Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
Letter - December 23rd, 2013
December 23rd, 2013
Wow! This week we did
so much, and it was one of the best weeks in the mission, like everything we
did was fun, and I was just......so happy! So it started as a normal week, not
much too different, we worked last week and just did the norm. On Friday though
we were supposed to go to Delicias a little bit later that day, and so we went,
and this was my favorite part.So as zones we have activities every once in a while, so this day we went to Delicias and we went to a plaza where we sang Christmas hymns and then we shared with people after a little message and then got their addresses. So while the zone was singing they wanted like 2 missionaries to go out and just gather people. That night I just had so much excitement, and so me and an elder, Elder Compozano, went out to gather people. Haha it was just soooo fun! We literally were running around the place. When we saw people on the other side of the plaza we booked it to get them to stop and come back and listen. Me and him together got at least like 20 people to come back and listen to us. Elder Compozano was so funny, if there was ever a person that didn't want to go, he would like jump in front of them and try all he could do to get them to listen to us, and we had success!!! Most of the people that we brought back with us to listen to us were super interested in the gospel, so just like that, bam, tons of references for Delicias. The sweet part is that we're going to do the same thing in Camargo too...I'm so excited!!! So then that night we slept in Delicias so that we could go to
The posada, or party, was super fun too! We all met in
So yeah, during this whole time we also found out that Elder Whitney had cambios, or changes, transfers. So yesterday we came in a little bit early and Elder Whitney packed. And it was a lot sadder then I would have thought. Sure me and Elder Whitney didn't have the best success, we weren't the best missionaries, but I grew close to him. It was sad to let him go this morning, but now I have a cool new companion Elder Hangsen. I don't know much about him yet, but I think we're going to have a good time! Since we're still in Camargo now I have to show the way around and all of that stuff......wow, it's crazy!
So yeah, that's the update, and here's the rest
-On Christmas I get to call you guys, we have a member that has skype, and I get to call at about 12:30 pm. So if you guys could figure out what skype account you will be using and then send me the user name so that I can search you guys and call you! I'm super excited :)
-So I got two packages, one from Grandma Val and one from the Barney family!!!! Thanks sooooooo much :) I also got a handwritten letter from Grandma Val and Grandma Barbara!!!
So yeah that's about it, much better week last week, and I'm super excited to call you guys on Christmas!!!! 12:30 more or less and all I need is for you guys to send me the user name that I will search for!!! Thanks so much for everything, and I love you all sooooo much :)
-Elder Loveless
Monday, December 16, 2013
Letter: December 16th, 2013
Family,
So well, this last week hasn't been too different,
but it has put me into deep thinking, with the time that I had, that I shouldn't
have had. So Mexico, the missions in Mexico, have different expectations than
different missions. If we don't have baptisms, we are planched (or like getting
told that what you're doing is wrong and what not), and we haven't been having
baptisms. I also found out this last week that we have in Camargo one of the
hardest areas in the whole mission...there's just not success, and the members
just do NOT want to help at all. So therefore, we get planched for not having
baptisms, even though they know our area is the hardest area. And then comes a
new problem, the missionaries start to hate the mission, get homesick and what
not......so then it just forms more problems. I haven't really been getting too
homesick, but I'm not going to lie about the fact that I have thought about that
I could go home if I wanted to......have clean running water, washer, SAFETY,
English, the ability to walk down a street without being made fun of, a house
that isn't made out of stone blocks......my family.......but then we watched a
short clip thing this morning with the zone. It was about Christ, and his
atonement, and what he did for us.
I know that I have given two years of my life to the Lord, and there's
no turning back now, now all I can do is try my hardest. I know that this church
is true, because I have seen the blessings of it in my life, and the lives of
others. And that is it....because of the belief in the church, I therefore
believe in everything we believe to be true. If there is one thing I've learned,
it's that the gospel is simple. As long as we believe, we will be saved. What
more do people need to know?
So yeah, but other then my thoughts this week, we didn't have the most
successful week, but we have plans to do better.
Q.A.
1. I haven't received any more packages.....not yet.
2. On this upcoming Saturday, so in 5 days, we are all going to
Chihuahua to have a mission dinner, so that will be fun!
3. For Christmas, President said that if we can find a member with
a computer which we can use, we can skype, but if not we'll call. Problem is
Camargo is pretty poor, so we'll see. Next week will be more details about time
and everything.
4. This last week we helped these older gentlemen carry a tree
across the road, so that was pretty fun :) We don't get to do much service very
much!
5. So yesterday we went to this family's house, just to talk, and
I've never really went into their house before, and they're one of the rich
families, so their house was nice! But they did this bienvenidos thing, or
welcome thing, and so we did cheers with this drink stuff. So by now I know what
alcohol smells like very well, and this stuff smelled exactly like alcohol. The
family are members, and so they were like, duh, we wouldn't give you
alcohol...but we're still not sure....so I might have had alcohol...it was super
disgusting. It was so little amount though that if it was alcohol it wouldn't
affect me.....but who knows.
6. So I started the 12 days of Christmas countdown, thanks so much
:) I have my little tree set up in the room!
So yeah, taking one day at a time, I am able to do this. Thanks for all
the love and support of everyone! Always remember and thank God for what you
have...I can't stress that enough!!! I love you all! Always remember
that!
-Elder Loveless
Monday, December 9, 2013
Letter - December 9th, 2013
December 9th, 2013
Well, this last week hasn't been the greatest week of my mission,
quite frankly it has been one of the weirdest. So last Monday, so a week ago,
Elder Cooper was in a meeting in Chihuahua so we ended up not having a district
meeting, so we just chillaxed in the house until 4, and then we worked some
more. So then on Tuesday we went down to Delicias for a meeting with the zone
leaders, and in that meeting we found out that Elder Cooper was going to be a
zone leader for the other zone in Delicias. Also, in that zone meeting I got 3
packages, the two Christmas ones from you guys, the fam, and then one from the
Tillack's, which I think is Mikey and Dana, so thanks so much :) After the
meeting we went back to Camargo and we ate with the family Del Real, which like
I've said before, they have the best food and are always so nice to us. They
are leaving either Thursday or Friday this week, and they're going to send a
package and a few letters in the states, so I don't know if the package will
get there before Christmas or not, but just know it's for Christmas. So later
that day not much happened, but Elder Cooper packed up so he could move to his
new area in Delicias the next day.
So then on Wednesday a new elder, Elder Norris, moved in to take
the place of Elder Cooper. Elder Norris is our new district leader, and he is
from the same MTC district as my companion, Elder Whitney. So Elder Norris got
here early that day, and he and Elder Conklin were able to make it to the food
at 3. So this is why I think this week was the weirdest and most disturbing
week of my mission, and it's because of this experience:
So right after we ate the food, we were walking towards the house
we were going to go to next, when this woman looking person walked up to us and
asked if we could talk with her about Christ and what not. Elder Whitney was
saying that we had only a little bit of time, so we decided to go and teach it
for 5 minutes or so. So we went in it's backyard, and it let us sit down.
Notice how I say it, because it was neither a male nor female. So we started to
talk, and then I started to talk a little bit about the gospel, and every time
I talked it said how cute I sounded, and how cute I was. It then asked it's mom
if it could buy me. Yeah we were freaked out....so we told it we had to leave,
and as we were leaving it tried to show us it's room, and it told us that that
room was when she was a girl. I guess it had two rooms, one for when it was a
girl and one for when it was a guy. So that has been by far the worst
experience of my mission, and far more disturbing than anything so far.
So then Thursday, Friday and Saturday we didn't have anything too
special happen, just the normal days of work. And yesterday was also a bad day.
So I was feeling fine, up until we went back to the house after church to do
some study time. During study time I started to not feel so good, and I just
was thinking, oh I'm just tired or something, because I was really tired. But
then when we went to the food, and sat down to eat, I started to eat and just
couldn't. The food was rice, beans, and this chicken stuff, and I just couldn't
eat it. My stomach just felt so full, and in pain. So first I felt super bad
because I hadn't eaten their food, so I asked for something to bring the food
back in on, so I brought the food back. On the way back, the new elder, Elder
Norris, threw up. About 15 minutes later when we were walking back I threw up
as well. It was just on the side of the road and I'm pretty sure everyone was
looking at me. So then when I got back to the house after the food I called Hermana
Chavez and told her I just wasn't feeling good at all, and I asked if I could
rest the day, and she let me. So like an hour or two later I threw up again. I
tried to sleep during this time, but I was like the kind of sick that I
couldn't sleep. I was in so much pain yesterday. It wasn't a good day....so
today I feel better, but still I just feel exhausted, and sore from yesterday.
So yeah, I feel a little bit better, but not much, just I'm not throwing up and
what not. I'm thinking it might be from something I ate, but I'm not sure.
So yeah, that was my week, and my day
yesterday. Thanks for the packages, and thanks for all the love and support, I
can feel it every day! I love you all and hope you have a good week this week!
-Elder Loveless Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Letter - December 2nd, 2013
Family,
Well at this point I feel decently comfortable with the area
and being in Mexico...it's weird, but I'm getting to that point where it's like
I feel pretty accustomed to everything. Sure, things are still pretty different,
but it has implanted it's roots as my life now, and I know I have to do it, so I
gotta do it the best I can, right?! :)
But this last week there was one day that I learned a lesson that
affected me big time and will help shape the rest of my mission I think. So a
few days ago, Wednesday I think, we were just kind of walking around, we didn't
have too solid of plans, just a few people to visit that we didn't even know if
they'd be there. For like the past week I have been feeling strong about
visiting this guy that we met like 2 weeks ago, and so we went to his house.
Knock, knock. Nobody answered. This day was also colder, so we were just
thinking, are we going to have success today or not?! So we start walking back
down the street, and we walk past this guy that was hugging a tennis racket and
just sitting by a house, looking super sad. This guy called to us, and then
walked toward us. He started crying, and said he'd been praying for help for a
while, and then we showed up. He started telling us how he works as a tennis
coach because that's his passion, but he doesn't have too much success because
not very many people play tennis, so therefore he doesn't have very much money.
He started saying how he would get beat up when he went home every night because
everyone made fun of him and what not, and it was just so sad. He said he just
barely starting drinking to take away the pain he has been feeling. Just the
saddest story, and he was crying the whole time, just desperate for help from
God, from us. So he asked for us to say a prayer for him, so in the middle of
all the ruckess of Mexico we said a prayer, and he felt more calm after he said.
So we found out where he lived and then continued our day, just thinking about
this man. Later that night while Elder Whitney was showering, I was writing in
my journal and writing about the experience, and started crying. I started to
think to myself, why do people do this to this poor guy that maybe is a little
weird, but is normal. Why....and I just cried. And in that moment I got this
feeling, and these words came to my mind," Zac, this is how God feels about his
children." And I realized, wow, we have an obligation to all of these people,
and we need to help everyone because there are people dying spiritually left
and right in the world. So from that experience I experienced Godly love.....it
is one experience that I will never ever forget.
So besides that, last week on P-day we went to Delicias and we played
soccer on like a professional soccer turf field, that was pretty sweet!!!
Also, it's freezing cold in Mexico, who would've guessed. I'm so glad that I
got all of those warm things in that package, thanks :)
QA
1. So I haven't got any packages this past week, but I think this week I will be
getting some, so yay!!!
2. WE HAD INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!! The churro guy and his
family came to church yesterday....man was I happy! We haven't had investigators
at church since before I came to Camargo, so it was a big deal!!!
3. So I had a conversation with a taxi driver, and we were just talking,
and he questioned if I was from the US or Mexico. He said my accent was perfect
and I could understand him like perfect. Yeah, I guess I can speak Spanish
pretty well, but a long ways from perfect!
So yeah, again I'd just like to say that this church is true. I have never
felt so sure about something then I do now about the church and the mission. I
love the experiences I have, even though sometimes the experiences are sketchy,
because this mission is preparing me for life, but also helping the people that
don't have this amazing gospel in their lives. So yeah, thanks for all the love
and support from everyone!! Love you all :)
-Elder Loveless
Monday, November 25, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)