01/30/17

Poor Sacagawea

Some of the White Cliff South boys

A beautiful suset!

A rainbow

Lewis and Park

1/30/17

The Adventures of Lewis and Park Part 2: Sacagawea Gets Stuck

Hey guys! This week was actually incredible and amazing and I loved it! I am loving Kuwadzana so much! Sister Park and I are really enjoying all the people we are meeting! Here is the run down of the week!

Monday: After emailing, we went to this culinary arts school for lunch. We were so super excited to eat like fancy African food...BUT IT WAS AMERICAN. We were like what in the actual heck. BUT it was super duper good. It was only a five dollar meal for four courses, too, which was awesome. After lunch we shopped a little bit at this place called LONGCHENG. It is like Wal-Mart on steroids. It is more like a little shopping center place. There are a few supermarkets, a few restaurants, places to eat, etc. It was started by Chinese people, hence the name Longcheng. It was fun to run around there for a little bit. I am pretty sure Longcheng has literally anything that anybody could ever need. I even bought a curling iron for my hair for $14 CHETE (only). I was pretty pumped.

Tuesday: I had to give Doctrinal Study at District Meeting, which was actually a super cool experience. I taught about repentance, and with all of the comments that everyone gave, it was a super good lesson. We all learned a lot. As missionaries, we have to apply everything to ourselves before we teach our investigators those things. I wrote a few things that I need to work on, and so did the other missionaries! It was a powerful District Meeting. We went to our area after DM and saw one of my favorite investigators, Lazarus. He has really cool dreads. We had a great lesson about prophets!

Wednesday: This was probably the craziest day of the week, but it was the most awesome. So there is this part of our area called White Cliff South that we have about 10 investigators in. White Cliff South has only dirt roads, and with how much it has been raining, we can't take the car up there, so Sister Park and I have to leave Sacagawea and then walk up to White Cliff South, which is probably about a mile walk. The first time we went up there, we had a member who lives there come with us. This time, however, we didn't have him, and we got lost for a few minutes haha! This super nice girl helped get us to where we needed to go, though. So we find out after we get up there that the 4 boys we were planning to see got called into work...so we literally walked right back down the mountain without teaching them haha. We went and taught some other lessons in White Cliff, and then we went BACK up the mountain to see the boys. So one of our members who is 18 years old is called Tapiwa, and all of his friends were interested in learning the gospel. First we just met four of them, but when we went back on Wednesday evening we found EIGHT of them just sitting there waiting for us. We proceeded to teach Brandon, Agrippa, Funwell, Munashe, Rashiti, Savannah, DOLLAR, and BISCUIT. They are all incredible people, and they are super open to the gospel. We taught them about faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. It was such a powerful lesson. 

Thursday: Weekly Planning! Sister Park and I were super excited to plan this week because we actually had a ton of investigators to plan for! It was really powerful. We also had a dinner appointment at the end of the day with one of our members, and she fed us so much food. It was super good, though. 

Friday: We spent the day trying to figure out the last part of our area that we had never been to. It was confusing and we got lost a few times, but it was good! We met some really nice people in that area that came to church on Sunday. We also went back up to White Cliff South again to teach some lessons, which was awesome. We tired driving up this time. The journey up went great, Sacagawea took it like a champ and Sister Park was a pro driver. On the way BACK, however, we got STUCK! Sacagawea failed us! Luckily, there was a group of like five or six guys that helped attach us to a combi, and the combi pulled us out. #combiforthewin My legs did get covered in mud, however. Also something funny that happened on Friday was when we got home. We have this really zhing (messed up) chair in our house that is always broken. I totally forgot that it was broken, and I was sitting on it for about five minutes when it COLLAPSED on me! It was super funny and my companion was dead laughing. 

Saturday: Sister Park and I had a really powerful lesson on Saturday about the Book of Mormon. At the end of the lesson, I bore a testimony about the Book of Mormon that was definitely led by the Spirit. I didn't even know I could speak with such power! I love the Spirit so much. He definitely guides every single lesson that we have. Without Him, no one would be converted! I am so grateful that I get to read the Book of Mormon everyday!

Sunday: CHECH! (church) I love church! We had 10 investigator come to church on Sunday, and we were able to have a really awesome lesson about Heavenly Father 

So that is a run down of how my week went! I hope it wasn't too disorganized. I am doing SO WELL! I am also picking up Shona a lot faster these days! Shout out to the Gift of Tongues haha. Hopefully by the time I come home I will be able to speak fluently! I won't have very many people to speak it with though haha. 

I hope you all have an incredible week! Remember your Savior and what He has done for YOU! I love you!

Sister Lewis

01/23/2017

THE ADVENTURES OF LEWIS AND PARK: PART 1

So guys, remember how I think I am a whole lot funnier than I am? Good news BECAUSE MY COMPANION DOES, TOO! Woot woot! So this week we were laying on our couches just talking to each other and all of the sudden I said, "COMPANION! Do you even realize that our names are Lewis and Park?!" And she got so excited! So now we are officially known as Lewis and Park (Like Lewis and Clark, if you didn't get the joke). Also, we named our car Sacagawea. Yes, it is okay to be jealous in our incredible companionship unity. It is also VERY fitting because we are whitewashing our area (both of us are new to the area). We go on literal adventures.

I am getting way too excited with this group email, so let me slow down a little bit. Sister Park is probably one of the coolest human beings I have ever met. She was born in Korea, but she was raised in California. She has such a chill personality. We get along so well. We are kind of the same person, which is a little bit scary. At least four times in the past week, we have responded to an investigator at the same time with the same words. We were talking to this Gogo (grandma) and she was telling us how she plowed 2.2 acres of chibage (corn) all by herself. At the same time, my companion and I both said, "All that? By yourself?! No way!" And then we looked at each other and started laughing. It happened like three other times haha. We are powerful together.

Kuwadzana is HUGE! Guys. We could not even cover 30% of our area if we didn't have a car. I am grateful that my companion is driving, and not me. She remembers directions like crazy. We haven't gotten lost once! But the people here are PREPARED for the gospel! I am so stinking excited to be here! I thought the transition from Gweru to Harare might be hard for me because Gweru is like a super small town, and Harare is huge, but it actually has been easy. This transfers transition was flawless! Go me! I am learning to accept change haha. But I love the people here! And the members of our branch are INCREDIBLE! My Branch President is 28 years old! He is one of the youngest in Zimbabwe! He works so hard, it is awesome.

So pretty much if you can't tell, I am extremely happy.

It has been RAINING in Harare this week. All of the roads once you get out of town are flooded. Sister Park and I pray everyday that we don't get stuck in the mud, and so far we haven't, which is a miracle for sure. The rain hasn't slowed our work down. We just take our umbrellas. It is super nice to have Sacagawea, but we walk a ton still. We just kind of park her somewhere and then get going to our appointments. Our house is far from our area. Everyday we come home with super muddy feet, though. It just makes our adventures feel more like adventures.

My new house is nice! It is bigger than the house I was at in Gweru. Sister Park and I are living there with Sister Thomas (Boise, Idaho) and Sister Namugenyi (my previous companion). Sister Namugenyi and I were SO EXCITED to still be living in the same house together because we only got to serve for one transfer together, which was bummy. GOOD NEWS! I have a shower now! And the hot water WORKS #blessed The floors are ALL TILE, though, which has been a pain to clean, but it is okay! We love our house!

I will send you pictures next week because this computer doesn't have an SD adapter, so I will have to buy a flash adapter for this computer because I will be emailing at the mission office every single week as long as I am in Harare.

I have to get off, but I love you guys SO MUCH! Have an incredible week!

Love, Sister Lewis

1/16/17
Goodbye Gweru!

So...when my transfer news came out on Saturday, I learned that I was being transferred to Kwadzana in HARARE! I think it will be good, but it will be an adjustment for sure! Gweru is a super small town, and Harare is BIG! I feel like I am back in Salt Lake City, which is weird haha. My new companion is Sister Park. She is from California! We are in a car...which will be okay haha. I AM NOT DRIVING SO HALLELUJAH! Our house is far from our area, so we needed a car I guess. There will be a lot of changes this transfer, but they will be good changes, I think! I will enjoy. 

So good news, Sister Namugenyi and I are still living in the same house! I was so excited because we only got to be companions for one transfer, which was not long enough at all. 

I was so sad to leave Gweru today! Yesterday was one of the hardest days I have had on mission. I said goodbye to all of my investigators, members, and recent converts. They all told me how much they were going to miss me! So like I mentioned before, Sister Namugenyi was also transferred to Harare. Gweru is now getting Elders! I am excited for that area to get a change. I think that is just what they needed! All the members said they would miss the sisters, though! 

I will update you more on everything next week. Today I am just kind of in shock haha. I am still super happy and literally SO EXCITED to be here in Harare, but I am still trying to process everything.

As for now, I don't have much to write about since I am just new here in Harare haha. Enjoy some pictures, though! 

LOVE YOU! Toonana next week!

Love, Sister Lewis

 

One last house selfie

Vicky-the Branch Presidents Cute Cute Daughter

Selfie with me and Lillian, my favorite kid in Gweru

Me with Doba Family, aka my HOME AWAY FROM HOME! Love those people like crazy!

One last selfie with McDean, one of our most recent converts

African Sunset

Jenna and Sister Kayembe-she is From the Democratic Republic of the Congo and speaks French!

Jenna and House Mates

Jenna waiting for the Bravo-bus?

Jenna's companion-Sister Namugenyi from Uganda

A cute little girl with a puppy

Powerful News post in Harare

Jenna's favorit "Combi Quotes"

A cute puppy in Jenna's area that loves her!

Jenna's hair after the braids were taken out!

Jenna skyping after Jason and Heather and Kids signed off.

Jenna and Sister Namugenyi

01/09/2017

Makadii! ( I finally learned how to spell that right lol) 

So this week was awesome! I have just a little tiny bit of time, so let me try and say everything I wanted to say!

Exchanges! Sister Namugenyi and I got to go on exchanges this week! We traveled 4 hours to Harare by bus and then another 20 minutes by car to get to Chitunguiza! We worked with Sister Hopkins and Sister Nafula. It was SO good to see Sister Nafula again! I got to work with Sister Hopkins all day on Wednesday. She is from Arizona! She drives a car, so we were in the car for the most of the day. I hope I don't drive on my mission haha. You miss so many people that you could talk to on the street! But the bright side is that you can visit people who live in the far corners of your area. There are pros and cons, but I will stick to walking haha. (even though it is not my choice lol) I loved Chitunguiza! I would be very happy to serve there someday. Like Gweru, it is somewhat Suburb I think. It is hard to define things here with American terms. Sister Hopkins is such a good missionary, and I really learned a lot from her! 

It was good to get back to Gweru on Thursday! I was only gone for one full day, but I missed it. When we got back, I told my companion, "It is good to be home!" I was missing Sister Bondo and Sister Kayembe, too! I love my house, my Gweru, and my sistas! Transfer news comes this Saturday, so we will see if I am staying in Gweru or going!

 

So I realized that every single day I invite people to read the Book of Mormon and to pray about it to ask Heavenly Father if it is true. I realized, though, that I never have formally invited those of you who are not members of the church to pray. I was disappointed in myself. How could I go around preaching about how happy this gospel can make others if I don't invite the people that I love back home, as well. So this is my FORMAL INVITATION to all of you who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or who are less active, or even to someone who is struggling with their testimony:

You have all seen through my emails how HAPPY this gospel makes me. I want to share that with you. Will you read the Book of Mormon and pray to ask your Father in Heaven if it is true? I know that if you do so, you will find the same happiness that I have. I love this gospel, and this book. I would lay down my life in defense of the Book of Mormon. Do you see how much it means to me? There is a reason for that. Read it, and see for yourselves. Those of you who are missing me or want some way to feel closer to me - read the Book of Mormon everyday because that is what I do! I know those of you who accept my invitation will be blessed! 

Thank you for letting me invite you, even though you didn't have any choice haha. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try to share the reason for my joy in this life with the people that I love the most. 

Have a great week everyone! I love you all! Expect transfer news on Monday!

Love, Sister Lewis

01/12/2017

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all set some awesome goals! I did for sure. 

So since it is a public holiday today, the internet cafe that we usually email at is closed. I won't be able to send pictures again this week, but I will next week! I have taken a lot of pictures lately, so be prepared!

This week was awesome! Sister Namugenyi and I WORKED!!! We had a lot of lessons, a lot of contacts, and extended a lot of baptismal dates! Gweru is doing good! 

So this week I was super curious as to exactly how many people I invited to church in the past 4 months that I have been here. With the help of my companion, I have invited 1,975 people to attend church with me haha. That is a lot! And definitely not all of them have come to church, but I was proud of myself! I am doing my level best to help the people of Gweru come to know about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! 

I can't believe it is already week five of the transfer! WHAT?! I feel like Sister Namugenyi got here yesterday, but we have been together for five weeks! I love her so much! She is so fun haha. We get along really well and I love teaching with her! I pray that I get to stay with her in Gweru for at least one more transfer, but we will see!

Tomorrow we get to go on exchanges in Harare! I am so crazy excited. I haven't gotten the chance to be in Harare very much since I have been here. When I first came, I was in Harare for two days, but only at the mission office. Now I will get a chance to contact and teach some people. Plus, I WILL GET TO SEE SISTER NAFULA AGAIN! I love Sister Nafula like crazy. She has been my STL (Sister Training Leader) ever since I got here on mission. She is so fun and so funny. 

So good news! There is this recent convert that Sister Talemwa and Sister Erickson (Talemwa's trainer) baptized called McDean. He is a super cool guy, and he works with us sometimes to help translate into Shona when we need him to. I have been wanting to teach his family forever, and now we are getting the chance to! We are teaching his mom and dad for now, and then when his younger sister and brother come back from holiday we will teach them as well. I love that family SO MUCH! They are incredible human beings. His mom is one of my favorite people in Zimbabwe! I hope that I get to stay for next transfer so I can see them be baptized! Pray for me to stay!

I hope you all have a great week! This year of 2017 will be a great one, I can tell! I love you all! Pictures are coming next week!

Love, Sister Lewis

.