April 14, 2014 Letter

Hello family!

Sounds like it's been a crazy week, as usual in the Loveland home. Good to hear. :) If it was boring I would be worried. :P Also, Happy Anniversary next Saturday to the BEST parents on earth! I love you guys and hope you have a great day. :)

 

Don't worry, we have running water again and everything is going great here in Playas. :) 

 

On Wednesday we had exchanges. Hermana Diaz, our sister training leader came here and was with Hermana Torres and I went to Paraiso with her companion Hermana Olsen. She got here a transfer after me. She is such a kind and wonderful person. It was cool working in a different area and with a different companion for a day. I learned a lot, even though it was a short time. 

 

We still don't have a ward mission leader, but Hermano Ceron keeps helping us out and Bishop promised us that we'll have one next week. :) I love this ward and I'm really excited about the progress I've seen here.

 

To answer your question Mom, Hermana Virgen is a wonderful, wonderful sister in our ward. She is in the Relief Society presidency and just loves to help the missionaries out. She is planning on going on a mission, but her plans were postponed because she was called to serve as Stake Public Affairs, especially to help with the temple.

 

M is doing super well. He has prayed and received answers and he KNOWS that this is the Church of Jesus Christ. He also got engaged this weekend, so that is very exciting! He has been reading the Book of Mormon and understands it well and asks questions when he has them and it's a privilege we have to teach such an awesome person. I am excited for him. 

 

S and her adorable family are also doing well. We taught her the Word of Wisdom and she says she drinks coffee every morning and she needs it to start her day, but she's willing to give it up because she know it's important. She's so great! The other day we went and visited her and as we were starting the lesson I said, "Today we'd like to talk about an important commandment..." and she said, "Okay, tell me." :) She is always so anxious to learn. I love it. And I love her!

 

I love being a missionary! I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ and this is His work. I'm so grateful to be a part of it. I know that God lives and loves me. I can see it in countless moments every day. I know that Christ lives and He is my Savior. I know the Church is true!

Dad- Sorry you and Mom were sick yesterday, but I hope you are all better now, especially for the eventful weekend coming up. :) Happy birthday! I hope you have an incredible day! I love what Sister Morby said, it is very true. We just have to keep working hard and serving the Lord with all we've got no matter what our circumstances are!

Mom- Thanks for the photos! Everyone is getting so big! About ice cream...we eat it fairly often here. Sometimes the members give us some, and sometimes we like to go the four of us hermanas and get some at a little ice cream place nearby. :)

Ross- Thanks for the email! I'm glad you're still alive! haha. but I do understand that you're life is pretty busy. Thanks for the updates on your adorable family. You have some really funny daughters. haha I love them. Thanks for your prayers and support! You have always been an incredible example to me!

Autumn- Wow. What bright email. It kinda hurts my eyes. haha but thanks so much for writing me. :) Sounds like you've had some good adventures. I'm glad you have some good times with your brothers too. They are pretty cool. Actually our family is awesome. I love you! 

Wesley- Thanks for the email. I'm glad you are excited about going on a mission, it's the best! You get to meet some many people and see so many miracles and it is an great time to serve the Lord. Plus it is lots of fun! I'm the missionaries in our ward know how to tease you. That's good, since I'm not there to do it. :) Also I think you need a haircut, punk!

I love you lots and hope you have an amazing Easter and celebrate all that it means for us! What a joyous day. :)

Love, Hermana Loveland

P.S. What have you learned from Preach My Gospel this week? :)

April 7 , 2014

Hola!

What a week. I can't believe this transfer is half way over. I am loving my time here in Playas and being with Hermana Torres. She is an awesome missionary and I've learned a ton from her. 

I loved general conference and I hope you were all able to enjoy it as well. We watched it in the stake center. It was different watching in Spanish but I was still able to understand it and learn a LOT. I am so glad we have a prophet and other church leaders to share this inspired messages with us! I am excited to have the Liahona with all the talks and be able to read and study them more.

Also most of this week we didn't have running water in our apartment. Apparently the people who live above us didn't pay their water bill and our water is connected. So we had a tiny bit of running water but not sufficient to shower. A couple times we went and showered at the other hermanas' house and on Friday night we got permission to stay the night with them because we had to leave earlyish in the morning on Saturday for General Conference. That was fun. :) Hermana V took us. She is a wonderful person and is always helping us out.

Our numbers of lessons and new investigators have been kinda low, but this week we are going to work harder and I know that the Lord will help us. It is His work and He won't let us fail. Sometimes I feel like a fall short from what He expects of me, but I am so grateful that I can improve and that the Lord is here to help me. This in an incredible work and I am so grateful that I get to be a missionary, represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and share the Gospel of Christ with the people here. Sometimes it is hard, but it's incredibly worth it and it's the greatest work on earth!

Yesterday we ate with a less active family, the Herman family. He is American and she is Mexican. He doesn't really speak Spanish and she doesn't speak English. I have no idea how, but somehow it works for them. He is also a great cook. He made lasagna and served us a ton. It was amazing. Then he brought out strawberry shortcake, which was also delicious. I was feeling very full, and then he brought out ice cream! We ate so much yesterday and I am still kinda full. haha. 

S and family are doing well. I loved the family home evening we had with the Ceron family. We also went and got the information about what S and E need to be able to get married and how much it will cost and stuff, and told S about it. Most likely they will get married in May, and then she will get baptized. And most likely I won't be here. But I will be forever grateful to my Heavenly Father that He put her in our path one day and that we had the courage to contact her, and that she was so willing to listen. I love that family so much!

Well I've got to go. This computer doesn't want to read my memory card, so I'll have to send pictures next week. :) I hope you all have an excellent week! I love you and pray for you!

Love,

Hermana Loveland

March 31, 2014

My dear wonderful family and friends,

I love you! I did get my birthday package this week and I loved it! Thank you soo much! Oh and Hermana Rivera says "Muchas gracias" for her necklace. :)

I hope I can focus enough to write this letter. In this internet place there are currently some teenage boys playing video games and yelling and screaming, but oh well. :)

So my birthday was a fairly normal day. Hermana Torres made french toast and also made me a little sign that says "Feliz cumpleaños." And we also went and got ice cream in the afternoon. :) On Thursday we had interviews with Presidente Carreon and that is when I got my package. :) I love having interviews with president. He is an inspired man. I love to have that one on one conversation with him and learn from him. One of the things he shared with me was in 1 Nephi 18 when Nephi builds the boat. He said there is a formula here that we can use all throughout our lives. First we pray, then the Lord teaches us, then we act, and we do it in the way of the Lord. It is very true. I love to learn from the scriptures and apply them in our lives!

Updates on S and E: they are doing super well! I seriously love that family. Their oldest son, G, is 5 years old and his parents said that every day this week he woke up and asked if they were going to church that day, and wanted to know when Sunday was coming so they could go again. He's so sweet. This week we are going to have a family home evening with them and the Ceron family, so that should be super fun. 

Sadly R did not get baptized this week, and neither did A, but we are going to keep working with them and soon they will be baptized. :)

Another investigator we have is M. He is American, but has lived here for a long time and speaks Spanish. He is about 45 years old. One time we were going to visit another investigator and a woman outside said, "Hermanas, when you're done can you come here?" Of course we agreed. Turns out she is a member in another ward but was at her boyfriend's house. She told us that he was interested in learning about the church. He is really cool. He used to be a Jehovah's Witness. We taught him that day and also a few more times and he came to church this week. :) He has a lot of faith and he has been praying and reading the Book of Mormon and he knows that it is true. I am very excited for him.

We were not able to watch the Women's Conference, but I am looking forward to reading the talks. It sounds like they were wonderful. And I am SOO excited for General Conference this weekend. It is so cool that we get to listen to the prophet and apostles and our wonderful leaders and learn from them and the Spirit. General Conference is one of my favorite things and I am so excited for the strength it brings us. 

Dad- I hope you have an incredible weekend at Conference and at your mission reunion! I'm sure it will be awesome. Sounds like Jeremy had a great birthday party. I cannot believe he's turning 16. 

 Mom- Thanks once again for your emails and support! I love you! 

Jeremy- Happy birthday! You are OLD. Seriously, when did that happen. I hope you have lots of fun! Maybe I'll send you a package soon. Anything special you want?

Stephanie, Guy & Daniel- Thanks for the email! I loved hearing from you! I love you!

Well I have to go! Thanks for everything! I love you! Have an excellent week and enjoy General Conference!

Love,

Hermana Loveland

 Hoping birthday presents

Birthday Week

Hello family! Thanks for the letters and birthday wishes. It doesn't feel like my birthday is tomorrow, or that I'm turning 20. That's kinda old... I'm still have a hard time believing we're in March already, and it's almost over. Time flies pretty fast! I'm glad you guys got my package :) and I'm looking forward to getting yours! Thanks so much! My family is the best.

Good news- S and E and their 3 adorable sons came to church yesterday! I was so happy to see them there and they loved it. There oldest son is 5 and he didn't want to leave afterwards. I love that family.

Another family that we've been visiting is the C family. They were less active but they've come to church two weeks in a row and the wife even said the prayer in sacrament meeting yesterday and shared in Relief Society how grateful she is for the missionaries. I am very grateful for the opportunities the Lord gives me to be an instrument in His hands. I'm grateful He lets me be in the right place and the right time and be guided by the Spirit. I love being a missionary!

We've been teaching the Lopez family who have a 9 year old son who isn't baptized. They speak English as well and so we teach kind of in Spanglish. It's pretty funny. The 9 year old, R, is pretty funny as well. We were talking about the Book of Mormon and we asked him if he thinks he'll get closer to God by reading it. He said, "Yeah, and to Mormon since it's his book!" haha funny kid.

Yesterday was our ward conference and I really enjoyed it. We also have a new bishopric! Our new bishop is Bishop Montemayor and he is really awesome. He loves missionary work (and he actually served his mission here). I am excited. One concern I have is that Hermano Ceron is in the bishopric and we don't currently have a ward mission leader. But he'll keep working with us until we have one.

I am very excited about this transfer with Hermana Torres. I love her! We get along pretty well and I am learning lots from her. She is an excellent missionary. We still speak Spanish all the time outside of the house (unless we're teaching in Spanglish) and we speak it most of the time inside, though not 100%. But it's probably good to speak a little English because I think I'm forgetting it. haha

In other good news: R AND A are going to be baptized this week! We are very excited for them, and they are excited as well!

Dad- Thanks for everything Dad. I'm very glad I am a part of this awesome family. You have made my 20 years of life pretty awesome. :) I'm excited you get to go to conference. I love general conference and I'm very excited to hear from our wonderful leaders. 

Mom- Thanks as always for the updates. Yeah, the members here are wonderful. I love this ward a lot. I hope you have a wonderful spring break and the kids don't drive you too crazy!

Autumn- Thanks so much for your email. I am glad you love being in plays. It's lots of fun! And tell everyone hi for me. :) I'm glad I have such a great little sister. Keep being awesome!

Wesley- I'm so glad you are alive. That is good news. Thanks for the email. It is pretty weird that Jeremy is turning 16. He's old! I'm glad you are having a good time. I am having a great time in Mexico. :)

Thanks again for your letters and support! I love you all! Have an incredible week and share the Gospel with someone! :)

Love,

Hermana Serena Loveland

March Pictures - 2

 Saying good-bye to Herman Mendoza, first companion in Mexico.

 With new companion, Hermana Torres

 Hermanas T-shirts from Hermana Missi

"I"m a Mormon; I know it; I love it; I live it."

March 17, 2014 Letter

Hola familia!

First of all, TRANSFERS! Hermana Mendoza went to Mexicali and my new companion is Hermana Torres. She has about 9 months in the mission. She is from Queretaro, but she also lived in the US, in Georgia, for 11 years and speaks English. It'll be weird having a companion who speaks English, but we're going to keep speaking SPanish most of the time anyway. I miss Hermana Mendoza but I am excited for what this transfer will bring and for the opportunity to learn from another missionary as well. 

 

This week we had a zone training and I really enjoyed it. We talked about our goals and how our zone is going to break records this month. I am excited about that. Our zone leaders are really awesome and I love learning from them. I am always really excited to work harder and more diligently in order to meet our goals and help people know the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

About a week and a half ago we contacted a woman walking in the street and she was super receptive and said we could come visit her. We had a lesson with her on Tuesday and it turns out that her "husband" (not actually married...) is a member and even served a mission, but has been inactive for more than 10 years, but he wants to come back to church. They are really great people and they had also talked before about how they want to be an eternal family. :) I am so excited to teach them and work with them, help them reach their goal of being sealed as a family in the temple! 

 

On Thursday we got a phone call from Hermana Missi (one of my many favorite members here) and asked if we could all ( the four missionaries) be at her house at 8. We went and she had a surprise for us: t-shirts! She made t-shirts for us at a place in California. On the front it has a missionary badge personalized with our names and on back it says, "I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it." in Spanish. I love it sooo much! I'll send pictures. 

 

Well I don't have much more time, and it's difficult for me to translate my thoughts into English. haha I love you all! Have an excellent week! Come what may and love it!

Dad- Thanks for the email! I'm pretty sure I'm not going to do anything special for St. Patrick's Day, but who knows. haha. I'm excited that you are doing such great missionary work! You are awesome dad. I love you!

Mom- Thanks so much for the photos!! I love you!

Love, 

Hermana Loveland

March Pictures - 1

 Las Hermanas de Playas

 Carlos' baptism

 Hermana Urbina, Serena's MTC companion

Zone Conference

Miracles!

My lovely family!

How are you? Thanks as always for the letters and updates. I love my family a TON. Thanks for being so great. :) 

So this week has been a week of miracles. But I'll get back to those in a little bit. First of all on Wednesday we had our conference with Presidente Carreon. I loved it. I love learning from our leaders, feeling the spirit and of course being with a bunch of other missionaries. All of the new missionaries and departing missionaries got to share their testimonies, and since we didn't do it in January, that included me too. :) Presidente Carreon talked a lot about the Sabbath Day. That's something lots are struggling with here, is getting investigators to sacrament meeting. We talked about the importance of the Sabbath Day and especially partaking of the sacrament. He talked about the sacrament prayers and how we can apply them in our lives and help our investigators apply them as well. I really enjoyed the conference. It's super cool to be able to be go and learn and feel the spirit and be super excited about missionary work, but the trick is applying it when we get back to our areas. But we can do it! 

I also got some letters that day, which I was very excited about! Just a reminder to use the San Ysidro address, because I get letters a lot faster that way! 

Okay so for the miracles, C was baptized and confirmed this week! Woohoo! The baptismal service was great. I love this ward! C was kinda nervous at first, but he has a lot of faith and knew that it was the right choice. I'm so happy for him! Raul was not baptized this week becuase he didn't feel ready, BUT he has a goal for this Saturday. :) He also has lots of support from the ward here especially the young mens leaders, which is great.

Another miracle: remember A? She recently married a member and she's been going to church for months but wanted to receive her answer and KNOW that the Church is true and this is what God wants for her. On Sunday she came up to us and said she had news for us. She said, "I'm ready to be baptized." Woohoo! We are VERY excited for her. She is going to be baptized on March 18th. We don't know the whole story, but that she received an answer and KNOWS that the Church is true. She is so great. :)

The Lord is truly blessing us here in Playas, and I know that as we work harder and more diligently He will bless us even more.

We haven't been able to visit M this week, but we'll be in contact with her this week and we're hoping she'll be able to come to church next week.

G came to church this week. He is awesome. He really enjoyed being there and learning more. 

A less active famlily we've been working with are S, who is 27 and her two sons, J and D who are 7 and 1 and a half. I love them. They are really funny. A week ago on Sunday we have a family home evening with them and a family in the ward which was really cool and fun. They are always so excited to learn more about the gospel. 

So yesterday with daylight savings time, we forgot to change the clock on Saturday night...oops. But our district leader called us at 6:40 AM to make sure we were awake, which was much appreciated! The attendance in sacrament meeting was down a little, and lots of people showed up late, oh well. haha.

I hope you all have an incredible week! Keep smiling! Also, next week is transfers, so that should be exciting. Most likely Hermana Mendoza will be leaving, though we never know for sure. I'll be sure to let you know!

Come what may and love it!

 

Mom- I'm glad you guys feed the missionaries a lot, that's awesome. Missionaries are pretty cool ;) Thanks for everything Mom! I love you! Also if you could send me some pictures every once in a while of my siblings (and nieces!) so that I can recognize them when I get back, that would be great. I have a feeling they keep growing and growing!

Dad- That youth conference sounds pretty awesome, I wish I could be there! I have lots of fond memories from Youth Conferences in the Oregon City Stake :) I'm excited you get to go to general conference and your mission reunion! Have lots of fun!

Ross, Jeremy, Autumn, and Wesley- I hope you haven't forgotten about your sister on a mission! :P I love you!

Love,Ena :)

Here's my address again in case you need it:

Serena Jane Loveland

Mision Mexico Tijuana

PO Box 439056

PMB 157

San Ysidro, CA 92143-9056

March 3, 2014 letter

I can't believe it's March already!

 

First of all, Happy birthday to my adorable niece, Aoife! I hope you have a great birthday tomorrow. :)

This weekend we had some crazy weather. On Friday it rained like crazy and they actually cancelled our zone conference we were going to have that day. THere was lots of rain and wind and that afternoon was an adventure. We got a little soaked, but it's all good. It was fun. I'll send some photos today.

 

R and C are doing great! Their baptism is this Saturday and they are excited. I am too! 

On Wednesday, we stopped by to visit S and she told us that she'd been talking to her niece who is Christian and was saying that she shouldn't listen to us or go to our church, she doesn't need to change her religion and stuff like that. She told us she didn't like to say it, but she wasn't going to be able to come to church with us. It broke our hearts. :( She did say that we are still her friends and once she get moved in to her new apartment she's going to invite us over. There's still hope but it was very hard to hear. 

But then on Thursday we contacted a woman named M and she is amazing! Turns out she has a brother who lives in Ciudad de Mexico and he's a member of the church, a bishop actually. She is very sweet and excited to learn more and come to church. I love her! We couldn't stop smiling the whole day because of how happy we were. She couldn't come to church this week, but she'll be there next week. :)

 

Also on Thursday we had an activity at the church and a few people just showed up for the first time. They just moved here from Guatemala and had passed by the church before but it was always closed. THey went to church for about a year and listened to the missionaries, but were never baptized. The mom is S and her daughter is E who is 16 or 17. We taught E on Saturday. She is great. :) Since she's heard the lessons before she knows them pretty well and was pracitically reciting the First Vision with me. haha. She says she loves the church and the people and the values and standards, but she wants to be really sure before she is baptized. I hope we can help her know how to gain the testimony she's looking for. :)

 

M is also doing well, and we are teaching her friend G. They are both really wonderful and progressing well. The slight challenge we have with them, and with many is church attendance. It's so important that investigators can come to church. Also here in Mexico they standard from the Area Presidency is that investigators come 5 Sundays before their baptism. This is to help with retention and help them really be converted. But sometimes it's tough. But we'll keep working and doing our part to help them get there. :)

I love you! Have a terrific week!

Dad- Thanks for the portuguese...haha I prefer Spanish :P You are always such a great example of service! And member missionary work! That's the best. :)

Mom- Thanks for the updates and photos! And yeah, I really do have to translate when I write and English is getter harder and harder. haha :) The downstairs looks great! Is it warmer down there now or do you just bundle up to work? 

Love,

Hermana Serena

Feb. 24, 2014 Letter

Hello everyone!

I hope you all are doing well. Thanks again for the letters and updates! 

 

No, S didn't make it to church, though we were really sure she was going to be there! Who knows what happened. But next week they should be living in Playas again so we'll go by and bring them ourselves. :) 

 

Also A came! I guess she didn't end up going out of town and she started a new job instead. We'll have to see when we can visit her again. :)

 

R and C are doing well. And yes, there is a great youth program in this ward! The leaders are awesome and the youth are great too. They aren't a ton of youth, but it's growing. :)

 

On Thursday it was Hermana Mendoza's "cumpleaños" in the mission, as in she's been on her mission for a year now! We ate that day with the Ceron family again and Hermana Ceron bought a cake and put little flags with the amount of time we each have so we could take pictures. :) It was cute. I'll try to send the pictures today.

 

Okay Mom, you said you wanted to know more about my companion. Hermana M is the 6th of 7 kids and the first to go on a mission. Her whole family are members, except her dad. And her older siblings are not active in the church. But she's great! I've learned a lot from her. She is a great missionary and seems to know what she's doing here. :) We get along pretty well. I think sometimes we try each other's patience a little, because when you spend 24/7 with someone there are going to be things you don't understand or like, plus trying to express myself in Spanish was tough at first, but that's gotten better as I've learned more. And it's all part of the missionary experience. :) Our district is really great too. Every companionship right now is a mexicano training a gringo. haha it's pretty fun. 

 

I feel like this letter is really lacking, but I don't know what else to add and I don't have much time. Sorry! Please know that I love you all soooo much! I am loving my time in Mexico serving the Lord. I know I still have a lot to learn and improve, but this is the work of the Lord and I know He will help me. 

 

I love you all! Have a grrrrrrrrreat week! 

 

Come what may and love it!

Mom- Yep, I received the package this week, thanks! I'm glad you are having a great time in California.

Dad- We don't have transfers here until March 17th. That's crazy that your won't have the Y to visit anymore. I think you've been their home teacher forever! Thanks for the updates as always. I love you!

Grandma J- Thanks for the email! I haven't received my Valentine from you yet, but I imagine I'll get it soon. THank you! Thanks for the updates too. I love hearing from you. I love you! (Love, your favorite oldest granddaughter :) )

I love you!

Love,

Hermana Loveland