Quite the Week

It has been quite the week! (How many times have I started my emails like that? You'd think missionary work wouldn't be so surprising to me by now.) First one first- WE SET A DATE. Let me break it down timewise:

 

3:53 pm- Found house we were looking for.

3:54 pm- Said our usual 20th prayer for the day.

3:55 pm- Found out that the lady didn't live there and invited the stranger to learn more

3:55 pm and 15 seconds later- The man let us in

3:56 pm- Met his wife and children

3:58 pm- Started the Restoration lesson

4:31 pm- Recited First Vision

4:37 pm- Introduced him to the Book of Mormon

4:42 pm- Extended baptismal commitment (I couldn't even remember his name!)

4:42 pm and 5 seconds later- He accepted!

4:47 pm- Drove away absolutely stunned.

 

Yep, it was so fast. His wife will be the biggest hold up, but he accepted! More to come from that.

 

This week I conducted an exchange with  the lovely Russellville sisters. Sister Allred and I were reunited once again except we were in Russellville and she was driving. The conclusion I made while riding in the passenger seat was that all missionary cars are like the Knight Bus from Harry Potter. Although it seems like we are going to hit something or not quite make the turn, we always magically do.

 

On the exchange we had to teach seminary to a typical (I had another word in there, but substituted it for something more missionary appropriate) teenage girl. I think that crushed any desire I had to be a seminary teacher. Right afterwards they had YW's and Sister Allred did not receive the memo that we were in charge of YW's. Going off of their theme of "Standing in Holy Places" I quickly organized the Standing Olympics. It went fairly well for a last minute activity until I remembered that where they meet is also the chapel.....whoops.

 

Another act of service was for a lady in our ward who requested us at the elementary gym one evening. Little did we know she was going to use us as basketball players for the 4th grade girls she was coaching. They're better than me even though I'm taller than them. Thank goodness entrance to the celestial kingdom is not based on basketball skills.

 

We are still not sure where we will be stuffing our faces this Thanksgiving. We have had a number of invitations and we plan on hitting as many as possible. This will be the only Thanksgiving in which I will have a missionary stomach so I plan to use that to my advantage. Lucky for all the Johnson clan because I won't be there to win the prize turkey in the turkey hunt. May the best hunter win.

 

I guess I better throw in something spiritual about giving thanks. Giving thanks goes beyond just words and pretty phrases. Part of this attitude of gratitude is actually acting in that thanks. If I am thankful for a mission car, I am not going to treat it poorly. The same goes for us, we need to acknowledge our blessings and then use them in the way our Heavenly Father would want us to use them. Here it comes....WILL YOU act on your thanks this Thanksgiving? What's the blessing with this commitment? Even more blessings. (It's kind of like one of your three wishes being an infinity amount of wishes.)

 

Have a most wonderful Thanksgiving and I am thankful for each one of you!

 

Love,

 

Sister Neener (: