May 26, 2014

On Monday, May 26, 2014 Sister Johnson wrote:

So, this has been a great week on the revelation front! First of all, I will not be transferring from Ishinomaki!!! I will be here for another 6 weeks at least! WOOHOOOOOOO!!! And yes, Sister Alcazar will be my companion. BEST EVER. So, that is exciting!

Also! We had interviews with President Rasmussen this week. As you know, I have had the whole To-Go-To-BYU-or-To-Not-Go-To-BYU-That-Is-The-Question ping pong battle going on in my head for a while now. I had been praying for a few weeks that my interview with President Rasmussen would be a time of revelation through the Spirit, so that I could make a decision about my future and not look back. So, I went in for my interview, and the room was immediately filled with the Spirit as Rasmussen Kaicho and I talked about how unified Alcazar Shimai and I are, and about how unified we are with the Elders in the district. President Rasmussen told me that he has never seen six missionaries more unified as a district than the six of us here in Ishinomaki. That was so wonderful to hear because it is really true! We are all so close! We all have the same vision and goals for Ishinomaki, and we all have become such good friends that you can feel the love! It is so wonderful! So, that started the interview off on a good foot. Then, we started talking about the future, and I voiced my concerns about transferring to BYU. I talked for a little bit, weighing the pros and cons, and the whole time President Rasmussen just sat and listened intently. I detailed about how this has been a matter of very fervent prayer on my part, and that I was seeking his counsel and direction as my mission president. President Rasmussen paused and listened for a minute, and then said "I feel very prompted to discourage you from transferring to BYU." He proceeded to advise and counsel me to go where I have a name, go where I am known, and that the Lord will provide a way for me to finish my education at Colorado State University. The Spirit at that moment testified to me that the advice I was receiving from President Rasmussen is the will of the Lord, and that this was the answer and the revelation that I was so earnestly seeking. What an amazing thing! So, I will not be transferring to BYU! I will finish my Bachelors degree at CSU, and then we will see about grad school. But! I know that this is the will of Heavenly Father for me in the future. I also have faith that as I remember to serve him first, that He will help me to achieve all of the goals that I have in life. So, I have made my decision, and I will not look back!

I am so grateful that President Rasmussen was in tune with the Spirit to be the vehicle of the Spirit in answering my prayers. I learned a lot about that from this experience; if we live worthy of the Spirit, not only will we receive guidance and direction for our own lives, but the Lord will trust us to be the answer to other people's prayers. I really hope that I can be that way, especially for my investigators. All of the beautiful women that we are teaching are in the very beginning stages of establishing their relationships with deity, and so my role as the missionary is to create an environment in which they can have their own spiritual experiences. We can create this atmosphere as missionaries when we share our love unconditionally and frequently. We share our love, and then bear testimony of the truthfulness of the Love of God and the Love of the Savior. This allows those we meet with to feel the Spirit touch their hearts. What a wonderful and divine process this is! I am so blessed to be a part of it.

This week was really slow on the investigator front. We were not able to teach! But, we did meet with Yuki San. We went to lunch with her. She seemed very down about something. She has been having a lot of issues with her teeth lately, and so she hasn't really been able to eat. She is really low-energy and hasn't been able to do the things she normally does because she is exhausted all the time. We then explained to her that she could get a priesthood blessing. We explained what it is, what it looks like, and why they are so powerful and wonderful. She was concerned because she hasn't been coming to Church lately and she is not a member, so she said that she feels like she is unworthy to get a blessing. But! We assured her otherwise. She still hasn't gotten back to us about it, so we are planning on giving her a call here pretty quick. I really think that that would be a beneficial experience for her.

Other than those things, this week has been a little bit rough on me. I have been having lots of moments of "wow, I am the worst missionary ever," and I have felt Satan sitting on my shoulder telling me that I am worthless. But! I have prevailed! My Savior Jesus Christ has been outpouring His love into my heart, and I have felt great peace in the face of great discouragement. I am so grateful for the Atonement, and for the enabling power it gives me to keep going everyday. I am a witness of my Savior. I know that He lives and that He is aware of all humankind. He is my Light.

So, that is about it for me, Momma! I am glad to hear that you are all safe in the crazy weather!! Dad said that he got nailed with a hailstone. But, I am glad that you are all okay! I am also glad to hear that you are going to Grandby with Meghan and others! How many women will be at the retreat? That will be so wonderful for you, Momma. Let the Spirit speak truth to you.

I love you!

Have a happy day!!!
Love, Shak