Great Week!

Hey guys, Well it's been another great week. Like I had said, we spent the whole week outside of the capital looking for ways to open new areas up and also doing some splits with missionaries. This last week was absolutely fantastic. I loved it. It was one of the best trips of my life. So our main purpose was to go to Chisec, Raxruha, Fray, and Playa Grande and look for members and boy did we find members. They seemed to be all over the place. It was really cool because we saw miracles the whole time we were there. We sat in the back of the pickup through all of these places so that everybody could see the gringo mormons were coming to town. We also went with a guy from Coban that had worked a lot in those areas as our guide and another man that is President Watts' second couselor, Presidente Ovalle. I think going with him was the best part because he was the same man to take the first missionaries up to the Polochic and Senahu and pretty much started the church in a large part of our mission. We were making history. One of the biggest miracles was that we went to Fray to talk to the mayor and see the possibilities of putting missionaries there, and as we were leaving the city, a man stopped us in the road. He had been following us for a while and when he got out of the car he said, " So you guys coming to put in a branch, or a whole stake all at once?" He then told us that he and his family are members but have lived there for 22 years and have never seen the church since. So he is a bit inactive but will really help get the church started there. We went to his house and got to know his family a little better. Turns out he is a returned missionary and an ex branch president from peten. He told us that he had been praying all year-long that in this next year, they would be able to get the church in Fray. He also said that his brother, who is a pastor, had a dream in which he dreamed that this guy would have his own flock and own congregation in the year to come. Well, I think that might have been revelation. We also got some other contacts of people there in Fray and it's looking really great. By the way, both Benjamin and his wife are judges and are a very strong family in the community. In Chisec, we went to eat in a restaurant and talked to the family that owned the place and they were super nice. We talked about the possibilities of putting missionaries there and the man said that he thought that would be great. He said that his Dad was a member of the church and that he remembered primary and the Elders. He said that as soon as the missionaries got to Chisec, they would be welcome in his house. They also told us that they would be looking for housing there in Chisec for the Elders. By the way, it just so happens that the wife of the man is the cousin of the wife of the ex branch president in Fray. I don't think that was a coincidence. We stayed the night in Chisec and got up early to go to Playa Grande, but a little discouraged because we still had not found any members there. So as we were leaving the city, on the corner of the last street of the entire city, dressed in a white shirt was a member from my last ward in Coban. He yelled out to us and we stopped and talked to him. Turns out he just started working in Chisec from Thursday to Saturday and would love to help us start the church there. He said he could stay Sundays for branch meetings if he needed to. He also just called us today and said he's going to put out fliers and even announcements on the radio looking for members there in that area. It's wonderful! So then we went to Playa Grande. There we found more than 7 members with all their families. That place is huge and it seems like all the members know each other. There is one family that we were able to visit that just moved there 3 months ago and are very active. He's the boss of the largest bank in the city and she is the boss of the "health center" in all of Playa Grande. They have 2 kids and have been in almost every calling on the ward and stake levels you could imagine. He just finished serving on the high council. They said that they will start looking for members and helping us out. We also met a member that had the names of 3 or 4 other families of members and said that he had houses that he can rent out to the missionaries. It was perfect. The great thing is that it is such a big place that one day there could be multiple stakes there. It was so exciting to get to know these people. Another thing that was cool was that the family of the bank and the health center went to church on Sunday in Coban. They are making the 3 hour trip a couple of times a month so they can attend with their family. So all in all, it was one of the coolest couple of days in my mission. I feel so blessed to be part of it. I feel like the Lord used the four of us as instruments in his hands in a very important time. Now all we have to wait for is the approval of the Area Presidency and we can go ahead and put missionaries in those areas. So we're excited. Other than that, things are good. I'm loving life. My companion is great and we've passed through a lot together. I know the church is true, after this week more than ever. The Lord is hurrying up his work. It's a huge blessing to see the gospel getting to the furthest ends of the earth. I'll let you know how it goes. Anyways, have a great week. Love, Elder Lloyd

Merry Christmas

Hey guys! Well, another couple of super busy weeks. It has been great. I think the last time I sent an email we were just getting ready to head off to Peten. Well, we went and it was awesome. We went up a couple of days earlier than the day of the Christmas conference so we would be able to to do some divisions. It was weird, we just so happened to both end up in San Andres to do a division and get to attend church there. Ha ha. Weird coincidence. =) It was absolutely wonderful. There is honestly a very special feeling in San Andres for me. I grew more in San Andres than I have in my entire life and I can just feel the Spirit as I walk the roads. When we got there, the Elders were over at Jose and Amalia's house, my convert family. They were over there because the branch was building a new house for them. What a perfect time to show up! If you remember right, they lived in a little stick house. Well, all the members pitched in their own money to be able to build it for them. I think that was one of the moments where I most felt like I was close to heaven. It was too great to even believe. A lot of the people I love most were all in one spot, laughing and having a good time serving the family that I spent so much time teaching. It was just awesome! Also, Jose and Amalia are amazing. When they were getting baptized I was a little bit scared because they live kind of far from the church and are really poor, but they are as strong as ever. They should even be ready to be sealed in February. They're just about ready to start with Temple Prep classes. So, that was just one of the best experiences of my mission. I definitely don't think it was a coincidence that during one of the most stressful, tiring months of my mission, the Lord took a weekend and gave it to me in San Andres just when all this was happening. I also did a division with the Elders in Trebol, Peten. It was a really good division because the Elders have been a little discouraged and even staying in the house rather than going out to work sometimes. They had a referral from a member for some guy named Miguel that lived in the middle of nowhere and made fried chicken. Our directions were horrible but we decided to ask a house when we thought we were close. Well, we felt like we should ask a house and when we did, he said he had no idea who Miguel was, but that he did want to talk to us. Apparently he had gone to church a couple of times a month earlier and the Elders had never noticed. His friend had given him a Book of Mormon and he had read Ether and Moroni completely. He was overtaken by the Spirit and asked, What does this book mean to God, and what does it mean for me? It was absolutely wonderful. It was by far the most spiritual lesson of my mission. You could almost touch it it was so strong. We explained the purpose of the Book of Mormon and what it meant for him in his life. We explained that the purpose is to help him get closer to his Heavenly Father and his Savior through the His grace and mercy. Then we switched right into the purpose of baptism and were even able to put a baptismal date with him for the 5th of January. My favorite thing in the lesson now is just pinpointing the Spirit to the investigators. Once you say, Do you feel that? and they recognize it as the fruits of the Spirit, the Spirit can control everything. Once they understand, you can testify with such power and authority, I just love it! You can say, as representatives of Christ we're telling you that you must be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost in order to receive the remission of your sins that you desire, and you know it, because the Spirit is telling you to do so. IT's like a huge spiritual explosion and it never get's old. Anyways, Luis is going to get baptized. In that very same lesson, his family members started coming out of the cracks and listening to the first vision story. The spirit was palpable. I will never forget that moment. But, I'm probably going on and on about it. The Book of Mormon is also super powerful. I've noticed it's power in my life as I have tried reading it more. I'm really glad that as a family we have been able to read it more this month. I really hope you all have enjoyed every day of your lectura. Well, I just noticed my time is up. I love you guys. I want you to know that I love this work. I love the gospel. As we celebrate Christmas, let's remember why we really are celebrating it. Because of Christ, we will live again after death. Also, because of Him, we have all lived after spiritual lapses in our lives. We owe so much to Him and to our Father in Heaven for what they give us daily. I know they are there and are holding us up every day. Have a great Christmas week. We'll talk to some of you soon. Love, Elder Lloyd

No P-Day this week

How are you guys doing? Hope everything is going really well. I just wanted to right and let you know that we will be heading off on a road trip tomorrow early and we'll be headed to Coban and the Polochic to do some splits for a few days and then we will have a Christmas conference up in the mountains of Senahu. So I'm not going to get much time, let alone P-day, to write this week. I'm really sorry, but President asked us to go on some splits last minute. Things are going really well. We just finished the biggest transfer we've ever had in this mission. We had to open up a lot of areas and receive 26 new missionaries and assign 26 new trainers and train them all how to do their job. It was probably the most stressful week of my life, but it was very satisfying. President Watts was very happy with the job we did organizing everything and it's really nice to get to be knowing all of my missionaries a little better. I'm sooooo tired, but it's a great tired. By the way, I've been getting pretty good at driving a manual transmission truck. Pretty fun. I really enjoy the email stream we have going as a family on our scripture reading. It's really fun to remember that our family is doing so well. I have great examples in my life and really appreciate the time everybody puts in to ensure they are sharp spiritually. Anyways, I love you guys. You're awesome. Thanks for everything you do for me. By the way, I'm completing 20 months in the mission today. It's going so fast. It's crazy. Just so you guys know. My new release date is the 16th of April rather than the 9th. Have a great week. Drink some eggnog for me! Love, Elder Lloyd

More Missionaries!

Hey family, Well, another very busy week in the mision guatemala norte. Things are going very well. The mission is growing! This week we have 12 missionaries going home and 27 coming in! It's awesome to see. We are already seeing the effects of the new annnouncement that misionaries can now go earlier. We are about up to 200 missionaries. They say by next summer we will have about 250, as well as every other mission in the area of central america. And they are going to put 3 more missions in central america! How crazy is that! That's what I call the armies of Helaman! Unfortunately the mission has not had this many missionaries in a very long time so we are having to figure out how to buy beds, stoves, refigerators, desks, and a whole list of other stuff for so many missionaries. It's a stressful situation, but it's a happy stress. =) This weekend we have been doing the changes with President Watts and getting everything prepared for the transportation. It's hard to get so many missionaries around Guatemala City safely with all their suitcases and personal belongings. We also had ZL Council this week. That was great. We talked a lot about putting and accomplishing our goals. As a mission we have a goal of getting 4 baptisms per area every month. As far as the mission goes, there are not many companionships getting that goal. But, the good thing is that little by little there are more and more missionaries getting the vision of it and working hard to accomplish it. It's been a huge blessing in my mission to trust in the promises of the Lord and later recieve blessings because of having faith in those promises. The best part of the Council, not going to lie, was the lunch. We had a full on Thanksgiving feast. It was amazing!!!! Let me just say it is a huge blessing to have President and Hermana Watts here. They love us so much and do everything to make this the best experience it can be. Plus, President is such a good man. He's so loving and you can feel that he just wants us to reach our full potential. As far as exciting things that happened this week.... not much. Haha. It's just been a lot of work for the missionaries. We did go to Chili's for Pday lunch today and I ordered a Chipotle Bacon and Blue Cheese burger. Super good. Anyways, I love you guys. Have a great week. ¡Merry Christmas! Con amor, Elder Lloyd