June 7, 2017
This week was awesome! Oh man I am so blessed. It was a week
of ups and downs but the Lord is so good! He blesses me so much. This week
Sister Sanders and I have been pretty anxious because we knew transfer calls
were coming. So we worked a lot and didn't talk about it, that always helps. ;)
Monday- P-Day! On Monday we did all the P-Day things that we
have to do to function the rest of the week. For FHE the YSA did a pool party
and Sister Sanders and I didn't think it was very productive to go to that,
being missionaries and all, so we just went and visited potential
investigators. We went to see one named Matt, he was a referral from some
elders and when we went to see him he was awesome! We talked about the Book of
Mormon and set a return appointment to come back! It was cool! We went to visit
another and we met his roommate, Katlyn. She was awesome too! We set a return
appointment with her and we plan to go back this coming week sometime!
Tuesday- Exchanges! On Tuesday we had exchanges. I was in a
tripanionship for a day and we were in my area, so I was in charge. I was SO
STRESSED. But we lined up a good schedule and it all worked out. We met with
Matt again and taught him the Restoration. He was really responsive and open
and when we asked what he thought about the Book of Mormon at the end of the
lesson he said "Well... it seems legit so far!" I started dying and
just bore my testimony to him that it, indeed, is legit. After that we met with
Olivia. Olivia is our Catholic investigator. She is so sweet but she is not
open. She truly believes the Catholic church to be the true church. We watched
Elder Costa's talk from general conference about remaining open to answers and
the Book of Mormon and it didn't really make a difference. We aren't sure where
to go with her and it's really sad because she is such a sweet girl. Oh well.
Not everyone is prepared. After that we had dinner and then we went to a park
and talked to people. We saw more lightning bugs and it was awesome!
Wednesday- Wednesday was an interesting day. We got a call
Wednesday morning from President Loveland (which doesn't normally happen) and
he told us that some sisters in another area needed our car at least until
transfers. So we drove across town and gave them our car. I feel like I'm
learning how to be a missionary all over again because all of a sudden it is
much harder and more time consuming to get places and see people. We did a lot
of visiting people and some tracting and it ended up working out really well
but we walked more than we normally do and, not gunna lie, I've gotten used to
riding in a car so it wasn't my favorite. However, I am learning to like it
more! It helps me be outside and we have ended up talking to way more people
because we are out walking instead of driving in a car. Overall, Wednesday was
a slow day of learning how to adjust.
Thursday- Best. Day. Ever. On Thursday we got to go to the
Kansas City temple. All the missionaries in this area woke up and met at the
church at 4:45a.m. and hopped on a bus to drive to Kansas. It was such a good
day. The temple is amazing and I have missed going as frequently as I used to.
After the temple we were standing outside and President Loveland all of a
sudden goes "well... who wants to go to liberty jail?" Because that's
something that you just casually get to do when you live in Kansas/Missouri.
Coming from Idaho that was very foreign to me that we could take a twenty
minute drive to go visit church history sights. So we went to Liberty Jail and
took the tour and it was so neat. I felt the spirit so strongly. I know Joseph
Smith was a prophet. After the jail tour we hopped back on the bus and drove
home just in time to get to our apartment and go to bed.
Friday- On Friday we had a good day! We went out with the
Relief Society President for a little while and tried to visit some people, not
a lot of people answered, one person answered in their pajamas and asked us to
"schedule an appointment next time" but we sure tried! We did get to
talk to a potential investigator named Connor. He was awesome and he had such a
strong testimony of God and that God led him to Springfield and just that God
is aware of and has a plan for each of us. We invited him to meet with us and
he said he would be interested but he needed to think about it, which is okay.
That night we went onto campus and there was literally one janitor that we saw
and that was all. Summer break, go figure! After that we walked to the park and
did some chalking and talked to people.
Saturday- On Saturday we started our day with some service.
We normally have some elders in the are that do our Saturday service with us
but they couldn't come so the lady we were working for told us we needed to
"suit up" because she had some "elder jobs" for us to do.
It was literally just carrying loads of wood and tile downstairs. I was only
mildly insulted that she didn't think we would be able to handle it. BUT we got
it done and she was very happy. The rest of the day was weekly planning so it
was a lot of planning and doing paperwork in the apartment. That night we had
some dinner and went to visit one of our investigators who wasn't home and then
finished planning.
Sunday- Sunday was a really really good day! We went to
church which was awesome and it was fast and testimony meeting! I love fast and
testimony meeting. Sister Sanders bore a great testimony about how God is in
charge and if we are following him we never need to worry. She ended by,
basically, telling the ward goodbye which was really sad. We didn't know for
sure what would happen, but she's been here for six months which is almost
unheard of in our mission so we were pretty sure she was leaving. At the end of
Relief Society it was so sweet. The girl who gave the closing prayer, Latea,
took a minute and just thanked Sister Sanders for the wonderful work she has
done in this area and told her how much they would miss her. After that she
looked at me and said "Sister Lloyd, we want you to know we appreciate and
love you too. We know how hard both of you have worked. We don't know what's
going to happen but we want you to know we sustain you. Whatever happens, we
have got your back. We love you." Needless to say, Sister Sanders and I
cried. We have such great members. After church we decided to go visit one of
our investigators who we haven't been able to get a hold of for a while. She
lives about a mile and a half away so we started walking and when we were about
a quarter mile away, it started raining. Bummer. We finished our walk and when
we knocked on the door a woman we had never seen before answered the door,
looked at us and said "oh no." She came outside, closed the door
behind her and proceeded to say "I do not believe in your religion. I
understand what you are doing but my daughter doesn't need this. Please do not
come back." We left and were pretty disappointed but were able to laugh
about it and have a good conversation. All of a sudden it just turned into a
downpour. I'm talking streets flooded, can't open your eyes because it's
raining so hard. We just started laughing as we continued to walk. It was that
quintessential missionary moment where your investigator just told you to hit the
pavement and it rains on you the whole way home. We made the best of it and
were able to laugh as we walked. We were about halfway home and some members
pulled off the road and offered us a ride, we were so grateful! Tender mercies.
The rest of the night wasn't terribly interesting. It stopped pouring so we
were able to go visit a few more people and then we did training and went to
bed.
Monday- Monday we had District Meeting which was so good! We
talked about being bold and helping people to recognize us as representatives
of Jesus Christ rather than a bunch of kids running around with name tags. One
of the things we talked about was making sure that you ask questions that are a
little bold and thought provoking "Do you think you are as happy as you
could possible be?" "What if Christ's true church were on the Earth,
would you want to be a part of it?" "If God had a message
specifically for you and your family, would you want to hear it?" Things
like that. It was a really good district meeting and I got a lot of ideas I
wanted to try. After District Meeting we went on campus and talked to people. I
saw a lady standing and waiting for the bus and I went to talk to her. I asked
her if she was as happy as she could possible be and she said she wasn't sure.
I told her about the Book of Mormon and promised that it would bring more
happiness to her life if she would read it. She took it and said she would read
it! I was so excited. After that we went to visit a few investigators and check
up on them. Then we had FHE, a blood drive. I love donating blood (or at least
trying to) and missionaries are allowed to so I tried to donate. They got me
all hooked up to everything and it didn't work so I couldn't donate. But hey, I
tried. While I was donating Sister Sanders talked to one of our investigators.
Turns out he is not interested at all. He was just being nice and when we asked
him to pray and he said he did, he actually didn't, he just didn't want to
disappoint us. I was really bummed when Sister Sanders told me that, so we
won't be meeting with him anymore. That night we went home and hoped on our
weekly confrence call where the Loveland's talk to us and they told us transfer
calls would be happening a day early. That the Lord was trusting us to continue
to work hard for that day after and we would find out that night instead.
Sister Sanders is leaving, she is headed to Greenwood, Arkansas. I am getting a
new companion tomorrow. Her name is Sister Mozer. I am really sad to see Sister
Sanders go but I am excited to learn new things from someone new. Sister Mozer
and I are going to have a great time in the Springfield, YSA.
Tuesday- Tuesday we had a lot of appointments lined up and
we had a lot of appointments cancel. We were sad. But we had a really good
first lesson with a new investigator, Brad. He is awesome. He has a lot of
questions about Joseph Smith and the Priesthood but he seems really sincere. We
are excited to teach him. We asked him if he would be willing to be baptized
when he comes to know that the Book of Mormon is true and he accepted! We were
pretty excited about that! After that lesson we spent the rest of the day
trying to visit investigators an we did my last day of training as a
missionary, that's right. I'm official now. Sister Sanders spent the hour we
had before bed packing and I cleaned because I didn't know how else to be
helpful.
This week was awesome! Sister Sanders and I have been
studying a talk called "The Fourth Missionary" and it talks a lot
about being a consecrated missionary and all of the blessing that come as you
diligently strive to do what the Lord asks of you and the consequences that
happen when you don't. Something that really hit me while we've been studying
is what is described as the third missionary. The third missionary is someone
who does what they have been asked to do, because the Lord wants them too, but
they are a little bitter. They go tracting at 3:00 in the afternoon on a dusty
road in the heat of summer or the snow of winter and think about everything
else they could be doing. They still serve a good mission, they are still
succesful but they never let it change them and they never feel fulfilled. It
says in the talk that they always look for happiness in what is coming next and
by doing that they choose never to be happy at all. That really hit me as a
missionary, but also just as a person. If we are always going to church,
fulfilling our calling, serving, whatever it may be just because the Lord wants
us to but we decide to trudge through it so we can finish and be happy doing
what we want to do then we will never be happy. True happiness comes when we
align our will with God's and do what he wants us to do because we want to do
what he wants us to do because we know it will bring happiness. I am definitely
preaching to the choir here, I am the first to admit that I came on a mission
expecting to trudge through the next eighteen months of my life and I was a
little better and had my sights set on the end date when I could go back to
doing what I wanted to do. But so much joy has come as I have realized that
this is where I was supposed to be. I want to do what God wants me to do and
it's what is best for me. I feel so blessed to be here. and grateful for this
opportunity to learn and grow. Thank you all for loving and supporting me as I
learn. I love you all so much! Have a great week!
~Sister Lloyd
Pictures!
Picture 1: We did Kung Fu on a park toy! Picture 2: I was
really focused. Picture 3: After our Sunday Swim (walking home in the flood)
Picture 4: Another MSU bear
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