April 15th, 2014 - Weekly Letter

Familia,

It sounds like everything is going good in our wonderful family! I love to hear that everyone is doing good, and that you all continue going to the temple and everything good like that!! This last week was a.....well a week. We had a lot of ups...and a lot of downs, but we have been working harder than ever to have success in our area. I have a sure testimony that if we do what the Lord has asked us to do, and then go above and beyond and dedicate all we have to the work of the Lord, we well be blessed no matter what. Here's my week....I think you'll understand a little bit better after I explain how the week went.

 So last week on Monday was a good normal P-day. We started out with buying our food, writing, the laundry mat, the good ole stuff, and then after we had our district activity we only had 3 hours to work, and we had 7 visits. We just ran all over the place and taught the members and our investigators. It was super cool. I felt the spirit really strong, and then after I was excited to work the next day.

On Tuesday we did divisions, because the District Leaders do divisions with the other missionaries, so I stayed in my area with an elder named Elder Neuman. That was interesting because I only had one week in the area, but the Lord blessed me and I didn't get lost throughout the whole day. That day I also got a package with girl scout cookies in it from the family...thanks...I ate them all in like 2 or 3 days ;) But yeah, and that day we had a zone meeting and we set goals to try to contact at least 5 people in the street each day, and at least have 12 visits each day, and this day with the other elder, and me not knowing the area too well, we achieved the 12 visits and the 5 street contacts. I felt so good at the end of the day...and one of the street contacts is a 25 year old lady named Gaby who was visiting family in Utah recently and has members of her family who are members, so she already knows a lot about the church, so yeah it was a good day!

 Wednesday on the other hand was a lot harder. We tried to do the same, and we did achieve the 12 visits, but like everyone rejected us....and I mean like everyone. We tried to talk to a lot of people on the street but it was just rejection after rejection after rejection. We both come home at night exhausted mentally and spiritually.

On Thursday we only achieved 4 visits....it was a hard day, but we helped do service and clean the church which was fun! After the service we went to visit a lady who wasn't there, and then I got the feeling to visit one of the older ladies of the ward, and so we went, and she had just barely got back from the hospital because earlier that day she had fallen and cracked her head open a little bit. Her daughter was there too and was soo grateful that we arrived just in time.

Friday was just a normal ole day, and I actually saw one of the members from Camargo visiting his brother in our area, so that was cool! At first I didn't think it was him because why would he be in this area, but it was him...so that was cool! Later we had an awkward moment with our new investigator Gaby because she tried to do the cultural kiss on the cheek to Elder Mendoza and we told her as missionaries we can't do that, so she then tried to hug me, and then we told her that we couldn't do that either, so then she invited us into her house, but as missionaries we can't enter into people's houses that are ladies that are alone in their houses, so we told her no 3 times.....I think we kinda offended her, but it'll be fine in the long run.

Saturday was normal too, but we met a lot of skitzofrenics which was super weird.....it was like the day of skitzofrenics....haha

Sunday was good because we had not just our investigator that has a baptismal date, Samantha, at church, but also her brother who never wanted to listen to us. I guess he just wanted to come and see how the church was, and he liked it.... a lot. That showed to me that although we may get rejected at times, or things go hard, if we work past the hard times and we never give up, miracles can happen..like for example Samantha's brother, Carlos.

So yeah, that was my last week...super busy, but it was a good good week. Samantha's baptismal date is not this Saturday, but the next Saturday, so she's excited and we are too. Last week I also got a letter from Grandma Barbara. I just keep racking up the American money for after the mission, because I can't really use it here :P Oh, and I also met a sister that was wondering what the dates are for the Manti Pageant, because she has saved up money and wants to go to see it this year. And also....Elder Mendoza and I achieved 70 visits total this week.....it was amazing!!!

I love you all, and my testimony just keeps growing and growing!!! Take care everyone, and enjoy these last 6 weeks of school!!!

-Elder Loveless