First Area and First Companion

28 Nov 2018

Dear Evan Johnson,

We are excited to have Sister Johnson serving with us in the Florida Orlando Mission.  Attached is a picture with her first companion, Sister Young and another picture with President and Sister Clark, who have great love for the Missionaries.

President Clark, Sister Johnson and Sister Clark

Sister Johnson will be serving in the Winter Garden Area.

Sister Johnson and Sister Young

Thank you for your sacrifice and support in hastening the work.

Sister Ekenstam

So This is What a Mission is....

Hey fam and friends!

first off I would like to say CONGRATS to my newly engaged best friend Faith and her fiance Mitch. I cried alligator tears over it haha. I am so excited for pictures!!

Sister Johnson and Sister Young

anyway, I got my companion on Tuesday! her name is sister young. she has been out for five months. she's very giggly, and exactly obedient. so I'm getting whipped into shape (: we are serving in winter garden! smaller town and an old town too. the previous sisters did a lot of finding so we have been working on meeting those that are interested. also lots of inactive people. everyone has been very friendly! especially the ward members! we had dinner with a family my first night in the area that has 6 kids. the little boy that is 10 came to pick us up with his mom and automatically reminded me of my little brother camron. it was a tender mercy for me and a comfort. he's now my favorite little boy here and we are bffs. 😊

My favorite little boy!! the family is the sweetest 

Travel companions!

We are meeting with a sweet new convert named Maci. she's 19 and is struggling with some mental health issues. she has a really good heart and good desires so keep her in your prayers.

I got to introduce myself in sacrament today and give a talk on being humble! I did it with no notes so that was really cool..!! God is good. I'm working on Christlike attributes and it's actually so amazing to study.
A thought that came to my mind was a reminder of how cool it is to have a straight year and a half to love people, teach & baptize, work on goals, fix weaknesses, and learn to trust in god. I've really been working on letting go of my pride and acknowledge the saviors power and mercy. this past week has been a huge eye opener!!

Florida!

My first area is a car share. We have to bike every other week but I love it! Thanks mom and dad for the nice bike. 

The new bike! Nice helmet - safety first!

I also have prayed in a grocery store with a random man, my companion got hit by a truck (she's alive)..miracles and angels are real.

Sister Young's bike tire after almost dying 

Thanks so much to everyone that writes me throughout the week. it was a week of adjustment and tears, so it was nice to read emails of encouragement and love. y'all are the best. (Florida is the south and they alllllllllll have accents here haha)

I'm excited to see where things go. but I'm lucky to be here. (: it's a good week to be a missionary!!

Xoxo,
Sister Johnson

my address: (I like letters so send away!)
1240 winter garden
Vineland rd #F3
winter garden, FL 34787

Final week in the MTC and....I Am In Florida!

Hello!!

let me just start off by saying that I know my emails are so long..maybe one day I wont have so much to say.

Tuesday we got to be spoken to by Gary E. Stevenson and his wonderful wife!! I also sang in the choir! I'm not the best singer but I feel the spirit so strongly through music. it was a medley of called to serve!!!
Wednesday- our zone got to host the new missionaries. it is so so different from our perspective because I knew they would be taken care of. it was hard to see the moms crying. :(

It was fun being a host!

SUNDAY!! OMGOODNESS. what a good day. I have so much to say but I will shorten It haha. (ok not really)
our district meeting we got to meet with Brother and Sister Chandler (he loves his wife. I love and admire their relationship) he gave a very powerful lesson. we talked about the story of Esther..and then he talked about the Lord's timing.
READ THIS!!
if we live to be 83 years old, in the pearl of great price it talks about heavenly timing. 83 years of our life is equivalent to TWO HOURS in heaven(mathematically). WHAT??!! He then went on to talk about the Lords timing and just how exact it is. it was such an awesome lesson.

The best view at the MTC - favorite study spot on the 6th floor!

i'm so sad to be leaving my sweet district. over and over our branch presidency told us that we were so blessed to have the bond we did!

I'm in florida!
When i got off trax i looked behind me to see CONNOR! My hefy trip leader that has been someone i admire and look up to so much. it was most definitely a tender mercy.

Connor! Honestly my heart dropped and I could have cried because I was a nervous wreck to be going into the field and out steps the person I am a huge fan of. Blessings!

everyone at the airport was so kind to us and let us use phones....it was so hard to talk to my parents because I miss them more than I thought (😉) but It was a good way to be sent off to the next chapter of the mission. I love them!!!
I'm so so excited to be serving. I love love love people so much and want them to be just as happy as I am from such a simple message. we got a sneak peek of the light the world videos for December. they are so awesome. I love this work. I love the book of Mormon. I love Jesus Christ and heavenly father and I KNOW that my prayers are answered.
xoxoxo
Sister J

Made It!

Hi!!

I made it to Florida and am in the mission home. I love everything about it. SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STATE. mission president is the best. I'm so excited to serve. love all of you! pday will be on Monday. Yay!!
Xoxo
Sister J

Orlando Florida Bound!

Sister Forsyth (AKA Girl Camryn) and Sister Johnson

MTC to SLC Airport to Orlando Florida!

Missionary Training Center - Week Two

Hey everyone!

Just another great week here at the Provo MTC! me and my people got our flight plans! we leave next Monday and will have to check out of the MTC at 4:15 am and arrive in Florida at 4:15pm. I'm more excited than I can explain!

The best district ever! the elders are such dorks...apparently smiling is bad for their health or something. 

I think my thoughts and feelings are going to be summed up by saying that I am amazed at how easy it is to automatically love gods children. all of their struggles and worries can be fixed by the hope that we teach them-all through Jesus Christ. my companion and I have taught three amazing girls...maddie,Ines,and Kristina. they each have such a sweet spirit, willingness and hunger to learn the message of our savior! I have loved learning how to improve my teaching skills and how to rely on the spirit...it makes a WORLD of difference. (who would have thunk ;) )

Sundays...seriously the best day ever

The cool teaching experience we had is the most recent TRC- her name is Kristina. she has a lot of medical problems including depression and anxiety. as we talked I got the impression to just start to testify of the love that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for her. He knows HER name and exactly what she is going through. I have been studying Christ's attributes and it has been my main focus here at the mtc-to just to know and understand who Christ is. anyway, in that moment I felt the spirit so strong. I wasn't only testifying to her, but to myself also. it was the coolest moment I had while teaching...to see the light in her eyes to hear that message was really touching and I'm really excited to get to share this message to everyone who will listen!!

Missions are so hard- I couldn't understand what people meant by that and wouldn't until I did it myself. it's sometimes a mess but when the doubts come, it is always followed by a light of hope. without failure. every time. I know I'm lucky that it's like that right now because it may not be at times. I'm really focusing on serving with everything I have. one thing that is hammered here is obedience and forgetting yourself-which I'm grateful for!! i love being a missionary.

My favorite ladies!

A few random things:
I got stuck on a team of elders during volleyball and it ended with a concussion. I'm on three different medications and have physical therapy haha who knew. i felt like I was walking on a cloud for a few days. that was rad.

My wonderful medication that I'm happy about (eye-roll) 

i saw Noah Leavitt! what a cool guy to stop and say hi...i almost called him elder Leavitt because no one says first names here so I wasn't sure what to do (haha sorry noah) but It was awesome to see a familiar face from home!! and I didn't get a picture because I am awkward so that's cool.

Noah Leavitt and Sister Johnson - Random "Noah sightings"

I have also seen my friend Justin from HEFY around a lot and he left yesterday...luckily I spotted his avianca blanket wrapped around him and knew it was him and it made me smile (hefy buddies know how important that blanket is in our lives)  :) he is gonna be a great missionary.

Elder brown and I!! Not a suit coat he is holding...avianca!

Everyday I think about my family and the blessing they are. I miss them a ton...but they are so supportive of me and I couldn't have asked for better parents or siblings....or aunts or uncles.
Thanks to my auntie Jill and Maria for the sweet packages that really hit the spot....those made my week.

Remember I can see emails throughout the week and read them whenever so please send pictures!!

I love you all so so much. the church is true. go read the book of Mormon because it's the best book in the world. oh, and go serve your neighbor because everyone needs a little service
XOXO,
Sister Johnson

Missionary Training Center - Week One

All my Orlando ladies

Hey everyone!
I am loving it here at the MTC. Week one is done!! I am physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted in the best way possible. If you don't read this entire email, here is what you will want to know! I love my district, my companion, and my roomies! (the first day I met all of the girls I was on a group chat with pre mission!!!) I am eating well, they definitely don't let you starve. They have some awesome salads and wraps!! My morning starts at 5:45 and we go all the way until 9;15 in our classes and are usually asleep by 10:30! Just to do it all over again the next day. It is actually pretty rewarding because I get so much done. 5:45am me and my companion go to the exercise class for only the sisters...It makes me feel better about eating as much as I do (I balance food and exercise, it is all good)

Sister Bulloch, Miller, ME, and Sakona

The first two days were most definitely the hardest. It felt long, and the meals seemed to be HOURS apart. I just struggled to wrap my head around that I was actually here. I haven't prayed harder. It has been so worth it. I love being in workshops, and studying. Personal study is my favorite time (even if I struggle to stay awake) The scripture I came upon during Book of Mormon reading in our district class was Alma 38:2! It says, "And now, my [daughter], I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments;for blessed is he that endureth to the end." That was the scripture that really helped me to pick my head up and start paying attention despite how tired I was, or how inadequate I felt.

 We started teaching a person on Saturday! Her name is Maddie and I feel so much love for her already. They send you into this big room full of people that want to be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and you choose the person. As usual, I was very nervous about this because I felt so unprepared. Sister Sekona: (Sidenote....She is tongan and we are both very similar and that makes it hard to communicate. But we teach very well together. I love her more everyday!) We prayed before going into the room and as we walked in, I was drawn to this college aged girl. We walked right toward her (I could have promised I was going to run away) and as I went to introduce me and Sister Sekona, I saw a colorado sticker on her laptop and after that it was easy to make conversation and everything flowed really well. The spirit was so strong and I hope she felt it as well. She has had experience with the spirit but isn't aware that it is the spirit.

Sunday was a long but spiritual day. Fasting made it hard to focus but we all made it!! That night we got to watch a "movie", which was Elder Bednar's talk given in the MTC a while back. It is titled "Characters of Christ". Holy heck. The most AMAZING, inspiring, and straight forward devo ever given. He talked about the importance of turning outward.That the Savior is the perfect example. Not everything is about you! Pretty much saying to "forget yourself and go to work." That is going to be what i live by every day for the next 18 months. My goal is to just love others and serve them as much as I can. Continually striving to turn outward!

The Elders

My district is my favorite.Half is going to Layton and the rest are Orlando. My companion is going to Layton.  Everyone is amazing. Their testimonies and examples are pretty inspiring. One Elder's mom is at home currently struggling with stage 4 cancer (Elder Bryant), another Elder (Elder Bair) was atheist 5 years ago and has one of the most amazing testimonies and love for others, another Elder (Elder Freestone) parents were recently divorced. I am not sure if it is ok to share these things but they have been such examples and lights in our district. Yesterday was when we learned of these things and was my favorite day. The spirit hit every second yesterday and I was uplifted to say the least!

I love you all! Thanks for the prayers and support. I can read emails any day of the week, I just cant reply until Pday. So please send emails, dear elder letters, and packages with snacks would be highly appreciated haha. (there is a sister that is in my room that gets a package or letter everyday soooo...just saying.)
XOXO,
Sister Johnson