Love the work!

Elder Loveless and Elder Rodrigues

Welllll....my new comp is Elder Rodrigues. He is from Curitiba. He is a great missionary and is picking up the things really fast! 

Well we had some amazing experiences this last week! A less active family told us, "Thank you for all you have done. For the first time in years, we are praying, reading, and feel closer to God." Wow ... it was so strong and special!

Luiz, Viviane, Eduardo, Pedro

So we were able to visit the temple with a family that the parents have recently returned to the church and their sons we are teaching. It was such a special experience. While I was there I saw tons of people from Jacaré, and Itupeva...but the most special experience was what happened with Pedro and Luiz...the two sons... We were teaching them Alma 50 1-5 and we were drawing the fortress of what we thought they looked like. We then asked them (Pedro 14 Luiz 10) what are things that we have to do in our own lives to protect ourselves... They responded together, read the scriptures, go to church and renew our covenants, pray, help our family, live the 13 articles of faith! They then turned to us and asked, "When can we be baptized? We really want to." We were unable to set a date with them due to some things with the family, but we sat down with the parents and both of the sons will be baptized by their dad the end of June or the beginning of July! It has been such a special experience teaching them and watching them come into activity and watch the sons come closer to baptism! 

At the Campinas Temple

I truly am so grateful for this work! It has been such a blessing. I love D&C 24:12 ... This happens a lot when we are walking down the street and feel strongly we should talk to someone ... Then Satan puts so much fear and doubt into our hearts, but whenever I feel that I immediately open my mouth to talk to them. Such a simple thing as opening my mouth allows the Lord to fill it and bless me. I love this work! I love doing it with other members but especially with the savior.

Oh and yes...Brasil is going crazy...a guy this last week sold his house and left his wife and kids homeless so that he would be able to watch a game...yea...they love soccer...

Love you! Gary

Elder Miller, Elder Eller, Elder Loveless

Yeea! Training!

So I got the lovely call, and I will be staying here in Campinas as Zone Leader and training...This will be exciting! Haha I'm supper excited to stay here in Campinas! I love it here!

So the world cup is starting this week...things are going to get really crazy! We are confined to our houses during every game that Brazil plays ... More Studies!!!!

So we had a cool experience yesterday! Elder Scott, Ballard, Costa, Soares and Sister Stephens spoke for stakes here in Brazil ... One of the coolest things was Elder Scott gave the exact same talk he gave when I was in the MTC ... but this time he gave it all in Portuguese! It was the coolest experience to hear that talk again and learn from him again! I loved it!

Elder Loveless with his zone

They focused a lot on Alma 50 on how we need to have protection around our families, homes and faith. Also how important it is to work with less actives and help them come again to Christ.

We are teaching two kids, Luiz and Pedro. They are sons of a less active couple who have returned to the church. Well we are helping the sons work towards baptism ... As we were watching the restoration, the 9 year old leaned over to me and said, "oh this is about Joseph Smith!" He got so excited and is always reading the scriptures and they always have a special thought to share with us! I love working with families and seeing them come unto Christ! It's the coolest thing ever!

I love you all so much! I hope that all is well!

Love Gary

Finalmente

So my comp finally got better at the end of last week...so I got to be blessed with staying in the house again. I was blessed to finish the Book of Mormon for the first time in Português! It was such a special moment. I was striving to finish it as if I was reading it like an investigator. When I read the last 3 verses I felt such a strong urge to come unto christ more. I had realized the whole time I had been reading it, it had been inviting me to come unto Christ! It was really an amazing moment, I especially loved Moroni 9:25: My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever....I love how he had just finished explaining all the hardship, and told him be faithful, don't be weighed down by the things of the world, but let the Savior and His sacrafice lift you up and bring you joy! I felt so much peace and love that things are bad in the world, but we have the atonement and its here to lift us up!

We had a cool experience this last week! E. Christofferson said in a quote, "The work between less actives and those who arent members is the same. They both have wandered from the path and they need the blessing of the gospel." Our moto in the mission is 100% rescue!

Well we are teaching this less active couple who there kids arent members. Two weeks ago when I and another elder were testifying of the Book of Mormon that they needed to read it and pray about it to feel that love they felt before. Well their 12 year old son was there...little did we know he was listening. We went back monday to find out that he had taken his mom's B.o.M and has been reading it and praying about it. She caught him reading it and asked him what he was doing. He said, "mom if you wont read it, I will, and I will pray about it." The faith and example of that 12 year old who isn't a member has now changed his less active parents and they both are starting to read the Book of Mormon! I love that book! I'm so grateful for the work with those who have fallen from the path. We all fall sometimes and we get to help pick each other up!

Love you all so much!

Happy anniversary mom and dad...and happy b day chica!

Love you all!

Gary

Stuck Inside

So this last week we weren't able to do a ton. My comp was sick most of the week and we had interviews and meetings...sooo it resulted in a lot of studying! 

But we had one cool experience this last week. We were contacting a less active and his friend was there. She claims to be athiest. So we sat down with her and began to ask her about her past life if she tried to come to know God, if he really did exist. She began to try and prove to us how he didnt exist but we began to ask follow up questions using just as Alma did in Alma 34 and we asked her, since she was willing in the past to try and know God if she was willing to give it one last try. She said yes and as we were leaving she immediatly began to read Alma 34. We testified to her that because she was reading the Book of Mormon and because it was perfect, only something that was perfect could prove there was a God. We pray she will find her answer! 

So I was reading a lot in this book I have, "The Life of the Savior." It's really cool, it has all the scriptural accounts of the savior and his life put in chronological order. It was so amazing as I was reading the christmas story. It opened my eyes to so much when I had all the stories put together in order. I have learned a great deal from the accounts. One thing is that Christ is our salvation. The people of the last dispensations I admire. Many knew that it wouldnt be there dispensation that would see the Savior, but they went forward to help others know of Christ. They hoped in a salvation to come. Christ came and fulfilled that hope with his birth. He then rose from the dead fulfilling all hope for a salvation and making it sure, and now we are able to help prepare all for that final day. As it says in John 20: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. So amazing to know that he is our salvation. Its through our faith and obedience that we see and recieve the blessings of salvation. So greatful for the Salvation we recieve from Jesus Christ. 

Forgive my english I'm so sorry its going down hill, and the keyboards are crazy here...

Love you all,

Elder Loveless

Slept outside...we have a closed off area, and it was cool that night so we all slept outside :) so awesome!"

Elder Loveless and Elder Schultz

 When Hernando took us to the biggest mall in south america...it was legit...its like 3 of city creek! 

They call these dreams...they are like donuts with an inch of caramel...they are to die for!

Great Week!

So this last week was super crazy...some problems in the zone resulting to a 6 day exchange from Elder Matos and I...super crazy, but it was really good!

I had a wonderful opportunity yesterday to share the restoration again with one of our new investigators. It was such a powerful experience and the spirit was so strong. As we were focusing on teaching about the authority and how important it was when Christ was on the earth, we were able to share one of the most important parts of the restoration and that was explaining about the atonement! It was truly amazing, we then lead into the restoration. Teaching about the experience of Joseph never gets old. Each time, that lesson is accompanied by the spirit and I love the feeling that fills the room. It's so hard to see people reject the invite to be baptized, but that is why we are so blessed to leave them with the Book of Mormon so they can find out for themselves that these things are true! Just as each one of us has done. 

As I was thinking about how important the words are of the restoration I always start to think more about how important the atonement is and how it gives us the ability to stand strong even when times are hard. I love how Jacob explains in 2 Nephi 9 about the atonement, the effects of sin, and the wisdom of our Father in the atonement and how the atonement rescues us of the effects of sin. But He gives a great explanation in verse 3 "Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children." I love how he says I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever...That is the blessing of the atonement. I love being able to know that even when people dont want to hear the message or reject baptism. I'm so greatful to have the blessing of the atonement so that I may never have to let my head hang down. I love the blessings of the atonement and the strength I receive from it in the Book of Mormon. 

Love you all,

Gary 

Healing power of the word!

Hernando and Elder Loveless. Hernando let Elder Loveless use his Skype on Mother's Day.

So not only was yesterday amazing, but our last week was too! It was so awesome to end off the week skyping with the family! Loved it so much! I'm so grateful to have such an amazing family that has blessed me throughout my mission!

So this last week we got a call from a man in another city here in São Paulo. He said he has a friend that was sick and she needed a blessing! Well she isn't a member. So while on an exchange with an American elder here, we went and contacted her. She told us she lived in Texas for 10 years and she is fluent in English...well...we taught her in English. As we were talking with her she said, "When I heard your voices, my throat and the problems with it immediately started to feel better." We began the explain the blessings of the priesthood, how the power and authority was restored and as we were explaining it all before we gave her the priesthood blessing she said, "I haven't been able to to talk this much in a long time. It's only been since you two have been here and have been sharing the gospel." We gave her a blessing and she agreed to take the lessons! What she said had struck me about how just hearing us helped here throat feel better. Well I came across this scripture during my study today and it all makes sense now! In Jacob 2:8 And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.... As I read that it hit me so strong. The gospel, the word of Jesus Christ, His authority, His atonement not only heals our wounded spirits, but our whole souls both body and spirit. I was blessed to be a witness of this in the MTC with Elder Eller. When he got hurt and didn't know if he had to go home or not he received a blessing that said, "the spirit can heal your body and knows how to do it." It was so amazing to be with him and see his faith shine to watch him now serve. I'm so grateful for not only the Healing Power of the Atonement, but the Healing Power of the Word. 

Elder Loveless, Elder Schulze with Ofelha (from the above paragraph)

I also read something that helped me a lot with questions I had that were answered in the Book of Mormon. In Mormon Chapter 9:8 Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them. 9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? 10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.

It's been one of the hardest things on the mission seeing people leave the church. Especially people whom I love and know back at home. The world is changing all around us but as we learn from the Book of Mormon, GOD DOES NOT!  We get blinded by other things of the world and we forget to turn to the scriptures and especially to a God that WONT CHANGE! I'm so grateful for the power and the blessings of the Book of Mormon to help me to stay strong on a firm foundation. So grateful for my wonderful family and friends that have encouraged me to read the Book of Mormon and gain a testimony of it! I love this gospel with all my heart. I know its true and that Christ lives,

Love you all so much!

 

Gary

Campinas!

Elder Matos and Elder Loveless

 I just got transferred up to Campinas! I love it here! It's so amazing! I just got made zone leader with Elder Matos from Minis! Just north of São Paulo! He is so hilarious! Funniest elder! Love him! We are working so well together and we have the same desires and thoughts of the work! It's so nice to have a comp that is willing to be at your side and work with you!

So our zone focus is for each companionship to find one family to teach to help them recieve the ordinances of the temple. Sometimes as missionaries we get so caught up in thinking only baptism, but our first priority is to get them to baptism and walk with them to eternal life. I've been caught up in Alma 31:
31 O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people.
 32 O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me—yea, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and also Amulek and Zeezrom, and also my two sons—yea, even all these wilt thou comfort, O Lord. Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ.

 33 Wilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength, that they may abear their afflictions which shall come upon them because of the iniquities of this people.

 34 O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.

35 Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.

We are striving now to work with less actives and also those we find in the streets. We met a less active family who the parents are members but the kids are not. The parents went less active when they were teenagers. Found each other at another church, got married and years later found out they were both Mormon. Well we just contacted them and they told us all this and they have kids from 10 up to 19 and they want to be sealed in the temple. Man I pray we will be able to continue to work with them. That's been both Elder Matos and I, our desire during the mission is to help a family reach the temple and it hasn't happened yet with either of us.

But I love doing this work. I just feel so happy, and especially being able to help others and help them come unto Christ. The fruits of being a missionary always results in happiness! I don't know why I wasn't doing this when I was back at home. I truly denied myself of true happiness. So grateful for the mission to help me find that happiness!

Well I hope you all have a wonderful week and an awesome mothers day! Love you so much mom!

Elder Loveless

Elder Loveless pointing to Londrina where his brother-in-law Ryan served.