HEY!
Can you say, "Oh my! Adorable!" I got Jare and Taryn's invitation this week... Man they are so cute! I love them both very much! I am so excited for them :) And I am excited that I will be having a niece when I get home! ;) I love the picture you sent too, Mom. Wow, we have a great family!
Dad, that story about Ma Wesche is amazing. As soon as I sent my email last week, I realized I hadn't said a thing about her. I love her so much! She is such an amazing person and that trek experience was absolutely unforgettable. Even after trek, she was so sweet. She would always ask how I was doing and she even wrote me a sweet card out of the blue. I hope she knows how much she will be missed and dearly she is loved. I am so glad that Elder Holland could be there to comfort their family right when they needed him. Apostles are amazing! President McKee is pretty much the equivalent of an apostle. They love so deeply and individually- just like the Savior. It makes me set my expectations pretty high for a future spouse. He better be like an apostle! Haha :) Anyways, please give my love to Pa Wesche. I love them both dearly. Amazing people.
Today I got emails from friends! I got so excited that I quickly wrote some of them back, but it distracted me a little bit. Hopefully I have enough time for a good email to y'all! First off, this week has been amazing. We had interviews with President McKee. I can't wait for you all to meet him. He is seriously the most amazing person. I am so blessed to be a missionary under his care. He has so much love for everyone. He is strong and faithful. Every time he opens his mouth the Spirit is so strong. It is great. We had a good interview. We talked about the potential for the area I am in. Bowling Green has a LOT of potential. President McKee's vision for this area is that it will be the highest baptizing in the entire mission. I don't even question why I am here- the Lord has a purpose and we are beginning to find very prepared people. The vision of the South (baptizing hundreds and thousands, tens of thousands- in your day you will see a million members of the church in the South) is coming to pass. And missionaries that are diligent, obedient and full of charity are the key to bringing about this hastening of the work. I feel honored and privileged to be here right now.
I have been seeing immense growth within myself- and I want to keep growing. I want to become the absolute best missionary I can be. I was able to read a talk about a missionary who went on a 40 day fast to truly consecrate himself to the work of the Lord. After 40 days, he was a completely different person. He gave his will to the Lord and many miracles came to pass because of it. They saw 16 baptisms in 4 months. This is the vision I have for myself. And it is beginning right now- with our investigator, D.
D is getting baptized this week! She is so committed. Every time we talk to her, she bears witness of the things that we teach. She feels the Spirit and knows she is doing the right thing. She is morally strong. She is amazing. I am so excited to keep working with her. Man! How cool is that? And we found her only three weeks ago! Yesterday, we were also talking to her brother. We told her family that D is getting baptized. They said she already had been baptized and didn't need to be baptized again. We explained that she felt it was right and was following the Spirit. It would bless all of their lives. Her brother started asking more questions. He said he wanted to learn more. Every time we came over, he felt something in his chest. We testified that that feeling was the Spirit. It would testify of truth. The things we share are the truth and baptism is part of that. He is receptive as well. We are so excited for D and her whole family!
Also, two weeks ago, Sister T and I found another miracle investigator. We went to visit a less-active and he wasn't home. We started to tract the area without much success. We were about to leave and right then a car pulled up. We went over to talk to the two guys that stepped out of their car. We testified boldy and talked about an eternal perspective. The things we teach will bless you beyond what you know right now. J's mom is a member. 15 years ago, J took the missionary lessons- but never joined the church. J gave us his phone number. For a week we tried calling with no success. Then, last Sunday, we tried again. He texted us, "Who is this?" We invited him to church and to the YSA FHE on Monday. He came to FHE. He came to Institute that Wednesday. He reads everything we ask him to in the Book of Mormon. The YSA Sister Missionaries set a baptismal date with him for April 13th! Yesterday, he went to church and said that he felt more strength than he had ever felt in his life! Oh my gosh! The gospel is changing him! And because we were in the right place at the right time, we were blessed with the opportunity to find him! Mom! Dad! Can you feel the power of that Spirit?! He is an absolute miracle! Every time I think about J, the Spirit washes over me. I am so blessed to be a part of this work....
This week we also did service at an alpaca farm. :) Joe Baker and I took lots of pictures with the alpaca :)
My amazing family and all others who read this email, the gospel is true! When the principles of the gospel are applied to your life, they change you. They change you for the better to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. I love him so much. He has blessed my life so much! The Atonement is real. It continues to work miracles in my life every single day. I love this restored gospel. I am grateful that Easter is this week. We have the opportunity to reflect upon His infinite sacrifice for us. It is real. It is incredible. It is life changing.
I love you all and pray you have a wonderful week! God bless :)
Love, Sister Alicia Johnson
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