Christmas Zone Conference

Hello everybody!

We just had our Christmas Zone conference and one of the elders that was in my MTC district was there; so it was fun to talk to him and compare stories. And it turns out there is an Elder Johnson in my district here that is related through Joel Hills. I keep running into people that know people I know; it's funny. For instance, I had to speak in church on Sunday-the first time as a missionary and they only gave us a day or so notice; I guess such is the life of a missionary... We were supposed to have a huge ice storm Saturday night, so we were hoping that they'd end up having to cancel church, but no such luck :) Just kidding, it was actually a really good experience for me. Sister Andersen is so funny. She gets so nervous she shakes really bad, and so as we were singing the closing hymn, she was still shaking so bad that her voice was shaking and I couldn't stop laughing because she sounded like she was pretending to be an opera singer! Good thing we were behind the chorister... Anyway, before I spoke, Sister Andersen told me to introduce myself a little to take up more time, to leave less time for her :) so I did. Afterwards I had several people come up to me and tell me that they knew so and so from Phoenix, or worked at Anasazi, but in particular this one girl came up and asked me if I knew Lara Ackerman because she's her sister! Lara works in the office at Anasazi and is one of the most amazing people I know. It's a small world. Oh, and one of the elders in my district told me there is an elder in the mission who went to George Wythe. I don't know his name, but I think he said his name was Elder Cluff?

So like I mentioned earlier, we had our Christmas Zone Conference on Monday and Tuesday and it was really kind of neat because President Cowley drove all the way down here and drove us back up to Charleston to spend the night in the mission home. He had a strong feeling that the missionaries needed to feel the spirit of being in the mission home this Christmas, and he read a quote that said how only the home can compare to the sacredness of the Temple, and so since we don't have a temple in our mission that we can visit, he felt that the mission home was the closest thing and wanted us all to be there. It was really nice. There is a huge room in the basement with a bunch of bunk beds for the elders, and a bedroom upstairs for the sisters, but there were 6 of us including the pair of elderly sisters, so us youngsters slept on mats in the living room under the Christmas tree! It was fun. And I got everyone's Christmas letters! I didn't know if I should read them then or wait till Christmas, but I decided I would read them then :) Thank you so much and for all the love and support everyone gives to me. I know I don't show all the time how much I appreciate every one of my family -but I do.

I've never thought I was a good teacher, but I keep having to be reminded that teaching is not really about me telling people anything, it's inspiring them to learn it for themselves. I don't think I'm a very good missionary either, but last night we were visiting with a less active girl and I was reminded that one of the biggest parts about being a missionary is just loving and listening, (kind of like being a trailwalker at Anasazi :) But she has just been having a hard time, and as we just listened to her and showed her we cared about her and not judging her, she began to solve her own problems and feel the spirit and to feel for the first time in awhile that she really does want to change some things in her life. I don't do any of the real teaching, it's the Holy Ghost who does that. I just have to always remember that, and I'll be a good missionary.

I will still be able to email next Wednesday. Christmas won't count as a P-day, we're still expected to make visits to our less actives and investigators- and it looks like we will be busy all day long with people wanting us to visit them and feed us! Ward members signed up to feed us all day long! I'm going to get fat out here, I just know it! Especially because they fry everything or cover it in butter.

Well, I'm out of time, but know that I love you all and I will talk to you on Christmas!

~Sister Melissa Johnson