July 15th Update

Usually, I end up just wanting to write about Sunday, because those are the miracles that are most fresh in my mind. It's incredible to stop and think about the atonement. I got to teach about the atonement in the gospel principles class, and it's amazing how studying the atonement can always make you feel better. We got a new bishop in Barrio Copihues, and I am SO excited. He is so consecrated to his calling. He wants to have interviews with new converts every month, interviews with the youth a lot, interviews with every couple in the ward twice a year. And we've got a goal to have our own church soon in 3 years. THAT, my friends, is dedication to mission work. Woohoo!

 

Some things I've learned:

 

A lack of progress upsets the human heart. Improvement is why we are here on this earth. Setting and reaching goals invites the Spirit into our lives. They take us one step closer to the Master. We are here to be "anxiously engaged" in a good cause. The fruits of work and goal setting are an outpouring of the Spirit, creativity, and a sense of purpose in life.

 

Having a clear perspective of what would be the will of God will help us distinguish between what thing we must pass through "cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord", and what things Heavenly Father will empower us to helps us change our lives. Submitting to the will of the Father is not going as "a leaf in the stream" when your circumstances are not exactly what you wanted. It is to submit yourself. It is to choose to change yourself and your circumstances as you draw from "the strength of the Lord." The enabling power of the atonement accomplishes the ever present goal of our Heavenly Father: To help us become as He is. 

We've had some crazy moments with the Family Cifuentes that we're teaching. But you know what? That's when you really realize how much you love them. And then you fight even harder for them. Carmen, Kony, and Patricio are going to get baptized on the 27th, and Mattias is going to get baptized the 3rd of August. They're a funny bunch, and I love seeing how the gospel is changing and healing their family.

Yesterday we found two of the coolest investigatores I've had: Patricia and Teresa. Patricia has a parrot, loves plants, and is about 60 years old. Teresa is 90 YEARS OLD, and quite sassy!

I'm still having a great time. I know that for everything there is a season. I've loved my past. I know I'll love my future. And I love what is happening and what I learn every minute of everyday here. I love the peace that can be found as we just live with all our heart and love every minute of it.

Come what may, and love it.

Love you!

Hermana Lovell 

June 24th Update

It all started with a broken bunk bed. 

Well not really. But this week was pretty awesome. I'm with Hermana Martinez now, a CHILENA from Copiopo. We both talk a lot, we're both pretty bold, and we are having a great time running around in a sector that has never had Hermanas before.

 

So this week we have been getting used to our sector, and it definitely has been a week of miracles. As we've given it our best, the Lord has blessed us with many people to teach.

The broken bunk bed started off quite the ridiculous weekend. I sleep on the top bunk and was trying to fall asleep. I told Hermana Snyder to come up so we could talk about something. Little did we know, whoever had put together that nice little wooden bunk bed had not done it right. It and we all fell quite terrifically. Don't worry. We got pictures. Then the day after, Hna Burgess and I had to go to Conce because we were going to sing in a quartet (with Mikey Carter!) for the big ALL missionary conference to say goodbye to the Humphreys. I just got back from that today. With 250 of us running around everywhere. It was so incredible. I love the Humphreys so much .They are very much about pushing yourself to your very limits, and I've got to learn so much from them. At the very end of the conference, we all stood up in silence as they walked out for the last time. Oh man, so many of us were crying. I'm sure the Arringtons are going to be fantastic, too.

I love this work. I love working as hard as I can to give others the opportunity to grow their relationship with their Heavenly Father. To feel Heavenly Father has forgiven them of their sins, so that they in turn can do so. I love to teach that families really are going to live forever together because I know it's true. I invite all of you to join the missionaries where you are and be apart of this new effort to make members be apart of this work. Love others enough to share your testimony with them. They might say no now, but maybe they won't a few opportunities later because of the light that you've shared with them. Serve others. Be as Christ. And, as one of our apostles said, "Cherish your membership in this the only true church".

I love you. May you find the joy that waits for you as your share the ultimate gift, even the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Love,

Hermana Lovell

June 17th Update

Cambios, cambios, cambios!

 

Hermana Phelps is heading out of Libertador, and so am I!

 

We share a chapel with Los Copihues, another ward. They've got 4 Elders there. But now, they're doing 2 Elders and 2 Hermanas in the wards. I'm pretty excited.

 

It's starting to get a little colder here.

 

We had some pretty crazy experiences this week. We talked to this man a couple weeks ago, and we were going to go see him. And his house burned down. We saw the smoke and everything. His name is Daniel Lopez. We went and saw him yesterday, and everything is burned. Everything. But, he had this stereo playing "How Great Thou Art". The faith in our Heavenly Father is pretty amazing. We sang him "Lead Kindly Light". That was nice. We're going to go this week and help him gut out the rest of his house. Also, we contacted an Elderly man who basically was going to die right in front of us! That's a bit of an exaggeration, but he'd had a work accident, and he said that he was still bleeding from his chest but there were just no more hospital beds. Things like that make you grateful for what you have, right?

 

Well, I guess this one's a short entry, but think about this:

 

Why did none of the Stripling warriors die? What does it say about their faith? What does is say in that chapter about their attitude on life?

 

I love you! I know that a sound mind is what the Lord wants that we have. And that through our faith in Christ, we can achieve it. (Helaman 5:12)

 

Love you!

 

Hermana Lovell

June 10th Update

Well, here we are in Chillan.
 

We're having good times. I get to do mini cambios a lot, and this week with had a capacitacion in Conce, as well. And do you know what Conce means? DOMINO'S PIZZA. You better believe I ate a whole lot. It's actually been surprising warm here this week, which is okay.
 

We've been working with a family, Jorge, Marisa, and Caroline. They're pretty great. They are humble, and they have their priorities in order. They've just got to mosey right over to the church and then they'll really have their priorities in order. We've had all sorts of crazy stuff happen, like normal. We're pretty sure a witch tried to cast a spell on us. We were walking at night time, and then their was someone yelling at us from behind some bushes. We thought it was just a teenager, but then out of nowhere this little grannie's face was there yelling some gibberish and running to keep up with us. We walked/ ran right out of there. We met some gypsies, too. There's just this normal suburbia place, and then to the side of one of the houses there was just this huge tent with stars and moons on it. And then, there appeared to be some people that were not quiiiite all there. We gave them a nice pass along card and went right on our way.

Something that I've like thinking about is being bold. How many times do miss out on opportunities because we're just tiptoeing through life? We just let them pass us by, but we just don't have the gumption to stand up and do something about it!

Also, another permanent theme in my mission/life is that "simplification is the ultimate sophistication". As my sister Liz had posted on her e-mail, "Stop the glorification of busy!" I'm starting to realize that, believe it or not, it IS possible to have a nice successful life without running around like a stress case all the time. Who knew!? I love what President Uchtdorf said in his "Of Regrets and Resolutions" talk:

"Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.
Is it?

I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.  I can’t see it."

I know that Heavenly Father wants to live a fulfilled, happy life. And He doesn't want us to just freeze up with fear and let our opportunities pass us by. As we increase in our faith in Jesus Christ, our hope and optimism with help us see miracles, and make our dreams a reality.

So go on out there, and find your windmill.

I love you!

Hermana Lovell

June 3rd Update

Well, this has been a lovely week.

I won`t pretend it was easy, because some moments seemed pretty terrible. But I know Heavenly Father gave me all of what happened so that it would all add up to be being able to enjoy every moment better. I know that He loves me, and He wants everyone to be happy and to find joy. Anything that says otherwise is a lie. I was reading in Alma today about the conversion of King Lamoni. Ammon says that is what happened:

 6 Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark ^aveil of ^bunbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the ^clight which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had ^dovercome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God—

Sometimes when I read this in the past, I always thought, "Yeah, that has already happened for me. That was great." But it never should be just a once in a while type of thing. Even in the mission, where we just talk about the gospel all day, it is totally possible to forget what it feels like to have the "veil of unbelief" being cast out of your perspective.

Heavenly Father does not just love the successful clean cut man or the beautiful seemingly perfect woman. He loves the broken ones, too. He loves that teenager who can never seem to make it on class on time. He loves that beggar on the street that seems like he`s not really trying to do other things with His life. He loves all of us. And it doesn`t matter how small our offering it is. If it is what we have, and we love Him and listen to Him with all our heart, it will be enough.

On a lighter note, Hermana Phelps still is ridiculously funny. We see all sorts of hooligans and funny dogs with clothes in the streets. The Pulsiphers, the 1st President and his wife in the mission, are the most WONDERFUL people ever. They invited us over for breakfast in their beautiful apartment, and we are just using their computers right now. They`ve been great to have around.

I love you all! Thanks for everything. Keep sending me pictures.

Nick! You`re freaking me out. You look like you`re 19. Get ready for your mission, pal.

Love,

Hermana Lovell

May 27th Update

Well, Here I am in Chillan!

 

I'm here in Libertador. It's pretty exciting stuff. The people here are pretty lively. Every once in a while we meet a few very interesting people on the street. It rains here. It's just lovely. I love my thermals very much. 

 

Really, I'm just so pumped to just give it everything I got this week. And doing it today. Not waiting another minute to give my all to the Lord. To throw off whatever limit I've put on myself in my life, and just do EVERYTHING that the Lord has asked of me. I won't be able to do it perfectly, but if I give it my all, it'll be enough. 

 

Something that hit me this week is that life is definitely better with giving it all you have. Why yes, I know that's the thing about every entry I do for my blogs, but what do you do? 

 

I was wondering, how many times do we do things because we know we will mess up? Fact: We're going to mess up either way! It doesn't matter if we give it all or nothing, we will always be imperfect. So we might as well just take every chance we got and make the best we can with it. 

 

If we really focused on the enabling power of the atonement, that's when miracles can happen.

 

Also, lack of obedience to the rules of God really means just a lack of faith. There's really nothing more complex than that involved. And when we show our obedience, we show our faith, and we create an environment where miracles happen.

 

I love you! Hope you all have a great week. Keep praying. I would invite all of you to pray for my mission, too. We've got a really good goal for how many baptisms we would like to accomplish in June. So, if you could pray and fast for the people in our mission, and us as missionaries, it would really help us. 

 

Love,

 

Hermana Lovell

May 20th Update

Oh querido Conti...

 

I'm heading out. I've been here for three months and have loved every minute of it. I really love this city. The people are so loving and strong.  They've been through a lot here, and they've just about got their feet off the ground. I love to see ocean, and the crazy way that the houses are just speckled over these hills of Conti. I love this ward, too. They are INCREDIBLE. When people are faithful to gospel here, there is no half effort. It's all or nothing. And there are so many members that have given and continue to give it their all for all of their lives to help the work of the Lord to progress. They emulate the Christ like love that we really all should be trying to have.

 

And let's not mention Hermana Berbert and the other hermanas here! We've all been through some good times, together. And I'll be leaving Clara, Luis, Ignacias, Yovanna, Jorge, Solange, y Flor. They're definitely apart of my family forever, now. I've learned so much from all of them. I'm heading off to Chillan, in Libertador. I'm in THE MISSION CONCEPCIÓN TODAVÌA! Hooray!! Ha ha. I forgot my journal, so I guess I'll do my what I've learned this cambio the next P-day. Here goes nothing. I'm moving out, moving on, and moving up! 

 

It was so fun to talk to you all for Mother's Day. I love you so much, and I can't believe how quickly time passes. It's pretty incredible, right? :) Anyways. Keep me posted with what's going on in your lives, even if it's just the little things. Talk to you later!

 

Love,

 

Hermana Lovell