July 30, 2012

Dear family and friends,

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Thank you for the e-mails from Mom and Dad, the mail from Dad, and the e-mails (pictures and note) from Elizabeth. Thank you for taking the time out of being at the ranch to write me! Chloe is a little girl now! No longer a baby! And Olivia is growing so fast! Precious pictures! Thanks!

Whew, to be honest, I hardly remember this week. There was so much that went on. I cannot wait to get this three week planning program under control so that my mind can wrap around it and remember everything that has gone on. Journal writing has been difficult in this area as there is so much time spent on planning. But today I found the slot that I can make possible by writing in the mornings.

We had a great baptism yesterday evening with Kym! Wow it was beautiful. The handoff to the ward was perfect! Her new home teacher was there, she was baptized by the new young men's president who is really close to her son, the bishop conferred the holy ghost, and it was so very pretty. This woman has had so much trial in her life it is ridiculous. Obviously she will be a great woman in the church because Satan tried everything to keep her from being baptized. It has been really tough for her. But now, she will be recieving new member lessons and we will recommence teaching her son.

Unfortunately we had to drop an investigator this last week. He just was not keeping commitments even after we challenged him three times to pray, he would not. We just aren't completely sure where to go with people that refuse to pray. He is waiting for faith to force him to do something about his drinking and other problems, and that just will not happen. We were pretty foceful with him, and he simply refused to change. So now we just have to find those that are choosing to follow the promptings of the spirit and preparing themselves to be taught by missionaries.

We finally got in contact with an investigator that just seemed to have climbed right out of the teaching pool. Kathleen so wants to get baptized, her mother wants her to as well, but the father is pretty antimormon. It has been sad working to get them baptized, but the Lord defiitely has the power to deliver them. That seems to be the most common problem now days. Oppressive parents. It is kind of a testimony to me that these young children who are coming into the world are truely the noble and great ones. They understand the Gospel and latch on to it, but their parents for some reason have a fear of what they are getting into. We have three people in our teaching pool who fit this category.

I have a question for you all. There is a great promise in the missionary handbook that reads: "Refined, dignified language will CLEARLY identify you as a servant of the Lord." Now, those of you who know me, know my Euphemisms. I use a lot of slang and am really trying overcome that. The white handbook reads futher: "Avoid slang and inappropriately casual language, even in your appartment with your companion or in letters to your family." How I would love to overcome this so that my language could be "that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29) Will all of you help me to conquer this habbit? I could use all the advice I could get in this area. I feel like the next two things I must sacrifice in my life are these: cracking my joints, and using slang. I will need help and will thank you for it.

I have thought a lot this week about member missionary work. It seems like many members in the wards I have been to have taken a very popular strategy: waiting. "Well, I don't know my neighbors, we'll have to wait and see if something happens," "No I haven't spoken with John at work yet, I'm just waiting for the right moment." and my own personal favorite "We don't know our neighbors." How sad is that? It is truely the epitomy of pitiful to see a member so focused inward that they do not have the time of day to minister to their neighbor. Isn't that a commandment? "Love thy neighbor as thyself?" Do we simply think that the only way to keep that commandment is to passively smile to passersby? This is Christ's true church, and these are the last days of the fulness of times. You may lose friends, and hopefully you do. "Blessed are they who are persecuted for my names sake..." The gospel is not a popular subject in a day of tide-turning politics and ear-shattering news. Of course this work isn't easy. I'm glad it isn't. For those friends I have lost trying to share the gospel with, I am proud. Do I miss them? Yes! Am I sad they are not my friends, yes! But I can stand tall knowing that I planted a seed and that I was not their only chance! I love those with who I shared the gospel, whether they accepted or not. I did my part. I know I can stand tall, even if they aren't my friends, because I stand tall with my best friend of all, my Savior Jesus Christ. I love Him, I adore Him. How I hope I never spend a day any other way than becoming more like Him. I leave that excerpt in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and friend, Amen

--

Elder William Lloyd Lovell
Washington, Seattle Mission
10675 NE 20th Street
Bellevue, Washington 98004

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