Week 41... TRANSFERS!!!

Hey everyone!!  

So, its some other holiday today... meaning I am back at Staples... haha.

This week was super stinking fast!! But, it was super good! So, it's transfers next week, so don't send me any letters that wont get here before next Monday. Me and Elder Lund had a good run together, but now I guess it is going to come to an end. We have already been together for 4 and a half months, and that is a lot longer than usually a companionship stays together. We really do work well though.

This week, we went by Gloria's house. She is an investigator we have had for a while now, a few weeks, but hasn't really been progressing. She has a few kids, so we ask her again if we can meet them. Then, on Friday, we have a meeting with all the Elders in the ward I am serving in. We discuss how we can better get the members to work with us effectively. We discuss how we need to try our best to get members to come out with us, then get them to share a testimony about their missionary experience to the ward in priesthood or relief society. So, we do it. We called up Gloria and asked if we can come meet her family. She says yes. We found out at church last week that Wendy knows her daughters. So, we call up Wendy and Rosa and ask them to come with us. So they do. We taught possibly the most powerful first lesson about the restoration I ever have. Then Wendy bore one of the most heart felt testimonies I have ever heard. Gloria's daughters were glued to Wendy. You could feel the Spirit testifying to them that what Wendy was saying is true. Then, they all accepted baptismal dates as a goal to work for later this month. It was sooo good!! Members, please go out with the missionaries. I testify to you that miracles WILL happen if you choose to sacrifice a little and help out the missionaries in your area. Souls WILL be blessed. Lives WILL be changed.

That's my cool story of the week. I hope you all enjoyed it! :)

Alma 32:27 reads "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." If you can do no more then desire to believe, work on that desire till you can believe. I promise, if you take the time to act on the desires of your heart, if they are righteous desires, that desire will work inside you and you will be blessed.

Thanks for all your kindness and support! I wish I had more time, but we should probably get out of Staples' hair.

Love you all!

Elder Lloyd

Week 40!!

So, sorry Mom... don't be mad at me... but, I spent to much time emailing others and forgot to do this one first... now I'm out of time and have to write something in here super quick...

This week was pretty good!  It went sooo fast!! I think it was the temple trip.  Usually they make time speed up a bit for the week! 

So, we have this investigator that the English Elders gave us.  Her name is Gloria. She was taught a bit in English but wasn't getting it so we are trying in Spanish. We got her and 3 of her daughters to come to church with us.  It was super cool!! Turns out, they have been going to the same school as Wendy since elementary. So, Wendy is going to help us teach them.  It's pretty cool.

I wish I had more time this week. but I gotta go.

Alma 28:14 says "And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life."  I like that allot. Its so cool! Sorrow because they don't know God, happiness because they do.  This is why we need to share the happiness we have.

Love you all!

Elder Lloyd

Week 39!!

Hey Everybody!!

This week was pretty good! IT was kinda crazy though... On Thursday we had Zone Conference which was super cool. I really do love President Tew and the direction he is taking the mission. He has helped so much! We are breaking records all over the place in this mission. In the past 10 weeks, there have been 51 baptisms! That is remarkable!! I am so thankful for his service here! The conference was all about how to teach with power. How to teach in a way to allow the Spirit to be there and testify to everyone present that what we are saying is true. It was one of the most powerful Zone Conferences I have been to. I really CANNOT believe that it has been 3 months since the last one!

This morning we went to the temple. I really, really love that place. My favorite place on Earth. No where else can you feel such a spirit of peace and calmness that allows you to go and to rest from all the cares and worries of day to day life and do selfless service for one who can't do it for themselves. No where else can we be sealed to our families for all time and eternity, never to be separated again, that knowledge gets stronger and sounds better the longer I have been out.

Saturday we had a free car wash at the church. It was GREAT!! The members teamed up to wash and dry the cars and provide refreshments for the people, and while their cars were being washed, the people were invited into the church where the missionaries were waiting to give them a tour of the building. It was crazy successful. We washed some 46 cars and had about 24 tours (Not everyone was willing), and most of them had multiple people on them. One was a friend of Wendy's that she invited. She has only been a member for 3 weeks, and has done more missionary work then I did the first 19 years of my life...

Also, I moved. Not 100% sure why, but the senior couple that is in charge of apartments and cars calls up Friday morning and says "hey Elders, not sure if you heard, but effective immediately, all for man apartments are closed in the mission. Be in your new apartment tonight. The manager will give you more details." So, we go to the manager, and she says we live upstairs now. So we pack up our stuff and jump ship. It was kind of annoying to move last minute, but its all good. But, now I have a new address. It is still the same complex, just a different apartment, so my address is 9128 Burke St, Apt. #348, Pico Rivera, CA 90660. But, don't worry about anything still in transit. Our roommates, well old roommates, still live in 120 so all mail that is in transit will still make it to me.

That's my week in a nutshell! Love you all!

Alma 24:19 reads "And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace." I like this one a lot! I hope that we can all be so converted that we are willing to suffer even unto death to not commit sin. Many of these Lamanites were killed because of their beliefs. In the past few months, my testimony has grown to the point where if I was required, I would seal my testimony with my blood. And I hope the Gospel means enough to you that you may be willing to do the same.

Love,
Elder Lloyd

Week 38!!!

Hey Everyone!!

So, I don't have a lot of time. I forgot to do this one first this week... how are things?

This week was pretty good. I don't really have a lot of stories though from this week. It was slower, a lot of knocking and finding. We did find a few great potentials that we are excited to follow up on!

We found a lady named Brenda with three kids who moved here from Mexico last February. She is super cool, and loved the lesson on the Restoration! We are going to follow up with her on that, and I am pretty sure she will get baptized. Her husband still lives in Mexico for a little bit more until he can move here.

I really have no time this wee so I cant respond... sorry!

I love you all!!

Mosiah 3:12 says "But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ." so be sure to repent so you can inherit salvation.

Love Elder Lloyd

Week 37!!!

Hey Everybody!

So, no idea how long I have on this computer... I am on probably the smallest laptop ever made in the middle of Staples because my man Columbus managed to shut down all of L.A.'s libraries. Also, sorry to everyone who I have not responded to yet... due to random events, my email time keeps getting cut short. One day, I'll get caught up again... 

This week was pretty good! I was privileged to Confirm Wendy in Sacrament Meeting yesterday. It was super cool! I was kinda nervous though... I had never done that before, and it was in Spanish... It was super cool though!! I am still super humbled by the opportunity Elder Lund and I had to teach her family and baptize Wendy and Rosa! I cant wait for Bryan and Christian to get baptized! I'm not sure I'll be around to see it happen though... but, I feel like that it will happen and Wendy and Rosa would be glad to let us know.

So, this week was kinda slower. Pretty sure it was one of those, "Hey Elders, don't get cocky about Wendy" weeks.

So, the Staples employees are looking at us funny, so I better wrap this up before they kick us off...

3 Nephi 23:4 reads "Therefore give heed to my words; write the tings which I have told you; and according to the time and the will of the Father they shall go forth unto the Gentiles." Basically, Jesus is telling the Nephites to write down His words so that they can make it into the Book of Mormon. I think we should all take the advise of Jesus and give heed to His words. Especially after the General Conference we just had. I challenge all of you to restudy the conference talks, and also all the scriptures.

I love you all! Hopefully we will be able to go email at the Stake Center a little later, and I can respond to a few emails. If not, I'll talk to you next week! Love you!

Elder Lloyd

 

Week 36!!!

 

So, I was not transferred. Elder Lund wasn't either. We will be serving together for another transfer! I am excited! This week was amazing!! I LOVED every minute of conference! I learned so much and I cannot wait for the Conference Ensign to come so I can learn even more!

So, Wendy made it to all 4 sessions of conference sessions which is somewhat a miracle. Especially considering the fact that for 3/4 of that she wasn't even baptized yet. Which brings me to my next point... Wendy was baptized!! I'm soo happy!! It was a long journey, but it's a big change. These things take time. She really was so prepared by the Lord when we found her, it just took her a bit to convince her of that. For about a week there, after we finished all the lessons we teach and we were going reviewing and going over stuff like the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet, She said after this week that literally every day, she'd have a question about her reading or something, then me and elder Lund would stop by and teach a lesson on it. All with out us even knowing! Elder Lund shared an experience with her about when he was deciding to go on a mission and he prayed and asked God if he should, then opened the scriptures to a random page and read in Doctrine and Covenants where it said to go on a mission. Wendy decided to try it. In her words she "prayed for an answer originally, but [she] already knew she needs to do it. So [she] prayed for a confirmation then opened up to Alma 5 which talks a lot about repentance. [She] guessed it kinda answered her question but not really, until she came to the last verse which reads 'I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.' and [she] instantly knew that it was her answer from God. Right after that [she] went for a run and pondered that and came to the conclusion that because God answered [her] prayer through the Book of Mormon that [she] needs to be baptized. That [she] really does know the Book of Mormon is the true Word of God, and that this is Christ's restored church" The opening prayer to Wendy's baptism was offered by Rosa, who is still one of the most sincere prayers I know, who said "we know that this day there are parties in the heavens for these two people being baptized today" (a fellar named Tony was baptized in the same service). I thought a lot about that. The Spirit hit me very strongly and testified to me once again of the importance of this missionary work. That it isn't just something to do because I had nothing else going on, but it has eternal results and blessings for many many souls. I add my testimony on to the testimony of Wendy's that I know this church is the true Church of Christ. that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God and through that book may we all come closer to Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, in any other way. I would challenge all who may be reading this wondering if they should join this church, or return back into activity, to prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, and to come unto Christ and be Baptized.

I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Week 35... TRANSFERS!!!

Hey Everyone!!!

So, do to a series of unfortunate events, I have very limited time to email today. Long story short, a 70 is coming to speak to our mission in November sometime. So, to know what our mission needs, he asked us all to fill out a survey provided in an email. So, I log on to do it, and it took a good chunk of my email time then all of the computers in the L.A. library system crashed...

So, a very abbreviated email to tell you I am still alive is all I have time for real quick before P-Day ends in a few minutes. So, this week was pretty great. Bryan didn't come to church though again which is super lame. Not sure why. Wendy says she thinks he just doesn't do good with commitments. But, Wendy was still at church. We are going to have to drop Bryan though which is super lame. But his time will come, especially after he sees Wendy. Just like how Wendy decided to hear us out more after her mom's example.

We haven't talked to Salva and Fila at all. Salvador's daughter came in from Guatemala to attend General Conference so they have been super hard to find.

And speaking of General Conference, Mosiah 3:13 reads, "And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them." I am incredibly excited for General Conference. As this scripture says, God sends prophets to guide us to Christ and receive exceedingly great joy. So, I invite you all to listen to as much Conference as you can! Preferably all of it, and more then just listen, jot down a few notes, and live what you learn!!

I love you all lots!!
Elder Lloyd

Oh, and it is transfers, so don't send me any mail that wont get here by Saturday! :)