Family :)
So let's just say
that this last week has been one of the best in the mission so far! Ah, it's been so crazy, so here's the
breakdown.
First of all, we
had a meeting in Delicias last Tuesday, New Year's Eve, and since it was with
the zone, they brought all of the packages, and I literally had just about half
of the packages....haha. The meeting was
a really good meeting too, like all of them are! I got 3 packages from Grandma Barbara, a
package from Aunt Denise, one from the fam, and one from Em!!! So yeah, I had
like another Christmas over again :) But yeah, so that was a good day, and then
later that day we had to come in at 7 because supposedly it was going to get
crazy that night, and so yeah, we celebrated our new year by playing chess, and
then sleeping! Yeah, sleeping is like the best thing for missionaries. But yeah, it's super funny. Elder Conklin has
a chess set and that is what we use a lot to play. But yeah.
So then this last
week I also had quite a few special spiritual experiences. I was able to give my first blessing for the
sick, and then a few days later, another one!
This week has been a lot of firsts....and then multiples of the firsts.
But these blessings were so special, and it helps my testimony not only grow of
the power of priesthood, but of how God works with His servants. My first blessing was on Tuesday, and the
lady was feeling a little sick, but it could worsen she said, and so eventually
after asking her who she wanted to say the prayer, she picked me, because I am
one of the two that have been in Camargo for some time now. First time, I hadn't really practiced the
blessings or anything, but well, I had to do it.....so Elder Norris did the oil
part, and then it was my turn, I didn't know what to say, (and on top of that
the names in Mexico are SO hard and long)
so Elder Norris whispered the words into my ear, and then I gave the
blessing. Once I started saying the blessing the words just came...in Spanish.
Something that is interesting is that there are two forms of 'you' in spanish.
Usted, which is informal, and Tu, which is formal, and we are required to use
the usted form always....except for blessings. We don't really practice tu
form, so it's not really perfected with me yet, but the words came.....and now
this lady is perfectly fine.
The next
experience was Friday, two days before Sunday.
One of the sisters of the ward called us and told us that she would like
a blessing, for health. This lady is a little old and she has had multiple
times where her health has almost killed her, but her faith is OH so strong, so
this time I practice the blessing in my head before we went. When we went to her house, Elder Hansgen did
the oil, and then I did the blessing again. And not only did the Lord put the
words in my mouth, but because of that I said things that I wouldn't have
thought of saying. After the prayer I looked up and the sister was crying, and
then her daughter who was also there, and very inactive, was crying so much as well......yeah
it made me cry a little too. The priesthood is real, and on top of that the
Lord really works in our lives, and as servants of Him, we are always helped
when we need it as long as we are doing what we should and need to be doing.
After the blessing the sister told me, I sincerely have faith, and I know that
on Sunday I will be able to go the church and partake of the sacrament......and
she did :)
So yeah, also a
little more on the light side, I had menudo for the first time, or cow stomach,
and not only once, two days in a row :P ewe........menudo is so gross...the
second time wasn't as bad though, because the first time there was a hairy pig
foot....HAIRY PIG FOOT.....like what is that?!
Like imagine a guy not shaving for a little while, and then a pig foot,
and then put that hair on the pig foot, and then stick it in your soup, with
cow stomach.....yeah we almost puked. Poor Elder Conklin, I looked over, and
I'm pretty sure he almost threw up right there, he was like gagging it down. But
yeah, super gross. The menudo is also just so weird, like it's kind of hairy
too...oh man, worst thing ever. YUCK!!! And the smell is super weird, like it
smells like wet dog or wet horse or something....like I don't even know how to
describe it.
So yeah, and then
another cool experience this week to end this letter off. So I went on splits
with Elder Conklin in his area, the north part of Camargo, and we went to this
guy who is hard core Catholic. Like nothing will change his beliefs like no
matter what. When we were in this lesson with him he just bashed on us, and
started throwing out this stuff in the Book of Mormon and how it can't be true
and all of this stuff, and it was so horrible, I just couldn't stand it, it was
messing with my brain. After the lesson I just didn't talk really....and then I
went to bed....thinking. This guy rejected our message with stuff that I didn't
know the answer to. But it made me think about my testimony, and how simple it
is......and this is how my testimony goes:
I know that this church is the church restored
through Joseph Smith. I know that I
don't know the scriptures inside and out, I've only read the Book of Mormon
once, and I don't really know the stories very well, but I have received an
answer that it is true, and so it is, it is true, the word of God. I don't know
a lot of details about the church, like a lot of the things that take a lot of
study to learn, but I do know this church is true, because through living these
standards I have been blessed in my life, and I wouldn't be here in my life
without this gospel. Testimonies don't
have to be complex....just our beliefs, and I believe this church is true
because I have been blessed, and that is all the proof I need, along with my
faith!
So yeah, good week
and very interesting week! Earlier when I was getting ready I just started to
think, wow, the mission is actually a lot funner than I thought. Like it's just
an adventure all of the time...and I don't have to go to school ;) haha, but
yeah!!! I love you all, and have a good week :)
-Elder Loveless
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