Week Three!

Elder Loveless and his district and their teacher Irma (Sister) Petitta

Hey everyone, I am so sorry I won’t be able to email everyone back, (although the people have said we can have an hour to email now, and we can email whoever, so I will check up on that and see :) ) So I will do my best to answer some of them now! Well Chica and Big R ... wow ... Ha-ha I am speechless with the story! Ha-ha! At least you noticed. Taylor congrats on getting closer to turning in your mission papers! I know that Grandma and Grandpa are very excited and proud of you! Katie Leila is a very smart girl, look at her amazing uncle...Me!!! Ha-ha I am glad you have had fun and have been able to play with them. Meg, Congrats on going through the temple, it really is amazing, and yes the rumor is true, you can’t have gum here at the MTC! Ever! ... Also Katie and Meg sounds like the color fest was fun. Thanks dad for everything, I am so happy that your birthday turned out well! Good thing you don’t have to talk and drive anymore. And apparently my companions said in my sleep I was yelling agora (now in Portuguese) but I don’t know why. The language is coming, slowly but I know it will come in the Lord’s time when I need it the most.

So this last week has been crazy, but amazing! Sister miles got her visa and is leaving today, and it has been said that more visas will be coming, but I guess we need not to worry about those things! Haha! So this last week, we were able to teach more lessons in Portuguese, and it is so amazing to see how much you really know with the short time we've been here. It is so amazing, that everyone in our district is able to bear testimony, give lessons, pray, get to know people and carry out simple conversations in Portuguese. The Lord truly is amazing in ways that are indescribable! Our Portuguese improves every lesson and it becomes stronger and stronger each time!

So Sunday....... We got to hear from Bishop Causse, and later I was able to meet with him and talk with him! He is an amazing man, along with his wife! Some things he said was, "Knowing the Lord is essential to missionary work... by understanding, and experiencing with the atonement, your desire to preach the gospel will rapidly increase. Come unto him, and you will know him." The spirit was absolutely amazing! Oh and mom, his wife said, "don’t forget your mothers tongue." What she meant is her son is speaking English right now, and his French isn’t as good... Yeah I will try not to forget English...

We later went on a temple walk, and spent almost 2.5 hours there, just reading, and enjoying the beautiful Easter Sunday and the perfect view of the temple. We really do live for temple walks! Ha-ha

So Reese....this is where you become really jealous, we got to hear from... Sheri Dew Sunday night! She was absolutely amazing! before she spoke, the MTC pres. wife had us all sing called to serve the first verse very soft, second medium, and repeat the last verse loud, and last chorus, even louder, you could feel the spirit slowly grow and become strong and stronger! It was so amazing and such a spiritual experience! so anyway, some things that she said that touched me were, "Being on a mission you get to focus on the Lord and his gospel and put everything behind you... There isn’t one day on your mission that you won’t feel the spirit if you are obedient! you can call on angels to help you... It takes the elect to gather the elect... The Savior isn’t the last chance, he is the ONLY chance... You can know that you have had a successful mission when you can look back and love the Lord more when you get home then you do now at this point... Love the Lord more than your family, future wife and or husband, and in return you will have a perfect love for the Savior and those closest to you." It truly was one of the best Easters, the best one that I have been able to focus on the Savior and all that he has done for me.

Well something happened yesterday during gym time that ended up sending my two companions and I to the BYU health clinic... So during gym, my zone leader comes up to me and tells me to go get Elder Acevedo and our tags and to meet in the physical therapy room there. we walk in, and it literally looked like Elder Eller had a baseball in his left ankle... We find out what is wrong and if he needs surgery at all today, but from what we know he has torn every ligament in his ankle, and tendons were close to snapping... He rolled it playing volley ball by the way... But we got back and I had the wonderful opportunity to give him a blessing with Elder Acevedo, Young, and Christensen standing. The spirit was so strong. Never have I been able to feel the spirit that strong during a blessing. It solidifies my testimony even more that the priesthood is reel, and it does heal and comfort. I know that all will be ok with Elder Eller, the Lord needs him out here.

The Savior really is in everything! I can testify of that. I see him help me along the way every moment I go to our father in heaven in prayer for guidance! He is always there and carrying us through our days, we just have to be willing to look for him. Words cannot describe nor will I ever be able to describe the love I have for my Savior. I know I have said this so many times before, but the Atonement is very real, it is in every aspect of our lives, and we would be nothing without its sustaining power to get us through our everyday lives. I know that he suffered for all of us individually in the garden. He is all merciful and all loving. A love that we will never be able to comprehend. I am so grateful to be out here on his mission, and I am so grateful for all of my friends and relatives that are serving the Lord. How lucky are we to have the privilege to server our brothers in sisters and bring them to the joy and happiness we get to experience day after day!

Thank you everyone for you love, pray and support for me each and every day! I truly am blessed beyond measure. I love you all! 

With love,

Elder Loveless