In the Furnace of Afflictions...

I chose the word "furnace" because it's been like 90-some-odd degrees all week, so we've been cooking!
Anyways, any missionary knows you have good weeks and then you have some below average weeks. This week was below average. But it's from the below averages ones that we're able to learn the most :) so we also learned a lot of good things this week.

One of our afflictions came from a whole lot of circumstances we couldn't control that resulted in dropping two of our sweetest, most adorable investigators--Kaylah who's 11 and Julianna who's 14. both were progressing so well and loved learning about the gospel, so learning we wouldn't be able to teach them anymore was really hard for Hna Scott and I. Julianna is being sent to Mexico to live with her mom (she was here with her dad but her stepmom doesn't want her here) and Kaylah is being sent to live with an aunt she doesn't know in Riverside because her mom isn't capable of taking care of her right now. Neither of them are happy about it and it's hard not being able to do anything to make it better. We kind of have to stand back and watch... We love these girls a lot, and we learned a lot about what charity really is from this whole thing too.

I also learned a lot about patience this week! (I reeeeeaaaally love those lessons.) The Lord is helping me become a really, REALLY patient person by endlessly testing what patience I currently have ;) that's okay though. It helps, it really does.

We learned last night that the English sisters in the area are moving in with us as well!! We're excited because they're awesome :) I'm sure I'll learn lots more about patience and selflessness and sharing too! :) haha. Nah they're super cute though... Sisters Newman and Christiansen :) Newman got to the mission the same day I did.

In other news, Azusa is on fire and it reminded me of the huge fire at home a few years ago. I think it's okay now though? Also handmade flour tortillas are to die for. Also also, don't let 9 year olds paint your fingernails, especially when you have strict rules on what colors you can use. 9 year olds don't understand that.

Overall, I'm very pleased to be here and I'm SO happy because I'll be here in Pasadena another 6 weeks! :) this place feels like home now (especially since I've "adopted" like 5 of the young women).

I hope you're all doing well too! And when you find yourselves in the furnace of afflictions, remember that God is A) always there to help you get through it and B) is helping you learn and grow in ways you couldn't on your own. Keep your eyes open for the lessons to be learned and the bright happy moments. They're always there :)

-Hermanita Johnson

And here's Hna Scott entertaining some small children with a punch balloon

The Big Yellow One is the Sun

Buenas tardes!! Cómo están todos ustedes?? Espero que estén bien :)

Our week was EXCESSIVELY HOT. Yesterday in our apartment it was 104º!!! I wanna melt or sleep in the fridge, and unfortunately I can do neither of those.

But our week was real interesting. We got fed some really good food (per usual) and it was awesome. One member made us this lemon chicken and it's the whitest thing I've eaten in the last 9 months ;) I loved it. On Wednesday we got to see a less active, Juanita, who legitimately is the sweetest thing ever to walk the earth. I LOVE her. I'd come all the way back here just for her :) then on Thursday one of our coolest investigators fell off the face of the earth and we don't have a clue how to find her. We hate when that happens :( so it was a little rough.

But then on Friday we got to go to the LA temple visitor's center with an investigator and a recent convert!! Andrew, our recent convert, is 9 and didn't really want to go.... so we bribed him! Haha we told him if he didn't like being there we would buy him dinner from In N Out--his favorite restaurant. At the end as we were leaving he turns to us and goes "I wish I didn't like that so much because I rally wanted In N Out...!" Haha well Andrew, we're glad ya liked it! And our sweet investigator, Kaylah, loved it as well!! She was so excited to see the little videos they had on the Book of Mormon and on baptism, and she loved the bit about family history! She even emailed some of the videos home so her mom (who couldn't come) could watch them too :) it was a super awesome experience and we're really hoping it'll help her take those final steps that'll prepare her for baptism. I really think it will. She turned to us at the end and, looking at the temple, said "I want to go inside there some day."

Also we complied a list of the things members call us here (and what each literally means). So here goes:
Muñeca: doll; Angelita: little angel (actually we've gotten that in English too...), Princesita: little princess, Hermosa: beautiful, Linda: pretty, Preciosa: precious, Mija: my daughter, Niña/Muchacha: girl, Guapota: very handsome but like feminine (....? I don't get this one), Reina: queen, Hermanita: little sister, Hija: daughter, Nieta: granddaughter, Cachetona: chubby cheeks (thanks...), Güerita: blondie, Élder: ....... no words for this one, Chula: lovely
We love our members so much.

But anyways, in spite of the killer heat, we're happy and we're doing well :) I'm always so grateful to be a part of this amazing work and see it change peoples' lives. It's a blessing for sure, as hard as it may sometimes be :)

-Hermanita Johnson

The Greatest Joy of Missionary Work: Food

So I don't have much time, but this week was awesome! We had SO much good food I thought I was gonna pop. (I don't know if you've noticed, but food is really important to me XD so I have to share my beautiful, blessed experiences with you all). Also, Copa America is going on here, so they've had a bunch of soccer games here in our very own Rose Bowl!! It's so fun to see everyone in their jerseys with their faces painted to represent their country! Like we just had a game between Jamaica and... Colombia I think? But I've decided I'm rooting for Mexico. ¡VIVA MEXICO! (Sorry USA but they're cooler at soccer.)

Ruby (my adopted daughter) taught us to make empanadas <3

Other highlights: birthday! I'm 20 now?!?! So weird! Time's a FLYIN' but I love it here :)

Anyway, the Church is true and that's about all I have to say!! Loves!

-Hermanita Johnson

Birthday part for this cutie!

"You're gonna suffer, but you're gonna be happy about it." --Ron Weasley

What a week!!! Woo!
It was a lovely one, full of lots of adventures. The lives of Scott and Johnson are awesome ;)
First and foremost it was horrifically HOT. Hence the suffering. Like dang, I thought I was gonna die for a while there. Turns out we didn't though, so that's cool. There was also a lot of walking involved--more than usual I feel like. But it's all good! We also got fed a lot and some of it was, I swear, the best food I ever had. It was super delicious!

In all honesty I don't remember much of what happened this week... But we had a really good zone meeting and that was cool :) ummmmm what else...?

Literally my brain se fue y no recuerdo nada.

But I'm happy to be here and it's really neat to see how the Lord makes things work out exactly the way He knows they need to :) It's awesome.

-Hermanita Johnson