Happy Thanksgiving!
Quote of the week (Sister Bowden):
Sister Bowden: "OH MY GOSH your whole family is
emailing me!!!"
[she then proceeded to read me my own embarrassing stories
that my family decided to send... you crazy Lewis clan:)]
MAN. Time is FLYING eh?! I'm kind of shocked. When I look
back to specific moments towards the beginning of my mission, it feels like
ages ago, but when I look at my mission as a whole, it's felt very quick. I
bore my testimony for the last time in sacrament meeting yesterday (my last
Fast Sunday since November's Fast Sunday will be Stake Conference). It's just
been a little bit crazy and fast.
Mary-Elizabeth Dickens*
is on date for November 5! She is getting baptized the same day as two
of our other investigators--Sam Winters* and Greg Black*. It's been so humbling
to see the power of the testimonies of members here because each of them has
strong ties to members in the ward and that is the reason they are
investigating and progressing so well towards baptism.
Mary-Elizabeth was at the bus stop one morning, on her way
to school (Holland College) when a guy her age came to the same bus stop and
asked her a question about how the bus system worked. It turned out both of
them were going to the same school and it was their first day. They started
talking a lot more and he kept bringing up his beliefs to her over the
following week or two until she was finally intrigued and asked to come to
church with him. So he called us up and let us know he was bringing his friend
to church the next day and we were sprinting down the street and jumping out of
excitement. This was in mid-September. She came to church the following 3 weeks
(including General Conference), met with us several times with her member
friend who introduced her to he church and the missionaries (his name is Tim),
and has been recognizing answers to her prayers, after coming from a background
where she wasn't sure who God was and not really going to church at all. It is
really touching seeing her testimony grow.
Greg is a 10-year-old boy actually, and his mother is
cousins with a member in the ward. The elders knocked on their door one night,
and when Greg looked around his mom and saw that it was the elders, he ran to
grab his shoes and come outside and told the elders he wanted to get baptized
to make it to the Celestial Kingdom! Umm ok sure we can do that for you. We've
been teaching him and he's been a rockstar--he knows everything already and has
wise perspectives on things most adults don't. His mom Katie* has a lot of
addictions and has been wanting us to focus on Greg right now, but she
surprised us Sunday by showing up to church on her own (Greg was at his dad's)
with a huge smile on her face. She plopped down next to me and said,
"Today is a good day." I asked her why it was so good and she said,
"I don't know, I just woke up earlier than I expected today, at 9:30, and
thought, 'There's a reason God woke me up right now,' so I walked to
church." And for you Utahns, WALKING TO CHURCH IN ATLANTIC CANADA IS
ACTUALLY A SACRIFICE haha. It's a huge deal! So I told her she was exactly
where God wanted her to be and asked her how she got the strength and desire to
walk all the way to church. She couldn't stop smiling (for the rest of church
actually) and said, "You can do whatever if you realize you want it
enough." What a powerful example of FAITH!! She's stunning.
Since today is Thanksgiving, I thought I'd write about what
I am the very most grateful for: the Lord Jesus Christ.
I"m grateful for my mission because it's after serving
side-beside the Saviour that I feel like I've come to know Him and understand
His love a little more. Elder Holland said it well:
"I am convinced that missionary work is not easy
because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are
The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal
Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy
for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at
least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to
take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.
"Now, please don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about
anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and
sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the
truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been
paid, will have to pay a token of that same price."
I just can't help but feel SO GRATEFUL that the Lord has
chosen me to stand in His place here. He has had to stand in my place and take
the consequences for my own mistakes so many times.
It has been ridiculously difficult to stand in His place at
times--in fact, most of the time--but I'm grateful because getting a tiny taste
of what the Saviour's ministry and Atonement must have been like makes it so
much more real and so much more meaningful.
One of my favourite hymns describes it well (but again, it's
one of the hymns I prefer in French). I'll try to translate the verses as close
as possible:
I know that my Redeemer lives!
How these words warm my heart!
He lives, He who gave His life,
He lives, of an infinite life.
He lives, His love He gives me.
He lives, so that my God forgives me.
He lives! My soul knows Him well!
He lives! Without Him, I'd have nothing.
He lives, to grant me His help.
He lives, to guide me always.
He lives to help my weaknesses.
He lives! to drive away my sadness.
He lives to appease my worries.
He lives, to listen to my complaints.
He lives, to calm my troubled heart.
He lives, through Him I am filled.
He lives, my wise, divine friend.
He lives, His love is endless.
He lives! His glory I repeat.
He lives! my prince and my prophet!
He lives! and through Him I breathe.
He lives! death can't harm me.
He lives, prepares my stay.
He lives, and guides me there by love.
He lives, He has supreme glory!
He lives, Jesus always the same.
How these words warm my heart,
"I know that my Redeemer lives!"
He lives! He has supreme glory!
He lives, Jesus always the same.
How these words warm my heart,
"I know that my Redeemer lives!"
I love that song!!! I am so grateful for my Saviour and that
I get to represent Him right now!! I am so blessed. Yesterday in church I
learned that in 1957, Canada started celebrating Thanksgiving to "give
thanks to the Almighty God." I found that powerful that not too long ago,
Canada decided to create this holiday just to thank our Almighty God. I am
grateful for Him for giving us His Son.
Sister Lewis
(Sister Lewis didn't send any photos this week, but her
companion did!)
.jpg) |
| "we ran over a skunk and so our car stunk really bad" |
 |
| "us at the ocean" |
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