Email from Elder Lofthouse 12/16/13 Life is So Good!

Life is so good right now!!  It's about 60 outside, and we had a fantastic day yesterday.  And in a little bit, we're going to go play ultimate frisbee.  Can't get much better than that!

Let me tell you about yesterday!  Yesterday we had 9 investigators at church.  Nine!! Three of those were M, her son S, and her mom, P.  M finally is getting work of of Sundays and is going to work Thursdays instead.  We went over the baptismal interview questions with her last night and she is super prepared! we just need to teach tithing and the Law of Chastity, which I am absolutely certain she will accept without question.  Ever since the church tour we went on with her she has had strong desires to join the church, she recognizes the Spirit, she's knows it's true and that we're servants of the Lord (last night she accepted President Monson after we basically just said, "Joseph Smith was a prophet, and today we have a living prophet named Thomas S. Monson.  Do you believe that?"  "Yep!" And she has such strong desires to share the gospel.  Her whole family will follow her soon, I'm sure.

And N came to church again, and said that if her mom gives her permission to get baptized she will totally get baptized.  And Ml (J's wife) said that the only thing keeping her from getting baptized is she's still holding grudges against various family members and she's trying to forgive.  She's so close!  She used to have so many doubts, but this is the last obstacle.  I'm so excited for this transfer!

President Gelwix asked us to give each other blessings before transfers.  Oh yeah, good news!  I'm staying in Merced again, with Elder Moody!  Woohoo!  Elder Pugh is heading to Winton, which is still in our zone.  We gave each other blessings last night and it was such a wonderful experience.  I know that there is power in the Priesthood.

A thought from a lesson we had with Nancy last week.  We were going to teach the Word of Wisdom and we started by asking, "Why does God give us commandments?"  Her answer was simple and profound and exactly right.  "To follow them.  To become more like Him.  I mean, if He wants us to become like Him, He has to give us instructions right?"  She's exactly right!  All the commandments are are instructions to become like Heavenly Father! It's so simple!  The commandments aren't a fence along the pathway.  They ARE the pathway!  We can step off the path anytime we want, but the path (the commandments) is the only way to get back home.

I love you all so much!  I love being a missionary.  I want you all to know that I know that THE ATONEMENT IS REAL!  Don't ever doubt that.  We can  change, we can become like God, and He will always be there to help us.

I love you!

Elder Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 12/9/13

Hello again.  First off, we had zone conference with Elder Porter on Saturday.  It was short, about 2 1/2 hours, but it was good.  He talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ (faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end).  I learned that I need to be humble and full of love if I am to assist in this work.

This Wednesday we have a Christmas conference in Fresno with almost the whole mission.  3 of the 11 zones are having it on Thursday because it's kind of far for them to come all the way to Fresno.

It should be good.  It's been getting cold.  I hear it's a cold winter everywhere.  It's been 26 degrees when we run in the mornings.  I feel really bad for the elders on their bikes.  We're lucky to have the car.  And chances are I'm going to get transferred next week (transfer calls come Saturday) and who knows if I'll get a car.  Brrr!

M (J's wife) and her friend S came to church (again) on Sunday!  They're progressing!  And M let J pay his tithing this month!!!!  I was so happy to see him filling out a tithing slip on Sunday!  Her faith is growing, and I'm sure she'll be baptized soon.  S will probably follow her.  

I can't remember which investigators I've talked about.  N, a sophmore on the high school basketball team, was one of the investigators who came last week with a less-active member who also plays basketball.  She loved church, and was going to come again this week (despite saying that she was only going to come once) but I guess she had some family problems and her mom wanted her to stay home.  However, she committed herself to coming this week.  And the last time we met with her, we showed her mormon.org and she let slip, "So all these peoples are members of our church?"  It's always a good sign when investigators start thinking subconsciously that this is their church.  

This is the Lord's work,and he knows what He is doing (see 2 Nephi 27:20).  We can only assist in His work if we are humble and full of love (see D&C 12:8).  How privileged we are to have this opportunity to assist in this great work!  God is so patient and full of love.  He knows all things, He sees the end from the beginning, and He has a perfect plan for His imperfect children.  I'm slowly seeing that more and more.    

I love you all!

Elder Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 12/2/13 December Already!

What a long week!  I'm not even sure why.  It just feels like Thanksgiving was weeks ago.  At about 6:30am that morning, we played football up in Atwater for a couple hours (approved by the mission president of course).  It was so much fun!  But we are all super sore the next few days.  Apparently 20 minutes of running each morning just doesn't cut it.  After that we had a zone meeting and then a regular proselyting day.  The only problem is they didn't tell us it would be a regular proselyting day until late the night before, so we didn't have any plans.  We didn't get much done, but we ate a ton of food.  First we ate with J, then we had some pie at the Ps' and then we ate with a less active member named T.  We were so full!

We had two investigators at church as well as a less-active member and her non-member boyfriend. It was so great to see them there! We put a lot of effort into getting them to church. Fast and Testimony meeting went over 20 minutes which was kind of frustrating, but I don't think our investigators minded too much. We have some good potential for baptisms this month, and the members are starting to help us find investigators. We didn't make any of them new investigators this week, but there are a few potentials that members have directed us to that could become investigators this week.

We have zone conference with Elder Bruce D. Porter this week and then we have Christmas Conference next week, and then after that is transfers, and then after that is Christmas.  This month is going to fly by!  

I read today in President Eyering's talk from the Sunday morning session of Conference a quote by President George Q. Cannon: “There is not one of us but what God’s love has been expended upon. There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not desired to save, and that He has not devised means to save. There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning. We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes, and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are the children of God, and that He has actually given His angels—invisible beings of power and might—charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping.”

Then President Eyering said, "What President Cannon taught is true. You will need that assurance, as I have needed it and depended on it.

What a promise!  I love you all!

Elder Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/25/13 Thanksgiving!

This is one of those weeks where I don't really remember what happened.  BUT we did teach seven lessons with a member present and found eight new investigators, which are both records since I've been in this area.  We also had a Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday and we're planning on about 40 people coming.  At 6:00, when it was supposed to start (which meant it wasn't really supposed to start until 6:30), there were about 40 people there, NONE of which were active members.  We ended up with about 80 people coming.  Sadly, hardly any of them came to church the next day, but it was still awesome to get so many less-actives and investigators out to the church.  We barely had enough food!

Well, that's about all I have to report for this week.  Sorry it's not much.  Elder Moody almost got transferred mid-transfer, but the assistants texted us yesterday morning saying they no longer needed him to move.  Yay!  It helped both of us realize how much we appreciate each other.  He was going to have to go be with a disobedient missionary and he was not looking forward to it.  He is SO thankful to still be in Merced right now.  I am too!  He's so great!  So is Elder Pugh.  President says that Elder Pugh doesn't have an insincere bone in his body and that he should be called Elder Nathaniel (if you don't get that, look it up in the new testament).  I have such great companions!  I can't believe we're already half-way through the transfer.  I hope it doesn't keep going by so quick.  

I love you all!  Remember that conversion is a process and it takes consistent application of gospel principles.  We'll get there as long as we just keep going.  

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Lofthouse