GOOD MORNING AMERICA!

As your summer moves on, my winter is coming to a close. The cold days are starting to warm up, we are seeing more sun and less rain, and the street dogs are getting stinkier and STINKIER. 

We started off this past week with an exchange with the ASSISTANTS to the president! I led the sector here in Valle Hermoso with Elder Martinez, from Santiago. It was a good time and I learned a lot. Then we had zone conference, 

my favorite day of the transfer 

(besides cleaning day when we have 2 hours to clean the house). 

We learned about all the new changes that are happening to Preach My Gospel, and how we will get new booklets and pamphlets and stuff, in the next year. 

Today we went and hunted CRAWFISH! 

We linked up with our friends from Dichato and a member and went hunting. 

It was so good to go walk in the woods and get some fresh air. We found a flipped truck and did some climbing. 

Good times! We then went back to the house to cook up some crawdaddies and a nice stew. It wasn't a lot, but it was a new experience. 

This week, during the exchanges, we had the opportunity to go and interview a few investigators from the others sectors. During the interview, I was talking to a man named Yan, whos brother was being interviewed for baptism. As we started talking, Yan was a little brisk and didn't want to talk much. My missionary mode kicked in and I started trying to dig deeper and find out about his life and how he lives. After about an hour, Yan and I talked about his ongoing drug and alcohol problem, how he is about to lose his job, and how he doesn't have much to support his 5 year old daughter. As I told Yan, I dont have much experience in life, being only 19 years old, but what I do know is that God is real and helps us in very real ways. Yan told me that about a year ago, he was in the church, away from drugs and alcohol, and doing good. But he stopped going to church, and fell back into his old habits. I bore my testimony to Yan that the only way we will get the help we need is by doing what God asks of us; following the Commandments, going to church, and serving others. Yan started to cry, and expressed how thankful he was that he could have somebody there to listen to him, to talk with him, and to help him open his eyes. We both came away with a stronger testimony and a feeling of peace and a Godly love. 

I know that maybe you guys might not connect on the same level as Yan, but we all need the help that God has in store for us. And as I said, the way to recieve it, is doing what God asks of us. It's really that simple. 

I love you all and thank you for your love and support. You're all the best! 

See ya next week.

love,

-elder Grant Lewis