Dear Family,
Merry New year back at you! New year's eve we had to be in our apartment and off the streets at 6pm. We talked about our vision and goals for our area and read Preach My Gospel chapter 1, it was a wonderful time to read and focus on our purpose as missionaries, and applying our purpose into everything that we do, even the little things, that is what obedience is all about, keep our purpose in the forefront of our minds at all times. Elder Saager and I also gave talks in Sacrament Meeting on New Year's day about missionary work, and a recent convert spoke with us and gave her conversion story, it was so powerful and moving and it effected a lot of people. She spoke of the importance of sharing the gospel with our friends and simply opening our mouths, that is all takes, and as I promised on Christmas, there are people in each of our lives that are prepared to recieve the gospel, we just need to utilize those "20 seconds to be brave" and it can change lives.
I have seen so many blessings flow into the work the past few days and I know that through striving to do all we can, to do "one more thing" as dad has taught me and to give our all, 110% every minute of every day, the Lord sees our diligence and will bless us, or He will open our eyes to see those blessings which He so richly has bestowed upon us. I may have shared this before, but before I left, at Elder Hartman's Parent's farewell, his mother gave the following analogy, "imagine if every day, you were given 86,400 dollars to do whatever you wanted with, each day of your life. the only catch is at the end of every day, what you don't spend gets erased. you would drain every penny would you not? that is exactly what our Heavenly Father has provided for us, 86,400 seconds each day, we would be wise to invest every second that He has given to us". I absolutely love that analogy and it is very true, when we invest every second in our days, we come to more fully realize those blessings which are poured out upon our heads every second of every day.
The work here in Penasquitos (PQ) is going well, we began teaching a Muslim Family that has been in America for one year and wants to become members of the church. They speak Farsi so we have a translator at every lesson and they enjoy the environment that the gospel provides in their own lives and in the lives of their children. Teaching them is the most incredible experience of my life, it's so humbling and wonderful to be able to teach and testify to this family, they are so hospitable and kind and it's their culture, it is a blessing to be able to teach them. We also met a woman and her family that came to church on new years day. . . for the first time, right on time. She had never attended a Latter-day Saint service before and she said she really enjoyed it. The ward was so wonderful in taking her by the hand and giving her a tour and showing her classes and taking her children to primary and she said she would like to know more and we exchanged information and will hopefully be meeting with her this week. Again a testimony of the Lord's hand and of His blessings and Miracles. I love this work and this gospel, and I know that Christ lives and loves each and every one of His children and wants them to be able to return back to Him and our Heaven Father. This is His true church and the Book of Mormon is the word of God and as Joseph Smith promised, any one that reads and abides by its precepts will draw nearer to God.
I love each and every one of you and wish you a wonderful week and will continue to keep you all in my prayers. Much love.
-Elder Aaron Jordan Lloyd
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