Davi - 8/5/13 emails

[Today Davi sent three emails.  The first one contained just a short sentence:]

The visa is in!

[The other two are as follows:]

This is Sonny—he fits his name now :)

For Real This Time

Sonny!!!  Oh y'all, it was the coolest thing ever.  Sonny got baptized!  And a bunch of his friends came to it, and made mention of how much happier he is now.  He really is so much happier.  I told him he's just sonnier :) Anyway, he is the coolest cat.  And had to get dipped four times, but he says that made him feel extra clean. He is such an incredible example, and really will bless the lives of all his friends and family.

So, I am leaving in a week for Peru, and telling my ward was so hard.  You know how I get when other people start crying....  "If you cry, I'll start to cry, and we'll never get through this!"  [For you movie-line amateurs, that was from Monsters Inc.]  It's just so cool to have been able to see such a change in the ward.  I really have come to be such good friends with them and love them so much.  Kalli and Ciara are totally my homegirls, and Lisa I just never want to stop hugging, and Dallin does sooooo much for us, and just everyone is amazing.  I could list so many names right now. It's just so cool to see a ward get excited about missionary work, and really become more strong as a unit and as individuals.

Leyo and Abel and Josh and Michael and Ed all have baptismal dates in August.  And luckily, I will be able to be there for Michael's, but not for any of the rest of them.  It's crazy how you just work so hard in a place, and give your all to it, and then you have to leave, and it just feels so right that you can't even be upset about it.  But you get to look and see how the work of the Lord is progressing, and it makes my little heart all full and fluttery.

But in case I didn't make this clear, I am soooo excited about Peru.  IT CAME Y'ALL!!!!  My Spanish is horrendous, and I may really miss peanut butter (I am about to go stock up on it), but everything feels so good!!  I am so excited :)  It's so cool that I get two missions.  I am the luckiest sister in the whole world.

I have learned so much about who Heavenly Father is.  He really is our Father.  It makes more sense daily.  And I get to see how He feels about His children, and I start trusting Him more and more, and I see how wonderful and loving and perfect He is, and giving my life to Him brings me more peace than anything.  I know He is real harder than I know anything else.  My Father and His truth are my reality and my life, and I know there is no better way to live.

So this is pretty unimportant, but we had 30 lessons with investigators this week—22 with members there. Ever since Dad said that about Elder Sohkanen splitting his ward, I thought to myself, this area needs to get more missionaries in it.  Maybe I need to get that many lessons to make it happen.  And we finally did it this week! The work is crazy over here.  It's like the funnest thing ever.  Alycia, one of the members, said that she has never seen the ward like this.  She says that it's crazy how many people want to help and are excited about missionary work.  It's amazing how it is working.  Like, so amazing.  I just get to do what my Heavenly Father asks me, and try to love the people with His love, and He makes the most amazing things happen!  It really is impossible for me to think that I did any of it, but it's so cool to be a small part of.  I love being a missionary so much!!  I am so happy!

Anyway, love you all a lot.  I am off to the best mission in the southern hemisphere.  Can't believe how fast the time is flying!  But I am loving every second of it.  Being a missionary is the best :)  

Love,

Sister Johnson