Week 52

This week was so crazy. 

We started out by teaching Beatrice on Monday night! She is super cool. The lesson went pretty well, and we ended up teaching Gospel of Jesus Christ trying to explain to her God and how he can bless her. And then we taught her again first thing Tuesday morning. We went back over who Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ were, trying to help her understand why she needs them in her life. The whole lesson was inspired question after inspired question, silence, and testifying. So often we were at a loss of what to say, and then the Spirit would prompt us to say something. We are slowly figuring more and more out about her, which will help us in the long run. It is definitely a work out, and we are leaving almost exhausted. But a very good, very nice exhausted. We are for sure relying on the Lord to help us out. She is reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and leaving to Iceland for 3 weeks. So we'll see how she's doing when she gets back:)

We got to teach Reagan on Tuesday, and we talked about judgement and the Plan of Salvation and suicide because of the law that Montreal recently passed about physician-assisted suicide. It was a really cool lesson, and we just brought our scriptures and we all read from the Bible and Book of Mormon and came to a conclusion together. 

We had a really sweet District Meeting on Wednesday! Elder Petersen (who came out with me) is our District Leader and he is really good at what he does, and he gives us commitments every time he calls us to help us improve in our missionary work or to push us out of our comforts zones, or asks if there is anything he can do to help the other sisters in our district or us. Anyway, it was a really amazing meeting. The Spirit was super strong, and we just talked about the meeting throughout the rest of the day and did our best to apply what we learned. Afterwards, we had lunch with the West Bank Sisters (Sister Heward and Sister Wright) at the church. And we finished off the night with contacting!

We had to feed the cat of a recent convert in one of the family wards over Christmas. The cat's name is Cookie. And so we had to feed her 3 times a day. 

On Thursday, we had planning, and it went pretty well! Then we headed to Earl's, where a member got us reservations for a Christmas Eve lunch and gift cards so we wouldn't have to pay. The view was right over the lake, and it was snowing. Man. We are blessed. Then we went finding some more, and then went caroling with some of the other missionaries in the zone (Sister Lai, Sister Tripp, Elder Maurer, Elder Ellis, Elder Robinson, Elder Ushio, Elder Gleed, Elder Coomans). It went pretty well, and then I got to talk to the cutest old people and didn't even get bashed (Sister Madson did...)! Merry Christmas Eve!

On Christmas morning, we exercised and then opened presents! A member gave us socks from Roots, and bookmarks. I got a black barbie, and Sister Madson got a white one. And I got your gifts full of stuff to keep warm! Thanks! Then we got ready for the day, had studies, and fed the cat. And Cookie left us a present as well. She pooped all over the floor. And guess who got to clean it up. Merry Christmas to me.

Then we drove to the cutest little area, to the Gibbon home (Bro Gibbon is the second counselor in the branch presidency) to skype! And we skyped, which was awesome, and while my companion skyped, I got to write my essays. Then we went down and had a delicious Christmas dinner with the Gibbon family and shared a message with them about Christ and his Atonement, all under an hour and were out hitting the road, ready work. We went contacting for the rest of the night, and fed the cat again. Everything was closed, though. People were few, but we had great conversations with them!

It was such a simple Christmas, and really the only thing that felt like Christmas was the focus on Christ. And it was awesome!

And it was a white Christmas! It's been snowing for 4 days non-stop or something like that. Woo! The rink downtown has a constant 2 inches of snow on it at least!

For walking day, we headed downtown. We had lunch with Sister Lai and Sister Tripp, and then did mini exchanges. I went with Sister Lai in their area, and we knocked doors and had the coolest conversations that were really like lessons. And this lady freaked out that we were knocking doors on a statutory and Christian holiday. And we got chewed out by a rabbi, and engaged in an awesome conversation with a Jehovah's witness. Pretty successful day! And then we ended our mini exchange. Sister Madson and I planned on grabbing something quick, but everything was still closed. So we were going to have pizza or something delivered, but even those were closed. Then we thought Chinese, and almost every chinese place was closed. We had to feed the cat and get all the way back to the church for correlation. We were covered in snow, and finally found a place to deliver. We got the most expensive chinese food ever, but it tasted good! 

And yesterday, Sister Madson and I got to give talks! And I got to lead the music. It was a great day at church, and then we went finding at night! 

Reagan texted us and told us that her mom bought her skirts for coming to church with us! 

The week was filled with lots of miracles and it was just a great week of missionary work!

That's all I got for you! Sorry it's so long! 

Happy New Year!

Live long and prosper!

Hermana Lewis

Ogopogo- like Nessy

Beatrice's giant bear

At Earl's! When I ate this, my tongue got all numb and started tingling. But it was good!

Christmas Eve!

Drive to the Gibbon home <3

Skyping

The Gibbon family gave us slippers after skyping:)

Our creepy dolls

After caroling at the old folks' home!

Mini exchange with Sister Lai! It snowed a lot!