"Us with one of the youth of the ward named Jesus."

"Birds....like Sonic :)"

"With our family who just barely got baptized."

March 10th, 2014 - Weekly Letter

Family,

So this last week was good! It was a chillax week, but in no way bad. To be completely honest, I think this last week was the most normal week that I have had yet in the mission. Like every day we just woke up, studied, went out to preach, and came home to go to bed. Well there was one little tweak, but that was just because we had a zone meeting last Tuesday. So yeah, I'll try to give more details...

So last Monday in the afternoon, like after we wrote and everything, the missionaries from Saucillo came to Camargo and we played a little bit of soccer. We had our district meeting after that, and then that was about it for Monday. On Tuesday we had our zone meeting, and so we arrived in Delicias at 10:00 a.m, and then we were at our meeting from 10-2. It was a good meeting! The rest of the day was just normal as well, until the night. Because Tuesday was my 6 month mark, at night we went in the backyard and I burned a tie. It's a tradition for the missionaries to burn a tie for the 6 month mark, so that's what I did! It was pretty funny. We all did a little dance around the fire singing, boogalooga.

The rest of the week, Wednesday through Sunday wasn't much different than any other day. Throughout the days though we have found some new investigators which has been pretty sweet! One of the best parts of the teaching is when you find a new investigator and just barely start to teach them. The first few lessons are like always the best! Sadly, this Sunday we didn't have any investigators at the church. It's been a while since we haven't had anybody, but it's okay. It's bound to happen at least a few times. So yeah!

So lately I've been studying the Book of Mormon really good so that I can know the Book of Mormon super super good, like the stories and everything. Right now I'm in Alma 3. I'm reading the book kind of slow but it's because I'm taking notes on every chapter. I have a little notebook and I'm keeping notes in it for every chapter, so I'm really trying to analyze all of the details. Oh I forgot, on Sunday I actually gave a talk and that was super fun. Giving a talk is actually kind of fun now! I talked about the 2nd coming and how it is near. I put a lot more into it though. So yeah. Other than that, the Book of Mormon is amazing! There couldn't be a more true book in all of the world, and I have a testimony of that!

So yeah, thanks for all the continued love and support! The missionary work never ceases to amaze me! The mission life is the life to go ;) Love you all so much! Take care!!

-Elder Loveless

March 4th, 2014 - Happy Bump Day!!! Zac's 6 month mark!! Only 18 more months to go!!

 

Baptism Pics

March 3rd, 2014 - Weekly Letter

Miracles......

            This week was an amazing week full of miracles.  Little miracles, big miracles and everything in-between.  With all the miracles it has also been a hard week with Satan working hard so that our investigators didn't get baptized, but they did!!! It's so cool to look back at the beginning of this journey of the family, the family Ramos Garnica, and to see all of the changes and just everything that has happened.  It all started in the beginning of January...

     So Elder Ruiz and Elder Conklin were just walking down the street and saw the dad and one of the sons sweeping the street in a far away neighborhood.  They decided to help him and then he invited them and us to return to their house to talk with them and what not.  That night Elder Ruiz returned to the house and told us that he found a family that was going to get baptized, and little did we know that it was 100% the truth. A lot of times when we really feel that people are going to get baptized they don't, and that's the saddest, but yeah. 

        So we went back and the very first visit with them they had already wanted to be baptized and invited us to come back to their house every day.  From that day and forward we went to their house almost every day.  They were more than prepared for their baptism.  During the process we saw tons of changes, starting with their house.  Their house was super dirty and what not, and within a week their house was clean, and within another week they were inviting us to eat with them. The sons weren't fighting anymore, their little sister started talking with us more, and the dad quit drinking and smoking and everything.  The very first day we went to their house there were alcohol bottles, but ever since that first day there was never another bottle of alcohol in that house, nor cigarettes.

      By the time their baptism came around, the sons were praying as if they had always been members, and the mom said the closing prayer for the baptism and just started crying during her prayer.  I had the chance to baptize the oldest son, 14 years old, and when he came up he hugged me, and then after he told me he felt so different, like light, and clean...pure.  The whole family was so happy the day of their baptism, and it was so cool to see them all dressed in white.  Yesterday also, after church when we visited them, the son that is 14 years old told us he wants to go out and preach with us, so that is going to be super fun!  He also calls me his dad, so that's pretty funny!!

     So yeah, everything with the baptism went over well, and also we have just been doing good lately. We have been finding a lot of people, and we have been becoming really good friends with a lot of people. For example when we have to use a taxi the same guy always comes to pick us up, and it's always a lot cheaper cuz he likes us.  Also, people have been asking us to come eat with them like all the time. It's awesome.....it's pretty cool being a missionary. But also really hard....especially with the heat. March 3rd and it's still getting hotter.  Hope I survive the summer. 

    Also this last week we had a meeting with President and I got 3 packages.  A Valentine's package from Grandma Barbara, the one package from Aunt Margie, and a Valentine's package from you guys!!! So even though it was a little bit late for Valentine's Day, it was super fun to celebrate Valentine's Day late ;) haha

    So thanks for everything!!!  Things are going good here! At times it is very hard, the missionary work, and on top of that the heat and everything, but when we see the baptisms, everything changes!!!  This work is amazing! Thanks for supporting me in everything!

   I just wanted to share my testimony now. My testimony after 1/4th of my mission:

I know this church is true.  It can't be false because it has everything that a church of Christ has to have, and on top of that I have seen so many blessings through this gospel and living it.  The Book of Mormon is true as well.  Not only is it proof that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God, but the verses apply to us in these latter days, and they have helped me in the mission up to this point. I know that Christ lives and his hand is in our every day lives.  I also have a strong testimony of the priesthood, and that as long as we live worthy and have faith, the priesthood never fails....I have seen miracles from the priesthood here in my mission. 

I love you all

-Elder Loveless