Nicoles's Baptism
Nicoles
David's Baptism
Possum
Dead Cockroach
Friday, December 5, 2008
December 2nd, 2008 Letter
Dear Mom, Dad & Hannah
I'm going to try and send you the SD card. If this is a padded envelope and the SD card's in it I succeeded. If this is a normal envelop with no SD I either didn't have time or I found a different way to send you some pics. If this is a padded envelope with no SD card...that's not good.
I'm eating a peanut butter and jam sandwich right now and it's great. I haven't had one of these since the MTC. After writing letters and eating we're hopefully going to play flag football again. Last week's P-day's flag football session was fun. I was way sore afterwards though. Worth it.
After P-day's over we're visiting Raymond. Can you believe the story about us finding that guy? Raymond said he knew God sent us there yesterday for a reason. I feel like we just said hello and he responded with "Baptize me!"
Well I'm going to try and write some other people today so this one's going to have to be short. But this week's email was big again. And I'm going to try to send you my pics so that's an email/letter/picture triple bonus.
The blog's looking good Dad. I loved it. It was like having the Internet access all over again!
And your Virtue talk was amazing Mom. Virtue is defiantly something this state's lacking.
I haven't had a chance to ride my bike yet. It looks sweet though! Thanks! And irons are unheard of because 1. no time 2. wrinkle free white shirts work themselves out eventually. I know it's a mother's nightmare but don't worry it's all good and I don't need an iron. Speaking of a mother's nightmare, if you get the pictures - 1. Don't worry, the cockroaches are about 80% dead now 2. yes, that possum lives outside our apartment. At least I'm pretty sure it's a possum. It was too big to be a rat I think. Well anyway.
I LOVE YOU!
Love
Elder Tyler Lewis
I'm going to try and send you the SD card. If this is a padded envelope and the SD card's in it I succeeded. If this is a normal envelop with no SD I either didn't have time or I found a different way to send you some pics. If this is a padded envelope with no SD card...that's not good.
I'm eating a peanut butter and jam sandwich right now and it's great. I haven't had one of these since the MTC. After writing letters and eating we're hopefully going to play flag football again. Last week's P-day's flag football session was fun. I was way sore afterwards though. Worth it.
After P-day's over we're visiting Raymond. Can you believe the story about us finding that guy? Raymond said he knew God sent us there yesterday for a reason. I feel like we just said hello and he responded with "Baptize me!"
Well I'm going to try and write some other people today so this one's going to have to be short. But this week's email was big again. And I'm going to try to send you my pics so that's an email/letter/picture triple bonus.
The blog's looking good Dad. I loved it. It was like having the Internet access all over again!
And your Virtue talk was amazing Mom. Virtue is defiantly something this state's lacking.
I haven't had a chance to ride my bike yet. It looks sweet though! Thanks! And irons are unheard of because 1. no time 2. wrinkle free white shirts work themselves out eventually. I know it's a mother's nightmare but don't worry it's all good and I don't need an iron. Speaking of a mother's nightmare, if you get the pictures - 1. Don't worry, the cockroaches are about 80% dead now 2. yes, that possum lives outside our apartment. At least I'm pretty sure it's a possum. It was too big to be a rat I think. Well anyway.
I LOVE YOU!
Love
Elder Tyler Lewis
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
December 2nd, 2008 (Email)
Hey!
OK first thing first: Christmas list eh?Here's what sounds good to me: candy, restaurant gift cards, cool ties, letters, candy, letters.... and cool ties. And pictures. Yeah that sounds about good. If you send me stuff I will like it. And I will eat it. I wonder how much I weigh now... Ever heard of Claim Jumpers? Their Sirloins are DIVINE.
No Sam didn't get baptized last week :( She needs to get baptized before Elder Rodriguez leaves! He's been in Buena Park for almost 9 months now and he's been working with her for a long time and she has a testimony and she's had several baptism dates but no go! She says she knows its right. But her mom says otherwise. But it'll happen. Well see.
Yesterday INCREDIBLE things happened! So all of our appointments seemed to be ditching us for the first half of the day. So we decided to knock some doors before visiting David and Dixie. For some reason some stuff happened during the first three doors so that it took a while before we could reach door 4. We herd the alarm going off in Door 2 so we checked the front and back of the apartment but we saw no fire. Door 3 complained that we woke him up (4:30 in the afternoon) All sorts of stuff happened so that we arrived at door 4 JUST AS the guy who lived there was arriving home. The wife answered the door as the husband came from behind us and walked in his apartment. 5 minutes later we found ourselves in the apartment talking and starting a lesson. The wife's name is Suzanna and she's a member. The husband's name is Raymond and he's not. They told us they haven't been to church for months. Raymond had been taking the lessons before they moved to this apartment in September but he said he didn't do "the last thing." We asked if that last thing happened to be baptism. He said "Yeah! That! I need to do that! Can we do that? Where's the church? When can I be baptized? Can you give me the lessons again?" So we taught them lesson one, they commited to come to church and we set a date for Raymond's baptism -- Dec. 14th. Yeah. Amazing. Then we visited David and Dixie and they fed us amazing mexican food again and we gave their daughter Delilah a Priesthood blessing (she has crazy dreams and sleepwalking stuff so they talked to the bishop and he told them to ask us to bless her) I got to be voice so that was neat. Okay, so their son George is 13. Here's what's happened with him since we started visiting them: he's gone to church, he likes church, he's EXCITED for church, he asked for a button up shirt and slacks, and during this appointment we found out he cut his mohawk and told David and Dixie that he wants to be baptized. Wh-h?-!so...yeah. Wow. Amazing things are happening in Buena Park. And Sabrina Sanchez is still good for Dec. 10th. I think I told you about her right? Her dad's a member - she's not. She's 21 and she's turning her life around- she's meeting with us, repenting, quitting coffee, praying, reading the scriptures, and getting baptized on the 10th. It's gonna be a great month.
Thanksgiving was good. We ate with the Woolfenden family. They had 4 huge dogs and 1 little one so that was crazy. We ate Thanksgiving dinner OUTSIDE under the blue sky and sunlight. Oh to be in California. :)
Elder Rodriguez is the hardest of the hardcore. Yeah. He's an amazing Elder and I'm blessed to have him training me. It's so cool to live with the District Leader and the Zone Leaders. Elder Esterholdt is the oldest Elder in the mission and I'm most definitely the youngest. Elder Berardy and Elder Rodriguez call me Lucky Charm Lewis now whenever something amazing happens. I got it a bunch last night after we told the ZLs about Raymond. But I know that it has nothing to do with me. THE LORD DOES HIS OWN WORK!!!
Love,Elder Tyler Lewis
(P.S. I'm going to try and send some pictures on the other computer now so that's on its way. I'm kind of nervous about sending the SD card and it's not even close to being full yet so I'm going to try this first.)
OK first thing first: Christmas list eh?Here's what sounds good to me: candy, restaurant gift cards, cool ties, letters, candy, letters.... and cool ties. And pictures. Yeah that sounds about good. If you send me stuff I will like it. And I will eat it. I wonder how much I weigh now... Ever heard of Claim Jumpers? Their Sirloins are DIVINE.
No Sam didn't get baptized last week :( She needs to get baptized before Elder Rodriguez leaves! He's been in Buena Park for almost 9 months now and he's been working with her for a long time and she has a testimony and she's had several baptism dates but no go! She says she knows its right. But her mom says otherwise. But it'll happen. Well see.
Yesterday INCREDIBLE things happened! So all of our appointments seemed to be ditching us for the first half of the day. So we decided to knock some doors before visiting David and Dixie. For some reason some stuff happened during the first three doors so that it took a while before we could reach door 4. We herd the alarm going off in Door 2 so we checked the front and back of the apartment but we saw no fire. Door 3 complained that we woke him up (4:30 in the afternoon) All sorts of stuff happened so that we arrived at door 4 JUST AS the guy who lived there was arriving home. The wife answered the door as the husband came from behind us and walked in his apartment. 5 minutes later we found ourselves in the apartment talking and starting a lesson. The wife's name is Suzanna and she's a member. The husband's name is Raymond and he's not. They told us they haven't been to church for months. Raymond had been taking the lessons before they moved to this apartment in September but he said he didn't do "the last thing." We asked if that last thing happened to be baptism. He said "Yeah! That! I need to do that! Can we do that? Where's the church? When can I be baptized? Can you give me the lessons again?" So we taught them lesson one, they commited to come to church and we set a date for Raymond's baptism -- Dec. 14th. Yeah. Amazing. Then we visited David and Dixie and they fed us amazing mexican food again and we gave their daughter Delilah a Priesthood blessing (she has crazy dreams and sleepwalking stuff so they talked to the bishop and he told them to ask us to bless her) I got to be voice so that was neat. Okay, so their son George is 13. Here's what's happened with him since we started visiting them: he's gone to church, he likes church, he's EXCITED for church, he asked for a button up shirt and slacks, and during this appointment we found out he cut his mohawk and told David and Dixie that he wants to be baptized. Wh-h?-!so...yeah. Wow. Amazing things are happening in Buena Park. And Sabrina Sanchez is still good for Dec. 10th. I think I told you about her right? Her dad's a member - she's not. She's 21 and she's turning her life around- she's meeting with us, repenting, quitting coffee, praying, reading the scriptures, and getting baptized on the 10th. It's gonna be a great month.
Thanksgiving was good. We ate with the Woolfenden family. They had 4 huge dogs and 1 little one so that was crazy. We ate Thanksgiving dinner OUTSIDE under the blue sky and sunlight. Oh to be in California. :)
Elder Rodriguez is the hardest of the hardcore. Yeah. He's an amazing Elder and I'm blessed to have him training me. It's so cool to live with the District Leader and the Zone Leaders. Elder Esterholdt is the oldest Elder in the mission and I'm most definitely the youngest. Elder Berardy and Elder Rodriguez call me Lucky Charm Lewis now whenever something amazing happens. I got it a bunch last night after we told the ZLs about Raymond. But I know that it has nothing to do with me. THE LORD DOES HIS OWN WORK!!!
Love,Elder Tyler Lewis
(P.S. I'm going to try and send some pictures on the other computer now so that's on its way. I'm kind of nervous about sending the SD card and it's not even close to being full yet so I'm going to try this first.)
November 25th, 2008 Letter
Dear Mom, Dad & Hannah
1. Yeah my bike's right here.
2. The fires are done but they were pretty close. It smelled like a campfire everywhere for a few days.
3. The Proposition 8 hasn't been a problem. Everyone pretty much agrees with us that I've met so far. Dixie said she voted No but it gave us a chance to explain why the church was so serious about it and we're going to give David & Dixie a copy of the Family Proclamation next time.
4. I'm good. Money's fine. You can send me some cookies and candy if you want though. :) As long as you send letters too!
5. I'll send you some pictures soon. I've only taken like 74 pics so far so the SD card's not even close to being full yet.
I remember Tori Welk! She was in one of my math classes Junior Year of High School. And I saw her whenever I filled the vending machines at Taxworks.
Tell Jeff Meachum to say hello to Elder Darbo and Sisters Maughan and Stratford when he gets to Virginia. That's awesome!
Today we played flag football for our P-Day activity. That was way fun actually. I thought I'd hate it but it was a blast.
As you could probably tell from my email I'm on a definite high point of my mission. I'm hoping that it only gets better from here. I'm LOVING it! Nothings more satisfying than seeing someone accept the gospel and get baptized.
I don't have hardly any time to write letters so please tell my friends on the blog to be patient. I know I owe Jackie and Launa a letter each but I'm just really really busy now. Not that that's a bad thing.
I LOVE YOU and please write!
Love
Elder Tyler Lewis
1. Yeah my bike's right here.
2. The fires are done but they were pretty close. It smelled like a campfire everywhere for a few days.
3. The Proposition 8 hasn't been a problem. Everyone pretty much agrees with us that I've met so far. Dixie said she voted No but it gave us a chance to explain why the church was so serious about it and we're going to give David & Dixie a copy of the Family Proclamation next time.
4. I'm good. Money's fine. You can send me some cookies and candy if you want though. :) As long as you send letters too!
5. I'll send you some pictures soon. I've only taken like 74 pics so far so the SD card's not even close to being full yet.
I remember Tori Welk! She was in one of my math classes Junior Year of High School. And I saw her whenever I filled the vending machines at Taxworks.
Tell Jeff Meachum to say hello to Elder Darbo and Sisters Maughan and Stratford when he gets to Virginia. That's awesome!
Today we played flag football for our P-Day activity. That was way fun actually. I thought I'd hate it but it was a blast.
As you could probably tell from my email I'm on a definite high point of my mission. I'm hoping that it only gets better from here. I'm LOVING it! Nothings more satisfying than seeing someone accept the gospel and get baptized.
I don't have hardly any time to write letters so please tell my friends on the blog to be patient. I know I owe Jackie and Launa a letter each but I'm just really really busy now. Not that that's a bad thing.
I LOVE YOU and please write!
Love
Elder Tyler Lewis
Thursday, November 27, 2008
November 25th, 2008 (Email)
Hey!
It has been and incredible week! 2 baptisms! Nicoles Siatenu'u's ( the 9-year-old's) baptism was a huge event for his family. They're Samoan/Hawaiian, so of course there was a big feast after the ordinance. David Ramos' (the 18-year-old's) baptism was a very unique experience. Satan did NOT want David to be baptized. The opposition that night was crazy! First of all David was late. Second his parents weren't going to go to the baptism and support him. Third the power was out in Cypress. That included the stake center. But after much prayer and faith everything went fine. David made it to the church before anybody decided to leave. His Mom eventually decided to show up. And finally a man from the stake randomly decided he'd better check out the church and he just happened to bring a bunch of lanterns with him. That may be the only chance I'll ever have to see a baptism performed under lantern light. It was awesome. After Elder Rodriguez baptized David (and after they changed their clothes in utter darkness in the bathroom) Bishop Redding asked David to bear his testimony. It was great. David bore sincere testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and it was obvious how much this baptism really meant to him. It was impossible for his mother to have not felt the Holy Ghost radiating in that building.
8 of our investigators attended church again. That really is a big deal. Elder Rodriguez has NEVER had that many attend church before and he's been out for over a year now. David and Dixie (we found out it's Dixie, not Mixy) attended for the 2nd week in a row and they're planning on going again next Sunday! We visited them last night and it was great! David and Dixie love to feed Elder Rodriguez and I. They have us set aside at least 2 hours for them- 1 for a dinner appointment and 1 for the actual lesson. Last night they had so many questions and the lesson was going so well that they actually ended up having us stay for 4 HOURS! (That's really not supposed to happen but it had to last night.) We watched the Restoration video and it was great. David and Dixie asked us about the Priesthood and we talked about that for a while. I've had some worries on my mind about them for the past little while because of a few things- 1. they're not married 2. they have some Word of Wisdom issues 3. I didn't know if they'd dig the whole tithing deal. But last night I was much surprised when we ended up talking about all of that and more. And I was even more surprised when they seemed okay with everything! David was a little concerned about the coffee thing but they both agreed to live the Word of Wisdom! Dixie hates how concerned churches are about money but she's okay with the 10% Tithing Law because it's in the Bible! And they both acknowledged the fact that they need to get married our last visit without us even bringing up the Law of Chastity yet. And this time David asked US if he could be baptized! You see what I'm really saying here? THE LORD DOES HIS OWN WORK. He's not kidding when He says "the field is white already to harvest." It's not brown. It's not green. It's white.
Now it's time for a short story about a so-called Pastor. Elder Rodriguez and I were tracting one fine afternoon we happened upon two old men whose blindness and hatred defy all description. One of them turned around and spake unto us, not calling us by name and said, pointing to both of us "I know who they are! The servants of Satan! Do you know where you're going? Straight to Hell!" We tried to point out and explain the fact that the name of Jesus Christ was plainly written on our nametags both in English and Spanish but our efforts were wasted. The more energetic of the two old men called himself Pastor Clark and boy was he on one that day. He tossed his Bible on the ground and accused us of doing the same whenever we read the Book of Mormon. He told us we didn't know the difference between good and evil because we're so deceived and caught "hook line and sinker" in lies. We tried again and again to bear testimony and leave but the man really seemed to enjoy spewing hatred so we had no choice but to let him persist. He made me very tired. But now I look back fondly and laugh. Oh Pastor Clark. Calm down. Nobody's going to Hell.
I KNOW this church is true. I KNOW the Book of Mormon contains the word of God to this dispensation and so I KNOW Joseph Smith was a prophet called to restore the literal Church of Jesus Christ. I have felt the Spirit attest to those facts too strongly too many times to deny it. I have considered the circumstances of the world around me and the words of the Lord revealed through prophets and through His scriptures and I realize all too well how obvious it really is that this is the ONE true church of Jesus Christ. "One Lord, one faith, one baptism"; NOT one Lord, 5 faiths, 12 baptisms.
We may have another baptism tomorrow! Pray for Sam! She needs to finally get baptized! Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Elder Tyler Lewis
It has been and incredible week! 2 baptisms! Nicoles Siatenu'u's ( the 9-year-old's) baptism was a huge event for his family. They're Samoan/Hawaiian, so of course there was a big feast after the ordinance. David Ramos' (the 18-year-old's) baptism was a very unique experience. Satan did NOT want David to be baptized. The opposition that night was crazy! First of all David was late. Second his parents weren't going to go to the baptism and support him. Third the power was out in Cypress. That included the stake center. But after much prayer and faith everything went fine. David made it to the church before anybody decided to leave. His Mom eventually decided to show up. And finally a man from the stake randomly decided he'd better check out the church and he just happened to bring a bunch of lanterns with him. That may be the only chance I'll ever have to see a baptism performed under lantern light. It was awesome. After Elder Rodriguez baptized David (and after they changed their clothes in utter darkness in the bathroom) Bishop Redding asked David to bear his testimony. It was great. David bore sincere testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and it was obvious how much this baptism really meant to him. It was impossible for his mother to have not felt the Holy Ghost radiating in that building.
8 of our investigators attended church again. That really is a big deal. Elder Rodriguez has NEVER had that many attend church before and he's been out for over a year now. David and Dixie (we found out it's Dixie, not Mixy) attended for the 2nd week in a row and they're planning on going again next Sunday! We visited them last night and it was great! David and Dixie love to feed Elder Rodriguez and I. They have us set aside at least 2 hours for them- 1 for a dinner appointment and 1 for the actual lesson. Last night they had so many questions and the lesson was going so well that they actually ended up having us stay for 4 HOURS! (That's really not supposed to happen but it had to last night.) We watched the Restoration video and it was great. David and Dixie asked us about the Priesthood and we talked about that for a while. I've had some worries on my mind about them for the past little while because of a few things- 1. they're not married 2. they have some Word of Wisdom issues 3. I didn't know if they'd dig the whole tithing deal. But last night I was much surprised when we ended up talking about all of that and more. And I was even more surprised when they seemed okay with everything! David was a little concerned about the coffee thing but they both agreed to live the Word of Wisdom! Dixie hates how concerned churches are about money but she's okay with the 10% Tithing Law because it's in the Bible! And they both acknowledged the fact that they need to get married our last visit without us even bringing up the Law of Chastity yet. And this time David asked US if he could be baptized! You see what I'm really saying here? THE LORD DOES HIS OWN WORK. He's not kidding when He says "the field is white already to harvest." It's not brown. It's not green. It's white.
Now it's time for a short story about a so-called Pastor. Elder Rodriguez and I were tracting one fine afternoon we happened upon two old men whose blindness and hatred defy all description. One of them turned around and spake unto us, not calling us by name and said, pointing to both of us "I know who they are! The servants of Satan! Do you know where you're going? Straight to Hell!" We tried to point out and explain the fact that the name of Jesus Christ was plainly written on our nametags both in English and Spanish but our efforts were wasted. The more energetic of the two old men called himself Pastor Clark and boy was he on one that day. He tossed his Bible on the ground and accused us of doing the same whenever we read the Book of Mormon. He told us we didn't know the difference between good and evil because we're so deceived and caught "hook line and sinker" in lies. We tried again and again to bear testimony and leave but the man really seemed to enjoy spewing hatred so we had no choice but to let him persist. He made me very tired. But now I look back fondly and laugh. Oh Pastor Clark. Calm down. Nobody's going to Hell.
I KNOW this church is true. I KNOW the Book of Mormon contains the word of God to this dispensation and so I KNOW Joseph Smith was a prophet called to restore the literal Church of Jesus Christ. I have felt the Spirit attest to those facts too strongly too many times to deny it. I have considered the circumstances of the world around me and the words of the Lord revealed through prophets and through His scriptures and I realize all too well how obvious it really is that this is the ONE true church of Jesus Christ. "One Lord, one faith, one baptism"; NOT one Lord, 5 faiths, 12 baptisms.
We may have another baptism tomorrow! Pray for Sam! She needs to finally get baptized! Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Elder Tyler Lewis
