Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii :) 

Fun Fact: PINEAPPLES. They are everywhere. The pineapple actually is the symbol of hospitality, so everyone has them all over everything. But that rule gets thrown out the window when missionaries are involved haha. Just kidding, these people are... nice... ;) 

We went on exchanges with our District Sister Training Leaders, it was so awesome to learn from Sister Davis, and to get tips and advice on how to be a better missionary. She is so sweet and so flippin hilarious!! She also brings the spirit where ever she is and has an amazing testimony. 

Here is a fun story: 

So once upon a time we were tracting, and we were on a road that had a lot of grumpy people. They are really good at saying the words "I'm all set". So we are walking and praying and all of a sudden we come to a house, and there is a big garage and these two old men were just chillin. So we go up to them and introduce ourselves and our purpose, and one of the old men said: "Hey you want a beer? How about a smoke? I can get some shots out? Oh! I just brewed up some moon shine! I will get that too!" 

We quickly said we were not interested and told them to have a great day. 

Sorry if you were expecting a happy ending, I just love that story because I was dying of laughter when we were leaving, hahaha MOON SHINE!! hilarious. :) 

That was about the climax of this week, just about every appointment fell through. That is pretty tough on the mental stamina of a missionary, but it also just means we are going to work even harder this week! :) 

"I testify that one cannot come to full faith in this latter-day
work--and thereby find the fullest measure of peace and comfort in
these, our times--until he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of
Mormon and the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it testifies. If anyone is
foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore
unknown text teeming with literary and Semitic complexity without
honestly attempting to account for the origin of those
pages--especially without accounting for their powerful witness of
Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on
what is now tens of millions of readers--if that is the case, then
such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she
leaves this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or
around the Book of Mormon to make that exit"

 - Elder Jeffrey R Holland

It is such an honor to be able to introduce the greatest book in existence, to people who have never heard about it. The Book of Mormon is so incredible important. It is a second witness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. What a blessing it is to be able to share this gift. 

I know that it is true! 

I love you all so much! I hope you have the greatest week!! Remember to read your scriptures! Pray! Go to church! Be a good person! :) 

- Sister Lewis

pictures! 

Exchanges with the glorious Sis. Davis

Our district created the Pineapple society. 

After service on Saturday, in the cah with the STL's. (yes that's how you spell cah in NE)

Fun Fact: When a New Englander adopts a pet into their home, they mean business. These animals have more power and authority than the head of the household. They are not just animals, these are their children! Its super crazy and EVERYONE has multiple, not just a cat or a dog, you have 3 cats, 2 dogs, and 5 birds. We go through lint rollers like candy. 

This week was really progressive! We got 2 new investigators this week, and 2 progressing less actives. We are so grateful everyday for these people, they are so much fun to be with and their spirits are so sweet! 

One of our new investigators, his name is Alex, he is from Australia! he is totally golden. I had my first opportunity to extend a baptismal invite (so nerve racking!) and he said YES! and then I ask him if he would be baptized on October 18 (equally as nerve racking) and he said YES! He came to church on Sunday, and decided to stop smoking and stop drinking coffee all on his own. we haven't even taught him the Word of Wisdom yet!! He is definitely a miracle, and we are excited to see him progress! God is so good. 

I love the less actives that we are teaching because I feel like I am learning with them, ( as it should be with everyone always). They know that they need to come back, and being able to pray with them and help them, it really sets my soul on fire. :) 

I was thinking about a couple of scriptures the other day, "Jesus wept" John 11:35, "remember Lots wife." Luke 17:32, and "And my father dwelt in a tent." 1 Nephi 2:15.

I love these scriptures!! 

They are so simply worded, but the story and meaning behind them, it's just so powerful. 

Jesus is the greatest, most powerful person to ever be on this earth. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, endured every pain and affliction to ever happen to any of us, AND, he cried. I think that is so sweet and so moving, even the most powerful person ever, wept. 

Lehi was a very well known, wealthy man who had so much going for him in Jerusalem. But his faith in the Lord and his Conversion to the gospel overpowered all the money and possessions he had. He took his family into the wilderness, and he dwelt in a tent. if that isn't conversion I don't know what is! 

Remember Lots wife. Don't look back! Move on! There are greater things ahead when you put your faith in God!! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!! Read your scriptures! Say your prayers! :) 

Sister Lewis

pic: That's me at a stake dance (strictly there for the food, we bolted after that) but you see that big empty parking lot? yep, no one dances here, they huddle, that's about it. 

 Our less active, Billy, she taught us how to knit!!! Sweaters all around!! :) 

A few things that happened this week that really spiced up this mission life: 

I accidentally flooded our kitchen...

We had a lesson with our investigator Katherine that knocked my socks off. 

We went to the Joseph Smith Memorial!! 

We crashed a wedding... (we had no say in the matter, a member was driving us home from the JSM and stopped there. haha) (It was dangerous because my inner party animal almost broke loose, but I contained myself and sang hymns) 

This week was insane. Insanely awesome, insanely difficult, insanely spiritual, etc... 

We had an awesome trainers meeting with all of the new missionaries and their trainers, President and Sister Stoker were there, they are the greatest humans ever, I love them!! Sister Stoker is so fantastic, she is what you would envision a queen to look like and act like. President Stoker is so awesome!! He is so close to the spirit. I learned a lot at that meeting! 

We had a lesson with our investigator Katherine on Wednesday. She is really trying to progress but with her background as a Jehovah's Witness (very tough crowd) it is really hard to explain to her everything we believe in. She is super ok with not going to heaven. I can't even imagine that, but she says that it doesn't sound appealing to her. What?! The Wednesday lesson went really well because we were able to have a member present and the spirit was completely with everyone. It was a really powerful lesson. I know that it went the way God wanted it to go because no one can remember what they said. The spirit is KEY in every lesson. 

Can I just say, Satan is the PITS. 

She called us the next day and said she prayed and felt angry and pressured. But she also told us that she knows the Book of Mormon is true and would be baptized if she knew the church was true. But because she is Jehovah's Witness she can't come to church.

AAAGGHH!!! 

My comp said this is one of the hardest investigators she has ever had. Awesome haha. 

The Joseph Smith Memorial was AMAZING!!!! The feeling there is the same feeling you get going at the Temple. I love it and I want to go back!! (already have plans to go back on Oct. 2 with a less active. SO EXCITED) 

Fun Fact: a roundabout is called a rotary here. and if you call it a roundabout you are of the devil. (pretty much)

We have a lot of really awesome potential investigators that we are going to be meeting with, I am really excited about that!

Saturday was chuck full of excitement: Hit my ONE MONTH mark! Went to the Joseph Smith Memorial! Finished the Book of Mormon!! 

THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!! 

Love you all!!!! 

Sister Lewis

Joseph Smith Memorial at his birthplace. (Sorry can't get it to rotate!)

This week was one for the books!! 

I learned SO MUCH. 

We got to give a church tour to our investigator Katherine! It was so awesome, she is the sweetest!!! We are also working with a less active, she really wants to go to the temple which is super awesome because temples are SUPER AWESOME!! 

Tracting our guts out as usual. :) 

Fun Fact of this week: no one uses their front doors! They put plants and pots in front of them, its the weirdest thing because you have to like go to their side doors or in their garages haha soooo weird. 

I don't have much time this week, but I wanted to share something I learned. 

In Matthew 6:33 it says: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God". I was thinking about this, and about our day and age. We often have our 'priorities' like family first! but how often do we check our social media instead of checking on kids? I know I was guilty of that before I left. Or how about when we say that our religion comes first, but we don't share our beliefs when given the opportunity? We need to "Seek ye ALWAYS the kingdom of God" because 'always' is a never ending word. It's consistent. It's forever. It's right now! Continue in your faith and seek ALWAYS to follow Gods plan. 

I love this Gospel so much. 

Have an amazing week everyone!! 

Sister Lewis

September 7, 2015

pic 1: SHOUT OUT to my dearest cousin/sister in the work, I love you Emma!!! KILL THAT CANCER. 

Pic 2: This frog is about the only living thing that is willing to hear the message of the restoration haha

pic 3: The sky here has stolen my heart!!!

 

August 31, 2015

WHAT. A. WEEK.

The MTC was totally awesome, but man, the mission field is a whole different world. 

I don't even know where to begin!! New England is AMAZING!!! As we were flying in, me and the missionary next to me were glued to the window. SO MANY TREES!! It is so green. I didn’t even know there were this many versions of one color!! 

In case you were all wondering, New England is actually a different country. Scratch that, it is its own world. Everyone here asks me what is different about it, but it would take eternity to answer that question, so I just say the only thing that is the same is that there are humans here. Everything else is totally completely different! I have started a list of fun facts about this place because it is so interesting. There are too many to put in one email, so I will do one fact for each week. I am pretty sure I will never run out. 

Fact #1: EVERYTHING SPARKLES. This was the first thing I noticed, because everything, literally everything is made out of granite, sidewalks, roads, curbs, houses, walkways, benches, mailboxes. And granite sparkles! So the dust here isn't just dust. Its fairy dust!! It’s so awesome when the wind blows. :) haha 

President Stoker and his wife are the coolest. I love them! Pres. Stoker is so close to the spirit, and he is so sweet. 

It poured rain the first day I got here. And the second, like flash floods and 2 feet of water in one hour! It was pretty nuts. The way cool part was I got to wear rain boots on the first day! 

TRACTING IS MY FAVORITE!!

Yes, I have been yelled at.

Yes I have been called a Satan worshipping heathen.

And no I have not entered one single house. 

BUT.

Something I have learned about this whole process has changed my perspective on everything!! 

D&C 4:4 talks about the field being white, ready to harvest. Our mission president had us memorize all of D&C 4. At first I wondered why? How is it ready to harvest if no one wants to talk to us? 

Seeds.

You can't have a field ready to harvest, if you haven't planted the seeds. We are planting seeds, so eventually one day, the missionaries after us can harvest the Lords field! 

So now every time someone tells us 'I'm set' or yells at us, or even kindly says 'no thanks' I walk away from that house with a smile and say to my comp: "Seeds!!" 

My comp is so cool! Her name is Sister Farrally. She is so sweet, and so devoted to the Lord. I am learning a lot, and she is so kind and willing to help. :) She has been through a lot, I admire her for her courage and strength. 

We have an investigator, her name is Bishu, and she is from Congo! She is so sweet, she speaks like two centimeters of English, but the Spirit speaks volumes. :) And our other investigator Kathrine is stellar, we committed her to read the first two chapters of the BOM and she read SIX!! It was so awesome! We are meeting with an investigator Alex tonight. 

I love this work! 

I love you all, go to church, read your scriptures, and PRAY! 

Sister Lewis