18th Weekly Email

 

We've got lots to cover this week, not only because it's been 9 days since my last email but I also moved to Italy over the weekend. So buckle up.

Good news: I passed my covid test and didnt lose my passport so I was able to go to Italy! I got on the international plane to Rome and I had an Italian family behind me that didn't speak any english (personally, I wanted to ask how they made it through the airport) but instead I asked them (in very poor Italian) to put Italian words that I could study on the plane. They were very confused but eventually got it haha. 

It's very funny because I looked back at what the Italian family had wrote and just realized the first two words are... 

-mangiare (to eat) 

-amore (love) 

Coincidence? I think not.

For some reason, I woke up at some point on the flight to Italy and the mother of the Italian family sat right next to me. I couldn't tell you why but I took the opportunity and asked her "Cos'è il tuo cibo preferito?". This means what's your fav food haha and she started naming stuff off! Every thing she said went straight over my head except for "polo" and I *obviously* had to cut her off and tell her that I love chicken too😂

My new Italian trainer is anziano Checketts. He's from Layton. We work great together and he trusts me enough to cut his hair! He is now the third missionary that's let me cut their hair haha. 

P day:

I've found out from day one that Italy (or at least my companions) go very hard on this day. We were hauling from one spot to the next to get the premium tourist experience. I think we worked harder today then any day so far. Jkjk but it was madness and don't get me wrong, it was all worth it!! I'll prove it with a few (plenty) of pictures😉

Pensiero spirituale:

As i showed up to my area in Sabina, there is an investigator that is close to baptism. The only thing holding him back is smoking and getting a car so he can come to church. We've tried to work with him on each problem but its very inconvenient for him. SO what I wanted to share is "if there is a will, there is a way". 

The gospel is for every single person on this planet and I know if you just work at it and read your scriptures and pray with the intent to learn, we can gain (or grow) our testimony. Basically you get what you put in so give everying you can to God:)

Italian for the week: ci credo is "i believe it" 

Ya boi, 

Anziano Lewis

Pics

1. City in a mountain where we live

2. All the Italian words the family wrote

3. Me wit da colleseum 

4. Noah sculpted by Michaelangelo

5-7. Cool churches

8. Pizza

Sadly I couldn't fit all my photos hahah

 

He’s not in Kansas anymore—

The boy is on his way to 

#aprestoanzianolewis

17th Weekly Email

 Piano piano si arriva

This week was a bit slower for sure. We had found a few people on Tuesday and got stumped the rest of the week. However, I have a funny story about my Saturday.


During personal study around 10 am, I got an email from Italy giving me a few forms to fill out just incase I got my flight plans soon. I thought this was a *wink wink* *nod nod* that I am going soon. Little did I know...


I had actually missed a call from president (keep in mind: that's how I always assumed I'd get the word that I'd go to Italy). I immediately called him back however he never picked up🥸 he sent us a text saying that he had butt dialed us...


Later that day, I was tired of all my shenanigans so I decided to be obedient for a minute. I checked my email. To my amazement, I got my flight plans to Italy! It was pretty crazy, I didn't even know how to act. It's like I got my call again. "Piano piano si arriva" is "slowly slowly one arrives". 


I will be hopping on a plane to Atlanta then from there to Italy. From now on, my p day is on Wednesdays so you can expect emails then. You can also expect some DOPE pictures so don't get jealous:)


This week we found a guy that doesnt belive in death! It was the funniest thing because he thinks that we die only because we believe we are going to die! He even said it says it in the bible (However, he wouldnt provide sources). We told him that everyone phyically dies and provided many scriptures, examples, ect. but he only got mad and called us "death worshippers". Some people are crazy man. Anyways, I think hes onto something...


My companion and I were bored so we decided to walk to our church. It turns out it's 3.5 miles! It was quite a trek to say the least. I decided to take a bunch of pics for yall!


Ti voglio bene,
Anziano Lewis


Ps. Next time you hear from me, I won't be in Kansas anymore


Pics
1: The city of Derby put this outside our apartments for my companion... not me.
2. Spring creek! (Our area name)
3. jamming out to life is a highway. I can confirm: Life is, indeed, a highway
4. posted up in my jump suit
5. Elder Lewis, Elder Baker, Elder Law
6. Me in a silly goofy mood
7. A pit stop in little italy

 Future Mission President and Wife for Anziano Lewis

 

4 months! 

He is HAPPY, sometimes frustrated, loves serving, has felt true disappointment , is having fun, misses comforts of home while enjoying his experiences in Kansas! He is enjoying his mission and the people in Wichita. He is learning while growing. 

That cutest smile, every time we talk to him, makes my whole week happy. 

I’m so so proud of this boy and his positive attitude. 

#aprestoanzianolewis

  

16th weekly email

 cow-abunga it is

This week was the best week we've ever had while simultaneously being easily the worst. We found 4 new people to teach from Monday through Friday and had lots of other success! So much success that we thought we figured missionary work out (we were expecting a call from the mission president that would bump us to AP). 


Little did we know, Saturday would roll around. I want to share what went down on Saturday because it's so terrible that's its a lil funny:)


-lesa (a online self referral) told us she didn't want to meet with us
-kyle (new investigator) told is he wasn't ready to meet with us
-Terry (our most elect investigator) passed away
-James (one of this weeks new investigators) gave us a fake phone number 
-Malcolm (one of this weeks new investigators) told us he's too busy and his gf doesn't want him to meet with us
-Anthony (last week told us he wants to meet with us) hung up after we said we were the missionaries
-every one we asked to share a message with said no and was rude about it
- we can't meet with our district for 2 weeks because of covid rules


The cherry on top of the day was that we had avocados to make guacamole and once I cut them up to make them, I realized that they were rubbery. They had the consistency of a bouncy ball. No guacamole=no fun=party foul=angry elder Lewis. I was furious to say the least. 


I experienced first hand how the pride cycle works haha. To be fair, it's been a testimony builder. This leads to my spiritual thought...


At the end of the day on Saturday, we pulled up to a park and wanted to leave so bad because of the previous 12 hours of heart ache and rejection. We pulled up Jacob 4:7 and 2 Nephi 2:2 which basically say that God gives us challenges to help us grow. I know that God won't give us trials that we cannot take. In fact, when it does feel unbearable, he gave us his son, Jesus Christ, to lean on. Ive also learned that having a positive attitude makes such a big difference! I like to talk about the downs in my email because theyre funny but I promise i stay positive most of the time!🤞

Along with the pics, I attached all the cool things that happened this week! Go read those.


Ti voglio benissimo,
Anziano Lewis


Ps. Lots of good things happened this week so I did want to shine light on the good parts. I'll share little bits with the pictures

Me with the cat. I love this cat and it love me I think. Maybe a little too much? The owner told me if I hold it too long, I'll get herpes hahaha

This sun set was so pretty! We saw it right as we got to the park to talk to people on saturday. Definitely a miracle!

I'm so grateful for my companion. Hes a goof and always there when ill get down on myself. This pic is us wearing "brain buckets". The doctor guy says that old people wear them to protect them from falls.

This is a cool pic of down town Wichita. Its a baby of a city but still so interesting

Saw this and knew we had to pull over and get pics. I love cows and chocolate milk.

The funny thing is, I love cows but not enough to not eat them. Right after seeing the cow, we went and got hamburgers hahah

A crown fit for a king☺

This is my second hair cut. Im thinking about becoming the mission hair dresser. I get it all from my "mothaa"

I found this last night. Its crazy because I had already thought of the email title as "cowabunga"

15th weekly email

 I cut my comps hair...

This week went by SO fast. On Saturday, it got super cold and snowed a bit. We pulled up to the church to do Facebook when we saw a member with her kids. Turns out they were sledding behind the car. They were so nice and let us go! I just about hit a light post twice. My day was made. 


I got to go on an exchange with one of the zone leaders. Hes an absolutely animal of a missionary. Throughout the day, we talked to every single person we saw. Elder Layton actually had a baseball pitch counter to see how many people we could get. 36🤧 Honestly that doesn't sound like a lot (compared to the 103 he got yesterday with the AP) but it was kinda draining. Believe it or not, only one person agreed to hear a message about the restored gospel. 


We walked around in south Wichita which is very poor and fairly diverse. We saw this Mexican guy and asked to share a message. He responded saying "my English isn't good". Elder Layton (originally called to Japan) started speaking Spanish to him! It was wild😆 he told us he wasn't interested so as we were walking away I said "I didn't know you spoke Spanish" to Elder Layton and he answered with "I don't". He says he can get around with his high school Spanish. Believe it or not, later that night we met a guy that spoke LEGITIMATELY not a single word of English. Elder Layton once again told him we are missionaries (in Spanish of course) and we eventually got his number after sharing our awesome Spanlish testimonies. 


Last Monday, I got to cut my companion hair. I didn't even have to bully him into it. I told him my mom had taught me over the years (she hasn't) but I was able to take what I know and do a pretty good hair cut. The hair cut actually grew our comp unity😊


My spiritual thought this week is about prayer. I've had two huge testimony building experience. Long story short, I read 2 Nephi 32:9 which is basically saying "if you constantly pray, you will be consecrated and God will bless you". I took this to heart and prayed about some problems of mine. Over the span of about 3 weeks, I've seen weaknesses become strengths. I know God listens to our prayers and he will bless us when we follow his commandments🥰

Italian for the week: sono grato/a per te "I'm grateful for you" (say this to someone this week)

Vi voglio bene,
Anziano Lewis


Pics: 
1: John, he's one of our investigators but we had to drop him:( 

2. My comp looks like a 7 year old in his coat

3. Cutting my comps hair

4. So so cold (around -10 degrees)

5. tuff photo by a sick sign at a Lutheran church

6. Our district leaders meme