December 30, 2013

I looked at your pictures from Christmas, and I can´t believe that you had waffles!!!! That´s my favorite guys!!!! It´s fine though, I´ll just get some ice-cream later today.

Christmas Morning SKYPING with Elder Lovett

Best Christmas Present Ever!!

 

Elders Barnes & Lovett on Christmas morning 2013

I really enjoyed the different way that I celebrated Christmas here! It made me miss home a lot, even more when my comp only wanted to go home and sleep, because he only had 3 hours of sleep from the night before, so I got kind of sad. Something that I remembered, a principle that I found in Preach My Gospel, is that you don´t get homesick when you are really working. That brightened by spirits a lot, and made me feel much better being away from home.  Because I have a purpose and I know that there are people out there that I can help, if I just work hard finding them, and when I find them, tell them what they need to know, and help them learn the principles of the gospel so they will be faithful members for the rest of their lives.  My day was made a better when four other missionaries came to sleep over, it was pretty crazy!

A couple of days after Christmas we went to a city called Coatepeque for a multi-zone devotional with Presidente and Hermana Ruiz, they are such awesome people! Later every zone did a skit or talent o algo así (or something like that). They were really awesome and funny and stuff.  We even got to feast on an amazing lunch, that tasted so goooood!!! While there, we took a Preach My Gospel quiz to see how we are doing, and then later President would have a personal interview with us to discuss it. I was one of the missionaries that did pretty well, well enough to get a candy!!

Also I found out that Quinten L. Cook will be coming down to talk to us as multiple zones, I am supper exctited, I just can't wait!!!´I just hope that he doesn´t speah Spanish, fingers crossed. However I finally figured out how to understand Spanish. Before, I would listen and focus on a word I didn´t know.  By the time I figured it out I would be tottaly lost. But my trainer taught me just to keep listening and paying attenction.  That advice worked so well that I talked with Yulma's family for a couple of hours. I´m getting the courage to just ask questions, and things are really getting a lot easier for me to do. That just shows you that you can do anything when God is on your side. PS Challenging the Giants is a really good movie. For example, there was a gringo right next to the boarder that was a total jerk. He looked like one of those wanderer people in the movies, with a dog straped to his front. The misisonaries that talked to him saw how confused the natives were with him trying to talk with them due to his bad spanish, even though he had been doing that for ten years. One Elder said that his acent was even worse than mine, it was really funny.

My comp taught primary this past week, oh my goodness cute overload, it was so adorable, and I learned how you really teach to a five year old!!

Also I learned how to make the greatest bread in the world!!!!! We helped the ward councelor, who is also a baker, make bread in all sorts of cool ways.

Love you all!  I´m doing great, and I love advice from anyone on anything that would help me be a better missionary. I will pray for you Guys

Thanks for everything!

Love you, bye!!!

 

 

December 23, 2013

I love those pictures!!!!!! That is one of the funiest things that I have seen! Go missionary power!!! Go baptize all of London over there Rachel!

Elder Lovett came to the Formica Family Christmas Dinner, Sunday, December 22, 2013

And Sister Formica joined us as well, all the way from London England

 

It was so much fun having them "with" us at the dinner table!

We had our first baptism this Saturday!! A young 19 year old named Yulma. She was already being taught when I came, it was actually at her house that I had my first lesson with my trainer.  And since I was there when she learned most of everything, I´m taking credit for it:-) She is super cool, and totally knows that the gospel is true. She was even taking notes when we re-taught her the Plan of Salvation.

 

 

Her dad has been listening as well, but was not quite ready to be baptised, and her mom was a hard core catholic, that is until one time she left one of our lessons with a fake headache, and something told her to come back and listen.  So after much debating with herself she came back in. She didn´t like it, but she listened. The next time we came she felt the spirit, she didn´t know it, but she was trying to explain to us the feeling that she felt during our lesson. Last night we left them, Saúl, the dad, and Yulma Sr. the mom, knowing that they would get baptized as well, and all they had to do was pray on what date would be better for them. I´m so stocked for them!!!!!

 

This week the choir that the church put together from Guatemala performed. To be honest, I was excited to bring investigators, and to go to have some fun.  But I heard the people sing here, and I did not have very high expectationes. We started the program, and in total for our zone, we got about 77 references, which is really awesome because we personally got about 17. The choir started to perform and I was blown away! They really did well, it was like a Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a third the size, and not as talented, but really really good! It was so fun!

 

President Ruis even came, and taked to me and my companion personally afterwards. It was a little scary, but I´m glad we did it because I really did feel like he cared for me personally. Since he spent the night in a hotlel and we had our zone meeting the day after, he decided to come and share a message with us. Also there is an Elder that looks like a latino, who is actually from Oregon, and people always think that he learned Spanish first, and that is exactly what the President´s wife did when sharing a message about learning English. She called on him and asked him how he learned English.

So there are three reasons why this is the most powerful mission in the world. I won´t tell you what they are now, but I will soon. President has shared them with us twice now, and now is your time to guess.

 

Thanks for all your prayers support and love. I really enjoy getting these emails every week, and they keep encouraging me to work a little harder. I will see you guys this Christmas!!!! Merry Cristmas to all and to All good Night!! Love you!

December 16, 2013

This past week I had some pretty interesting goofs with the language. One was last night.  I tried to plan with my companion in spanish, and I threw out the I idea that we could buy eggs for breakfeast. Instead of eggs ¨huevos¨I used the word ¨huesos¨ (bones).  I also told him that we could go get them for "lunch". I didn`t mean to say lunch, and at this piont my comp was looking at me in a really confused way. I tried to fix it, so I said breakfest. He didn´t seem like he understood me any better. He asked me something like ¨What do they eat over there in California¨ He told me that I said to him that we should go and buy some bones for breakfeast, and we cleared that up. It was pretty funny.  However it was not the worst thing I said. My comp was doing my hair, just for the fun of it, and I needed to ask our neighbor for a comb. So I went over to them and I asked ¨Do you have a comb that I could taste¨ Woops, but it got worse later when I was telling that same story to a member. She started laughing before I finished telling the story.  I didn`t understand. Later we got to the house, and my comp explained to me that I did not say the word ¨peine¨ (pain) to the member. I said to the member a word that means a man`s ¨-¨ It was really bad, and pretty embarrassing.

 

We've tried to get Joe to put gel in his hair for 18 years, and all it takes is his companion to do it for us!  Thanks Elder Barnes!!

One of the Members this past week had a birthday, so we went over, saw her face get shoved into the cake and all, but the best part of that day was we ate Lasagna, and Strombolli! Oh My Gosh the food was soo good that day. I think we even reactivated that sister´s daughter, so that is really cool.

This Sunday one of our investigators came to Church for the fist time!! and it was also the Primary Program!!!!!! He was so amazed that these little kids could bear their testemonies so well. He totally felt the spirit, and I know he will get baptized soon. His daughter will actually be my first baptism on my mission!! So I know they will make good members.

Saturday was just a bad day. We didn`t plan the day before so we just walked around like zombies all day. Some cool things did happen that day, though. We made a ton of Christmas card to give out to people so we could invite them to church. And something funny we did, because we were so desperate to talk to someone, was ask someone if my comp could use their bathroom as a contact. It turns out that the house where we asked to use their bathroom was the mom of a member, and I´m pretty sure that we are going to go back to teach her, so that was pretty cool.

I even made some of my first contacts this week!! I was finally able to take up a challange my comp gave me to just stop someone and bear my testemony to them. You can`t mess up with that, so that is what I did, and it was SOOO COOOL!!!

We Bought a tree for Christmas and put our gifts under it, now it really feels like Christmas. Now I just need to find an ornament that I really like.

We gave some more service to the sister that does our laundrey. We went and replaced her old metal sheet ¨door¨ and put up I nice looking wooden door that is easier to use, and much nicer looking now.

 

 

 

 This is what they call "service"?  And they call themselves Eagle Scouts!!  Take away his Tote-n-Chip card!!

Just so you guys know, the church is true!  It gets hard here, but the people are so understanding, which is just something that I love about them. I love it here and thanks everyone for your prayers!!

December 10, 2013

First P-Day and trip to Back to Guatemala City

Last week for P-day we went on the coolest trail and had the greatest time. What we did, was we got a call at 5:45 in the morning telling us that we were going to a waterfall all the way up in the mountains. It was so fun!  A lot of the Elders were telling me that I was so lucky to have this as my first P-day. It was the closest thing I could do to going swimming with all that water from this giant waterfall spraying us, and getting us all wet.
 

Elder Lovett & Elder Barnes

Sorry for not being able to write you guys yesterday. We got a call on Saturday night from the Zone Leaders telling me that I had to go all the way up, back to the capital, the same 6 hour trip that I did a week before, to finish my visa to get residency. All they needed from me was a signature, and a photo. Well, to serve the Lord I'll do what He wants. So I left Sunday morning and came back home Monday night. Here in Guatemala they don't have a limit to the amount of people that they can fit on the bus. To them, they can always fit one more person. So for me it felt twice as paked as New York, and all I had was my little bitty spot to fit my two feet. Elder Rassmusen and I just looked at each other at one point and we just thought that this is crazy

 

It was really awesome when we got to the mission office in Reu (nick-name for Retalhuleu) because pretty much everyone that came in with us to the CCM was there talking about their missions, how crazy their living circumstances are.  And one of our guys is even learining Mum. Yep, Mum. Our trip to the capital was great because it was only us in a nice comfortable van, just talking for an entire day, almost completely about our missions.

 

We finally got to the capital and met two missionaris learning Kekchi, I don´t even know how it's spelled, or even pronounced, but it´s ancint, and cray. So we went to do our visa, spent thirty seconds doing it and we were done.

 

Just so you guys know Guatemala is a third world country, and things are diferent. I just wanted to let you know that. They drink a lot of their drinks out of a bag, a lot of the houses here don't have a floor, so we are really lucky to have what we have. Oh, and Dad, they don't speak Spanish here either, so I'm pretty sure that Swahili is a universal language. I was telling this to my companion when a drunk guy came up to us as said that he was a little drunk at the moment, but he knows that we are good guys. My companion, Elder Barnes turned and asked me if I understood the drunk guy, so I had to remind my comp that I did't understand by saying "He did't speak spanish remember" He laughed a bit when I told him that. The missionaries and the people do tell me, though, that my Spanish is really good for only being out for a week.

 

We Have a baptizmal date for this friday! Her name is Yulma and she is really cool, so now we just need to work on here family.

 

My companion tells me that I am Just like the missionary from best two years. He sees me studying my language, helps me try to pronounce the words correctly.  My first contact was in Enlish! And one time a man said, how are you doing, in Enlish.  I learned over to my companion and asked him, what did he say?

 

I will tell you guys, that I really love it here. I want to learn the languge as fast as I can and help as many people as possible to make their first covanant with the Lord; of baptism. I can tell that the time that I have here is short, so I really want to work as hard as I can. I'm still being trained so I don't know how to help them yet, so I get frustrated.  But I know that it will come with time. I can't believe that I am out here, and I cant wait to get to that point where I can just love the people!

 

Love you all, Have a great Chritmas season, and just have a good time. Thanks for all of your payers. 

 

Love You!!!

 

December 2, 2013

Elder Lovett Has Arrived In The Guatelama,

Retaluhuleu Mission

Watch Out Tecun Uman!

These past couple of weeks have been really exciting. We all had our last big training In the CCM right before we left.  The next day we got on our little tour bus and were off to Guatemala Retalhuleu! The ride there took maybe three and a half hours, and pretty much the entire time we could see a volcano. I think we saw three or four different volcanos our whole trip here.

 

Finally we arrived at the mission office, where we met President Ruis and his wife Hermana Ruiz. They are such a good couple of people! They are also really smart about missionary work, he really knows his stuff. We met him and the assistants, and the guys who worked in the office, and got "out in field" orientation. Then we ate our very first delicacy meal in the misison from Burger King. That soda, though, let me tell you tasted SO GOOD!.

 

President & Sister Ruis

Every once in a while I think of one of the quirky things you do dad. I never really thought about them before, but now I really miss some of them, especially the one where you sing at the most random parts of the day. Will you please send me a recording of Little Drummer Boy, I love that one for the same reasons as you.

 

I just want to let you konw that you don't have to tell me anymore to stay off of roofs. My companion was one of the three people who actually watched that missionary die. The truth is that there is a long story that goes with it. You don't need to worry because that simple won't happen to me.

 

Anyway. I don't have a lot of time but my "Dad" is Elder Barnes, and my area is Tecun Uman 2.

 

Love you!

Elder Lovett (Joe)

 

Tecun Uman

Tecun Uman (1500? – February 20, 1524) was one of the last rulers of the K'iche' Maya people, in the highlands of what is now Guatemala.

Tecun Uman was declared Guatemala's official national hero on March 22, 1960 and is commemorated on February 20, the popular anniversary of his death

 

 

 

From Dad:  This week Susan and I received some photos of Elder Lovett's CCM (Centro de Capacitacion Missional) district as well as the whole group of missionaries at the CCM.  There are two of each below, when he arrived and then a couple of weeks later in his stay there.

 

 

October 16, 2013

The day Elder Lovett Arrived in Gutemala City

 

 

October 30, 2013

A couple week into his stay at the CCM

Thanksgiving Weekend 2013

This past Wednesday Elder Lovett left the CCM to go to his Mission field of Retalhuleu.  So unfortunately, he wasn't able to write us an email.  But we did find a couple of pictures of him and his companions, Elder Jensen (his companion) and Elder Salcedo (one of the two week Hispano companions) in his email account.  So for any real information, his new city, his new companion, etc. we will have to wait for the update until Monday (fingers crossed).

Elder Lovett, Elder Salcedo & Elder Jensen 

 

 

 

Elder Salcedo & Elder Lovett

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

 

We have had some really good success with the language this week!!! Our roomates are all Hispanos, which makes it us two Gringos, and four native spanish speakers!! That is sooooo awesome! We spend every meal with the Hispanos, and there are quite a few people noticing our efforts at Hablo su Idioma, and even our teacher told us how well we have improved from when we first got her as our teacher, about three and a half weeks ago.

We have now been in the CCM longer than all the other missionaries here! We are the Viejos! It sort of feels like that last year of high school where you can´t exactly place yourself, in your mind, that you have had the most experience. The world is just around the block, and I can´t wait for it!!!

Last week, right after the old Viejos left the CCM, a rather emotional goodbye, because we practically knew them for a whole month.  We got to do the greatest thing a missionary at the CCM could do. It was fantastc!  It was incredible.  It was even better than going to Wal-Mart. Enserio (seriously), this was really cool, we went to the market in Guatemala City! I would imagine it was like the feeling that you guys, mom and dad, got when you first got out to Italy. A serious, amazing culture shock! It was like a three story mall that went down into the ground. You could bargin with the shop owner to lower the price of any item, but then you have to buy it.  So worth it. The shops maybe were 10ft by 10ft, packed with authentic Guatemalan designs, and crafts, and clothing that were distinctly Guatemalan.

Before we even went to the market we visited a little park with a gigantic realistic 3D map of guatemala. It was made by a man who decided that he would travel all over Guatemala and take notes, and I don´t even know what, to show exactly what Guatemala, and a little bit of the surrounding countries, looked like. The map was over an acre large and then it was 99% accurate! How fantastic it that! So while we were there the CCM President told us the theories that say the Book of Mormon happened here. One example is the one story, I don´t know who told it in the Book of Mormon, that there was a small stretch of land that took a day and a half to cross. With oceans, there is no way you can cross from one ocean to another, but if you define a small stretch of land between the ocean and the mountais, then that area that he was talking about is just above my mission!

 

 

 

(I think this is what Elder Lovett is referring to in the Guatemala City Park.  A 3D map of Guatemala)

 

I just want you guys, Mom and Dad, to know how awesome it is to know another language, and I hope that you guys will never, ever, lose it! Read the Book of Mormon in your mission language every once in a while, and you'll remember so much. I would also like advice from you guys, and anyone else who served a mission in a different language. How did you learn your language the best? What would you be searching for in the scriptures, and how would you search for it? And do you have any advice? I would love to hear the respones from you guys , and anyone who can help.

I gave a talk on Sunday all in Spanish. For some reason I just knew that I would be giving a talk, something just told me.  So I prepared it as best as I could. So we taught district meeting in Spanish, no big deal, then I gave the talk, and it was fun. I went up later to thank the Branch President for the opportunity to speak, and he told me that leaders normally don´t give talks, that they normally don´t speak in Sacrament meeting, but the spirit told him during district class that I should speak: So Crazy!

Good times, hope you guys could see it here, love you The Church is true. I might not write next week, because I´m leaving for the FIELD next week!

 

Love you, Bye!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Asembrosa!

Again, a different P-Day!  We can't keep up on Elder Lovett's P-Day, he's been there almost 4 weeks and he's changed his P-Day 3 times!  Is that normal???  It sure makes timing our emails to him tricky!  I've missed him one week, Susan missed him this week.  Luckily, I wrote him early this morning so at least he had one letter waiting for him! 

Hello Family!!

 

Jacob and Tyler are going to be awesome missionaries searving on totally different sides of the country, how awesome is that going to be!!!!!!? Asembrosa!! (Awesome, Amazing, Excellent)

Not a whole lot happened this week.  The last thing I remember was that we had a district meeting that we never thought we could top, becuse it was so asembrosa. Then we totally topped it the next week! We even had the CCM President (President Nicolaysen) come and talk with us for a few minutes to share some of the wisdom he had about charity, and loving the people. I´t lasted a good hour and a half! Wow!

President and Sister Nicolaysen

So, the story about why the president came and spoke with us during our District meeting is because I asked him to come my second week here. Simple enough right? Well our meeting came and went, and he had meetings and he forgot. So I later reminded him about it, and he felt sooooo guilty that he missed it, and promised me he would be there next time. The next time rolled around and I reminded him aaaaaaaand, he had a meeting, and would be leaving for a week for a Mission Presidency something. When he came back I meerly had to say ¨welcome back¨ and he pointed at me and said, ¨I have been thinking about that meeting all week, I will be there¨ Wow that´s so nice of him, but when I asked him to come talk to us, I did´t mean to mentally torment the man!

He came and talked to us,and you know, that the meeting lasted for about an hour and a half, and when we finally finished we found out, WE Missed Dinner!! Noooooo! However, incredibly, through the miracle of (listening to) the Holy Spirit, I asked if we could get some food, and he said it was no problem. I ran around the CCM like Paul Revere screaming ¨We can eat! We can eat!¨

Tomorrow we can go to the market, and have some fun getting culture shocked! Woo Hoo! It will be asembroso!

La igelsia es verdadero, Soy un misionaro a ayudar las personas a venir a Cristo. El meyor camino a aprender español es lo hablar. Ayer yo notado que tengo solamente dos años aqua en Guatemala, entonses necesito intentar tan mucho como puedo aprender el evangelio,la idioma y AMOR LA GENTE!!!!!

OK, so I jumped the gun a little bit!  We received this letter on Elder Lovett's "new" p-day, Wednesday!  WHEW!!  This is a GOOD pattern so far.  And Susan says he's back on the Christmas gift list!!  Which we will need to send to him in the next week or so.  YIKES, already Christmas shopping!?

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 Part II

Hi Family!

One of the guys in my district became zone leader, so we had to change branches here, which also means that my P-Day changed to today. I´m still ok, doing great and speaking Spanish!

I told you about our fantastically amazing trip to Wal-Mart. It really was all it was cracked up to be, it was amazing, but before we left for Wal-Mart we stoped at the stake Center to play some games and have a little bit of fun. We had a great time with only North Americans that speak only english. Anyone who speaks Spanish only gets two weeks here, just like Jacob will get in Provo. Anyway! On our way out of the Stake Center´s parking lot the bus got STUCK! The edge of the driveway dipped down a little, then sloped back up on the street. The front of the bus got out fine into the middle of the street, then the back tires, I think were lifted off of the ground. The bus was also stuck on the lip on the ground were the gates stop. We stayed in the bus for a few minutes reving the bus' engine, then we heard ¨Alright Elders, get out¨ yep we were going to ask the spirit of God to move this bus.

 

This ISN'T a picture of Elder Lovett's bus, but I found something in Google Images that may have looked like the bus they would've been on.  Just giving you a visual:-)

 

We tried for a few minutes to no avail, then we looked over at all the sisters, and they were huddled together in prayer. BOOM it hit us. It took a while, but we knew we had to do the same. We got into a football-like huddle and offered a prayer. After much faith, a few lines from ¨Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel¨ and we succeded in moving the bus back on to the street, and were on our way to do the Lord´s work, at the store. So cool!

 

My companion is really cool. His dad works as an accountantfor the airforce, so he lived in Japan for five years. For three years he studied spanish in school, so he knows Spanish really well. We HSI ("Hablar Su Idioma" or "Speak Your Language") as much as possible together, so I´ve learned a lot of the language by just talking with him, the teachers, and the Hispanos. He is from Ohio, his granparents on his mom´s side are converts, and this same grandpa will be a Temple President soon. And, Dad, I did it! This past Sunday I bore my tesimony to the world in Spanish. (So proud)

So, yeah, I was totally bumbed that I wouldn´t be celebrating Halloween in our usual, Lovett family style. UNTIL I came down one day to get almuerso (lunch), and just about every single person that worked there was dressed up, with masks, and makup.  They had it all, with the lights up above them and everything!

Only got a minute and twenty seconds, my favorite verse here on the mission field is Mosiah 2:17

 

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 Part I

We were very excited when Tuesday rolled around, anticipating an email from Elder Lovett.  Unfortunately it never arrived.  I'm sure he was super busy with CCM and Temple activities and simply ran out of time.  Hopefully this won't be a pattern! 

So in place of a letter from Joe, I'm including a couple of pictures from his last days in CA.

 At the Los Angeles Temple Visitors Center

 



 

 The night before he left. We're making a life size cut out of this to include in family events and photos, etc...

 

 

Monday, October 28, 2013 - Not his regular CCM P-Day!!

 

Looks like Elder Lovett is learning Spanish much better now since he figured out that he needs to work for it!! 

 

Hola mi familia, nesicite saber que aqui es muy fantasico. Yo aprendo la idioma, y la comida es grandioso! Amo esto Evangelio, y estoy muy agradecidoporla Expiacion del Salvador.¿A donde es mi amigos?

 

Yeah the food here is really good.  The cooks try to mix American food with native cuisine as much as possible to ease our way into the culture. A lot of the food is pretty similar to American, we even had bugers and fries yesterday! All the food is just different, and it really is great!
 

Make sure that you tell Becca that I said Happy Birthday.  It doesn´t quite feel like Halloween time because there are pretty much no decorations. Every once in a while you have to tell yourself what time of the year, and day, it is and that you are really in Guatemala.

(Here you go Joe, some Halloween decorations for you!)

Could you do me a favor and take my leaf from the Sacred Grove and laminate it for me?

Joe's leaf from the Sacred Grove in Palmyra NY.  EFY August 2013

 

So mom you were right. We had our class last night on how to be safe and healthy. She went through all the things that could get you sick, or hurt,or killed, simple things like that. We sure all felt great after that class. As it turns out, you do sleep underneath a mosquito net that should cover your entire body. So Mom, good guess, you done good getting me that hat.  (That makes a mother feel REAL good)

 

Tomorrow will be the most exciting day of our entire stay here, and you know what the President is going to allow us to do? We get to go to Wal-Mart! Yes! Who could ask for a better day?

The CCM is definatly difficult, but other than studying, and, well ya know, learning a language, not a whole lot happens here, so when you go write in your journal, p.s. mom I have another one here, it can be a little dificult, but you will always find something from your day. For example I walked out of my room three different nights, and Elders were getting their hair cut.  Boom, in my journal. So yesterday I asked a missionary if I was in their journal, just because, and she told me that I wasn´t, but because I asked, I would be put into her journal tonight. Ha so funny!

 

There is a program online that you can write a letter at dearelder.com where they will print it out in

Provo as a real letter, and they will send it to the CCM, and I tell you that the best thing that could happen is getting a nice physical letter from home!

 

Don´t worry about me. Just remember what a Missionary from Guatemala said ¨Just be smart¨ I am being taught how to do that, and even though it´s not the easiest country in the world to live in, the best thing to do is turn to the gospel and your faith. Look up Deuteronomy 4: 30-31 As long as I am obedient the Lord will help me through.

 

Deuteronomy4:30:31

 

30 When thou art in ^atribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the ^blatter days, if thou ^cturn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

31 (For the Lord thy God is a ^amerciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the ^bcovenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

 

We´ve got this guys, don´t worry, and thanks for your prayers.

Email:  Tuesday, October 22, 2013 First Week Done!!

Susan and I were thrilled to get the letter below.  Not that we got a letter from Elder Lovett, but for the simple fact that we actually GOT A LETTER!  He's never been a good communicator, so we were excited to think that he may actually write us while he's on his mission!!

From Elder Lovett:

Every once in a while I kind of have to think about it, and realize that, dude I´m in Guatemala!! So weird. The CCM is like a relly big bubble that holds all the missionaries in one spot. Protecting them from the World across the street. Every once in a while the cops drive down the street sitting in the bed of a truck, with AK-47´s. If you imagine that you were in one of those movies where they go to a place like India. the sights , sounds, and people are pretty much the same. The food is awesomely delicious, and the president is amazing.

You can see the temple out of my window, we even went today. Every night it´s hard not to look out of my window and see the temple in front of this GIANT HILL. Moroni is higher :p

I was called to be district leader, and there are about nine people, including me, in our district. I was even asked to play my "Armies of Heleman" song in sacrament. Let the pressure begin!

I was not as ready to learn spanish when I came. I thought that it would come so fast, nooooope. I had to learn a humbling lesson the first few days.  I wanted someone to tell me that it would be hard to learn spanish before I came. Everyone told me it would be so easy, boosting my ego. Then at sacrament meeting, I pictured Todd Moran telling me ¨Face the fact that it´s going to be hard. Now get over it, and learn the language. Now spanish is coming Much better.¨

Tell those people at home to write me!!!!!!! Send my love to Rachel, Mckenzie, Eloy, Ryan and John. I got yo back guys

Great view of the Guatemala City Temple

from Elder Lovett's CCM dormroom window

October 15, 2013, about 10:55 pm

 

Elder Joseph Bjorn Lovett

Guatemala Retalhuleu Mission

October 2013 - October 2015

 



Well the four months from receiving Joseph's call has come to an end, and a new adventure has started for Elder Lovett!!  After being set apart as a Full-Time Missionary by President Wilson Monday night, what a wonderful Tuesday we spent together!  Joseph was so excited throughout the day, but when it came closer to going through sceurity, he was staring to show his emotions more clearly!  Susan and I got hugs like we've never gotten before!  After spending Tuesday afternoon in the Los Angeles Temple, he was so ready to get started sharing his testimony with the people of Guatemala!  He joined about 14 other missionaries at the gate and then took off a minute after midnight.  His anticipated arrival in Guatemala City was 5:43 am on Wednesday October 16, 2013.

As you may imagine, all of our emotions are all over the place.  Happy and Excited for the experience that he will undoubtedly have, but sad and fearfull as parents!  Susan and I spent a tearful Wednesday, but felt much better when we recieved an email from Elder Lovett.

"I arrived in Guatemala and I'm learning Spanish already!  My P-Day is Tuesday"

Short and sweet, but it provided a tremdous amount of comfort to Susan and me knowng that he's off and running, doing exactly what he has been preparing to do for so long!!  Almost a year to the date of President Monson's age lowering announcement, our 18 year old son has started his mission!!!!!  WE ARE SOOOO PROUD!

Look forward each week to new posts of Elder Lovetts' Guatemalan Adventures.  And as I get better at this "blogging thing" the posts will get better as well!

Thank you all for your love and support of our boy!  We love you all and will be so excited to share this experience with you!

GOOD LUCK ELDER LOVETT!!  WE LOVE YOU AND ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE CHOICES YOU'VE MADE!

Love, Mom and Dad!!