We
started out Monday night by visiting a returning less active in a
family ward nearby. I believe I have mentioned her in a previous
email...she is the lady who is YSA aged but had five kids and wants to
go to BYU-Idaho! Anyway, we visited her and talked about the Book of
Mormon. It is so fun to teach her because she is so honest about her
struggles and questions. It is a lot easier to help people when we know
what is actually going on! (Who woulda thunk it?) So she let us know
that she loves reading the Book of Mormon when the missionaries are over
at her house but when they leave she has a hard time getting the
motivation to do it. She told us that it's hard for her to understand
without the help of the missionaries. So we read through part of the
introduction and part of 1 Nephi 1 with her and taught her skills to
read the Book of Mormon. This was a miracle for me because it helped me
get back to the basics and remember how to study effectively! I needed
that lesson too! =)
On Tuesday we met with her
nonmember cousin, the one I taught last week on exchanges! That lesson
went better than any other that Sister Sirrine and I have ever taught!
We had zone training that day and learned about asking inspired
questions and we applied that in that lesson. For the first 20 minutes
we only asked questions and she learned so much better than the lesson
the week before. She understood better and felt the Spirit so much more
strongly! This was such an improvement from the week before when she
said she wasn't feeling anything when the Spirit was so strong after
reciting the Joseph Smith experience! We had her read in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ pamphlet about the Atonement and we asked her what stuck
out and she said the part about baptism and receiving the gift of the
Holy Ghost...and we weren't even talking about that! It was sweet! She
committed to be baptized and set a date right there! She is going to be
baptized on the 17th of January!
We are handing her back to the Chesapeake sisters because she goes to
church with her cousins but it doesn't matter who teaches her! Her faith
in Christ is building and that is what matters! =)
Okay
I know this email is getting long but don't stop reading now! This is
such a sweet miracle! So the less active in our ward who came to
transfer meeting and randomly said she needed to start coming back to
church...yeah remember her? She has been going to church every Sunday
since then and has grown so much in her desire to do the right thing!
She had us over for dinner on Thursday and it was SO AWESOME! We talked
about her next step, and she decided she is going to prepare to receive a
patriarchal blessing and to go the temple! AH!!! You have to
understand...three weeks ago this girl said she didn't want to do what
she knew was right. Not even that...she didn't even want to want it! And
now she is getting ready to go to the temple! The Atonement has worked
in her and I am a first-hand witness of it! Anyway, in this lesson she
expressed to us that she has had some struggles with the word of wisdom,
so we asked if she would live it...she laughed, but said yes. Since I
know some people who struggle with the same thing, I know that they
sometimes say they will try and then don't get rid of the temptation. So
I asked her if she had anything that would tempt her to break the word
of wisdom in her house. She said yes. I asked if she would get rid of
them. She stood up, walked over to her bag, grabbed her cigarettes, and
with tears in her eyes handed them to us. She was not crying because she
was sad or mad or scared. The Spirit was so strong. Her faith amazes
me! We also gave her tips on how to have more effective study of the
Book of Mormon. We are now reading along with her each day. We are up to
1 Nephi 4 =)
Okay, this is the last miracle I
promise! On Friday we were street contacting for about an hour and a
half in Towson and we had the most amazing street contact! We ran into a
woman named Destiny and her two kids. Her 9 year old was named Donald
and I can't spell her 1 year old's name. While I talked to Donald,
Sister Sirrine talked to Destiny. Here is what Donald and I talked
about...I asked him what he likes to do, he said play video games like
Minecraft. I asked him what the coolest thing he has built in Minecraft
is and he said a jail. He also told me that he wants to be a policeman
when he's older. Later in the conversation I found out that him and his
sister don't have the same dad. His step dad and mom just divorced and
his dad is in jail. I could tell from that short 15 minute conversation
that this 9 year old has a heavy burden. The gospel will help him so
much. Meanwhile Sister Sirrine was talking to Destiny. Destiny is an
amazing woman! So in their 15 minute conversation Sister Sirrine taught
her about the Restoration. Destiny asked her if we believe in the Bible
and she said yes! Destiny then asked if we believe that pieces have been
taken from the Bible. Sister Sirrine then answered yes, which can go
very well or pretty bad. Destiny responded with excitement! She believes
that pieces have been taken from the Bible as well. She can just tell
when she reads! That is when Sister Sirrine introduced the Book of
Mormon. She gave Destiny a copy who promised that she would read it for
God, and if she found out it was true, she would get baptized. She said
up until that point in her life, she was always scared to get baptized
because she's scared of water but right then she felt good about it and
she wanted to! (That was the Spirit by the way...) Right before we left
Destiny said this to Sister Sirrine, "I know that it wasn't a
coincidence that we met here today. I never even walk this way. I'm not
even waiting for a bus! (she was at a bus stop) I just felt like today I
should walk this way and when I got here I felt like I should stop and
wait...I'm so glad I did." Wow. This experience taught me so much. When
we show Heavenly Father that we are willing to work, he will put people
in our path that are ready.
Well, I hope
everyone has a wonderful week and an amazing Christmas! Don't forget to
remember the Savior this Christmas. Share the gift of His love and His
life with those you meet! Their lives will change because of it! I love
you all!
Merry CHRISTmas! =)
Love,
Sister Lewis
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