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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November 15th, 2014 - Weekly Letter
Family,
Sounds like the week was good and rough at the same time....but don't worry, I understand. There's a lot of those types of weeks here in the mission. Well just about every week actually. I'm happy that you guys are seeing snow now! It's weird because like the week before this last week it was cold, but this last week it was hot again. But like really hot, like we were sweating. Except for the nights...the nights are still cold. But it is just weird because everyone here says that it should already be cold. When I was in Camargo a year ago it was cold during this time, so who knows. But it's all good, I can't complain.
This last week was good! The truth is that not much happened. I went to Delicias and Parral to buy electric heaters and blankets, so that was good! Yesterday was the first day of Black Friday here in Mexico. Here it's called Buen Fin, or good end. I went to Delicias yesterday thinking that it was going to be the same as the United States where literally like everything is on discount, but there wasn't much on discount. So the blankets and heaters weren't on discount. But it was funny because we bought 31 blankets, and there pretty much wasn't any left after that.
Something else that's good is that with Elder Ante here I can get more stuff done because he does all of the reimbursements, which takes a while, especially when I had to do other stuff. So that's good!! I had a cool experience the other day. The assistants and Elder Beifuss went to Parral, and then the next day Elder Ante and I were going to go to buy stuff for the zones there, and so there was going to be a meeting with President, so we went up with President, and I sat in front and President and I just talked the whole time about my life and what not. It was a really cool experience. I just love how interested he was and is about every single one of us missionaries. And then on the way back I sat in front again, and it was like 4:30ish, but I was just SO tired. At about 6 it gets dark, so when we were arriving in Chihuahua again it looked like it was really late, but it really wasn't. But so on the way back I was just so tired, and so I kinda started falling asleep, and when I started falling asleep President did that little pinch thing on my knee and it startled me, and he was like, don't fall asleep Elder Loveless. And then after I started falling asleep again and he did it again, but this time he said, you can't fall asleep because I need my copilot to help me out. Copilots can't fall asleep. So we were laughing, but the whole time it was just so hard, because Elder Ante was sleeping in the back, and I was just battling to keep my eyes open, and then President just laughed at me because I couldn't stay awake.....but I did it. It was a fun trip.
But yeah, that was about it for this week. I wish good luck to you mom in the Primary Program, and I also want to thank you for helping me get registered for school when I get back. I wish you all luck in everything you do! You're a great family! Love you all tons! Have a great week!
-Elder Loveless
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Friday, November 14, 2014
Saturday, November 8, 2014
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November 8th, 2014 - Weekly Letter
Family,
Sounds like your week was good. I'm glad to see everyone is doing
good! I think that's super funny about Elder Oldham ...he's
such a funny guy!! We also got our house cleaned, so that's a good thing!! Haha
So my week was pretty good as well! We started off the week good
here. There were a few transfers this last week on Tuesday, and now you're not
going to believe who is now here with us! Elder Ante is here in the offices
with us now! The thing is though that he's not going to be taking mine or Elder
Beifuss' place, he's just here for a few weeks to distress himself, but he's
helping us out here in the offices, and it's a good thing because we are in need
of help! But it's awesome, and he's changed a lot since we were together in
Camargo. So yeah, it's been nice with him here in the offices with us.
Also, I think I already may have told you guys, but I have like a
boss...someone that I go to whenever I have questions or need help, and she
works in the church center in Mexico DF, so I just call her by phone when I
need help or have questions. Well, she sent me an email that said that we now
had to have everything organized perfectly in binders, and that everything has
to be perfect and things like that, so now I have to work on that. Also I have
been working on a little project that is kind of complicated to explain, but
pretty much we have to pay this bus chain called Omnibus every month, but it is
super expensive and it uses a lot of the money that we have on the mission
cards, so I am working on getting their information to be able to make them one
of our providers, making it possible to pay them online every month, thus not
using the money on our cards, but using the money directly from the church funds!
It's really interesting how it all works, but I'm working with people that are
really high up there, so it's kind of stressful because they wanted their money
before, but we're waiting a little bit. Elder Ante is now helping me with the
reimbursements, so now I have one little thing less to worry about.
The week was good but I just feel super stressed out. I don't know
why, but the other day I was just thinking about things, and I realized that if
missionaries don't have materials, or if they don't have money, or if this or
that, it lies on my head, and this month we're running lower on money because
of some things that happened, so for that reason it has been hard. There are
some sisters that called me from one of the farthest areas away telling me that
they were cold in the nights and that they didn't have warm water, and they're
like 3 and a half hours away by bus from Chihuahua, and since we're running low
on money I can't do much....I just kinda told them like to pray hard to keep
yourselves warm or something. But there's just a bunch of missionaries that
always ask me for things, and the mission just doesn't have the money for it.
It's gotten to the point that missionaries don't even ask me how I'm doing any
more or anything like that, it's just like I want this or I want that. Those
few missionaries that take the time to thank me really make me happy! The thing
though is that I know that Christ will help make it all work. This is His work
and glory so He'll make it all work out for all of us. It's kinda weird being
the financial secretary of a mission, because you see the hand of the Lord, but
in different ways, like in making big decisions and helping with making things
work. It's really cool seeing that.
Although it has been super stressful, and this may or may not
sound funny, I have seen things that apply to our lives. I feel like this is
how being a father will be. Knowing that everything is over our heads, and that
we have to make sure that the family has what they need. I also realized that I
was like those missionaries at times, I just asked for stuff and didn't thank
as much as I could have. It's weird how the mission really prepares you for
life. I just hope I don't have this many kids... :P I think now the attribute I
need to learn more is love, because just how some missionaries are annoying to
us in the offices, we may or may not have children like that. Christ loves
everyone equally, and I think that is something that I need to be better with.
So yeah...that was my week. I am hoping to get a lot done this
next week! I'm excited for this winter time!!! I'm already getting excited for
Christmas, because I'm going to be able to skype you guys from here in the
offices!!! But yeah, I hope you all have a great week! Stay strong and work
hard! I love you all so much!!!
-Elder Loveless
Mientras más fuerte sople el
viento, más fuerte crecerá el árbol...
The stronger the wind blows, the stronger the tree becomes...
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Saturday, November 1, 2014
November 1st, 2014 - Weekly Letter
Family,
I loved the pics of Halloween. I love that Emma dressed up as a Mexican, and then as a pineapple, and then Jon as a zombie. Emma did pretty good on that makeup. But yeah, when Elder Oldham left I was kinda sad because he was one of my favorite missionaries. But I got to drop him off so that was cool. And congrats on the 5 years in the house. I still haven't completed 4 years, but I'm so glad that we are still living in that house. It's nice...I like it!!!
So it's been a pretty crazy week. But it has been a really good week at the same time! It started with Monday when the new missionaries came, and that was a crazy day but cool. These new missionaries that came are super cool. There were 14 of them, and all of them were really cool. It kinda reminds me of our generation, because we also arrived in October, but of last year. So yeah, I got to know them pretty good.
In the transfers that just happened we opened up 4 areas so I had to buy stuff, and it was crazy. I just think it's funny because when we buy things for houses...especially for multiple houses, we just have a bunch of carts full of stuff. People give us the weirdest looks, like we're crazy or something....and then it's even weirder when the price is WAY high and then the card passes....yeah people look at us super weird, but it's okay....it's just the missionary life.
So now since there are only 2 months left of the year I have to make sure that everything is perfect, that we don't have any debts as a mission and that everything is nice and organized how it should be, and it's probably going to take me the 2 months because I have daily things that I have to do that keep me busy without the extra chores. So now it's time to start doing that. Right now I'm working on a thing that I'm going to do with our financial boss in Mexico DF that is going to help us have exactly enough money to end the year without any debts, because right now we owe some money to the bus company we use called Omnibus, but I'm working on that. But I think this week is going to be a lot more of gluing and cutting things than computer work, but it's all fine with me. I'm super excited for it all!
I just wanted to share a little story that I was reading in the Book of Mormon yesterday while I was studying it. So I was reading in 1 Nephi 17 and I saw a cool pattern. This is when Nephi is commanded to construct a ship, and his brothers murmur and don't believe that he can do it, but then Nephi starts reprimanding them. Starting in about verse 25 he says, You know.....You know...You know....all the way to verse 46. He reminds his brethren that they already know of the power of God and what it can do, and that they already know that everything is possible through God, and just a bunch of stuff. And I realized that it's the same with us...God is always telling us through his servants that we already know everything, so than why do we forget? We are all members of the church, so we have all had at least one experience that made us know that this church is the true church of God, so we need to remember these experiences. Maybe we had a cool experience while reading the Book of Mormon in the past, but now we're not reading the Book of Mormon every day, but we already know the power of the Book, and so we need to have those experiences guide us again to reading the Book of Mormon every day. I just thought that that was cool. We all know the church is true...so we need to let it's teachings guide us now!
But yeah, thanks for all of the love and support! I love to hear week after week that everyone is doing good! Have a great week and remember to achieve all of your goals this week! Shoot for the stars and be successful!!
I love you all!!!
-Elder Loveless
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