More From the MTC

The Names by which she shall be know

October 5, 2011

A CSALADOM!

Oh my Goodness!- I LEAVE IN 5 DAYS!! My time here at the MTC feels like it has gone by so fast! but it also feels like i've been here for an eternity! Looking back i can't believe i am already leaving! I am so excited and so nervous at the same time! We got our flight plans last friday! i leave on monday in the afternoon! its so crazy to think that soon i will be talking to real Hungarians!- real investigators!! how crazy. I'm not sure they will be able to understand a word of my Hungarian- but i just hope they can see the excitement and love i have for the gospel! I found out i am able to call home the day my flight leaves. So keep your phones on you on the 10th! I'm not exactly sure what time i will be able to call yet. Just that i can call on that day. Our flight will be leaving here strait to Paris!- and then to HUNGARY!! oh man.. it gives me the chills just thinking about it!

Our consecration week has been great! Its been really difficult at times.. but also pretty fun! I've learned so many more new words! and i've made it a whole week without sweets! i might just keep this up a little longer! :) One of my favorite things about only speaking Hungarian this week, was when missionaries who don't know Hungarian would sit by us. I would always try and talk to them in the language and have conversations. It became kindof like a game of charades!- I was actually amazed with how much they were able to understand and respond to! It gave me hope that when i get to Hungary, if the people don't understand my MTC Hungarian- i can just resort back to hand guestures and crazy facial expressions and they should get the jist of it!

I finished reading the Book of Mormon this week! it feels so great to finish, because now i can just start at the beginning again! i'm so glad Michael challenged me to read it during my time here. I'm not sure i would have finished all of it if he hadn't. A few weeks ago i was really far behind, i thought about giving up -but then decided i couldn't. So i took the Book of Mormon around with me everywhere i went and read it whenever i could find some free time. Reading then changed from "i have to finish! so i can't put it down." to " this is so amazing! i don't was to put it down!" I am so glad i had the oppurtunity to read the whole Book of Mormon here. I know it strengthened my testimony and love for the BofM so much, and now i will be able to testify so much more powerfully because i know its a true Book.

Conference was amazing wasn't it! I was telling my companion how its so funny that your perception of conference changes so much as you get older. When i was younger i dreaded conference.. it was 8 hours where i didn't understand much and i just saw it as a time so color, sleep, or play the dot-game with my siblings. Conference always seems so long and boring and i was so relieved when the sessions were over. Its horrible that i felt that way- please don't judge me, but its true. BUT NOW!- Conference is the greatest thing EVER! In every talk there is something for me to apply and learn. These are God's servants talking to us! This is what Heavenly Father would have us know right now! That just amazes me! now, i find myself paying attention so much more intently. And the sessions seem so much shorter! i actually felt a little sad this time when they ended! I would tell you which one was my favorite but i really loved them all! A few i really like was the talk that said "it is better to look up"- that is so true. I also liked Elder Packers talk about the old crow and the young crow. Elder Uchtdorf was great in Conference and in the Relief Society session. I hope we are able to recieve a copy of the next ensign so that i will be able to read through them again.

Well anyways, I better get going! I love you all and pray for you always! I will try and send my memory card with my pictures on it as well! thanks for your letter and package with the sweater!! i love it! i've already worn it basically everyday.Dad, that is so awesome you will be in Hungary next week!- if its alright i'd rather not see family now so that i can stay focused on the work! you probably weren't planning on it anyway, but just making sure. i love you lots though and i'm excited i will get to talk to you on the phone this week! Oh ya! Dad and Holly thanks for the letters on dearelder! i'm so glad to hear things are going well for you! Holly i hope you had a great birthday! Sophie's birthday is today! - Happy birthday Sophie! thanks for all the pictures Diane! Sophie is adaorable! i have the cutest niece ever!! i love you all tons! take care! Talk to you SOON!!!!!

Szervusz! Jó napot kivánok!

Szerettel,

Johnson Nővér

The Sisters

The Elders

September 28, 2011

Hi Everyone!

So our consecration week starts this week! During consecration week we give up speaking english- so i will only be able to speak in Hungarian for a whole 7 days!! i really hope i survive. Plus, normally on consecration weeks people give up something that is really important to them. We were going to give up reading our mail for the week- but there are a few people who are recieving important letters and packages they need to open this week. So instead we have decided to give up sweets... :/ I LOVE SWEETS! & English! so this might be a tough week for me. and i don't know that i've ever gone a whole week without any sugars.. sad but true. We'll see how it goes. I think i will learn a lot and learn a lot about self-discipline. We start after we leave the temple today, and then it goes until we enter the temple next week. So i will give you the update in my next email.

Mike challenged me to read the whole Book of Mormon during my time here at the MTC. I took the challenge and right now i am in 3 Nephi. I still have a lot of reading to do before i finish.. but i think i will make it! This is my second time reading through the Book of Mormon from start to finish. The last time i read it was when Gordon B. Hinkley challenged every member to read the Book. I am realizing that this time i understand so much more! I have forgotten so much since the first time i read through. And now i understand how the stories and the people all relate to eachother! I know the book of mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and i've heard so many times that the purpose of the book of mormon is to testify of christ- but i never fully understood that till now. Before, when i use to think of the book of mormon, i just thought of the stories and the wars and the nephites and lamanites- i couldn't think of much that was about christ. But just yesterday i was reading in 3 Nephi chapter 11 where Christ is appearing to the Nephites. It is so amazing to me! Every page testifies of Christ- How these people in Ancient America believed in Christ, or didn't believe in Christ, How they were obedient, or how they were disobedient, all the prophets that testified of His coming, and then His actual birth, atonement, and resurrection. I love the Book of Mormon so much! And i am begining to realize that as we read it everyday our understanding and our appreciation for the book of mormon will increase.

Anyways, sorry for that whole spiel- i'm a missionary now so these are the type of things we talk about all day. Anyways, 2 weeks left! Conference is this sunday and then the sunday after is the day before we leave! So this week we actually had our departure orientation! Pretty exciting!! i can't even wait! We've been practing street contacting a lot- i think we will probably street someone our first night there! Kassie is actually leaving this coming monday! How exciting! Sometimes i am jealous of the english speaking missionaries- they get to leave for the field so quickly, and plus they can say anything they are feeling in the moment they are prompted to say it! For me teaching in Hungarian is still pretty difficult. I can definitely say more than i could in my first few weeks. and i am even starting to be able to form my own sentences. But i have such a small filling cabnient in my brain filled with very few words to choose from. I am excited for the day that i will be able to express myself perfectly as i hope to in the language. I know it will come someday.

Well, that's about all for this week. Thanks for everything! i hope that you are all doing well! love you tons! Conference is this weekend!! YAY! i'm so excited! i was hoping the choir would sing at conference- but they won't be this session.

Also, i have a really random question i'd like to ask for anyone who has Google at their expence- there is a quote in "City of angles" something about tears.. and the heart. i can't exactly remember. But i'm sure google could find it for you. i was just thinking about it the other day- and i can't remember what the words are... so if you can find it, could you maybe email it to me? haha totally random i know. but i was just curious. 

umm.. well take care everyone! thank you for all your support and your prayers! i love and pray for all of you as well! next week will be my last email here in the MTC!! how awesome is that! Well, the gospel is true! talk to you soon!

Szerettel!

Sister Johnson

Tiffany and the Hungary Missionaries in the MTC