Divisions

Ola Familia e amigos,

I hope everyones week was good! My week was... uplifting. Yeah.. uplifting. Let me start with the divisions we had this week. So we had divisions with the sister training leaders. They are on the island of Sal because we do not have sister training leaders here in santo antao and we also dont have them in sao vicente... so they came a long way to do divisions but it was meant to be. haha One of them is Sister Spolador. She is from Brazil. She did the split with me. So I wasnt super worrried but then i realized i would have no choice but to speak portuguese. So sister spolador is cool. We are like twins. Her first area was also Santo antao so she knew all the members and a lot of the same people! I could just feel her excitement and love for the people here. 

So it turns out creole isnºt portuguese! haha duhh.. but it was good to actually know this for sure. I could understand a lot of what sister spolador was saying. She started out speaking slow to me... but by the end of the day she was flying and we had a good old time. So it was a huge confidence builder to see the Lord is truly helping me with this language. Although i do not understand the creole that great i can understand portuguese. The talking is still not great... but Sister spolador was very complimentive and said i was doing fine. :) Now my goal is to understand creole. And i have added faith that the Lord will help me. He already has so much so i need to stop being so negative about my language skills... so i will stop being negative. 

P.S i heard a secret that nobody understands the creole until they become senior companion anyway.. hahaha... jk... but really. 

Also i think this makes it so i can be super simple and focus on the things that i need to focus on. :) By simple things great things are brought to pass. 

So other things i learned from sister Spolador is how to listen! Wow she is so patient and listens so well. She always uses something people say to highlight a truth of the gospel. it is incredible! i love how she did that. That is my goal.. to be able to listen and then use what people know to add more and give them more. I love a quote by Elder Holland that i think every missionary knows but basically he says we need to listen to these people and what they say will always highlight a truth of the restored gospel.. and then we will agree and then offer more! These people NEED what we have. I learned that this week too... also with sister spolador.. She has a strong testimony of what we do have and that everyone needs it. I think about the Gift of the Holy Ghost. WE need this gift to get us throught this life. We need it to direct us, to guide us, and in a lot of times COMFORT us. I am beyond grateful for this gift. And i hope i can always Remember my savior and be worthy to have this gift with me always. Like the sacrament prayer states.

I think the highlight of my week was yesterday we had a lot of less actives in church! It was so great to see people there who already had this great gospel in their life and realize they need it again. We talked to a lot of less actives this week. Basically we just invited a lot of them and a good amount showed up. I love when people keep their commitments! :) And the spirit was so strong yesterday in church. The peace we feel after the sacrament is incredible.

Oh and one more thing... President and sister mathews were on our island this week and gave a training. It was on the Restoration! Sister mathews gave a little pop quiz.. Who were the first missionaries of this dispensation... Who was the first investigator? 

There were other questions but i liked these best... Heavenly father and Jesus Christ were the first missionaries and Joseph Smith the first Investigator. I would love to be like the first missionaries some day :) But our challenge as a mission now is to get to the point and give them the proof. Which is get to the first vision and give them the book of mormon! I have seen the lessons change when we focus on the first vision, book of mormon and how they can know for themselves. We can really have a conversation and feel the spirit so strong when we focus on the points :) 

Love you all!

Sister Johnson

My cool hair

Sister Spolodor

Sister Leader

idea to get more references