HALFWAY at the MTC!

Note: Dearelder.com - enter Provo MTC, Elder Lloyd, Unit 14, SEP23 and SINGAPR - type your letter and send! 

Hi Family and friends!!!!!  

Lu Zhang Lao ai ni! (Elder Lloyd wrote this in Mandarin; means something like Elder Lloyd loves you!)

I love you guys so much!!! This has been one of the hardest weeks, but it has also been one of the best! I feel like I've grown a lot this week, and I've never felt the Spirit so strongly! I'm so grateful for all of the prayers, support, Dear Elders, Emails, and letters. They make a huge difference!

Last Monday afternoon was awesome! I was able to let off some stress by playing basketball with Elder Pincock (started for PG), Elder Hibbert, and an Elder who played for SUU. We had a good game going, and it was a blast! A funny thing was that I habitually tried to dunk it after we finished playing, just like in the old days haha, (and i actually did it!)...anyways, dunking is definitely against the rules, but luckily everyone just cheered and I didn't get in trouble. That's about as disobedient as I've been haha. 

Something really cool happened during my afternoon class. We were learning about how to teach the Plan of Salvation, and I brought out the wooden diagram puzzle that Danny Cowser gave me. It turns out, one of my teachers, Brother Gerber, served with Elder Cowser! Brother Gerber is legitimately one of the best teachers at the MTC, and it was really cool to have something in common with him. We talked for a bit, and it really brightened my day. Our teacher bore his testimony about the importance of listening-listening to each other, investigators, and the Spirit. It was so powerful, and it made me feel a lot of hope and motivation.

Elder Li left for Singapore Last Week

Tuesday was kind of different because Elder G woke up with a terrible migraine. Lately, everyone in the MTC has been sick and missing class, so it wasn't a huge surprise for one of us to be sick, but it definitely wasn't expected! We had to miss class while he took a nap, but Elder P and I quizzed each other, and it was one of the best study times I've had so far. I also had the chance to finish Our Heritage Our Heritage, and I want to challenge you all to read it! it will strengthen your testimony of Joseph Smith and our church no matter what. Once you finish, try watching Holland's Mormon Message when he bears testimony of the Book of Mormon in conference. I did it on Tuesday, and it was one of the coolest experiences I've had so far! The Book of Mormon is the Word of God At the devotional, the Young Women's President spoke and shared some really cool stories from her kids' missions. One thing that stood out was to never let an opportunity for an eternal memory turn into an eternal regret. The Lord has called us to act on promptings, and he expects us to! I also had the chance to talk with Tanner after about some struggles, and we both helped each other a bunch. I am so grateful for his example and his testimony. The friends I have are one of the main reasons I am on a mission!

Wednesday was crazy as well! Elder G woke up feeling better, but while we were playing basketball in the morning, he got elbowed right above his eye and his forehad split open. We had to wait an hour and a half while he got stitches, and we were late to class. It was a little stressful, but I'm just very grateful that he's alright and that everything worked out. On top of that, a Sister in our district couldn't get out of bed because of sickness, and asked for a blessing. I am so grateful for the Priesthood and the peace that it can bring to us. Even if we aren't healed immediately, we can still learn from tough experiences and strengthen our testimonies. 

I also fasted on Wednesday, and it turned out to be a bad call because we had to host all afternoon in the hot sun! I started getting dizzy as well....let's just say our whole district has been feeling under the weather lately! Luckily, everyone is great now though! I was able to see a few friends while hosting like Ryan Stringfellow, and that really cheered me up! We were able to teach an investigator that night, and we tried to do it without any notes. We talked more on the Restoration and the Book of Mormon, and it was incredible to feel the change in our investigator's heart as we taught through the Spirit. Things like that make everyday worth it!

Elder Lloyd's desk; is that a ball on the shelf? :)

Thursday was incredible! I was reading through Alma in the Book of Mormon, and it just hit me how easy I have it. The Sons of Mosiah and Ammon and Aaron and many other missionaries had it so much worse! I can't imagine having the faith they did to go to the land of their enemies and preach for 14 years. Please ready through Alma 26 and 27 this week and consider how the Lord has blessed you lately. It'll humble you immediately. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the blessings it brings. Every scriptures seems to help me. I also had the chance to read through a talk by Elder Holland called For Times of Trouble For Times of Trouble. It reminded me that self doubt comes from Satan, and that we only need to trust in the Lord. He was willing to give us everything, so why would he ever give us doubt? He wouldn't!  

Friday was amazing as well! I woke up feeling excited because I knew it was game day for my lil bro Llama haha. He's such a stud! I love you bro! We had to take a language assessment, and it was pretty humbling...I didn't do as well as I wanted, but the progress we've all made so far is astonishing! I also pondered all day about trying to pray and read with a question in mind. When we do this, we focus better and can more easily receive an answer. I loved reading Romans 8:24 to the end because of the promises we're given. 

Saturdays are always incredible because of TRC! We talked about how we can receive revelation through scriptures and prayer, and I was able to share a few experiences in Chinese. I could feel the Spirit so strongly, and it is so satisfying when the people you're teaching can actually understand you haha. We also worked on door approaches. It was very hard and realistic, and I realized that I need to be much more simple in my lessons-especially the first time I meet someone. Saturday afternoon, Brother Gerber taught a role play lesson to us as if we were the investigators, and it was fantastic. To hear him teach the plan of Salvation so simply and powerfully was incredible. I also realized I wasn't so focused on understanding him in Chinese, but I was focused on the Spirit. It was a huge turning point for me, and it helped me see how the Spirit can speak to anybody! I know if we are obedient we will be able to live with our families forever.

Sundays. I looooove Sundays! We started off with District meeting, and I was struck with the thought of how grateful I am for an great district. We have very few challenges, and I love everyone so much. In Sacrament meeting, President Teng and his wife spoke about enduring to the end. They shared a few stories, and I just love them! They are so kind and wise! The thing that stood out to me was that we need to have a vision of the end in sight if we want to make it there-we need to constantly be thinking of the Celestial Kingdom if we expect to obtain it! I also know that if we are prepared for our trials and challenges, we don't need to worry because the Lord will take care of us. 

Elder Lloyd's Companions

At the devotional, Stephen Allen [he's the Managing Dir of the Mission Dept] gave one of the best talks I've ever heard. He talked a lot about repentance and obedience, but he also talked about feelings of inadequacy. He basically told us all that it's normal to be tired, exhausted, depressed, and homesick-that's part of being a missionary. he then told us that being a missionary also requires us to have the faith that we will be able to overcome these feelings and spread the gospel so that others can have happiness eternally. It was incredible. I love the MTC so much! 

The Spirit at the MTC is unlike anywhere else, and I am so grateful that I have this opportunity. I am learning and growing everyday, and I feel like I finally am doing something worthwhile!

I love all of you guys so much!! Please continue to send the long letters or emails in Dear Elders so that I can read them in the middle of the week. Thank you for your love and support!

Elder Lloyd