bailey in bismarck: One More Week Until North Dakota

happy thursday everyone! I never thought I would love thursday's so much!
I can't believe I leave the MTC next week! I literally cannot wait, mostly because I'm so excited to get there and start being a real missionary, and partially because if I eat the MTC food for one more day I may not make it out... needless to say I have never eaten more bananas in my life. also what is the deal with putting out desserts for every meal?! like we really don't need a double chocolate cake with our oatmeal.. okay I'm not that mad about it, but I would like to fit through the doorway when I get to North Dakota.

so this week we were teaching one of our investigators and I started weeping to her about the Book of Mormon. I was sharing my testimony with her of why I have such a love for it, and then my allergies started acting up and my eyes got all watery.. don't you hate when that happens? me too. so all of my friends at home would make fun of how much I cry when it comes to spiritually uplifting things, and I thought I was getting better until we watched 17 Miracles on Sunday and I was a wreck! seriously if you haven't seen it you need to! I know it's a little corny at times, but I don't care who you are, you have to give credit to the faith and sacrifice that the pioneers had and went through. seriously, watch it. last weekend I was singing Whitney Houston's "I wanna dance with somebody", and one of the Elders was giving me grief.. so I whipped out D&C 136:28 and danced the whole way to lunch :)

We do a lot of role playing to get us familiar with situations and help us to teach. well the other day we were teaching our companions and I look over and Elder Taysom had Elder Cook's face between his hands yelling "Open your heart!" I laughed so hard! they're some of my favorite human beings.

update: i'm still the worst volleyball player ever. I've only been hit in the face twice, but I keep trying! the Elder's like to spike the ball on me when I'm in the front, so i've been working on trying to spike it on them. elders:7 bailey:0

last week I mentioned how I've been singing in the MTC choir, it's one of my favorite times of the week. this last week we sang the Primary song Baptism. it's one of the songs that the MTC General Conference Choir will be singing, so we were singing it to help them practice. well they pulled up a video clip of the Savior's baptism in the river jordan, and they had us watch it once with the sound. then they muted it and had us sing the song Baptism while we watched it. I WAS A WRECK. I wish all of you could have been there.. maybe they'll show it at conference but I don't think so.

every day after lunch or dinner Elder Findley looks at me & says "Sister Johnson... it's your favorite time of the day!" MAIL TIME. then elder Taysom tries to tell me there won't be any letters for me... he eats those words as he hands over my loot. 😘

after our sunday and tuesday devotionals we meet as a district and talk about what we liked and basically what we got out of it. well this tuesday we were talking about how we want to be as missionaries.Sister Gabler shared a story of how whenever she was going to try a new trick while she was wake boarding and she got scared her brother would yell, "are you gonna be a sheep or a lion?" then she shared this quote...

if we're gonna fly we fly like eagles

arms out wide

if we're gonna fear we fear no evil

we will rise

like our power, we will go

like our spirit, we are bold

if we're gonna stand, we stand like giants

if we're gonna walk, we walk as lions

I hope that you can all find something from this that will apply to you, no matter where you're at in life. whenever I get nervous or stressed or discouraged I first think of my Savior and how much He loves me, but this quote has also helped me out. are we gonna be sheep or lions?

I love you all with my whole heart! I want to hear from all of you! I will be leaving the mtc this coming wednesday morning (at 3:50 am.. i count that as tuesday night but whatever) so if you check the very first post on this blog, the address for North Dakota is on here, and there is nothing more exciting than getting a letter!! let's be pen pals :) also my P day will be changing to Monday's.

love, sister (barbie) johnson :)

p.s. everyone watch general conference this weekend! because we all know Elder Holland is going to say something amazing! ( & everyone else of course ❤) I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

p.s.s. watch this video! (i hope it works) https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-01-002-come-unto-christ-2014-theme-song?lang=eng