Week 34!!!

Hey Everyone!

This week was pretty great! Still here and loving life in Pico Rivera! I LOVE the people here so much! This week was kinda slower, but that's okay. One of the highlights for sure was a big conference we had all about finding. It was super good! I learned so much about how I can become a better missionary. There is a section of Preach My Gospel all about talk to everyone you see. President Tew gave a big training on why it says "with" as opposed to "to" everyone. Then the assistants to the President gave a good training on how to better use the gift of discernment to know how to talk with everyone and say what they need to hear right in that very moment to make them see that this Gospel is exactly what they need right now. It is very cool. As we have tried to put this to the test, me and Elder Lund have definitely see the Lord's hand in EVERYTHING we do. And speaking of seeing the Lord's hand better in our lives, how is every one's Daily Miracle Journal going?

We are still working with Rosa's kids Wendy and Bryan. They are coming along great, but Bryan wasn't at church yesterday so he wont make his goal of being baptized on September 29. Wendy said she is "almost convinced, but she's not quite sure" and said she has a few questions for us, but then she didn't want to ask them anymore. We still don't know if they are doubts or if she wants more clarification on something? I guess we will see. Really, they are both super ready for baptism. We just need to get Bryan at church and then convince them they are ready.

Fila is frustrating. Salvador told us he wants them to be baptized, but Fila is "scared to pray because [she's] scared to receive an answer." Now I may be wrong, but I think that that means she has felt the Spirit in our lessons a few times and now has a hunch we are correct and is scared to pray because then she will find out that we are right and if we are right, she has to change. Change isn't exactly easy or fun so I kinda don't blame her I guess... But really? Like come on, just pray! Isn't it important to know the truth? Her daughter Marlen is doing well. She prayed and read "and got emotional" and now really wants to be baptized and really wants her mom to pray too. As soon as her mom will pray, we can baptize them. It took a long time to build her trust... and with transfers coming up, I am scared that if me or Elder Lund are transferred then the trust will be gone with the new Elder...

Mosiah 2:22 reads "And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you." Basically, if you first keep the commandments of God, then all other worldly things will work out and you will find a TON more happiness and peace in your life.

Thanks for everything!

Love,
Elder Lloyd

Week 33!!!

Hey everybody!

This week was a pretty good one. This week we were able to re find Wendy, Rosa's daughter. We still have no idea what happened, but the Tuesday right after Rosa's baptism, Wendy got mad at us and every time we would go over to talk to her she would get up and leave. No idea what was going on. Finally last Tuesday we were talking to Rosa's son Brian and Wendy didn't go hide but she only said like three words to us. She was being awkward about it on purpose and kind of being a brat. But, she felt the Spirit that was definitely there in the lesson with us. The next day we went to talk to Rosa. Wendy pretended like she was doing homework but she was really listening in. At the end of the lesson Rosa says "Wendy, the Elders think you are really mad at them" I was kinda annoyed because I didn't want Rosa to mess things up with Wendy again because we were just starting to get her back. Wendy said she wasn't mad at us and just said stuff happens. Elder Lund then distracted Rosa while me and Wendy had a heart to heart and I mustered up the sincerest apology I could offer her. And, thankfully it worked as two days later we taught Wendy and Brian the Gospel of Jesus Christ and committed them to be baptized later this month and I really feel like this is going to happen!

Rosa and Wendy were at church this week, not sure why Brian wasn't there, but after Sunday School, Rosa tried to leave to go try and find her other son Christian but Wendy asked if they could stay, so they did and Wendy went to Young Women's. She is kind of shy so this truly is a miracle!


In district meeting we talked about miracles. We were challenged to pay attention everyday to miracles around us and nightly, text one miracle of the day to the rest of the zone. I never thought to pay that close attention to the every day miracles, but there are sooo many miracles that happen all day every day it is crazy! I challenge you to do the same. Go get a little notebook and every night before you go to sleep, write down one miracle that has happened today. I promise that as you do so, you will come to see the Lord's hand in your life a lot more prominately.

Mosiah 3:19 "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." I like this one a lot. Strive every day to become like a child and to the things that God wants of you. As you put off the natural man, life will be better.

Until next week,

Elder Lloyd

Week 32!!!

So this week was kinda lame...

I guess we'll start from the top, last Sunday (not yesterday) Elder Lund and I were asked to give two blessings to two sick people. The daughter of a lady in the ward, and Rosa. So, we did it. then, Monday we have P-day, Tuesday Elder Lund is starting to get a bit sick. We worked anyways, that's just what missionaries do... We spent a lot of the morning helping a guy weed where he recently planted weeds, then we found Paulstina. The lady we are helping learn to read. We read the Book of Mormon to her for a little bit. That night we had a big meeting with all the ward missionaries where we are teaching them which doctrines we teach when and we are introducing them to the missionary manual Preach My Gospel. Well, Tuesday Elder Lund was really sick and, with the nurse's permission, he slept most of the day while I studied most of the day, Thursday was District Meeting and weekly planning and we had a family home evening with the lady who's daughter we gave a blessing too. It went really well. We watched the Testaments. Come time to leave, some one stole our front tires. Right on Elder Lund's birthday. Happy Birthday eh? Friday I was really sick, so my turn to sleep while Elder Lund studied. Saturday morning and Evening, we spent almost all day trying to get new tires. We were at bike shop and realized that the Elder who gave us a ride, was about to be late for an interview with President. So, we had no time to take us back so that took a good amount of time too. Sunday was good. Rosa was feeling better so she was at church and got confirmed. That was nice. The ward mission leader did it.

So, if I were to sum up this week in a nut shell, it would be with 2 Nephi 2:11 "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility." This is true. If you never had a bad day in your life, you wouldn't recognize the good days you have. So, this week was sent to me so that I may recognize that next week will be better. :)  

 

I love you all!!

 

Thanks for all you do!! Sorry I don't have an inspiring story this week...

Love,

Elder Lloyd

Week 31!!!

Hey everybody!!  

This week was pretty good! Me and Elder Lund are having a great time here in Pico Rivera. It was a little hot all week... upwards of 100 every day and decent humidity...

I kinda don't have a lot of time, Labor Day managed to close down all the libraries around town making two zones worth of elders using a family history center in a stake center. So, if I don't make it to your email this week, I am sorry. I will respond next week :)

This week we had a few lessons with Rosa and Wendy. Wendy is in a few A.P. classes at school so she hasn't had the most time to meet with us, so we have been reading the Book of Mormon with Rosa.

We also have had a lesson with Salvador, Fila and Marlin. Fila is doubting the Book of Mormon. She believes it is true, but doesn't know why it is important and thins that she can only have "one bible". We have been working with her reading and answering questions.

Mosiah 5:13 reads, "For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?"

I like this a lot. We need to always keep Christ in our hearts and strive to be the best we can to better ourselves everyday and be Christlike. In doing this, we will come to know Christ and our faith in Him will be strengthened.

That's about all I have time for today. Thanks for all your love and support!

Love,
Elder Lloyd

Week 30!!!

Hello everybody!

I hope your week was as good as mine!!  

So, real quick before I get into the good stuff, I wasn't transferred. Me and Elder Lund are together again so feel free to send me letters to the same address :)

So this week we stopped by Rosa almost every night to try and build her up and keep her strong. Her baptism was approaching and she was starting to get really nervous and started panicking. We went to her house Thursday night and she said she got called into work because someone is sick. She has to work all weekend. All Sunday and she cant make it to church, or her baptism. Me and Elder Lund were in the calmest panic I've ever done. Just calmly sit and think how can i solve this for her? We decided to pray it out. We asked her to exercise her faith that it will work out. Saturday she told us that a lady asked her if she can cover for her to get more hours. God really does answer prayers :) Her story really is amazing. She met with the sister missionaries 5 or 6 years ago but only went to church once because she always had work. The Sisters were transferred out and she ended up moving a few blocks away and lost contact with the Church. The Monday before me and Elder Lund went in to this area, she finally saw the Elders at the store and got the courage to talk to them in hopes that it was the same church the Sisters were from. We got their referral and couldn't find her for about two weeks. Then we were talking to here for about a month. She already had sooo much faith but fell away from the Catholic church. She knew it just wasn't quite right. She said her faith really grew in God when she separated from her husband and knew that the world just doesn't care. The only one she could rely on is God. It was actually kinda sad hearing her talk about it. We were able to answer so many of her questions she had but she knew so much from the sisters. The others in the photo are Rosa's daughter Wendy, whom we hope will be baptised soon. She is super shy, but is warming up to us and will join the lessons now. and She definitely felt the Spirit at her mom's baptism, the Villalobos family. they helped us teach and (Spanish too lol) Hermano Villalobos performed the Baptism. He had to run after the baptism so I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet, but Elder Lund said that he pulled Elder Lund aside and thanked him for allowing them to help us teach. he hasn't been able ever in his life to be apart as something as beautiful as helping a random stranger who you dont even know progress and follow Christ and the sincere love that develops and the friendship they have made. Yesterday, my first baptism, was one of the happiest days of my life. I think the only day that can rival it, is from my last area, when the Alvarez Family came to Church for the first time. It really is so humbling to be apart of such a magnificent work as this. The Salvation of Souls.

I bear my testimony to you, that the Salvation of Souls is a real work on the Earth today. That Jesus Christ is our savior and Redeemer and that only through him can we receive the fullness of joy that we can inherit. The joy that only comes from following the teachings of God. It is never to late to come to Christ. Whether it be return to Him, or maybe find Him for the first time. I know that He lives and He loves each and every one of us more then we can comprehend. He wants the best for us. He is happy when we are happy, and sad when we are sad. They only thing he wants is for ust to come into his fold. John 15:14 reads "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". I bear this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 

 

Week 29... TRANSFERS!!!

Hey Everybody! 

 

This week was great!    Allot of stuff fell through so we ended up knocking a lot of doors, but over all it was a super good week! Last Monday, an hour before our appointment with them, a very sad Salvador called us and said that Fila doesn't want to investigate anymore. We were devastated. We let it blow over for a few days. On Friday I think, we went buy again and Fila was so happy to see us! She said that we missed our appointment on Wednesday. We were kinda confused. We talked it over, and decided it was just a big miscommunication. I guess if you get two white guys that pretend they speak Spanish and put them on the phone with Guatemalan then stuff happens... lol. I guess Salvador set up another appointment for Wednesday and we unknowingly said we'll go? lol. Spanish on the phone is one of the hardest things to do! I guess that's the price you pay for drumming for a few years...

We have been working a lot with Rosa lately too. She is super cool and absolutely loves what we are teaching! She is slowly making the steps to baptism that we are here to guide her too. 

I am so glad I decided to serve a mission. I LOVE it here sooo much. Me and Elder Lund have had a good transfer together! Its week 6 now which means it may be coming to an end, but I really hope we can have another together.

Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 states "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us." I never really realized how essential this is till my mission. A lot of people don't understand that the God Head is comprised of 3 distinct, separate individuals all that have the same purpose.

I love you all so much!  Thanks for your support!

Love,

Elder Lloyd

P.S. being transfers, make sure all mail that may or may not come makes it here before this Saturday :) I may be moving!

Week 28!!!

Hey guys!!

This week was super great!!

We had super good lessons with Salvador and his family!   Really, in one lesson, we were talking allot and he said that he was baptized 30 some odd years ago. That was really unexpected... We knew something was up because his late wife and daughters were baptized and served missions back when he lived in Guatemala. He said that he wants to start going back to church because he misses it. His current wife Fila was kinda upset with him... turns out she had no idea either... Unfortunately, they weren't able to make it to church. they had a family thing. But, we did find another lady named Rosa. She made it to church. She investigated 5 years or so ago but had to work on Sundays so she was never at church and never baptized. She loves our church though!!

Sorry, I am out of time this week. I will write a better one next week!

Alma 32:21 reads "Now i say concerning faith. Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things, but to have hope in things that are not seen which are true" 

Love you all!!