#StraightWisdom

Greetings loved ones!!!!!!! Wowee what a wonderful, WONDERFUL week. I seriously feel like the weeks have just all been so jampacked & this one is kinda HUGE as well !! Ahhh so many exciting things, where shall I begin?!! I suppose I’ll start with transfers SO here’s the rundown:

1. Transfers. I’m staying in Bolton!!!

2. Sister Keily goes home to Australia on Wednesday 😦

3. The Elders are staying put 🙂

4. My new companion is Sister Chalk! She is a reassigned missionary who was serving in Thailand. She is originally from Scotland ❤

5. I have a new assignment!! Surprise, surprise…President McReynolds called me on Monday morning to tell me all about my new assignment as the mission’s Social Media Specialist. I’M SO PUMPED & grateful, wow. If you would’ve told me even just 6 months ago that this is how my mission would be, I would NOT have believed you! I know that God is just so aware of me & needs me at this time for a specific purpose. “It may not be what you expected, but it’s what God intended.”

Here’s a little rundown of the highlights from my week:

1. We had several great lessons with our new friends, recent converts, members, & returning members!

2. We were able to make some new friends on Instagram, Hallelujah 🙂

3. Sadly had to take the 3 little boys off date for baptism because it has been so hard to stay in contact with them over the phone. BUT we will try to keep teaching them the best we can. They are so prepared. I have complete faith they’ll get baptized one day.

4. We met with one of the sweetest returning members, Martine, in person this week. We got to go into her home & chat with her & it was so lovely. Something she said really stuck with me…”I just have such a good feeling when I’m around you two.” That’s the Spirit ladies & gents! I cant even begin to explain the joy it brings me to know that those around me can feel of that Spirit, because it truly is one of the greatest gifts if not THE greatest gift God has given us.

5. The flowers over here in England are in FULL BLOOM & I couldn’t be happier. I’m still obsessed with picking & pressing these gorgeous wild flowers & now my camera roll is just entirely flowers & green countryside hehe.

6. Making vlogs…that’s kept us entertained and busy for sure!!

7. Finding CHOLULA in ENGLAND. By the grace of God, the store Morrisons had this bottle of pure heaven in stock & I shed tears of ab-so-lute JOY. I have since converted Sister Keily & I’ve been using it daily. #tendermercies

8. I keep learning how to play guitar. A little instrument swap with one of the Elders and….I’m converting from a little ukelele to a full 6 string acoustic guitar! It’s been an adjustment but I’ve always wanted to learn how to play so now’s my big break 😉

9. Sister Keily & I got to make an Instagram Ad!! AND I got to dance in it??!?!! So exciting, right?! I can’t wait to see the final product & the prayer is to find some new people interested in learning more 🙂

10. We have now been to ‘Frurt’ (aka the Froyo place in Bolton) 4 times in one week. I am not ashamed. It’s one of the only places open for us to eat inside with our friends SO we of course have been taking advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. We’ve gone with the Elders, some recent converts, and some of our favourite girls!!! It’s literally just the best & I feel so normal while we’re there…takes us away from reality for just a lil bit.

11. Some really fun, lovely, and super spiritual Sister calls ❤

12. 12 miraculous baptisms across the mission over the weekend. Speechless.

13. AMAZING Sunday devotionals – we had an incredible attendance for our missionary-led “Come Follow Me” Zoom class. The joy I feel when I see one of our friends hop onto the link is inexplicable. Just the greatest feeling in the world as a missionary. There is nothing better.

14. Sister Keily’s last Sunday on the mission. Very emotional but wonderful. We always go so deep in our conversations. She’s just someone I can really GO THERE with & that’s just one of the many things I love about her. Something we talked a lot about this week was the fact that we will never truly be able to fully understand & comprehend the impact we have had on the lives around us. The small & simple things we do that may seem unimportant, will truly have the greatest influence in other’s lives, as well as our own. Thank you Sis. Keily. #straightwisdom

15. The Why. The Who. The How. – Bolton is just on a roll with all these Facebook Lives! This one was my favourite ones yet. I even did a little rendition of the song “Nearer My God to Thee” on the guitar & sang as well! Go check it out ❤

16. And last but not least….on Monday morning we had our last mission conference with the McReynolds. It was incredibly edifying, inspiring, and uplifting. The theme was all about the future & pressing forward. Such a fitting topic with all of the massive changes that are coming towards us all. I have learned so much, especially over this past transfer, about moving on. I’ve always struggled with just letting stuff go & moving on, but I’ve learned that moving on is part of the beauty of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are not meant to dwell on our past mistakes or live in the past. We can learn from the past yes, but not obsess over it. It’s all about our progression and direction. That’s what really matters. As the McReynolds gave their closing remarks, I couldn’t help but just sit there in absolute awe. I soaked in every word they said in like a literal sponge. Up until their very last second serving, I continue to learn something from them & their examples. At the end of the call, the mission surprised them both with a little gift of letters from the missionaries across the mission compiled into one book. Needless to say, it was a pretty emotional final zoom call. The love we all share for each other & especially for the McReynolds is incomprehensible. What an extremely profound & eternal impact they have had on my life.

Until next week….I can promise lots of change & lots of updates & lots of love. God speed !!!

“It’s easy to look backwards, but it never does anyone any good does it.” – Sister McReynolds

All my love always,

Sister Johnson

Memories with Sister Keily, my Forever Aussie Sister ❤ I love this girl inside and out ❤