Minot the Beautiful

This week I had the best and worst lessons of my mission. Trying to teach the Restoration to an 8 and 12 year old who want to beat each other up the whole time can really try ones patience... #I'mtryingtobelikeJesus. But let's focus on the positive! The lesson after that was the most Spirit filled lesson I have ever had. That, my friends, is why I LOVE being a missionary. 

We recently have been volunteering at a food pantry once a week. The ladies that we do it with go to Bethany Lutheran church here in town. When we walked in this week, they ladies said "the Sister's are here! Oh we are so happy, we told all of our friends about you." Talk about feeling loved! They invited us to their churches Rhubarb festival this week... stay tuned. 

In a hurry, but know I love you all! 

"As you set goals this year, set your sights on the two great commandments- to love God and to love one another." 

"Decide to laugh a lot and follow God."

Minot the beautiful 

Ready for our close up 

Pizza at district meeting

We all wore stripes, how cute! 

Love the Lawson's 

Chicken on a stick in Velva... all we do is eat (and other missionary things)

Always selfies  

The prettiest place we've found

Shots Shots Shots

Funny story. This week we taught the restoration using cups to some members (I'll send a picture)! When we asked who appeared to Joseph Smith when he knelt down and offered up a prayer, she took a long pause and then yelled "Peter!" I literally tried so hard not to laugh, but it made my whole day! 

We put Carol on date for baptism on Feb. 25 and I am so happy! 

On Friday, after district meeting, we decided to treat ourselves to some Subway. Well, after we ate, there was this old man sitting all alone eating, and nothing rips out my heart more than lonely old men. So, I went and talked with him. He said he was turning 84 in a couple of days. He asked me what we do as missionaries and a bunch of questions about our church. Then I gave him a Book of Mormon to read and he took it. He told me that there was something different about us. He said he thought it was so cool that we prayed over our food, and could tell we had something special. That was the best compliment I have ever gotten! 

Other than that, it's still cold, and I'm still a missionary, and I still love it! I love all of you a lot! 

Shot cups put to great use :) 

Our winter wonderland 

4 more weeks with this chump❤

Weekly sister lunch! 

HAPPY 2017

Hi everyone! 

I hope you all had a rockin' New Years! I loved the pictures and emails from everyone :) 

Well, we had an eventful week. We put some on date for baptism and dropped some other's. Needless to say missionary work is a roller coaster from week to week. 

We had transfers, so we have been helping all of the new missionaries to the area get settled in. We had a couple sister's living with us for the week so it was our mini sorority ;) New Years Eve was fun, but probably not as exciting as most. We taught a bunch of lesson's that day, and then went over to the Sanger's for dinner and games. Went home at 9, and was in bed by 10. party. animals. It's okay though because we had a cool little experience at one of our lesson's that day.

Early this week we were trying potential's and going to different homes of less active member's. We knocked on one door and a man answered. It wasn't the person we were looking for, but we asked him if he wanted to learn more and he said yes! We scheduled an appointment for the 31st. We went back and taught him and his two sons. We committed him to a baptismal date at the end of this month and he said yes! Then he told us that he had been praying to know more about God and then later that day we knocked on his door. It was the coolest feeling to know that we were an answer to his prayer!! 

Update: Fatima is definitely trying to marry us off to her sons. during our lesson with her and her son, she said "Khalifa (the guy we are teaching) likes her (sister hansen), but I like you (me)". Sufficiently awkward, but had to laugh it off. No Fatima I cannot marry your son! Always eventful here in the Dakotas. 

Oh, I successfully cried for the first time in a lesson this week so rock on! Made it almost 4 months! 

I love you all. have a wondrous week. You're great. 

I really just wanted you to see how tall the snow is, but this does not do it justice. Oh well here's a picture of me being candid. 

I get to drive now! 

Snowy Christmas and a Frozen New Year

Hello my people. 

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas. I sure did! 

Christmas Eve we had lunch with all the sister's in our zone, then we visited people and did normal missionary things. After, we made cookies and took them to the airmen on base who had to work on Christmas Eve. It was so fun!! 

We had a blizzard on Christmas, so church was cancelled. A missionary not going to church on Christmas... it was weird let me tell ya. We spent the day with the Sangers who are members, and conveniently live in our apartment complex! We had Christmas breakfast with them and opened presents. Then the McRae's came and picked us up for Christmas dinner. We spent most of the day there and guess what we had for dinner? prime rib and crab legs. Soooooooo content! Around 6:30 they told us they needed to take us home or we were going to be camping out at their house. I thought I was going to die. You could only see about 5 ft in front of you, it was super freaky. 

The rest of the week was amazing though! We put our investigator, David, on date for baptism on January 28th! I taught the Plan of Salvation while there was a squirrel sitting on the couch next to me eating walnuts. #onlyinND

We taught a Muslim family from India and the mom (Fatima) kept kissing my cheeks and giving me presents from India hahaha she was the cutest old lady ever!! I'm also certain she wanted to marry us off to her two sons because she kept telling me and my companion how "beautiful and innocent and modest" we were. hahahaha! They couldn't quite grasp the concept that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Baby steps. 

We had transfers this week, but I'm staying here with Sister Hansen for her last transfer! Not mad though :) I love Minot and her! 

p.s sorry I wasn't on my email yesterday... we got snowed in so we are just barely getting to do P-day things! LOVE YOU. 

This is the cutie Sister Crockett 

Christmas Eve brunch with the sisters  

Me and Ruddie  

Sister Hansen had food poisoning on Christmas Eve, and this was her portions at dinner to try to keep it down.. poor babe  

Christmas Eve games with the Roskelley's!

  

10 points to whoever understands my shirt :) 

We were trying to be cute 

Just wanted one good picture with Leo...finally got the it :) 

 Christmas dinner with Madi McRae 

My fav McRae's 

lol at the snow 

I Love Being a Missionary!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! 

Wow. What a week. 

So we got in a car wreck, but all is well! It should have been wayyyy worse than it was. We were on our way to interviews with our mission president, and we took the off ramp (that curves, so you can't see very well the other side) but didn't know of the ice that was lying ahead. Sister H lost control of the vehicle and hit the barrier that bounced us into a snow bank. There were 7 other cars that did the same thing right before us. They didn't make it out as great as us. A couple of them crashed into each other, one went through the barrier and was being towed out. Let me tell you, it was SCARY. There was a cop at the scene, but they hadn't shut off the off ramp which was really dumb, but that's just my opinion. Anyways.. I'm fine, my companion is fine, and our car only had a cracked front left wheel, no body damage. Miracles. So we will be getting it back, but let me tell you, walking in this weather is NO fun! Lesson learned. Super fun walking in to interviews all shaken up to tell our mission president that we crashed though. He wasn't even mad and gave us his personal card to go with the zone leaders to get it taken care of... he is such a good man!  

We got trapped inside this weekend because it was -45, but we are being blessed and it is 28 today and SO WARM. 

We had our Zone Christmas party, and Zone Conference this week which was the BOMB. I have the coolest missionaries to serve around, and I wish everyone could meet my mission pres. and his wife, they are the salt of the earth! 

We have two new investigators that we've started teaching this week. EVERYONE, let me tell you about this man! 6 years ago he got acute glaucoma and went completely blind in one eye, and legally blind in the other within 3 days time, his son also died that same year, went through a divorce and is now raising his 7 year old daughter alone. The man has more faith in Christ than anyone I have ever met. I LOVE TEACHING HIM! He loves what we have been teaching and is eating it up! Again. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! 

So many other miracles and so many stories and no time. 

I seriously love you all so much and I hope you have an AMAZING Christmas. 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-12-007-the-first-christmas-spirit?lang=eng

xo sister johnson and sister hansen 

Many photos with my Grandma Johnson who went home on Friday. miss her so much already! 

Sleep over with the Dickinson Sister's for Zone Conf.

Another with Sister J 

Been with this crazy for 3 months!! Happy 3 months to us 

Also, here are more Christmas pics :) 

CODE WHITE

Hello my family and friends!

As many of you may have seen the weather was AWFUL this week. Today is the warmest it's been and we are sitting at a hefty one degree. Tuesday the city called for a code white. Everything was shut down, and everything was cancelled. We had 60 mph winds, and it was nice and warm. -24 to be exact. The wind was blowing snow everywhere, it looked like a white tornado. I'm not even kidding you, I was expecting to look out my window and see penguins huddled together. Well, that day we didn't brave the outdoors. We did missionary work from the warmth of the apartment, but the next day... I walked outside and my nose hairs froze. DO YOU KNOW HOW WEIRD THAT SENSATION IS? I also couldn't breathe, but I'm getting used to it now. Sister Hansen said I was being dramatic, I say otherwise.

Yesterday was the Primary Program and us and the Elders got to sing "Called to Serve" with the primary kids. It was so fun!!

On the day when it was -20 with the wind chill we tracted a few houses. Now mind you we could only knock on one door before we would have to warm up. The wind rips right through any article of clothing. Well, the second to last door on the street we knocked and the guy answered and yelled at us to "go away." Then he proceeded to slam the door. We responded with a "Merry Christmas!" Sister Hansen added a "If I was Santa I'd give you coal." Christ like? maybe not, but it made me laugh when I wanted to cry :)

The last door was mucho better. The guy let us in and we taught him a quick version of the Restoration. Gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he would read some of it this week and we could check back with him next week. He and his wife are nurse anesthetists so he knows all the doctors in our ward. We talked to Brother Amsbury who is a doctor at the same hospital, and he says he knows him and his wife and the wife is just as cool. She was at work that night, so we are pumped to meet her.

Anyways, those are some highlights. wish I could tell you all the amazing things that happen everyday, but there is just not enough time. You all can just read my journal when I get back.

I LOVE YOU.

Oh here's this nifty hymn we sang this week, I love it and wanted to share.

know this that every soul is free

to choose his life and what he'll be;

for this eternal truth is giv'n

that God will force no man to Heav'n

Hot cocoa on a cold p-day

Amsbury's naked cats!!

Family photos

BENNETT

This poem is so accurate

Our little tree, and some gifts from the members

Thanks to Faith Amsbury for braving the cold to snag some pics :)

Sneak peak at the family Christmas card

Greetings From the North Pole!

I have a story for you all. Once there were two missionaries, they were diligent little missionaries and wanted to be obedient. One night there was a scary blizzard that came and lasted for 3 days. That blizzard was so bad, and the drifts were really deep. Some of the locals were trapped inside until someone could shovel them out. The Mission President asked them not to drive their cars because of the danger on the roads. They were to go out on foot only. They put on their scarves, hats, thermals, boots, wool layers, coats, and gloves and set out to preach the Gospel. People thought these two missionaries were crazy for being outside in these conditions. Well, at their District Meeting that Friday, some of the other missionaries were talking about their "snow day". They soon learned of how the other missionaries stayed inside during the blizzard. Those two missionaries were Sister Johnson and Sister Hansen. 

The End. 

Well everyone, I hope you had a great week! We sure did, even though we were walking outside while it was snowing sideways. The cold temps are setting in this week, but that is good news because apparently some of the locals say that it doesn't snow terribly because it gets too cold. How is that possible you ask? I have no idea, but I am taking it from them. I think it snowed a good 2 feet, but don't quote me on that. 

We had a youth carnival planned for the youth to invite all their friends, and we were going to have all the people to teach, but then it got canceled due to the weather and that was a heart breaker. 

Don't forget that I love you! 

Seasons greetings from the Sisters 

Bishop Jacob's little girl Ju Ju got baptized this week

the Roskelleys gave us a little tree for our apartment!! 

So much love for this little one

  

The snow plows leave it in the middle of the cul-de-sac for the whole winter 

ZL's came to drop off a new car (has AWD so we are pumped) and those icicles had formed over night 

This lady named Marcell gave us candy canes at her door :)