Where in the world is William Lovell + 2 emails.

Ok all y'all friends of William. Sorry about the anticipation in what is going on with his mission. William had some medical problems and is on a temporary leave (not release) from Brazil until they can make sure he is alright. He had been home for a while going on splits with the local missionaries, but now he is serving in the Las Vegas mission and he is having a great time. Here is his mission address

Elder William Lloyd Lovell
Nevada, Las Vegas Mission
9270 S. Maryland Pkwy.
Las Vegas, NV 89123

I will keep you posted on his medical process once we know what is going to happen mission-wise. He can certainly use your prayers, letters, and love.

Here is his letter from April 2nd. (Sorry for the lateness on the updates. I had finals and then went on a trip to Italy...how dare I.  Plus I'm still there, so I'm sorry for any more delays, but I'm trying to do better.)

Well, giving you an update of the last 50 minutes from when I went home, the mission is going great! Except I still cannot find my wallet! Thats no fun. But Im thinking it must be in my black suit coat pants, which I will check the minute I get home.

So far today, we fixed the car's back left blinker! Thats about it! Look you know everything about whats going on! Gosh thats the shortest update I've ever had to give in my life!

 

So now down to bussiness, you all need not forget that writing your missionary is important! Dont forget it! I know I sure did when I was at home, and you were all on missions, but dont do what I did! If I could go back in time I would have written ya'll every single day of my life. And by way of that announcement, allow me to thank mom publicly for her awesome e-mail she already sent. If you would like to begin competing with her, she sends an update plus a spiritual thought. I would recommend you make this a very intense competition. Let the games begin!

 

Hmmmmm... what else. I think thats just about it. Wait, mom and dad, do you have a good picture for my plaque? I think a good scripture to go on it would be D&C 36:6. I cant believe how awesome that scripture is. I think its a perfect sum up for anyone who has read the book of mormon and bible. If they understand what Christ did for them. That He suffered ALL things for them. Then what is insurmountable??? The scripture is "Look unto me in EVERY thought, doubt not, fear not." I've thought about this scripture a lot. You'll notice, if you look down in the footnotes for thought, it says "Motivations" to me thats interesting. Its something that has helped me with this anxiety stuff. Some times the tone of it comes out very cynical to me. When I get all worried and start freaking out its like Christ is just looking at me shaking his head... "look, do you believe in me really? then dont doubt and dont fear, if you're having some wierd thought, take President Utchdorf's sermon and stop it." I also really liked what Elizabeth told me once about what she studied. She said that the scriptures contain "the peacable things of the Kingdom" they shouldnt scare us, ever. Even the sinner that wants to repent. Repentance is awesome. Its not scary. So, I dont know maybe Im just thinking out loud, but since "there is no tempation taken [us] but such as is common to man..." I would think that someone more than just me gets scarred of the vast endlessness of the gospel sometimes. When life gets scary or just overwhelming, turn to the scriptures and think "what in these can help me be at peace?" The Book of Mormon esspecially promises peace. That its ENTIRE purpose. to give men, "peace in this life, and eternal life in the life to come." I testify that that is TRUE. Without a single doubt in my mind! If you're anxious, sad, depressed, angry, flustered, nervous, whatever! This is the cureall emotional pill. I KNOW thats true. It doesnt mean it will solve all your problems. But it really is a guide book to life. Just pick it up, humor yourself and read and find out for yourself its truthfulness and power because it will do it for you. Reading the scriptures is a commandment. And when we recieve any blessing from God it is because of obedience upon which that law is predicated. To have true, thirst quenching peace, you really have to just read. I testify that is true. I've felt it.

 

Well I dont know, that could have been just me thinking out loud, but hopefully someone got something from that.

 

I love you all. You are all awesome. Keep me in your prayers as I keep you in mine.

 

Elder William Lloyd Lovell

And here is his letter from the 16 of April:

Dear family,

 

Good to hear from mom and dad! Thanks mom and dad for your faithful writing and not using the excuse that I am only on a reassignment. It is truely a wonderful blessing to hear from both of you. I would like to hear from more of the family as well if at all possible.

 

This week was very good. We taught Kathy again and had one final meeting with Chelsea Utick. It was her baptism this last saturday. It was beautiful and she will do well in the church. I enjoy the Legacy ward a lot. But by the second session of church I am usually pretty burnt out and try very hard to stay awake but have failed these last two times. Elder Sparks just laughs. Speaking of Elder Sparks. I love this Elder. The more I get to know him, the more just impressed I am with him. First of all, this child is talented. He plays trumpet and guitar very well. He's great at basketball and football. While those things are all exemplary and good though, I really enjoy hearing his first experiences as a missionary. He said that his trainer (who is our district leader Elder Poytress) saved his mission because when he (Elder Sparks) came on his mission, he said he was a punk and just probably one of those kids that just needed to be slapped. But Elder Poytress (this happy, loving cheery Elder) helped him greatly. This kind of personality, he said, saved his mission and he's going to be pretty hurt when Elder Poytress goes home.

 

One of my favorite things about being a missionary is the "missionary lineage." As a trainee, you get a father (your trainer) and his father is his trainer, so on and so forth. Previous 21st century missionaries laced throughout our family will know of this geneological lingo. (ha, I liked that last sentence, that sounded like an apostle!) Well, this past week, Elder Sparks told me he and Elder Adjei were taking on the titles of my fathers. Haha. Yup, I was happy. That made me feel part of the mission. Quite frankly, I feel like Elder Sparks saved my mini mission, and therefore possibly my mission in general. Every day where I just have thought I couldn't take it anymore, or I just wanted to go home, I have found myself laughing with him about stupid things. Elder Sparks has really taught me that being a missionary is not being a robot. I can still have fun out here. And I feel loved, and honestly I kind of want to stay in Las Vegas now. I enjoy this mission with Elder Sparks and I have learned that if life is going to be fun, you make it fun. Elder Sparks seemingly enjoys just about everything. Every part of everyday. And thats tough to do because as we all know, every part of everyday is not neccessarily peaches and cream, sometimes its pure poopage, or just minor. But Elder Sparks has a huge talent to look past that and no matter what, he makes the situations enjoyable for everyone around him. Perhaps thats why I had to come home. I learned more from Elder Sparks than any companion or teacher in the MTC. I have learned more with him in two to three weeks that my total time of staying at the provo and Brazil MTC combined. So if you all get a chance to see him sometime later in life, give him a hug, I love that Elder.

  

Mom and Dad, there is certainly not enough space in the world to say about what you both have done for me. Always believed in me and loved me. When I've been in the lowest of lows out here, I often think of how much you both believe in me and that breaks down pretty much any barrier in my way. I hope I can someday replenish in you the joy and love you have given me throughout my life, because I am sure what I have to offer will take a couple of eternities to even make a dent in what you have given me in a finite world. You have been so supportive of such a troubled child hahaha, ok Im not that bad, but you know what I mean for sure.

 

Finally, I would like to insert a thought for asspiring missionaries, or even those who should serve but dont want to. When I was being taught by my saxophone teacher in high school, Mr. Pardee, I remember my feelings after a great year in making Allstate first chair tenor saxophone. We were both pretty happy. In a lesson after that experience I told him "Mr. Pardee, it is a releif to finally feel like I am getting a hang of this." He looked at me and smiled and told me something that changed my outlook on life. he said "Young Grasshopper," (Seriously) "its good that you are starting to feel confident about your playing, but rememeber others around the world are feeling that way too. Dont get confortable. Keep working, because everyone is working as hard, or harder than you. I dont mean to scare you... but I do."

 

If you are getting ready to serve a mission, or wherever you are in life, it might be easy to say at times "Yes! I finally have a hold of this gospel. I am ready my scriptures and going to church and praying!" If you are doing that and consistantly improving on that each day, good for you! But I warn you if you are going through the motions and simply do those things, not to improve, but to be able to say you did them, then be cautioned and remember your enemy. You are a soldier, up against a long living father of lies. Simply trying to sit on the good side of the bench will no longer do. As Elder Holland says, "Remember we are ALL enlisted!" You have to actively promote righteousness. Fill your mind with something righteously rejuvenating each day, learn something from those scriptures, dont simply toss them aside and say "all is done, now back into the battlefeild, lets leave everything I learned in morning or nightime 'training' here." I can testify to you all that Satan is real. He is as riotous as he is cunning, as blatant and he is snivelingly sneaky. And we are at war. I quote from my great saxophone teacher "I dont mean to scare you... but I do." I testify that Christ is our Savior. He loves us. Satan's shafts have certainly forced me to learn that. I wished I would have believed in Jesus Christ and His words and had made him a greater center of my life before my mission. If you think the gospel or being a member is too weird, too much, or simply not just cool enough, sorry, think again. THIS life is weird. This life is forgein to you. You were more than this before you came here, and will be more than what you were and are now, if you give everything you got to Jesus Christ. Take on His name now, and dont procrastinate. Because someday, sometime, whether by His works, or some others' your heart will be melted, and completely exposed to reveal the core beliefs of your identity. Its time to prepare now, not later.

 

A couple of questions I have leveled at investigators are some I will level at some of you now. Are you reading your scriptures with real intent and dilligence DAILY. Are you going to church, and listening with real intent and dillegence each week. Are you praying with understanding that God will answer your questions through your feelings via the scriptures? That is your theorem to success in this life, and peace, and also eternal life in the world to come.

 

I say that in the name of Jesus Christ amen.