Update

Background:  Janell is reponding to the report her mom sent of a woman in our ward who was just baptized on 12/31/11.  A wonderful story.  She shared her written testimony with me.  Let me know if you would like to read it...I'll get her permission. - Val

 

I loved the story about the lady in your ward. I loved that she was so prepared and that she is so excited about sharing the gospel. I wish all of us as members were always excited about sharing the gospel as she is right now:) She will help a lot of people!

This week has been a good week and a lot more productive than last week. We have seen a couple of miracles which is so awesome. I always see miracles. I love this work. We had an investigator that has been out of town for a really long time and just came back. He was supposed to go out of town again last week but he texted us and said that it fell through. He came to church on Sunday to all 3 hours. It was so fun to have an investigator come to church. He said that he has questions for us the next time we meet so I'm excited to chat with him soon! Also, last week a cute family came into the VC...and of course they are from Russia! I feel that I'm super close to people from Russia just because Mindy is serving there. They are from Moscow. Anyway, it was a husband and wife and a little boy who was SOOO cute. I took them around the VC and showed them almost everything. I don't know how much they understood but they seemed to love it. There were a couple of things that they were able to hear in Russian which was fun for them. I gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon in Russian and they seemed to love it. What was more awesome was that I found out that they live in our area! The problem though is that they don't have a phone number and they live at an embassy so we can't go visit them. I gave them my number and told them to come back. I really hope they come back. They were so great and seemed to soak in everything. I guess it's just another family that Mindy will have to come help me teach:)

We went and had dinner at a member's house on Sunday and come to find out that his grandparents are from Sacramento area and lived close to your high school. Of course I forgot to bring the piece of paper that had the information on it for the name game but I will try to remember next week to email it. I just thought you might know who they were since you pretty much know everybody.

Last week a general authority came into the VC. He is in the 1st quorum and he is from Japan. He spoke in GC if I remember correctly. I gave him and the temple president a tour around the VC. I didn't realize at the time that he was a GA but I had a feeling that he was. He had an amazing Spirit about him. He was so nice.

So this email is really scattered but I don't have a lot of time today and I am trying to remember all the things that have happened this week. I met a Vice Admiral on Sunday. There is a man in our ward that passed away and he served in the Navy. He was an old man and he and his wife live in a military retired housing place. The daughter of the man that died took us over to the apartment of Vice Admiral James Doyle because he is a good friend of the man and will be looking after the wife. I have never met a Vice Admiral before and didn't really know what that entailed. He was such a nice man! His wife died a year ago and it just seems like he is lonely. I hope that we can see more  of him. I told one of the senior Elders that I met him and he googled his name and apparently he is a 3 star Admiral. I guess that means he was a big deal in the military. I thought that was cool. I meet a lot of different awesome people. So wonderful!

Well I do have to go now. I love you all so much! I love to hear about all the miracles you go through. Just know mom, that I still need to get a letter even if you will be in Vegas. By the way, did Dobie laugh when she heared that I got bit by a dog? I thought she'd get a kick outta that. Keep on keepin on! I love you!

Sister Lewis

I got bit by a dog and we have bed bugs...

Background: We received a wonderful card from the Mission President's wife: "Dear Sister Lewis, Festival of Lights was wonderful and one of the best evenings was when Sister Lewis joined some of the other sisters in presenting the program.  It was beautiful and truly inspirational.  I've included just one minute's worth of music on the blog if you like to hear her: http://teachallnations5014.blogspot.com  Thank you for raising such a caring daughter.  She has influenced and blessed many sisters with her outgoing personality.  We love her.  Warm Regards, Sister Matsumori".  (To see photos of the Festival of Lights, go to the blog, and under 'Blog Archives', click on "More Festival of Lights 2011"; to watch the sisters sing, click on "Sisters perform at Festival of Lights")  - Val

  

I love receiving letters of how everyone is doing! This is the highlight of my week.

Well, it's official. I'm a true missionary. I got bit by a dog last week...didn't break the skin but left a couple of bruises. It hurt but I pretended that it didn't happen. We were visiting a lady who never comes to church and we miraculously caught her when she was home. She has 5 dogs that are all pretty roudy but she LOVES them. When we walked in the gate the biggest dog jumped up and bit my arm. It hurt Charlie but I just smiled and kept walking in. My companion was loving playing with the dogs. She is so funny. Good thing that I had my big new coat on (I purchased it with my Macy's card mom just so you know. Worked out perfectly!). I feel like being bit by a dog puts me in some special club or something. Also, we have BED BUGS! Yep. I really am an official missionary. We have had them for the past few weeks now but the little buggers won't go away. We keep on doing laundry. Lot of time has been spent getting rid of the bugs. The AP's came over this morning to spray for them again and this time one of the AP's made signs to hang around the room so the bed bugs would get the idea and leave. He is such a nerd. :) Hopefully that will teach them. They even made some signs in Spanish and Mandarian just in case the bed bugs are Chinese or Latino. They are ridiculous but I guess you have to laugh about it.

Other than that, the work has been slow but good. We haven't been able to teach a new investigator for a really long time. Last night we finally met with a man who was a refferal to us and he wanted to know more. We are meeting with him again tomorrow but we just found out that we probably cannot teach him...so we are back at zero. But, Heavenly Father has His hand in everything so I have hope that we will find the people who are ready to know about the gospel. As for the Blitz that we went on, it was unfruitful for our area but me and Sister Hazen met a girl named Monica who was pretty awesome. We got her information because she said that she wants to learn more but the YSA Sisters will teach her. It was a little miracle for that day because she said that she was having a horrible day and once we talked with her she felt so much better. It is funny how the Spirit can do that. That happened before with another lady we met on the street. I told you about that one. I love how Heavenly Father knows His children so well and know what they need when they need it. It was random that we were at that street at that time. She was having a bad day and we were there to talk to her. So awesome!

Well I am so glad that all of your are doing so well. Keep me updated with everything! I will have to send home some things that you can save so that when I get back I can put everything into a book or something. I will try to be better about taking pictures. I'm really bad at it.

I love you all so much! This gospel is so true and it blesses lives. Thank you for all your love! You mean so much to me!

Love you!

Sister Lewis

Another Update

Background:  Brother Flores sent us a CD of the sister missionaries singing at the special Christmas musical program at the visitor's center.  We are so glad he did.  It was taken from a distance but we could see Janell just fine - Val

 

Francis Flores is a guy who comes to every performance and records it for all of us. He is the nicest. He speaks English but he is a Spanish guy. He performs sometimes as well. I believe that he is a recent convert. He really is super nice. I'm glad you got to see it. That was the performance that Tasha and Perla came to...the one we did on Christmas Eve.

It is amazing being called as a missionary because you feel an undeniable love for people that you meet that you don't even know but I'm still not perfect at loving in other ways...as in giving my heart to others. I sure do love them though. I will figure it out one day I'm sure. I guess I am opening up my heart in the way that I bear my testimony all the time. Maybe that is part of it. I will keep praying about it.

So interesting that you mentioned the missionaries in your ward and a "white Christmas". I think that is so awesome that they had a baptism and that she was so ready to hear the gospel. I started to tear up while I was reading because the area I'm in now is really hard. It is really hard to find people and it seems like no one wants to listen. It has been discouraging because I don't love tracting but I know that is our only option at this point. This Saturday our district is planning on doing one of those "blitz" thingys and so that is funny that they found her on one of those. That gives me so much hope. Heavenly Father does prepare people and I just need to have the faith that we will find them. Maybe we will find them Saturday. I pray that is the case. Thank you for that story. It really did help.

Sounds like all is well there. So cool that I see all of my sibling's friends here on the mission:) LaRene's friends: Devin, the "City Lights" lady and her husband, and Merilee Spencer all sang on the last night of festival and took video of all of us after. It was fun to see them. I remember them from YSA's. So funny! I also saw Karen as you know. She is super cute and nice. I had no idea she was Monte's sister. It is such a small world.

I have met a couple of people that have told me to live here after my mission. I told them that I don't know what Heavenly Father has in store for me yet but I will let them know. There are so many nice people here. I met a lady yesterday who has 17 children in her family and they are all from the same mom. Oh my. She was a hoot!

I have been very bad about sending pictures. I haven't taken many lately. I always forget. Everyone else around me takes pics so I always ask for copies. I will try to be better about sending copies.

I love you all so much! I miss you so much and I am so blessed to have you all in my life. I couldn't have done this without your love. I love you so much!

Sister Lewis

More miracles

Background:  Janell met Mary Lewis (below) and I've attached a couple of pages from a family book that my uncle compiled over 30 years ago that has a picture of Mary and her husband, Oren.  My 3rd great grandfather and Oren's great grandfather is Neriah Lewis....and Mary and Oren lived in the Sacramento area for years, and we had never met.  Janell needed to go to Washington DC to meet Mary, and then find out she is also the mother-in-law to Nora Meaker's brother!  Yes, it is a small world! - Val  

It was so fun to talk to you last Sunday! It brought a huge smile to my face. I'm sad that I can't talk to everyone but the video that everyone took and that you sent was my favorite thing ever! I still look at the videos. Diane, I will check on the video thing. Sorry it has been so busy with the festival stuff and training that I haven't gotten to it. I think that is awesome what you are doing though for the young woman. Young woman teachers and leaders are so important. I still remember lessons that I learned at that age that has helped me so much in life. Tell the young woman to listen to their leaders. Be loving and kind to all that you meet. Woman were created with a great capacity to love others and they need to remember that we need to keep this and use this gift that our Heavenly Father has given us. It is amazing how Satan would have us be selfish and only care about what the world thinks of us but that is NOT our potential for the greatness that is divinely in us. We are literally daughters of God. Lately I have seen many woman who are the cause of the filth in this world and are more hard hearted. It really is sad. We as women have such a capacity to do so much good. We have to remember that. Well, I guess if I cannot make the video in time you can use that little unplanned ramble. All true though. It's funny to see couples come into the Visitor Center and when I talk to them it is the men who are softened to listen and the women, who have the influence, ignore the message and say, "no thanks". Sad.

I have seen many miracles since I last talked to you. There was a lady that came into the VC last night that was looking at the temple display. I was able to talk to her about the temple and the restoration of the gospel. She said that she had met with missionaries 15 years ago and didn't remember them saying all that I said. I had her read Moroni's promise in the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was SO strong. After she asked if she could hug me. She then left and later as I was at another "post" I saw her and asked if she had a copy of the Book of Mormon. She said no. I then said that I would like to deliver one to her. She said that she'd like that. I hope that this time, after 15 years, she will feel the love of God from the Book of Mormon and know that it is true. It is amazing what that Book can do. It is true. Testifying is powerful. The Spirit is real.

Also, last night I met a lady named Mary Lewis. She was an older lady and found out she is from Folsom, CA. I told her I was from Elk Grove. Her son in-law whom I also met last night is a brother to Nora Meaker who was in our ward a long time ago...mother of Matt! Anyway, we decided that we were disant cousins (me and Mary). Her husband's name is Oren Lewis. Comes from a man named Neriah Lewis. I have no idea how we are related but we probably are. I though mom, and dad would like this info:)

Well I have to go now. More miracles to happen. Please know that I love and miss you all! This is the best mission in the whole world! I get to meet people from everywhere. I love that Heavenly Father is so aware of all of us, all the time. He loves us SOOOO much. I feel it everyday. Thank you so much for all the prayers in my behalf. I know that is what has gotten me through this work. I pray for all of you all the time. I love you!

Love

Me