Je speak le bon Chiac.

Actually, I do not. I don't know how many ward members and missionaries have tried to teach it to me now! I can't make it make sense in my head!! I'm better at French than Frenglais!

Ahh! Birthdays! I know I should've done it last week, but happy birthday to Aunt Katie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooh! And I know I'm forgetting people's birthdays again so we'll see if I remember next week.

Quote of the week:

Elder Woodbury: "Elder Murdie! No! ..................................................................................................... AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SISTERSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

.....Yeah. We were on the phone with the Elders one night when Elder Waldie (Murdie) got possessed and attacked Elder Woodbury. It was the weirdest thing I have ever heard in my life hahaha. Maybe I'll bribe them into letting me have the video of it so you can enjoy their complete and utter weirdness!

For everyone's reference, we have 4 (and possibly 5) baptisms coming up next month. They are VERY LIKELY going through, and we've been fasting and praying for this. This is huge. So send prayers on behalf of investigators world-wide that they can come to know of the truth and have a desire to come unto Christ through baptism!!

This week I fell deeply in love. He's always there for me. I can talk to him about everything and he gives me the best advice. He is so open--an open book. He uplifts me and helps me to become better. He tells amazing stories and makes me laugh sometimes. I get to spend hours everyday with him, and whenever we're together, I show him off and he makes other people happy too. His name is the Book of Mormon.

Hahahaaaaa my sense of humor is slowly going downhill.....

But seriously. The Book of Mormon. MAN.

Everyone, drop whatever you're doing and go watch Elder Holland's "Safety for the Soul". I've read parts of it lots of times before, and I've seen the little (and incredible) Mormon message about it tons of times, but go listen to the whole thing. It is amazing. And life-changing. And seriously, I have such a deeper love for the Book of Mormon after studying that talk throughout the week. Let me just quote my favorite parts:

"For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history.... and still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have died.... None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator."

"Now, I did not sail with the brother of Jared in crossing an ocean, settling in a new world. I did not hear King Benjamin speak his angelically delivered sermon. I did not proselyte with Alma and Amulek nor witness the fiery death of innocent believers. I was not among the Nephite crowd who touched the wounds of the resurrected Lord, nor did I weep with Mormon and Moroni over the destruction of an entire civilization. But my testimony of this record and the peace it brings to the human heart is as binding and unequivocal as was theirs. Like them, 'I give my name unto the world, to witness unto the world that which I have seen.' And like then, 'I lie not, God bearing witness of it.'"

"I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven. I hope I have a few years left in my 'last days,' but whether I do or do not, I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days."

You're going to have to listen to the entire thing, because it is even more incredible to hear from the mouth of a living prophet. But it is all true. I know the Book of Mormon is true. And I too "want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared" to my family and friends that it is true. My testimony is still growing, and I'm still becoming more converted, but I can't deny that it's true.

And I won't ever deny it's true, and I'll never fall away from it, because I won't stop reading it. To gain a testimony, read it. And then don't stop.

Love you all. The Church is true. And I'm a witness of it!!!

Sister Lewis

Us and the Elders last P-Day--our favorite ice cream spot!

Random picture of Elder Woodbury laughing really hard haha.

Weirdest Elders I've ever met....

 Ice cream with the Elders for Sister Nelfils's year mark! They put smiley faces on the top for us:)

SISTER NELSON'S YEAR MARK!!!

We change lives.

.....

....Well, it's almost normal:) Hahaha

LOVE THEM SO MUCH:)

Welcome to my home.

Excuse me while I die at the gorgeous sunset over Jones Lake.

Just doin' the usual, being a missionary. Ya know.

How we have supper every night. Light the candle, set the veggies and hummus in the middle, and open the DVD player so we can watch Mormon Messages and get the chills from the Spirit.

RIVERVIEW.

This photo was sent from one of the couple missionaries to us parents today!

(12 August 2013)

Hey everyone!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MALCOLM!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe how old you're gettin, buddy!!! I love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I remember when you were born, and I didn't think you would be cute. I WAS SO WRONG.

Quotes of the week:

1. We were in bed last night. We had turned out the lights and finished praying, then we were getting under the covers. Suddenly I heard this giant wrapper noise and heard Sister Nelson opening a bag of chips in the dark!

Me: "Sister Nelson, are you eating chips?!"

Sister Nelson: "Yes, I'm eating."

Me: (cracking up) "What the heck!!! You can't do that at 10:30!"

Sister Nelson: "I'm putting the wipes back! I'm not eating chips, you psycho!"

2. We had Elder Woodbury's backpack for some reason, so we met them at Superstore and passed it off to them in the parking lot. I leaned over to tell Sister Nelson something.

Elder Woodbury: "HEY! Sister Lewis! Secrets don't make friends. Gossiping Sisters go to HALifax."

This was an amazing week! Saturday night we had the concert, which had a HUGE turn-out! 152 people came total, and 60 of them were members! YES!!!!! It was amazing, and the ward is so inspired for missionary work. THE WORK IS PROGRESSING:)

Well the Elders are kicking us off the computers so I gotta go. Sorry it was such a lame e-mail this week.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love love love,

Sister Lewis

Really blurry picture of the two wackos in Riverview.

RUE LEWIS:) I've been wanting a picture in front of this since day 1!!!

I GOT THE PACKAGE!!!!! You guys are the best! I was so excited and love it all!! Christmas in August:)

..."Elder Icy Hot"? Funny, guys.....

Sigh. Your senses of humor have gone down the drain since I left.

This week the traveling music fireside came to the Moncton ward!!! It was an amazing turn-out. This is me and Sister Broadhead, who is in Halifax right now. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. We had a bonding, cuddling moment that morning in the grass in front of my apartment.

I LOVE THESE SISTERS. Sister Laxton (I was in the MTC with her! She's in Wolfville), Sister Broadhead (Halifax), me (sorry I happen to be wearing that outfit in every picture...), Sister Nelson (take a good look at how beautiful she is), Sister Drew (Halifax), Sister Echols (I was in the MTC with her too! She's in Cole Harbour), Sister Lee (Halifax), and Sister Leavey (Dartmouth). So yeah, you can imagine how great our slumber party in our 1-bedroom-1-bathroom apartment was the night before! But now picture how powerful our kneeling prayers were altogether. I love being a missionary.

Elder WOODbury and Elder Waldie (AKA Francy Bubbles. Don't ask). Givin some sass.

Older pics (when I was with Sister Hart).

Never got over my natural creepiness....

When we went to Bay of Fundy on Canada Day!

.......Sorry you even have to know me, everyone.

I LOVE HER.

Dieppe!!! Whenever they call, I say, "Dyup's callin'." Haha in case you wanted to know...

I'm sorry, ok?!

We were in a scary cave.

Candid.

Haha being observant....

I was trying to be a photographer I guess.

Got dared to eat fresh seaweed.... Mmmm.

My crab friend.

Elder Call teachin me about the seaweed!

:)

I still haven't even seen a real one, and it's like the biggest Canadian stereotype!

Don't remember what we were doing here....

The Elders, excited for their first baptism (June 29)!

The Veilleux girls' baptism! Evangeline (14) and Eustace (10). Sister Hart and I got to teach them several times. We love them SO MUCH. (And look how cute their little siblings are!)

Awkward.

These are from Elder Waldie's camera.

Stuck in a cave!

..........

Mmph.

MY TEMPLE!!!!!

It's a good thing I don't have to worry about dating for 14 more months.

:)

My greatest nightmare came to life this week.

Yep, it's true.

The nightmare that haunts my dreams most frequently actually happened this week.

It was terrifying.

What was my reaction, you ask?

First was about three seconds of shock. Then I thought I was going to cry. Then I told my companion and I burst out laughing because of course this nightmare would come true as soon as I'm on my mission and can't do anything about it.

I lost a tooth.

Okay, that was dramatic, I didn't really lose it. But like a quarter of it fell out! I won't go into details because it's kind of embarrassing, kind of gross. The only thing really to say about this is that I don't really know what you're supposed to do when something like this happens. But hey, you can't even see it, so #turntheothercheek

But hey everyone!!! Haha. It's been a great week to be a missionary.

Birthdays first! I know I keep slacking off on them! Happy birthday to Jenette Russell and Aunt Katie!!!!! I just love you both.

And I feel like I need to give a shout-out to (soon-to-be) Sister Nilsson! This is really belated, but OH MY GOSH NEW YORK. I'm going to start hearing all these stories from investigators (who think it's crazy we aren't up-to-date on the world, so they like giving us random news they hear) about New York being turned upside down because my main girl Quinnly is tearing it up over there!!! Quinn, what an amazing missionary you will be.

Fun fact, everyone. Listen up. My new companion, Sister Nelson, was in the same stake as me before both our families moved. We went to the same high school. We are Red Sox/Patriots fans because of our dads (hers still lives in Boston). We even had some of the same teachers. And now her mom lives a few minutes from my parents... AWESOME!!! Sister Nelson is SO GREAT and 

This week we were able to pick up two of our former investigators, Samantha and Linda, and commit them to baptism again for September 28! It's been a series of miracles to get them to this point, and I have seen so clearly God's hand in preparing them. Linda (11) testified to Samantha (her mother) at the end about the Lord's timing in sending the missionaries. They both have testimonies, and I'm impressed by their deep humility and earnestness. We just called Dawn to see how she was doing and she told us that this morning when she was reading the Book of Mormon, she couldn't put it down for hours because she was reading about Ammon.

I love this gospel.

We've been doing a lot of knocking (or "tracting," as every mission but ours calls it:)) and it's been draining, but good! We had to drop our investigator, Misty, who we got on date last week, but it's alright, she just wasn't prepared yet. It's been an overall amazing, difficult week, and I LOVE it.

I've memorized a quote by Joseph Smith, and it's been stuck in my head recently. The last two weeks have been really crazy because everything's changed with exchanges. It's been pretty tough. But having this running through my head all the time makes me a little less discouraged and a little more hopeful:

The standard of truth has been erected.

No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing.

Persecutions may rage.

Mobs may combine.

Armies may assemble.

Calumny may defame.

But the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent.

Till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear.

Till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say, "The work is done."

Being the Lord's servant is hard, and it's miraculous, and it's a privilege. I know I've been called of God, but through the discouraging times it's nice to remember that "no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing." On a mission, I've been yelled at, I've been glared at, I've been mocked, I've been laughed at. I'm rejected, I'm despised. And yet I feel honoured because I'm wearing Christ's name physically and figuratively over my heart and this is exactly what He experienced too. He has chosen me to represent Him. How great is my calling!

I love and miss you all!

Soeur Lewis (or as I hear a lot around here, "Sir Lois")