Letter from Sister Tiffany Johnson March 17, 2014

Well I didn't realize how much I was going to miss my old area. I think about Yuba City all the time and the people I got to met while I was there. It really became home to me and the exciting thing is I get to go to Yuba this Saturday for a baptism. Dustin is getting baptized and I think president knew he has been putting a lot on me. So I thought I was going to have to pull out some tears and beg me to let me go. But when I asked he instantly said "Yeah, you can go just remind me the week you leave." So I guess that's a bonus of having to train and shot gun train, which is stressful. Haha i am not sure if that's even the reason but it makes me feel better so we are going to say that's the reason I get to go.

       The area is really doing well everyone is still so excited to have sisters in the area. So many of them were not able to have the elders in there home because they were single sisters. But now we get to go and work with them and they just love it. There are just so many less actives and they are all living basically in the middle of no where. So i have gotten  really good at U turns because with out fail we always can't find or drive right past the homes. A lot of them are scary shakes in the middle of orchards,  so it really opens my eyes to how blessed I am to know I will never have to or have had to live like that my parents would never allow it. But even if the people aren't interested they are generally really nice to us and just politely ask us to never come back. I think its because we are girls. The Elders used to get more shot guns pulled on them out here. We don't so no need to worry. Also we share the ward with Spanish elders and they are very protective of us. So there is one small town we work out of and it is super dangerous. SO the elders escort us there and back to make sure no one messes with us. Its nice to know we are safe, and I enjoy sharing the ward with elders because whenever we pick up a creepy guy as a new investigator i just turn them over to the elders. It works out perfectly.

      We now have 3 people on date for baptisms. One though is so sweet. she is in her 70s and I just love her so much. She is pretty hyper and just loves the church. The elders didn't really teach her before they would just hand her pamphlets and tell her to read them. So just developed her own testimony. She studies a lot on her own and loves what shes learned. But we decided we would reteach everything to her to make sure she has the basics down. The lesson this week went really well she opened up to us about things in the past that were really hard for her and we were able to show her scriptures that brought her comfort and answered her questions. She is committed to joining the church with or without her families support and has an amazing testimony. Sunday she came up to me and gave me a hug. She then whispered to me "Thank you for teaching me, I have learned so much more since you have been in town." Haha it made my day. I didn't teach her anything deep i just taught her what the spirit wanted her to know. She has been prepared for many years to receive this message and I luckily get to stop in at the exciting part and help her follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. But that's not the end she has the rest of her life to follow him and endure to the end. It is a big commitment she is making and we have been working hard to help her really understand that. I want her to be able to be successful through the trials that are ahead. I want her to stay active and to keep her testimony growing. It is so sweet and so strong. I know that she is going to be an example to all of those around her and she is making the right decision with her life.

     Sunday my companion and I got to speak in sacrament meeting. I was a bit nervous because we thought we would have some time before church to finalize our talks however, the bishop called us in for a meeting. I had my entire talk written and as I started to read it I lost my place and then thought to myself the heck with it these people deserve to hear from the spirit not me. So I put my papers aside and just said what I felt they needed to hear. It was a nerve racking experience as I sat down and i couldn't really remember what I said but just new I talked about missionary work and members getting involved. But I knew it was the spirit through me speaking. Afterwards many of the members complimented us and said that they felt like I was speaking directly to them. That's when it was reconfirmed to me that it was just the spirit talking. I love how it works like that. You prepare and do what you can, and as a reward the spirit does the rest. The spirit is a powerful thing it can bring peace to our mind and comfort to our soul. It is something I always want with me. I know that with out the spirit I would not be a successful missionary. It is truly the teacher. DO all that you can to have the spirit with you. It will get you through even the darkest of times. I know that coming to a new area with a new companion would have been a lot scarier if it wasn't for the spirit constantly calming me down and showing me the way.

           I love my area, it is amazing because I know this is where the lord wants me to be. I am far from perfect and this area is far from perfect but its truly perfect for me.

        I pray that each of you can find peace with where you are at in life. I know that you to are where the lord wants you to be. I love being a disciple of Christ that is my true calling.

     I love each of you and am glad to call you family.

                       LOVE always Sister Johnson.

 Funny Story: Maxine is leaving to Mexico for dental work. She has an iphone so I suggested that we face time while she is away so she can continue to learn and prepare for baptism. She was excited and said that she had face time and wants me to come show her how I would face time with her. So we went to her home and she pulled out her phone by the way she was talking about it I started to realize her lack of skill with technology. I started to laugh and thought yep this is going to be interesting. Finally she said yep here it is on am on face time. SO how do you face time with me. I took her phone to see what she was on and realized her "facetime" was the camera. Haha she was just looking at herself and waiting for me to magically pop up on her screen. We realized we would be more successful to just call her while she is in Mexico :D

Letter from Sister Tiffany Johnson March 10, 2014

   

 

The big yellow area is my new area.  The area that I am pinching at the bottom is my old area and my old area fits perfect there between my fingers.  Its soooooooo much bigger here if you couldn't tell.  I feel like a small fish in the big ocean, but love it.

 I have arrived in Corning. Being completely uneducated about Corning I was assuming there would be corn everywhere. However, trick play this area is actually known for OLIVES. So basically if you want to know about my area read James 5 haha its all in there.

     I picked up my new Greenie Wednesday and then went through a lot of drama trying to figure out our car situation. Then they finally got me a car and said alright enjoy Corning. However, because I was shot gunning meaning I have never been in my area before I didn't have the area phone or any idea how to even get there. So I looked up at President and said so do you have a GPS I can use? He then started worrying and realized that sending me off with no phone, no directions, and in the dark was not safe he made the sisters heading in the same direction escort us there. So we had 3 other cars of sisters drive in front and behind us to make sure we got to our area safe. I walked into our apartment and found out that elders have been living there for the last 20 years. It was pretty messy and smelly but livable. The Relief Society sisters had a meeting going on when we arrived and asked us to come. I turned to my companion and said we have to hit the ground running. So we didn't even unpack the car and headed out to work that night. 

     When we walked into the room we were warmly greeted. Then Sister Call the president said with tears in her eyes "We have been praying and fasting for Sister missionaries for the last 3 years. And finally the lord has answered our prayers" Instantly I felt the weight of my call. I want to help this area and want them to truly feel like their prayers have been answered and to add to the stress I am also trying to train. I just felt completely humbled and overwhelmed. I don't feel worthy to be an answer to there prayers. I prayed there silently to know how I can help this area and that I can have the confidence to take on this task.  After the prayer I instantly had a list of things we need from the sisters. I told them what I wanted to see happen to this area and how we were going to get the ward involved. They wrote down the things I said and each sister spoke up saying their views and ways they can help. They then presented us with a list of 171 sisters that are less active in the area. I was no longer stressed just excited to get to work. I knew that it was the spirit guiding me and feeling me with peace. I had received a priesthood blessing the night before and I was now feeling the affects of it. 

    After the meeting we opened the door and saw a sit that hit me so strong with the spirit (This is Jean....sorry I couldn't figure this part out to correct it but if you read on it will become more clear :)). A rumor had gone around the building that we were there and all of the young women were jumping for joy and running up and giving us hugs. They were so excited to meet us and for the first time ever I felt like a celebrity.  I want to service with all my heart and strength for these young women. They too have been praying for us to come and I saw the joy that we brought to there face. I can not disappoint them. One girl as she hugged me whispered I have never met a sister missionary before. And then a few others said the same as well. I know I have a big role to play my companion and I are going to be looked to as an example and we can help them form a desire to serve a mission. All with the help of the Lord. I feel so blessed and happy to be working with so many amazing people who I have instantly learned to love. A few of the girls have already volunteered to go out with us. The work is pretty exciting here. 

    However, when we were finally able to make it home that night I took a look at the ward boundary and was overwhelmed its so huge compared to my old area. The farthest home is about 2 hours away. And its just country homes. Just like doing missionary work out in Hickman. To top it off I took a look at the area book to see what we had to work with and found no organization. None of the addresses were put in correctly, none of the papers were filed. The ward list was missing 3 pages and there were only a few sentences written about who they were teaching. I knew there is going to be a lot of work going into this area to clean it up. But all things are possible with the Lord and I know with him I can accomplish this big task. So I called our one investigator and set up an appointment. Then I called a member that lived near by. However, trick the contact information in the directory was wrong. So I then called the Relief Society president and said I need a ward list as soon as possible. 

    With the help of my new companion we started sectioning off the area and putting people together so that when we go to an area we can visit everyone there. We organized it in a way that would be most time efficient for driving. So far the system is working.  

    Teaching has been a little hard because I don't know what the Elders have taught so I told my companion we have to go in with a prayer and just ask inspired questions so we can find out for ourselves. It worked out great we were able to simply find out concepts they didn't know and teach to there needs or concerns. I feel like the spirit has been with me all week when meeting with individuals and I am truly thankful for that. I know I could not have done this with out the spirit. 

     There is still hours and hours of work a head but I am excited to do it and to get this area into a functional state for missionaries. 

    I love this gospel and love being a missionary. My new companion is sweet she is from Washington State and is extremely smart. She really wants to work hard and that is the type of companion I need in this area. So I feel like I am not alone and that is a comfort. Her name is Sister Smith so we go by John Smith :D to keep it easy. The members love it. 

     Keep us and our area in your prayers. 

             LOVE Always 

                    Sister Johnson

Also it wouldn't be me if there wasn't a funny/embarrassing story. So here is one for you. While driving home from an appointment late at night we missed our turn by about 20+ miles and ended up in Chico. Its hard to see these tiny signs while going 65 mphs. So we flipped around and started heading back. I wasn't sure where we were or how we were going to get home but I just kept driving trying to stay positive for my companion. I wasn't paying attention to how fast I was going but then looking in the rear view mirror and saw flashing lights. We were the only other car on the road and I was like awww I need to get out of the way for this cop. So I pulled off and he pulled off as well. I instantly started to freak out. It was only day two with the car and I was sure I was getting a speeding ticket. The cop came to the window and asked the famous questions.  "DO you know why I pulled you over" I looked at him in complete fear, trembling and said "NO, was I speeding, I am soooo sorry I am new to the area and we are so lost." He looked at me and laughed and said " No you were actually going fine with your speed but your back lights aren't one." I was completely relieved but then asked how are my front lights on and not the back. I told him I was kind of blonde and new to this car. I asked him to help me. He laughed and started messing with somethings and then fixed the problem. He was really sweet and sent us on our way. I turned to my companion still trembling and said o my goodness I never turned the lights on. It was just the emergency lights that kick on in the front that we were using. But don't worry now I know and turn my lights on. It just took a cop pulling me over to teach me that lesson. So yep I had a nice warm welcome to Corning. :D 

             LOVE YOU ALL. Sister Johnson (Sorry there is probably a lot of errors in these letters. I type them fast and don't have time to read over them. So I apologize.:)

Letter From Sister Tiffany Johnson March 3, 2014

 So if any of you remember last night was transfers. I began all week to worry about what's going to happen to me. I was finishing up training, meaning I was on the chopping block. I was pretty sure I
would be moving and if so i was hoping to just move into a normal companionship. Then I started to feel like maybe I would train so than I can stay longer here. Well the zone leaders took forever sending out the transfer call. It was almost an hour late. While waiting for the call I got a call from the assistant to the president (ap) elder Austin  That is never a good sign on transfers. Everyone in the room begins to cheer, excited to hear what was going to happen. The first thing elder Austin said was "Johnson you get the transfer call yet, ... what do you think?" My heart was racing and I yelled no what's happening. He than laughed and said "pack your pages your moving to Corning to shot gun train. See you at the mission office Wednesday."

We talked for a moment about how they prayed about my call and have full confidence in me. I just kept thinking to my self what am I getting myself into. I am extremely nervous. Not only is it my first
time moving but it's with some one who doesn't know the area. We have to go in there and figure everything out the hard way. I don't know anything about my area and I have to train on top of that. I am pretty sure it's also a car area which is really bumming me out. I love my bike and will try and figure out a way to use it in my new area.  I don't know how to be a missionary with a car. Going with out one for 6months really makes me hate them, i get car sick when I am in one because I am not used to going that fast. But the weirdest thing of all is that by the end of training in Corning I will have been on my mission for 9 months. Which also mean I will have been going through the training manual (12 week program) for my 9 months with out a break. Man there really must be something I am supposed to be learning and I am just not figuring it out yet haha. :) but I am touched that my mission president does put so much trust and faith in me.

     This week though has been a bit of a struggle. With the rain you would think more People would be home and ready to listen but no everyone was shutting there door on us saying hey we're sick. I was getting frustrated with the lack of work. I figured I was leaving and wanted to leave on a high note. So I wasn't taking no as an answer. I told my companion my goal. I wanted us to get 5 new investigators for a 3rd week in a row. I also wanted double digits in number of lessons. She seemed a little doubtful with how things were working out and didn't want to work in the rain. But knowing I wanted to work no matter what she supported me in my goal. So we made tons of jokes about the
rain and how the more drops that hit us the hotter our husband gets and competitions if who gets the biggest goose bumps. It made the wet and cold more enjoyable. I am happy to say after a long cold week of rain and talking to everyone  we made our goal. We found 5 new investigators. And had a good number if lessons. Over all it was a good week and it makes me sad to think I don't get to teach the 15 new investigators. But I feel good about leaving the ward better than I found it. We had an amazing turnout at church. 4 investigators came and 8 less actives. I believe that is a record for us.

     There was an amazing story to go along with on of the less actives though. So we went to their home knowing that they have been offended and have some judgements about the church. When we got there they were just pulling up so We began to talk to them on the sidewalk. the wife opened up to me in a very defensive matter. She through out bold statements like Joseph smith just wrote the Book of Mormon and God contradicts himself in that book. I felt instantly like I was
being attacked and wanted to say how dare you talk so poorly about something so beautiful. But then I felt the spirit prompt me to ask her simply why? She shared some examples and I was able to explain those verse to her. She than dropped it like they were suitable answers for her. Than I felt the spirit prompt me to say "I know you are a logical women so here is some logic. We believe god is the same yesterday today and forever. With that we then should believe that the same way Christ established the church in his time is the same way it should be established now. That is how this church is established. we have a prophet who is led and guided by our savior.  we also have 12
apostles who are special witness of Christ. We are the only church with that" I bore my testimony of the church and of Joseph smith right there on the side walk. My companion than bore hers. The lady stood there speechless and than said quietly true. She new that she felt the spirit and that she was taking her personal feeling which were hurt by members and blaming them on the church. We left with excitement because we both felt he spirit so strong. And to our surprise there she was Sunday morning at church and when we walked in she gave us a huge wave and smile. It was such a miracle to me to see her heart being softened. I know that was because of the spirit testifying to her and we were just blessed to be an instrument.

        I can't get over the fact that I am finally leaving.  I am also sad to leave because I have 2 baptisms at the end of the month both of these individuals are so excited to join the church and say I
am like there family and now I am leaving them. The few weeks before baptism is really a hard time. I want to be here to help them through it. But most importantly I want to be here to support them on there big day. They asked if I would be there and it broke my heart to say I will try but I don't know if I can. I pray that they will both make it to there goal of being baptized by someone holding the proper
priesthood authority with or without me. I know this is the lords work and it can run smoothly without me but that's my controlling personality wanting to be here and over see everything. But I have faith in these individuals and most importantly I have faith in my father in heaven. I know that he will bless and protect them along with this area. I feel so blessed to have worked in such an amazing area and with so incredible people. I have loved watching there conversions and have seen miracles everyday. I will always have a love for Yuba city and it will always be my mission home. A lot of the members already have plans on what they want to do with me after my mission and have opened there home to me whenever I need.

     I want all of you too know that I am happy and loving my mission. His church is true and because of at it will require us to do hard things. It will make us stretch farther than we have stretched so
that we can reach our full potential. It's because our father in heaven loves us and wants to help us to grow that he requires us to do so much work. And if you really think about it, he doesn't ask for too
much for all that he has done for us. I know this to be true and I love the challenge the mission is. But it may lead to me getting grays sooner in life. :)

      Love you.
         Sister Johnson

I will post my new address next week when I get it.
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