The end of my journey. 12-12-2016

 

 

My very first night in the MTC, another sister in my dorm read this poem to everyone before we went to bed. I think it's a perfect description of the feelings everyone experience on a mission.

A mission is a strange experience

It's a trial and a test

A mission throws you at the worst

Yet teaches you the best

I've never been so happy 

I've never been so depressed 

I've never felt so forsaken

I've never felt so blessed

I've never felt so confused

Things have never been so clear

I've never felt my Heavenly Father so distant 

He's never been so near

I've never felt so discouraged

I've never been so full of hope

I feel like I could go on forever 

I think I've come to the end of my rope

I've never had it quite so easy

I've never had it quite so tough

Things have never been so smooth

Things have never been so rough

I've never traveled through so many valleys 

I've never ascended so many peaks

I've never met so many nice people

I've never met so many freak!

I've never had so many ups 

Ives never had so many downs

I've never worn so many smiles 

I've never worn so many frowns

I've never been so lonely 

I've never had so many friends

Boy, I hope this is over soon

Gosh, I hope it never ends

During that first night in the MTC, serving a mission was VERY different than what I thought it was going to be. And wow I can never ever convey the things I've experienced this last 18 months.

 All the days I puked on myself while riding my bike, all the times I stomached the most ridiculous food, all the lovely Japanese people I hugged, all the friend I've made, all the days I slaved through exhaustion, all the times I biked up mountains in the blazing hot sun, all the nights crying because I could speak this language, all the amazing spiritual experiences of hearing people pray to Heavenly Father for the first time, all the times I felt overwhelming love while searching for answers in the scriptures, all heart ache of watching people reject the Savior, all the most joyful moments of seeing my brothers and sisters step into the waters of baptism. 

These are best most precious and amazing moments of my life. I would serve a mission a million more times because of the ways I've been humbled, and because I love my Savior and I so happy to have grown so close to Him. 

Serving a mission has been the most difficult think I've ever done. But it's the most incredible and rewarding experience of my life. 

I thank Heavenly Father everyday, for allowing me to move into my sisters house at 16 and listen to missionaries. For the opportunity to come unto Christ and be baptized. For the privilege to preach his Gospel to his children in Japan. 

I know God loves us. Just because we are his Children, we don't have to do anything to earn his love. He loves us because we are His. I know Christ knows our weaknesses, he suffered for them. He knows the desires of our hearts, and by just expressing a desire to come unto Him, he will help us reach our potential. I know Joseph Smith was a humble servant of God. He lived and died to bring to truth to the world. The Book of Mormon will answer questions of a spiritually hungry soul, it will comfort in times of difficulty. 

I know that Gods love is real and powerful. Christ's Atonement has changed me in a way I could never do myself. I love Him. And I hope to be a valiant servant of His at the last day.

Thank you everyone for your support and love! I love you!!!

Also, my family moved so I don't know if or where I will have homecoming. But if I do, I will get in touch with everyone somehow! Also, I'm sorry of I'm weird or awkward! Please help me! 

I love you all!! Stay genki!

ジョソンソ姉妹

 

 

 

A fun journey 12-5-2016

こんにちは皆さん(*^_^*)

Hope everyone had a good week! Nagasaki is so great! Even though it's
December, I still don't need a jacket. Not because it's not cold, it's
freaking cold. But the hills are so big and your body sweats from
wearing the jacket, you actually don't need it! It's great! Our house
is at the very top of TWO HUGE hills so we just bike in our short
sleeve dress and it's awesome:)

 This week was awesome we just went crazy and talked to 387 people
this week. It was so fun!!! I love talking to people and sharing the
gospel and how is can help them. We met so many super cool awesome
prepared people and we are super excited to meet with them this week!

Also, we had companion exchanges in Sasebo and it was so fun! I went
on Junkai with Sister Sundell and she's a boss! It was so fun and I
love Nagasaki!

While housing this last week. We were talking to this really nice lady
in her 40's and she invited us into her house. When we got into her
house, in the living room there were 5 other lady's her same age
sitting down studying together. We sat down with them and they told us
they were representatives  of there Buddhist church. I don't remember
the name, but it was the first time I heard it, and they even had
books they showed to us. We talked to they for a good hour. We talked
as in they just told us how wrong and damming our belief is for an
hour. We tried to be careful what we shared this them, but no matter
what they just told us how wrong it was and Christ didn't exist. And
that he couldn't exist and told us all kinds of things about Japanese
history and how there never was a Savior.
We just did our best and taught and shared our testimonies about e
Restoration and Jesus Christ.
Before we left, I was overwhelmed with not understanding their
Japanese and not being able to defend my belief because of it. All I
could do was choke out my testimony of the Savior and how he changed
my life. As I did so, two of the lady's teared up. We hugged all the
lady's and left quickly.

I'm so grateful for my testimony of the Savior. I know he is my
Savior. He pulled me out of my own hell when no on else could. I know
he is waiting to pull us all out of our own hells when he are ready to
trust him and have faith in him.

I don't want my missionary service to be over as soon as it's going to
be. I've loved everything about my mission. It's so important to me. I
love waking up in the morning and going out the door to only focus on
and help other people. I love these people. I love my Savior. I'm so
grateful Christ has taught me how to love others.

The email I will send out next week with me my last one before I
return home. Thank you so much everyone for you support during my
mission. I really love all of you!

ジョンソン 姉妹(#^.^#)

I got lost. 11-27-2016

こにちわ友達家族皆さんようこそ!(((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))

My legs get more and more ripped everyday!!
It was a great week! We saw many miracles! We had Zone Conference and
it was awesome! Sister Jorgensen (My MTC comp) is in my zone so
happy!!

 Does anyone remember the grandma hugging this I did a while ago?
Well, it's legacy lives on. While hosing this week, we met this cute
grandma and made a return appointment and I hugged her before I left
and she just love it! We cam back next time to visit her and she runs
out of her house and we hug her and she says to follow her. So we run
down the street with us grandma to this fruit market and. The she told
us to wait outside, and she comes back with two bags or fruit for us!
We tried no to take, but she said she's rich and insist! It had
strawberries in it! And I have not eat my whole mission, too
expensive! Soooo niiiceeee grandma!!!!!!

Also, sister Weiland and I got separated in Nagasaki city at night for
an hour! It's a long story, but she found and we got home yay!
Also, we are doing tons of less active work and cleaned an entire
house for a less active couple and it was so fun! They are Yamamoto
family and we became great friends and they came to church on Sunday!!

Also, Nagasaki is unbelievably gorgeous and the people here are they
most wonderful! I love everyday here! Sister Wieland is literarily an
angel!! I love everything here! So happy!


I love missionary work!! I love serving in Nagasaki!! I love the back
breaking hills and the lovely members here!! I love you all!!

ジョソンソ 姉妹(#^.^#)

Going to Nagasaki 11-14-2016

こにちわ皆さん(*^_^*)

Sorry I haven't emailed in a couple weeks! So many great things happened!

Sister Freed fracture  her wrist playing soccer in Hiroshima so we
spent a lot of time in the hospital and learned new vocabulary! After
she had fractured it, we walked around Hikari looking for a hospital
and we found these old people who gave us frozen pork to put on her
wrist and then kept trying to bless us. So that's cool!

Also, VERONICA IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY!!! And the best part is,
her husband who was baptized a year earlier is baptizing herrrr!!!!!
I'm so so so so so happy for her! I'm so grateful for the opportunity
I had to teach her! It's been a fun journey to teach her and become
great friends!! I love her so much!!

Also, we met this girl who is a hairstylist on the street. She said
she would listen to us if she could cut and dye my hair because it's
American hair. So of course I said yes! And now my hair is like red!

Also, we had dinner these people we met from China, they are Tai and
So and they gave us chicken feet! And they made this homemade Raman
that was actually really good but I told them I liked spicy food so
the wife Tai proud a TON of the red spicy stuff on the Raman. The
flavor was so yummy, but I thought I was gonna die!!! It was so so
hot!!! My mouth was turning purple!! But anyway, they are so wonderful
and our best friends!

So the Japanese class we go to on Saturday to a field trip to the
famous Sake factory in Saijo. We learned all about making sake and
taught a lot of people about the Word of Wisdom so fun!

Our Zone went to Miyajima again this transfer, and.. I SAW MACNAUGHTON
SHIMAI!!!! it was so so awesome!!! I was so happy to see her!! She is
doing so great and is a an awesome missionary!!

Then, yesterday, I ate an entire squid!

Transfers always come so fast, I was positive I wasn't transferring
because Veronica's baptism is this Sunday. But I got a call from
President Egan this morning, and I'm transferring to Nagasaki, and my
new companion is Mcnaughton Shimai MTC companion Weiland Shimai! I'm
excited to be in a new area and work hard.
But I'm SOOOOOOO SAD TO LEAVE SAIJO!!!!! I love Saijo!!!! All my best
friendssss!!!! I'm going to miss all my friends!!! I love this area!!
I love the people!!! I miss so muchhh!!!!!!

But I so excited for the more friends I will make in Nagasaki!

This week, we meet these really really sweet cute old lady and she
loved us and she studied win missionaries before. She took us to her
friends house and we taught both of them together! It was so wonderful
that this lady loved missionaries because of the seed other
missionaries planted 3 years ago. She was so sweet and we shared a
message about the Book of Mormon and we talked with them like we were
best friends.
I have recently been studying Hiroshima dialect and was able to speak
it while talking to these women. They were both from Osaka and I had
also been able to study Osaka dialect and use it was well. It's been
so amazing how much people trust you when you put in effort to speak
their language and love them. People in Japan are so amazing and
special. I love being here.

I love missionary work!! I'm excited to work had in Nagasaki this next
transfer! I love teaching of Christ. I'm so grateful for the
relationship I was able to build with the Savior. I love my mission. I
love Japan. I love everything!

ジョソンソ 姉妹

I ate pig ears. 10-24-2016

Well this week was poppin like always! The ground was literally poppin
from an earthquake last week.

I had an awesome exchange with Andrus Shimai! She is so boss and SOOO
nice! We got lost a bunch but we found all these awesome people in the
middle of nowhere.

Well, my District leader broke his foot playing basketball this week
and ended up having to go home. So, it's just us sisters in the area
for now. Party!

We had a way kick butt lesson with Veronica about the Word of Wisdom!
She is committing to give up coffee! Yay! After the lesson, we were
gonna leave and Veronica and her husband tell us the prepared in for
us. *Que dramatic music/ flash back of me puking at 1am from eating
their Philippine food last time*
She puts down a bowl of chicken in front of me, (mentally calms down)
then I move the chicken aside to discover pigs stomach!! Then! She
puts another bowl of pig freaking ears in front of me..  (All thee
good things I could of had in my life flashes before me)
Veronica is such a lovely lady and watch us eat every bite. I could
describe what it tastes like, but I don't want to relive it..
On the way home, I didn't puke! So, the church is true.
But sister Freed thought it was so good that she also tasted it again at 3am..

Zhang Shimai is so awesome! She just got set apart as a branch
missionary!! She is jointing for our Chinese lessons and she has so
much fire!
We also had Indian curry with our friends from India and I got the
spiciest curry and I sweat while eat it! So good!

Everywek is wonderful! I'm so happy to serve everyday! I love this
work and I love Saijo with everything I have! Freed Shimai is so
loving and humble and I love being with her! I'm so tired today, I'll
give better update next week I love everyone!!!!'

ジョソンソ姉妹

I'm exhausted 10-17-2016

こにちわ皆さん(*^_^*)

Hope everyone had a good week! This week was crazy! I'm exhausted!!!!!

Because it's the beginning of the transfer, got up at 4am and Sato
Shimai and I and the Zone Leaders took a SHINKANZEN to Fukuoka and
went to Missionary Leadership Conference. It was awesome! We received
training and discussed ways and goals to help our zone this transfer!
Sato Shimai and I planned for Zone Training Meeting all say Wednesday.
We all went to Hikari Hiroshima and we presented a training. Sato
Shimai and I trained on Humility and working with less actives. It was
awesome! I love public speaking and serving other missionaries! It was
a really fun training and it always worth every effort!

Then on Friday we had companion exchanges with the sisters in
Hatsukaichi. It was awesome because both the sisters I went on
exchanges with were my MTC companions (Sister Cox and Sister
Jorgensen's) they were both trained by them! We had an awesome
exchange and we just laugh and work all day:)

On Sunday night we were gonna go teach Veronica and it turns out it
was her husbands birthday. They have a really small house, but it was
packed with 30 people! It was so fun! We ate all this crazy
Philippines food! Everyone was so nice and loud and drunk or reminded
me of America! Like all their family form the Philippines live in
Japan! So everyone could speak Japanese and English amd Tagoloic.
Yeah, it was crazy and super fun!
Needless to say, I got way sick and threw up later that night:)

All this other stuff happened, but I'm too tired to remember. But! I'm
so happy to work hard everyday and share this wonderful message! I
love missionary and I love Japan! I'm so grateful to be a member of
this church's and I love Jesus Christ.
I love you alllllllllllllllllll

ジョソンソ 姉妹