Feb 17, 2014

These last days and weeks have been super crazy, With lots of crazy work, but I love it SO much. Lately we have been really swamped with things to the point that I have been reflecting on one thing. That God magnifies those he calls. There is a short audio clip about this that one of my good friends sent me in December from President Erying. This week we have been really busy like I said, but we are accomplishing what we have to do, and more. It is amazing to see how Heavenly Father sends the Holy Ghost to touch the hearts of the people we teach, and give us strength to complete the sometimes great tasks we have at hand. I know that this is a true principle in every aspect in the Church of the Savior, in every calling. We just have to give everything we have, and do our best. And, then follow the counsel of President Erying and sit back and watch with Spiritual eyes as we watch the Hand of the Lord at work magnifying what we do. I know that This is how he works and that he loves us, If we give him our all and are worthy of the Spirit, we will be tools in his hands to change lives and see miracles. Wether it be as a primary teacher to a stake president, the Lord magnifies those he calls. The war is REAL, we are fighting the fight against the forces of the dark. And our Father in Heaven and Brother Jesus Christ will come out on top. We just have to figure out whose side we are on. 

Love you all so much and thank you for all your prayers and support.

Elder Lloyd 

Feb 3, 2014

This week was a great week, crazy like always, but great like always. We have been working a lot on the house that burned down, and I am happy to say that it is almost done!! What a ride it has been with the house and the family. 

Last week we had the chance to go to the visitors center again with the Hermana Maria before her baptism. As well she brought her daughter that we have started teaching, with her little kids, and the nephews of Maria as well. It was definitely a blessing to be able to go with them and feel the Spirit Super strong and teach them about my favorite things; about the Gospel, Families, and Temples, etc.

We started teaching her daughter not too long ago. We had seen her alot in the house, but she never wanted anything to do with us. Then one day we sat down, she came into the room and sat down as well and said, "okay I am convinced, I have seen what is going on with my mom, and how happy she is and how much she has changed. I want to talk with you guys."  To me this is an awesome example of how we need to be an example. One of the biggest worries for the Hermana Maria was her family and her kids, and just by what she has done and the example she is, her family is following, and not only the we know. Last night we received a text from her Sister that lives about 6 hours away in another state, thanking us for what we have done for her and telling us that from the things she has seen from her she has contacted the missionaries there and will be receiving them with her family. She also told us something that her sister never did and it hit me very hard. That not to long ago Maria was diagnosed with a tumor in her brain, and she has been fighting it ever since. I was transfered today to another area, but last night I was really thinking about how much we never know who we are impacting and in what way, and who knows, we might be the last person that God has put in that persons life to be their example. We need to be trying to live what we know every day in the best way we know how. 

Love you all! 

Elder Lloyd 

Jan 20, 2014

This week was a great one. To be honest we basically were just working 12 days translating for the Lions club, in other words, physically tiring no. Mentally draining? Incredibley!! haha

This week we saw something of a great miracle! The Hermana that we have been teaching and has been progressing, but her family has been terrible to her. Lately we have been recieving texts from an unknown number, very rude ones, calling her stupid, calling us liarers, and telling us to leave her alone. Then she starting reciveing them as well. Even though we wanted to fire back and give them the what for -we said nothing. This morning we recived a text; still not knowing from who, apologizing, and saying we have won them and their trust, and that they dont know what powers we have but they have never seen changes in a person like they have with the investigator Maria.

I know that the Lord Blesses those who stay faithful and push until the end. Thats what Its all about!! God Lives and Blesses, DONT GIVE UP!!

Love Elder Lloyd

Jan 13, 2014

This week we got the awesome opportunity to work with a service called the Lions Club. They are non- profit organization that helps people all over the whole world. What we are doing is; they came down here to give out free glasses and exams and then they give the people free glasses. They don't speak English and so two Zones of us missionaries are their translators. It is awesome, they give out thousands of glasses daily, to people that don't have the money to buy them. The people are SO thankful, its a huge blessing to be able to be a part of it. 

We have been seeing lots of daily miracles. This Mexican New Years, a couple of investigators invited us to go to their house to have dinner, because here on holidays its pretty dangerous- so we have to be in at 7, but on their New Years and Christmas our President said that we could have a dinner appointment and stay out until 9. So we went there and usually there is a lot of family over, but it was only a Hermana. The days before they had had some REALLY rough family problems. Long story short- her grandchildren are the world to her, like EVERYTHING. And due to the problems her son in law was going to take them and move, and her daughter as well, so she was in pieces and told us she had thoughts of just ending it all the night before. But she made goals and was basically promising God in front of us that she is going to do them to become a better person. And stop smoking, not be rude, go to church every Saturday and more. Even though her family is telling her that its not possible that she changes and since she has been talking to us she has had more problems so that means its wrong. We testified to her how she will be blessed very soon for what she is doing. Just as we got done testifying we saw something in the corner of our eyes.... we turned to see her daughter standing there with her two children, she ran over to them all giving them a huge hug, then looking at us with tears running down her face and saying now there is NO question- I am completing what I said. It was one of those very tender mercies. She has been in church every Sunday and has not smoked since that day.

It is so incredible to see so many miracles on a daily basis, and like it says in Mormon 9, miracles like in the days of Jesus Christ still happen. It is just up to our faith, and diligence. 

Love you all- 

Elder Lloyd 

Jan 6, 2014

This week we saw a lot of miracles and had the chance to go through the temple with our ward mission leader to take out his endowments. They have now closed the temple for a year and a half so that was an awesome privilege. 

Dec 30, 2013

This last week was great! 

We had the great opportunity to participate in the baptism of a menos activo girl, who we also took to the Visitors Center that day. She loves to Book of Mormon, and its so awesome to see her grandma that she lives with reactivating and seeing the fire for the Gospel again, Her name is Xochitl Zitzimisyhualt Monatño Cruz....... Yeah, try that one on for size!

 We had a great Christmas here, we had a devotional with the whole zone all about our Savior. Then during the night we went out to give out food to the homeless. We all pitched in money and bought meals, then we knelt in the sacrament room said a prayer to have the Spirit guide us and find who needs these things. The spirit was SO strong!!! We stood up, all looked at each other in silence and then headed out. We walked asking everyone in the street if they knew anyone. Then got an answer of a grandma whose daughter just died, and is now taking care of her 2 grand kids, one of which is handicapped. We found them.  Sang them a Christmas song and gave them a hot meal, they wouldn't let us in to share anything, (Don't think they trusted a group of white guys and Latin's in shirts and ties giving them food in the middle of Mexico City.) So we told them how much of Heavenly father loves them and were off to find the next family. We walked and walked not knowing where we were going, then like someone pushed us we headed to a street, then knocked on a door and asked if they knew anyone who is passing through a hard time in this Christmas night, the lady turned around and yelled, "DAD! Take them with Esperanza!!" then an older man shot out of the house like a bullet and said lets go youngin's. We followed him up to what literally was logs and tarps of a house and as we looked seeing a huge family sitting in the cold with nothing. We walked in and introduced ourselves and gave them the hot Christmas meal. Sang them a song and shared the birth of Jesus Christ from the scriptures. We shared our testimonies of the love of our Heavenly Father and seeing tears in their eyes said good bye and that we loved them and headed off. It is something that will always be in my heart. That Christmas night with the family Reyes Hernandez. We will never know what it meant to them, but we all felt charity, the pure love of Christ that night as missionaries.

I know that the Spirit guided our way that night, and Heavenly Father and our brother Jesus Christ lives and loves us. Every single one of us. 

Love you all,

Elder Lloyd

"Ants out ma pants!" --- Dec 16, 2013

This week we have been doing lots of services for others. Ever since our new president got here he has been pushing the service aspect a lot. We are required to do at least one service project a week. We really have been growing our testimonies on it as well. This last week we did three and saw miracles from them. One day this week we saw an old man cutting a stump up in a field with an axe, we headed over and started to help him. It turns out that the stump and all around it was covered in ants, so my comp and I would take turns cutting it up then getting them off.... and out of our pants haha. As it was my turn to get "The ants out ma pants," I went over by where the road is, and was leaning over and heard. "Are you Elder Lloyd?" I looked up and didn't recognize a young boy and girl. I said yes and asked how I could help them, they said. "Well, we are from the family Gracian and we just moved into this area, we are a family of 8 and are looking for the church around here and what time we go." We got their information and visited them that night, turns out it is an inactive family of 8 that moved in a week before, and are looking to come back to church. I know that through the service we were doing we were in the place and time that the Lord needed us to be, I know that what it says in Mosiah is true that when we are in the service of our fellow men we are in the service of God. And he could not be more happy with us! 

Love you all

Elder Lloyd