesus Christ and what He has done for THEM. Yesterday, I was listening to a song about missionary work and it said, "we lose sleep so that people can find rest, we shed a few tears so that people can cry less." I loved this because missions really are SO hard and really does push me every day. BUT I get to share a message of peace and happiness and that alone makes all the hard times worth it. 

This week we were out GQing and I talked to a Chinese guy named Water. {side note--when Chinese people choose an English name, they can and literally will choose anything word they want. So it is always fun talking to people and seeing what their name is :) haha} but anyways we were talking on the street and he asked me my favourite question! He said something along the lines of, "what are you doing here?" I actually get asked this question a lot when I talk to people on the street. They always ask why I am learning Chinese & why I left America to come to Australia. I love it because I get to testify about Jesus Christ! I get to testify that I know that I know the message we have is true and will help and bless their life! It is so special to be able to always testify of our Savior. 

I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support. I am so grateful to have the knowledge of this gospel and of our Savior Jesus Christ and for the opportunity to share that with others. I am too blessed to be stressed.

have a good week!

xoxo,

张姐妹

 Sister Johnson

Zone Conference June 2017

One of our investos (Victor) took us out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. 

We got mango pudding for dessert. He loves it and really wanted me to try it.. 

and it is actually really yummy!

MOORABBIN - Week 34 - June 20, 2017

Well not much to say for this week. this week was a hard week...talk about a rollercoaster, last week was awesome, this week not so much -  but I just that’s what missions are. 

We met with some of our investigators this week but it seems that they are all kind of at a standstill and aren't really progressing or declining. Sister Zhang and I have started to change the way we teach people and are thinking of new ways to help our investigators. :) 

This transfer I am now the only American in my district (other than my zone leader, and this is his last transfer so he is fluent in Chinese.. lol) so yeah no more English. My companion doesn't speak English either so everything is in Chinese now... but 我的中文会进步很快 so yeah it is actually nice... just gives me a headache.    

This week really tested me. There have been many times this week where I have questioned what I am doing and have been wondering what my purpose is here in Melbourne speaking (well trying to speak) Chinese.

This week during one of my personal studies I was reading about Jesus Christ and more about His life. As I read the scriptures I realized that Jesus Christ can understand us perfectly and can help us, because He has been there before. To follow Jesus Christ might not be easy or the popular thing to do, BUT He has promised us that if we do, He will be with us every step of the way.  How amazing is that?!

Before I came on my mission I knew that it wouldn't be a walk in the park, but I have honestly learned so much in the past 8 months about myself and about my Savior Jesus Christ. This week has been one of the harder weeks on the mission.  I was ready to head home (but I know I wouldn’t do that, Dad)...BUT this week has taught me that in desperate times when I truly reach out to Jesus Christ, He is always there reaching out to us. He is there to catch us when we fall and is there to help us. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I am so grateful for His incredible Atonement. 

Well I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support and for all the prayers.

have a good week!

xoxo,

张姐妹

Sister Johnson

Sister Zhang - new companion

Good ol' Highland is never far away
see you next year!

MOORABBIN - Week 33 - June 13, 2017

Family and Friends,

We just had transfers and I am staying in Moorabbin!! ! I am follow up training Sister Zhang (yes my chinese name is also Zhang... so we are BOTH zhang jiemei!) We have the exact same birthday so we are pretty much the same person. :) She is from North China and has been a member for 2 years. She is so cute and this transfer is going to be awesome! 

Last Sunday was such a MIRACLE day for Sister Fong and I. We had 2 of our investigators come to church which was a huge blessing. This entire transfer it has been so hard to help investigators come to church because they haven't been able/willing to make the hour train ride to our branch in the city. BUT this Sunday we had 2 come with us and it was so special! 

Then after church we had a few lessons set up with some potentials and with an investigator. Well long story short, we were able to find 6 new investigators on Sunday and it was honestly a HUGE miracle! We had lessons set up with 4 potentials, and all of their lessons went great. They all seem pretty keen and want to meet again which is amazing.

We were supposed to have a lesson with our investigator Dan on Sunday evening but he didn't end up coming. We were sad but because he didn't come, but we able to have another miracle. We were sitting at the table waiting for Dan when we saw our friend Joseph. We always see Joseph when we are at the library because he swims at the pool right next door, and we have been trying to meet with him this entire transfer and he never would. But by some miracle we saw him on Sunday and he came and sat down at our table. We asked if we could share a message about God and he said yes and invited his friend to come listen too!! So it was awesome and we are meeting with them both again this week! IT WAS SUCH A MIRACLE DAY and it was an awesome last day with Sister Fong. 

side note--I am so grateful for Sister Fong and the opportunity we had to serve together! She taught me so much and this past transfer was amazing. I am sad to see her go to another area, but being in the Chinese program is awesome because there aren't too many areas for us to go, she is never too far. 

One of our investigators we have right now is Victor. He is so keen and so prepared. He came to church with us on Sunday and after church told me that he had a really special experience and really likes our church! He finishes his tests this week so we will be able to meet with him more and I am so excited :) he is awesome. 

Also, I burned my hand this week which was a bummer. Our super old heater (we have had so many problems with this dumb thing...) but it is a gas heater and the whole metal part gets really hot. It was Saturday night and I was going to turn it off for the night, and my hand slipped on the rope and I hit the hot metal part. hurt pretty bad but it is good now (don't worry mom & dad, I have seen the mission nurse and she said it’s all good.) Chinese people are super nice and they have all given me some weird Chinese medicine that they say will help. So, I am taken care of no worries.

This week we had to say goodbye to Sister Dobberfuhl as she was sent home to get hip surgery. I got to serve with Sister Dobberfuhl a few transfers ago, and she became one of my closest friends. Being in the Chinese program here in Australia is really special because there are only a handful of sisters, so we pretty much get to serve with every sister. This means that we all know each other really well and we are all super close! BUT the downside is that when someone leaves, it is SO hard. but all the sisters came to a final goodbye tim tam slam party and it was so fun. I love the sisters I serve with!

I also had to say goodbye to Sister Guan (my trainer) as she finished her mission this transfer and is going home. Good thing she will come to America and I will be able to see her again.

We got locked out of our flat twice this week. This first time was Wednesday night and we were walking to our lesson and I realized that the keys were not in my hand. Worst feeling ever, but what was worse was that we had to call our Zone Leaders because they are the only ones that have a copy. They had to come and let us in but they live AN HOUR away.. so that was hard.  The second time was only 2 days later and I have never felt so dumb in my life. My heart dropped into my stomach when I realized I wasn't holding the keys in my hand. That I had left them on the table. haha luckily the office was able to help us out so our zone leaders didn't have to drive all the way down to us AGAIN, man I have a problem.  Locked out twice this week which brings us to a total of 5. FIVE TIMES I have locked the keys in our flat. I really should learn by now.

This week has been awesome and I am excited for this upcoming transfer. I know that this church is true and I am so grateful to be able to see the Lord's hand in my life and in my mission. This work is the greatest work!

love and miss you all! thanks for the prayers and the support. I wouldn't be able to do it without yous. have a good week!

xoxo,

张姐妹

Sister Johnson

Enjoying a nice American meal at the end of a
great Transfer with Sister Fong.

Burnt my hand on the dumb heater

Our District doing the Dab - some better at it than others.

Zone Leaders - Elder Feigleson and Elder Young

Lock out of our flat FIVE times in the past 6 months -
I need to work on remembering the keys.

"Remember the keys, remember the keys and remember
the keys"