My Last Days as a Full-Time Representative of the Saviour Jesus Christ

Last dinner appointment with MaryAnn* and Sister Brentwood*. I love them sooooooo much! They made me feel ridiculously loved.

SAM'S* BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Elder Raymant, Elder King (who baptized Sam*), Sam, me, Sister Bowden

The sisters with Sam!!!

Susan* and me. I love her so much. We had such a special relationship. She is going to make a rock-solid, killer member next month!!!!!

Me and Julia*!! The amazing member-missionary who bore her testimony to Sam* over and over again until he'd meet with the missionaries! I will miss her.

Me and Susan* again:)

Susan Laurent*, me, and Blake Laurent*. Some of my favourite people on planet earth. STRONG, loving, smart, spiritual, funny, faithful, sacrificial, brave, happy. I love them to death. This couple was one of the hardest parts of going home.

Lauren* (one of the YSAs in the ward) and me.. with Susan* photobombing in the background!

This was taken in the Halifax airport the morning I flew home. Ryan (from China) was baptized in Halifax earlier this year, and he served a month-long mini mission in Sydney (NS) and Charlottetown! So we served together for a couple weeks! He was an amazing, happy missionary and was so fun to serve with . He came to the airport with gifts for me and Sister Starkie and to see us off. He is so great!!!

Saying goodbye to Sister Bowden Thursday morning. My third baby!!!

What my plane ride home looked like... "All these things shall give thee experience."

Sister Starkie and I had a big discussion about this on our flight from Chicago to Salt Lake. Powerful. I didn't want that discussion to end.

We were feeling lots of mixed emotions on the flight home.... Not to mention we were dead tired and over-emotional because of it haha.

But then we saw MOUNTAINS for the first time in 18.5 months when we were flying into the Salt Lake valley and it was SO EXCITING!!!!!

Me, Sister Starkie, and Elder Clark. We were feeling weird and SO EXCITED to see our families when we got off the plane!! On our way to see our families, we were about to round the last corner when we looked at a cafe to our left and saw Tad R. Callister sitting there with his wife!! So we went and introduced ourselves to them and talked about how we had just been reading our favourite quotes from one of his talks on the plane! It was so neat! He told us he could tell we were dedicated missionaries and then kicked us out to go see our families.

Let me introduce you to the 9 reasons I ever missed home on my whole mission.

The newest RMs from the Canada Halifax Mission in Salt Lake.

ENTERING THE GATE!!!

Hello family!!!!!

Quote of the week--MaryAnn*, after we showed her the Official Declaration about how we no longer practice polygamy:

"Where's my highlighter?! Now I can show every person who brings up dang polygamy! It drives me crazy, and I've been a Mormon for HOW many hours?!?!"

The joys of being part of the true church:')

This week was completely hectic! Trying to throw together a baptism last-minute that is as spiritual as possible for the members and MaryAnn... all on our own? Aye aye aye. But it turned out perfectly. A lot of work went into this baptism. I'll put it this way--the number 1 most-used phrase this week to describe our companionship (used by completely separate people) was "chickens with their heads cut off". Woo hoo.

The morning of, we had font-scrubbing, font-filling, chapel-cleaning, chair-setting, refreshment-baking, cake-frosting, errand-running, and phone call-making. We couldn't catch a break for a meal and miraculously were able to talk to 52 people along the way. The missionaries came to the chapel early for last preparations, and Elder Dudley was all excited and nervous to be baptizing someone for the first time.

It was a really great group effort because the elders found MaryAnn, we taught her, the elders dropped in for a lesson once a week, and Elder Dudley baptized her. So it was a giant group effort, and we loved it. MaryAnn got to hear the lessons from different points of view, meet the women in the ward (from sisters bringing them to lessons), meet the men in the ward (from elders bringing them to lessons), and receive all the support that comes from that.

It was touching. MaryAnn showed up Saturday evening wearing her brand new Mormon-looking outfit and her brand new Mormon-looking haircut. She got dressed in all-white and looked angelic and we took pictures. Right before the service began at 7, we and the bishopric and the members associated with the program had a prayer meeting to bring the Spirit. I started playing a bit of prelude that affected a few of the missionaries because they were primary songs that we used to sing at our own baptisms, and now we're all out here on missions.

MaryAnn chose the opening hymn--"I Need Thee Every Hour." I conducted. I gave the opening prayer and was overwhelmed at the pulpit, seeing her family and the ward members who came to support. I was so proud of MaryAnn. She has changed everything in her life to do what's right.

After the opening prayer, Sister Thompson gave the first talk on baptism. It was perfect. She drew parallels between MaryAnn and the Saviour. Then Sister Day, MaryAnn's best friend in the ward, gave a talk on the Holy Ghost which was perfectly directed at Michelle.

Then we had a musical number. MaryAnn had specifically asked for Amalia to sing. She sang "How Great Thou Art" and I came up with an arrangement to accompany her on the piano. (Sister T and I came in to harmonize on later verses). I'm grateful for the Spirit, because it softened the rough parts and made the tone very powerful for MaryAnn to make her first covenant with Heavenly Father.

She was baptized. Sister Thompson and I gave her great big hugs. She said she felt wonderful.

We watched Mormon Messages about the Book of Mormon while we waited for them to change.

Our ward mission leader, Brother Aitken, was conducting the meeting. When MaryAnn came back, he bore his testimony and said that since his mission in Mexico, he's always loved baptisms because they reminded him of who he was and why he did missionary work. It was one of the most powerful testimonies I've ever heard, and a lot of that was because I was reminded of who I was too.

Bishop welcomed her to the ward with another great testimony. We had refreshments afterwards and are now teaching her sister, Barbara, who came to support.

Sunday she was confirmed. She was nervous for that part because she has a hard time in front of groups of people. But she said that when Bishop said the words "Receive the Holy Ghost," this peace just filled her up. I was bouncing up and down in my seat, I was so happy it felt like it couldn't fit in side of me.

After the confirmation, during the sacrament, I glanced across the room at MaryAnn. And did a double-take. Because she looked DIFFERENT! There was a physical difference. It was amazing.

The four missionaries gave her our gifts after sacrament meeting: a triple combination (which she's been dying for since June), a journal that we decorated, a copy of her confirmation blessing that we scribbled down, and a True to the Faith book. She was so excited and carried it around with her to the clinic that day, telling everyone she was baptized into the Mormon Church and showing them her Book of Mormon!

She just received her first visiting teaching assignment:)

The Church is true. Conversion is a miracle.

Love you all!

Sister Lewis

We all accidentally matched!  Elder King, Elder Dudley, me, Sister Thompson

Raspberry Cordial!

Inspiring

MaryAnn's awesome calendar

Sisters who actually know how to pop the hood ;)

Excited to fill the font!!

Sister Thompson (while reviewing the photos):  "Aww.  Look, in one of them I have the model face, but not in this one."
Me:  "No, Sister T, look!  Zoom in, you have a model face!"
Sister Thompson:  "Oh yeah.  Yeah, I do look like a model."

MaryAnn and Elder Dudley.  She wanted him to baptize her since day 1!

MaryAnn and a few of her closest friends in the ward, Julia* and Sister Brentwood*

The girls :)

The gang--Elder King, Sister Thompson, MaryAnn, me, Elder Dudley

Me and Sister T hangin out

Fête des Mères

Hello!

The weirdest thing that happened all week was the sentence that came out of my mouth at the end of Skyping with the best family ever: "I guess.... I'll talk to you again at the Salt Lake airport."

Weird.

Luckily I've created a plan to make sure I deserve a good homecoming when that time comes. Because where there is no vision, the people perish! I refuse to "die" at the end of my mission. I'm going to endure to the end.

Anyway, it was a great week! Full of eating hash browns, filling up the font again, having conference calls with the sisters (and companionship studies via Skype with them), finding dead animals on the ground, seeing spiders on doors again, warm days, snowy days, being sick, walking back and forth between Moncton and Dieppe, and talking to everyone. It was a great week.

On Mother's Day, I sat in sacrament meeting with the Blanchaud* family (3 boys and a baby girl) to help take care of the kids. I was surrounded by adorable, French-speaking blonde kids and was basically in heaven, until all the talks were about how great mothers are, and I was split between being grateful for my own mom and all the moms who treat me like their daughter, and hating the missionary handbook rule that we can't hold children haha. It was horrible. But I survived and came away just mostly feeling grateful for mothers.

One of my favourite talks is one given by President Monson. He says:

"The hour has come. The personal earthly ministry of the Son of God moves swiftly to its dramatic conclusion. A certain loneliness is here. Nowhere to be found are the lame beggars who, because of this man, walk; the deaf who, because of this man, hear; the blind who, because of this man, see; the dead who, because of this man, live.
 "There remain yet a few faithful followers. From his tortured position on the cruel cross he sees his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by. He speaks: 'Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!'
 "From that awful hour when time stood still, when the earth did quake and great mountains were brought down--yes, through the annals of history, over the centuries of years and beyond the span of time, there echoes his simple yet divine words, 'Behold thy mother.'"

And I have. I've spent a lot of time over the last week thinking about my mother.

I'm really grateful for a mom who prayerfully decided to bring me here.

Basically I cried a whole ton for two years and then she decided to bless me with a baby sister who became my best friend.

And then I got happy and quiet and so she rewarded me with 4 brothers who made me tough and who I can tackle to the ground now.

Then my mom blessed me with another baby sister--really, a princess. And then one more, who I have a special, special friendship with.

And thanks to my mom, I got to grow up in a strong, faithful family, and I got to be a part of a big family who I love with all my heart.

And because my mom was a source of family strength my whole life, she inspired me to want to be, for someone else, everything that she is to me.

I know the world today really down-plays the role of mothers. But because of my mother, I don't. I know it's a divine role.

"May each of us treasure this truth: One cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one."

So yep, Happy Mother's Day to my perfect mom, and the rest of them too:)

Love,

Sister Lewis

Came home hungry... 10:00PM "snack"

A few of the reasons I love Canada

James's* baptism

We kept accidentally "stealing" all the Dieppe elders' finding... Whenever we contact somewhere, they show up ten minutes later. Sorry.

I Love Easter, I Love Moncton Ward, and I'm tired of snow.

Joyeux Pâques!!!

Quote of the week:

While knocking in Dieppe last night (my door)--

Girl my age at door: "Ouai! Nous assistons à Sainte-Thérèse. On est catholique."

Me: "Ah, on est catholique?"

Girl: "Oh, okay!"

And since that didn't make sense..... Basically I asked her if she was Catholic and she took it to mean I was saying we were Catholic.... which got uncomfortable really fast. Woops.

Tip for future missionaries: Don't tell people you're Catholic if you're not.

The best compliment I received all week though was also last night when we were knocking.... It was my door again, and the lady I was talking to started struggling to find the right phrase in French. So she asked me, "Ummm.... Comprenez-vous l'anglais?" SCORE!!! Although I was told that my French doesn't sound American, it sounds French.... Which still means I have an accent to everyone I talk to, but at least it doesn't sound like English:)

What a crazy week! By Saturday, it was long already, between planning and executing Amanda's* baptism by ourselves (we realized that was why we weren't called to Mexico.... When you baptize a little more frequently, you don't turn into the wimps we did), knocking on doors in the ice pellets, and preparing for Easter Sunday. I was exhausted and uncontrollably happy.

The long week was capped off by church on Easter. On Friday, as we were planning for the week as a district, we realized that each of us had a part in the program without knowing it.... Sister Olson was playing the organ, I was conducting the music, Elder Sloan was confirming Ashley in a circle with all the elders, the elders were passing the sacrament, I was giving a talk (on missionary work), all the missionaries were doing a musical number, Elder Sloan was giving a talk (on Easter), Elder Wolsey was giving a talk (on the Atonement and missionary work), and Elder Widdup was giving the closing prayer. And then I got to give the Gospel Principles lesson on the Atonement and I just wanted to burst I was so happy for everything that Easter means.

Sister Nelson came into town for Amanda's baptism! She taught her for a couple weeks before she was transferred, and now she's been home for about 2 months. It was great to see her again (although I was a little freaked out by the jeans, the lack of nametag, and everyone calling her "Annaliese"...).

Amanda's baptism was amazing. I sang "How Great Thou Art" for a musical number, which was scary. The highlights were getting to hug Amanda immediately after the baptism and hear her bear her testimony about how she never expected to feel the way she did. Heavenly Father's love for her was just BRIGHT in the room.

Christina is on date for May 24 and Angie is on date for June 10. They are two single moms and we are so excited for their progression in the gospel. The last lesson we had with Sylvie was really special because it took a lot of question-asking on our part. She is a strong, amazing woman. She has lots of fears and concerns. There was one moment where she asked a question about a controversial topic. She wanted God's answer to be one thing and she started telling us her reasons for believing that way. We told her that it didn't matter what we said, or what anyone else says. All that matters is what God's answer was. We invited her to pray and ask Him sincerely. She started crying at that point and said, "I can feel that what you're saying is true. I know what His answer will be now that you say it, I just don't want to face it. I'll pray about it tonight." She ended up in tears again when Sister Olson asked her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and I invited her to be baptized. It was so special.

And on a lighter topic....:)

10 Things Not to Say When the Missionaries Take You to a First Lesson (dramatized for effect)

1. "I believe that you can't take the stories in the Book of Mormon or Bible literally.... They're just there to help you learn a lesson."

2. "Have you ever heard of baptisms for the dead before?"

3. "My favourite part of our Church is that I'll be able to have my own planet one day."

4. "I mean, if you can't read every night, that's okay, I don't read my scriptures every night and I still know that God loves me."

5. "The hardest part for me when I joined the Church was the word of wisdom! It's this thing where you can't drink coffee or smoke....."

6. "Let me tell you what I don't like about our ward."

7. "That's okay, I didn't pay tithing for years after I was baptized!"

8. "Wow. You're really going through a rough time. Have you tried moving out of your boyfriend's house?"

9. "I just know that it's not worth it to marry someone outside the Church."

10. "Evolution."

J'aime Pâques. Il est l'un de mes vacances préférées. Je sais que le Christ vit encore. Il est mort pour nous. Je suis heureux que notre Père céleste aime ses enfants imparfaits qu'il a envoyé son fils à mourir pour nous. Je suis reconnaissant parce que Pâques signifie que je suis capabled'avoir la force par le Christ.

Avec mon amour,

Sœur Lewis