Called To Serve: Let's Get Down to Business!

Dearest Family and Loved ones,

I have so much to say, and many things that I would love to express! But I'm really struggling with words today.... so I'm going to try my best to form complete sentences and convey how I am feeling:) Bear with me here.

Tuesday we had a lesson with the Layne girls. We decided that we should go back to base 1 with them, and re-teach the restoration, focusing on the importance of the Priesthood, and Revelation!

The lesson was... really powerful actually. Sister Johnson and I taught in complete unity, were asking inspired questions, and really felt the spirit strongly.... Things were going great on our part! Except... the girls didn't really reciprocate anything back to us! They were soooo silent and quiet and just... not into it. We were going to try and put them on date for baptism, but the spirit prompted both of us, multiple times, to not bring it up.... which was odd. But ultimately, it's what's right.

The laynes are an amazing family, and I love them. They are doing this for all the right reasons. Their conversion will be at their own pace and in their own time... but I'm okay with that. Because when they do come to fully know that this is the FULL gospel, and receive that witness that it's true... they will be so strong and fully converted and will never stray.

So.

They are currently taking their sweet time, and we will just do our part to help them gain a testimony of the book of mormon:)

Wednesday

This day was a turning point for me.

This was President and sister Riggs LAST zone conference with us! :( So sad, but so amazing at the same time! The spirit was so strong. And my eyes were opened.

For the first half of the conference, they focused on our missionary Purpose.

"Our Purpose 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

-Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost

-and Enduring to the End"

They helped us realize that we need to be full-purpose missionaires. The whole reason we exist and are even here is to INVITE OTHERS TO COME UNTO CHRIST by HELPING them to Receive the Restored gospel!

That's why I'm here!

I'm not here to vacation, make friends and memories, and just have a good time. I'm not here for myself. I'm not here to build up the church's statitstics.... but i'm here, to search out my brothers and sisters that have been lost, and to invite them to come unto Christ!

So that was a really good thing for me to here... and I was able to realize that I maybe have not been as focused on my purpose as I should be.

Honestly, Zone conference was a very humbling experience for me. The Lord cried me to repentance.. my eyes were opened and I realized that I could be giving so much more to the Lord's work! I also realized that the time I have left... is not much time at all. And it scared me. I began to feel anxiety that I have not been giving my all, and that I haven't been serving as diligently as I could.....

But then the spirit started to speak to me. I gained an eternal perspective. And then.

I underwent a COMPLETE change of Heart.

I feel like the people in Alma5:7

"Behold, He changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word;"

*I have begun to have the desires of my heart swallowed up in the Fathers will. (Mosiah15:7)

*I have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually (Mosiah 5:2)

*I feel like the lord has humbled me, and filled me with patience. My faith has been strengthened. (Alma7:23-24)

*I've truly been awakened to a sense of my duty! (Alma7:22)

*The Lord is my Light, and I have NO reason to fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)

*In fact, I learned that The only thing we need to fear is SIN. Becasue only sin can separate me from my Heavenly Father. Rejection and persecution and trials may come... but none of these can separate me from the love of God! (Romans8:35-39)

......... To make a really long story short:

"And according to {her} Faith there was a mighty change wrought in {Sister Lewis'} heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.

And behold {She} preached the word unto {The people of Leesburg}, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved." (Alma5:12-13)

I left zone conference, having receivied much revelation, and I was walking on spiritual cloud 9! Seriously! I was PUMPED to Go&Do!!!

On the ride home, Sister Johnson asked me what was on my mind... and I told her everything. All my worries and concerns about having wasted the Lords time, and my hope and desires to do good, become better, and Serve God. We just cried tears of joy together, and resolved to give the Lord our ALL.

That night, we had the most amazing lesson with Michi. Seriously. The spirit was tangible! I love Michi so so so so much! She has come SO far in the past few months and it is amazing for me to witness. We taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and really focused in on Faith. What it is. Why we need it. How to strengthen it. And we testified of the wonderful Atonement. At the end, Michi expressed to us how she does indeed have faith in God! :) And she believes the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God!

.... she just doesn't have faith in the church.....

But that's okay! She doesn't have to have faith in the church. I'm just happy that she has developed a faith in Jesus Christ:) So. it's still a Work in progress with her.... but she IS progressing! :) Gah.. I just want you all to meet michelle, and love her like i do!

On our way home that night, Sis Johnson was like, "Okay. I don't know how, or what exactly happened internally with you today... but whatever it was, I am amazed. You truly are a different person! I can see and feel it! And it's wonderful!"

Repentance is real my Friends, and the Atonement is Powerful! :)

Thursday we saw summer and introduced her to the spirit of Elijah and Family History! She THRIVED off of that! We were showing her this video of president packer in the kirtland temple, testifying about the scripture in

Malachi4:5-6 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the hear of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers...."

And at that point in the video summer pipes up and is like "Hold up! Pause the video!

So. Are you telling me that in the bible he tells us about the prophet elijah.... and then he actually did send him to joseph smith?!"

Me: "Yup. That's pretty much what happened."

Summer: "Woah. that is like, SO cool."

hahahhaa. I love summer! She's such a bright little tot!:)

Saturday

Highlight number 2 for the week!

Wait.

Acutally.

Let me back it up to friday.... the ward had a family history night... where we went and just learned lots about family history... it was awesome! We went with Jan Jones, and she was able to fill out her family tree, and print out slips for her Dad, Mom, Sister, Brother, and Son that have all passed away, so that their work could be done in the temple! It was awesome! Also, Jan is stinking HILARIOUS. (Abby. you two would just thrive off each other)

We were cleaning up afterwards, and I started to sing the "clean up" Song.... and she was like "Now, why is it that I always thought that was a cool song that I made up for my grandkids?! Then come to find out, EVERYBODY knows it?" hahahahah (i'll send a video of that)

Also.

I found out that SISTER JOHNSON AND I ARE 4TH COUSINS?!?!?! Related through the Furniss Line! Robert Furniss is our great-great-great-grandfather! :) #coolbeans #WeAreFamily

Okay.

NOW let me talk about saturday!

JAN JONES WENT TO THE TEMPLE FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!! And she was able to do the work for her mother, and sister, and had Bishop brinton do the work for her father, brother, and son! :)

It was such a sacred experience, and I am truly grateful to have been there to witness it.

Like I said last week, Jan has come such a long way. I am beyond happy for her. My heart and soul are just leaping for joy over her conversion! I lvoe this gospel! It truly does change lives.

We were also able to do baptisms. Which was neat! It's been forever since i've done that! :)

This week was just amazing.

I think I say that every week.

And I wish my vocabulary was more abundant so that I could use words other than awesome, amazing, sweet, wonderful, fabulous.... haha

I feel so different, and so alive.

The atonement of Jesus Christ is a remarkable gift, and we all need to access it more. We don't access the power of the atonement enough. It literally covers EVERYTHING.

So this week, my challenge to you is to do a self-evaluation. Look inside yourself, and then see where you can better access the atonement! [[If you want a really good self-evaluation... study Alma Chapter 5 and answer the questions that a prophet of God was inpired to record:))]]

God is Good.

The gospel of Jesus Christ truly is good news and I want to shout it from the mountain tops!

The Book of Mormon is true and I LOVE it.

Repentance is a BEAUTIFUL thing:)

Keep being the wonderful people you are! I love you!

Love,

Sister Carly Lewis

xoxo

Pictures:

All at the D.C. Temple!

Jan Jones

We're 4th Cousins!!!