Road trips for days‏

So, this week felt like one giant road trip... And let me tell you, I
have come to the conclusion that working hard and being on my feet and
getting exhausted by the work makes me a lot happier than I thought it
did! After spending a week on the road and getting tired from doing
nothing, I now know I much prefer getting tired from doing something
:)
So, we went to Sonoma twice for exchanges and service, then Napa, then
back to Napa and Sonoma to pick up a few people for MLC, and on top of
that we were all over in our area as well, so we spend hours on end in
the car and in traffic. But on the bright side, I think this was my
favorite MLC that I've attended. It was exactly what I needed right
now and helped me out a ton. We talked a lot about giving your full
heart to the lord and being fully invested in the work and desiring to
do the lord's will. My desire to work as hard as I possibly can and
give everything to the lord just shot through the roof! Needless to
say, it was beyond worth leaving the house at 6:30am and not coming
home until 7pm!
Also this week we we had interviews with president which I just loved,
as always! Although, my lifelong (well, mission-long) dream of staying
here forever and just floating around the mission has been confirmed
as not happening. :( when I went in with him, he said "Hermana, how do
you feel about nearing the..." And I hurried and stopped him to
explain my plan to him, and he laughed at me for a good while and said
"in case that laugh didn't answer your question, the answer is no."
Haha president wright is probably one of my favorite people that
exists, in case you weren't aware.
Aside from that, we found a lot of new investigators this week. This
area is kind of difference because we pick up so many new
investigators all the time, but it's quite a challenge to get people
progressing towards baptism. But we know it's possible and we're just
going to keep working for it :) I don't think I have much else to tell
you, so I hope you all enjoy your holiday today! 

Love, 

Hermana Lewis 

Pictures: 

1. Me and my lunch buddy, Conrad :) we eat lunch with him at the vets
home every week while he tells us war stories 

2. Scenery, of course 

3. Me and sister malmfeldt at MLC! 

4. The young men thought it would be a brilliant idea to destroy our
car.... So this is before 

5. And after. (We were not impressed. Also, I'm accepting submissions
of ideas on how to get them back)

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Solo español‏

So, my subject line basically describes my life now! My new companion
is super amazing and we have had a great week, and everything is in
Spanish! Because she only speaks Spanish. She just got here from
Mexico last month, and she didn't speak any English when she got here,
so she's learning right now. And because of that we speak in Spanish
24/7! It's crazy! I'm quickly learning that for one, my Spanish is no
Bueno. And two, I'm convinced it takes different muscles to speak
Spanish because my face muscles are always tired. Haha there's a nice
fun fact for the day.
Anyways... I don't know if I have much to report to you all today!
We're just teaching lots of lessons and finding new people! One
miracle we saw this week was that as it is a new transfer, our
president sent out an email with the "standards of excellence" for the
transfer. He asked a few different things of us but one of them was
that we have a minimum of 3 member present lessons a week. Now I know
that doesn't sound like much, but it is next to impossible to get
members to come to lessons here, because they either don't speak
Spanish and don't feel comfortable coming to Spanish lessons with us,
or they do and they are crazy busy or live way out in the middle of
nowhere and can't make it. So needless to say, we knew that would be a
challenge. But I was bound and determined to focus on that and have
been praying like crazy that God will help us. Well, our first day of
the transfer we had 2 member present lessons! Then we also had another
lesson later where we tried soo hard to get a member there and nobody
we could think of who lives close enough to was available, so we
decided we'd just have to try for next time. Well, it was at the
church (which, to fill you in, is wayyy far away from our branch
president's house) and low and behold there was our branch president
finishing up some business and he offered to join us! See, when you
have faith and do your part to accomplish the things that are in
accordance with God's will, he'll always provide. And for that reason,
I love this work more than I can even express to you all!  

Love,
Hermana Lewis  

Pictures: 

1. On our way down the hill from angwin, it just has the most gorgeous view! 

2. Me and Lance, one of our investigators at the vets home. This man
is such a character- but he always makes it to church on Sunday! 

3. The famous Napa valley sign, finally haha 

4. The beautiful Napa River. Fun fact, it's also the back of the
monastery hahaha 

5. Typical vineyard picture, of course (sorry, I can't remember if i
already sent this one home)

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I love the atonement

So, first off, it's transfer week! And I will be staying here in st.
Helena :) sadly though, my companion is leaving. We were both pretty
shocked as we were sure we'd stay together, but I know next transfer
will still be great. My new companion is Hermana Rivera (so I'm no
longer in a zebra) and I honestly don't know much about her, she
started in another mission somewhere in South America I believe while
waiting for her visa, and she just arrived here in our mission a few
weeks ago. But I'm excited to speak lots of Spanish with her and have
a great transfer! I will definitely miss sister malmfeldt a TON
though. That girl and I bonded like none other and we might possibly
even have the same brain. It's going to be weird adjusting to someone
who doesn't read my mind... Haha
Anyways, today I want to talk to you all about brother Bailey, one of
my best friends. So this man had smoked pretty much his whole life and
never really saw much of a need to change it. He's been a member for
many many years though and liked the church, although he didn't really
have a testimony of the Book of Mormon or anything. So I can't
remember if I've shared this part, but towards the beginning of the
transfer, we felt inspired to show him a video about the book of
mormon and invited him to read it every time he wants to go smoke. To
our surprise, he accepted. And not only did he accept, he ACTUALLY did
it! We called him later in the week to see how he was doing, and he
said he hadn't smoked once since our lesson. Well, it's been a month
now and he's been going strong since that day :) the best part is,
yesterday at church he was able to bless the sacrament and it brought
me so much joy to see him sitting up there smiling :) it has amazed me
time and time again in my mission to see the incredible blessings of
the atonement and its healing AND enabling power. Without that, I can
guarantee that his experience this past month wouldn't have happened,
and it's the same with all of us, the experiences we have might just
be a bit different. Well, I'll leave you with that. I love you all! 

Love,
Hermana Lewis 

Pictures: 

1 & 2- temple pics 

3. Brother Bailey!!! He gets around in a wheelchair, but when we asked
for a picture he said it was a big deal and he was gonna make himself
stand up for it, haha he just needed a little help 

4. Me and the fam on Mother's Day! 

5. Zone picture 

6. Bowling!

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Highlights on highlights‏

This last week and a half was so full of highlights, I think the whole
thing was just one big highlight! But to share a few of the great
experiences we had, the first one was in the lovely land of Sonoma :)
so I was on exchanges there and it was kinda hard cause jackie and
marina, the morales family (they were my investigators who got
baptized there last year) lives there and I am really close with them,
but it wasn't my area and I wasn't about to go against the plans they
had for the day to go see the people I wanted to. But that night, we
were driving on highway 12 (which is where they live) and got stuck in
traffic right about where their house was. Then Hermana foster, who
was driving said, "you know what? I think this family needs a visit.
Let's see them." And sure enough, she pulls into their parking lot!
Jackie answered the door and we just hugged and cried and talked and
it was such a great experience. We shared a message and it was so cool
for me to see the change that has occurred in them this past year
since becoming members.
Next, the other day my companion and I were both feeling a bit sick.
We got home for lunch and just had terrible headaches and felt so
lethargic, we decided to take our lunch time to nap, hoping it would
make us feel better. Well, we both woke up feeling pretty much the
same. We sat for a bit debating what would be best to do and if we
should just stay in and get rest, but I think we both just felt
something pushing us to go out. So we decided to go get some sodas to
try and give us some energy, and we got back to work. I can't tell you
how grateful I am for the afternoon we had! We went out and visited 4
different people who we'd put in our plans that we've been trying to
see ever since I got here, and have never had any luck. Well, all four
of them answered and let us in and we had great lessons with them! So
that definitely made me grateful that we were able to follow
promptings of the spirit, even if it was a bit grudgingly, to be able
to see those miracles.
Lastly, we went to the temple this morning! Which I think is
definitely a highlight to anyone's week! It's been 6 months since I
last got to go, and it was my last time I'll go to the temple on my
mission, so it was a very special experience for me :) and I think
I'll end it on that this week! Love you all, happy Mother's Day! 

Love,
Hermana Lewis 

Pictures: 

1. I had to get a picture with this giant Book of Mormon, obviously 

2. So, we had to go to Santa Rosa for some things on Monday and we
stopped for lunch there cause A&W is literally the only fast food
place in all of the five cities we cover so we got some fast food and
it was such a treat. Although I don't even like fast food that much,
it's just one of those things I only want when i can't have it.... 

3. A sample of the things my companion inspires me to do in our free time. 

4. Me with Jackie and marina, my favorites!!!

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