Final Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/17/14 Here We Go!

Wow.  Two years just flew by.  I can't believe that I'm coming to this point.  I always knew it would come, but it still seems so far away.  

I had the privilege of bearing a departing testimony at our stake fireside last night.  I love my Hispanic brothers and sisters!  I am so thankful for the opportunity I was given to serve them.  I had many members come up to me last night to thank me and I felt so much love from them.  I'm so grateful for Facebook!  I will certainly be  keeping in contact with all of them.  What a blessing!

I know that this is God's work.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that through Him we can change and become like He is.  I know God has a plna for us and that as we strive to be our best, all of His promises will be fulfilled.  Again, I am so grateful for the privilege I've had of serving.  I know that this is just the beginning.  I have a whole life to fill with service, with growth, with blessings.  I'm excited!

I love you all and will see many of you soon!

Love,

Elder Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/10/14 Here we go!

Well, here goes.  Last full week.  Last week was a good one.  The only down side is we had no lessons with members present.  However, the Priesthood was called to repentance by our ward mission leader and the high priest group leader and we several people signed up to go out with us this week and a couple more who said they were going to look at their schedules.  The ward really is very willing to help out we just have never been able to find a super effective way to coordinate our efforts and our schedules.  

Saturday night we finally got to see an investigator we hadn't seen for several weeks, J.  He was discouraged and frustrated because he recognizes he's not living right, he fears what will happen if he were to die right now, and when he shares that with his friends and family and in a way calls them to repentance they just laugh at him.  He also said he gets frustrated because people see the Mormons as a different religion, "like they worship another God.  But it's the same God!  They just have another side to it."  He says he wants to make changes in his life but he feels no support from anyone.  We encouraged him, promised our support and God's, and he accepted to get married and baptized by December 13th.  He came to church the next day and we have a return appointment tomorrow.  I think he's finally hit the point where he is ready to do whatever it takes to get right with God.  I'm excited for him!

V has been telling everyone about his baptism in two weeks.  He didn't make it to church because he got called into work, but it sounds like he has every intention of making it to that baptismal date.  We just need to follow up on smoking every day and make sure he stays strong.  

I wanted to share some of my feelings about family history for a moment.  Last week we took some time to be on family search and I found three names to do temple work for.  Just like that!  When was the last time you were on familysearch?  We had a training on it last week.  A few months ago there would be changes all the time but recently those have slowed down.  It's about as good as it's going to get.  And trust me, it's good!  Now-a-days you can do so much just from your computer.  You can search records, index (they're adding 1.7 million names a day) and don't assume that because you looked before and didn't find anything that you wont' find anything now.  Italy recently asked the church to photograph all of their records.  That's 200 million names.  200 million people who are waiting for their work to be done.  200 MILLION!!  So get on familysearch, ask your family history consultant what you can do, and go do some work of salvation!  We're finding more veery day.  

This is going to be a good week.  Good things are going to happen.  Hope you all have a great one as well!

Love,

Elder Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/3/14 Sprinting to the End

Hello family and friends!

This is suddenly becoming very real.  I got my flight plans this week, the schedule for my last day in the field, and various instructions for things I need to take care of.  I just had my last fast and testimony meeting as a full-time missionary.  I'm running out of time!  

We had a fun ward Halloween activity on Thursday.  There was a carne asada cook-off (it was fantastic!), games for the kids, a cakewalk, a hay ride, a costume contest and then a trunk-or-treat (we left before that part though).  On Friday we had to be in our apartments by 6.  Then it poured!!  I think it rained all that night.  It was so great.  California really needs the rain.  

We had a wonderful elderly couple come to church yesterday. Their names are F and C. I was very surprised when they committed to come because they had recently expressed to us that they aren't going to change religions and C doesn't even go to mass anymore because she has trouble walking. But they came! Sadly the only other person who came was A. V and his family didn't come, but we had a great lesson with them on Tuesday. His wife and daughter said that they will also eventually get baptized, just not this month. She loved church last week, especially a special musical number the missionaries sang (Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning). 

We found out yesterday that we're getting the car taken away tomorrow.  Some sister missionaries need it.  But it's all good because I'm definitely not going to be gaining any weight the next couple weeks!
I'd like to share part of my testimony:
I have made a lot of mistakes, not only on my mission but throughout my life. Often I am very tempted to dwell on those mistakes and weaknesses. I feel frustrated that I'm still not perfect, that I still have many of the same character faults, weaknesses and temptations that I have always struggled with. But I know this: What matters is not how many times we fall but how many times we rise up. I can start right here where I'm at and do better today. Why?
Because Jesus Christ suffered and died for me. he suffered the consequences of my poor choices so that i could try again. Because of Him we are free to choose life and liberty or captivity and death. While there is breath left in me I can and will choose to serve him THIS day. I don't need to worry about yesterday or tomorrow. THIS day I choose to serve Him.
I know that I am weak. But I know God is my Father. I know His Beloved son died for me. I know that by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know by that same spirit that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that through the Prophet Joseph Smith God began to restore His church and gospel to the earth. I know that as we strive to live that gospel, as we come unto Christ, through faith, repentance, covenants, receiving the Spirit and enduring to the end, weak things will be made strong by Him.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Lofthouse