Leaving Sinait

So I am transferring, my new area is a place called Claveria. I only hear good things about it so I am excited to start my next adventure there. I am going to miss Sinait but I know where I am going is where I need to be.

This last week was pretty average and not a lot stuck out. I did learn how important members are though. Not just as people to work with but also people to be with. Everyone has a story and what I spent my last week trying to do was hear people's stories and all about them. I found a greater appreciation for those around me and for what I have been blessed with in my life. 

Life is hard and we all go through trials. That is the point of life though. We have to have a bad day to know what a good day is. I am grateful for my challenges and trials because I can really see my blessings because of them. I am grateful for my opportunity to be a missionary and to be in the Philippines. I love the people here and I can't wait to meet more people and learn about them and their experiences.

Elder Lewis

Life is Good (letter from last week)

So this last week I was able to watch conference and it was such an amazing experience to watch it with the members here. The spirit was absolutely amazing. I loved how Holland ended conference, in my opinion there could not have been a better ending. I was also able to go on exchanges this last week with an amerikano missionary.  It was a lot of fun and we were able to attend a Branch Family home evening. We helped participate and it was so much fun. I got to spend a lot of time with the members this week and they are probably my favorite people. The faith that they have is so extraordinary.

Our week other than that was pretty average. We didn't get as many lessons as we wanted but we are hopeful for this week and I am excited to get to work. I love this place. They have saying here in the Philippines, "It's more fun in the Philippines." They don't lie about that. This place is a blast and the people here are so kind and are so humble. A lot of people here don't have the most amazing things but what they do have they are grateful for and they are so happy. I hope I can always be like them.

I love you all,

Elder Lewis

Still smiling

One of the blessing I have been receiving constantly comes from teaching. When I am teaching whether it be in church, teaching investigators or just teaching in district meeting, is that I end up learning so much more. I go in with a lesson plan and then even though I know the material or know what to say I learn something brand new and I get uplifted spiritual so much.

This week we also had and investigator come to church so we are super excited to go and teach her some more and hopefully she will come back to church, she has some friends that are members so we are really hopeful.

Every day and every week is becoming faster and better. We met some new people when we were out finding and we are excited to go and teach them some more. We haven't been able to watch conference yet because it is not broadcast to us until the week after conference. So this weekend we get to go and watch it and I am so excited to hear from the great men and women that will be speaking. Conference is always uplifting and another great thing about conference is we can also read them over and over again to keep learning. My commitment to all of you this week is to go back and read not just this last conference talks but also study older talks too. I know we can learn a lot from them and the scriptures. I can't wait to watch conference this week. Remember to choose to be joyful and that life is good if you choice to see it that way.

Elder Lewis

Pictures from the Baptism

Heaven on Earth

This last week had to have been the best week of my whole life. Elder Pati-on and I had the opportunity to baptize the investigators of the Sister missionaries in our Branch. We held it at the ocean and on the beach and it was the most spiritual and joyful experience. The joy that you could see on the investigators faces was amazing and the spirit was so powerful. It is a day and a moment that I will never forget.

I know that this is the true church and that living the gospel brings joy. I have seen that in my life and the life of others. Let us remember what Christ did for us. Because of his atonement we all have another chance to return back to Heavenly Father and we can over come any challenge that we face. Life is meant to challenge us and give us trials because that is how we grow and learn and become stronger. Don't see your trials as trials but see them as future blessings.

I love you all, and thank you all for everything.

Elder Lewis

Pictures

Baptism Service, Sister Lhea

Dinner with the Rafanan family

Spider as big as my hand that came into the apartment

​Family Home Evening with the Rafanan Family

Easter

Kumusta po kayo? This last week was great. We went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders this week and it was so much fun. I got to spend all of Wednesday in Cabugao and it was a lot of fun. This week we also found some new investigators with a lot of potential. We didn't get to work with the members as much as we wanted but we have this week to do all the work with members we can.

One of the investigators is a 15 year old boy named Sunny and the other is a man just over thirty that is a professional painter for the city of Sinait. They are both very receptive and so we can't wait to get to teach them.

Not a whole lot else happened this week it was just a pretty average week. However this Sunday is Easter. Easter is such an amazing holiday because it is all about the resurrection of Christ and his atonement. One of my favorite videos the church has put out is about the Resurrection of Christ. It is called Because of Him. So I would like to extend a challenge to all of you, I want you all to watch that video and think deeply about what the atonement means to you. To me it means "pagbabago" or "changing" every second of every day we have the opportunity to change our selves and make our selves better. I know that the only way back to our Heavenly Father is by using the Atonement of Christ to repent and become better. Sa pangalan ni Jesucristo Amen.

Love,

Elder Lewis