September 29th, 2014 - Weekly Letter

Family,

              So it's been another good week of work this last week!!!  There were some hard times, but also some good times! So yeah, everything's chill!!!  It looks like you all are doing good!! Looks like you had a great time at Palisades!  I don't really remember it all that well, but looks like a lot of fun!  And then Jonny boy at Homecoming!!!  I still can't believe that Jon is a senior....and that Emma is a Freshman!! I feel like I was just barely in those shoes.....crazy how time flies. But yeah!!!!

               I know that this might sound a little weird, but I can't remember 100% what happened last week. What I remember more of is what happened over the last few days, because that is when more things happened.  Last week though was the close of the money cycle for the month, so I had to make sure that everything was put in the system and that everything was ready for the close.  We ended in zeros again, which is a good thing, so that made me happy!!! I kept good track of the money during last month so that I didn't have to stay all night doing it, and it paid off because I finished during mid-day, so there was nothing rushed.  We also got money on the mission card again, so president sent me off to buy some new stuff for the offices! We got some pretty nice stuff!!!  

 

                This last week we also cleaned the offices and our house way good! Like for example our house is nice, but whenever missionaries come it gets destroyed, and so Elder Beifuss and I have to clean a ton every week. I'm getting really good at cleaning the house!  The only difference is that in Mexico pretty much all of the floor is tile, so we just mop everything. We don't really vacuum. But it's all good!

                Over this last weekend it was crazy, and for that reason I wasn't able to write you guys.  On Saturday when I wasn't doing errands for President, I was buying medicine for the missionaries.  Sometimes me and Elder Beifuss feel like the little servants of the mission, but it's fun.  It's good when missionaries are happy and healthy, and we are the ones that help with that.....I've learned a lot about humility and the importance of helping each and every person.  It has also helped me experience D&C 18:10---Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.    I have really realized how God loves each and every person..each and every missionary, and he has called us so that we can help Him by providing the means to them that they need to live here in the mission.  

              

                  It was kind of a hard day yesterday too because Elder Beifuss got sick and we were in the hospital for like 5 hours....and before that we were in the house the whole day.  But I kinda enjoyed it because I read a lot from the scriptures and a lot from Liahonas.  Also this week I would invite you guys to watch this mormon message:  

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3792885561001

It's called You never Know....it'll change the way you look at things!! I love it sooo much!!!

                  But yeah, so that was my week! Thanks for everything from all of you guys!!! Thanks for the love and support!!! Love you guys sooo much! Have a great week of work and school and fun!!! Read the scriptures and always pray together!!!

-Elder Loveless

At the waterfall. Elders Graham, Beifuss, Loveless, Zarco and Walston.

More pics from Basaseachi - the waterfall.

"Pics from Hump Day!!"

"Elder Mendoza's time came to an end." Zac got to take Elder Mendoza to the airport!! He was a great companion!!

"It's the Spanish version of my name!!!! Haha!!"

September 20, 2014 - Weekly Letter

Family,

             So it sounds like everything is doing good back in the good ole Loveless Fam!!!  Everything here is really good too!! The temperature is finally cooling down here, but there are still days when it is super hot! In about a month or so the temperature will be perfect. 

             So this last week was good! Sadly there's not too much to talk about. It was a busy week, but not as busy as past weeks. I finally could slow down a little bit and not be so stressed, so that was good!!!

              So yeah, some interesting things happened. This last week I ran out of money on the mission card.  Not like my personal missionary card, but the mission mission card that only the financial secretary has.  The new money cycle doesn't even start until next Wednesday, so we've been struggling a little bit. It has a reasonable amount of money on it, but this month we have had to buy a ton of things that we normally don't buy, so the money went fast.  This month has been really hard on money for everyone because even the missionaries are running out of money way too fast!

             I also had a really cool little experience today!  The zone leaders called us today in the morning and told us that they were going to have 2 baptisms today but that they still needed the interviews, so Elder Beifuss and I had our first baptismal interviews today!!!  I interviewed a little girl of 10 years of age, and she was super cool!  She wanted to be baptized SO bad because she wanted the "little friend" with her at all times (the Holy Ghost).  So that was a really cool spiritual experience!  Oh and I don't know if I told you guys, but we got a report on our mission recently and we are one of the top baptizing missions in Mexico. Last month we almost had 160 baptisms in the whole mission!!!  Rocking it out here in Chihauhua Mexico!!!

            But so yeah...other than all that, we have been doing a lot of stuff lately to help President out. We actually went to Parral this last week again, and we went up in President's car, so that is always fun!!!

           But I just wanted to share a little scripture to end my weekly letter:

             (These are in 1 Nephi 6)

3 And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon these plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God.

 4 For the fullness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

 5 Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.

 6 Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.

       So right here in these verses Nephi gives a commandment to all of the people that would write in the Book of Mormon that they couldn't write anything that wasn't of worth to us, and we know that everybody that wrote after Nephi were honest, worthy Prophets who kept that commandment.  So, it makes me think wow....there is not one word that is in the Book of Mormon that is not of some worth to us.  So how amazing really is the Book of Mormon for us?!  I can't even start to think about it!  Whenever I read the Book of Mormon I feel the spirit so strong. Before the mission I believed that it was true, but I don't think I was 100% that it was true, but now I know it, and I love it!!!

Thanks for everything my amazing fam!!  I hope you guys all have a great week!!  I love you all so much!!!

-Elder Loveless

After a spiritual feast in Parral.

"Basaseachi - the waterfall."

"The motion coaster thing."

"Playing air hockey."

"Bumper cars!!!! Elder Beifuss, me and Elder Palma."

"Our team!!! Lasar tag!!!"

"The opposing team in lasar tag."

"The following pics are of a service project we did about a week and a half ago!!! We moved a bunch of beans for a group of native people from here in Mexico. They're named Tarahumaras!!!"

Sunday, September 14, 2014 - Weekly Letter

Family,

             So if I thought that I had had rougher weeks before, that was a lie, because this last week was just super tiring and super long and hard.  But nevertheless, I did see the Lord´s hand in what we did this last week and it was really cool to see that!

              But I'm not going to lie, with how hard the week was, it was an amazing week. We really did have a lot of fun! And the fun all started on Monday!  The assistants and us and a few more elders went to this arcade/pizza place called Incredible Pizza.  The assistants and us were just really stressed out so we decided that we needed to do something to help us, so we decided to go there! It was awesome! There was a pizza buffet, laser tag, and arcade games!  I didn't really play the games to win prizes though....I played more of the games like air hockey and fruit ninja and things like that....but it was awesome! It was the first time that I had done something like that for like a year.  After that Elder Beifuss and I gave our first district meeting!  It was good, but it was just weird. It kind of reminded me of when I was the president of quorums and what not, but this time it is a little more serious!  So that was really good!

           From Tuesday until yesterday we went to other cities to buy stuff because there's going to be like 18 new missionaries that come tomorrow, so we are opening a LOT of new areas, and that means a lot of new houses and a lot of nothing....and for that reason I had to buy a bunch of stuff. So yeah....I was riding a lot of buses!!! Luckily the buses here are very comfortable!

          But then like the best day was Friday. On Friday we went to this national park in Chihuahua called Basaseachi....it is a HuGe waterfall where you can go to the bottom and look at it. It is like an 1 hour hike down and 2 hour hike up.  A lot faster going down....but oh man was it crazy.  When you get to the bottom of the waterfall and get really close to it, it is like a whirlwind of water and air and everything.  Like somehow the waterfall when it hits the bottom it creates an energy of water, and it is just a feeling you can´t describe. It was like a storm but only in that little place.  SO AWESOME!!!

           So yeah, that was my week! New missionaries come tomorrow so I'm excited about that!  Everything's going good, and I'm just sooo happy that this last week is over! Now until the next transfers I'm not going to have to do that anymore!  But yeah....thanks for everything Family!! I love you all soooo much!!!!

-Elder Loveless  

September 6th, 2014 - Weekly Letter

Family,

            I think this is so weird. On Thursday me and Elder Beifuss were just remembering how we were just barely in the MTC. Like it literally feels like it was a week ago that we were in the MTC....but it has been a whole year!!!  Time goes by so weird in the mission.....but yeah. I took a few pictures, but I forgot my camera in the house.....so I don't think I'll be able to send pics today.....but next week for sure!!!  But it sounds like everything is going good there in Saratoga Springs!!!  Just like for you guys, it's been raining a ton this week. Well not like every day....it just started like Wednesday or Thursday but it's been raining a TON.  To get back to our house yesterday we had to cross the street of course...but it wasn't a street...it was a river.  Oh yeah there's been a ton a rain here. And hallelujah because it has been SO HOT!!!

            So let's just say that this week has been one of the most stressful weeks in my life.  So on Monday Elder Zarco had transfers and so now I'm the new Financial Secretary and a district leader. They didn't call any more secretaries in so now it's just Elder Beifuss and me.  It's super weird because normally there are 4 secretaries, and now I know why, because there's not an end to the work that we have to do here in the office.  But don't get me wrong, I like it, it has just been a crazy week. But, even just through working in the office and everything, I have seen little miracles....and it has been really cool.

            So yesterday we had a meeting with President where all the missionaries from the city of Chihuahua came. We called the zone leaders the night before to ask what their missionaries needed, and we got a list, so that night, Thursday night, we went to Walmart to buy stuff.  After we got everything I saw the price and it was HUGE.  But like a ton of money....and when it is that high at times the mission card passes, but at times no, and so I was just praying in my head, God, let the card pass because all of these missionaries need these things that we're buying, and then like right then the card passed.  I just let out a big sigh of relief. I'm not too big of a fan of buying a lot of stuff, because EVERYONE stares at you like you're super super rich...when really it's the church and us that are paying.  But yeah....so I don't think I've told you guys, but I have a card named PC-1, and so whenever there are missionaries that need stuff, or when we go out to eat, I pay with the card, so everyone calls me the Rich secretary. It's pretty cool, haha!!! 

            So I don't want to sound bad or anything, but Elder Zarco left me with a BUNCH of problems that I'm slowly fixing.  So I deposited the rent for the missionaries and like 5 pairs of missionaries or more didn't get it, and they said they told Elder Zarco what their rent was but he never put them in the system, and just little things like that.  Also a bunch of missionaries asked for things like washers in the past, but they were never bought so I have to buy a lot of things for the missionaries.  

           But I realized something like a day or two ago.  In the beginning when the missionaries called me for things I was just always like uuuuuuuugggggghhh, I don't want to do it, but then I realized wait......I'm a secretary for missionaries and I'm not getting paid.  My job is to attend to the financial problems of the missionaries, and so I should be happy, and it has made me happier. Like when missionaries call me I do it happily now because I realize that it's what I'm here for, it's not like a side job thing, so like Thursday, Friday and today I feel a lot better about everything!!!  And I'm enjoying it more and more.

           This next Friday we are going to go on a hike to a super cool waterfall, and so this next week I have to book a bus for all of the leaders and us, the secretaries!! So that will be super super fun!!! But yeah, so that's what's up..everything's awesome!!  

 Thanks for everything Fam, and I hope everyone enjoys school and work!!! Love you all!!!

-Elder Loveless

September 4th, 2014 - Happy Hump Day!!! One year ago today our family dropped off Elder Loveless at the Provo MTC. Can't believe a year has gone by. There are a years worth of sticky notes on the map. Now we get to start taking them off everyday!! Love that missionary!!

September 3rd, 2014 - After the mission leadership council. Looks yummy!!