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Kia Ora Whanau!

You are all wonderful!  My mom told me that heaps of people read this every week.  Sometimes I don't even read over it. Haha But I feel loved by all of you!  It's been the most normal week I've had in ages.  But that can be good. I did get to go to MLC though (Mission Leadership Council).  I sure love that place.  President Cummings is inspired as!  Also, it was so fun to see everyone.  I think I'm getting old in the mission.  I know all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders (and my zone) and almost no one else in the mission.  But it was great to drive up with Sister Green again.  I just love her.  When I was gone, Sister Welker led our area and did such a great job and found us a new investigator. :D  I just love her!  She is so "Utahn" but we have so much fun.  I think I was just like her when I came in but now I've turned kiwi in some ways! 

But we are having a Lip Sync Ward Activity in the Mount Ward and the mission team is doing the song "Hello" by Adele (that I haven't even heard the real words to).  There's this parody of it for missionaries.  It's funny.  Also, Sister Welker and I have written our own parody.  Are you ready?  Good!

I'm a Believer

I thought church was mostly just a fairy tale,

Meant for someone else but not for me.

Elders out to get me,

That's the way it seemed.

Joseph Smith just had a crazy dream.

(chorus)

But then I saw his face!

Now I'm a believer.

There's not a trace

Of doubt in my mind.

He saw God!

Ooh, I'm a believer.

I couldn't leave this church if I tried.

The Book of Mormon was more or less a blessed thing.

The more I read, the less I doubt, oh yeah!

But to get an answer,

I just had to pray.

And the Spirit showed me the right way.

(Repeat Chorus)

I definitely see it on the Top Ten List very soon.  Also I learned a HILARIOUS joke.  "Why did they not have a feast at the end of the Book of Mormon? Because they buried the plates."  I know, I know!  Hilarious!

But anyway, we had a good week working hard and trying to find new investigators.  We have a new (new to us) less active named John.  He's just so down to earth and good.  He was baptized as a kid and then went inactive right away.  It's been so exciting to watch him progress, learn the gospel, and start coming to church!  I've come to realize that a less-active soul is just as important and exciting as an investigator soul.  Numbers don't matter.  People matter!

Our new investigator Harmony is doing well, but she still hasn't come to church!  So that's sad.  But we had an amazing miracle!  Brother Preston has been talking to the massage therapist, Sharee, at his chiropractor business about the gospel for like a year.  He gave her a Book of Mormon and she's been reading it, and yesterday he invited her to church and she came!!!  We had our own private Gospel Principles with her and Isaac and Brother Preston.  We taught her the Restoration.  She is so sharp and we went in great depth and detail to answer her questions.  But it was fun.  It's interesting how I have different companions that are just right for different investigators at the time.   I think Sister Welker and I are a good match to teach Sharee.  But at the end of the lesson, after she asked all of her hard questions, she surprised us.  She said that she had prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true and got an answer.  She knows it's true. She started crying!  We are so excited to teach her and hopefully her family as well!

We've had some long days this week where lots of people weren't home or our fellowship was falling through.  But then experiences like that make it all ok. 

We missed last week feeding the homeless, so it was extra fun to be able to do that again this week.  I just love all the homeless so much.  I know all their names and a lot of their stories.  They are good people and it's so, so rewarding to just help them know that someone cares about them.  Serving others is the best cure for problems!  And Sister Solomon is my hero.   Finally, this week Sister Tusega (Precious's mom) returned from her trip to Samoa!  She bought me a pulu tasi!  That's a Samoan dress and it's so, so pretty!  It kind of corally/pink/orange and it has coconut shells looped into the neck and waist.  And she just bought it for me to be nice!  I am so loved!

I was so excited and kept trying it on every night.  Saturday the Te Puke sisters had permission to sleep at our flat.  But it had a really cheap zipper and the zipper broke!  We tried to fix it but it was really broken.  Sister Lewis is such a go getter!  She got one of my dresses that had bleach stains on it and ripped out that zipper and hand sewed it onto my pulu tai.  It took forever!  Haha and it doesn't look the best, but it worked.  Isn't that so nice of her!  Sister Tusega saw it at church and said that she's going to fix it nicer.  Haha

Sunday in Mount Ward we had a special missionary sacrament meeting.  We all spoke except Elder Fameitau.  He led the music. It was so funny.  He was so, so nervous to and he had me teach him and he kept wanting to practice before church.  He didn't do very well but he tried his darnedest!  But I spoke about member missionaries and talked about Kayla.  I was happy with it.

Also, we had a grand musical number.  We had all the youth and us missionaries sing the EFY medley.  I had the music for it and had to play the piano.  I had to practice like two and a half hours to get it.  It wasn't completely perfect but I don't think anyone really noticed.  I sure love practicing the piano.  They need to put pianos in missionary flats. 

But that pretty much brings you up to date!  Last Monday we hiked the Mount in the rain but then it was sunny and gorgeous with a beautiful rainbow at the top.  I think that's symbolic for us.  The more that we work and press forward in our trails, the more strengthened and blessed we will be and rewarded at the end.

I have really been loving my studies in the morning.  The Book of Mormon and the Ensigns are my favorite!

Love you heaps!

Arohanui,

Sister Clarissa Johnson