Email from Elder Lofthouse 6/2/14

Well.  This next month will be interesting and should be super great!  I'm staying here in Madera.  Elder Villanueva is going to Atwater (where I was trained)!  My new companion will be Elder Morrow who I have seen at lots and lots of zone conferences over the last year but never really met.  On Tuesday we and hopefully most of the mission will be going to the missionary farewell in Fresno.  The Tuesday night before transfers each transfer there's a fireside where all the missionaries who are going home share their testimonies.  We get to go if we bring an investigator and find member or investigator transportation.  Well, this farewell will be particularly special.  There are probably more than 20 missionaries going home this transfer, and..... this is also President and Sister Gelwix's farewell!!  Afterward, when everyone is mingling in the cultural hall, the coordinating sisters want us to do a flash mob of "Called to Serve" California Fresno style where we'll all surround president and sing it to him (when I get back maybe I'll demonstrate it for you).  It's going to be fantastic!

We're going with R C and his grandson, C.  C's the best!  R is getting baptized this weekend and C is going to baptize him.  Woohoo!  And M is progressing well.  He's the brother-in-law of our Elder's Quorum president.  He's made a lot of changes in his life and his wife has been coming to church pretty regularly over the last couple months.  She used to be very less-active.  Sadly, he's had lots of work and still hasn't made it to church, but hopefully he'll be able to be baptized by the end of June.  

E and C said they were going to try to come to church on Sunday but they didn't show up either.  However, it turns out the E really understands the restoration (at least a lot better than we had thought) and we committed them to read the Book of Mormon together.  Hopefully we'll see them again soon.

Anyway, I am really enjoying Madera, California.  It's mostly been in the 90's the last couple weeks, occasionally hitting 100.  Forecast says it will be 103 on Friday.  I'm super excited!  This is such a great mission.  I am really going to miss President Gelwix and we want to work our hardest for him this month.  We had 98 baptisms in May!  We are on track to reach our goal of 1000 baptisms this year and a lot of that is because of the inspired and inspiring leadership of President Gelwix.  I wish you could all get to know him.  

Well, I hope you are all doing really well.  I know this gospel is true.  I have a very strong testimony in the power and possibility of repentance.  "Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you" (Alma 34:31).  Immediately!  It's so true.  God is waiting and willing to answer our prayers, to forgive us, and to sanctify us.  The Atonement of Christ doesn't just help us overcome sin, but it helps us overcome all our burdens, all our frustrations, all our fears, all our doubts, all our pains.  So take His yoke upon you.  Let Him share your burden.  And keep moving forward!

I love you all!

Elder Lofthouse