Letter from Sister Tiffany Johnson January 27, 2014

Hello Family and Friends,

I agree with you guys that the weeks just go by so fast. I barely blink an eye and its Monday again. I feel like I am running an up hill race and just some how serving. The coolest part though is when I lay in bed at night and review all that I have done in the day and in my mission; I am happy. I love being out here feeling every possible emotion and learning how to be happy in the dark times as well as the good. I can't really explain it but now I understand just a little better why we have trials. Its through those trials that we can learn to turn and rely on our Savior, feel his love and support, and truly feel what true happiness is. Trials force us to grow and make big decisions that will forever affect our lives. We get to choose if we are going to blame God for the trials or if we are going to praise Him for them. As I have been working through some of my trials I have felt that support of my Savior through prayer and through those around me.

As a missionary I hear one phrase so often which is "How can a Loving Father in Heaven allow this to happen to me?" my reply to that is its because he is our loving Father that he allows us to fall. Please find a way to choose the right way on viewing our trials. Do not allow yourself to become angry with God. I have seen how this will affect you life. If you allow those negative thoughts into your heart, I can promise you it will never bring you true and lasting happiness. Turn to him, Trust in him, and through him you can over come all things.

The miracle of the week for me has to be working with Monique who has been excommunicated twice. She approached the elders about visiting with her and they tried but allowed her to slip through the cracks because they don't believe in her. They think its crazy that she has been excommunicated so many times. We met her through a member referral. When we first met she was extremely hard to talk to and I really wasn't sure if things were going to work out. However, now after working with her and her husband for the last 4 weeks I have changed my views completely. They are truly amazing, together they are attending the addiction recovery meeting, reading their scriptures, attending church, and begging for us to meet with them more often. (They aren't in our boundaries so they drive to meet us each week. And we find a ride to attend church with them in another town each week) Her husband Dustin has a baptism date for February 22 and is doing all that he can to prepare himself for that date. Monique is now actively meeting with her bishop so that she too can be baptized someday. Talking to her on Sunday after her meeting with the bishop I was filled with so much peace. She looked at me with a big grin and said "I threw away all my illegal drugs this morning. I haven't been taking them since I have been meeting with you. So I thought why have that in my home." I just gave her the biggest hug and reassured her that she was doing the right thing. Its truly amazing that she did that one on her own because she was taking those drugs for her bad back pain. She decided she would rather follow and trust in God. So she just deals with the pain. I am so proud of her. They are also cutting down on their smoking. This week we are going to teach them the word of wisdom officially (they bring it up and we teach it but this week we are going to go over in depth and commit them to fully live the word of wisdom) I believe that they are ready and pray that they continue to progress like they have been. I feel like a proud parent watching them. Dustin also surprised me with the best news. He had been missing sacrament meeting and showing up for the last hours of church because he had work. But yesterday he talked to his boss so now he is no longer working on Sundays. :D YEAH!!!

I hope that all of you are doing well and are able to see the miracles that are happening all around you. Know that I love you and keep all of you in my prayers.

LOVE Always

Sister Johnson

Letter From Sister Tiffany Johnson January 20, 2014

From: Tiffany Johnson <tiffanyj@myldsmail.net>

Subject: Weekly letter

Date: January 20, 2014 3:28:54 PM PST

Hello everyone, sadly it's been another one of those hard weeks where
I am just glad it's over. To start on the high Monday, my relief
society president took me shoe shopping. She cried after my talk than
saw my shoes and said please let me buy you new shoes. I felt bad.
Because it's not like I am broke but she wouldn't take no for an
answer. So she bought me two new cute pairs of shoes and two pretty
dresses that actually fit (because I picked them out). I was touched
by the love she had shown for me and wore my shoes with pride. Tuesday
came with a crash. Literally I crashed my bike trying to prevent
myself from getting hit by a car. I banged up my knees and elbows
pretty bad. When I got up I heard my companion screaming and then
looked to my right to see 5 young construction workers running to my
aid. Embarrassed by what just happened I tried saying I was ok and
jumped on my bike to ride away. But as I tried to pedal away I
realized I wasn't moving and that my chain had fallen off. Turning
more red I pulled over and fixed my bike 2 of the construction workers
were looking at my now blackened hands and said for me to follow them
to there truck so they could help me clean up. They thought they had a
towel but didn't, so one man had a shirt in the car that he had been
wearing earlier and handed it to me. Of coarse it was white. I tried
telling him it's ok but he insisted so I whipped my hands and totally
ruined his white shirt with grease and blood. We had 2 more
appointments so I decides we would continue working and I would
bandage myself later. But the lady at the last appointment took one
look at me and said "sister Johnson what have you done to yourself"
she helped me clean my cuts and then I realized the worst thing that
had come from my crash. I had destroyed my brand new shoes. They had
tons of holes in them.
   So that night on the way home I sadly walked to the relief society
presidents home and showed her the shoes apologizing. She started
crying again and said "she didn't care about the shoes and was worried
about me." (If you couldn't tell she is pretty emotional) She took my
shoes and literally came back the next morning with not only a
replacement pair but also another more durable pair. She explained
what had happened to me to the workers at the store who remembered me.
so for free they exchanged my shoes and gave her a discount on another
pair. Blessings!
       Things started to cheer up. We had a new investigator and I
had new shoes. But Thursday changed that. When we went to Yuba skilled
nursing home we found out the lovely Sister Burton had passed away.
She was like our loving mother here. We visited her 2 times a week for
the last five months. I promised myself I wouldn't cry but when we
walked into the room to see an empty bed and her husband there alone
it was hard to take it all in. When we asked if we could do anything
he said "just say a prayer please Sister Johnson" as I started the
prayer I just lost it and started crying. I had tons of flash backs of
all the good times we have had. And I felt the love that she had for
me and the church. I felt that she had found peace and was finally
able to make it back home. I am so thankful for the knowledge we have
of where we go and that we know we can see our loved ones again. It
brings joy to my life to think that finally Sister Burton is no longer
in pain and one day I will see her again in a perfect state. Right
when we left the room I got a call our new investigator dropped us.
Just adding to the pain.
     Don't worry I am not depressed I realize this is just a test. I
have so many great people that we are still teaching and this weekend
we found a few new ones. I love this gospel and I love my mission.
Transfers came and I am staying in Yuba there is still work for me to
do :)
      Love you guys.
        Sister Johnson.
Sorry this letter seems depressing. Things are looking up.

Letter from Sister Tiffany Johnson, January 6, 2014

From: Tiffany Johnson <tiffanyj@myldsmail.net>

Subject: Family Email

Date: December 30, 2013 12:22:13 PM PST

To: Scott Johnson <Scott4599@sbcglobal.net>, britney Johnson <britneycheree@yahoo.com>, Nichole Soelberg <nicholesoelberg@gmail.com>, Tyler Johnson <tylerjohnson321@yahoo.com>, Miranda <andamir64@yahoo.com>

Hello everyone,

       I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy new Year. I can happily say that I had a awesome Christmas. I got to see my cute family over skype even though half the time the screen would freeze. Then I got to visit a few families we are teaching and then spend the even with an old lady named Sister Wallace. I basically made half of the dinner which I enjoyed because I felt like a normal person again. Being served food all the time gets a little tiring, its nice to relax and cook with a cranky lady.  But the best part of my Christmas was Tasha, Kiona, and Janessa's baptism. I was so worried about it all week because I was basically the one in charge of it. But it turned out amazing probably the best baptism I have been to. There was a great turn out of about 40 people, half members and half were non members. After they were baptized my companion and I taught the Restoration.  It went well and I felt the spirit as we taught. I watched some of Tasha's families faces and they were all smiling and nodding there head in agreement. After words we had some nice refreshments and were able to pick up a new investigator and schedule a lesson with a few people. It was an amazing experience seeing how the gospel has really blessed the Azevedo families lives. They were so happy and love sharing with there family and friends why they are so happy.

     On Sunday the girls received the gift of the Holy Ghost. They were all really excited. When Tasha sat down next to me afterwards, she whispered to me saying "Its wonderful I actually feel apart of the ward, they do not look at me like a new person or an outsider. This is my ward." I couldn't help but smile. It just goes to show why it is so important to bring members and included members in all that we do with our investigators so that when they are baptized the transition is not difficult but smooth. I know that she felt welcomed into the ward because she has been visiting with numerous members every week. We always made it a goal to bring a different member each time we taught so that she could meet a good group of people. She loves it and always tries to guess who is her surprise guest.  I love this ward and how much they love and welcome Tasha and her family. The next two years are going to be so important for her. I pray that she continues to feel apart of the ward and continues to strengthen her testimony so that she can become a strong righteous daughter of god and Mother.  

     I don't know how I have been so blessed with such an amazing area and with great members who love and support me. Lately the members have been so incredible that they are giving us referrals. But not just giving us a name they are so excited to be apart of the missionary work that they are literally picking us up and taking us to personally meet there friends and family. Just this last week we received 5 new investigators all from the members. We have 6 referrals to contact this week with a few members and a 3 for two weeks from now.  Its wonderful to know that the ward trust us with there loved ones and want to be there with us when we start teaching them. I feel like the ward has finally caught the missionary fire and have seen the success in the area. Who doesn't want to be apart of these miracles.  Tasha is also wanting to do all that she can to be a missionary with us. We are teaching as of right know 3 people because of her efforts and she plans of finding us more. :D

      Keep us in your prayers that we can meet the needs of this area and that the people we meet will be spiritually ready for this message. I love each of you so much and am truly happy to be able to call you family. Thank you for your love and support.

         LOVE Always,

               Sister Johnson

Funny Story:  My companion hates having open doors in the apartment and I love having all the doors to the room open (there are only 2 doors :D small apartment). One day when she was finished using the bathroom she decided to shut it behind her. About an hour later I went to go use the restroom to find that not only was the door shut but we were locked out. I wiggled the door in hopes that maybe I was mistaken. But nope we were really locked out. I tried to card swip it open but that didn't work. Than I decided to go from the outside and break through the window. I had to go to the restroom so bad I guess my judgement calls were lacking because that window would never let me through. Its about 7 feet off the ground and way to small. So that was a bad idea. So we threw our pride out the window and went to go get our manager (a recent convert we are teaching) for help. No luck she was not at work yet. So I said a prayer I really had to use the restroom. So we went back to the apartment and I kneeled down at the bathroom door and tried wiggling the door more saying please let me in. Then I looked down on the ground and saw a bobby pin that had fallen out of my hair. I had a feeling I should pick the lock with it. So I didn't and after about 3 minutes of wiggling it I succeed at breaking into my own bathroom. SUCCESS! So dad you can't hate those bobby pins that I used to leave around the house all the time. They are so convenient.

MIRANDA--guess who i am quoting "you little criminal" 

Pictures from Sister Tiffany Johnson January 3, 2014

1st picture: I made this Christmas sweater from Sister Wallace's door decoration and pinned it to my shirt :D I know classy right?

Last Picture: Me and the Fat cat. I can't wait to be the classic cat lady in the future. (with Possy, Sister Wallace said if she dies, I get the fat cat :D) SCORE!