Hello!!!! This email is a few days early because my preperation day has changed!! Because we are in our visitors center training this week our preperation day is now Friday! I leave for Missouri Wed. our flight is somewhere between the hours of (8-10) So I'll be calling somewhere around 7-10 in the morning Wed. Be ready to answer your phone mom! I'll only have around 10 minutes- but I can at least say hi.
Also, a few more items of business... the MTC is out of Books of Mormon... I know it's ridiculous. So mom, I need a HUGE favor, can you send 3 paperback copies to me- you could use postmart (I think that's what it's called) it's same-day delivery to the MTC (Sister Sibbett's family is sending the other 3). We've been commanded by the Lord to give out 2 Books of Mormon each on our flight to Missouri, and we know "the Lord God giveth no commandment unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he has commanded them." We've been praying every night for the 6 people (2 each) we know we will meet at the airport, and we've been trying to prepare ourselves under the direction of the spirit for them... now all we need are the copies of the Book of Mormon!!
Mom.... Your letter was the best letter EVER. I laughed out loud a few times... and I've hand written you back. Tell the family I'm trying to get out those personal letters, but today was especially busy, it wasn't our usual Preperation day and things got all squiwampus!
This week has been wonderful! As I mentioned we started our Visitors Center training and I feel so blessed and excited to be a visitors center sister. One thing that really touched me was when they said people from all around the world visit our visitors centers, and that our mission was a mission which allowed us to share the gospel globally! When Sister Richardson was set apart she was promised that her words and testimony, which she would share in the visitors center, would be carried to nations across the world and the gospel would spread in those nations because of it. How beautiful can life get!?
This week we've really seen God work from person to person as he's shared, through others, truths that will bring us closer to Him.
As part of our training we've been spending time in the RC (Referal Center). Here we take chat's from people visiting mormon.org. We've already had so many amazing experiences. The first person we talked to started out with a bunch of different questions concerning the gospel. We know as missionaries, however, our purpose is not to answer questions, but to Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel. So after a few minutes of talking we said, "These are great questions, but the most important thing for you is not for us to 'prove' to you the truth of our religion, but rather for God to confirm to you whether or not what we are saying is true. We would love to share with you why we believe Jospeh Smith is a prophet of God, and why the Book of Mormon is true, but before we do we would invite you to pray and ask God if what we are saying is true. We know that if you will ask with sincerity and the intent to act upon God's answer, that he will answer you. So, will you pray to know whether or not our message is true?" After we said that to him Sister Sibbet and I waited anxiously for his response. We know that in order for someone to come unto Christ and receive an answer from him they must first act in faith. We knew that if he was willing to pray about our message that this would be an act of faith that would allow God to answer him. He responded absolutely!! He had to go but we set up a return appointment with him! It was so beautiful!! My capacity to see people as children of God is growing even greater. It's so interesting to talk with people and understand that the truths I am sharing with them are not new-- they knew them before this life and it's simply a matter or reminding their hearts of something they have always known. It never ceases to amaze me that most of the people on this earth wander it's streets with no understanding of who they truly are and their purpose.
On another occasion we were working in the TRC (where people volunteer to be 'investigators' and we practice teaching them/giving tours to them) One sister came in and told us she was a member but that her husband wasn't. She was having a hard time going to church alone and she had some "problems with the church" but she knew that God was there and that she felt him almost every day in her life. We began talking and the spirit directed my companion and I exactly what to say. In the end we bore witness to her that God loved her and her husband he wanted her husband to know Him in the same way that she knew him, and the only way for that to happen was through Jesus Christ. We bore witness to her that God desired for her and her husband to develop a celestial relationship. As I said it I could feel the spirit lift the veil from my heart and I knew that everything I spoke was true, and the spirit was bearing witness of it to her. Her eyes welled with tears and her coutenance changed. At the end of the "tour" she told us that she was playing the role of her friend, and because of what we had said she had received an answer to her prayers-- she now knew exactly how to help her friend.
Other sisters giving a tour that night were talking with a young man who was preparing for a mission. The two sisters had prayed before the tour that God would grant them unity in their companionship. Though they were never able to speak to each other what they felt needed to be taught as they started on the tour, the spirit bore witness to both of these sisters that this young man, though starting his papers, was having doubts about going on his mission. Both of these Sister began teaching based on his needs. They never spoke a word of it to each other, but they both knew by the spirit this was what needed to be done. They bore testimony of why they were on their missions. Tears welled in His eyes, and by the end of the tour his countenance had changed and he was filled with light and happiness.
This is God's work, and we are merely his instruments. I have seen the Lord lift and bless so many individuals just in my 4 short weeks here. Once while I was in class I was playing the role of an investigator and our teacher was giving a 3-5 minute version of the plan of Salvation. As I sat there and he spoke simple truths by the power of the spirit, the spirit carried into my open heart (2 Nephi 33:2) and the words which he spoke were molded to me personally. He said "God has a plan for us." The spirit whispered to my heart, "God has planned your life specifically" He then said, God loves us, and the spirit whispered to me, "I love you" He then said, the Savior Jesus Christ atoned for our sins so that we could repent and return to live with God again. The spirit comforted me in my weakness and whispered to me with words full of love, comfort and hope, "I knew before you came to this life that you would not be perfect, that is why I have atoned for your sins, if you are faithful you may return to live with me again."
This was one of the most powerful moments I've had with the spirit. It was nothing new, but as my teacher spoke plain doctrine in it's purity and simplicity the spirit molded the message to fit my needs and carried it into my heart. I have seen him do this time and time again.
God loves his children, of this I know.
"Wo be unto the gentiles saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they willl deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, siath the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengtehend out al the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts."
God is perfect, and in that perfection he is perfectly merciful.
This is his work, and it is by His power we speak and labor with unwearyingness. I know the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the gospel of Jesus Christ on the Earth today. Proclaiming this truth to all the world is something I will labor for all of my days, for I know of its truth with a surety. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son. All glory be to God, forever!!!
I love you all!
Sister Lewis
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