Week 21!!!

Hello Everybody!!!
 

This week was great! We found Mabel again. We taught her twice then she had family visit her for a week and she fell off the planet. We walked by her house and she was outside, and said she wants us to come by again! We are super super excited!

 

We also were able to pick up Erika again. Me and Elder Kasen got the referral for her a few months ago but nothing ever worked out. Me and Elder Huesca were out on the streets contacting and walked by her house and I thought what the heck, lets run up to her apartment and she let us in. She broke down almost in tears explaining to us how her daughter asked her "mom what are we? my friend says she's Christian" and she's says "I was like oh my gosh, I'm a horrible mom.  My kids don't have religion. I try to teach them about God but I don't know how!" and went on for almost an hour with all these questions and concerns and doubts. Literally every question she asked will be answered with the Gospel. We started a lesson one. We were in there for two hours and only got through the first two points (God is our loving Heavenly Father and The Gospel blesses families). She was in tears saying how she wants this and wants it now because we are answering questions she's had for a long time. Its kinda cool how the Gospel does that.

 

This week I have been thinking ALLOT about member missionary work. I learned some statistics for my mission. 1 in every 1000 doors knocked yields 1 baptism. 1 in every 900 street contacts yields 1 baptism. 1 in 3 member referrals is baptised. Members. We NEED you to help us! We had a District meeting on it last Thursday on the importance of members. Then, Saturday night the adult stake conference was on it, half of the general stake conference was on it. Then to top it all off, there was a world wide Leader ship training broad cast on Sunday. I have no idea if anyone knew about it or watched it, but it was good. I challenge ALL of you, I don't know who all reads this. Active members, less active members, nonmembers or anything in between. I challenge ALL to go onto LDS.org and watch it (maybe someone will put the link on the blog) It had some great enlightenment's on missionary work for all to hear. IT will enlighten you and allow you to feel the Spirit of the Work. If you already watched it, go back and do it again. Sit down with your families at a night that is convenient and watch it.

 

Members, we, the missionaries of the church, are called directly from God through his living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who is on the earth today to "invite others to come unto Christ..." (missionary purpose, Preach My Gospel page 1). We CANNOT do it alone and have any sort of success. I know the Gospel can and WILL bless the lives of all those who partake of it. If I didn't KNOW this with an absolutely surety in my heart, there is no way I would ever leave my family whom I love so dearly for two years. Because of the happiness I have from the Gospel and my love for our Savior, I couldn't imagine not sharing it.

 

“True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior's doctrine of losing one's life to gain it.” —Pres. David O. McKay

 

"Every member...a missionary!" "True Christianity is love in action. There is no better way to manifest love for God than to show an unselfish love for your fellow men. This is the spirit of missionary work" -Pres. David O. Mckay

 

I could go on but I'm short on time. Take a minute and read pages 12 and 13 of Preach My Gospel.

 

Believe me, i know that it can be scary to extend an invitation to someone to learn about and live the Gospel. That is Satan telling you with everything he has got to never do it, for he knows the positive impact just one simple invite can have on anyone. 

 

Invite people everywhere. "They want 'peace in the world, and eternal life in the world to come' (D&C 59:23), but they are "kept from the truth because they know not where to find it' (D&C 123:12)" (PMG page 1) BE loud and proud about your religion and love for the Lord! I don't need to tell you of the happiness that you get from the Gospel, but i can promise you that much happiness awaits as you invite a soul to come unto Christ. I now it can be a bit nerve wracking, but the Full Time Missionaries of the Church are here to help in anyway we can. Believe me, the only thing that will make the missionary that you call and say "I have a friend but I don't know how to invite them" and allowing them to help you, any happier, is when they watch the said friend step into the Baptismal Font and make sacred covenants that will bless their lives for eternities on end. I may not have had the opportunity to baptise anyone yet, but I'll tell you what, I have seen many tears of joy from missionaries, new converts, and members who have all helped tremendously in "Inviting others to come unto Christ"

 

I love you all so much. Thank you for all your support.

 

Love

Elder Lloyd