Week 55!!!

Hello people!

This week was decent. Really, for whatever reason almost everything fell through this week. But hey, that's okay. I'm still here serving the Lord so I cant really have a "bad" week :)  

At the beginning of the week, we taught Laura. She is still getting cold feet about accepting a baptismal date but she told us she prayed about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and knows that they are true and this is the one true church. So she is making a lot of progress.  Eventually she will come around. Then she ended up going out of town to more up north in California for the weekend so we didn't get to teach her again as we usually do. She also wasn't able to come to church because of her little trip. She'll be there next week though.

The Gonzales family also went to Mexico for the weekend, so we didn't get to teach her and she also wasn't at church. 

So transfers... Me and Elder Gil stayed together again!! I didn't see that one coming at all!! It is really rare to have a companion for three transfers in a row.  Most missionaries don't do that their entire mission. I did it twice in a row now... haha.   Another cool thing, my last companion, Elder Lund, is coming down to serve in my same ward I'm in right now to be my District Leader. Pretty cool.      

Welp, happy Presidents Day!! I think... I'm at the Family History Center and the computer is really slow... so, that's really all I've got here....

Moroni 6:8 reads " But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven" it is pretty cool. Whenever you are willing to submit and change and better yourself, give up your any sin, you will be forgiven. Jesus Christ is willing to forgive you whenever you really do repent.

A random drinking fountain coming out of a house!

Love,

Elder Lloyd

Week 54... TRANSFERS!!!

Hello everyone!!

This week was super good! (I think I say that every week but they really all are super good :) )

We had a super good lesson with the cousin of some investigators we have. She's never given the missionaries a chance. Her mom did once but she always hid.   But now, her perspective on life is a bit different. Now, she has a two week old son. We went in and the member's dad, our cousin said how much our church is about family.   She kinda perks up a bit, we taught her the restoration with a BIG emphasis on family and the plan of salvation. It was really powerful. She also said it was interesting that his name is Joseph Smith because her son's name is Joseph and everyone asks why his name is Joseph. She says its cuz of her friend but she wants something more significant and now, she may have found it. It was super cool.

We went to a funeral Saturday night for a brother in the ward who passed away. It was sad, but it really strengthened my testimony a lot of The Plan of Salvation. It was cool. There was a lot of nonmembers there who are now really interested, a few less actives came to the funeral and promised they will be in church next week because this week they are accompanying the body to El Salvador where the brother will be buried.

Laura didn't come to church yesterday which was super lame, but we did have a family of less actives, The family Gonzales, there. we have been working with them since I have been in this area and now they may be making a return. we thought they were going to not come, I said a prayer in my heart as they were going through announcements and stuff that they would make it before the sacrament, then they snuck in right before the administration of the Sacrament. It was pretty neat. :) I am super glad they are coming back and progressing to full activation.

So, I was studying on prayer and found this scripture. Moroni 7:9 "And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such."   I find that really interesting.    I mean, it only makes sense.  Talking to people without real intent is kinda pointless and no one gains anything so why would talking to God be any different?  That is something I have really been trying to work on.  To really focus in and MEAN my prayers. not just fall into vain repetitions. Sometimes, that's a lot harder then it sounds though, but I encourage you all to do the same.

So this transfer is coming to a close. Not sure what is going to happen. I think Elder Gil will move on and I will take over the area with a new companion but we'll see! But, in case I am wrong, if you want to send me any letters or anything, make sure it gets here before Saturday just in case I move :)

Thanks for everything! 

 

Love Elder Lloyd

Week 53!!!

Hey ya'll!!

So because it was another temple week, P-Day is now Tuesday for this week. I really do LOVE the temple. I really never realize how much I miss it till I get to go again. I really learn so much every time I go and have such an uplifting spiritual experience every time I go. I challenge all of you reading this to attend the temple in the next week. It WILL strengthen your testimony. All who may not be able to go right now, please do what you need to do to be ready to go ASAP. Don't procrastinate going. There's no need and you are only hurting yourself.

So to be completely honest, I have been up since 2:30 and just got my mind blown from the temple. I'm kinda struggling to review this past week in my head...

So this week, we had two great lessons with Laura! It was super cool.  One we read the Book of Mormon with her to help her understand it, and one we had on the importance of Church attendance.  And, she finally came to church! We were both really happy to see her there. It was a super good testimony meeting and she said she really enjoyed it. She had to pick up her grand daughter right after Sacrament, so we didn't really have time to follow up in much detail but we are going by tonight to talk to her. That was probably the highlight of our week.

I'm not sure what else to say. Sorry this week's email is lame...  I'll do better next week. I LOVE this work. It is great.

Ether 3:14 says " Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters."    I really like this one.  It is super cool.    Truly that was the purpose of the life of Christ. It truly was prepared to be before the foundation of the world. Only by and through him can we be made clean and live with God for forever.



Servn'... It's what I'm doin'!

I hope you all have a good week.

Love,
Elder Lloyd

Week 52!!!

Hello!

This week was super super good! We had 5 new investigators this week.   That is the most in one week have found my whole mission. It's pretty cool! We had a fair amount of lessons with that as well.  The most Elder Gil and I have seen. We have really been trying to find more efficiently and really hone in our skills and we have been very blessed because of it. We have been going through the area book and going through former investigators and old potential investigators. Formers really is a good way. That's all Elder Lund and I had to work with in Pico Rivera last July, so its what we are working with here and we are finding a lot. Now we just got to go through and see why they weren't baptized and see if we can fix their doubts and help them to find happiness.

Yesterday in church, Elder Gil and I attended the youth Sunday school class, for the 16-18 year olds. To teach the class about the scriptures, the teacher had everyone flip to their favorite scripture and share it with the class.  It was a really cool activity. The youth all had a common theme. How as you study the Scriptures, You can and will see the Hand of God in your life, guiding you in all things. Nephi also talks about this.   In 2 Nephi 32:3 he says "Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." and I really do know that to be true. As we study the Scriptures, and "feast upon" them, not just stare at the words, we really will receive much guidance.

This week, I have decided to amp up my study of the Book of Mormon by utilizing lunch and dinner time and such. It is really such an amazing book. I was inspired to do this by the Joseph Smith video in which whenever someone doubts the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, he exhorts them to "read it and see for yourself". I have done this multiple times and I can testify to you from personal experience that the Book of Mormon is a true volume of scripture and is the word of God. It really is such an amazing book that can lead and guide all who desire it. I love this knowledge I have in my life, and all that it represents. That Jesus is the Christ, and the Church I have the privileged to represent is His original church once again restored.  I know this to be true, and like Joseph Smith, I exhort all who do not have this knowledge, and those who do who want a reminder, to "read it and see for yourself" and I promise that if you do, and pray in faith, the spiritual witness will come, and you too can have, or strengthen, your own testimony.

Until next week,

Elder Lloyd