Katie's Mission - Carrollwood - Transfer 8
Carrollwood - Week 46 - June 1, 2020
Sam’s Baptism
Companion: Sister Welker
Hi! This week we had 9 year old Sam's baptism this week which was awesome!! He was super happy:) only 10 people are allowed so we set it all up and then watched it on zoom call from the next room over. But in the middle of the baptism, Sis Welker's phone died and we had to sneak in there and switch it with my phone haha! All is well. We gave him his favorite oreos afterward so I think we are best friends now!
Karina is doing amazing & preparing for her baptism on Sunday! We have had some amazing lessons. She has had so many spiritual experiences that have prepared her for this and her testimony is so strong. Last night we taught her about the temple and she can't wait to go!! She is getting her temple recommend right after her baptism and then catch her in there right when the temple opens again(: We can't wait to meet her in person and meet her sweet 2 year old Amara! WE LOVE YOU KARINA.
Tampa update.. we can still only meet with our friends at the church building or online. Things seem to be opening up here. There were lots of riots near us in New Tampa this week and the city now has a curfew for 7:30 every night.
EXCHANGE w Hermana Samples! We had an awesome exchange on Saturday. Sis T and I just picked her up from the airport a couple transfers ago! Hna Samples is an amazing missionary and her Spanish has gotten soo good. I learned so much from her!! We had an awesome lesson with Barbara who loves loves cats (but her cat died!) and tried to comfort her and teach about the Plan of Salvation. Hermana Samples was such a sweet listener and powerful teacher. Barbara has the best questions and a real desire to learn! It was also the best because Hna Samples loves cauliflower rice as much as I do! Yum!
In our church zoom class yesterday, we were reminded that if our testimonies aren't growing/being strengthened, they are falling back. Faith is like a seed and it won't grow if we don't water it right? We need to constantly be strengthening our testimonies and working on them to keep them up. "The Lord loves effort." I know if we do a little bit each day to strengthen our faith, it will contribute to our MIGHTY CHANGE OF HEART just like the come follow me talks about this week in Alma 5!
I hope everyone is doing well! Remember how much God loves you!
Love y'all!
Sister J
PS we got MOD PIZZA this week woohoo!!
Carrollwood - Week 47 - June 8, 2020
MTN TOP 2 MTN TOP
Companion: Sister Welker
Mid-transfer news... we are getting a new companion this week!! Back to the trio life! It was fun being in (maybe our last) duo while it lasted!
Now the BIG news.. KARINA IS NOW A BAPTIZED MEMBER OF THE CHURCH! We are sooo happy for her. We had a small 10 person baptism and the members were so excited to meet her and brought her gifts and treats and made her feel so welcome(: karina's little girl amara is absolutely adorable and loved watching her mom get baptized and also coloring with me on the floor. We texted and asked how Karina felt the night before and she just said "ready". She has such a strong testimony and the members told her they will take her to the temple right when it opens:,)
One of the highlights this week was getting to teach english classes online for Brazilians in Tampa! Seriously they are the SWEETEST people and we had so much fun! They all asked me if I spoke portugese but loved it when I tried to speak to them Sis Welker was impressed I understood most of the conversations so I guess duolingo is really paying off. Eu não falo muito Portugues.
We held Tampa's first ever zone specialized training for all of the missionaries who have been reassigned since last transfer. We all gave trainings and counsed about how we can move from MOUNTAIN TOP TO MOUNTAIN TOP and include the ideas from our missionaries' past missions! Our mission motto is "mountain top to mountain top" which I love because we are always trying to remember what we have learned and also work towards the next things we can improve on! I encourage y'all to think about what the next spiritual mountain top is for you!
Have a wonderful week!!
Sister Johnson
Carrollwood - Week 48 - June 15, 2020
11 months this week ah!!
Companion: Sister Welker and Hermana Warren
Okayyy I don't have a lot of time but BIG NEWS. 1) Hermana Warren got here this week and SHE IS THE BEST. We have way too much fun and she reminds me of my sister Megan. Also, my 4th comp named Emily!
2) Sister Welker is getting TRANSFERRED to another area with a Portugese sister she actually knew from the MTC.. party! We will miss her TONS.
3) Y'all are gonna die.. Sister Tauanu'u is coming to Carrollwood so we get to be comps again!!! She is no longer a social media specialist but she will be close enough to keep an eye on it so we CANNOT WAIT!
I actually had an exchange with Sister T this week which was SO NICE. We actually got back in contact with someone we used to teach in YSA and had a lesson with him at the church (yess Angel!!) We had so many lessons and at night we picked up all the new sisters from the airport just like old times! We had to wait up for one of them who arrived super late at night so we were so tired.. also just like old times. We also had an awesome "training meeting", semi-virtual zone conference, and a zone council about how we can reach our goals this month!
One of the best parts of this week was helping our members to share the gospel! It is amazing seeing them thinking through ways they can reach out to their friends and share a scripture with them or ask how they have been doing lately or invite them to join us in a bible study! Our members are the best and I know God puts people in our path so we can share with them!(:
Love y'all!
Sister Johnson
- tons of facemask pictures..
Carrollwood - Week 49 - June 22, 2020
3 PEAS IN A POD
Companion: Sister T and Hermana Warren
We had WAY TOO MUCH FUN this week. We have about a million inside jokes now.. but we all keep each other on task and worked so hard this week. We LOVE IT. Soo happy to be back with Sister T and Hermana Warren keeps us laughing so hard our abs hurt.
This week..
•We delivered guacamole packets to the members.. with an avacado, lime, and cilantro. Have a QUAC'n day!
•there aren't enough mission vehicles so we got a new rental car.. a black RAV 4 we looove. It's called the Batmobile.
•with these 2 we work out HARD every morning & it's the best
•We set a goal to contact 3 members and 3 formers (people taught in the past) a day and we saw MIRACLES from it. We also had a goal of finding 3 new people and theres 3 of us so basically our goal is #3.
•Today we played PICKLEBALL in the 95° HEAT with all the sisters. Worth it. (We are soo tired tho I can barely write this email)
•Hna Warren gave a beautiful spiritual thought in the TAMPA ZONE CALL about how we are making a difference from inside and all over social media #inspirationalspeaker
•the cutest member ever brought us some oreos and sparkling water!
•we met our mailman FRANK who is so awesome and is giving us some referrals! We are leaving him quotes in our mailbox!
•We send out sooo many uplifting quotes and texts to our friends and members #scattersunshine
we threw a Fathers Day Party for our mission mom and dad, Elder and Sister Cook. We love them!!
•Please pray for Fern, Evie, Gustavo, and Manoj (:
SHOUTOUTS to my main m(e)n..
s/o to my FATHER for being the very best and most Christlike Dad I could ever ask for. Love you soo much!
s/o to my BIG BRO RYAN who turns 22 (sing it T.Swift) tomorrow! Thanks for being my #1
Love you all, remember God loves you!! He is the ultimate father and loves us unconditionally. I promise you He IS watching over us & everything is going to work out.. pray to Him a little more often this week and tell him how you are doing️
Sister Johnson
Carrollwood - Week 50 - June 29, 2020
50 weeks & 100 days
Companion: Sister T and Hermana Warren
This week I hit 50 weeks in the mission & 100 days in self-isolation, we celebrated with Jimmy Johns! It's been a crazy ride but we have learned a lot. Sister T and I were together when everything first started going down and we remember getting the call that we would be doing all of our missionary work from inside!
We had some bomb LESSONS this week. We got back in contact with Manoj and had a church tour! He loved seeing all of the paintings in the hallways and had so many questions about them. We taught him the Restoration and focused a lot on the priesthood and the spirit was so strong! It was so nice to have an in person lesson!
We had a district activity today and your girls destroyed in who-knows-their-companion-best !! It feels like we have been together for years but it's only been a week and a half(:
We had a goal to call 3 people who were previously taught every day and we got in touch with some awesome people we are excited to teach this week! Miracles. I love getting to know new people!
My companions are the most loving and are constantly serving me and each other. I find little uplifting notes from them everywhere! They are the cutest!! We of course delivered tons more cookies this week to members and some of our friends having a hard time!
We also studied and taught the Come Follow Me for this week SO MUCH about Ammon and King Lamoni. I love it because Ammon served King Lamoni before he taught him the gospel. It is such an amazing story. The first step to helping anyone is to LOVE THEM. And as we all know in Mosiah 2:17 it says of we love God we will love those around us!!
I also found this cute poem from President Monson...
I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody’s need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.
There are so so many people who need love and service especially right now so go & do what you can to show them your love!
Love, Sister J
Carrollwood - Week 51 - July 6, 2020
We are all 20!!
Companion: Sister T and Hermana Warren
Hey fam! Happy 4th of July everyone! My comps surprised me with a cute birthday party today filled with my fav food aka crepes and donuts how fun!! Also s/o to my best friends Sister Hurley and Sister T for turning 20 tomorrow! Wowwww!
Official transfers are today and us 3 are staying in Carrollwood hallelujah! We have lots of new missionaries coming in to the zone this week which we are super excited for.
So many spiritual highlights this week. God truly does provide miracles in our life when we do our best. It has been kinda slow lately and it's been a struggle bus for lots of missionaries but GOD IS IN THE DETAILS and He has our backs. Life is a lot better when we align our will with His, instead of doing what we want to do.
One of my favorites..
Alma 37:37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day
For fast Sunday this week, we joined in on the Patel family sacrament & testimony meeting over zoom call and hearing all 5 kids testimonies was sooo precious! Bishop also posted a video of his testimony on the ward Facebook page and invited everyone to do the same. Technology is so awesome! I know that this gospel is true and this is Jesus Christ's church restored on the Earth!! Jesus Christ is our Savior. He loves us so much that he sacrificed his life for us so we can be with God again someday. And through him, we can have 2nd chances and find PEACE & JOY.
Love y'all!
Sister Johnson
