Week 60... TRANSFERS!!!

Hey!

This week was good. We didn't get as many lessons as we would like. We had a few of them fall through,  but its okay. Without the slower weeks you wouldn't appreciate the better weeks!

So, not sure if you all remember from my last area in Pico Rivera, Gloria, Natalie, and Grecia. They were sooo close to baptism, then I got transferred and the never got baptized and I wasn't sure why. Elder Lund got transferred to the same ward I am serving in now and told me that the Jehovah's Witnesses were causing grief getting Gloria, the mom, all confused, and that's when he left about a month and a half ago.  Well, she called Elder Lund mid last week and invited him too their baptism!! I am sooo happy!! Once again, I wish I could have gone, but I wasn't able too go because it has been too long since I taught them. I am so happy for them though!!  It was a very similar experience to when Bryan got baptized a few weeks ago. I KNOW that this is the Lord's work and that although we may not always see the fruits of our efforts immediately, but as we put the Lord first, things will work out.  We will see the blessings come whether they be manifest in our lives or the lives of others. I love my mission!!

So, Sunday night at 8:30 the 1st councilor in the Bishopric calls me up and explains how one of the youth speakers canceled last second and he needs to fill a three minute slot in sacrament meeting. He apologized that it was so last minute and said I can pick any topic.  Well, naturally I feel I should pick missionary work. It was pretty cool.  Three minutes isn't a lot of time so I wasn't exactly sure how to keep it concise. Then, with church at 9, I had no study time to prep my talk. It was pretty crazy. We got to church at about 8:30 and I just wasn't quite sure what to do. I greet some members, go sit on the stand and pray to know which verse. I was led to 1 Nephi 8:10-12 which reads "And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit." Right in the middle of the vision of the tree of life that Lehi had.  It was pretty cool. I hadn't really thought of it this way. Just as Lehi partook of the fruit that filled his soul with exceedingly great joy, and desired to share it with others, we too should desire to share how we get our joy with others. I invited the ward to invite one friend to church or to hear the missionaries and bore testimony that missionary work is important because without it, no one would have been in that Chapel yesterday because they are all either converts or one of there ancestors is a convert.  It was pretty cool how the Spirit manifested what I needed to say as I sat there a few minutes before I was to speak without much preparation because I didn't have much time to do it.

So transfers are this week so don't send me any mail that wont get here by Saturday!

I hope you have a good week!

Love,

Elder Lloyd

Week 59!!!

Hello!! 

So I survived an earthquake last night!  That was pretty cool!! At about 5 am, I woke up in my bed cuz I heard a crash and my bed was shaking. I didn't really know what to think. I honestly thought I was just tripping, I tried to go back to sleep and it happens again. I wake up this morning and had no idea there was an earth quake till another Elder said his mom was freaking out asking if he was okay. Then I remembered being very tired trying to figure out what was going on, then deciding I was tripping and going back to sleep. I figure its probably good it wasn't stronger cuz I did literally nothing to protect myself. I guess another Elder had a plate fall of the counter and explode and they were freaking out thinking they were getting robbed then it hit again and they just weren't sure what was going on.    Basically, 5 am earthquakes are pretty good at confusing sleeping Elders... and, I now can scratch that one off of my bucket list!!

I really enjoyed this week! It is crazy how fast time is flying!! It really is amazing how much stuff you can fit into one day, or one week.  Then you go to sleep and its a big blur of the past year.    It really is interesting.

So last Tuesday we had a lesson with Angel. He is on track to be baptized later this month. We were actually on exchanges at this time, but Elder Gil went to this lesson. They met Angel's grandpa, who just moved into the house of his parents, and his uncle who I guess lives next door.  They are both very interested.  I look forward to meeting them!  They weren't in town this weekend. I guess the uncle has studied with the missionaries before and really liked it. We aren't sure why he wasn't baptized, but we will figure it out!!

Yesterday, Elder Acosta of the 70 visited our ward. It was really interesting. He said that Salt Lake sent him to discuss Prop 8 from a few years ago because it is getting lots of attention across the nation. It was really interesting.  He took up most of Sacrament meeting, then the second hour he did a presentation with all the youth, then the third hour with all the adults. We all studied the Family Proclamation in depth so that we may know why the Church's stance is the way it is. It was interesting. I don't know if a 70 is visiting all the wards or what? 

Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 reads "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." This scripture is interesting. In order to get blessings we have to be obedient to the law the blessings come from.  For example, if we want to run and not be weary and walk and not faint, we have to obey the Word of Wisdom. There is no other way.    Be obedient to the commandments of God.  You will miss out on blessings in your life if you don't and get them if you do.  And I have a feeling you all want blessings.     

Have a good week!

Love,
Elder Lloyd

Week 58!!!

This week was super good! I really do love my mission and all the blessings it is bringing into my life, and into the lives of others. There really is nothing that can compare to being one of the Savior's personal emissaries. It really is neat.

So this week we had a few lessons with Jacob, I think I told you all about him last week. He is 8 and is the son of a less active family who want us to pass through the lessons with him to make sure he knows what it all means a bit more.   He is the cutest kid! He has a little bit of Autism.  That always makes for an interesting lesson! I love him!  He says some of the funniest things!

We also found a few more investigators this week which should be super good!  We will be working with them. We are teaching a 9 year old son of another less active family that we have. He really wants to be baptized.  We have been working with him this week so he can be baptized. If all goes well, which it probably will, they will both be baptized the next stake baptismal service which is in April.

We had a good lesson with Laura as well.  She is still getting cold feet but she is progressing well. We had her son with us which was super good.  He got super busy for a while in there but now he is teaching her with us. She will come around!!

Mosiah 5:15 reads " Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen." This is one thing we should all strive for. To always be found doing good things for others.  Never shall we falter from good things. Decide now that we stay in the straight and narrow path and we WILL inherit eternal life from Jesus Christ. Quite the cool promise from a prophet of God in the Book of Mormon. I know this to be true. We need to endure to the end and we will live in His presence for all eternity.

Love,

Elder Lloyd

Week 57!!!

So, last month we fasted for rain as all the members in California cuz they have had a way bad drought for a while.  Last year there was less than two inches of rain the entire year. So, Sunday night it started to rain. It was a really touching experience to see God answer the fast of the members of California and it build many many testimonies of fasting and prayer. Mine included. Well, this week, I guess the real answer came instead of just a hold us off for a minute. So Wednesday was a little cloudy. Wednesday night it started to rain. It rained almost constantly till last night.  Today was sunny again. So I have literally been soggy since Wednesday. It was also pretty windy and pretty cold... but hey, what do you do right?    Just buck up and do work!!!

 

This week was super good. We had a full week of missionary work with no interruptions.  We are getting back up to our average lessons we have.  Now we can again work towards improvement. Last week we had a less active at church who requested that we teach his son the lessons before his baptism. So we started that. This kid is 8 years old and has high functioning autism.  Sometimes it gets a little difficult to teach him. It really is pushing our teaching abilities. This little kid, Jacob, is sooo funny though!    The last Saturday we met him and his mom told him that if he is good, then he can play his new bat man game on his DS. So, we would ask him a question, he would answer, then immediately turn to his mom and ask if he is being good. She would smile and say yes. Eventually his mom said he needs to stop and just pay attention so he would look over and give her a thumbs up with a questioning look so she would do it back. It was so funny! He really is a cute kid. 

 

Alma 7:12 says "And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." this scripture really illustrates a lot of what Jesus did for us while he was here in a few lines.   Because Jesus lives, we will live again. He was killed for us and was resurrected so that we may resurrect as well. He also went through all we go through. Everything you have felt he has felt also. Whenever you feel like you are alone and no one understand, He does. He is here to succor you and help you if you let Him.  All you have to do is ask. This is the good news we are taking to the world. That we are not alone in life. I invite you to act on this knowledge.  Reach out to the Savior and He will reach out to you. Reach out to your friends that they may know this as well. They need what you have, the knowledge of how to not be trapped in this world with no guidance or help. Share with them the Gospel so that they may find happiness and in return, you will find and increased happiness.

 

Until next week,

Elder Lloyd

Week 56!!!

Hey Everyone!

So this week was kinda crazy.  We really barely even had time to do much missionary work.

Transfers were on Tuesday. Me and Elder Gil spent almost all Tuesday and Wednesday helping people move around. The mission closed a few apartments down, so there was a lot of moving around. Also, we had a ward party. The party was to kick off a ward fast for missionary work. Elder Gil and I gave a lesson on fasting and sacrifices and the blessings thereof at the party.  I thought it went super good. We got assigned to do it last minute so it took a good amount of time getting ready so we could get it good and really show the members how they will be blessed, us as missionaries would be blessed, and their non member friends would be blessed. It was a success I feel. It went really well.

So yesterday Bryan Pineda was baptized!! He is the oldest son of Rosa and the older brother of Wendy that Elder Lund and I taught and who were baptized in Pico Rivera last October. I wasn't able to go to the baptism which is pretty lame, but I am soooo happy for his decision to be baptized. When I was teaching him he dropped us because he felt like he should be able to live while he is young.  We tried to tell him that living within the Gospel is the best way to have real fun and joy, not just temporary pleasure. He wouldn't have any of that though. But now he is baptized and a member! I am super super glad. It really strengthened my testimony of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Ghost. It also strengthened my testimony about missionary work. We don't always get to see the harvest of our labors, but really no effort is wasted.  This goes for anyone who tries to share the Gospel with others. It may not be right away that you see any fruits of your labors, but it could be in a few months, maybe a few years, that the seeds you helped to plant WILL be harvested. It really was a special experience yesterday when I learned of his baptism and the Spirit really testified to me of the truthfulness of the work in which I am engaged.

Alma 31:5 reads "And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God." This scripture is super cool. They were in war time.  Between battles. Alma knew that if they just kill everyone yeah, it may temporarily solve their problems, or they could preach and let the Word of God pierce them and they could be healed of their hatred and they wouldn't want to destroy the Nephites. The Word of God really has immense power.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you all have a good week!

Love,

Elder Lloyd