Letter Number 60

The Zone Conference with Elder Zivic and his wife sounds amazing. What a blessing to be taught and loved by a General Authority. The Zone had a wonderful experience together gaining knowledge and love for one another as a Zone, the Savior, and most importantly the people they are serving in the West Indies. 

I feel super blessed to be a zone leader at this time in my mission, on Tuesday Elder Zivic of the 70 came to Martinique on his way to Gwada, where we would have zone conferance. Him and his wonderful Wife spoke with us durring a district meeting, and me and my Son (Elder Sims) got to do a role play with him and  his wife!  It was incredible. then we all hunkered down and flew that night to Guadeloupe and Elder Dayton and I stayed with Elder Peterson and Christensen, who are some of my favorite people, we had a great night needless to say.

The next day we woke up, ate a very Frenchy breakfast, then listened to our leaders fill us with light and knowledge.  It was incredible as the Holy Ghost testified and revealed the things that we could do better in our day to day work.  Sister Zivic is amazing, and is a very close person to the Lord, that is the kind of wife I need, but that is a topic for another day... Elder Zivic was just full of so much love and as he instructed us we were very edified.

The best part was next,  all of the Zone Leaders went into another room afterwords with President and Sister Mehr and the Zivics.  Elder Zivic gave us lots of advice on how we can do better and lead more like Jesus Christ.  It reminded me of Moroni 10:32 when it says "... deny yourselves of all ungodliness.." at then end we stood up and I was sitting right next to him and I went to shake his hand and he HUGED ME!!  It was like the Savior himself was there, I came out of that room in awe and everything was just brighter.

I know the Savior lives, I know this is His work, and I know that peace for the soul is there for anyone who is willing to search for it.

I love you,

Elder Lewis

Beautiful Martinique Sunrise

"Red at night, sailor's delight. Red in the morning, sailor's warning." 

Letter Number 59

An exciting week of flying to Zone Conference in Guadeloupe and being instructed by a General Authority.  I'm sure Jake loved the opportunity to travel back to Gwada.  He loved his time there so much and frequently spoke of it's beauty.  I am always grateful for the many up-lifing experiences Jake and these Missionaries receive as they probably need the positive reinforcement along the road they are on. 

Please take the time to write to Jake, I'm sure he would love a hand-written letter at some point from Family and friends....!  These are his addresses.

Written Letter Address. Cost is &1.15 or an international stamp

Elder Jake Lewis

Reed and Emma Turner

Ravine Vilaine

D11 Residence Tire d'Aile

97200 Fort de France

Martinique, France

Email address:

lewis.jake@myldsmail.net

Hello My People,

This next week is a week of excitement,  we fly to Gwada tomorrow for Zone Conference.  Elder Zivic is coming. 

Being a leader is nice because we had a big Skype conference with Elder Zivic and his Wife and everyone this last Saturday.  His Wife said something really incredible.  She said,  

"the holy prophets have always gone up to the mountains to comune with God,  and like them we need to go to a higher lever of obedience and worthiness to receive more revelation."

Needless to say  I had a wonderful time listening to their Council and taking dilligent notes as they spoke to us.  Also,  President Mehr and his Wife and the assistants spoke. One might say that I had a really good day,  others might say I had an "AWESOME DAY,"  but that dépends on who you are.

One of our investigators Jerson, which is spelt Gerson but sounds like Jerson,  is actually being rebaptized because his name was never recorded in the Dominican Republic. But it is good because he is retaking the missionary lessons and he has forgoten a lot since his baptism a few years ago. We had a miracle lesson with our Branch President (Occolier) yesterday.  He hadn't been teaching with the missionaires in a long time,  and was dying to go but he is super busy with school and work and being a Branch President,  he has onlyl been back from his mission for a few years but he is awesome.  He served in Canada.  Although he is busy he came and he is super full of light and love, he is also a good friend of jerson.  As we taught the word of wisdom he felt inspired to talk about something he had seen on Facebook, it turned out to be a super spiritual lesson.  We set lots of great goals and shared our testimonies of the Atonement.

It is sad that so many members dont really understand the doctrine of the Atonement.  We talk about it from time to time but many don't understand that it was more than just a sacrifice for us. I believe stongly in the words of Jacob which say something like "why not speak of the atonement as to come to a perfect knowledge of it and a resurrection to come?" I believe it is Jacob 4:11

I love you all,

Elder Lewis

Elder Lewis & Elder Dayton Teaching at Zone Conference

Zone Conference

The Zone Greeting the Zivic's and President and Sister Mehr

The Fort De France Zone at Zone Conference In Guadeloupe

Letter Number 58

How exciting for the Martinique Missionaries! I am happy for their success last sunday...I wish we could stay for a group meal after church some days, sounds very fun. 

Jake's Mission Dad Elder Turner tracted with the Elders to experience Martinque "on foot,"  I wish I could experience that same thing.  I am so grateful for the Turner's loving support of these young men and women in Martinique...they are amazing people. 

So this last week at chruch was sweet!

For a long time we have been having attendance of about 60-80 and we have had a goal of having 100 people attend church, once we sustain 100 we can build a chapel, so this week we set a goal for every member to bring one or more friend and then after words to have a branch meal together. Well this week we had a wopping 131 people at the Church!!!  It was incredible to see everyone! It was soooo packed that I stood up for the most part of the meeting and later resorted to sitting on a small primary chair that I found!!

Eleven people from our area came, acctualy that is only people we know, the rest were from everywhere, it was hard to keep track of people!

Our investigator Loccident was born in Haiti raised in Dominican Republic and lived in Dominica and now is here.  If i didnt belive in the gift of tounges before I sure do now! It was unbeliveable to speak in Haitian Creole, Maritiniqai Creole and French and a little English and occationally understand Spanish as we teach him.  He is super integrated already from the members, we found him one day at a bus stop!  After coming to Church we went over to see him and we read 3 nephi :11 with him he was like "that is a beautiful word, I know this is true, after Church I know that this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that I need to be baptized again"  it was the most incredable thing to Watch his eyes as the spirit softened his heart deep Inside.  He now has a desire to bring his whole family into the gospel.

It is such a blessing to be a servant of the Lord,

The Windows of heaven are open,  yet there is not any room to receive these blessings

I love you,

Elder Lewis

shout out to Elder Henrie!! my best friend, who has just started his mission this week:) he is going to change lives!

Elder Lewis and Elder Dayton
It all Begins with the first step 489...!

A Great Working Companionship

Elder Lewis and Elder Dayton

Jake and Elder Turner out Tracting

Jake and Elder Bodily setting up the new apartment!

Elder Dayton and Elder Lewis P-day fun

Letter Number 56 and 57....

A Request from Jake: 

Please send me your conversion story and stories of times when you chose to keep the commandments. 

I hope we can all send these to Jake so he can share them with the people he is teaching and serving in the Martinique. 

The spirit of the Lord is incredible. As it enters our lives it fills us with this love and this joy and makes us want to change. If there is one thing that I will take home with me it will be that.  The way that the Spirit has entered into my life is incredible,  it has changed me and pushes me to change every day.  There are many times when it tells me what I need to change and opens scriptures to my mind.  The more and more profound it becomes the less I am capable of denying this wonderous work. This is truly the Lords work, he is at the head of it and everything that is happening is in his control.  This week as we have gone out working there have been so very many people who he has put in our paths.  Even when we are not bold enough to talk to them, they build up the courage to talk to us.  It is cool to see that happen. There was a man about my age who came up to us and started talking in English,  he started to explain that he had seen us on the bus the other day and he was really wanting to know how to have faith, where he could find it and how it could change his life.  He looked up our church that night and asked us about the tablets in the ground written in Egyptian,  we looked at each other and said "the gold plates?" we continued to have a wonderful lesson with him and showed him how the Book of Mormon answers questions of the soul and is here to help us know who we are and where we are going. it was incredible. 

I love you all, I hope that you are searching to draw near unto God. 

There is only forward and backward. 

Elder Lewis

Response from Jake when asked about the recent mugging on the bus in Martinique?

One day I'll tell you all of the stories that will really scare you;) that is like not even the most scariest by far. The Lord has really protected me in some times when my demise was sure. Where there is the greatest light there shall also be the greatest darkness to oppose it. 

Le Jardin De Balata "Mahogany Tree"

Letter  57

I found it interesting that Jake says at the beginning of his letter that he really has nothing to say, but then says the most beautiful things about the Atonement and about Lance and I as his parents.  As parents it is just so true that every single prayer in some part is asking for protection to be placed around our children.  

This last week I have used to atonement to comfort myself over an issue that has long be bothering me, and one I feel will take many more years to work itself out.  I do believe and know that Christ has felt our every pain and suffering...literally.  I hope we can share our testimonies of that with others 

today.

Please pray for Jake's feet in your prayers...they ache constantly.  I am working on a solution.

Heeeyyy there agian,

It looks like we find ourselves here agian, Elder Lewis with nothing really to say.

We met some sweet people this last week, this one guy was washing off his car and I thought he was going to spray us I thought   "do it,  after i walk up this next hill ill be just as wet, " unfortunatly he didnt, but it turns out we got a church hedquarters referral from his daughter to delive a book of mormon.

Also we met two families from Trinidad, Guyana, and Saint Lucia, they are some pretty sweet people, we taught them last night and we are seeing them again Wednesday. 

This last week I contemplated the greatness of the sacrafice that my parents have made for me all my life.  I remembered to have seen my Dad one morning when I woke up to go to swim practice kneeling in his office. I didnt realize it till now, but I immagine that he was pouring his soul out for mine.  I am so glad him and my mom did that for me, all my life I have felt these walls of protectiona and warnings around me, whether I heeded them or not is another story, but the prayers of the faithful and the sacrafice of others is a great motivational power.  That is why the atonement pulls us to it,  and it gives us the motivation to keep going. Because Christ suffered all and truely stepped in for us, he has the power to draw us unto him.  2 Nephi 26:24

I  love the Gospel,  I love my family, and I love you all,

Elder Lewis

The Zone in Le Jardin De Balata for P-day outing.  Brother and Sister Turner are the best!

The Martinique Banana Shaming the regular version...WOW!