Hermana Laura Johnson: Barcelona Mission: (Zaragoza) Week-03 2012

Here is part of the letter to the president......

Dear President,

We searched for someone to teach this week and a miracle happened! We met a man named Rodrigo in a park. Our Ward Mission Leader was there and said he had invited another man. The lesson was incredible as we talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They both want to get baptized for the 26th. Then at church, Rodrigo came in a little late to Sacrament meeting with 2 more friends who were interested! They are both from Peru and they love the Church. One of them, Raul, asked me what he had to do to get baptized. I said well you can ask Rodrigo and then Rodrigo interrupted me and said "Si, voy a bautizarme el 26 de mayo" then Raul said that he wanted to also be baptized with him on the 26th. "juntos. Rodrigo y yo juntos el 26 de mayo." All of the members welcomed them and it was incredible! We have a big noche de hogar planned tonight with them, their friends, our Ward Mission Leader, and our Ward Missionaries. UN MILAGRO!!!!!

I admire that my companion is so calm, and such a good listener, and is very great at encouraging people.

We have 2 fechas – Rodrigo de Colombia who is quite the missionary himself because he has already brought/referred 5 friends to listen to the discussions! He is probably in his 30s lives alone here, and is taking some classes. He has been an investigator for a while but now is his time to be a member! Alfonso de Colombia, his friend, is taking some classes, also. He is in his 30s and doesn´t have any family around. He has heard the missionaries before as well. Rodrigo and Alfonso are both "Catholic" but are not practicing. Rodrigo has been taught a lot of the discussions especially recently and he has attended church more than 3 times. Alfonso has heard the Missionaries before but it has been a while. He hasn´t been to church in a while and didn´t make it to church yesterday.¨:(

It was really neat visiting the recent converts from the list. We really had wonderful experiences finding them and getting to know them, even though it was tough because we didn´t quite find everyone. But it really was a neat opportunity to have the Spirit be brought back into their lives, hopefully, and to invite them to church.

This week we watched the District video "Teach People Not Lessons: Jynx" . It really helped us because lately we have been too focused on just getting through the lessons and trying to get every point across. It has really helped to get a better perspective and to get the help that we need. We saw an improvement on our lessons with Rodrigo as we focused more on him and we were able to ask more inspired questions to help solve his dudas.

This week really was a wonderful week with many miracles!!! Especially when I found out that my former investigator from Sabadell got baptized!!!! (The man from Africa: Modibo!) Now we have fechas and people who are really interested and we taught an English class for the first time this weekend and found a couple new investigators! It´s been a WONDERFUL WEEK!!! :)

Things are just getting better. Obedience is really the key and faith is the power. We have to rely on Heavenly Father and obey the small things and other things will fall into place.

Love,
Hermana Johnson

I HAVE SO MANY TH INGS TO TELL YOU!!! As you can see this has been a wonderful week!!!!

First of all, please write me at my own address:

c/ clara campoamor 18, 8 B

Zaragoza, Spain 50018

Second of all," thank you" Lake Poway Ward Relief Society for the card you sent! I LOVED IT!!!

Thank you for your emails.

A little about my week super-fast:

District Meeting was great. Afterwards we had a BBQ outside the capilla and Hermana Moulton and I sang a duet to "Mas Cerca Dios De Ti "(Nearer My God To Thee") and Elder Galan, our District Leader played the guitar.

One day I found a guy with a Padres jacket on and introduced myself and gave him a pass along card and took a picture. It was a fun reminder of home

We cleaned the chapel and scrubbed every crack in the tile floors --- took forever but grateful to do it and learned some neat dance moves (break dancing?)afterwards from our Canary Island District Leader, Elder Marcos.

I got a letter from one of my recent converts from Salt Lake City, Rose Park. Sister Mayberry. She is doing so well and bore her testimony. She is just blossoming in the church and has given a talk and is going to the temple to do baptisms and confirmations. WONDERFUL news! What a great opportunity I had to have possibly been a part of helping her get to where she is!!!! What a blessing and a privilege it is to be a Missionary.

An 8 year old girl named Helen, is getting baptized this weekend! All 4 of us Hermanas are so excited. She is wonderful and has been a joy to teach. Esther, her mother is so strong and is just coming back to the church because of Helen´s example. At church on Sunday she bore her testimony in Sacrament Meeting and said that she was having a conversation with a friend and bore her testimony about the Joseph Smith story. That night she prayed hard to Heavenly Father for a confirmation answer that Joseph Smith actually saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The next night, us Missionaries went over to teach. I randomly packed "The Restoration" video and the Spirit told me that we HAD to watch it. We watched it and bore our testimonies of the truthfulness of it. Esther was amazed and said it was a direct answer to her prayers. Joseph Smith was a Prophet and he did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father knows us personally and does answer our prayers. He is very mindful of us and our needs. How incredible of a story/experience is that!!! :)

The month of May as a mission has been labeled the month for miracles. 3Ms- el mes de may de milagros. Miracles have already started happening for Hermana Stephenson and I. We have people who want to get baptized. We had that incredible experience at church with Raul. "Hermanas, quiero ser bautizado! Como? Que es lo que necesito saber para ser bautizado el 26 de mayo con el Rodrigo?" That is a hallelujah chorus in the ears of a missionary. It was a MIRACLE.

For the month of June for the Branches in Zaragoza, the members are encouraged from the Area President of Seventy of Spain to invite everyone they can to church every Sunday. I am so excited to see what will happen. The members are nervous but also preparing themselves to do it. Miracles will happen-I can´t wait!

We taught an English class for the first time on Saturday. What a humbling experience. I consider myself so lucky to be native English speaking and learning this new language. What a blessing and privilege I have to be here and in this position as Missionary. Not to mention we have new investigators from this class!!! :)

We are gaining the trust of the members. Slowly we are repairing whatever damages and bad images that the missionaries in the past have had with these members in this area. I am so excited for the future. I have a lot of faith that things are looking up.

I love you all have a good week. Am looking forward to talking to you, family, on Mother's Day.

Love,

Laura