Super Happy!

Elder Loveless singing in the rain ... without his umbrella

I’m so excited! So I’m staying here in Vida Nova for at least one more transfer with Elder Francisco and Elder Goodfellow (he’ll get his new comp tomorrow) so excited to be able to continue forward these last 12 weeks of my mission with people who love the Lord. I truly am so blessed to be a part of this great work.

So we found 2 different people that are amazing! 

A lady Monica, a single mom. She is doing so great! She loved the first message and began to read the Book of Mormon. She is loving it. She also lost her dad a while back and the Plan of Salvation was perfect for her. She told us how now she knows where her dad is and she is feeling at peace. She then said in her prayer, “I thank thee for these two missionaries that have brought me peace and love into my life." It brought me to tears after. Something I feel I need to recognize more. We as members have the PRIVILEGE to bring peace and love into people’s lives through the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The missionaries with a family in the ward

Another man was Rodofo. He stopped us on the street asking for a visit. He began to tell us he had stopped all of the Catholic traditions because he felt inside spiritually that they were wrong. He then told us after we went back to follow up with him about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration, “as I open this book and begin to read, immediately I feel peace. I’m sorry I read more than what you had marked for me. I wanted to feel more and read more. It brings peace into my life. As I have talked with so many people and pastors over the years they have attacked and criticized this book. Well I am a witness that it is true. That every critic that has been given and will be given is false. Because this book testifies of Christ and brings peace into my life." Wow...it was amazing to witness that. I know that the Book of Mormon is true! I love it. If it wasn’t for the Book of Mormon I wouldn’t have a testimony of my savior Jesus Christ, and I owe it all to this scripture: 2 Nephi 25:29.

Our Father in Heaven needed Joseph Smith to be His instrument; not just to have a prophet, but to have His gospel restored on the earth. The priesthood, the prophets and apostles and anything else we have with in the church are all fruits of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s what was restored. The true gospel of Jesus Christ. This Thanksgiving I truly am so grateful that I have parents that loved me enough to teach me this restored gospel and the fruits of it. Everything I have in my life that is close to me is because of the gospel of Jesus Christ! 

I love you all,

Elder Loveless

Elder Loveless making pão de queijo (cheese bread) for Elder Goodfellow

Elder Goodfellow and Elder Loveless

Love the Atonement!

So this last week was good! We are still having problems with our investigators being anti-ed or they are starting to chose to not follow the gospel. It is so sad and so hard to see others that we love and we are striving so hard to help deny something so pure and something so strong that brings light and peace into our lives. 

Well as we went to a less active families house to teach them, it just so happened to be that their 9 year old grandson Marcos was there. Well we felt prompted to start teaching him the restoration. As we asked him if he had any questions that he hasn't found the answer to them yet. He told us how he was struggling because he didn't understand why his older brother had to be in the hospital and why he had to feel so much pain. It was such a special moment for us to testify about the atonement of our Savior in such a simple way that he was able to understand it. The spirit was so strong. And he was able to leave with a smile on his face! 

I'm so grateful for the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ and all that it does for us. I know that it is complex, hard to understand at times, but when we study it simply as if we were a child it becomes easier to understand! I know He lives and that He died and lives for us! 

Mosiah 3:19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Elder Loveless

Love the Lord's hand!

A family that fed the missionaries dinner

So this last week was good and hard!

We are working a ton on finding new people to teach and the Lord blessed us with a new investigator Anderson. He is 17 and shows a ton of desire and interest in the gospel. We are working our hearts out to help him receive an answer of the fullness of the gospel!

So we are working a ton with less actives here to strengthen the area, but more so that they can feel the blessings of the gospel again! I love working with less actives. The lord guided us to a less active family that is ready to return. We felt we needed to stop by a member’s house to get a drink of water. Well we ended up talking with him about less actives. Well he told us about a family close to his house. We stopped by to visit them and the welcomed us in with a smile on their faces. As we began to talk to them there son walked in the door and immediately began to tell us how he just had a kid and was planning on leaving where he worked so that he could return to church. As we testified of the blessings of the gospel and the atonement they all agreed to return to church and the activities as well! I love how the Lord is always looking out for his children! Whether we are lost, struggling or going through a death in the family we all can and will find peace in the atonement, especially knowing that He has suffered for the unimaginable.

Love you all so much,

Love Elder Loveless

It rained on Elder Francisco and Elder Loveless

Elder Loveless making pastels

Elder McKay and Elder Loveless with the Helping Hands

Uma semana difícil!

Elder Francisco and Elder Loveless

Wow...this week was so hard. Really hard actually! Diego went up to Campinas to look for a job on Tuesday and hasn't returned since. He has gone missing and his family and friends don’t know where he is at! Super sad.

On top of that we went to teach that family that I had talked about a few weeks ago, and the dad came to the door saying that he would no longer allow his wife and kids to hear the messages. Man my heart is broken. Everyone that I've come so close to and love have fallen away or they aren't permitted to hear the gospel? I see that family and the wife especially that already received answers that this is the true church. My heart was pretty shaken up and shattered this last week. I was feeling really down about all this and came across a scripture in 2 Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

The thing that stood out to me and comforted me took me off guard! "Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;" I love that line. Knowing that just because we are members of the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn't mean everything will just be all dandy, but that we are meant to have these afflictions. I don’t know why we aren't able to teach this family more and why the dad doesn't want to allow it, but am willing to partake of the afflictions of the Gospel. I love knowing that even when we have these afflictions the power of God sustains us, empowers us and lifts us up in our afflictions. I love knowing that I have a father in heaven! 

I was blessed to find out that a women, and a family I taught in Cosmopolis are going to be baptized this month! It’s such a blessing to know that the Lord cares for the fruits of our labors and he doesn't plan for us to see all the fruits sprout and grown when we are wanting them to! 

D&C 98:14 Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy.

I know that the Lord loves us and provides for us in our afflictions and our sorrows! We just have to show that we are willing to keep His covenants and be worthy of Him! 

Love you all,

Elder Loveless 

Elder Loveless and Elder Goodfellow threw a Halloween party!

Elder Loveless and Elder Goodfellow 

Bobbing for apples