The Day That Changed My Life

Quote of the week:

Sister Thompson during companionship study, telling me what she learned in personal studies--

"And then I studied about the statue of liberty. I love the statue of liberty."

(meaning the title of liberty:))

This week has been pretty emotionally draining, I'll be honest. It was full of lots of fasting. Sister Thompson and I have been sacrificing everything we can think of... Meals, sleep, the hour of free time we have right before bed, even time during preparation days. We've been praying to find opportunities to sacrifice during our days, and then praying for the desire to sacrifice it, and then the strength to follow through. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. And here's a little bit of why we're so urgent right now.

Yesterday, we got transfer e-mails. Sister Thompson and I are both staying in Charlottetown. They were the last transfer e-mails of Sister Thompson's mission. The next ones she reads will be the final transfer, meaning she has 4 days left of being a missionary.

For anyone who's been paying attention to my entire mission so far, here's the significance of Sister Thompson going home... 2 of the sisters who came out with her who are going home with her in 6 weeks are Sister Sandberg and Sister Olson, two of my previous companions and some of the ones I've become the closest to. It's surreal that they're leaving, especially because they were still being trained when I came on my mission.

And so Sister Thompson and I have been facing a lot of hard reality this past week. This is the last transfer of her mission and she expects miracles. When her group goes home, I'll be in the group of the most experienced sisters in the mission. We're determined not do "die" (to get trunky and stop doing missionary work), and after a lot of prayer, we've decided that the way to avoid that is through sacrifice.

And it's all a big deal to us because we're completely heartbroken that it's ending. I now have as much time left on my mission as I did when I was being trained at the beginning. I'm in the last few metres of the 100m dash, and I'm tired, and I've sprinted so far, and this is the place where it's easiest to slow down. But I'm not going to because of everything my mission means to me.

So here's the reason it means so much to me.

I remember as a little girl, hearing stories from my dad's mission in Paris--stories about elders doing crazy things, and about baptisms, and about elevators getting stuck between floors, and about flying down the streets on bikes, and about being in leadership positions, and about baptismal interviews that changed his life. I heard made-up bedtime stories about a little rat who lived in my dad's mission apartment, and more bedtime stories about vigilant elders. I heard MTC stories and heard about all the sacrifices my dad made the summer before his mission, and I heard his family's conversion story. So it was no wonder that from a young age, I have old journal entries about wanting to serve a mission. Missionaries were my superheroes, and it was my dream to serve a mission.

Then I got older and started to realize that missionaries required a lot of hard work. And despite receiving a blessing when I was 15 that made it so obvious that I needed to serve a mission, I wondered if I would actually get to. 21 was a hard age to leave--I could be almost done with school, and I had no idea what circumstances I'd be in at that time. I started to be unsure about serving a mission.

I went through high school and at the end of grade 12, my guy friends started preparing to serve missions. And I really am going to respect their choice to serve missions until the day I die, because when I saw them start to prepare, I started feeling the missionary spirit again so strongly. In fact, in letters to missionaries and in journal entries, I started writing about how much I wished I could just leave and serve a mission.

I committed to a university I had no interest in attending. I got a couple of jobs to save up for school. I was disappointed to find out that the school I didn't even want to go to wouldn't let me start school until January. So I had a lot of time to save up for school.

I started to get very frustrated. My friends were either moved out to go to school, or actually receiving their mission calls, and I was stuck, feeling like I had no direction, because I didn't even want to go to school, which was a righteous desire. I was confused and felt like I was in a rut. I lacked purpose and Heavenly Father wasn't answering my prayers for guidance or clarity. I was just working my jobs and waiting around to go to school.

Then General Conference started getting announced in church and I remember realizing that that was probably the answers to my prayers. I remembered my parents and church leaders teaching me growing up to write down the questions I have before General Conference, to pray about them, and watched them get answered. I started prayerfully creating a list of the questions I had. It was quite the list--it took up an entire page. Here are a few of them to give you a sample:

1) What am I supposed to do about school? I don't want to go and don't even feel good about going.

2) What does Heavenly Father want me to be doing for the next 5 months until I leave for school?

3) How will I earn enough money for my semester?

4) What are Heavenly Father's plans for me? What does expect me to accomplish before I leave?

The Saturday morning session of General Conference came, and I obediently sat down on the couch between my parents with my notebook of questions and a pen. The session began.

Before any of the talks started, the prophet got up to speak.

I sat up in my seat a little bit and paid closer attention because I knew he'd be announcing the new temples. He announced which temples have been dedicated, and even announced one to be built in Tucson, Arizona--where I was born! We were all excited.

Then President Monson started talking about missionary work. I was obviously interested. As I kept listening, I realized that it sounded like he was about to change the age that boys could serve missions. Suddenly I got this jolt in my heart that I can't quite describe, and I was filled with an intense anticipation as I leaned closer to the TV.

"I am pleased to announce that effective immediately all worthy and able young men who have graduated from high school or its equivalent, regardless of where they live, will have the option of being recommended for missionary service beginning at the age of 18, instead of age 19."

I glanced at my younger brother and was vaguely aware of my family being excited for him, but my eyes were glued to the television screen because my spirit was telling me that there was more. I knew there was more. It felt like deep down inside of me, I was being reminded of something I knew would be a part of my life before I even came here. I could feel it.

I stared at the screen, and I felt adrenaline pulsing through me. I covered my mouth and whispered, "What about the girls? What about the girls?" Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw my parents turn their attention towards me.

"As we have prayerfully pondered the age at which young men may begin their missionary service, we have also given consideration to the age at which a young woman might serve."

Pause.

"Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21."

I jumped up and was standing in the middle of the room. BAM, the Spirit hit me unlike anything I've ever felt before. I felt it so powerfully I immediately started crying and said, staring at the prophet, "I'm going on a mission!"

My parents stood up and hugged me and were crying too. My phone started buzzing over and over again as my friends texted me.

Before the first talk had even begun, every question on my list had been answered. I texted in between sessions for an interview with my bishop, started my mission papers after my interview that Tuesday, and submitted them on the earliest possible date: November 18, 2012 (exactly 4 months before my date of availability--my 19th birthday).

I got my mission call at the beginning of December to the Canada Halifax Mission. I left for the Missionary Training Center on April 24, 2013.

I met a sister missionary here who was in the MTC when the age-change announcement was made.

The entire MTC was watching General Conference together, and when they lowered the age for sisters to serve, on TV you see the full conference center whispering excitedly to each other. At the MTC, thousands of missionaries jumped out of their chairs and cheered.

And I guess that's why this means so much to me. That day changed my life. And as I enter the last stretch, I remember the way I felt--completely humbled and grateful that the Lord would qualify me to serve Him, and like I was waiting for that announcement to be made.

The Blessings of Heaven We Saw This Week

We finally got a new investigator, after talking to thousands of people to find her.

We finally got someone else on date for baptism, after a very bold lesson.

We got a call from a family of potential investigators we thought we'd never hear back from again, asking us to teach them.

We were able to surpass our goal of people to talk to by 30 (set a goal of 200).

We filled the back of our planners with the names and contact information of people who said they'd like to learn more.

I'm grateful for a living prophet who hears the will of the Lord and listens. I'm grateful for the Saviour who prepared a way for the most simple of girls to be qualified for His great work. I'm grateful that I'm involved in the greatest and most important work. How great is my calling!

Sister Lewis

"Sister Lewis?  I'm going crazy!"  "Why?"  "No really.  Everything's green and purple."  I looked over and saw this.

Cow's ice cream

Trying Cow Chips for the first time.

(Potato chips dipped in milk chocolate!)

The Lighthouse

Making 20 pizza's worth of pizza dough in preparation for YSA conference.

Ma collegue missionaire

The hills are alive....With the sound of Mooormons

Quote of the week--every person we stop to talk to ever:

"Yeah, I just talked to your people yesterday!"

"You stopped me last week."

"Your boys knocked on my door earlier today."

"Whenever I see you, you're on your bikes or talking to someone!"

"Is this all you do?!"

Meet MaryAnn*.

MaryAnn is 49. She has one son. She is preparing to be baptized on the 23rd of August.

She smoked every day of her life from the time she was a teenager until about 6 weeks ago, when with the help of the missionaries and the Lord, she quit.

She got into basically everything bad that you can get into. I'd make a list but suffice it to say, she's had a ROUGH past.

Besides bringing some of her trials on herself through her poor decisions (like we ALL do), there were some that Heavenly Father gave to her to make her stronger. And she's had more of those than most people I know. She's ridiculously resilient.

We had a lesson with MaryAnn this week about Christ's atonement. We read with her the first 13 verses of Alma 7, which testify of the Saviour.

We got to verse 11 and it went right over her head. We took it apart phrase by phrase for her and explained each one.

First phrase. "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind..."

Second phrase. "...and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people."

And then something very special began to happen.

We started the next phrase, and the Spirit began to enter the room very powerfully.

"And he shall take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people..."

Explain. Testify. Next phrase. "...and he will take upon him their infirmities.."

Explain. Testify. Read. "...that his bowels may be filled with mercy..."

"...according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

Stop. Pay attention. Feel. Listen.

It was my turn to explain. I defined the word "succor" for MaryAnn: "to run to". She was staring at me.

The Spirit was thick, and it became difficult to talk. She stared at me as I quoted Elder Bednar:

"The Saviour has suffered not just for our iniquities but also for the inequality, the unfairness, the pain, the anguish, and the emotional distresses that so frequently beset us. There is no physical pain, no anguish of soul, no suffering of spirit, no infirmity or weakness that you or I ever experience during our mortal journey that the Saviour did not experience first. The Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of our life. He can reach out, touch, succor--literally run to us--and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us  to do that which we could never do through relying upon only our own power."

Pause. I took a deep breath. MaryAnn was staring silently. I testified to MaryAnn of the love the Saviour has for her. Then there was silence.

And then MaryAnn said some key words: "I wish I had known how much Christ loves me and how much He could've helped me if I let Him. I wish someone told me sooner."

I live for moments like that special lesson with MaryAnn. That moment makes me overwhelmingly grateful that God told His prophet He needed a larger force of missionaries. I feel blessed that the Lord has decided to qualify me to be the person to tell MaryAnn about her Saviour.

The Prophet Joseph Smith said to all members of the Church:

"After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel."

And I know--I have seen--that because it is the "greatest and most important duty," it brings the greatest and most important blessings.

Sister Lewis

PS. MaryAnn made me quote Elder Bednar again two more times. Powerful.

The Boardwalk!!!

Sailboats remind me of my dad

Sister T and me about to leave after contacting for a few hours

Ultimate "lunch".. Vanilla ice cream in front of the fan.

The Elders backed their cars right up in front of ours.  

Which meant I had to back Sister Thompson out.  Not impressed.

Visiting one of the members in the hospital.  She asked us to sing her "I am a Child of God" and write it for her on the board.

Oooooo Caaaaanadaaaaa

Our apartment isn't necessarily the nicest.  This week, one of the windows let about 30-40 flies in.  So we masked up to poison them.

We got to move the ward mission leader and his family!!!  WE GOT TO WEAR JEANS.

The boardwalk at sunset

The dainty sister missionaries eating a light Saturday night supper.

Fried chicken wings and potato wedges.

The JWs had just knocked the same street as us. Haha.

Kept finding their fliers everywhere ;)

Sherwood

One of the maritimers with one of the merry men

Charlottetown finally stole my heart

Hello!

I don't know why, but I got emails from several different people this week about my last letter, where I described what PEI is like! So here's more of a description for those who wanted one:

When you go far enough south in Charlottetown, past downtown, you come to a boardwalk. On one side of the boardwalk, there are green hills, and on the other side, there are big red rocks for a few feet until they hit the ocean, which is dark blue in the day and silvery-blue and yellow in the evening. When you walk down the boardwalk in the evening, you face the orange and purple sunset and a lighthouse (I'll have to take a picture of it sometime). There's often fog and wind, but it's warm and sunny.

Downtown Charlottetown has an older style. There are lots of stands on the side of the road--hot dogs, gourmet grilled cheese, ice cream, etc. A few evenings ago, we were contacting downtown and as we walked, there were a couple teenagers playing guitar and singing on one corner. We crossed the street to the other corner and a man was playing a bagpipe (he often plays in the middle of a flat, green park in the evenings). We kept walking and farther down the same block, on Victoria Row (or "Vic Row") were the groups that do the jazz improv all the time. As soon as they were out of sight, we passed a man who often comes into the soup kitchen we volunteer at, playing the violin with a huge crowd around him. On a lot of the buildings downtown, there are little cartoon-style mouse statues (if you can call them that--they're a few inches tall) attached to the building near the ground. I'll have to take a picture sometime.

The church is located in a subdivision called Sherwood, and there's a statue of one of Robin Hood's merry men across the street.

That's good enough for this week:)

This week was pretty full, as usual. We had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders (weird to say), and so I got to go spend a day in Moncton! Haha. It was an interesting experience... Actually a lot of things happened and some things were really serious, so the exchange was also accompanied with a long talk with the mission president, and it affected the rest of the week. When I got back to Charlottetown, I was really sick, but I couldn't handle being in the apartment, so we've just been working. I'd like to say that just because I pushed through and worked, I had all these great experiences and really loved the work, but I'll be honest, I was pretty miserable working through it all. The week was capped off with a really powerful spiritual experience that answered a lot of prayers and questions I've had for years. And then we had an evening of miracles last night while contacting at the boardwalk--we found lots of young, single men who are interested in learning more.... Who the elders will get to teach haha! We're struggling to build a real teaching pool, but have been blessed with a lot of tender mercies and small miracles as we've depended on the Lord to help us.

I am grateful for a living Church that encourages asking questions because we are dependent on revelation. Because we know answers will come. Because we're confident in our knowledge of God and the reality of the doctrine taught in James 1:5. I've been faced with a lot of questions I don't know the answers to in the last few weeks. But Heavenly Father is a loving and patient Father, and He's been answering me despite my imperfect faith. I'm grateful for the evidences He's given me of the truthfulness of this Church, because I'm able to depend on my own testimony when I develop questions and get a little weakened.

Last night as we were talking to people at the boardwalk, we stopped man who knows a LOT about the Church. He doesn't believe that we're true Christians and threw a lot of arguments at us (in fact, that's been a pretty big pattern this week--people wanting to sway us from what we believe and know). I ended up having to say, "I don't know the answer to all your questions. But I do know that Christ is my Saviour, and He's yours as well. I know that He died for us and that He lives today." He definitely has doubts about our Church still, and has a lot of really negative feelings towards it, but I hope that even if he doesn't believe we're Christians still, he could at least feel the reality of my testimony. Because I know it. I am completely convinced that Christ is my Saviour and that He lives, and I try to live true to that.

Sister Lewis

Last summer, a 19-year-old girl from Halifax (Clara Hodder) was preparing to serve a mission in France. Her MTC entrance date got pushed back, and she couldn't stand the wait anymore (no kidding), so she served a mini-mission in Hampton, NB--not far from where I was serving in Riverview. Sister Hodder served with Sister Rust and Sister Thompson (my current companion), and my trainer was their sister training leader, so we went on exchanges with them ALL THE TIME. I loved Sister Hodder and still hear from her weekly. This Sunday, the Charlottetown Ward got a special visit... Here is Sister Thompson, Sister Hodder's mom, Sister Hodder's little sister, and me. We were all so excited!!!

To all the 40-year-old women who were jealous that I was getting called to the mission with Prince Edward Island... this one's for you.

Quote of the week:

While street contacting, I stopped one girl while Sister Thompson went on to contact someone else--

Girl: "....But I'm not from here."

Me: "Oh, me neither! Where are you from?"

GIrl: "Ontario. I'm just up here for the summer."

Me: "Just to visit, or...?"

Girl: "Umm no, I'm actually Anne." (points at giant poster of Anne of Green Gables downtown)

Me: "Uhhh.... Wait what?! Really?!"

Girl: (laughing) "Yeah."

Me: "Oh wow. So, do you go to a church here then??"

Hahaha you know you've been a missionary for a while when you meet a celebrity and the one question you HAVE to ask them is what religion they are.

This week was a great one!

Welcome to Charlottetown, where...

-it smells like the ocean.

-there's always a breeze.

-there are foxes everywhere.

-seeing people downtown dressed up like they live in 1867 is normal.

-everyone downtown has an ice cream cone from Cow's Creamery.

-everyone is a redhead.

-most people outside aren't even from Charlottetown.

-you swallow a mouthful of water whenever you breathe.

-the dirt is red, the fields are green, the skies are blue.

-there are huge, old trees that make it feel small-town and relaxed.

-we're not the only girls riding bikes in dresses.

It's beautiful here. At the beginning of my mission, I wanted to serve in PEI during the summer, and here I am! It's paradise.

Best Moments of the Week

1. A conversation we had with a couple from Halifax.

Me: "...And so we know that Christ's own church is on the earth again today--"

Man: "You really believe that, don't you?"

Me: "I do."

Man: "I can tell. I can feel it."

2. Charlottetown Ward's annual Strawberry Social.

Fresh strawberries on top of biscuits and homemade whipped cream. 35 adults and kids playing a giant soccer game all evening. Tons of mosquitoes. Blue and yellow sky. "Pass it to Elder!" "Stay on Sister!" "Elder, pass!"

3. Searching for new investigators.

A text we received from a single mother this week who we are having a really hard time getting in contact with:

"I have been really wanting to get together and talk about Jesus, but with a single parent of three kids my time is spent. I do have Mondays and Fridays off. Can we try again?"

There are really people out there looking for the truth. The field is white, already to harvest. I know that. And I'm gonna go harvest this week. I love it.

Sister Lewis

Lewis Family Reunion 2014

While the entire Lewis family is vacationing in Oregon, I'd just like to say that Austen and I had our own reunion over e-mail that none of you were invited to. And it was fun. Ok?

Quote of the week (from Elder Ryan, who is from China and was just baptized in January in Halifax, who is on a 4-week "mini mission" here in Charlottetown)--

Elder Ryan: "I am about to go back to China. In my city there are one million people. In those one million people, there is one Mormon. That's me. I can't go to church. But all I know is that no matter what everyone else is, I'm a Mormon."

Things that happened recently that were notable/boring/out-of-the-ordinary:

1) There was a "hurricane" in the maritimes. I was in Moncton. It rained and was a little windy.

2) I finally ate at Cow's:)

3) President Leavitt came and visited Charlottetown and gave a fireside to the YSA here about preparing to leave on missions. It was amazing.

4) I left my Nutella in Moncton and now I'm sad and hungry.

5) On my first day here in Charlottetown, Sister Thompson took me to visit a family in the ward from Haiti. They speak French, Creole, and Spanish... And no English!:) Sister Bissette* has been wanting to bear her testimony in sacrament meeting for almost a year, but doesn't know how to in [English]. She knew a French-speaking sister was being transferred in, and when she opened the door, she immediately started excitedly speaking to me in French. When I responded in French, she got really emotional and hugged me. We visited for a while, and she asked me for help to learn how to bear her testimony in English. Then she fed us some Creole food... Fried bananas (tastes like potatoes with a different texture) with chicken in a spicy sauce. It was so good!

6) Continued to use French whenever possible while finding... Met a girl from France who was atheist, a lady from Campbellton who was Presbyterian, another lady in the ward who's Acadian (! yay!) who used to be Catholic, and lots of other people from around the world. Charlottetown is full of tourists, and I'm grateful I get to speak French and not lose it.

7) I still miss being an STL. I have so much more time on my hands than I'm used to. I'm trying to find ways to direct my extra and energy and time towards something worth it. It's so weird. I hope this isn't what it feels like to get off my mission.

Sister Olson and I were knocking during our last couple of weeks together. It was the first time we were working together, in our area, speaking French, for about a week. We had just had monster exchanges with lots of other sisters in the zone and we were super tired. We could barely speak French as a result of being really tired and having served with English sisters in English areas all week. This was the result (I'll translate it into English, but leave the accent in for effect:).)

Me: "Hi, how are you doing zees evening?"

Couple: "We're doing great! How are you girls?"

Me: "We are well, thank you! My name ees Seester Lewis, and behold Seester Olson. We are meeseeonaries for zee Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ees eet zat you have ever heard of zees church before?"

Couple: "Yeah, we've heard of it!"

Me: "Zat is good! In fact, tonight as missionaries, we are in zee process of inviting zee people here to learn about zer ancestors through zee genealogy, or zee fameely 'eestory. Ees eet zat you have ever... umm.... have ever... (looking at Sister Olson for the word)..."

Sister Olson: "Done?"

Me: "Yes! Done! Ees eet zat you have ever done your fameely 'eestory before?"

Couple: "Oh no, we actually haven't."

Sister Olson: "Well for me personally, I have done my fameely 'eestory! In fact, I have went to Ireland for to see zee gravestones of my dead ancestors. I saw zee cemeteries and zee castles and something like zat, and eet was very eenteresting."

Couple: "Wow! How neat, girls."

Sister Olson: "Yes. And as missionaries, we teach zee people here about how to begin zer fameely 'eestory for to connect with zer ancestors. Ees zat something zat we can share with you and your fameely at a better moment?"

Couple: "Well, that sounds very interesting, but probably not today, girls."

Me: "Well maybe I can leave you weeth a card of our website? Our church has zee largest online, free database for zee records about zee fameely 'eestory... zee records of zee births, and of zee marriages, and of zee deaths too."

Couple: "We would love a card! Thank you so much, girls. You are so brave to be doing this."

Sister Olson: "Zank you a lot. Zank you for your time."

Couple: "You are welcome. Feel free to stop by any time, girls."

Me: "Zank you!"

Sister Olson: "Goodbye!"

Couple: "Bye, girls!"

Me: "Are you having a good evening!" (Yeah I accidentally asked if they were having a good evening instead of telling them TO have a good evening.)

Couple: "You too!"

I love missionary work.

In fact, my thought is once again missionary-oriented (surprise, surprise). One of my favourite quotes from Elder Holland that I've studied recently:

"If we do right and talk right and reach out generously with our words and our deeds, then, when the Savior cuts short His work in righteousness, says time is no more in this last dispensation, and comes in His glory, He will find us doing our best, trying to live the gospel, trying to improve our lives and our Church and our society the best way we can.

"When He comes, I so want to be caught living the gospel. I want to be surprised right in the act of spreading the faith and doing something good. I want the Savior to say to me: 'Jeffrey, I recognize you not by your title but by your life, the way you are trying to live and the standards you are trying to defend. I see the integrity of your heart. I know you have tried to make things better first and foremost by being better yourself and then by declaring my word and defending my gospel to others in the most compassionate way you could.'

"He will certainly add: 'I know you weren't always successful with your own sins and with the circumstances of others, but I believe you honestly tried. I believe in your heart you truly loved me.'

"I want to have something like that encounter someday as I want nothing else in this mortal life. And I want it for you. I want it for us all. 'Israel, Israel, God is calling'--calling us to live the gospel of Jesus Christ personally in small ways and large ways, to reach out to those who may not look or dress or behave quite as we do, and then (where we can) to go beyond that to serve in the widest community we can address."

I know that as members of the Church, we have the responsibility, honour, and privilege of making a difference. I'm grateful for that. I know that we have power as members of Christ's church.

Sister Lewis

I'll try to name anyone.... Elders left to right, then sisters left to right.

New elder, new elder, Elder Penitch, Elder McMullen, Elder McKenney, Elder Duddley, Elder Ryan, Elder Horner, Elder Gibb, Elder Collett, Elder Skinner, Elder Erickson, Elder Fortier, Elder Woodbury (the second), Elder Waldie, Elder Jason, Elder Nzojibwami, Elder Viennot, Elder Hill.

Sister Tegge, Sister Johnson, Sister Spencer, Sister Smith, SIster Thompson, Sister Burton, Sister Coleman, moi, Sister Vera, Sister Christiansen, Sister Viennot, Sister Hill.

New Brunswick East Zone

I'm trying really hard to focus on this email right now and nothing else.

I am writing this e-mail to people from home.

I have to hurry up and pack tonight.

I am writing this e-mail to people from home.

I'm leaving tomorrow.

I am writing this e-mail to people from home.

I didn't get to say goodbye to anyone at church yesterday.

I am writing this e-mail to people from home.

I've never served anywhere outside of New Brunswick.

I am writing this e-mail to people from home.

This is emergency transfer #3 on my mission!

I am writing this e-mail to people from home.

I have no time to pack!!!!!

Yep.... basically that's everything in my head today. Haha not a whole lot, but my thoughts are racing. I'm headed to Charlottetown, PEI tomorrow. Just found out an hour ago. Ahhhh!!

So I love my new companion! Who will not be my new companion anymore this time tomorrow.... It was a wonderful 5 days though haha. My new new companion will be Sister Thompson, who I actually know really well and have worked with a lot. She came out with Sister Olson, so she goes home in about 2 months.

Quotes of the week--yesterday after church:

Bishop MacGougan: "Two peanuts walk into a bar. One gets a-salted."

Bishop MacGougan: "I got a job crushing pop cans. It was soda pressing."

Bishop MacGougan: "I saw a kidnapping today. But I decided not to wake him up."

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time laughing after church yesterday. Great Bishop.

Well since this week was spent knocking, getting Sister Olson ready for transfers, knocking, saying goodbye to Sister Olson, knocking, getting my new companion, and knocking, there's not a lot to update you on. More than 20 hours of knocking. It was a long week, but a good one.

I know the power that comes from sacrifice. I've seen again and again the empowerment that comes to those who give up something that they love for something they love even more. I've seen the change in people.

I've seen the change in me since I gave up what I had to come here. And I keep witnessing changes in me as I work towards being more perfect in giving up my will. There is something very humbling about sacrifice. I'm doing it a little differently than most people do it--I live out of 2 suitcases and don't have much to my name right now, and it's really humble circumstances. But sacrifice makes me more grateful. I have so little in the terms of material possessions, but I'm so much more grateful now that I've sacrificed those things, because now I'm more rich in terms of eternal possessions. I am happier, I feel lighter, and I feel confident. I feel strengthened and empowered. I know the power that comes from sacrifice.

Love,

Sister Lewis

Said goodbye to Elder Widdup at transfers.

Transfer 11... Here we go!

Bonjour!

We received the letters of transfers yesterday! It's crazy. Sister Olson has been by far my longest companion (3 transfers). She's being released as sister training leader and will be going to Sydney (Cape Breton). My new companion (as of this Thursday) will be Sister Coleman, who's been out for 9 or 10 months. She's French-speaking and from BC. We'll be co-STLs together here in Dieppe. By the end of our transfer together in Dieppe, I'll have been in the Moncton ward for a total of almost 11 months.... Crazy. Not complaining.

Elder Widdup (district leader) got called to be a zone leader in Cole Harbour. Elder Roberts is going home. We have some great new missionaries coming in, it should be an exciting transfer.

We had another week full of knocking. We had Mission Leadership Council on Tuesday and spent Friday in Tracadie working with the Bathurst sisters (Sisters Coleman and Vera) and Elders Nzojibwami and Waldie. It's a completely French area, so it was a great immersion experience.

Yesterday the missionaries were in charge of the third hour at church!!! One of the most exciting things for missionaries. We showed the ward mormon.org and taught them of the importance of creating profiles on it and sharing the gospel with their friends. It was really inspiring, at least for the missionaries:)

So my thoughts today are all centered on member-missionary work.

One of my favourite talks was quoted in the June Ensign. It's by Elder Bednar. He says:

"We properly pray for the safety and success of the full-time missionaries throughout the world. And a common element in many of our prayers is a request that the missionaries will be led to individuals and families who are prepared to receive the message of the Restoration. But ultimately it is my responsibility and your responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach. Missionaries are full-time teachers; you and I are full-time finders. And you and I as lifelong missionaries should not be praying for the full-time missionaries to do our work!"

Now, basically all I've been doing for the last several weeks is knocking on doors and street contacting (which I actually enjoy a lot of the time) and hardly any teaching. And that's fine because that's the most I can be doing with my time right now (even if it is 32 degrees when we do it!:)).

My favourite part about being a missionary, though, isn't the act of knocking on doors or walking down the street, but it's the joy I get from inviting people to learn about the Saviour.

Before my mission, I was a good little Mormon girl. Except I basically NEVER shared the gospel with anyone! So I wasn't letting my light shine, which means I wasn't fulfilling my basic responsibilities as a full-time finder.

I wish that someone had told me what my responsibilities were back then. I wish I could've felt this great joy for the 19 years before my mission, instead of having to wait until now to know what my job was.

The fact is exactly what Elder Bednar said: YOU are full-time finders. YOU are responsible for securing the blessings for yourselves that come from sharing the gospel. YOUR responsibility is to find those who are prepared for baptism. YOUR responsibility is to invite others to come unto Christ, as much as it is mine. Members do that through finding, missionaries do that through teaching.

President Monson said (and I've heard this so many times I have it completely memorized), "NOW is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labour in the Lord's vineyard to bring souls unto Him."

Now is that time!! It's happening! There are almost 90,000 missionaries in the world right now! Today there are more missionaries out than there ever have been! And we're completely at the disposal to the 15 million members worldwide. We want to teach the people YOU find so YOU can feel what we've been feeling our whole missions. I don't want it so I don't have to knock on doors anymore, so I don't have to pass out in the middle of the street it's so hot (seriously guys, I thought I was gonna DIE hahaha). I want it so YOU can be more converted, so YOU can feel the way I've had the privilege and honour of feeling for the last 14 months.

I know that this is Christ's Church. It is His. We are in the tiny minority of all the children of God who were blessed enough to be reminded of His truth early on. It's our responsibility, but more than that--our blessing--to bring this to His other children.

"And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.

"And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.

"And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.  

"Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many."

This scripture doesn't have to be about full-time missionaries. It can be about YOU. I feel honoured that this scripture describes the work I'M doing. Does it describe you?

End overly-passionate e-mail about my favourite thing in the world:)

LOVE,

Sister Lewis

Did a lemonade stand in Tracadie on Friday! Handed out family history pass-along cards. Limonade gratuite!

The District. Elder Widdup & Elder Collett (Dieppe), Elder Jason (Moncton ZL), Sister Olson & me (Dieppe), Elder Roberts (Moncton ZL). I love them!

Jessica moved to AB this week:( Saying goodbye to her and her boys. The one in glasses is another boy in the ward.

Elder Waldie

Elder Diodati

Zone conference a couple weeks ago (with Elder and Sister Snow). I got to see tons of people I haven't seen in ages. Elder Woodbury.