02.17.2014

Good morning!

Quote of the week:

While street contacting--

Me (spotting an older lady to talk to): "Excuse me--"

Lady (looking up at me with scared eyes): "I don't live here!"

Then she ran away.

This week's been another rough go. I have no idea what I'm doing differently this transfer to result in 0 investigators. I've never had a teaching pool of 0, except for about one day when I first white-washed Riverview with my trainer. So this is a new and difficult challenge. In fact, last transfer there were weeks when we got 4, 5, and 6 new investigators. But we're pushing through, and eating lots of food and having lots of fun while we do it. We both love being missionaries.

Church yesterday was cancelled after a half-hour sacrament meeting because of all the storms. There were 16 of us in church so we just had a mini testimony meeting which was powerful. After church, we went shovel finding with the elders (in other words, just shovelling 3-6 feet of snow out of people's driveways, no lie) for a couple hours. That was fun, and my eye hit my shovel (not vice-versa haha) and now I have a mini black eye, so that was fun too haha. And last night, as usual, we craved hot chocolate for the 1000th time during our companionship.

We spent Valentine's Day in interviews with the newspaper, going to appointments with potential investigators that all fell through, and having a dinner appointment with one of the sweetest families in the ward. And it was actually probably my favourite Valentine's Day. Which isn't saying much, because I'm not a big fan of that holiday.

This week is going to be crazy. Tonight we go to Maine for exchanges again. All Tuesday we'll have exchanges. Tuesday evening we'll come home. Wednesday I have Leadership Council all day long over Skype. Thursday will be partially spent packing up our apartment and cleaning it all up because we will spend the day moving apartments on Friday! So that doesn't leave a lot of time to find investigators, but it will. happen. Haha you have nooooooo clue how badly that needs to happen this week, I think I'll lose my mind if it doesn't. Enough of this "patience" trash. Haha.

And now for a more spiritual note. I have been learning to rely on prayer and scripture study a lot this transfer because I'm doing everything I can and am still not seeing many results--I've had to rely on something other than my abilities. And I've been seeing a great pattern as I study.

Doctrine and Covenants 6:33-37

33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.

34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are build upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.

36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

37 Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hadns and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Doctrine and Covenants 50:40-41

40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

41 Fer not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me.

I love those scriptures. Heavenly Father does not want us to be afraid. We don't need to worry, because Christ has gone through the Atonement for us. Hard things can happen, but we "are little children," and we "cannot bear all things now," so we can be at peace knowing that the Lord says we don't need to be afraid because He makes it so we can be able to bear our trials.

I am grateful for the scriptures, which I have relied on more this last week than any other week in my life. And more importantly, I am grateful for Christ's Atonement, the only reason we don't need to fear right now. He knows we can't bear everything alone, and so He does it for us if we let Him. I'm grateful for my Saviour. And I'm grateful for my mission, because I know my life couldn't have progressed the way Heavenly Father wanted it to without it. And I'm grateful for really hard, discouraging trials, because they have taught me how to rely on the Lord with my last little bit I have left to offer. I am grateful that I've learned these lessons because I'm not the person I was 10 months ago.

I love you!

Sister Lewis

black(ish) eye that you can't really see in the pictures. it's my left one haha