14 April 2014

4-14-14

Dear Family,

I got to watch a Christmas Highlights video today that Esther sent and it made me think of all of you. I feel so blessed to have such a great family! :) Bringing families together and seeing them live the gospel and grow in the gospel is the best on the mission! It has been incredible to see Rosa and Josés family truly changing. Lucas and Eduardo got confirmed yesterday and Eduardo, 13 at the end came and told me he wanted to give his testimony too but he was nervous so we went up there together. He got too nervous again but just as the 1st counselor was getting up to close the meeting he stood up and gave the sweetest testimony I´ve ever heard from a teenage boy; It´s amazing to see how much they learn in so little time.

This week we will get to go to the Cartorio with Rosa and José to get them a date set to get married and then one yr. later the temple! Yeah! It´s also amazing to see how some  people really are more beautiful when they are living the gospel-- Not even just the people I´ve been teaching.  It´s amazing the difference in their countenance and how much more confident people become when they are living the gospel!

One quick thing I really loved in Jesus the Christ this week. Elder Talmage was talking about the beatitudes and he explained ‘blessed are those that mourn’: for "the mourner shall be comforted for he shall see the divine purpose in his grief, and shall again associate with the beloved ones of whom he has been bereft." This is one more reason the gospel is such a huge blessing. I don´t know how many times I have been asked by people, "If God exists why does he allow all of these bad things to happen?" or how often people ask us, "Why is this happening to me?" The amazing thing is when you start living and understanding the gospel - the teachings of Christ - you understand the purpose of hardship in general but also on a very individual level. That is one more reason that we members of the church should be the happiest people in the world!

This week we started doing something a little different as Sister Training Leaders. President called 2 more so now there are 5 of us and we get to work a lot more frequently with a smaller group of sisters which I’m loving.  With the sisters who I live with; I go on exchanges with one of them every other day so we can really focus on setting goals and working with them in the process of changing. And then a couple of us also have another companionship that we go on exchanges with just once or twice a transfer. It´s a lot more switching but it´s been so fun and I feel like I actually learn more than they do. I have the best roommates and I’m loving having basically 3 companions :)

Also we hit our baptism goal so we get to go the temple next week! I am so excited!

Anyway love you all! I hope you are following up on those missionary invites like Elder Ballard, a prophet of the Lord, asked us to do :) Love you all so much!

Sister Lewis