Called to Serve

March 11th
Well here is the update on life here.
We've had so many wonderful experiences!!! Remember Jewel? Our Family History Miracle? Well we've been teaching her and it's amazing every time! She is so wonderful and so prepared. We know and have felt very strongly that her husband on the other side is working overtime to help her receive the gospel. We feel that he is there in our lessons. Our first lesson with her was so great. We sat down and were filled with what to say. We found ourselves saying things we've never said before. We kept telling her over and over again, to keep a prayer in her heart as we spoke because we knew our message was from her Savior and if she would pray with sincerity and act on the things we shared, the Savior would witness to her heart that what we shared was true. She cried at several points during the lesson and kept telling us she really felt like it was meant to be and we were supposed to meet etc. She came to church on Sunday and when she left she said, "I'll be back, I just really feel like this is what I need to be doing!" Afterward sister Forbush said, "Jewel is our Jewel" Haha I love it and it's so true!!!
Another wonderful experience came as I was calling someone from our teaching center at the jail. I've been talking with a wonderful woman named April. I love her sooo much. I really do feel that she is my friend and I get excited to talk with her everytime I call. It's hard, however, to teach formal lessons over the phone. People don't usually answer wanting to instantly engage in an outlined lesson. Especially since they can't see you. You really have to work to build a strong relationship so that they can trust you. You have to work hard to set them at ease and make them feel comfortable, so that you can engage them in a conversation about God. So it's been hard for me to teach "lessons."  April has been around the church for a long time so she actually knows most of our doctrine, but I usually testify of principles as we talk and testify how important it is for her to know this is God's restore church. The other day before I called I was praying about what to share and how I could teach the lessons as it is in PMG so that my friend can know the truth for herself. I felt inspired to pick two bullet points to teach every time I call. Then go through the lessons step by step. I also felt impressed that as I picked those bullet points before I called I would need to kneel before the Lord and ask him to provide a way for me to teach them. I did just that, I picked the first to bullet points from lesson one. Then I knelt in prayer and asked the Lord to provide a way for me to teach them to April. We started talking and I instantly knew it would be hard to incorporate them naturally into our conversation. I prayed so hard to know how to do it, and then as Elder Holland counseled I stopped worrying about it and I listened with love and waited for inspiration to come. Before I knew it the Lord filled me with wisdom and counsel. I found myself saying things I had never thought of before, and before long the conversation naturally flowed into the first two bullet points and it was an incredible conversation. At the end she committed to write down the questions of her soul on a piece of paper, and then pray about those questions and ask for answers to them. Then she committed to open the Book of Mormon and study it to find an answers to the questions of her soul. It was so amazing how perfectly everything streamed together. I learned a lot from our lesson as well. The Lord taught us both profound lessons throughout our conversation. It was amazing. Afterward I was filled with so much joy, I knelt on the ground and prayed, laughed a little, and rejoiced with my Father in Heaven at what He had just done for his daughter and my friend!
I also took a tour through the jail the other day- before we went in I asked everyone to say what they hoped to gain from their experience at the jail. We all talked about it and I asked everyone to pray in their hearts that God would help them receive what they desired while they were here, and I promised that He would. I also shared what I wanted to gain. I said that I wanted my testimony of Joseph Smith to be strengthened during our tour. Wow. I have never born such a strong witness of Joseph Smith in my life. It was such an amazing experience, and the Lord answered the silent cry of my heart. I know He answers the prayer of faith, and will help us along in all ways. It's wonderful to be in His service and to know Him. I plead with Him daily that I might know Him more, and I can feel him help me along as I come closer to His heart.

Thank you for all you do. I love you all soooo much!!!
Love Sister Lewis