Knocking Doors

So we had a cool experience this week. Knocking doors has never been full of great success and nor will it have great success as other forms of missionary work, but we were in need of help and finding people to teach. We went to an area we haven’t been to before and stopped and prayed. We asked Heavenly Father to put someone in our path that would be willing to accept.

Well we went to the first two doors, one guy yelled at us, the next one dogs about ate us, and then the third door came. We knocked (well clapped hands) and a man came out and said, "Are you Mormons?" We said yes, and he said, "I went to your church once when I was a little kid and I have always been interested since. Can I read your book? Do you have one to give me?" Man it was such an amazing experience to enter in and testify of The Book of Mormon and The Church of Jesus Christ. It was so amazing!

I love being able to be a witness and testify to others that Christ restored His church and we have the fullness of the gospel on the earth. Some days it feels like only two percent are listening, but at least they are listening and others are and will come to know of the truth as well! Love this gospel! I know that this is Christ’s church. I know He lives and supports us when we suffer!

Thanks for the prayers everyone, the CT scan was great and I’m just fine!

Elder Loveless

The missionaries with two kids they are teaching

Back in an old area on an exchange

The Elder's house

BBQ!

Love Miracles

So my new area is Vida Nova (new life), and I’m here with Elder Gomez. He is from Cabo Verde.

We had some huge miracles this last week. One was from a prayer that we had said. We got into the area with almost nothing, just a few lists and a list of less actives. Well we had no idea what to exactly do at the moment and where to go, so we sat down and said a prayer asking for the Lord to guide us to someone that was in need. Well we made some plans to get going and out to work. We came across a name and we felt we needed to go, so we went over and she came to the door. She told us that she thought God had forgotten her and didn’t know if we would ever come by. We talked with her about why she fell away, the difference she has seen when she had the gospel and when she didn’t have it as strong. She said she felt she needed to come back and told us how she hasn’t been able to sleep for two months and she is with a constant headache. Well we offered her a blessing and she accepted. We then left and came back two days later. She came out really fast to greet us, with a huge smile on her face. As we sat down to talk to her, she began to tell us that after the blessing her headache went away, she slept for the first time in months. She then told us how she was desiring to end her life so she could find peace, and then we showed up at her door telling her how God loved her and needed her back.

It was such a special experience to be able to see how the Lord works. I know that He hears and answers our prayers! So grateful that He leads us and guides if we are worthy to do so to find those who are in need of help.

LOVE THIS WORK!!!!!!!!!!!! So excited to know I still have a ton of time left to do this!

Love you all, and thanks for the prayers. I get the results this afternoon from the CT scan!

Elder Loveless

Opening our mouths!

Elder Loveless and the other Elders leaving Cosmópolis

 Man it is so hard to leave here in Cosmópolis. All four of us will be transferred out. It was so hard to hear the news. The four of us got here together and helped build up the ward and they got so excited with all the programs that we were implementing...but we have to do the Lord’s will. 

This last week was great. Started out finding 2 families and committing them all to be baptized this month. Found 14 new investigators and marked 10 with dates. The Lord blessed us so much this last week. But the greatest blessing of all started out by opening our mouths...

We were walking down the road I believe on Wednesday, and we had about a 20-30 minute walk to our next appointment. I saw this lady with her head down and she was walking on the other side of the road, as I turned to Elder Lee we both felt we had to talk with her. Well as we talked with her we began to tell her of the blessings of the Restoration of the gospel and how it provides a way for each of us in our lives, through struggles and happy times. Well she gave us her address and marked an appointment with us. Well it turns out that as we asked what she expected from our visits when we went to her house the first time, she told us, "I know that you two are from God and that you have a message for me. As you two stopped me to talk to me I was planning on how I would end my life. I was unable to find a job for my kids, buy food and survive. I had already bought the poison to kill myself and then you two talked to me about how a way has been provided for each of us to be happy and to come unto Christ." 

I am so grateful that the Lord has blessed me to be a servant in His hands. I understand how important it is that we share our testimony to others and help those that have hands that hang down in sorrow and knees in despair. I’m so grateful for the miracle that happened this last week that all started by opening our mouths. I know that our Father loves each of His children and cares for them. I know that He guides each and every one of us to someone that is in need, and that we must be willing to open our mouths and share what we know to be true and that has given us hope! I love this gospel! I love my Savior! So grateful to be a missionary in this sacred work! 

Love you all!

Elder Loveless

This was a crazy week!

Eating a churrasco!!!

Man this week just flew by! Had some crazy exchanges with the elders! Love exchanges! We are blessed with many new people to teach, less actives returning to church, praying for the first time in years, reading the scriptures for the first time! Love less active work! Such a great blessing!

I was on exchange with an elder here in Cosmopolis, and we finished teaching the restoration. Well as I invited them to be baptized, I used the scripture in Matt 20:22-23 I believe, where the savior asks if they are willing to drink from the same cup that he drank, and be baptized with the same baptism. I then asked, "will you follow our savior and do as he has asked to be baptized by someone who has the priesthood authority of God?" they immediately said no that they would not, that they feel God truly loves them and accepts them that they have no need to take this step. When they said that my comp and I looked at each other with tears in our eyes. It was so sad and heartbreaking to see and hear that. WE left just striving to trust in the lord and his justice. That has been the hardest thing on the mission seeing people openly reject the savior. I then found my answer with the words of Nephi explaining that if we truly believe in Christ, we will believe in his words.

2 Nephi 33: 10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.

 11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.

14 And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day.

I’m so grateful that the book of Mormon is our key and the way to truly find our savior and learn and feel of his grace! Love this gospel so much and the blessings of serving the lord and being able to be rejected for his names sake!

Love you all!
Elder Loveless

Blessings of Baptism

Elder Loveless and his companion with President & Sister Perrotti

Man we had a sweet lesson Saturday. We were teaching one of our investigators Elias, and he wasn’t keeping his commitments. So we began to talk to him about the blessings of this gospel and how it would bless his life. As we asked him about what he wanted in life he began to tell us. We then asked him if he had found it, and he said no. we then testified that the gospel of Jesus Christ had exactly what he was needing and that it would bless him. He told us he wanted it. We then testified to him how baptism was that door for him to enter into so that he may find that happiness.

I was reading in 2 Nephi 25:16-17:

16 And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind—and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things.

 17 And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.

I’m so grateful to see this firsthand of our Father and Savior do this marvelous work once again. I’m so grateful to be a missionary of this great work. Love this gospel with all my heart and the blessings from it.

Love you all,

Elder Loveless

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree

Shopping

UNCLE AGAIN!

First off, Chica and Ryan congrats on lil Colette! She is so beautiful! So excited to have another lil niece when i will get home! ONE MORE TO COME!!!

Wow this last week was great! The Lord is so loving towards his servants. We had to stay in the house for a bit because my comp was sick, but still the Lord blessed us to teach and help others come unto Christ.

We found a man Fabiano who accepted us openly. He told us how He wants to stop with drugs and drinking to help his children and his own spirituality. We testified of the power of the Book of Mormon and invited him to follow Christ and be baptized! It was so amazing to see the spirit move him towards the Lord and giving up his sins! He said to us, "normally I don't tell these things to others. But you're here to help me spiritually and I need it and accept it." I love this Gospel and the blessings of atonement in our lives!

I'm so grateful that the Lord is always watching over us and blessing us in any moment. That He is always here for us! I testify that He lives and loves us. I'm so grateful to have the privilege and be counted worthy to feel of His love.

Love you all,

Elder loveless

Elder Mcdaniel, Elder Mckay, Elder Loveless, & Sister Ware
They all served together in Indiana

Awesome Week!

Wow! We have been seeing so many miracles each day!

I had a very special experience with prayer! It may seem small but it blessed me so much to keep going! I got a really bad migraine and I had just gotten over one. Well it was so bad that I wasn't able to see straight and it was hard to talk to people because I could barely see them! Well we had 3 appointments that we couldn't miss. Well I asked my comp to stop so I could sit down and say a prayer!

When I was praying I was reminded of a scripture in Nephi 7: 

 16 And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they   did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be   devoured by wild beasts.

 17 But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt   thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with  which I am bound.

I felt so much will to just have the migraine taken away, but I felt prompted to just ask for strength to go on. I made a promise to our Father in Heaven if He would bless me with the strength to go on I would keep going. It was such a blessing. The pain didn't go away, but I was able to go throughout the day doing the work.

I've learned a lot from prayer that sometimes we are meant to have our trials, we are meant to have pain, or when we have loved ones who have gone astray and we don't know what to do. But when we follow the example of Nephi and pray that the Lord wont just take away those things but ask in faith of ´what can i do?` I'm so grateful for the power of prayer and the blessings that come from it! 

Love you all so much! Congrats Chica with the baby girl that's coming! 

Love Elder Loveless

       

                                                         Baptism of Marlene and Lana