Hump Day, Waffles, and February Freeze

Gooooood morning, America!

Tonight I get to go back to my homeland for about 24 hours before returning to the Frozen North. I pray to see just one American flag there in Maine!

Quote of the week:

Well, to make sure false doctrine isn't preached on my blog, I will refrain from giving the entire quote. But suffice it to say, I am apparently a minion to my Mormon overlords. Enough said.

This morning, I was showering, just like any other morning. And then I saw something move. I looked up at the ceiling and saw a giant daddy long-leg walking back and forth.

Well of course, spiders always get on you, so I started walking around the shower too, making sure that I was never underneath the spider so it wouldn't jump on me or something. That was working, until suddenly it dropped about 6 inches and I realized it was making a web.

I started to panic because it was making a web right above the spot where all the water was, so I couldn't shower anymore.

I'm going to cut out the next few minutes because they're really embarrassing, but suffice it to say the spider is now dead and I have a giant bruise-in-the-making on my left elbow. Battle wounds. Rejection doesn't phase me, but spiders do. #missionaryprobs

For a while, Mother Nature really blessed Sister Gochnour and me. Sister Gochnour was introduced to a Canadian winter with weather in the positives, snow melting away, and sunny skies. Everyone was warning us about the "February Freeze," but we disregarded them and loved life. And then came a few snow storms and well, we're back to shoveling our car out every morning!

I'm slowly getting back to my waffle addiction. It's horrible. I just love them so much. Sorry, the quality of this e-mail is lacking.

I hit my nine-month mark last Friday, the 24th. My hump day is this Thursday. MY HUMP DAY IS THIS THURSDAY. I don't want this hard, fun, exciting, discouraging, perfect journey to end. The time is so short! I feel like I got here two months ago, not 9.

Sister Gochnour and I had a really busy week. We're trying to get a mall display started, volunteer at the hospital or food bank, get an article about us in the newspaper, create Valentine's gifts for all the women in the Relief Society, get visiting teaching running, visit all the fantastic people we're working with, and find! Investigators! It's been an exhausting week, but we were able to have a companionship fast for the area, which was needed. We love being in Fredericton.

Recently I've been studying a little in the book of Helaman. In chapter ten, we learn a great lesson about diligence. The prophet Nephi has just been preaching to the people who will not listen to him. The Lord speaks to him and says, "Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done, for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word unto this people... Because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever, and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed." Nephi then receives the power to seal families together for eternity.

I believe I've written about this scripture before. Unwearying diligence always precedes miracles. We witness great miracles when we diligently serve, no matter how much opposition we face.

Sister Gochnour and I talk to everyone we see, we're obedient, we make effective plans, we're diligent, we're faithful. And we are not baptizing the whole world. We are doing everything in our power. But I see the Lord accepting our efforts and giving us small miracles because we're sacrificing so much. I'm grateful for the Lord humbling us enough to see the small, tender miracles, and rejoice in them.

I love you all. The work is hastening!! 

Don't talk to me about how long I've been on my mission until I come home!

LOVE,

Sister L

"Okay now make a cold face!" (IT WAS FREEZING.)

The following three photos were sent to us by one of the senior missionary couples in Sister Lewis's area.  They said that Sister Gouchner was a delightful addition to the ward in Fredericton and she couldn't have a better trainer than Sister Lewis.