July 16, 2012

Hey everyone!

Another week has come and gone at the MTC. It really feels like it rockets by. It's been a wonderful week, though. Hermana Lish and I have been figuring out how to be a 2 companionship instead of having 3, but I think we are closer to figuring it out than we were earlier this week! We have fun, and each day we are learning more and more how to be fully emerged in the work. I can honestly say that I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!! :) Sure I'm not on the field yet, and I'm definitely not a perfect missionary, but I am so grateful to be here. There are so many things I want to do with my life, so many places I want to see, but right now, I get to spend a year and a half with my mind focused fully on the Lord and serving His children. How lucky am I!?!?

One of the members of our Branch Presidency for our zone here gave an incredible talk yesterday for church. Brother Goodman spoke on letting go of your past. He told the story about his little 5 year old boy learning to swim. At first he would only hold on to the sides of the swimming pool and kick his feet around. He thought he was swimming. It wasn't until he let go of the side of the pool and swam that he was able to really immerse himself and swim. That's we we need to do! He told us regarding our past lives before the mission, let it be, for a while. People will still manage while you're gone. I know that's true. I love you all so much, but I know you'll all be okay while I'm gone. I'm also working to let go of parts about me that might not be the best qualities for a missionary. Talk about a refiners fire! I'm sure the mission field will be even more hotter, but I can't wait to see what the Lord can do with me as I put my will and heart in His hands. My companion and I, nadamos :) Or at least we're learning how, and working hard to learn to let go.  

Last night we got to have Jenny Oaks Baker perform for us for the devotional. She's Elder Oaks' daughter. She studied at Juliard and plays incredible violin. It was so inspiring to hear! I miss my music a lot, but thank goodness the Lord provides world class music here at the MTC :)

Can I just tell you I love Relief Society here at the MTC? It's pretty awesome. We hermanas are always swarmed in a sea of elders, but it's so fun to be all together! We also have some pretty interesting and great speakers. Our talk yesterday was fan.tas.tic. Her name was Diane Hacking, and half of her talk was about how we need to be more lady like. Who knew I was so unpolished! :) No worries, by the time I come home, you'll have thought I've spent all my time practicing my sitting posture and eating only wheat thin-size bites instead of preaching the gospel.

You know what? The gospel's real. It's so real, and so true. It changes my life daily. We had an awesome workshop on Saturday about conversion vs the doctrine of Christ (faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and persevering to the end). One of my favorite things I loved from that workshop is that conversion is not the same thing as a testimony. Elder Bednar said that nearly every member of the Church has a testimony, but not every member is conversion. A testimony=truth+the witness of the Holy Ghost, while conversion, is consistently being true to what you know. A testimony is the first step to conversion. I have a very, very strong testimony, but that's not enough. I'm working to let the Lord replace my heart with a purer heart, one more dedicated to Him, and a mind like the mind of the Savior's, because that's what we're all working towards. Now I'm working on using my testimony to help me continually build my conversion during every circumstance of life.

Christ lives! I know it, and you can know it, too! Pray to God. Ask Him. He'll always give you an answer, because He loves you more than you can ever imagine. The Book of Mormon is the word of God! It's beautiful, and every chance we get to read it can be a revelatory experience if we let it be.

I love you so much! Talk to you later :)

Hermana Lovell

PS  Read Preach My Gospel. President Uchtdorf  LOVES it. So should you :)