Saturday, December 27, 2014
December 27th, 2014 - Weekly Letter
Family,
Well I sure do have to agree with you mom that
my favorite part of this week was Christmas, because I got to talk to all of
you guys! It was an amazing Christmas! I'm glad that you guys had a
great Christmas too! Enjoy this last week of Christmas break, and have a
great New Year! I love the pic that you guys took! Who were some of the
people that commented on the picture? I would also ask if you could send
the pics with Grandma Val and Emily as well!!! But yeah, it was super fun
seeing you guys again! Jon and Emma, Emily and Ashton and Dace,
everyone's grown up....soooo weird! I'm glad you liked your gift
mom! I thought you'd like it :) Oh and I hope that all of your
shirts fit you, and that you liked them as well! We're you guys able to
try the candy?!?!
So yeah. Apart from talking to you guys on
Skype, it was a great week of Christmas spirit. On Wednesday, the 24th,
we went to a hospital and sang to the children there and gave them candy.
It was a super neat experience as these sad depressed kid's faces gleamed with
joy as we gave them a little bit more of Christmas. We met some kids in
some pretty sad situations, but they were all so cute.
Also, the 25th, Christmas day, after I talked
with you guys we went to eat with a member, but we ended up going to her parent’s
house and ALL of the family was there. And the majority of them weren't members
so it was crazy. Everyone was just yelling and it was kinda funny. After,
we went out back and they had a piñata that we broke. After it broke one
of the older ladies there started grabbing candy and then she started throwing
it everywhere and pegged this really old lady in the head....it was super
funny, we were all laughing at this family. And then later they threw
this super loud firework by our feet and it exploded and it was SO loud that I
thought I was in a war zone or something. It was crazy.
Later after we went back to the offices we
prepared ourselves a little bit and we went out and went Christmas
caroling. That was super super awesome and spiritual. We went to a
few of the older members and they just felt so happy. One of the old sisters of
the ward said that it was always her dream that some young men would go to her
door and sing to her, so we accomplished her dream. And then we also sang to 3
random people and they all said that they wanted us to go back and visit them,
so that was super cool. I don't know, but this Christmas I felt something
different....just a really strong joy for what I was doing......all in all it
was a very special Christmas for me!
Also earlier today we went to Chihuahua
Centro and bought a few Mexico toys, and then we found the BEST churro store
ever. It's this cool store called Churros and Chocolate and they stuff
the churros with different flavors, and it's so good!
But yeah....I would have to say that this
Christmas I truly felt the true meaning of Christmas. My testimony
definitely grew of Christ and I'm proud to be one of His dedicated servants at
this time. Thank you all for your love and support! I'm so glad I
was sent to this family! Love you all so much! Hope you have a great new
year! I don't know what I'll be doing yet, but I'll for sure be setting some
goals! Have a great week!!!!!!!! Take care!!!
-Elder Loveless
Sunday, December 21, 2014
December 21, 2014 - Weekly Letter
Family,
Wow!!! What a week! It sounds like the
whole world is pretty busy during this time of year. And that goes the
same for us here in Chihuahua! Sometimes it stresses me out....but then
comes Christmas day, and everything is so calm and perfect. That is the
spirit of Christmas.....if we feel peaceful and calm and loved.....it's because
we're feeling the true spirit of Christmas. Christ is the definition of
Christmas, and He is love, and tranquility, and peace.
But yeah....so this last week was good here in
the mission. Pretty much this whole week we were preparing for the
Christmas party that took place yesterday! We also saw a miracle this
last week when President was waiting on his Mission card for like two weeks,
which had the rest of the money that we needed to finish buying what we needed
for the Christmas party, and it arrived literally the last day that we were
allowed to use money as a mission. So that day I called Utah and everything to
figure out when it was going to come, and literally right after that it
arrived. Then President came running over and we went to go finish buying
everything. And then me and Elder Reynolds were the first ones to get smart
phones in the mission. Supposedly this next year slowly but surely the
missions in Mexico are going to be changing to smart phones. In the US and
Europe and areas like that everyone has smart phones....so we're slowly
changing.
So the Christmas party went great! The
only thing was that it was kinda weird being secretary, because I had to make
sure everything went smoothly. I didn't get to eat much either, because I
had to make sure that the missionaries had enough food first. I did get a
little bit of Turkey though so that's all that counts!!! I was pretty
much running around the whole time, but it was cool. I feel that I was really
living the true meaning of Christmas as I was serving others. I don't think it
was the same at the beginning of my service as a secretary, but now I like
serving other people...helping them out and making sure everything is good for
them! Service has become something that I like! Now that I'm
probably getting close to leaving the offices, I realize that I have learned a
lot of things. Maybe in different ways, but it's been a great experience!
And it shall continue for the rest of my life, because this life is the time
for us to prepare to return to live with God.
But yeah! So I'm also super excited to talk
with you all on Christmas day. For now the hour will be at 11:00
am. I am not 100% that it will stay 11:00, but unless I tell you
otherwise, it will be at 11! Hope you all enjoy the package I sent as
well!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only through Christ is salvation possible. Always remember
that! Especially during this time of Christmas! Get to know
Christ....and then Always follow His gospel!
I love Him....and I hope one day I can say that He is my best
friend!
Have a great week!
See you on Christmas!
Love you all!!!
-Elder Loveless
Monday, December 15, 2014
Saturday, December 13, 2014
December 13th, 2014 - Weekly Letter
Family,
Sounds like your week was great! Sounds like everyone is super busy, but that's usually what happens during Christmas time! Christmas is coming so fast....and I feel like it was just barely Christmas...time flies by way too fast in the mission. A day or two ago I was on lds.org and I was looking at the Christmas pictures to make one of them my desktop wallpaper, and I saw some pics of the Salt Lake temple during Christmas time, and I just remember that it's so beautiful! Having more than a year without going to the temple is sad. I miss going so much. For Emma's play, make sure to take a bunch of pics and send me them! I'm super excited for her! It's going to be super awesome! Oh and let me just tell you about the weather here in Chihuahua. It's still really hot. Like it's still in the 70's here, and a year ago it was already really cold during this time. A few days ago it was hailing, but that's the coldest it's got in a while! So yeah!
So this last week was pretty crazy if I do say so. So on
Monday Elder Beifuss got news that he was going to have transfers, and so on
Tuesday he had transfers. It was kinda weird just because I was with him for 6
weeks in the MTC and another 24 weeks here in the offices. But it's all
good! I was about ready for a change in the offices. Elder Ferrel was the
secretary like a year ago, and President brought him back to end his mission,
and then the next executive secretary in training is Elder Reynolds. We
still haven't decided on a new financial secretary. Elder Ante is not going to be the next one,
he's just helping out here in the offices, so we're still waiting until we find
out who will be the next financial secretary, but for now I'll be here in the
offices for another month or more. But I kinda like the changes that have
happened here in the offices. It was too long for me being the same way that it
had been. I didn't like changes of anybody in the beginning of the
mission, but now they're pretty cool! Changes are new beginnings and it's
pretty cool!
Also this week came
some new missionaries to the mission. There were 4 Americans and 4 Latins, and
the cool thing was that all of them came from the Mexico MTC. They're starting
to send all of the missionaries that come to our mission to the Mexico MTC,
which is super cool! But yeah, just like how missionaries came, 8
missionaries left. It was kinda sad because like all of the missionaries
that left are super awesome! Two of them were my zone leaders, 1 of them
the assistant, and the others I knew very well. We woke up at 4 that
morning. Long day....
Also we've been planning the Christmas party in a week from
today! It's going to be SO amazing, and all of my card’s money is gone now
because I've bought everything. So Applebees is going to cater us for our
Christmas feast. That is going to be amazing! And then we rented a few candy
tables that are going to have chocolate fountains. Oh it's going to be
super awesome! This is going to happen next Saturday so I probably won't
be writing you guys on Saturday, but probably the next day, Sunday, or maybe
even Monday. Just so you're aware! And about Skype, I'm still not
100% sure what time I'll be able to call you guys, but next week I'll tell you
for sure what time. But what time would be best for you guys? Give me a few
times that would be better for you all, and then I'll figure out what time
works best for me. I'm really excited!!! :)
About
BYU.....I would appreciate it a lot if you could still finish the application
for me. Just to have more options in the end. With more options
I'll really be able to figure out which school is best for me! Thank you
so much mom! And I really wouldn't want to go to Dixie. I've heard it's
kinda a party school, and I don't really want that. I want a school that
puts a lot of emphasis on the church as well.
But yeah,
that was about it for my week! Everything is going good! I didn't feel as
stressed this last week! So that was good! This week may be a little bit stressful,
because the whole mission is coming on Saturday, and that is also the last day
for me to finish everything that has to do with finances for this year.
Gotta make sure we end on a good note! So wish me luck!
Thanks for everything that you all do! I'm so proud to be a
Loveless :)
Have a great week!
Love you all!!!!
-Elder Loveless
Saturday, December 6, 2014
December 6th, 2014 - Weekly Letter
Family,
Sounds like your week was super cool! All the Christmas parties are starting so that's pretty awesome! We´re going to have the Christmas party the 20th of this month, so in two weeks from today! It's going to be super cool. You guys can't say anything because it's going to be a surprise, but President bought all of the elders ties this year, and for the sisters I'm not 100%, but it's going to be like scarfs or something.....who knows. But I'm super stoked for that! It's going to be a really cool Christmas. It's going to be my second and last Christmas in the mission....how weird. Okay, well yeah! Oh and I'm super excited for the Christmas devotional tomorrow! We're going to be seeing it here in the offices! That is something cool about being a secretary, because for things like the devotional tomorrow we can watch it through the internet. But yeah, in our house we have set up a few Christmas stuff, like stockings and a few little trees and stuff like that! Pretty cool!!
I think that the coolest thing that happened this last week was a meeting that President had with us. We talked about our lineage and the rights and responsibilities each house of Israel has. There were a lot of details, but it was super cool. One of the coolest things that I learned was about the blacks and about why they were suddenly allowed to receive the priesthood, and why it was in that time and not earlier or later in time. But it was just super cool stuff, in that meeting President helped us realize a lot of things, like for example the house of Ephraim. Those who come from the house of Ephraim were sent to preach the gospel and preach it to all parts of the world. President also talked about how if we were born in the covenant then we were valiant fighters before the world was, so we got the privilege of being born in the covenant!!! Wow...it was just soooo coool!!!
But yeah, other than that I have just been doing good! For like half of the week I was going to bed between midnight and 1 in the morning because of various things that we've had to do. Like for example last night Elder Ante and I had to go to Cuauhtemoc and we got back like at 1 in the morning. But it's all good. I'm doing all I can do so that everything goes good and smoothly here in the mission. It's still stressful being in the offices, but everything is doing good. A lot of missionaries told me at the meeting with President that I looked wasted or beat up, or dead and stuff like that. I'm slowing getting a receding hairline.......yeah that's not good. But even though the offices are stressful at times I am learning a ton. And I know for sure that I'm never going to have any job that keeps me as busy as being in charge of 230 people. Here work is 24-7, but at least a normal job would be a few hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week. So yeah....I'm super grateful for the experiences that I'm having here in the offices!!!
Thanks for everything that you do for me! For all the love and support!
Now I just wanted to share a quick thing that I liked that I read in one of my personal studies this week. I was looking through the Liahona of this General Conference in October, and I was studying one of the talks that President Monson gave, and he was talking about Satan. There is a scripture in the bible that says that Satan's job is to tempt us.....it's what he's supposed to do, so when we feel like we're the only ones, we're not. Also when we have temptations, we can say, well it's just Satan again, and just move on. I'm not sure if I'm making much sense, but for me just knowing that Satan is supposed to tempt us helps me conquer him and his temptations! Super cool!
But yeah!!! Have a great week!!! Enjoy the season! Love you all!!
-Elder Loveless
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Sunday, November 30, 2014
November 30th, 2014 - Weekly Letter
Family,
Well this last week had it's ups and downs like any other week! But it was a good week! I enjoyed it!! It sounds like a bunch of stuff happened this last week! Wow.....tell Tanner Felicidades (congratulations) from me! And make sure to send me some pics!!! Oh yeah, and tell Stevie congratulations from me too!!! I'm so happy for her! I'm glad you all had a great week, and I hope that you all had a Great Thanksgiving! Sounds like it was super great! Thanksgiving was cool here! Well it wasn't too different than any other day, but for the food a family made a Thanksgiving feast for us! There was turkey and potatoes and cider and rolls and everything! It was super cool! I unfortunately don't have any pictures, but the sisters do, so I'll get photos of that event for you guys next week!
So this last week I think my testimony grew even more of the Book of Mormon, starting on Monday. So in the morning I was studying and thinking of a subject that I wanted to talk about with the district in the afternoon, and I started reading 1 Nephi 18, and I just realized that the whole chapter was for our district, so that's what I talked about. It was cool because in the story Nephi and his brothers make and finish their ship to get to the promised land, and during this time there are little details that make a big impact. For example I did an activity with the district and I told them to build a boat. There were just chairs in the room and so they started stacking the chairs and stuff like that. Then a few minutes after they didn't know what to do, so I read them verse 3 which talks about how Nephi hiked up a mountain often to ask help from the Lord, and the Lord showed grand things to Nephi, and I told them that I was the "Lord" in that activity, so one of the missionaries "hiked up the mountain" and then I told them hints, like for example, you can leave this room for more materials, and you have to have a roof because later the winds and storms will come and you don't want to drown. So they made the ship good. And then after we went to the second half of the story about when Laman and Lemuel tie Nephi up and they lose faith and the Liahona stops working and it's just a mess, and I talked about how at times we "tie" up our leaders and then our Liahona doesn't work, or the Holy Ghost. I have realized that that happens a lot in our district, that the sister missionaries at times "tie" up the zone leaders, assistants, and at times me too, so all in all it was a good district meeting. I saw a cool principle while teaching...I saw how when we really do teach with the spirit, we learn more then the people that we're teaching. It is so cool to have the holy ghost....and the priesthood!!!
Oh yeah, and then also I had a cool experience as district leader too. There is a missionary that is struggling a little bit, and I just had a feeling to talk to her one night, ask her how she was doing and compliment her for the work she was doing, and she started crying and told me how it was just a horrible day and that she just wasn't happy in her area, and a bunch of stuff, but at the end she told me thanks, and that she needed that. Another experience that helped me to grow spiritually! SO COOL!
Yesterday was a pretty cool day too! But crazy! So we woke up at 4:30 a.m. to bring an elder to the airport. Then we rushed back after to make it to the church before 8, because the sisters had a baptism at 8. Then right after we went to buy a washer for another companionship of sisters, and then after we rushed back before 11 for another baptism of the sisters, and then we went to Delicias and returned just in time for another baptism of the sisters at 6. I played a ton of piano because the sisters wanted me to play for the baptisms....so that was pretty cool! And so that's why I couldn't write yesterday. But everything was good!
Thanks for informing me of the accuplacer math test when I get back.....haha.....I think it would be better for me though to take it in Spanish. I do a little bit of math as Financial Secretary, but nothing in English.....so yeah....better make that adjustment.....no just kidding...but for reals......that'll be fun......I don't remember ANY equations except for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. So looks like I won't be getting into college...
But lets look on the bright side...I'm a missionary!!! :)
Oh and about that game Citadels. I'm pretty sure like I either learned how to play it, or something, because that name sounds so so familiar. But that's cool! Sounds like it was super fun! Playing games with you guys was always so fun!!!
But yeah! Thanks for everything! You guys are all awesome!! Thanks for all the love and support!! Have a great week! I love you all so much!!!
-Elder Loveless
Sunday, November 23, 2014
November 23rd, 2014 - Weekly E-mail
Family,
Well it sounds like everything is going good over there in Utah. It's super cool that you have a break this week from school. I always remember that in the breaks I could just be a little more lazy and relax finally, so enjoy them a ton! Especially Jon......because it's his last year of high school. I have seen something a little weird here in Mexico, and I didn't see it as much a year ago in Camargo, but it is more common here in Chihuahua, but because people don't celebrate Thanksgiving here, everyone has had their Christmas trees up for like 2 weeks so far. When you walk into Walmart here everything's just ready for Christmas, but it's like whoa there, what happened to Thanksgiving, and then I remember that I'm in Mexico. But yeah, I got your Thanksgiving package! Thanks so much. We're going to have a Thanksgiving feast this week! But yeah, it makes me glad that you're all doing so good!
So this last week, well I don't know very well how to explain it, but it was weird. So I don't know if I've ever told you all that there is an old missionary couple in the mission, and this last week they had transfers. The only problem is that they have to have everything one step above the rest, like marriage size beds, and couches, and just everything super nice, and so for about 3 days I had to travel to their new area which is about 3 and a half hours from Chihuahua, called Jimenez, to set up everything. But there was one problem. I pretty much don't have any money on the mission card, neither does President. So, we weren't able to buy everything. Luckily this next week on Wednesday our cards get money again. So phew, almost there. But yeah, so pretty much this last week I was traveling the majority of the time, and for that reason I wasn't able to write yesterday. Now that it's narrowing down to the end of the year it's becoming a little stressful. But yeah, still doing good!
Oh, also a new elder came to the mission last week. He's from Bolivia. We went and got him and then ate at Chili's after. Yeah, it was super cool!
Oooo, some crazy news as well. So last week we found out, and I'm not sure if this is true with ALL of the missions in the whole world, or just the ones in Mexico, but we all have to have shots. They are for Influenza or something like that, and so yesterday they arrived, and so right now our fridge is packed with shots. Wish me luck.......
What else......well this last week we got another secretary, but he finishes his mission in a month, so he's not going to take our places. So now we have more help, and it's good because now we have time to leave and work. Hoping for miracles this next week. Also we painted this big gate thing last week....in our church clothes. That was an adventure.
In the next like 2ish weeks me and Elder Beifuss have to be praying to figure out who are going to be the next secretaries. President informed us that we'll probably be training new elders in December, and then we'll be leaving in January. So that's the news.
But yeah, everything is going good. I have seen that in the offices my spirituality has lowered a bit. Obviously not a lot because I'm a missionary, but compared to working out in the field, because we hardly study and stuff like that, but it's getting better. With more secretaries I have a lot more time to be studying. Satan knows me well, same with everyone else, but that's the best part of the Atonement, that if we fall, we can get back up......and we get back up just that much stronger. Trials are to strengthen us. I have a strong testimony of the Atonement and the Book of Mormon. I feel like they go hand in hand, because when we get to know the Book of Mormon, we come closer to Christ and get to know Him better. We get to know Him And His Atonement better.
Now I just wanted to say everything that I'm grateful for, since this is the week of Thanksgiving:
I'm thankful for my family (Mom, Dad, Emma, Jonny boy, Cupcake, Sonic)
the mission
God
Christ
The Holy Ghost
President and Sister Chavez
Money
a house
the gift of tongues
clothes
The church in general
Friends
prayer
fasting
President Monson
Music
Emily
Experiences (good and bad)
the Atonement
Food
Work
Investigators
The Bible
The Book Of Mormon
Joseph Smith
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins......well Family
teachers
leaders
.....wow the list could just keep going and going......
But yeah....thanks for everything you all do. Really. It means a lot to me that you all are always there to help me through the good and the bad times. I love you all so much! Have a great Thanksgiving week! Enjoy the vacations, and just enjoy life :)
-Elder Loveless
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
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