Week 47: An Afternoon with an Apostle

OI!

Well this week was awesome! Friday our mission had the unique experience of having a devotional with Elder David A. Bednar and his wife. Due to COVID restrictions they could not come in person, so it was all through Zoom. But, they showed us a picture of the room they were in for the devotional and it is way cool! I attached a picture, I am so thankful for technology that allows us to do things like this! They are seriously amazing, I learned so much! At the very beginning of the devotional Elder Bednar told each of us to not take notes on what was said during the devotional, but rather to listen for things that are not being said. He told us during General Conference he looks out at all the people in the Conference Center and watches people taking notes at top speed. He told us it is much more important to learn by the Spirit and write down impressions than it is to write down exact quotes of everything. Every missionary in the mission was then terrified to write anything down. But, Elder Bednar gave us lots of good advice and I learned a lot about how I can improve as a missionary, and also as a member of the Church after I finish my mission! 

Yesterday for church we got to go to the other area we cover because two of our friends wanted to come to church with us! They both loved it and want to come back next week too and continue to learn more about what we believe! We also had some really solid lessons with some of the other people we are teaching, and hopefully we will be able to have some more of them at church this coming week!

Sadly, we did receive transfer news this morning and Sister Queiroz and I will be leaving Campinas 3 and Vida Nova. But, no one told us where we're going. I guess we don't find out until tomorrow?? Or maybe we do know and I am just not understanding-always a toss up. But I am so happy I get to stay with Sister Queiroz and still work with all the media in the mission! It is going to be a great transfer wherever we end up!

Other highlights from the week included:
-having a mild panic attack when I was asked to bear my testimony in Church. But I can assure you, no false doctrine was preached
-eating pastel e pão de queijo
-having another mild panic attack when the assistants asked us to join in a lesson with them. But once again the Lord provided and my Portuguese was coherent
-discovering the Elders in the office know more American music than I do. I don't know where they are finding these bands but I have never heard of them
-one guy we were teaching asked if I would take him to America. I told him unfortunately I would be living in Brazil for the next eight months, but it seemed like he was willing to wait. The Elders are teaching him now;)
-the picture of me with the basketball resurfaced, and now all the Brazilian missionaries have seen it. I am now a sticker that can be sent in any conversation through whatsapp. There is really no escaping it now haha!

I seriously love it here in Brazil! Don't get me wrong, it's really hard sometimes to be stuck inside basically all day and still not be able to speak the language. But the joy comes with doing the Lord's work! Hoje é um belo dia para ser uma missionária!!

Com amor, 
Sister Johnson

p.s. I found out this week I can't use messenger to talk with anyone but family, so please feel free to shoot me an email!!

1. The Mission with Elder and Sister Bednar!
2. Some quality food
3. The Devo with Elder Bendar! Catch me and Sister Queiroz in the middle screen in the top left corner
4. Part of our area
5. I went back to new missionary training:)
6. We Uber to church, kinda cool
7. The Sisters!
8. Açaí
9. Always two thumbs up for Brazil






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