Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Aaron's email 9/11/12

Dear Family,
 
It's great to hear from you!! I am loving my new area! it's a blast! and in my last area i was a zone leader and now i have the opportunity to serve as a disrict leader again, it's a lot of responsibility but i know that the Lord will help me fulfill this calling to which He has called me. That's great that you had the missioanries over for dinner! i'm sure they loved pizza too mom no worries! some people are just pickier than others haha (in reference to the tomatoes). The members here in Del Cerro feed us well too and Elder Brown and I are in an apartment here at the lowest point in our area, so everything is literally uphill haha but it's a nice apartment and we have awesome neighbors and a great landlord, it's a small complex, only about 10 units so everybody pretty well knows everybody and we're able to share messages with them every so often so it's a great! and Elder Brown and I will be playing 9 holes with Elder Dehlin (his dad works for the Utah section of the PGA) and his companion Elder Hill at Admiral Baker, a golf course in our area. Thank you for sending the backpack! hopefully i get it today!! I can't take credit for the card, you can thank a sister in PQ1 for that:) but i hope you like it! i'l do some quick updates then it's on to mom's memory for her follow up birthday letter!
 
Updates!!
Well first i guess would be follow up, has anyone picked a date yet?? or read the talk i gave the link to? I would definitely encourage each of you to read it and to prayerfully set that date and share it so that others can help you achieve your goals, especially the full-time missionaries, because we want nothing more than to help and see others succeed in their efforts to share the gospel with others!! That brings us happiness too!
Our lesson with Bro. Jolly last week went SUPER awesome, the spirit was so strong and as soon as we got in the car with Bro. Jolly, he stared to talk about the lesson from last sunday in gospel principles about agency and he said that the past few days, all he's been able to do was relate his work and his life to that lesson and it's been on his mind a lot. He was also given a copy of the gospel principles book and he started to read it on his own and as he read, he went through the questions that are asked within each chapter and answered them for himself and then went back and read the section and then compared his original answer with what he had just learned, he blazed through 5 chapters in 2 days, how awesome is that?? We were abl to teach and testify about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and leave him with the pamphlet which also has questions that you can answer in the back:) He told us that he felt like everything in his life had prepared him to be where he is right now and on the path that he is on, he does want to get baptized, but he's wanting to have a foundation, he does know that it will come bit by bit, line upon line, but his desire is there and it is real as is his intent, what a blessing to be a part of this work!
There was a Mission President's fireside in PQ sunday night that we attended with our neighbors whom we are introducing to the gospel and I had the opportunity and priveledge to sing with Sister Hudson and Elder Wallentine an arrangement of "Jesus Savior Pilot Me" by the LowerLights and Elder Perry accompanied on the guitar, it was fun:) I was able to sing with two incredible singers so i consider that a great blessing! We were also able to give Amar, our downstairs neighbor a blessing last night because we weren't too far from home and it was toward the end of the night and Elder Brown said, "hey let's go see if Amar is home" and when he answered the door he wasn't looking too well and said he was about to go to bed, he's been sick all day. To which my companion offered him a blessing and we were able to teach him about the priesthood and blessings and Elder Brown gave an incredible blessing and afterwards he said to us "wow thanks guys i feel better already" how amazing!! What a blessing it is to be a part of this work, His work!
 
Ok! on to Mom's memory!!
 
I do know that there are many memories that you and i have together mother, from folding laundry to all the support and love that you've shown me through everything. I don't know if i've shared this with you but i wanted to talk about something that has been incredibly meaningful to me in my life, something that you have done every day of my life that has helped me to remember my divine sonship and potential. Each and every day i recall waking up getting ready for school (in various grades) and going to eat breakfast and when i would come back up to the kitchen there would be a lunch all ready to go and the "stand a little taller" daily book by President Hinkley. Each morning we would open it up to the page that coincided with the day's date and read the thought of the day- i learned much from those, but what i wish to highlight on were the words that you said after we had a morning prayer and right before i walked out the door to face the day. I'm sure you are well aware, but those few words entered into my heart and gave me courage and strength throughout the day, they reminded me that i was and am a son of a Heavenly Father, that i am a part of a family that can be foreve, that i am your son as well. Those words? "Remember who you are and what you stand for"- each and every day when walking through the halls of middle school, high school, even college, those words echoed in my mind and in my heart and though there were many things going on around me, those words reminded me to stand tall and "be an exaple of the believers" to "let my light shine" and love one another as Jesus loves me--because i am a son of God, I am your son, and now when i think of those words just before i walk outside each day i take a deep breath and think to myself "now i'm ready, let's go!" I want you to know how much i love you mom, you mean the world to me and i will forever be grateful for your love and your example and your daily guidance and counsel.
Love, your son,
Elder Aaron Jordan Lloyd

No comments:

Post a Comment