Elder Lloyd has Returned with Honor!!!

Elder Lloyd arrived home from the Mexico Villahermosa Mission, at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, October 16th, exactly one day late!

Letter #105 10/8/12 My Last Email!!!!! Aaaahhhh!

The beautiful wedding!!!

The wonderful baptism!!!

Matt's last p-day in Mexico!  A trip to ruins at Palenque!

My Dear Family!

This has been a seriously incredible week!   we´ve been busy this week
working with some investigators of the sister missionaries in our
ward.  A couple named A and N,  Weve been visiting them
along with the sister missionaries these past few weeks and days, and
they´ve been progressing a bunch.  They´ve had some pretty big tests,
but their testimonies are so strong.  they´ve been working super hard
and friday morning they had their wedding!  so that friday in the
afternoon they could be baptized.  its interesting because A
was 9 months pregnant.  we were praying so much that she wouldnt have
her baby before her baptism or her wedding or conference.  i´ll send
you some pics of their wedding, it was super cool.  and the baptism
was super special.  i was able to baptize N.  he is so excited to
be a new member of the church.  they both are really (him and his
wife). they came to the conference sessions, and just as the last
conference session finished they took A to the hospital to have
her baby!   --talk about answers to prayers!

Conference was especially powerful this week for me.   Its seems to be
that every general conference is just so exactly focused on what i
need to hear.  i loved truly every talk.   But one thing i noticed is
that the apostles in this conference seemed to be much more
bold/direct than normal.  The times are so critical.  The lord needs
valient, converted, faithful servants who love him and his work.   I
feel a large need in my heart to work with the young men in the ward
when i get back.  Help prepare the future missionaries that will be
heading out!  and most of all Jackson.   I hope he´s ready for a lot of
matt-jack mission prep time!    that boy is going to leave super ready
for the mission.     I loved that much of the talks were focused on
missionary work!

As for Today we had an awesome oportunity to go to Palenque with our
district.  palenque is a huge city of mayan ruins.  only 2% of the
ruins are uncovered, and its basically in the middle of the jungle.
but it was a sweet experience.  we got to see some HUGE mayan temples
and palaces!  we left at 4 in the morning and took a bus to palanque
and then spent the day there visiting the ruins and following our tour
guide.  (btw i took out some money this morning for the trip and to
buy some stuff there)  The tour guide was a bit intense for me,  he
spent a lot of time explaining us about different mayan gods, and what
they worship and the mayan calander and stuff like that.  but it was
cool because the ruins are seriously so big, and their are some that
you can enter and there are like tunnels and different rooms under
ground.   i took a ton of pics i´ll show ya´ll in a week!  but we´re
just getting back right now, thats why i havent read your letters. but
it was super fun.  and i´m glad i got to go visit the ruins before i
left the mission.  i´d never been to them before in my two years in
mexico!

Well Fam, i´m super excited to be seeing you soon!  i still cant
believe this is the last email i´ll be sending,  this email makes more
than 100 that i´ve sent home.  i cant believe it.  The time has gone
by so fast.  I´m amazed by the way the Lord can work so many miracles,
and so many blessings and give us so many experiences.  i will forever
be grateful for the time i´ve had.  Grateful to God, and so very
grateful to you, my family and friends, who have been so great in
supporting me.  i will never be able to repay the love that i´ve felt,
especially from my fam!    grandparents, and aunts!  Thank you!  for
everything you´ve done for me.   i am excited to be able to see you
all in a week and tell you thanks in person.

I´ll finish this email simply with my testimony.
For what i´ve experienced, i know that God lives!  I know he knows
every one of his children.  I know he loves us. I´ve experienced his
love in so many moments, towards me and towards the people that i´ve
served.   I know he´s given us this life as a chance to learn and
become like him.  We must focus every day to emulate the perfect
example of his Son Jesus Christ.   I know that every day the lord
teaches us through our experiences.  through tests and trials we learn
to trust in him.  as we come unto him we learn to love his way,  his
commandments,  his teachings, and we have no desires to do anything
that would be against his will.   i´m grateful because god is patient.
 or has been with me.  because i´m not perfect.  but i have seen and
learned that as we keep our eye on the atonement, the lord will guide
us to become better every day.   I know that faith always points
to the future. Many times we do not see what the lord has set before
us, but acting in faith we complete what he asks, and then the fog
clears and we see and recieve the confirmation of our faith.   I know
that the lord answers prayers.  The power of the spirit is real.  he
can truly be a constant companion.  a companion which will guide us to
all that is true and will inspire and impulse us to do good works.   I
love the companionship of the Holy Ghost.    I know the power of the
priesthood is real.  I´m grateful to be able to hold it.  i know that
its power is only available when we are worthy, and when we are full
of faith.  I know that with its power the lord directs his work on
earth.   i know that joseph smith was a prophet.  This is gods
true church.  he has restored it on earth, opening the windows of
heaven, to prepare the way for his second coming.   I know that he
expects much from every one of us who has been so blessed to know his
gospel.    i know the book of mormon is true.   its has been a rock
for me,  in the very hardest moments of my life and fountain of
revelation, truth and light as i have searched its pages.  I know the
lord blesses those who look for his lost sheep.   i know this is his
work that i´ve been doing for these past two years!  And i will
continue in his cause until the end.  He lives and love us.   of this
i testify in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

love you all.  and im so very excited to see you soon.
much love
Elder Lloyd

Letter #104 10/1/12 Where did all the time go?

Hey family,

I cannot believe this is the second to last time i´ll be writing you.
Where did all the time go?

I write you this week with a heart full of gratitude for these past
two years.  I have spent the past week thinking a lot of the blessings
the lord has let me experience these past two years and I am
overwelmed with everything that he has done for me, and for you all as
well in these past two years.

I had my last interview with the president this week.  It was more
than an hour long. He had a lot of advice for me!  He is truly an
inspired man.  I feel grateful as well for his service.  We talked
a lot about the mission and everything i´ve been able to do here, and
then a lot about the future.  and how to apply what i´ve learned to the
rest of my life.  I`m not 100% sure exactly what i want to do after
the mission -- what i´m going to study, or where to work.  But I´m
confident the lord will help me in these decisions as I continue to
serve.   In the interview the president helped me to see a greater
vision of everything i need to do after the mission,  there are truly
great things to come.

This week we shared  a talk by Elder Eyring with some of the members
of the ward in a mission activity,    where he said,  "whenever i
feel the temptation to sit down and take a rest, or whenever i feel
like i´ve completed some great task in the service of the lord and
deserve a break,  i give myself this rallying cry -- Remember Him--- "
  he then went on to explain that the savior even when he had finished
the greatest and hardest work the father had sent him to do,  when he
had suffered for our sins and died in the cross, he still didnt take
time to rest,    he then went to the spirit world and continued his
work preaching the gospel.     As we watched the video i felt the
spirit testify again that even though i´ve been serving for two years,
there´s really not time to rest.   and the president told me the same
in the interview,  even when i leave the mission i´ll always be a
missionary, i´ll always have my duties as a priesthood holder, and the
lord will give me callings so i can continue in his service.

Also this week--  we had a baptism of a boy named G,  all his
brothers and sisters are members but his mom and dad arent,  he was
baptized saturday and the service was super special,  there was a neat
spirit and the primary president shared a powerful testimony.
G´s dad came to the service and when it was over he was pretty
moved by everything,  we´re hoping we can visit him this week and get
him to attend general conference this week.      Yesterday in church i
had the chance to confirm G a member of the church.  it was
pretty neat because it was only the second time that i´ve done that in
my mission.

This past week i´ve also been keeping in contact with the elders in
Gaviotas, and the investigators we had are progressing super well.
One got baptized this week!  and two are getting married tomorrow!
hopefully they´ll give me permision to attend their baptism!

This week i´ve been a bit sick as well  i went to the doctor and they
said i had a sinus infection that had entered into my throat and ears.
and i´m still battling a bit with that. but its not that big of a deal
ha.  They did give me 3 shots though!

mostly i´m just happy to keep working as a missionary.   Super pumped
for the conference this weekend and excited to see you all soon.

Thanks for all the emails.

loved the pics of jack and slate. they look great.
tell dad i hope he gets feeling better soon!

love you all A LOT =)

atte.
Elder Matthew Daniel Lloyd!