Dear Family and Friends,
I'M GOING TO SPAIN!!!So excited yet so sad at the same time.
I’m flying out Wednesday morning. The flight leaves at 11. We have a layover in Atlanta, Georgia. All the Visa waiters are on same plane. (Yay!
Hermana Marshall and I will sit together hopefully!) We will get to the Madrid MTC Friday night. We
will stay there for a week (hopefully go to the temple!) Then off to Barcelona (have to say goodbye to
Hermana Marshall...sad). Then I will be a
missionary in Barcelona!!!
Get to talk to my family for 5 min
at the airport Wednesday morning.
Let me tell you about my week:
Tuesday (21st) – We taught a little girl named Rain
who is 9 years old. She was a referral and
we had been trying to contact her for a long time. We finally found her and brought a member with
us so we could get into the house. It turns
out that this member (the Primary President in Rain's Ward) is related to my brother-
in- law David Rohde! I introduced myself
to her and the first thing she asked was: "Are you Dawn's little sister?" Small world.
Rain knows everything and basically taught us the first 3 lessons. She's ready to get baptized. She's adorable and so excited to have the missionaries
over.
There’s something that I have noticed
since being here. People are so excited to
see Sister Missionaries! Everyone always
asks when can we feed you, when can you come to our house, when can you teach my
friend. It's wonderful. Even in Wal-Mart or at fast food places people
are either offering to pay for us or are so excited to say "Hi" to us. If not that, then we get strange looks. (haha.)
But it really is incredible and it has really made me think more about my
call and about who I am and about whose name I have over my heart-about who I represent
and what message I bring.
Wednesday (22nd) – TODAY I FOUND OUT ABOUT MY
VISA! I was knocking on doors with Hermana
Magdaleno and we had just left a house and were so sad, because the boyfriend doesn't
want to marry the girlfriend. They have the most adorable son together.
Anyway, so we were dragging our feet
as we were walking through the parking lot when Hermana Magdaleno listened to a
voicemail from the Mission office asking for me. I called back and Elder Linder says, "Sister
Johnson, there may or may not be rumors that your Visa came in." I asked, "Is it a rumor or a fact?" He said, "It's pretty much a fact." At that point I started jumping up and down, almost
hit Hermana Magdaleno. I couldn't believe
it and was so excited! Then we saw an investigator
that we are teaching.
Then we tried helping an old man cross
the street and he couldn't really hear me. I got teary-eyed. Just felt the overwhelming love that Heavenly
Father has for this man. (It was probably mixed in with the shock of having my Visa!). We visited with the wonderful Sanchez/Mota/Amaya
family. I was emotional as I told them I
was leaving. Love them so much. I have wonderful memories and experiences with
them.
Previously, when I was in the Provo
MTC I kind of had a feeling that I would get sent to Temple Square or the Salt Lake
City Mission, if my Visa didn't come. Then
I did! When I got here to Salt Lake City
I kind of had a feeling that my Visa would come at the end of February or the beginning
of March. It seemed so far away at the time.
But I promised myself and Heavenly
Father that I would try not to think about Spain and do my best while I'm here. I haven't prayed much for my Visa to get here
and haven't talked much about it. When people
would ask why there are 4 of us, I would tell them that I was waiting for a Visa. I wanted to give my 100% here :) I've grown to love the people here. It's so hard to say goodbye, yet at the same time
I feel that there is a pretty good chance that I will see them again next year when
I move back up here to Utah. Glad that I
will live close to them (as long as they don't move away). All of us have already made plans of what we will
do together next year. :)
I feel so grateful that I was here.
I loved it! Even riding the bikes in the
cold turned out to be one of my favorite things ever, (haha) and I might actually
miss it.
Friday (24th) – We took District pictures. Sister Marshall and I then left for the Mission
office. We got there at 11:15 A.M. We met up with the other last two Visa waiters
(out of the original 8 that were reassigned here with me). I realized I was lucky that I was assigned and
working in Rose Park because I got to speak Spanish everyday almost all day long. I always got to teach people. We had 8 baptisms. We had native speaking companions and never got
transferred. I am so blessed.
Then the four of us went down to the
Provo MTC. We found out that 73 Visas for
Spain came in! Nine of us were temporarily
assigned (between the Salt Lake City Mission, the South Salt Lake City Mission,
and the Provo Mission). A lot are still in
the MTC and I think the rest of the Visas are for missionaries who haven't gotten
out to the field yet. How great is that?
We met the Spain Consulate and signed
a paper saying we got our Visa issued by him.
We got our Passports back with our Visas inside!
It was interesting to be in the MTC
again. As I was walking in the halls I saw
a guy I knew from my volleyball class back at BYU and I saw one of my former residents
when I was an RA in Helaman Halls.
I just felt so different being there. I have learned so much since being out in the
field. While in there I was thinking about
some of our investigators and hoping they were okay, or thinking about what was
going on in their life that day --- crazy how much I have changed, learned, have
grown, and have so much more to learn and so much more growing to do!
After we left the MTC, Elder Linder
treated us all to In-In-Out! :) Best treat! Then I fell asleep in the car on the way back
up to Salt Lake! Then had a great rest of
the day!
Saturday (25th) – Antonio's baptism was one
of the best baptisms ever. He was so prepared
and it was so spiritual and very emotional feeling being there. This was the BEST thing before leaving for Spain. Antonio is incredible! Someday I hope my testimony will be as strong
as his.
Sunday (26th) – Church was great. We went to an English speaking Ward to visit and
sit with Rain. It was emotional during Sacrament
meeting thinking that that will probably be the last English speaking Ward I will
go to for a year and 2 months at least! And
it was wonderful because the Spirit was so strong and the members are always so
happy to see Sister Missionaries. The carne
asada dinner with the wonderful Cabrera family who love the missionaries so much
was great, too. We took some pictures. It was sad to say goodbye.
Monday (27th) – Today: Got wonderful e-mails from my parents and bought
stuff at the store to prepare for my trip to Spain. I need to pack. We made a video of inside jokes with my wonderful
companions. We're throwing a surprise birthday party for Hermana Harris. She's 23
today!
I am going to Spain in two days. :)
It’s hard to believe.Thank you so much for your prayers, support, and your love and for your letters. I love you all so much.
Continue going to church, pray, and
read your scriptures --- 3 key things. Just
do them and your life will be so much better and happier. Be patient with yourself and others. Serving in the Ward and caring for the fellow
members are also keys to helping build the kingdom of God, receiving blessings in
your life, and for being happy.
Love,
Hermana Johnson
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