I'll Keep It Short

Well, I don't have a clever title, but this week was just as great as could be.

 

When we showed up at Jennifer's home for a lesson with her family, we were surprised when her boyfriend joined us. We've been praying for this to happen for a while now--their family is great and we want them to all enjoy the blessings of the gospel.

 

We'll be teaching the Book of Mormon class this week (the elders taught last week since Sister Crosby was at a meeting in Cincinnati). There were 4 people in attendance last week, and we're hoping to double that this week. I'm a little nervous (I'm no Book of Mormon scholar!) but I'm hoping that my love for the Book of Mormon will influence others. I know that reading the Book of Mormon is how we can gain a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is through reading daily that we build our faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. I love that little blue book.

 

Anyway, yesterday we had a neat experience. Sister Waite invited us to sing a hymn for her Preach My Gospel class. Sister Crosby and I sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" and by the end of the 4th verse, there were more than a few moist eyes. I love music, it invites the Spirit and has a power to touch hearts in a way that spoken words cannot.

 

I love you all,

 

Sister Sarah Jane Lewis

PB, Bread, and Chili

Hello!

 

In Peru people eat peanut butter with their chili. I experienced this delicacy twice this week. One of the members took us to a chili cookoff held in the Circus building. (Have I mentioned that Peru used to be the winter quarters for the circus?)

 

This week was great! We went on exchanges with the sisters in Huntington, and the next day we had zone conference. Sister Crosby and I won the award for the cleanest car! (The cars from both zones were inspected). It was wonderful receive some additional training from President Porter and his wife, and to hear the testimonies of the missionaries in the surrounding areas.

 

We saw another miracle this Sunday, Jennifer and her family came to church! :)

 

We have a zone activity today, so I'll just share a quick insight from personal study. So often, people see God's commandments as restricting. But as I was reading in Preach My Gospel, I came across a line that said "God gives us commandments for our benefit. They are instructions from a loving Father in Heaven to help us have happy lives." (emphasis mine) I love that it uses the word instructions. Commandments are instructions to living a happy life. It's just like putting together a bike. Let's say you order a bike online and they send it to you in parts. If you open the box and start trying to put the bike together without reading the instructions, you might end up with something that looks like a bike, but it might not function properly. Or, you might end up with pieces left over, things you missed. ...and just imagine, without instructions, you might put the handle bars on backwards or incorrectly install the breaks. Heavenly Father gives us commandments to keep us safe and help us live happy lives, now and in eternity.

 

I love you all! Have a lovely week.

 

Sister Sarah Jane Lewis

Birthday Week

Hello everyone!

Well, I'm another year older! It was a great birthday! Our ward had a chili cookoff and we had 9 investigators there. It was a bit overwhelming, but, hey! we're not complaining.

Also, if you read my emails and you're feeling guilty about not sending me a birthday present, you can be forgiven. ;) In lieu of gifts I would like you do something for me. I would like you to read "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox. Link: http://www.lds.org/new-era/2012/08/his-grace-is-sufficient

We struggled a little this week finding new investigators. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but my area has about 30 churches. Everyone here goes to church. We love it--everyone believes in Jesus Christ, the only problem is that many of them are content with their church. Eh, but there are missionaries here for a reason! And every day we discover why!

Yesterday we had a miracle. Missionaries have been meeting with a sister in our ward since before I got to Peru. (I remember teaching her and her husband my first week here). Anyway, this sister's husband is not a member and has been pretty aloof as far as church things go. Yesterday he came to church with her! It was a miracle to see him there, but also to see her there as she's been struggling with some major health concerns.

Another miracle: We taught the Preach My Gospel class yesterday and I didn't pass out. :P

I love you all, have a fabulous week. Go out and serve someone today. It'll make you happier, I promise.

Love,

Sister Sarah Jane Lewis

P.S. If you want a little taste of Indiana, look up a recipe for "Sugar Cream Pie." Yum.

Sarah and a corn field.

The Wabash River mist.

Just "Flappin' Jaws"

So, we raked leaves in the rain on Tuesday night with the Elders from Wabash. The next day, I woke up with the flu! Ew.

But don't worry, I'm much better now. :-)

Yesterday Sister Crosby spoke in church (she gave a fantastic talk). Well, we took advantage of that fact and invited all the investigators and less-active members we could. Brother Dwight brought his dog Dippy to church. (I'll try and attach the picture). Dippy waited in the truck while Brother Dwight went to Sacrament meeting and Sunday School. Raphael came as well (oh, he let me know I'd been spelling his name wrong the whole time).  Brother Stuber came as well. And Brother Hamblin came too. Sister Crosby has quite the following... ;-)

After church we had dinner with the Yards. It's a riot--Sister Yard pitches the biscuts, Brother Yard catches them and slathers them with peanut butter. :)

Because I was sick earlier in the week we had to make up for what we missed... we hadn't found any new investigators all week, and we'd made a goal to find 3, so we set out with faith. Heavenly Father pulled through again. We were walking around a neighborhood talking anyone we saw outside. We "flapped jaws" (Hoosier language for 'chatted') with a couple of men in a garage. They were happy to talk about anything but religion (he said he never discusses religion or politics with anyone). We parted and started down the street again when a man on a bike passed us. We said hello and he rode on. Well, he looped around the block and met us further down the street. When we saw him again we said something about "getting your exercise for the day?" ...an hour later we had an appointment set up to meet with him onTuesday. Apparently his dad was a Mormon, but he doesn't really know much about the religion. Brother Briscoe seems down to earth and we're very excited to teach him again.

Fun fact: I love hearing the Hoosiers speak. If you can't imagine it, picture me "settin'" on the porch and "flappin' jaws" with these folks while they pick their "tomatahs." :) Indiana's trying to steal my heart.

I love y'all!

Sister Sarah Jane Lewis

The Elders made birthday cupcakes for Sarah and Sister Crosby. The candles were trick candles (the kind that don't go out)

Brother Waite and Brother Carroll

Some fun left-over cupcakes from a one-year-old's birthday party.

Dippy the dog came to church:)

Fall in Indiana:)

Making ghost lollies for Halloween.

Picking apples on a blustery day:)

Pretty fall leaves that Sister Crosby collected.

 A barn and a view of the changing leaves.

Leaves changing colors.

 Jennifer's son and daughter, RC and Ariel.

I'm Staying In Peru!

Hello, hello!

Happy Birthday to: my companion, my brothers, Sam and Thomas, and my friend Elder Will Christensen in Texas!

So, they announced transfers yesterday and I'm staying in Peru! (not surprising, since I have to finish the 12-week training.) But I'm excited to be here. Peru is great.

A photo with Rafael Rousseau at church!

This week Rafael came to church and he loved it. Hopefully we can start teaching him regularly. (I'll send a picture!)

Earlier this week we had a zone activity (we made zone t-shirts!) There are too many things to write about and I don't have much time, so I'll just share the miracle we had yesterday. Derrick Stapleton, our previous investigator had dropped off the map after his non-baptismal date (sept 28) and we hadn't been able to contact him. He wasn't ever home, he didn't answer phonecalls and we were a little concerned. So, yesterday after our thrift-store shopping trip to Wabash, Sister Crosby and i decided to rake the leaves in Derrick Stapleton's front yard. Well, it was inspired. 5 minutes after we began raking leaves, Brother Stapleton walked out of his house, looking stunned. We were able to talk to him about where he'd been/why he'd been avoiding us. He said he was a little overwhelmed with things and had just shut everything out and had been hiding in his house. He told us that he had been thinking about coming to church this past sunday but was nervous about being judged since he felt like he stood us up for his baptism. "Thought you had the tub all filled up and everything!" he said. Well, we were happy to tell him that he is always welcome at church, baptized or not. :) It was a miracle.

I love autumn in Peru! I love the smell of burning ditches, stargazing at 6:30 in the morning when we run, groups at curbside campfires on Grissom Base, the sound of trains in the distance as I fall asleep, porch swings, Christian biker dudes (every man 55+ in Peru has a Harley), cool breezes, the fields, the red and orange and yellow leafy trees, but I especially love the people, of course.  God is good to me.

I love you all,

Sister Sarah Jane Lewis

1858 S Business 31 Apt 2D

Peru, Indiana 46970

P.S. any suggestions for what to do on my 21st birthday? ;) So far all I have planned is the ward chili cookoff ...and missionary work, of course. :)

Quaker oval box made for me by Allen Stuber, investigator. age 78. it's walnut! :)

We were at a meal appointment when the elders showed up to our same restaurant. :) (they're in our district) coincidences...

Me + Sister McDonald's (Ward Relief Society President) giant St. Bernard, Isabelle. This is from our service day a couple of weeks ago. (even Isabelle helps with missionary work --you'll have to ask me to tell you the story of how she helped re-activate 3 members!)

It's A Jungle Out There!

Dear Friends and Family,

This week has been great. Sister Crosby and I are continuing to remain positive in our finding and teaching efforts. Last week I wrote a song to the tune of Book of Mormon Stories to help us remember to ask for referrals. It goes like this:

God has prepared many people right here in Peru,
We just have to ask for them and teach them what is true,
Members know so many and investigators too,
We can find all of them in Peru!

I don't imagine the Primary Songbook publishers will be asking me to include it in their book anytime soon, but it's been helpful for us here, in Peru.

We're focusing more on less-active members, and we've seen miracles. We've been trying to contact a woman named Carolyn for a long time, but whenever we stop by, she isn't home. Friday, while we were visiting another less-active woman, we met a man sitting on the porch of the neighboring house. After talking to him for a few minutes, we discovered it was Dave, Carolyn's non-member husband! We had the opportunity to testify to him of eternal families and temple marriage. We gave him a temple pass-along card and an invitation/info card for General Conference. He said he'd take it home to his wife. It was a miracle to run into him! :)

Also, Sister Crosby and I have a theme of our own D&C 64:33. :) I'm just praying the Lord wants me to finish training with Sister Crosby--she's wonderful. (Transfers are on her birthday Oct. 15th...it'd be a great birthday present if she got to stay!)

Also, I bet you didn't know Indiana was a zoo. I surely didn't. I've seen more wildlife here in a month than I saw in a year in Utah. (Maybe I wasn't looking?) It's pretty cool though. I've seen deer, mice, beavers, possums, a crane (just one lonely one down at the river), raccoons (mostly dead on the side of the road, though a couple live ones), bunny rabbits, cardinals, robins, long-horned steer, chipmunks, squirrels (they're so cute when they run!), gigantic spiders, frogs, slugs, walking sticks, horses, a bat, dogs (everyone in Indiana has a dog), cats, and even hairless cats! So if you can't afford a safari in Africa, might I suggest a trip to Indiana?

General Conference was wonderful! Rafael came to the Sunday Morning session. What a miracle! Saturday night when we gave him the invitation to come we had no expectation of his actually coming. But he did, and I was happy that he did. :)

Did you catch the theme of Saturday's talks? Missionary Work! :) We've been praying for something like this. Missionary work simply cannot be done without the help of members. :) I'm excited to witness more miracles as the hastening happens! Elder S. Gifford Nielson said that this time in Church history ranks in importance with the events of the First Vision, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pretty cool, yeah?

I love being spiritually fed at General Conference. What a blessing it is to have the knowledge that Heavenly Father speaks to us through a prophet and that Jesus Christ is at the head of His Church today.

I can't believe I've been in Peru for a month! Times flies when you're serving a mission.

I love you all!

Sister Sarah Jane Lewis
1858 S Business 31 Apt 2D
Peru, IN 46970
P.S. sorry about the typos and weird fonts. This computer is doing weird things

You Know You're a Missionary When...

Dear Friends and Family,

...You know you're a missionary when you schedule an appointment to get your hair cut by a man you want to invite to church. Last monday Sister Crosby and I went to Gold 'n' Beauty on Broadway so she could get her hair cut by the brother of an investigator. We went in around 11:00, determined to convert him (or at least invite him to church) and 30 minutes later we came out, very much the same as we went in. (Sister Crosby's hair looks great though!)

 

This week we've been tested. Appointments fell through, people weren't home, yada yada yada and we've decided that Heavenly Father is trying to tell us something. We must be working in the wrong places. So our resolve: to work with less-active members! We've got to take care of the people we have before we can get any new members.

 

Tuesday night we had dinner at the Suttons' home. During dinner Brother Sutton said something about my age (20, for 25 more days!). Well, I must look young, because Sister Sutton said that she thought I could pass for 12. 12 years old. Whoa there, Sister. The Indiana humidity is doing great things for my skin! I've only been here three weeks and I already look 8 years younger! haha :)

 

We got to serve the McDonald's on Friday afternoon, but I think they mixed things up--it seemed like they were serving us! Elder Jackson, Elder Bracken, Sister Crosby and I helped re-stain 4 or 5 picnic tables for the McDonalds, then they served us a picnic dinner around their campfire.

 

Wednesday we went on exchanges to Huntington. After district meeting we cleaned a garage for a lady and her daughter. Thursday we made more applesauce with Sister Waite. (I've never seen a tree with so many apples!)

 

Time's up. Wish I could write more!

 

Until next week,

 

Sister Sarah Jane Lewis