Trainer

Background:  We found out that she will be calling at 1:00pm Sunday, and is able to talk for 40 minutes.  It will be our best Christmas present! Merry Christmas everyone, we love you all.  Val

FAMILY!

Wow it sounds like you are all so busy. Fun times. First things first: I will be calling Christmas morning. I have between about 11-3 my time which is around 8-12 your time. What time is the best? I will have Sister Wege call you or email you to find out when is the best time to call. Apparently I only have 40 min to chat which is not a lot of time at all but it will be fun! I'm excited to chat with all of you. I miss you all so much!

This past week has been crazy busy. I found out last Saturday that I am training the new Sister. She came in today. Her name is Sister Lawrence and she is from Micronesia. She is a sweet girl and I remember now what I felt like as a new missionary. Oh man, she is in for a change. I was shocked that they would have me train. I still feel new and that I don't now a lot of things. Oh well, I guess we will be learning together. It will be a good experience and I know I will learn a lot!

I have met many wonderful people at festival. I have had miracles happen. People come in here and just feel the spirit. The lady I told you about last week, we went over to her house and her mom opened the door and put her hand over her heart and just said, "you are happiness to me. I feel happiness". She doesn't speak English too well but I was pickin up what she was puttin down. She felt the Spirit and she touched my heart by saying that. She also said, "tell your mothers that I am jealous". HA! I felt bad cause her daughter was sitting right there. I think I know what she means though because she doesn't know how to express herself. She loves the Spirit that she feels. I am so excited to start teaching her daughter. She is in LA for the holidays but she will be back. They said that they are going to go to the LA temple during Christmas so hopefully the Sister missionaries there will direct missionaries to visit her mother.

I love this work so much. I am loving it more and more. It is wonderful and hard. I saw a few of my friends here this past week. I saw Tasha and she took a pic with me. I also saw a guy named Oliver who was in my ward in Utah and my friends Brady and Barbie. It was fun to see all of them. It was weird because it seems like I have been here forever but when I saw them it seemed like I just saw them not too long ago. I don't know what to make of time. Time is so weird on the mission.

At festival I have seen some down syndrome kids that I have fallen in love with. One of them came up to me and just hugged me and the other one grabbed my hand to shake it and just hugged my hand. Oh, let me tell you that I just melted. I loved them. I love that I can be in a place where I can talk to so many people. This was definitely the place that I needed to go. Heavenly Father knows me so well. He knows all of us so well and I realize more and more everyday of His love for all of us....it is quite incredible.

I have a lot of responsiblity on my shoulders now with this new sister here. I hope I don't ruin her. A lot of my friends left today-such great missionaries. Hopefully I can keep in touch with them so I will have friends when I get home since all of my friends are getting married:) The mission is just full of getting so close to people and then having to say goodbye. It is terrible! But I hope to see them again. They have all taught me so much and I am so grateful.

This is the best work on earth. Please keep me updated on all the miracles happening with you all. I love you all so much. I'm excited to talk to you soon!

LOVE YOU and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Sister Lewis

Merry Christmas!

Background:  Nothing special to add to Janell's email, but the Lewis family would like all of you to know that we love you and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! - Val

Wow, you all have been busy! Made me tired just thinking about it:)

I can't wait to get pictures of everything with Lynda's house. It sounds like there was a ton of work done. That is super exciting! I'm glad dad is getting some rest now.

It has been busy here. Festival of Lights is a fun time but it is exhausting too. I have seen many miracles come to pass and it is amazing. There was a lady that I met at outside of my apartment complex about 4 months ago during a fire drill. She came up to us and asked us if we were mormon. I was in my pj pants because my companion and I at the time were planning so I wasn't in a skirt when the fire alarm went off. It was a funny sight I'm sure but I had my name tag on. Anyway, she was super nice and said that we could stop by and say hello to her anytime. Our roommates went and chatted with her later that week and talked a little about the temple but she said that she wasn't interested in the church. They stopped going over and that was that. Forward now to when I just got transferred this last transfer...

I was thinking about this lady from 4 months earlier and how nice she was. We decided to text her and see how she was doing and maybe see if we could visit her. She texted back and said we could and that she was going through a hard time. We went up and chatted with her a couple of weeks ago. Her mom was in town but didn't come into the room to chat with us. We didn't talk about much other than why we were missionaries and how her life has been hard for the last month or so. We invited her to come to the Festival of Lights because it was such a nice beautiful place. She agreed and said that she would love that. Well, on Monday I was thinking about her and wanted to text her to remind her of the concert that night that we had invited her to. Things happened and I forgot to text her. But as I came upstairs from our sister's lounge, who was there?... It was her and her mom. She told me that she just texted us to tell us she was coming. It was such a blessing to see her AND her mom. So I talked to them about the temple and why we have them. She loved it all. I then had to go to my assigned area and so she and her mom went looking around before the concert started. Right before the concert was starting I was heading to my next post in the VC when I saw her and her mom and they came up to me to tell me that they wanted one of our books (the book of mormon of course). I was so happy inside! Her mom wanted a Persian book and she wanted one as well in english. I told her that we would come bring it by this week before they go home to California for the holidays. It is so amazing how Heavenly Father works. This lady is in my area now since I was transferred here and I will be able to give her a Book of Mormon and tell her what it is all about. I love this gospel and I love the miracles I see everyday. I kind of wish I would haved learned more Korean from Brian and Russian from Mindy because those would have come in handy here. I meet people from all over the world everyday. It is so cool! The Spirit of Christmas is the best. It is the best to testify of Jesus Christ and how He is the source of happiness and peace in this life. The gospel is true. I love it with all my heart.

Please let me know when Trent will be coming or if he will be coming here. I have anticipated him coming to the VC because a lot of the Baltimore elders come here during the festival.

Tell everyone how much I love them. I love you all so very much! I'm so happy to hear that people are doing good. I will be calling home on Christmas but don't know the time yet. Transfers are next week so a lot of information won't be sent out to us till next week. I just know that the phone conversation will be only 40 min long.

I love you all! Keep turing to the Savior in all that you do. He is the source of all joy. I love Him. I love all of you and miss you like crazy!

See ya!

Merry Christmas!

Sister Lewis

Another Update

Background: I've added a few new recipients to Janell's weekly emails, so here's her blog in case the new people want to see past letters and photos: http://janellsmissionblog.blogspot.com/  The Festival of Lights is a nightly musical program at the Washington DC Visitor Center during the Christmas holidays.  Every night is a new program.  Sorry I'm late sending this report, but I've been in Idaho doing some house remodel work.  When you see Janell refer to "Dobbie", that's her twin sister Jodee who has Prader-Willi Syndrome.  Another email is close behind. - Val

The Festival of Lights is so wonderful! I was behind the scenes for the most part during Ambassador night because I was in the back pouring punch but it was cool. The gospel is being spread just by the atmosphere of the Visitor Center. Elder L. Tom Perry was the general authority that was there last week. We got to shake his hand. It was pretty awesome. He is so tall. He asked us where we were from and when I said Sacramento he said that his son just served as a mission president there not too long ago. I thought that was cool. He also told the sisters that they were sent to this mission because of our smiles. What a nice one he is:) Last weekend it was super busy but this week it has been quite slow but it will for sure pick up this week. Jenny Oaks Baker (Elder Oak's daughter) is performing this weekend and lots of people come when she plays. Next weekend we have a girl named Sandra Turley coming and singing. I wonder if Dave or Rene know her because she is a BYUer. Sang on Broadway in Les Mis I guess. Anyway, needless to say it should be busy and really good. I got to usher last night and watch a group from a highschool and they were cute. They did a good job. It is kind of cool everynight because all of the sisters get to be at the VC and it kind of feels like I'm going on stage or something. I miss the theatre so it works out great. Heavenly Father sent me to the right place:) He knows me so well!

Let's see...I don't know if I have many new miracles. I always think that the people I talk to could become a miracle someday and I just won't know about it. I had a lady come into the VC that got mad at me and another lady that was upset at the church but that is normal. Some people just choose to be angry and there is nothing anyone can say to help them choose otherwise. But I have met some very nice people who love coming to the festival of lights and talk about the good feeling that they get there. It really is amazing what this festival does to bring people to the gospel. Mom, we have a creche exhibit with nativities from all over the world as well. It is really cool.

To answer your question about Christmas, I don't really need anything at this point. Thank you for sending me stuff. I just feel bad because I just got my hair done and I bought a pillow and blanket since I have been needing those for the past 6 months. I have my Christmas now. But I did love the package. It was fun. I LOVED the things my Dobbie made. Tell her that I love her and miss her. I miss her wrapping.

I hope that everything at Lynda's goes well. Make sure and send pics. I want to know how everyone is doing. I really do miss my family so much so I like when I know how everyone and what everyone is doing. Please keep me posted.

Mom, I don't know if I told you that both my roommates are getting married! Yep. Ashlee and Carrie! And some other friends that I know. I won't have many friends when I get back but I am SO happy for all of them. I love them all so much! I love that they found great guys. I love seeing the blessings in other's lives while I am gone. Please let me know of the great things that are happening. I wish I could say that I'm teaching a ton of people...but...this area is one of the hardest. A few of our investigators decided that they are done with learning. I hope that someday they change their minds.

I love this gospel. It is so true. I see everyday how it blesses lives. Please tell all the birthday people I say happy birthday. I know that is lame and generic but my old brain doesn't work that well anymore and I can't even remember what I did yesterday...sad but true. I'm not the greatest missionary but I do love the work. Thank you for all your prayers in my behalf. I pray for you all the time. I have been so blessed to have the best people in my life. I am a lucky girl! Tell dobbie thanks for the doggie cards. I love them! LOVE YOU!

Sister Lewis

PS- there are so many missionaries that come to the VC from the Baltimore mission. I hope I will see Trent!