May 21

Dear Family,

Some items to take care of. First is a thanks to mom and dad for bringing me some goodies along with my bike last night! Thank you very much! Did Elder Marble also mention anything about a DMV printout? I need one of those to submit along with my papers for obtaining permission to drive in this mission. So any news/help/update on that would be much appreciated. Elizabeth sent me several pictures, as well as a rebuke for not writing her a letter today. :) That was fantastic and much deserved. Please expect letters in the mailboxes, I have been trying at least, in fact I did by my first batch of U.S. Stamps this week. As an announcement to mom and dad, I did call brother Hedger and left a message on his phone to meet with president Jones on where the future of my mission lies. Thank you for the reminder. I love you all for your love and support and letters to me. Thank you very much.

And now for an update on the area. Here's whats happening in our neck of the woods. This past week was pretty good. The gears are still grinding and we're trying to oil them, but the work and foundations of new programs seem to be underway. Elder Smethurst and I found two formers, one of them is a part member family, and the other is a man who never converted but was married to a mormon woman. He was very cordial, but had been taking missionary lessons for about 40 years. So both of those seem pretty satisfied with where they are at in their lives and actually both of them have had missionaries on and off throughout their whole lives. But Elder Smethurst and I will get them. Just a lot of role playing. That will do the trick.

Aside from that, we are getting a family history project underweigh for one section of our area, and then we'll spread it out. We are pretty excited. We have some "in's" with a couple of HOA's and so we're trying to get service projects there to set an ensample for the inhabitants thereof. Something that I brought up with Elder Smethurst that we are trying to figure out how to do is to help our youth get more involved in the missionary work. They always seem pretty excited to help out. So we are starting to seek advice from the youth quorum leaders. In fact we visited the Deacons quorum president of seven hills last night. We explained to him his awesome power as a president of his quorum. He is already doing a rescue effort for their only inactive deacon who has an oppresive father who will not let him attend. So the deacons, under the direction of their zealous president, have sought freindship from this lost member. We are scheduled to meet with the Teacher's quorum president in anthem this week.

Baptismal plans are underwiegh for two formally excommunicated members of the seven hills wards. Brother Gary was supposed to attend church this last week to talk with Bishop Messina about getting baptized since he almost lost his life from lack of oxygen to the brain. However, he did not attend. The other excommunicated member, however, is extremely excited to have the missionaries over. We have been teaching him, and quite successfully. We have a good relationship with his children, expecially one of his sons to whom we gave a blessing for the sick and afflicted. Tonight we are discussing patriarchal blessings per request of one of the younger daughters who seeks to obtain such in a later time. (Yes that last sentence was purposefully stuffy, I am just being ridiculous.)

News about Brazil -

I heard from two of my friends from Brazil. Elder Cox, my companion from Provo, and Elder Green, an Elder from my district in Brazil CTM. Oh Elder Cox's letter was extremely touching. I loved hearing from him. Elder Green told me that another Elder from our district in Brazil was sent home. Elder Moat became really really ill and is actually released from missionary service. That leaves only 5 of us from our Brazil district still Brazil, and only 7 of those still in working condition. We are under fire. Man. 

This brings me to my lesson learned this week.

I absolutely love President Brigham Young. His was a fantastic president and arduous apostle. He is frequently compared (by missionaries) to Elder Holland of Latter-days. He stood up against the most ravening rebellious apostles of Joseph Smith and put their sorry speeches to shame. The doubter of God or one of his servants could only doubt himself when Young was through with him.

One of my favorite accounts of Brigham Young after the journey from Zion's Camp. We know that the Zion militia actually never saw any real battle but that the hand of the Lord protected them. However, those who had spent countless hours in the humid grilling sun marching with a musket and completing a rigorous journey plus military training, began to murmer. Many had felt they had gone and returned in vain. In fact, upon returning home, a well to do man, dressed in his fancy apparel, looked up at Elder Young sitting upon his horse drenched in sweat and wearing merely tattered work clothes, and said, snidely "Well, Brigham what did you gain from this little trek?" Elder Young looked down and smiled and said "All that we came for. I wouldn't trade what I learned from the prophet for the wealth of this whole county."

As I heard the news about Elder Moat, I was a little discouraged. I thought to myself "What is the purpose of the missionaries encountering such unbearable trials while in the Lord's service? What do they get out of that? It's not fair." I got on my knees and prayed, read my patriarchal blessing and then pondered for a moment. As I pondered, the account above came into my mind. My answer to "What do they get out of that?" is simply - "All that [they] came for." I am sure they will not trade the relationship they gain with the Savior for the wealth of the world.

It is my prayer that when delay, or dissapointment comes, we will remember what we came to this earth for and realize, we are definitely getting what we came for.

I love you all. Thank you for your support, letters, and love.

Sincerely,

-- 

Elder William Lloyd Lovell

Nevada, Las Vegas Mission

9270 S. Maryland Pkwy. 

Las Vegas, NV 89123 

D&C 6:36 - "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not"