Week 1! Sort of..

Hey friends and family of Carly! This is one of her BFF's, Emily. Carly has asked me to keep her blog updated while she is in the field. I'll mostly just post her weekly letters and pictures. She had a wonderful farewell and setting apart - she was ready to head out! It's amazing to see her love and growth in just 3 days!! Enjoy!

Hello Family and Friends!!!!!!!

Alrighty. So I am on day 3 here at the MTC and I absolutely LOVE it here! There is something about this place... it's the spirit about here. You feel it SO strong. Also, everyone is so happy to be here! I love seeing all the cute missionaries everywhere. I will see like, two Elders walking together with their bags and ties and name tags and I get so excited and think, "OOOO! look! missionaries!" and then i think about it..... and remember that I am a missionary now too! haha :)

My Companion is Sister Watson, from Farmington UT. She will be going to DC south with me. She is... very much my total opposite. Sporty. Tough. Outdoorsy. Not musically-inclined. Small family. is going into the medical field. and is VERY quiet. Doesnt say much. BUT I still love her lots. She has a great smile that just lights up her whole face. And even though it's hard to get words out of her, when we do companion study, or we consult with our companions, she will pipe in with some very insightful things and I am learning a lot from her. 

We are in a room with two other sisters, Sister Hardmann(a cheerleader with missionary BF from Vernal. Going to DC SOUTH), and Sister Tomerlin (from mineral wells TX, she has the cutest little accent, and is a convert to the church of two years. going to Twin Falls ID).

I love these sisters very much, and I know that we were placed together for a reason. We have much to learn from each other. 

I especially have loved talking with Sister Tomerlin. She has such a strong testimony, and because she is a recent convert, she sees things in a different way. Also, knows what it's like to be on the investigating end, so she knows which things can be more confusing, or good ways to approach teaching.

Last night we met our Branch Presidency. President Bradford is a great man, very respectable, and he is teaching the Elders in my branch to be true gentlemen. If the elders are in a room before the sisters, they are to stand and button their top suitcoat button when we enter the room. It's like, the greatest thing in the WORLD. :) Us Sisters love it probably a little bit too much;) But honestly, I think all men should treat women with such respect. Chivalry is not dead my friends. Anyway, I'm the ONLY person who is musically inclined in my Zone soo.... I will always be playing the piano. which is fine by me!:)

AT the meeting last night, my companion Sister Watson was just bawling the whole meeting through. after about ten minutes i turned to her and asked her if she would like to leave and go to the restroom. She said yes, so we got up and left. She cried and cried and cried. I asked her what was wrong, and she explained that she was simply homesick. I did my best to comfort her, and just let her cry it out. This sweet lady in the restroom offered words of comfort. We went back to the meeting finished it out, and then I suggested she ask for a blessing. 

We had the wonderful opportunity to have our district leader, Elder Hoagan, and his companion, Elder Cavallaro anoint and bless Sister Watson, and our newly appointed Zone Leaders participated as well. It was such a BEAUTIFUL experience. I wish I could describe to you what I felt during that blessing. It was so neat to watch these Elders, boys just out of High School, give their first blessing. It really strengthened my testimony on the power of Priesthood and the Holy Ghost. It doesnt matter WHO gives a blessing, as long as he is worthy to hold the priesthood, and allows the spirit into your heart, its going to be direct words and inspiration from our loving Heavenly Father.

The first night we were here at the MTC we had an experience to meet 3 different investigators and learn about their life, and try our best to LOVE them, then speak up as the spirit directed. But the main focus was to LOVE the people. Elder Holland said: "If we listen with love, we will not need to wonder what to say. it will be given to us." As missionaries of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we literally represent Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility to LOVE the people, and if we love them and see them the way their Heavenly Father sees them, not defined by their sins, or circumstances, or past, but as who they have the potential to be, then the spirit will direct us, and the HOLY GHOST will be the TEACHER and hopefully convert the individual. I'm grateful for the inspiration President Beeson had when he set me apart, to specifically bless me to view all of God's children as who they can become, the way Heavenly Father sees them, AS LONG as I am OBEDIENT.   <---------- that's another thing that it seems nobody can express enough, is how important obedience is. Exact Obedience. I'm trying my hardest to keep the rules. After all, they are inspired, and given for a reason. We have rules to live by, that leave room for the spirit to be present.

I've seen quite a few familiar faces! I've seen Elder Aaron Love a couple of times! HE's doing really well and is very happy:) I saw a few sisters from choir at snow college, and a Sister Jessica Lewis that i went to high school with. She lived in Florida this past year, and she gave me a HUGE hug and exclaimed,"Your cousin Sister Beck is SO AMAZING!! she was serving in my area and I absolutely LOVE her!" sooo shout out to Jessie;)

I think the best part of my week however was when I saw my dear friend, Sister Audrey Svedin from my choir at Snow! She's going to Nashville Tennessee and leaves on monday. I saw her and she embraced me in the biggest hug and i just felt the love of Christ through her. She is living on the same floor as me and is two doors down so I got to talk to her and get a picture with her last night. I love Sister Svedin. So much. :) I'm really grateful I got to see her.

I want you  all to know that I know of a surety that this gospel is the true and complete gospel of Jesus Christ. It is only by him that we can be saved and return to live with our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful and so excited to be a missionary. I love that i get to devote my whole self to this great work. The lord is truly hastening the work. Heavenly Father is sending out all these wonderful, marvelous young men and women to spread the word, to find the lost sheep, he is using us to bring his children HOME. We should also desire to help bring all of our brothers and sisters back to our home on high. I know that this is where I am supposed to be, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Home, friends, schooling, and marriage can wait. Right now, my most important focus will be to Love all of Gods children and do desire their Salvation. My purpose as a missionary is to INVITE others to come unto Christ, by HELPING them receive the restored gospel through Faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End.

One question a lot of people as us is why we are here serving. Why did we decide to Serve the Lord. Well, her is my answer:

Because I LOVE THE LORD. 

That's all there is to it. No more explanation needed. 

I love you all So very much, and I've been praying for you. Thank you for the love and support in helping me get out here. Have a wonderful week!

Love, 

Sister Lewis

p.s. {Ya'll don't know how long I've waited to sign my letters "sister Lewis!" It feels so great:)

p.p.s { We aren't allowed to refer to one another as "guys". We have to call each other 'Elders' and 'Sisters'. I didn't even realize I said 'guys' so much. Literally the hardest habit to break. but Sister Tomerlin is from the south and she just says "Ya'll" so i've started saying Ya'll. solves everything;)

Sister Svedin and Sister Lewis

"Exercising" though I was the only one who actually exercised. You can tell by the sweat dripping from my forehead. 

Proud of my "dork dot"! ;) It feels so good to wear the tag - it makes it feel official.

Sister Tomerlin, Sister Hardmann, Sister Lewis, Sister Watson

Pray More.... Worry Less

I have a problem you guys. This problem is that I am really good at over-thinking things and I usually find a million things to worry about. {silly me} Now as my mission draws ever closer, I have felt quite overwhelmed at times and I just want to sit in solitude, minding my own business and not think about anything...... 

Well, I saw this quote the other day and it has been my anchor through this past week. 

Somehow, in all the mumble-jumble, I had forgotten to simply ask my father in heaven for help!!

Isn't it odd how one can forget something so important? I have always known the power of prayer. I have a strong testimony on the power of the atonement, and that whenever I'm in need, there's a Savior who knows exactly how I feel, and is just waiting for me to turn to him for help. All I have to do is ask, and The Lord will give me aid. I had made the mistake of focusing too much on myself, that I forgot all that!! 

There's one other quote that I really love:

"Have you prayed as much as you have talked about it?" 

This is always a good reminder to me as well to first, seek help from my loving Heavenly Father. :) 

Pray more. Worry less. 

Xoxo 

Carly

P.S.

{{ I have 3 days left until I enter the MTC. What. Is that even real? Probably not. }}