August 8th, 2016

Hello,

This week has been pretty rough in the beginning we haven't been able to meet with our previous investigators so officially we dropped them. It's frustrating when people you want to help and serve, just don't contact you back and/or cancel of you when you get to their home. I'm going to continue to be hopeful, obedient and diligent in doing the work, because even though I don't know the lord's purpose for me being here I know that he does have one. One awesome thing or two awesome things happened, Our Investigator/maybe member/maybe excommunicated friend came to Church for the first time in 20 years or something. He came all dressed up in a suit and stayed for just sacrament meeting because he had to go see his daughter. It was awesome to see how far he's come in the few weeks that we've known him. We aren't too sure where he is on the was he/is he/ or was he never a member... The Stake President is looking for his records and nothing has come up for over a week now, we'll know for sure on Tuesday what is what. If they can't find anything on him at all then Sister Stein and l will just get him baptised on Friday as a convert, and if he's excommunicated of dis-fellow-shipped, it really depends... But it would be awesome if we just baptise him on Friday it'll be a great new start for him. Also another great thing, he's been trying for years to stop smoking and when he was previously going to church he still smoked even then, but after 3 weeks of getting the lessons from us he hasn't smoked, so for about 3 weeks he hasn't smoked!! The Church is totally true, the gospel can help people change no matter what, as long as they have the desire to do so. We go over to his house as well with a member and yesterday we went and the smell of smoke isn't nearly as strong. I hope that he'll really help strengthen the ward and continue to progress in the Gospel.

Another great miracle that happened yesterday is that we went to Creiff to an appointment we made with this guy Daniel who was interested in learning about the church, we found him by chapping on his mum's door. We came to the house at the time planned and his brother James opened the door. Apparently Daniel wasn't home and didn't answer the phone so we spoke to James about what we do as missionaries and asked if he had a moment to talk to us. He said sure, so we just walked in with the member we were going to bring to Daniel's lesson. We spoke to Daniel a little bit and he told us about how he recently wanted to make a change in his life, he was sick of the crime life and wanted to make a new start. He's mum is catholic and he used to go to church when he was younger so he believes in God and Jesus Christ but want to become closer to them and feel God's spirit in his life to stop him from doing the wrong thing. We taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the 5 points of the Gospel (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End) and also about how it's all possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ (suffering for our sins, dying on the cross and rising again 3 days later) I invited him to be baptised and he said that he definitely wants that! He also recognised the Holy Ghost with us as we talked to him and accepted a baptismal date and the beginning of next month. We ended the lesson with him saying the prayer. It was a Miracle Sister Stein and I have been praying for, some one who was willing and ready to commit! 

I loved that this week has ended on such a fantastic tone, I pray that we'll be able to see him on Tuesday.

Russel another guy I may have spoken about last week, he just got out of prison too and wanted to make a fresh new start, but WAY too many things has happened recently in his life that he spoke to us and told us that he feels like it would be too much for him to start going to church and praying. Sister Stein believes that one day he will be ready to come to church and be taught by missionaries, just not right now. I understand that he maybe feeling too overwhelmed right now because of all the terrible things that has happened, I just hope he'll have enough strength to pull through all of this and come out a better person.

So many men! Seriously! We were suppose to see Beth but she kept cancelling on us and I decided that it isn't worth wasting my time. And Isabella avoided a member that was trying to be friends with her, so it's pretty awkward, no idea why...

It's funny how for hours and  hours during the week you can be depressed and sad, with people cancelling, knocking on doors getting ignored and then trying to speak to people on the street and they ignore you too. It all gets erased by a few awesomely spiritual lessons.

Sister Stein's LAST MONDAY is today, my trainer/companion is going back to the Netherlands next week and leaving Perth Monday morning, It's going to be pretty sad to see her go she's been an awesome companion and is an inspiring missionary. She's so much more people friendly and nicer than I am so I hope my next companion will be the same so it can even me out. I'm kinda cold to people some times and I don't like being fake/polite.  It's a work in progress and I hope that I can over come it soon. On Sunday I'm going to find out for sure that I'll be staying here and whether I'll train, or not, or be a senior or junior companion. I'm predicting that I'm staying here and I'll have and new senior companion. crossing my fingers for yes, less change and responsibility is my style right now PLEASE!

Hope you all are doing well and have a great week,

Sincerely,

Sister Johnson