Hi!
Yeah conference was purrrrty good huh?! There were a lot I really liked. Elder Hollands was intense!! Like daang yo watch out--but not. I really like his talks, he's a super good public speaker. They all are, and they all do it in their own way.
It's gettin cold here too! Last night got into the 50's burrr. I'm learning a little bit of Spanish everyday. I'm getting more confident and stuff. It's comin along. Now--I'm thankful I wasn't in the MTC for 9 weeks. Ugh that's a loong time. And I'm probably learning more out here than there anywho.
I liked Pres. Eyring's talk during priesthood. I don't remember exactly what it was about. I don't have my notes with me either. But I enjoyed how he stressed being "prepared" to answer the call. I think that's how he put it. The call to be worthy, prepared and able to give a blessing. Whenever, wherever, and any situation.
I've participated in a few blessings already. And gave one. But yesterday at the hospital, I anointed and did it all in Spanish for the first time. It was pretty neat. The nurse or the doctors might think it's silly and pointless. Even if they were right...but they're not-- I bet even the psychological effect on someone who received a blessing will help their condition. The power of the priesthood is real. How amazing it is! It's the same power help by the prophets of old. Same authority help by the apostles. The same power that they cast out devils and healed the sick. The same power that Joseph and others went around Nauvoo, healing and blessing in the name of Christ. I know the priesthood is real. And that President Monson holds the fullness of those keys. Those men and women we heard yesterday and the day b4 are called of God. And so am I. I've been specially set-apart. Set apart from the world, even from my own previous self. In a sense I do not belong to myself. Right now, I belong to the Lord. To serve the people here in San Diego, right now, Chula Vista. I'm trying to be like Jesus. I'm trying to do what he did. It's hard sometimes to be eternally minded. Sometimes I lose focus of the goal, or my investigators. I'm trying to represent what's written on my name tag the best I can. And that's all I can hope for. To do my best. No one's perfect, but if we do our best, that's when the Lord will step in. Everything is fine here. I'm in a very safe area if you were wondering. haha Keep me and the people I'm teaching in your prayers. Pray that they'll break that shell they have around them. That they'll try! that's a big problem here, people just aren't willing, or are afraid to try. They know what we're teaching them is true. They just aren't always willing to act...:-/ I love you all! Thanks for your examples. It's the people who've been around me who have shaped me to who I am today.
Love Elder Lewis
p.s. if this is on the blog--WRITE ME! i write back! ... ...in due time--i can only write on P-days though, which are Mondays. So if you send me a letter---that's best i think.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Simple and Plain
Hi All,
My Spanish is ok. Mexicans talk funny. People say I have a Puerto Rican accent. haha. I can usually understand most the things they're saying. But usually it's hard to tell in what context they're talking about you know? I don't know all those past tense/participle/blah blah --ia aba, iaba idk--all that stuff I'm learning. I gotta remember though that I'm super new. Most missionaries have said it's taken them 4 to 5 transfers to be able to be involved and stuff in lessons. I help teach and bare testimony and stuff. But there are just words I don't know.
Baring testimony is the most powerful thing though. Especially for me, cause it has to be super simple and plain. But that's how the gospel is. Like what Nephi says "my soul delights in plainness" And in plainness is how God works, and how the Holy Ghost works in us. When my companion stops talking and it's my turn to say something..hah... sometimes I do this: most of the time I have no idea at all what I'm going to say. So I just wait. Everyone is staring at me, and I’m not saying anything. haha--if you can picture this it's really awkward and feels like forever. But it's not. It's really not that long--if we can just be patient and really wait and listen to what the Spirit wants us to say--and not necessarily what our minds and our reasoning wants to say, then, we'll say exactly what they need to hear. So that's something I'm trying to do and work on. It feels so weird to just sit and be silent for a bit. It feels like hours! but it's probably only 3-5 seconds. In those few seconds, we're receptive to the Spirit. And it's happened. I'll say something I never would've thought I'd say. And it'll be very simple and plain. But later on my companion will tell me I said everything PERFECTLY.
I'm very thankful for the Holy Ghost is my life. It had been missing in my life a ways back. It's hard to explain how it feels exactly. But I can say that I feel more complete and optimistic. Estoy muy agradecido por toda mi familia. Gracias mama por tu ejemplo en mi vida. Eres la mujer mas fuerte que conozco. Tengo gracias por todas mis experiencias, malo y bueno. Por que con los, soy lo que soy hoy dia. Estoy agradecido por mis maestros en colegio y mis entrenadores tambien. Pienso de mis entrenadores muchisimo. Gracias por todas sus oraciones.
Hasta Luego bye,
--Elder Lewis
My Spanish is ok. Mexicans talk funny. People say I have a Puerto Rican accent. haha. I can usually understand most the things they're saying. But usually it's hard to tell in what context they're talking about you know? I don't know all those past tense/participle/blah blah --ia aba, iaba idk--all that stuff I'm learning. I gotta remember though that I'm super new. Most missionaries have said it's taken them 4 to 5 transfers to be able to be involved and stuff in lessons. I help teach and bare testimony and stuff. But there are just words I don't know.
Baring testimony is the most powerful thing though. Especially for me, cause it has to be super simple and plain. But that's how the gospel is. Like what Nephi says "my soul delights in plainness" And in plainness is how God works, and how the Holy Ghost works in us. When my companion stops talking and it's my turn to say something..hah... sometimes I do this: most of the time I have no idea at all what I'm going to say. So I just wait. Everyone is staring at me, and I’m not saying anything. haha--if you can picture this it's really awkward and feels like forever. But it's not. It's really not that long--if we can just be patient and really wait and listen to what the Spirit wants us to say--and not necessarily what our minds and our reasoning wants to say, then, we'll say exactly what they need to hear. So that's something I'm trying to do and work on. It feels so weird to just sit and be silent for a bit. It feels like hours! but it's probably only 3-5 seconds. In those few seconds, we're receptive to the Spirit. And it's happened. I'll say something I never would've thought I'd say. And it'll be very simple and plain. But later on my companion will tell me I said everything PERFECTLY.
I'm very thankful for the Holy Ghost is my life. It had been missing in my life a ways back. It's hard to explain how it feels exactly. But I can say that I feel more complete and optimistic. Estoy muy agradecido por toda mi familia. Gracias mama por tu ejemplo en mi vida. Eres la mujer mas fuerte que conozco. Tengo gracias por todas mis experiencias, malo y bueno. Por que con los, soy lo que soy hoy dia. Estoy agradecido por mis maestros en colegio y mis entrenadores tambien. Pienso de mis entrenadores muchisimo. Gracias por todas sus oraciones.
Hasta Luego bye,
--Elder Lewis
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