Well, at least I'm still a Missionary!

Quotes of the week:

1. On the phone with Elder Diodati (district leader)--

Elder D: "As a request from Elder ___ we are all to pray for safety as we drive... Or we could just pray for winter tires!"

Us (laughing): "Thanks! Do you know if there was another accident then?"

Elder D: "No idea... But my bets are on a sister!"

Us: "RUDE. You're askin for it, elder."

Elder D (laughing): "Have I mentioned how much I love our district?!"

Us: "Yeah, yeah. We'll see who's laughing when you get a snowball in the gut."

Elder D: "What?! That's district leader abuse!"

a minute later...

Us: "I think we've got the virus that's been going around the mission."

Elder D: "No way! Sister Sandberg has it too! I think it might be a sisters virus... It's probably the reason sisters can't drive too...."

Us: "Are you kidding me!"

Elder D (laughing): "I'm just kidding. Is it making you tired?"

Us: "Exhausted."

Elder D: "Okay, I'll let you sisters go then. Sleep well tonight and get better."

Us: "Thanks. Don't catch the sisters virus."

Elder D: "Yeah... I'm getting emotional as we speak.... I better go."

2. Sister Vera--while I was pulling out of the church parking lot: "Sister Lewis, didn't Elder Evanson tell you not to do bagels in the parking lot?"

It's been quite the week. We had a beautiful, white, icy Christmas with some of the best members. We're still scraping snow off the inside of our car. I got to Skype my INCREDIBLE family, whom I love so much. Between fighting off a virus, dropping a few investigators, avoiding the lady who's trying to betroth me to her son, and trying to complete the Book of Mormon by New Year's, it's been a really draining week. But one of my favourite parts of Preach My Gospel is right at the beginning, where it says that as our (not just missionaries', but everyone's) understanding of the Atonement increases, so will our desire to share the gospel. And as I've learned to depend on the Atonement more and more, especially through the rougher weeks like this one, my testimony of the restored gospel deepens and it makes it easier and even more desirable to share the gospel.

A few weeks ago in stake conference, one of the members of the stake presidency gave a talk on missionary work. He's very intense and very powerful. When he speaks, the room goes dead quiet because people are breathing in every word he says. He just lets the Spirit work through him. During his talk, he was addressing the importance of member-missionary work and how each of us (and I included myself in that although the talk was directed to the members) need to step it up if we want to see growth in our part of the vineyard. And he concluded the talk with these powerful words:

"I know that what happened in 1820 in a grove of trees is true. It is absolutely true! And when you come to know that it is true too, that will eliminate a lot of your fears."

It was so powerful. And I look at that last part again and again: "And when you come to know that it is true too, that will eliminate a lot of your fears." If we really understood all the implications of being a part of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, we would have no hesitations whatsoever in sharing the gospel. 

But having that knowledge also eliminates other fears. "And when you come to know that the restoration of Christ's Church is true too, that will eliminate your fears regarding _____." Fears regarding the future, fears regarding parenting, fears regarding a daunting trial.

One of the greatest lessons I've learned in my life is that if we knew perfectly that we are children of God, we wouldn't mess up. If I had a perfect knowledge that God was my Heavenly Father, I would understand the significance and I would know I couldn't afford to sin. And that's one of the miracles of having the fullness of the gospel right now. We can deepen our understanding of the Atonement, of the restoration, of God being our Father, so that:

1. Our desire to share the gospel will increase.

2. Our fears will be eliminated.

3. We can better ourselves and move towards perfection.

Anyway, I know it's a bunch of jumbled thoughts and not a great update on the week, but it's something I've been thinking about a lot recently. I'm grateful for the scriptures and the words of the prophets, and that we can continually deepen our understanding of the Atonement, restoration, and Heavenly Father, no matter how many times we are exposed to those words.

I love you all, hope you had a merry Christmas, and wish you a happy New Year as well.

Love,

Sister Lewis

Christmas photos - how we decorated our apartment

More Christmas photos of our apartment

The full effect of our Christmas decorations....although it was after the lights fell haha.

Bakin cookies on Christmas Eve :)  Carrying out the Lewis family tradition!

(Sister Lewis told me on Christmas Day that they gave these cookies to investigators.)

We're the best sisters...

Christmas eve tradition...watching a Christmas movie with hot chocolate:)  And a huge plate of cookies from a lady in our ward!

Christmas morning...my personal version of a Christmas breakfast feast

(We got an email from a senior couple in Sister Lewis' mission the other day.  It said "She is such a hard worker and doing a great job as a trainer.  We loved her at first sight at the MTC."  And there were attachments!  This photo and video.)