Dear Family,
So I think in my last letter I may have said the weekend before (Easter) was the best weekend of my life, but I'm gonna have to take that back because I'm pretty sure this weekend was the best weekend of my life! Wasn't General Conference just amazing and so perfect?! I hope everyone got to soak it up because our leaders had so much for us! It was really amazing as a missionary to see the difference from the past 38-ish General Conferences I've seen in my life. It seems like usually I have a couple talks I really like and then I'll fall asleep in one or 2, but this time I literally felt like every single talk had such a wonderful message for me and the whole world! Beyond just making me a better person, I got to see the basic doctrines of the gospel taught by the best and it made me want to re-read those talks so I can be a better teacher in the mission-field, and I felt like there was so much for me to learn not just as a missionary, but as a companion, a member of a family, a daughter of God, a future mother, etc. And being in a room with thousands of other servants of God who are feasting on every word invited such a beautiful spirit that was definitely present the whole 8 hours of it!
It was interesting to me that all the talks given about strengthening the home hit me more than ever before even though I'm not with any family and I'm away from home. 1- I know it's super important to teach my pesquisadores [investigators] about families, but 2- they related really well to something I've been coming to learn and appreciate more lately. Elder Ringwood and his wife gave a devo last tuesday and it was one of my favorite talks I've ever heard. It was about enduring to the end, but the part that hearing about families made me think of is how going on a mission builds a foundation for our future families. He talked about how the work in the home is our most important work we will do on this earth. He said "There is a reason Nephi went back to get the plates/scriptures before he went back to get a wife." Because first we build the foundation to do that most important work and to teach our most important, life-long investigators: our children.
I've also decided that as missionaries we are blessed with a special gift to learn so much more than we normally could. At least that is how I feel it has been for me. I felt like I had a pretty good basic understanding of the basic principles of the gospel, but I was especially touched this week by the story of Alma the younger and recognizing the need for each of us to have that change of heart/born-again experience, and to continually re-commit to follow him and receive that remission of sins. It helped me understand how to explain to my investigators the need for baptism and partaking of the sacrament. We had a couple of really awesome experiences with them this week and I think it's finally starting to boost my comp's confidence which has made such a huge difference! One of our Portuguese teachers got switched to another district because there aren't enough (We keep getting tons and tons of Brazillian missionaries who can't get visas) and at first that was a little frustrating because our English teacher goes a lot slower and doesn't push us as hard so I felt like I was getting as much as I could out of class, but I realized this is probably just what my companions needed to help them feel more confident in their abilities as missionaries. Anyway I've also been able to see more than ever before how as we strengthen our testimony of the Savior it increases our desire to serve him and it makes me love getting to be here even more!
I hope all of you were as fired up from Elder Nelson's talk and are "catching the wave"! We loved that as missionaries and the whole room would get excited every time a speaker brought up how many missionaries are out. It's pretty fun to be a part of! And I loved what I think it was Elder Andersen said about painting a missionary tag on your heart even if you are not a full-time missionary!
Also thanks to Verlan and Logan and Whitney for your letters. It's funny to see how what they show in the movies and what not is so true how there is nothing missionaries love more than getting mail! Everyone always crowds the mail room after each meal and getting a package is like the best thing that has ever happened to them :) And I'm so excited to hear CG is moving back to the west! One of the girls going to my mission I found out is from Flower Mound. CG and Katied do you know a Matt and Julie Linford from 5th ward? It's her aunt and uncle who raised her and they sound like an amazing couple. It's incredble to see all the sacrifices each missionary here has made to be on a mission especially a lot of the sisters and it just really made me appreciate having so much support from my family in every way that made it so easy for me to drop everything and go. And I loved getting to see the pictures of little Annalisa Lynette! She is so cute and I have to admit I think I miss seeing kids more than anything else! On our temple walk last Sunday there were 2 toddlers running around in their Sunday clothes in the grass and it about killed me I just wanted to pick them up and play with them.
Oh and Hunt I was thinking of you Sunday because after conference for our Devo they had the BYU Men's Acapella group come in and sing for us and it was awesome! We had to go get in line about 2 hours early but we got to be right up front and it sounded so good and you would've loved it! I'd love to hear how your prep for Summer in Provo is going. I'm so excited for you!
I have to go but I love and appreciate you all so much. Thank you for your prayers and support it kind of blows my mind sometimes how blessed I am.
Te amo!
Sister Lewis
Springfield, OR missionaries!
Sisters Funke, Zimmerman, Walton, Lewis, Whitmer &
Elder Shaw
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