January 13, 2014

New Companion for Elder Lovett

Elder Cipriano from Mexico

The way that we do changes (transfers) in this mission, is that we don´t know if we will leave until the day before at the District meeting. Elder Barnes and I knew there would be a chance that he would leave, but we really had no idea why. And it was announced that he would go and I would stay in my area. That day we ran all around taking photos with members and people he knew he would miss.

The next day the bus came and he left. I got really upset because he was my first companion (in mission life your first companion is nick-named your "Dad", and is typically a high quality missionary) and he left early, but I was on splits with Elder Oporta, from Nicaragua, we talked and he helped me feel better. We got the news that our new companions were here!!!! So we ran right to where they were, and I got my new companion, Elder Cipriano, from Mexico!!!! A Latino, YES!!!

(Roger's Insert:  Mission Language translation)

A Zone is made up of about 5-7 Districts and there are typically 2 Zone Leaders

A District is typically made up of 6-8 missionaries with only 1 District Leader

 

Our leaders also changed, our new Zone Leader , Elder Sleight, went home, and our old District Leader  took his place. Our new District Leader is opening area with his comp, and his name is Elder Hutchinson("opening" means that there are missionaries assigned to an area where there have not been missionaries prior)

 

A few days ago I felt pretty overwhelmed because I still don´t know much about the area, I haven´t had the chance to be fully trained properly. So to overcome this I prayed for a lot of help. Later I was studying and I got the impresion to read the Book of Mormon in Spanish. That's the key of our religion and we encourage others to read it daily, so I should too. As I did, I just got the calmest, most comforting spirit come over me. I just knew that as long as I do all that I can to be a good missionary, the Lord will help me.  I know He will, in all aspects of missionary work: the language, the teaching, and fulfilling my purpose. Since then I have been following the spirit much more intently, I have been able to talk with pretty much anyone, and I can see that I am helping these people in this beautiful land grow closer to Christ!

WE BAPTIZED SAUL AND HIS WIFE YULMA!!!!!!!

 

 

 

We were able to go over there plenty enough, demonstrate our love, and teach them both enough that they made this decision together!!! Yulma used to be a hard-core Evangelical, and used to run from us when we came, but we had a family night at the first councelor'ss house where they learned about an eternal family, and how they can have that through the temple. That night Yulma said out loud TWICE that she knew the church is true!! The day after, Saul told us how he would like to go to the temple some day with his family!!!!!!!! I really, really would like to go to that! One of the best parts for me is that I performed the baptism, and being able to do that ordinance for them just made a connection with them that is just hard to describe! But it´s beautiful. Now we just need to work on their two daughters!

 

They asked me to play the piano at Sacrament meeting (the Sunday service), how terrifying!!! I played the top melody part of three hymns, because that´s all that my courage would allow me to do, but I hope next week will be better if I do it again.

Just so you guys know, the Book of Mormon is true! No matter what language it is, it contains everything that we need to know to return to live with our Father in Heaven, and teaches us the necessary steps that we need to take to receive our eternal salvation and even better, our exaltation!!

 

The Church is true!  Prayer is that Gateway to Heaven, and we have the key.

 

With all my love and a bit extra, hope you have a great week. Never lose the Spirit, and continually build your testimony, and your knowledge.

 

Elder Lovett

 

January 6, 2014

 

I just read some of the group letters from some of my favorite two missionaries, the Kaisers (Jacob & McKenzie). They have got an awesome testimony and I really would like to be a missionary that can bear a testimony like that, no matter what the language.

After suffering through the holidays where practically no-one has been home, we finally got out there and used a variety of ways to find people, like service, teaching English, and simply opening our mouths. Even something as simple as talking with everyone improves your sklls as a miisonary, your teaching, and conecting with the people better.

 

 

We contacted this house because it had a monkey!! Turns out there is a less-active there, and we found two new investigators in this house!

We found EIGHT new investigators this week, so I had so many chances to practice, especially yesterday. We were looking for someone, but they weren´t availble at the time.  Instead this 18 year old answered us, and we were thinking about telling him that we could come back later to talk, but the spirit told my comp to just continue and get in to teach him. We invited him to church and he let us in to talk about the gospel!!! We taught him about the Restoration, and I new that he learned from me because he was able to answer the questions that my comp had for him, WOOOOHOOO!!! GO gift of tounges!! There were two people we taught in that lesson, and one of them just lost her baby and needs to recover for 40 Days! So we taught them about the priesthood really well and left them with a blessing.

There is a family that we have been trying to find that is apparently a part-member family, but we can only find the kids. While we were talking to those kids one day a little boy walked out of the door, looked right at me and said "Listase para luchar conmigo!!!" (Get ready to fight me)!  So he ran up to me and started punching me!!. I grabed his arms to stop him, but that didn´t work.  He continued to kick me and run up to my neck, so I dropped him into the arms of the other kids. Then I turned to my companion looking super mad, and said, (now I am going to be absolutly honest with you about what I said), I told my comp, " I really wanted to hit that kid" Probably not the attitude I should have had but my comp started busting up laughing

The next day we followed the spirit and contacted a young, 17 year old mom . While we were doing that, both my comp and I felt something mysteriously warm on our legs. We turned around and the kid was peeing on us!! I love the people here, but that kid must have one bad dad.

Our Sunday was very spiritual. This was my Zone Learder´s, Elder Sleight´s last Sunday in his mission. He is bummed, pretty sad, and does not want to go home. Another man who has been less active for a while, made a deal with Elder Sleight to come and bear his tesimony with him, and he came and actually did!!!! Also our times were changed from 10:00 to 8:00 So we didn´t expect more than maybe 60 people to come to church, but then a miracle happened and over 100 people came, non-members, less-actives, and everyone! It was such a great Sunday service.

New Years of course was crazy, just there were a little bit more fireworks, and even closer than before. This time we did not have any accidents, but we did play a game called Harry Potter with some fireworks, that is where I will leave it!

 

Patience.  That has been the main lesson that I have been learning this week, because this isn´t that easy. It´s not a  simple process to come to a third world country to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in a language that is not your own.  But, I know it will come. I am a servant of the Lord at this time, and if I´m doing that which the Lord wants me to do, he will make it possible for me, whatever it is. It says in Moroni (from the Book of Mormon) that you can pray for the gifts that you don´t have. I know that God will give you trials, and that He will try us, so that we can put forth all the effort that we have to become the person that the Lord knows we can be. I am thankful for all of the blessings that we have, and I am stoked to be on the Lord´s errand.

California Beach Boy Power!!!!!!!!!  Elders Rasmusson & Lovett (both from So. Cal)

 

We all went to the beach on P-day and also went up a gigantic lighthouse!! The beach was just like being at home, to some that would make them really sad, homesick, missing their family, or in other words BAGGY (missionary-speak for "homesick"), but I make it a happy moment that remindes me of good times that I had at home.