English Class Brings Blessings

So my new comp is....Elder Mateus...he is from Rio Grande do Sul. He is great! He has 5 months in the field, and we are loving our time here in Itupeva!!!! 

So this last week was so crazy! I woke up Tuesday ready for transfers and getting my new comp...and it was crazy everyone that I talked to in Portuguese, I thought they were talking back in English. Its crazy. I can recognize Portuguese better now than I can English. 

So our English class is so cool, we usually have 15-20 people attending...the miracle happened yesterday! We were in gospel principles with our investigators, and the bishop's wife walked in saying a guy was here to see me about the English class. So I walked out with my comp and met him. He heard about our English class and felt like he should come to the church today to find us....well Sunday is just perfect! I told him all about our class and what we do. As he was leaving I asked him if he had any other appointments at the time and he said no. So we invited him to stay, and we gave him a church tour. When we got to sacrament meeting my comp was giving a talk and I stayed with Fernando (the new guy) and he asked me...what is the difference between your church and others...(he lived in the states for awhile) so i told him that my comp would explain in his talk. He talked all about the restoration of the priesthood, and Fernando said that it made sense and he wanted to keep coming to our church. We stayed and taught him more. 

It is so amazing the work of the Lord. Its by doing the little things each day we find Him and He brings blessings to us. D&C 58:2, "For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven." We just have to be patient and obedient.

Love you all! So excited for conference! 

Love,

Elder Loveless

Poder!

So we just found out that I will be staying here in Itupeva and Elder Raudney will be leaving! I will miss him, he did so much to help me with the language! 

So this last week I had a bacteria...it was terrible...everything I ate gave me stomach aches, and it was bad, but I took some medicine and I'm great now! 

So we had some amazing experiences last week! We have so many new investigators, but we have 10 right now that live together and aren't married, and its expensive here for them to get married...little difficult.

But here is the experience. We were teaching a lesson to our investigatores and this little girl wouldnt stop playing and leaving my comp alone...so he was drawing with her on the table and had me continue teaching with this member. As we were teaching the spirit was so strong, and I realized I didnt have my comp to help me if I needed the help with my Portuguese. I said a little prayer asking Him to help me to speak with clarity. Well I know He hears us and answers our prayers! As I and the member shared the first vision and the book of mormon, I could litteraly feel a power working through me that was not mine own. As I felt that spirit, I paused and told them, "that same power you just felt is the spirit telling you these things are true. Now it is up to you to make the decision." That is the thing I love most about being a missionary. Just as Ammon states in Alma 17: 11 that they are instruments in the Lord's hands bringing about this great work. I love being able to feel Him work through me and members. So amazing to know that He trusts us with His children! 

I love the happiness that we can feel while serving a mission. I love how it says in "Savior redeemer of my soul" "hath filled with sweet my bitter cup." No matter how bitter we think things are, or we may think no one knows...well He does because he drank the bitter cup, and we only have to drink the sweet that he has filled in ours. Happy moments are always here on the mission and when we aren't serving, we just have to look! 

Love you all,

Elder Loveless

Elder Tray Whick, Elder Loveless, Elder Miller

Michel, Elder Loveless, Gabriel, Bruno, Douglas, Elder Raudney

Elder Loveless and Elder Raudney

1 year!

Zone Conference with Elder Costa

This last week was great! We were teaching Michel and we had asked him the week before to pray about if Joseph was a prophet. Well we met with him on Saturday and I asked him, “do you believe that Joseph was a prophet and that the church has been restored?" He looked at both of us and said, “I will be honest with you guys, I only went to church the first time because I promised you guys. But I felt something there, and I want it! Yes I know he is a prophet. It makes sense that we have the same church that Christ himself set up. It just makes sense. I will be baptized." One less person that Satan can’t get! Yeeeea!

Wow....that was so cool! He is so right. It just makes sense...this gospel makes sense. I love the song, "I will not be still." there is a part that says, "Seeing their lives begin to change, I know I’ll never be the same. How can I keep this gift to myself." I’m so grateful that I have the privilege to be an instrument in the Lord’s hand to help others find happiness! This gospel just makes sense. I’ve heard from many brethren while serving that many members are starting to doubt the brethren, and that we mustn’t doubt. We all have doubts, but why not pray first rather than play with our doubts. This gospel is Christ’s gospel, and we need it! The world is changing, and we can’t change with it.

Elder Costa came again to our mission and he bore such a powerful testimony saying, “I don’t believe that Jesus is the Christ. I know that he is the Christ, with a perfect knowledge. I know Him.” It was such an amazing testimony! He has such an amazing pure testimony!

Elder Loveless' and Elder Eller's English Class

Elder Eller and Elder Loveless

It is so crazy to think that a little over a year ago my life was at a different state. Now it’s changed. I’m still me but I know I’m becoming who the Lord wants me to be. I’m so grateful for all the little miracles that have happened while serving in Indiana and now in Brasil. The little miracles have changed me on my mission, the big miracles have been so amazing, but it’s always been the day in and day out things that I’ve noticed make the difference. I’ve loved serving my Father and Savior. It’s so fun. I haven’t had a day out here that hasn’t been fun! This work is true, I know it, and I see the fruits from it. I love sharing the gospel to others!

D&C 75:4, 123:12-14

Love you all!

Elder Loveless
 

Elder Loveless and Jaelson

Yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaa!

This last week was so amazing! I will start off with some crazy things and work my way down.

We were waiting at the bus station and I felt my bag get yanked, and I looked back and no one was there...well we were sitting on the bus and I had a feeling it would rain so I looked down...and my umbrella was gone...someone stole it...and it rained...a lot...and I was soaked! ha-ha 

No umbrella + lots of rain = wet missionaries!

I saw this guy selling hammocks so I asked him how much...he said..70 reais but I thought he said 60 so I repeated 60...he said yes...so I told him I would try another day...but then he said...for you amigo...45...alright! So I got a cool huge hammock that I get to pack around for a while

There is an 18 year old kid that helps us a lot with lessons here. and I was asking him if he was going to serve and he said yes, but he can’t because he skateboards too much and he is destroying his knees...well just before that he asked for my ring...I told him I would switch the ring for his skateboard if he promised to not pick up another board till after the mission...he did...I have pictures of it for you all.

Elder Loveless with Bruno and his skateboard

So we were teaching Gabriel (14) and he prayed and will be baptized on the 23...the next day I asked him, "what’s your favorite part about the gospel so far?" without hesitation he said..." Jesus Christ. I like learning about Jesus Christ." How amazing is that! He knows why we are here. I’m so grateful he is coming to know him. That’s why I’m here...and I love it! Knowing that someone else knows our Savior more than before...makes every drip of sweat...aching feet and whatever else all worth it..

 

Elder Loveless, Elder Raudney and Gabriel

Last story...Michael our other investigator. We were teaching him the restoration yesterday, and as we finished we invited him to be baptized on the 23, and without hesitation, “of course I will."  It was such a touching experience. Anyone that is serving a mission or has served knows that when someone says yes to baptism you feel the spirit of the Lord. You feel his love for His child. I love bringing others to Christ! I love it out here! I know that this is the true gospel...many people have turned us away...and it breaks my heart...but I know that they have felt something and that seed will grow! I am really sad that my time is so short out here, but I will never stop what I’ve come out here to do when I’m done!

Thank you all so much! Love you all...

Gary

D&C 18

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

 16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

17 Behold, you have my gospel before you, and my rock, and my salvation.

This week marks 1 year for Elder Loveless!

Here's a Mormon Message you should all watch.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYVvE4tr2BI&list=PL4E784EC0770935C0&feature=share

Bençãos!!

This last week Elder Raudney and I had the opportunity to help out the sisters here in Itupeva with the baptism of a family of five! It was such a special experience. I was blessed to baptize the grandma and one of the sons! It was so amazing to be able to be a servant of my Heavenly Father. As I walked out of the font with João...the little boy...I asked him how he felt, and he told me, 'better, much better, I feel so happy." It was such a tender experience and was so amazing to see that whole family walk into the waters, and soon they will all be together forever! The priesthood is so amazing! The more that I've used it while being on a mission, it's never once been out of obligation to myself. I am so blessed to have this privilage to hold the priesthood. I love being able to serve others and help them feel of God's love for them through this sacred power.

 

So our investigator Michel, we were teaching him and his mom this last weekend the last part of the Plan of Salvation, and he had told us before that his dad had passed away 4 months ago. When we were teaching we opened with him to Alma as we taught where we will go and where his dad is now. As we testified to him that these things were true the spirit was so strong and overwhelming. We left him with a Book of Mormon to just read 3 paragraphs in intro., and he told me yesterday, "so I read all about Joseph and the angel and the plates last night." It shocked me because at first I was afraid he may have been on a website, but then he said, "I really liked it especially the testimony of Joseph." I then asked if he read more in the Book of Mormon and he had read all the testimonies! It was so amazing! The Book of Mormon is so amazing and has such a strong influence on people's lives! Love that Book!

 

Well it is Carnival weekend...and its actually really calm here...

 

Well hope you all know how much i love and appreciate you!

 

Elder Loveless

 show your education dont throw trash here

 Joao Pedro

Carnival!