Background:  Sorry for getting behind...I got a new computer, and am just catching up.  Marie is our granddaughter...Diane’s daughter.  Val

 Sounds like it has been busy as always. Tell Marie congrats! Make sure that I receive a wedding announcement when the time comes. When exactly is she getting married and in what temple? I want to know all the details. That is so fun and also so weird. I guess my nieces and nephews are growing up. Tell Mindy I want info from her. How is being home? What does she love about it and what is hard?

I'm so happy that dad is playing baseball again. I didn't want him to have to give that up. I wish I could have been there at the game. I will plan on watching him play next year so tell him to get ready for that.

Did you get my package thing that I sent? It is just a bunch of stuff from the mission that takes up room. I just wanted to clean up some things. If you have a book that you are keeping things in then you are welcome to put it in the book. There are a couple of cd's that you can listen to. They are from programs that we have had at the VC. I also sent Dobbie a card. Did she get it? I wanted to write down a recipe for "healthy cookies" that we had at a member's house the other night but I forgot to write it. I know that she would love to make them and give them to her class. It is:

3 bananas (mushed up)

2 cups of oatmeal
1/3 cup unsweetend applesauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
coconut (if desired)
1/3 cup crainsins or chocolate chips (I used chocolate chips but they would be more healthy with craisins)
1 tsp vanilla (I forgot to put this in and it still turned out fine)

Mash up the bananas and then add the rest of the ingredients. Let it sit for 20 min and then put them on a non stick pan and bake at 375 for 10 min (time and temp will vary). Let them cool. You can freeze them if you want. I thought they were so good and cool that they were so healthy. Maybe it could be a fun activity for her to do. Have her let me know how they turned out and who she gave them to. You can add cocoa powder in the mix but I don't think it is needed.

Mom, I have a request of you if you can, please send a copy of the letter Todd wrote to Lexi that dad read at her funeral. There are some less active members in the ward that just lost their 4 year old daughter and I mentioned Todd's letter to them. It would be a great way to remind them of the plan of salvation. I don't think the wife is a member either so it would be nice for them to remember Heavenly Father's plan. Thank you.

This week has been busy and a LOT has happened. We don't have many new investigators. We have a guy that wants to bible bash. He said that we were deceived but said it in a very nice way. I got so sad because he pretty much insulted the Book of Mormon, which I love, and by so doing I got really sad. The whole book testifies of the Savior, the very person that he says that he follows. I didn't say much to him by the end of the lesson because he just kept talking and talking. We finally left and I was just so sad. I wasn't angry at all. I then was pondering in the car about the importance of the Book of Mormon. We decided that we didn't want to experience what we just had experienced again so we decided to call himi and tell him that if we come over again that we will only read from the Book of Mormon. I just knew that is what we needed to do with him. There is nothing he will listen to and maybe if we suggested only reading from the book he insulted, then he wouldn't want us to come back over. That is what we kind of wanted. So I called him and told him that we will only read from the Book of Mormon next time we come over. He agreed and asked what chapter he needs to read so that he can write down questions. I was shocked. We meet with him Saturday. I don't know how it will go but all I know is that we will only read from the Book of Mormon. Hopefully it will go well.

Also last week I met the coolest kid ever. He totally reminded me of Caleb. We talked to him and ended up finding out that he is into theatre and he sang some songs to us from Suessical the musical. I loved it! I told him that I saw that show before I came on a mission. We just connected real fast. We haven't been able to get a hold of him but we hope to soon. He just graduated high school and leaves for college in a couple of weeks. He has such a nice spirit about him and has a really sweet voice. I love that he was placed in our path that day.

On Sunday we had a guy show up for church that we didn't expect to show up. He is originally from Africa and he is the nicest man. We haven't been able to see him this week because he is in the middle of finals for school but we hope to see him and teach him. His name is Haptom. He bows his head everytime we shake his hand. He is so nice.

Yesterday Sister Liddiard (a missionary that went home a few transfers ago) came into town. It was so fun to see her. I got a little sad because it was weird not having her as a missionary. It is so different being a missionary. It is a different feel. She started talking about being home and how she hates it. She talked about how everyone who was on the mission has changed a little bit. It made me feel like I will not like being home. The mission is so hard but it is so good in so many ways. It was weird to hear her talking about dating and things to that nature. It didn't make me look forward to that at all. I know much prayer is the only thing that will get me through post mission life. But I don't have to think about that right now.

I am excited that you got the tickets to come. It sounds like we will be her for a while. I'm not too thrilled with that because that is a super long time and I don't know what we will do for that long of a time especially since I will still be a missionary. Was it the cheapest? I guess traveling on a Wed would be the cheapest. I guess we will do a ton of sight seeing. There is a lot to see so that is what will probably happen.

I love you all so much. Thank you for everything you do for me. Keep me updated with all the new developments in the life of the Lewis'. Just to let you know p-day next week will be on Wed and the week after will be on Thurs. It will probably bounce back and forth for a while so just try to get your letters written by Tues. I am so excited that you get to go to Cedar City. That will be SO fun! Can't wait to hear about it!

Love you all so much! Talk to you later!

-Sister Lewis