Monday, August 21, 2017 | Week 20

Well everyone, I am out of training. Kinda weird.

Last P-Day just involved me cleaning like the entire apartment while Elder McMaster was packing.​

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Tuesday was transfer day! We said goodbye to everyone heading out. Elder Sealy finished his two years and Elder Zeagler went off to be a Zone Leader in Amarillo. Later in the day around 4pm, Elder McMaster and I began the long journey all the way from Portales to Hobbs. It was very straight and flat basically the whole way.​

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In Hobbs I met Elder Cortez, my new companion. We then took the long two hour journey all the way back in the dark. Our district meeting was the next morning with our new district. Everyone's companion was swapped out. ​

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Saturday, we got to help freshmen move into the dorms in ENMU here in Portales. That was a pretty exhausting day. We later attended the public BBQ they were holding where we got to talk to people and eat for free!​

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That was basically my week. For a little bit about Elder Cortez, he grew up in Las Vegas and has spoken Spanish growing up, so he'll be able to help me with mine! He is actually the district leader of our district too, so I'll also be doing exchanges like all the time. He likes drawing comic strips in his journal about almost anything. I am already in a couple of them. He's pretty cool and I'm excited to spend this transfer with someone a head shorter than I, haha.

Have a great week everyone. Don't get blinded by the eclipse haha.

Elder Lewis

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Monday, July 24, 2017 | Week 16

Happy Pioneer Day everyone!

It's kind of tough recounting the week's happenings now. Every week is starting to feel all mushed together. Last week our 2016 Nissan Altima was traded for a 2017 Toyota Rav 4, which is pretty cool. The Rav 4 is pretty awesome, but it looks like a mom car haha. ​

You can see the new Rav4 in the background there. Only picture I got of it so far. 

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There are lots of promising people that we are normally able to meet with, but recently the majority of appointments have been falling through, so not a ton of investigator progression happened this week, but again we got to still meet with a good bit of less actives, and slowly but surely they are coming back to church.

We attempted to teach a woman in our branch English, a bit. It didn't go well haha. We don't know even English well enough to teach it haha. "Why does this word sound this way?" I couldn't tell you haha.

Thursday and Friday we got to have interviews with the Hales, they are pretty awesome. Afterwards we had exchanges, and I went with the district leader, Elder Zeagler. There were lots of lessons. It was strange teaching Americans haha.

This week I've studied a bit from Mosiah 4. The whole chapter is pretty awesome but I really like Mosiah 4: 16-25. It talks about basically giving to the poor and needy, and how we should give just as God gives. I suggest ya'll read it. It's pretty sweet. It helps to explain the reason we should pay fast offerings.

2 Nephi 32: 8-9 was shared quite a bit this week. It talks about prayer, and the importance of it. Read this too haha. In verse 9 it says that we should do everything in prayer, and says that doing so will "consecrate thy performance". I know myself that this is true. We can't do anything successfully without prayer and having God involved in the work. I've learned that we shouldn't have any reason to not pray. It will only benefit us, and grow us closer to Heavenly Father. If you don't have a desire to pray, pray to have a desire. 

Anyway I am bad at writing, ya'll should tell me what you want to hear more about haha. I love all of you! Have a good day!

Elder Lewis

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Monday, July 31, 2017 | Week 17

Hi everyone,

This felt like the fastest week on the mission! Time just flew by. Last week we played Monopoly on P-Day for my first time. Yeah...it's not that fun haha. 

On Tuesday we had a slightly different district meeting while in Clovis. Instead of practicing something from doing role-plays, Elder Zeagler paired us up with another Elder and go knock doors for half an hour. I went with Elder Sealy, who is serving his last transfer in the Clovis 2nd ward. We talked to people, they were all pretty disinterested, but what I really learned from that, is that everything is fine. I always had this fear (and still do) about knocking doors and talking to random people. But I've realized this week that I came out of that unscathed. That total strangers aren't anything I should be really worried about. I still don't really enjoy knocking but at least I dislike it less haha.​

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That evening we ended up running into a lady who works at ENMU who helped set us up good service opportunities where we can meet a lot of people, as well as permission to proselyte on campus! Sadly though that doesn't do a whole lot for the Spanish-speaking area, but hey it's another way to go finding!​

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I finally got my Tiwi card (a card that tracks your driving)! Which means I can finally drive. It was kinda freaky driving again after not doing so after 3 months, but I adjusted quickly to driving again.​

We gave another two blessings this week. It's kind of catching me by surprise by how often we do them haha. Speaking of blessings though, I was surprised to find just how helpful a patriarchal blessing is! It really helped me this week to see an end goal, to have kind of an idea of what is ahead. It helped me have a daily drive to be faithful and do what is right at all times. Many times we've heard the recommendation to read our patriarchal blessing daily, and I can see why. It is definitely a daily motivation. I urge everyone who does not have one, to get one. And all those who do have one, to read it often. It really is not difficult and spend 5 to 10 minutes reading it, so go do it!

On Friday our investigator's dog bit me haha. I'm doing alright though and it's just gonna leave a scar. The dog was chained to a tree and I didn't think I was in range and I wasn't being careful. The dog didn't puncture though my slacks and sock though, so it was basically just scratched up. I'm all good though! Not dead haha. The following video has my wound in it, you have been warned.​

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Sorry for the crazy long email. That's about all the stuff that happened this week that is note-worthy! Have a good one, everyone! Hasta proxima semana!

Elder Lewis

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Monday, August 14, 2017 | Week 19

This week we had our lasts of the transfer. Last Monday we all spent time together as a district, played games, and ate lunch in the park.​

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We also had our final district meeting of the transfer.​

Friday night our branch president asked us to give a talk that following Sunday. You can probably guess what a lot of Saturday was spent doing haha.

Saturday night we got our transfer calls! I'm going to be staying here in Portales this next transfer and Elder McMaster is going to Hobbs Spanish. I will be serving with Elder Cortez, who is actually going to be a district leader, too. So my address will still be the same fyi.​

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A scripture that I was reminded of this week is Matthew 5: 14-16. It's important to know that people notice your actions. Strive to be a good example at all times, because you will have an effect on those around you. 

Sorry for the short email everyone, not a whole lot happened. Hope everyone is doing well, though! I'm not getting enough emails and photos! Keep them comin'! Have a good one.

Elder Lewis

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