1st Week

Hello! Thank you for sending pictures mom, I love them! I have such a beautiful family! The update was so fun to read. I love you all so much!!

 

Things here in Missouri are going great!! Some of the sisters at the V.C. (Visitors Center) had a baptism last week, and the work is rolling forward. :) We do 6 hours at the VC every day and the we have 6 hours to study/proselyte. The church has developed a new 12 week program for new missionaries and so my companion and I have 3 hours of study everyday before we can go out and proselyte. Our area is about 30-45 min. away and so we only end up with about 2 hours in our area every night. It's not a lot but we're trusting the Lord to help us make do with what we can. We have to rely on him to lead us to who needs the gospel- because we have no time to waste. There are days, however, where He sends no direct inspiration and then it's up to us to do "as seemeth us good!" (scripture talk becomes so natural as a missionary haha). He's teaching us how to maximize the time that we have. Currently we are teaching a woman named Selene (pronounced Sell-en-"A"). She's incredible! The sisters were already teaching her before I came into the area, and she had already agreed to be baptized. I have only met with her once so far, and then again at church on Sunday, but she is what we would call a "golden contact," she was so prepared for the fullness of the gospel, it continually amazes me! In the last 2 months she's read all the standard works (the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants) AND she's read Daughters in my Kingdom, and Preach My Gospel. (She was afraid the missionaries were not teaching her all they were supposed to, so she decided to just read the manual herself.) Hahah. I LOVE HER. In our last lesson with her, she went off on establishing Zion. She said something to the affect of, "I have so much zest for what I'm doing, and I just want to know why we aren't establishing Zion yet?? I'm willing to give everything to the Lord... why are other people not on board yet!? Come on folks, let's get going!" Hahah.... I know. It's amazing. She's a bright beacon of hope in our work. The Lord has prepared people for His message, I see it over and over again. We are teaching several other people as well, and I love them all so much! They will take time, however, not everyone is as prepared and ready as Selene...

 

We've witnessed so many miracles. Every day is a miracle, even the days that are hard are always miraculous. We have seen God protect us time and again, it's amazing how safe you feel as a missionary. Our area is so cut in half- culturally. One half is like our neighborhood, and the other half is the ghetto's of Kansas City. We were teaching a woman named Immaculate the other day, and she is so wonderful! She understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, in the sense that she understands what it means to love and serve like Christ. She hasn't grasped, however, the concept that God is a God of order, and will run His kingdom in order. It will take time, but we love her and God loves her, and she loves us. She's making us African food this next Sunday. I'll let you know how it goes! Hahaha.... Sister Atkins is worried.

 

After we were done teaching her, we walked outside and saw her next door neighbors fixing a car in the drive-way. At first we were kind of nervous to talk to them, but Sister Atkins and I were both prompted by the spirit to go over and talk with them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We walked over there and the conversation flowed so easily. They were fixing a Dodge Stratus- so I mentioned our experience with the Dodge Stratus haha. It was amazing, because God helped us see as we walked up how to connect and relate with them instantly. We're teaching them this Saturday, and there are several families living in their house! We're so excited :)

 

God's love for His children is so miraculous. It enlightens, lifts and expands the soul. It touches upon every sympathy of the heart, and broadens our understanding. The other day we were driving and I looked over at the car next to us and I saw a man who clearly did not have the light of Christ in his life. I wept for him. I feel as Alma and yearn to stand on the tops of the buildings and cry repentance and the good news of the gospel to everyone, day and night. I wish I needed no rest, it's hard to take the time to eat dinner and stop the work. I desire that not a soul would be without the knowledge of Jesus Christ; for He is the way the truth and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father, but by Him. Nevertheless, I should be grateful for what God has alloted unto me, and He has comforted me on many occasions that He knows our situations and desires, and the work will roll forward as He desires and directs it. I need to humble myself more and allign my desires with His. :)

 

I love this gospel. I know it is God's kingdom, I know we are here in the winding up scene of the latter-days, and that it is our labor to prepare the world for His coming.

 

I love you all!

Sister Lewis