6/12//17

Baby it's cold outside

A

Angie Hunt sent facemakes haha

Exchanges with Sister Burt!

                                     

FAM

Palagi

REUNITED

Removing Braids

District Leader Elder Tu'ua

Weekly Planning

Rutendo!My best friend

6/12/17

Hey fam!

Another incredible week in the land of Zim! Last week I was so lazy to write because my companion and I braided our hair (lol predictable). This week was full of blessings, so let's hope I remember them all!

Monday: Sister Tonga and I plaited our hair, emailed, and then went home haha. Nothing too exciting!

Tuesday: Hapana District Meeting because Zone Conference was on Friday. We got a few extra hours to go out to the area and work! DO YOU GUYS WANT TO HEAR THE CRAZIEST STORY EVER?! So this week we got a media referral, which never happens. I guess there was this guy that stays in the boundaries of our area who was chatting with a missionary in the East Coast about the church, and they sent the referral to us. We taught him on Tuesday and gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon to read. THAT NIGHT we get a call from AMERICA. It was a sister missionary following up on the referral she sent us. WANT TO HEAR SOMETHING CRAZY?! THIS SISTER WENT TO MY HIGH SCHOOL. Her name is Sister Erasmus and we had a bunch of classes together in High School because she wants to be a nurse too. So we just casually found out that WE KNEW EACH OTHER. WHAT ARE THE LITERAL CHANCES. So mission is cool, hey? 

Wednesday: Exchanges! I got to go on exchanges with Sister BURT (from Idaho) in Chiwaridzo (which is in Bindura). It was so fun! She goes home in like 9 weeks. She is so happy and awesome. I met my first atheist in Zimbabwe. Cool story, actually. So we met this lady who was telling us that she goes to church with her husband, but she doesn't know if she actually believes in God. We were trying to figure out why she didn't believe in God, but she wasn't really telling us. I felt prompted to tell her about how I felt the love of God in my life. I shared how the time when I knew God loved me the most was when my older brother, Jared died. She looked at me for a second, and silence passed. Then she told us that her mom died some years ago and that is when she stopped believing in God. Can we all just admire our Father in Heaven for a minute? What are the chances that I would be going on exchanges that particular day to meet that particular lady? God knows each and every one of us. We all have a time and place to come to know of the truth of the gospel. I am forever grateful for a Father in Heaven who knows me and each one of us individually. I am glad I was able to share my experience about my grief to help someone feel connected to something. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit which told me what to say. 

Thursday: Weekly planning! Then plenty of lessons in Retreat. 

Friday: Zone Conference! I SAW SISTER NDHLOVU GUYS. Literally she drove into the parking lot, I ran after the car, and then we both screamed and hugged each other for a solid 5 minutes. She launched into all the things that are going on in her life. I miss her, and I love her! It worked out amazingly, too, because Sister Ndhlovu's companion is Sister Leatu'u, who is from TONGA! My companion was so happy! She was just speaking her language for the first time in three weeks haha. It was a good conference, though! It was long. We left Bindura at like 8 in the morning and then got back at like 7 at night. #pakayipa 

Saturday: No baptism for the first time in like three weeks haha. Honestly, it was a nice break. This upcoming Saturday we have a baptism, and then the next weekend we have a double wedding and baptism. If all goes to plan haha. We just taught lessons!

Sunday: WOW TODAY WAS A POWERFUL DAY OKAY! So our branch changed the time we meet from 8 am to 9 am and wow it made a difference haha. Our sacrament meeting was FULL, which made me so happy. I was kind of disappointed that one hour made such a difference, but I was happy. Like if church starts at 8, just show up at 8 for goodness sake haha. BUT! We had so many people come to church AND MY LESS ACTIVE BEST FRIEND CAME AGAIN FOR THE SECOND WEEK IN A ROW SO HALLELUJAH BECAUSE BLESSED. I seriously love being a missionary. Have I ever said that before? No? Let me say it again. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. We had 13 investigators come to church this week so blessed. I love Bindura so much. It is the Promised Land! I will cry my eyes out when I have to leave in 9 weeks. 

Monday: Again... We went hiking this morning! Sister Namugenyi, Sister Beckstead, Sister Tonga, and I climbed a mountain. It was so cool. We just picked a random mountain and climbed to the top. It was super duper steep haha. It was sweet, though. I was leading so go me lol. 

So this week was a great week, like always. Happiest human alive, probably. Definitely. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. I love you all and I pray for you all the time. Stay well! Musare mushe! PS my Shona is so good now! I love speaking it. 

TOONANA!

Sister Lewis