MELBOURNE - Week 73 - March 20, 2018

wow what a week!!!

Last P-day, the Maughans took us down to Mornington and Cape Schanck. It was soo pretty! I love the city, but it is fun to see more of Melbourne.  They also took us to see the famous bats!! Bats (flying foxes) are soo popular here in southern Australia, who knew?! We always see heaps of them when we are driving at night. We went to a famous park where they all sleep during the day, and there were thousands of them! Sooo cool to see them all hanging & flying.

BIG NEWS: Elder Andersen from the quorum of the 12 came and visited our mission this week. It was so cool to have him here! We got to meet with him and hear from him!! I learned soo much and it was such an incredible weekend! His grandson, Elder Hadlock, is in our mission right now (he's my zone leader) and so he came to visit the mission and also to see Elder Hadlock. :)

First, we had a MLC (Mission Leadership Council) meeting with Elder Andersen and it was SO powerful. There were only about 25 of us in the meeting so it was pretty intense. So scary to have an apostle looking at your notebook and reading the notes you are writing as he is speaking. haha but hands down one of the coolest meetings.

On Friday we had an entire mission wide meeting with Elder Anderson and his wife, Elder O. Vincent Haleck and his wife, and Elder Daniel G. Hamilton and his wife. They were all amazing and the Spirit was so strong. I wish I could write all about it... but I don't know how to put it into words. 

He spoke a lot about President Nelson and testified that he is the prophet today. It was really cool. He also spoke a lot about God's timing and how we need to trust Him. I loved every minute of it.  also it was so fun to see all the missionaries from the entire mission!! I love this place and I have met and served with some of the most incredible people here. 

Also, on Sunday I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting! It was my first and last (thank goodness) talk. Giving a talk in Chinese is pretty scary, so I was a little (VERY) nervous!! I was doing really good, until I was in the MIDDLE of my talk... and I look up to see Elder Andersen walk into our sacrament meeting and sit down behind me!!!  Everything that I had just said and everything that I was going to say was GONE. Completely left my brain and I was like a deer in headlights. 

So no one remembers anything that I actually said in my talk...they all just said that my face when I saw Elder Andersen walk into the room was priceless. I guess it was pretty obvious that I was really surprised & nervous when he walked in. No one has or ever will let me live that down.. haha

BUT he spoke at the end of our sacrament meeting, and it was the coolest thing all weekend. He took time to come visit our small Chinese branch and everything he said was perfect. He talked a lot about how all of the recent converts and members in our branch are the pioneers for the Church in China. It was so amazing. It is soo cool to know that I have a tiny part in helping the Church grow in China. I love this gospel and I love sharing it!!  I am so lucky to be here and to be involved in this great work.

On top of all of that, we still had to do exchanges and we got to meet with some of our investigators!

Sadly, we are going to have to push Zee's baptismal date back a little. :( We met with her this week and she has a few questions that we need to help her understand before she gets baptized. BUT she is still awesome and will be baptized in the near future for sure. She is awesome!

This week has been amazing. I learned soo much and I felt the Spirit like never before. Meeting an apostle of the Lord is something soo special. Somehow, I got everything I needed AND MORE. Everything that I had been praying about, was answered this weekend. I know that Heavenly Father really does answer our prayers.  I know that we have a prophet today, President Russel M. Nelson. He is guiding us and one of my favorite promises from Elder Andersen was, "If you can stay close to the prophet of God, and obey his teachings, you WILL go to the Celestial Kingdom." I love this and I know that if we can stay close to President Nelson, listen to what he has to tell us and follow his teachings, we will make it back to our Father in Heaven. 

I love this Gospel soo much.

I love you all! Thanks for everything..

we are down to 2 weeks people. is that freaking anyone else out?

haha love you all heaps!

xoxo

张姐妹

Sister Johnson

                                                 CAPE SCHANCK AND MORNINGTON

YARRA BEND PARK

All the black things in the trees are BATS!

Triple Threat

Sisters Fong, Cahoon and Johnson

BBQ with companions, Elders Hadlock & Norby, 

member Evonne and investigator Eddie

I think she is loving her mission.  

Sister Johnson and Sister Lee