October 26, 2015

Fact:   If you see an orange/red/yellow glow coming in your window, it's not fire burning your house down, it's just the AMAZING fall leaves being illuminated by the radiant sun, you should all, most definitely, be jealous. 

SHOUT OUT to my awesome Mission President, President Stoker for being one of the GREATEST people to ever live. 

We had Zone Interviews on Thursday, it was my first one, and everything about it was very much needed. We have a new mission goal, to get all of our less actives and recent converts to the temple, because baptism is the gateway! God wants them to make it eternal. Family History is huge out here too so we are really trying to get that out there to people, and it is working! Spirit of Elijah man... its REAL.

There is a city in NH named Weare, pronounced like the word 'where', and its super boony. Us and the Elders in this area are in a car share, so on Wednesday we had a 'Weare Wednesday".  We were so pumped, and then we got there, and literally EVERYTHING fell through. But the best part that really topped of the day was when this lady was screaming at the elders and then saw us with them and she started screaming at us and telling us we dont know how to read and we are illiterate(what?) and that she doesn't want to be saved and that everyone has guns out here and we could get shot at any moment, and she was super disgusted that we had the nerve to talk to her. haha well, we tried to explain why we do what we do and she was so appalled that we were still trying to talk to her, she almost called the cops! It was super pointless, all we could do was pray for her in our hearts and get the heck outta there!! 

so that was cool....

So I guess you could say 'Weare Wednesday" was a success. haha

The rest of the week was pretty good, our investigator Katherine is gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon which is so AWESOME! The Spirit was so strong when she was telling us about her praying and pondering. She says it's so obvious that no mortal man could ever write a book like that from his own knowledge and in the time that he did. SHE IS SO RIGHT. The Book of Mormon is God's word, and it makes me so happy when the Spirit guides others to that knowledge as well. 

Yesterday I got a little taste of home when this cute little snake just came a slithering up to me, I named him Malvolio, like from Shakespeare, he was way sassy though, so we left.  

I am wicked excited for this coming week, because we are having a trunk or treat in our ward, and I am a missionary, and lots of people think we are starving all the time (which is usually true) so they give us all their left over food from ward parties! tender mercies man.... 

I hope everyone has a totally awesome week!! 

Halloween joke: 

What kind of music do mummies listen to most?

Wrap music

Sister Lewis

October 19, 2015

Fact: New Englanders like to 'endure' things. There is probably one
house in all of New England that has air conditioning, and they are
from Utah. Everyone just buys like 12 fans for the summer, it's so
crazy because it's wicked humid so it doesn't do much except blow the
water around in your face. But in the winter, they for reals only have
like these ancient metal heaters that are on one wall in one part of
the house, and then they just live in subzero clothing. It's nuts.

This week was chuck full of finding! We have been working on finding
people to teach and less actives to help. We had a lesson with
Katherine this week. She is such an awesome lady, with a heart of
gold.

We have a less active Billy that we meet with every week, she taught
us how to knit! She is more youthful than I am, it's so awesome! She
is hilarious. So she has been less active the past 20 years. She
attends a different church with her son but she has been coming a
little here and there, she is trying to find out where she really
needs to be, religion wise. So the other day we were talking to her
about the gospel, and she told us an awesome story: last Sunday, she
was really tired and wanted to sleep in and do yard work and have an
easy day, but then she kept getting this restless feeling and so she
prayed and asked Heavenly Father what she should be doing and which
church to go to, and she said the spirit was so clear, it said 'get
ready and be to church by 9.' Well, her other church doesn't start
until 10. She said it was so distinct and clear and she knows this is
where she should be.

My heart is full for this sweet city of Concord New Hampshire.
It's the craziest/hardest/greatest feeling when we tract. Well, it is
for me anyways. The 3-10 seconds before they answer the door, feels
like days. I get so excited and nervous thinking, "this persons it,
the Lord has prepared them, this is the moment we introduce them to
the greatest thing in the world!" The desire to share the gospel is so
strong, and so when they answer and I get the opportunity to say the
beautiful name of our wonderful church, and they start shaking their
head with a 'poor girl' look on their face, my heart just hurts. "In
my head I'm saying: "no! Please! This is so important! Just give me 2
minutes!" And sometimes those words literally do come out of my mouth,
and they just laugh and close the door.
BUT

The beauty of this, is that there are the elect few, there are
some who are prepared, and when those moments come, when they answer
with a curious face and say "sure I've got a minute." Man, that minute
is the greatest in the whole world! Being able to testify of the Book
of Mormon, plan of salvation, the restoration, and Gods love for them,
that is the best feeling to ever exist and experience.

This weeks finding/tracting was so rad. We prayerfully selected a
couple of streets and set aside a couple of hours to go tract there.
we met a lot empty houses, a Quaker, a gypsy, a couple of dogs, and a
man that, at first did not want to talk to us, but after my desperate
attempt to strike up conversation, he ended up interested! It's
awesome how fast people's minds change when they see that we are
normal humans like them. :)

I have come to know a lot about a lot of different religions out here. They are all such awesome people who love God and Jesus. But the questions that keeps coming to my mind are: Are we 'fans' or 'followers' of Christ? Most of us don't mind Jesus making some minor changes in our lives, but will we allow Jesus Christ to turn our lives upside down? Fans don't mind a little touch up work, but what if he wants a complete renovation? 

I hope that we can strive to be followers of Christ, dedicating all we have and are to the spreading of the gospel, and becoming our best selves through Christ. 

Love you all, have a stellar week! 

Sister Lewis

October 12, 2015

Fact: New England's five main food groups: hot dogs, pizza, orange
soda, vegetables, and dunkin donuts. They are either way super
healthy, or they are way super not. It's very interesting. And about
half the population is vegetarian.

 Wowzer, this week was definitely an adventure! Let's begin with the
most memorable Tuesday of my life.
So, we got a call on say of last week, our zone leaders told us we
were going to transfer meeting and to bring our car because we are
going into a 'car share' with the elders, but to come before the
meeting because it should only take like five minutes because we are
just giving them a ride home. So! We head out Tuesday morning, and we
are driving, it only takes 20 minutes to get to Manchester, but then
20 minutes go by, and according to our GPS we still had quite a ways
to go. We thought it was odd but we kept going, well after 40 minutes
we knew we were definitely wrong so we pulled off and got directions
from a very nice lady, she told us kind of where to go, so we turn
around because we had completely passed it. Some how we missed the
biggest city in New Hampshire haha. So my comp is very stressed out,
and I am laughing because I didn't really know what else to do, and
then we get a call from the man in charge of the 'car share' and he
said "hey so it's actually your car we need to take so if you could
get here asap that would be awesome." By now my comp has had kittens
and I'm frantically trying to get all of our stuff together. We
finally show up an hour and a half later, so they told us to go in and
listen to transfer meeting. We got to hear president Stoker talk,
which helped calm us down, and then we went home! As we were walking
to our apartment, we realized through a series of sighs, moans and
groans, that our house keys are on the car keys!!!! And that car was
on the other side of the state by now. So went to the land lords of
our apartment complex, and they gave us some keys. We get inside our
apartment, and we called the people who have our car, they said, 'how
should we get them to you?' So we said, probably the best way would be
to mail them too us. About 3.2 seconds after we said that, we let out
more sighs and moans and said 'don't mail them, because our mail key
is on that key chain too!'
Awesome right??
So we told them to mail them to the sisters in our area, and maybe
before we are done with our missions we will have those keys! I loved
Tuesday... :)

Good thing that story took so long, sorry!

Oh hey, we were on the crime scene of a murder too! (Don't know if it
was actually murder, we didn't get to stay) it was so crazy!

Nothing much happened this week. Just normal missionary work. :) the
spirit such an awesome teacher. I learn something new every day!
I know that when trails come before us and we are struggling
physically, spiritually, mentally, etc... That the Lord is there to
help us! He is with his people in their afflictions.  (Mosiah
24:14-15) I love the end of that scripture where it says to 'submit
cheerfully and with patience'.

You are all so awesome, and I love you all dearly!!
Have an awesome week!!

Sis. Lewis

Pictures: last pday we went to a corn maze and it was awesome!!
The leaves are coming and it's making me flip out because LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL
awesome New England sunset :)

October 5, 2015

I. Love. Conference. 

What a blessing it is to able to hear from our prophet and apostles and leaders of the church!!

This week was pretty good! We talked to our investigator Alex, he is way pumped for his baptism, which is AWESOME! He is really nice and has a real desire to be a better person, his story is very inspiring. 

We also got to have a lesson with wonderful Katherine, she is so sweet! The spirit was very strong in our lesson with her. I love when the spirit says to testify, I LOVE TESTIFYING. This Gospel is so true! Jesus Christ Lives! God loves each of us individually and personally! We can be with our families forever!! The atonement is REAL. I love testifying of these truths. She notices that we are 'all smiles' and we 'glow with happiness' and she wants to know why it makes us so happy. :) I love that question, because that is our opportunity to introduce them to the Book of Mormon and the beautiful Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We also got to go to the Joseph Smith Memorial again! Our awesome less-active-soon-to-be-active-because-she-is-awesome-and-wants-to-go-to-church-again wanted to go, and she expressed to us her desires to keep progressing and how the JSM really helped her feel the spirit again. The power of the Holy Ghost is REAL. 
This Gospel is so FANTASTIC!!! 

General Conference was amazing. General Conference as a missionary is even MORE amazing!! 

I just can't stop smiling. :) 

I love you all SO MUCH!!! And guess who loves you even more than I do? Your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!

"Exaltation is our goal.

Discipleship is our journey." - Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Sister Lewis

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!)