Email continued

Aug 11 (3 days ago)

Ok so the game was amazing! I hope you liked the story.  Sorry it has been long time. We had fun and I'm pretty fried.  Monday is sister Jasso's birthday so we all sang happy birthday and gave her a card. Mom maybe you could send her a note or something for her b-day.  She said thanks for the postcard. 

 

This week I'm supposed to teach a workshop in the zone tomorrow for our meeting.  So, I've been studying a lot on the importance of inviting people to be baptized on the first or 2nd lesson like they have asked us to in the simplified curriculum of preach my gospel.  I've also been studing on how to help people make and keep committments.  What that really means and not moving on until they have accomplished those concepts.  I've really been going and focusing on teaching people and trying to talk about the importance of baptism with a specific focus on repentance.  When we invite people to make these changes in their lives, we are inviting them to repent.  As they choose to repent, in essense they are being spiritually healed.  It's Extremely important that these people that we are teaching understand the importance of keeping these committments. When we go and teach them, they feel good and start to put the bandage on the soul but when they don't read or pray/go to church during the week they rip the bandage right off that we put when we went teaching and it makes the wound at least just as deep as before. Knowing to not move on until the wound is starting to heal is good and to act "devastated" until they can start keeping those commmittments. Sister Young and I have this goal to teach in more unity and make sure we both know where the lessons are going and what is happening. To try and help with that we have this goal that she is going to lead the lessons and I will back her up with the spanish etc. So studying this all week of course I better try and put it into play and it was a so cool to see what happened.

 

Edwardo Gomez is a former from the area book that sister Young and I decided to call.  He was really nice and agreed to let us come over to teach him. We met him at his house with a member.   We walked into the room and let Edwardo begin by telling us a little bit a bout himself and what his desires of his heart were.  He was so good.  He expressed his desire to be close to god.  He expressed his desire to have a real relationship.  He said that he liked talking with the sisters but that in the past he had read the Book of Mormon a lot but felt like there were still a lot of things that he lacked in his life. He said everytime he prayed to God about it, God just told him to wait a little longer.  He said that it didn't matter what it was or where he needed to go, if he could have a real relationship with God and find out what God wanted him to do he would do it. Sister Young did an amazing job leading the lesson and there were a lot of good  pauses where I could see the spirit working on Edwardo and he really felt it. The spirit was so strong!   We talked about how God prepares his people and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ contains all of the ordances of Salvation and being able to recieve all of the blessings God has prepared for us through the restored Gospel.  We talked about repentance and baptism.  Then we extended an invitation for him to get baptized on the 4th of sept and he accepted.  It was one of those answers that was sincere and he really wanted it. Sister Young and I felt so good after we walked out of that lesson.  It was an extremely powerful lesson for both of us and a great learning experience for both of us.  We have a return appt. for Sat.  Pray and wish us luck.  Pray for my workshop tomorrow as well for the zone. 

 

Symbria I thought of something that maybe you could do for me.  Do you want to draw me a plan of Salvation?  I like to teach with it during my lessons and the one that I have is pretty much hashed.  I need a new one.  The different parts that I need are Premortal life, The fall of adam and eve, This life on earth, Death, spirit world, Judgement/Resurrecion, Three Kingdoms(sun, moon, stars). Anything else that you really want to put in there is fine but if you could just draw little pictures to represent those different parts of the plan and then laminate them and send them to me I would love that and think of you every time.
\

love you!

 

Hermana Lewis

Crzy Semana

Aug 11 (4 days ago)

Oh wow so we had a little bit of a crazy week to say the least. So it all started out when we went to go look this referal up that the AP's gave us named Jesus. Ya Ironic, he supposedly wanted to get baptized and we haven't had that much luck getting a hold of him by phone so we went by his house.  So we are in this building and we realize we don't have his appartment # so we search the directory for the spanish names in the building with the initials of his name. Starting at the top floor.  So we go up there and no one answers.  We hear a door swinging in the stairway up above that is going to the roof.  We get curious Hermana Harry told me a few weeks back that in the old complex we used to live in the sisters would go exercise on the roof that overlooked the city. I had walked many complexes but never been on a roof so I decided now would be a good time to go take a peek off the roof.  The door was swinging back and forth from the wind and it would be nice to go shut it anyway right?  WRONG!  Anyway so I ask sister Young if she wants to go upstairs for a second to see the roof.  She hadn't been up on roof either.  So we start wandering up and right as I start to notice the sign that says "No one allowed on roof"  Guess what happens?  Yep a huge alarm goes off on the both of us.  This alarm isn't just a dinky little wake up alarm that goes off on the phone.  This arlarm was LOUD something that hurt your ears and all 6 floors of the apartment building could hear it and wanted to know who had set it off.  Sister Young and I just kind of look at each other in shock and not knowing quite what to do. So like any normal person, what do we do?  We run.  Down all 6 flights of stairs not knowing what is going to happen next. Guess who is waiting for us down at the bottom? Security.  No! Yes!  Oh my!  No what?  So anyway they take us into our office made us stay there for a while and then they made us call President and tell him everything.  He told us we made a very stupid decision next time use our heads!  I know!  So Monday we had to take up a bunch of time to do that crap and that is why we are not writing till today!

 

CHISTE.  Joke.  Ok really that story did NOT happen.  Well it did up to the part before the alarm.  The alarm really did go off and we really were running down 6 flights of stairs but we never got stopped or questioned by anyone.  But my heart and sister young's was going like a race horse.  We were not expecting it and it made us so scared.  So we ran away from the building because we didn't know what to do and we decided we are never going to try and explore roofs again. We were scared we were going to go around a corner and it was going and cops were going to take us or something.  It was funny.  Anyway I will finish this email a little later.  I need to go.  I'll write more later. We are going to the Mets game later today with a bunch of missionaries so we switched pdays.  We are going now if i can i'll write more later. love youmuch

 

Hermana Lewis.

My Investigators

Weird that it is august.  I can barely believe how time is flying. I remember when you were talking about your trip to Canada like it was something that was probably going to happen right before I left.  Now you are there! Weird... Well we had a good week.  Sister Young and I are doing great.  We found 2 new investigators this week.  One of them is named Kevin.  We had a really good lesson with him but his parents were no cool with us coming over and so every time we have tried to pass by they tell us he is not home etc.  Which is a bummer.  He is 18 and just graduated high school. He reallly understood what we were trying to tell him and seemed very interested.  The other girl was a referral from the chinese elders who found her when they were doing 2x2x5 around an old former investigator.  Her name is Jasaura and she is 16 years old from the Dominican.  She is probably one of my favorite people I've met in New York.  It amazes me how fast you can feel connected to these people in such a short time.  We taught her twice this last week and she came to church on Sunday. One of my favorite members from the ward noticed her and came up and gave her a big hug. Evidently when Jasaura was in elementary school she would always stop to talk to hermana Maria Gomez passing by for school.  They bonded immediately and we are going to go do lunch up at hermana gomez's house with Jasaura and teach a lesson up there. Dominican people are the best!  Always so welcoming and loving.  I'm really excited.  

 

Another cool thing that happened is that moses came to church this week!  He brought his 2 kids with him as well.  And he made it for all three hours!  We were excited! Yet, this time Lina and mariela didn't come.  I don't know what we are going to do with this family. lol.  It is kind of cool though that Moses came without his spouse this time but we really want them all to start going for this goal.  Lina also backed up from her baptismal date which is frustrating but we are going to work with them a little bit more. I think Moses coming by himself with his kids is a good sign ;)

 

We had some crazy weather this week.  Really hot and then pouring rain the next day and then really hot again.  It's intense.  President and Sister Nelson came to our branch yesterday to speak. It was fun to hear them talk.  Sister Nelson translated president nelsons talk for him while he was there.  Mom could you put sister Young's name on my letters as well?  I know your going to be sending to them either way and it just makes us feel cool as missionaries when the mail has our names on it too. I usually end up sharing parts from them to her anyway so would you just add her name to the envelope? Thanks ;)

 

Thank you for your love and for your prayers.   I really enjoyed reading your emails. You are all great!  Sister Ovalle is going to drop by a package for you next week she will be coming to utah on the 8th. Love you all. :)

 

 

My Investigators

Hey familia,

Always good to email you.  I am doing so well.  Life is good.  Hmmmm.....

 

Well I guess I'll just give you a summary of the cute people we are teaching right now.

 

Carlos- has lots of addictions and is fully aware of his weaknesses so he found us and wants to change.  Hopefully we'll see real soon how serious he is about changing.  i've seen the power of the atonement change people's lives.  IT's real. I know it is and anyone that wants it bad enough and will work for it can see it change their life too.  It is a very real thing indeed.

 

Familia de Blanca-  They are a little family from Puerto Rico. Super cute.  We really want to start teaching them more and seeing a greater desire to change. They have had many hard things happen in their lives and it's going to take a little bit of work to get that to start to heal in regards to the atonement but they have great potential.

 

Familia Leon-  Mom, this lady seriously reminds me of you in looks.  Lina is pretty energetic and always on the go to.  She loves the mormons!  Always has wanted to be one and sees that they are super happy people.  Her sister, Mariela was the first one that started talking to the missionaries.  She walked into the church a couple of years ago to watch general conference.  Sister Harry and I have extended a couple of baptismal dates for their family which they have been working towards but we haven't baptized them yet because they aren't coming to sacrament.  They will come to the other 2 classes but they always come at 2 instead at 1.  For some reason when we tell them they need to come to sacrament it they always come late and say they had to eat breakfast? lol.  So Hopefully they start progressing a little more. I love their family!  So mom, since she is like you and she hasn't quite grasped yet that the gospel is EVERYTHING, how can i tell her that her business needs to go AFTER church? lol It's crazy to think as missionaries we are asking to change their lives, the way they think and the habits they have that they don't see as bad.... just not great. lol.  Her husband likes talking to us, but he always says "i have my own beliefs" but he started reading a little in the BOM, if he keeps reading it always hooks them so hopefully that will be good. 

 

Marianna Montes- She is the mom of a Sister Harry's recent convert from last week. They are another family from Columbia and Marianna is the one that loves teaching Sister Harry and I how to Cook. She says she wants to get baptized but her dream is to get baptized with her autistic son so that her husband will start coming to church with the family.  The husband Ismael is super nice to us but always excuses himself or walks out when we start teaching.  Andy the 12 year old autistic boy is absolutely amazing but he has a hard time wearing pants in the summer for church and also has a hard time around a lot of people so I can see why Marianna wants to wait to bring him to church.  I really hope Sister Harry gets to stay here another transfer because she has a pretty special bond with their family.  Pray that Marianna will be able to understand the importance of the restoration.

 

 

Johana-  She is super awesome.  We went to a BBQ for the 4th of July at a member's home. She is the only member in her family and she had about 15 other family members there so we had some good times talking.  We talked to Johana the most.  She is late 20's from Columbia. She has only been in the states for about the same amount of time that I've been in New York.  She loves studying other cultures and traveling.  She actually went to thailand for vacation a while ago so we had a connection there. She has a heart of pure gold. She loves learning about religion but hadn't ever learned anything about the mormons so she was the one that eventually ended up inviting us over to come teach her.  She wanted to go to an institute class with us so we went with her on Tuesday and then we went to teach her and her mom with the Presidents wife on Thursday. They cooked this big columbian meal for us after the lesson which was super nice.  Really nice family.  One of my favorite people that I've met on my mission so I pray that God will give us the opportunity to keep teaching them. It could go either way at this point.  Pray that she really finds a testimony through the book of Mormon and that she will be able to change her work schedule so that she can come to church.

 

Anyway love you all.

More next week.

 

hermana Lewis.

Happy July 4th

Hey!

 

Sorry Library was closed yesterday because of the holiday so email didn't get done.  Love you all very very much and I'm thinking of you. Good week this week.

 

So I really think I must be in the right area because half the streets are named after people or places I know or very similar.  I live new the Lewis pharmacy.  I ride the bus down Lewis Blvd every day.  And my area runs down Kissena Blvd which sounds exactly like Krisina when the spanish are saying it in their accents.  I am aways wondering how they figured out my first name but then I realize they are talking about a street and not me.  Even our district leader is getting a little bit confused since he found out my first name.  He always calls it Krisina instead of Kissena.  It's halarious.  Anyway good week.  Oh and there is a street in my area that we have an investigator and less active family.  This street is called Murray ST.  It's perfect, ya know? :)

 

This week was really cool because Sister Harry and Sister Nelson had a Meeting all day on Thursday in Rego Park.  So I went on Exchanges with Sister Nelson's New companion Sister Reed in Rego.  The promised land and my home I was so excited to return for the day. SO MUCH FUN! I loved it.  It was so rewarding because the last couple weeks I've been really frusterated with just the way things were going. We had a set a baptismal date with jonathan right before I left rego before I moved for flushing and I was going to come back for it but once again he backed out last minute saying he wasn't sure if any of it was really true which pretty much wrenched my heart out because I had put so much time into that kid over the last 6 months. Knew that he knew it and so just a little bit weary of the once again back to square one.  I just imagined ya know that I would show up to new york baptize the whole place ya mission accomplished.  Guess what... that hasn't happened... yet.  So I was a little frusterated because yadayada yada.   So I was thinking few baptisms, and what did I accomplish over the last half of my mission in Rego? But I went back to rego and it was so good to see the fruits that have started to take place from my labors. Really awesome and God just reminded me that I never can predict how big a small seed is going to grow until we give it a little time and nurturing.  All of the people that Sister Reed and Sister Nelson are working with are investigators that Sister Nelson and I found found through the tender mercies of the Lord over the last little bit.  3 of those families have baptismal dates and they have accomplished milestones with these families.  I went and visited a bunch of families with sister reed and all of our appointments were so excited to see me.  Sister Lewis your back!!!! hahaha but then sadly i would have to say, no just visiting.  It was fun to know that I had people that still thought about me and were excited to see me.  After we returned to the meeting to pick up our companions. Then after the meeting an Elder approached me and he is now serving in Rego Park as the district leader. Dont know him but he seems fairly nice. Humble guy. He asked me about an investigator I knew that has always been in the other Elders pool that I knew in Rego. I had heard Jackson the Investigator had set a baptismal date but was having some problems with pressures of his other family etc. etc. etc. Anyway Elder Simpkons approached me and asked me what I thought about the whole situation and what I thought he needed. I told him I thought he was a cool kid but I honestly didn't know that much about him didn't feel qualified to give a evaluation of how to save this persons soul, so to speak.  Elder Simpkons looked confused, I didn't know why. He said he had been over talking to the family the night before trying to get a little feedback on how he could help this kid be baptized.  The family had told them they needed sister lewis back! Then I looked really confused when he told me that because I had barely taught Jackson.  Only when we had visited for dinner appointments on rare occasions.  The elder told me that I must have done something right because they told him that I was the last missionary that had an impact on Jackson and that had made a lasting spiritual impression for his conversion.  I really don't know how true that is but at the same time it made me think twice.  You never know when people will be looking for something.  Yes people may reject your words left and right but at some point someone is going to prepare their heart to listen and you better well be doing all you can on your part to help them receive it by the spirit. So I felt boosted up again to know that my efforts aren't totally going to waste and that everyone is on their little journey up to god.  Poco a poco, paso por paso. If people need a little bit more time than 3 weeks it will be okay. I miss Rego Park so much but I know with every new challenge and area comes new adventures and blessings.  Flushing is a completely different atmosphere but i really like it a lot. 

 

Oh this is something cool that I learned the other day.  So in Matthew 19:24 it talks about it being easier for a camel to enter into the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.  Okay so I always thought it was being literal in the sense of the eye of a needle.  I thought like a pin needle.  Is that silly?  Anyway I learned that on the wall in Isreal.  There are these wholes on the outside of the wall for people to enter.  It's called the eye of the needle but they are too small for camels that have stuff all loaded up on them to enter. So it is a little more realistic.  It was interesting.  So it's not actually a needle needle.  Did you know that? Cool huh? Marissa probably knew that.

 

Anyway church is true. Love you all. 

 

Love Hermana Lewis

 

 

Flushing is Good!

This week was good. Don't have very much time at all but know that Flushing is good.


I can now say that I have seen fireflies! I was walking in the park with sister Harry last week and I started noticing all these little green lights. It was so weird. Then pretty soon I realized they were around me too and they were bugs! Weird but actually really pretty to see at a distance.

Last monday we cooked with one of our investigators Marianna. She is amazing. She taught us how to cook empanadas from scratch. Mom, I know you have always wanted to make tortillas. Youre going to be so happy when I get home and we can make them together. These things are good.....

Mom do you have any advice for colicy babies? I taught this member the I LOVE U massage for her baby but I was wondering if you had any more ideas for her?

Anyway love you all!

Krisina

Mission Conference

This week was good. Slow but good. Dad you would be so proud I'm doing jujitzu(how do u spell it?) with all the Chinese people in the park during the week for morning exericise. It's so funny to go exericise in the morning and see all the chinese people working their chakra's and patting their legs and gathering their chi. It's great.


Ward is still good. The activity went well. Thank you so much for sending all that music mom and jenna it worked out perfectly. The relief society president told me to make sure to tell you thanks. Did I tell you our relief society president has purple hair? Ya its pretty cool. I'm being serious.

This week we had an amazing mission conference with Elder Gong and Elder Christensen from the first quorom of the seventy. It was so wonderful and I really felt a deep sense of gratitude and the spirit testify of the truthfulness of the things that we were talking about. I really enjoyed all of it so much. It's interesting because sister Harry and I had talked a couple of weeks back about things that really bring the spirit into a lesson and what gives us passion to teach. We agreed that the atonement and bearing pure testimony of Jesus Christ you can't go wrong. We talked about how he is the center of our message. He is the one that we are following and teach about. As missionaries we extend and invite others to come unto him. So, it was really cool when our 6 hour mission conference was all on the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. It was very personal and we got to ask them many deep questions and have the questions of our souls answered. I also learned that there is a reference to the atonement of Jesus Christ at least every other page in the book of mormon. That's a lot of Jesus talk right there. but then again, it is another testament of Jesus Christ.

We had lunch at the conference and had various tables set up. I sat on the table with my companion and a few of the other sisters, including Sister Nelson and Sister Gong and sister christensen. It ended up that Elder Gong came to sit by his wife which I happened to be sitting on his other side. So it was kind of cool because he naturally started up conversation with us missionaries. He asked me what makes New York a unique place to serve. Well, there are many things that make New York unique. You won't find another mission quite like it. But speaking to a general authority I didn't know quite what to say at first so I turned to the other sisters and let them speak their thoughts. We decided to relate it back to the diversity aspect of New York. I then related the experience I had back on the bus a while back where I met a girl from the middle east ( i think afganistan), Jewish, and she believed that Jesus was the Christ. You don't get that combination very often. Find one other place in the world you bump into those types of combinations. I don't remember totally what was talked about on that bus ride so maybe it was a bad example to bring up because then Elder Gong asked me what I asked her after I told her that. I don't remember. So it kind of ruined the point he was trying to make. But, i started in on asking him about the atonement. The atonement of Jesus Christ is the crucial part in the plan of salvation. Without it, we aren't really going anywhere. It is the power to heal us physically and spiritually. It is the power that bridges the gaps between our spiritual and physical death from God. The majority of mankind believes in a savior. All of Christianity believes in Jesus and that he died for us. But at the same time there are so many people that don't know how to apply that to their lives personally. Maybe to a small scale. We can't really comprehend it because it is an infinite atonement the utimate sacrifice. So, sometimes I feel its a little gray for people even though they understand that Jesus is the Christ. Right? So Elder Gong naturally told me that what I was here for. To teach people how to come and use the atonement of Jesus Christ in their lives through repentance. Then I asked him if we need to do everything we can before we can access the atonement of christ to bridge where we fall short. During one of my lessons I've heard the perspective that God lets us go through our own getsemani a little bit in order to become more like him so we can't just lay it all at his feet before we've started our problem. I wish you could talk with this guy. His whole countenance just reminds me of a Chinese Yogi Master with all this wisdom and his words always just ring such wisdom in the way he says it. He is so kind and very humble with all this wisdom he seems to have in his sleeves. He then asks me. " Do you breath sister lewis?" I say, "Do I breath?" just making sure I heard the question right. Yes. "Yes I breath...." He says. "How?" I'm kind of stumped for a minute. Trying to decide what answer he is looking for. Uh, with my lungs? He says, "Yes isn't every breath we take a gift from God? I think the atonement has a lot more to do with our way of being and existence than we think." Point being yes we do use the the atonement to bridge our gaps but it's a lot more on the side of mercy than it is on judgment. We use the atonement every day and it is the power by which we exist and are able to progress. I think I really don't think I explained that very well in an email but I really liked the conversation that we had. It was so cool! He is really nice and so was elder christensen.

Our other topic of conversation was how the quorums are set up. I always get so confused in D&C when they talk about it so it was just good to have it from someone that knew what was going on. So there are 8 quoroms right now. The first 2 quorums of the 70 are called as general authorities and are called to serve world wide. The first quorum of the 70 serves until the age of 70 and then the rest of the quorums serve usually for a period of around 5 years. Quorums 3-8 still have areas that they are assigned to.

Sister Gong had us make up these Psalms for part of the conference. It was really fun to get it all done. This was mine.

Praise y the Lord for he hath enlightened my mind with light.
And given me the strength and means to build his kingdom
The Lord he is omnipotent. My master and companion through the fight.
And I will always serve him as my Lord and Savior. For through him we find our ourselves.

One last part of the mission conference that I just absolutely loved was when a young sister missionary that I used to serve with got up and asked the question. I know that these things are true. I've grown up in the church. Yet sometimes as I'm teaching or I hear about the conversion of others I question my own conversion or my worth because I haven't ever had experiences like theirs. Yet I still know that they are true.

President Christensen explained that the stories of others conversions become part of our own as we teach them and as they share their experiences with us. Elder Carnohan then got up and shared a very powerful testimony of how the greatest miracle in the whole world is true conversion and that as some of us that have grown up in the church there is no greater blessing or miracle than to have the conversion of our parents. I really liked that. I know its true. I have been blessed with a home of the gospel. I 've seen its blessings. People can say it's not true but it is. And it works and it is evidence enough that it is true. You can deny the talk but you can't deny the results. Doesn't mean it is easy but it is definitely worth it.

Love you all,

Much amor, Hermana Lewis