The Character of Christ

WOW SUCH A GOOD WEEK!!!

I am so obsessed with my new companion Sister Allison. We are already bonded and working together with such unity! It is such a blessing. She is a very strong missionary and natural leader. I love learning from her and I am begging to better understand how I can be myself in the work. We have a blast. Summer here in England seems to be over. We enjoyed it while it lasted (a week). The heavens are opened and they are POURING DOWN upon us. Literally. But I feel right at home :). This week has been one of great humility and new perspectives. I have been trying to focus myself entirely in doing what the Lord wants me to do and not what I want to do. As a missionary it is very easy to see your personal flaws, the Lord does not hesitate in bringing them to your attention so you can CHANGE. However it is very easy to get caught up focusing too much on ourselves, thinking I need to improve, I need to know more, I need to speak more simply, etc.. Something I am learning, as we reach outward and focus on lifting and developing others, THAT is when we learn and grow the most ourselves.

Belle Spafford General Relief Society President said:

The Lord's call "Follow Me" comes to us this day, as truly as it came to his early disciples...His work must go on. It's progress depends upon the strengths we lend it. Each of us is called to a particular work because of some strengths we posses. It is our responsibility to accept His calls, to grow in His service to such stature that our weakness and our limitations will not impede the progress of His work. We must not be so sensitive to our shortcoming that we fail to recognize and MAGNIFY our STRENGTHS. As we magnify our strengths our weaknesses will diminish.

As I have pondered the idea of magnifying our strengths to diminish our weaknesses I have refocused my study to the character of Christ, the ultimate example of strength in righteousness.

Elder Bednar said:

Character is revealed, in the power to discern the suffering of other people when we ourselves are suffering; in the ability to detect hunger of others when we are hungry; and in the power to reach out and extend compassion for the spiritual agony of others when we are in the midst of our own spiritual distress. Thus, character is demonstrated by looking and reaching outward when the natural and instinctive response is to be self-absorbed and turn inward.

Jesus Christ's character was/is the perfect example. The perfection of His character is what we are trying to become. Before my mission I thought of "Sister Lovell" as a character or role I was preparing for. I got a costume and lines to remember as if I would be "acting" as a representative of the Lord. But now I see so much clearer that as I not only learn about Christ but try to truly KNOW Him, only then can I become more Christ-like.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He is my brother, and suffered for me in a way that is incomprehensible. I desire now to know Him, his character, his motives. I desire to love people as He did, so unconditionally and selflessly. This transfer I am committing, with more resolve than ever before, to myself and to Him, to study, to pray, and to act as He would. Not only because I want to look like a missionary outwardly, but because my conduct, countenance and character should reflect my divine calling as a representative of Him. I share this commitment with you to increase my level of accountability. I know that as we show Heavenly Father our dedication in following through, only then can He assist us (we could all use more of that help).

I invite anyone reading this to join me this week in focusing your study on the Character of Christ, who He is, and what he has done for each of us.

As we study Jesus Christ more we can better know Him. I know that that this is His gospel and it is true. I know that it has been restored on earth today by Joseph Smith. I know that it is true because I see and feel His power everyday. Any doubt of truth I ever had is gone. It is not true simply because I want it to be or hope it is. I know it is true from the miracles I see everyday. From the clarity that the Holy Ghost brings to me when we align our lives and actions with God's will. I pray that all those who are doubting will just take the time today, right now, to read the Book of Mormon. Study it out in your mind and pray. Plead with the Lord for clarity, for discernment, acknowledge your mistakes, repent, plead for forgiveness, then let the love of the Lord heal you.

Spiritual knowledge is power. Focus on the things that matter, don't dwell on the details that are irrelevant to your salvation. When you have questions take them right to the source. When we are not praying we cannot receive answers to the questions that cause us to doubt.

I love this Gospel, I am honored to serve and represent our Lord and Savior.

I pray that all of you have a beautiful, spirit-filled day and truly ponder Jesus Christ's example.His purpose is to give us hope. 

I love you family, I feel your prayers, they give me strength and comfort each day- keep smiling!

Love always,

 Sister Lovell

A Day of Miracles and a Transfer

I forgot to tell you that this week, the week of transfers, we have P-day on Wednesday!

TIME FLYS! A few days ago I realized I have already been out two months. It feels like two days, yet I feel like I have always been Sister Lovell-haha. You know you're a missionary when you dream about testifying in the street! (Regularly). This week I just wanted to share a quick tidbit since we only have only a few minutes to write you and President!

This week I learned more about the power of prayer and faith in large numbers. Let me explain. Our zone, meaning all the missionaries in the Greater Manchester area, were given a special weekly focus from the zone leaders. We were to put special emphasis on "Forever Finding" which means speaking to EVERYONE we can. To do this, they set a goal for us to have 800 QGCs (Quality Gospel Conversations- teach a principle, testify and invite for an appointment) with 400 appointments set and 100 new investigators. This meant that as a companionship we would have to be having 80 QGCs/40 appointments/10 new investigators EACH. It seemed quite hard to do but we all accepted the challenge. By Friday night Sister Davis and I had 29 QGCS /3 appointments/ 2 new investigators. We were not pulling our share at all. And we were feeling very discouraged. We prayed so hard that night before we planned for the next day that we would have a miracle and be able to find enough people to help fulfill the goal set by our leaders. WE knew that they had been divinely inspired to set that goal and if we had enough faith as a zone we could reach it. When we woke up on Saturday I felt a stirring in my soul, an urgency that I have not yet experienced. I was itching to get out the door. Most of our plans had been dedicated to finding (street contacting) and we met the day with excitement and untapped potential.

Let's just say the Lord was on our side! When we went in that evening we had had 53 QGCs set, 7 appointments, and 1 more new investigator. Our weekly total was 82 QGCs/ 10 appointments/3 new investigators. A true miracle! That day was incredible. I know that when we show the Lord we have the faith to find people who are ready for the Gospel He delivers. He just has to see that we are trustworthy. He has to see that we know the importance and urgency of our message. It was an honor to be utilized in the Lord's hands and truly see that this is His work. There are ready souls everywhere, we just have to have the spirit with us to be guided correctly.
Our Zone surpassed the the QGC goal and fell within 10 of reaching the appointment and investigator goal. There is great power when faithful missionaries pray for miracles. I know the Lord delivers when we pray with real intent, real intent meaning we INTEND to DO what He tells us. :) I love this work. I'm developing new muscles in my face from smiling 24/7.. It's brilliant!
OK... so now about Transfers. Sister Davis has moved on! I really miss her already but I have been blessed to have a great new companion to follow-up train me. Her name is Sister Allison and she is from Nottingham. Her accent is AWESOME. I will practice:). She was just made a Senior companion to work with me but EVERY sister in the mission says I'm lucky. I can tell why already, she is so organized and personable. The first things she wanted to know, "When can we meet with the Bishop?" and "Who are you teaching?" I know that we are going to have a miracle transfer together and I cannot wait to report back on it.

As I said I am well and SOOO HAPPY!!
Thank you for your prayers I feel them everyday
I will be on again Monday!

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
Sister Lovell

New Photos

 Sister Davis and Sister Lovell- Zone Conference

 Beans on toast! (Love her)

 Our District

Paul's baptism 7-2-2011

Helping Hands Service Project

Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

I was once told that there are three reasons a missionary is called to an area. First, there are people in that area who need to hear the Gospel from that missionary. Second, the missionary is sent to the specific Mission President and his wife. Third, they are called to an area which will develop them in a way that once they return home, the specific skills learned can benefit the growth of the Church in their home ward/stake/region. Based on my limited experiences, I wholehearted can see this is to be true!

This week my understanding of the importance of working with church members has grown stronger. We had a baptism this week, (Paul McNulty), our first one whilst working with our new ward mission leader, Brother Daniel Chester. Because of Brother Chester's attention to detail and following up, we had over 50 members of the ward to support Paul on his big day. Never in my life have I felt of such love and ward unity. We decided to have a short testimony meeting as we waited for Paul to change. The spirit engulfed the room. All those in attendance were lifted and edified by Christ's love and approval. That night showed me the potential of this area. I know that the Lord magnifies us. He makes us who He needs us to be. I know that no matter how imperfect we may be as long as we are exactly obedient and give the Lord all we have to give, He always makes up the difference. Sister Davis told me she had never gone to a baptism that ran so smoothly and it was all because the ward rallied together to welcome him with open arms and help in anyway they could. It was a dream. The way 'Preach My Gospel' teaches how a ward should interact with its new converts IS WHAT HAPPENED. It was beautiful and everyone in attendance was touched by the love of Christ that night.

I know more powerfully than ever that the Lord's hand is in all things.

There have been times in my life where I called things coincidence but each day I am here the fog is more lifted. There are forces of God and evil all around us. We, as a world, have become more and more numb to both sides. We need to be more aware of the good and the bad. We cannot be complacent with the gray. It's important to not get comfortable with the easy, comfortable, or "socially acceptable". I do not want to be numbered with those who were comfortable. Each day I am working to get COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE. I promise you and the Lord that I will push harder each day to discern Light from dark and invite others to do the same. We are here to bring ourselves and others we know to the light.

Pray to find that person that needs you today and lift them.

I know the Lord will only bring the people who are searching to us when we show him we are trust worthy.

We must DO all we can to BE worthy.

I love my family, I love this Gospel. I love this mission. Wow, do I love this mission. I LOVE THIS WORK AND PEOPLE.

Love
Sister Lovell

Final Zone Conference with President Bullock



First Baptism

The library had no internet so we are in an internet cafe today... adventure! So many smells!
I love it!

This week has been great! So many things to tell and so little time! Sister Davis is back in action! Her stitches are slowly dissolving, her face is not swollen, and her energy level is almost normal so we are back to full days out. Its wonderful! I just love her so much, we seriously have a blast.

I don't know if I have told you this but there is an EMM accent. Most of the Americans have it. It's not really an English accent , more of an adaptation to help everyone we talk to understand us. It's classic. I am in denial but I catch myself doing it every once in a while, especially when I bear my testimony. I will record it on the tape and then I'm sure after another year I'll be full in it.
The weather here has been wild. Huge storms and now sticky and humid. It's gorgeous but not too glam when your wearing nylons and skirts- haha. I LOVE the vitamin D though! It's always classic to talk to people on the street when they ask us why we are dressed this way or think we are Jehovah's witnesses.
Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the people here! I go outside and it's a real life U.N. So much diversity!

Our Miracle of the Week is Paul McNulty, who found Sister Davis's blog, and may end up reading this too. (Hi Paul!)
We are SO EXCITED because Paul, after many months of meeting with the Sisters, has decided to be baptised!We are the benefactors of the diligence of past missionary work. Paul met the Sisters late last Fall. He is a middle-aged single man and was a devoted Catholic. Missionaries taught him several times before seeing he wasn't ready to moving forward. Paul rang them one day after they had moved on, and they simply told him to read the Book of Mormon. The cycle of Paul recontacting missionaries and then not progressing occurred several times. The most recent was the transfer before I arrived in which Sister Davis made the call that if Paul wanted to learn more, he would have to start showing it by coming to church. Something you should know about Paul is that he is agoraphobic-which is a fear of wide open spaces. When he goes to areas like parking lots or wide streets he gets a feeling of dizziness and vertigo. He will then proceed to have a panic attack. One of the reasons he would never come to church was the giant parking lot there. Finally the Sisters conceived a plan to help get him in the side door to avoid the parking lot all together. Paul began to come to church for a few weeks, always coming in the side door. When I arrived, Paul had been taught everything, but not moved forward. Last week he said, " I don't want to be dropped." So we agreed to meet with him to explain that our purpose had been served. We can merely invite people to Christ. They have to decide, act, and commit. Last Monday night we met him in a park near our house. I had filled out a baptismal calendar and decided to be true to myself and be direct. We began the lesson and shared the importance of showing the Lord our commitment level. Committing to a baptismal date is a leap of faith for the investigator. They have to pray to receive a confirmation that it is what the Lord wants from them and that it is the right time. Obviously not because we as missionaries want him to. We pulled out the calendar. The Spirit began to fill me as we testified to Paul that he WAS ready. We could see it, the Light of Christ was in his countenance and his diligence to be obedient to all of the commandments is profound. We shared with him two dates, July 2 and July 9. Two Saturdays.We said,"Paul we want you to choose what day your baptism will be." As he sat and pondered, tears filled my eyes.  July 2nd jumped off the page. I knew he was going to pick it. I could feel it. He put his finger on July 2. I couldn't even speak just smiled like a fool for a few minutes.

We meet with Paul almost everyday and his spirit is growing each day. He is truly preparing himself in every way he can to be ready for this Saturday. He bears his testimony each lesson we have with him and he always says he wishes he could be baptised right now. "I don't know why it took me so long, I procrastinated so much, I just don't know why." He is so humble, it touches my heart. He is an inspiration to me to be better. He loved tea and that was one of the most difficult things for him to give up. He replaced it with something called Rubash-I think it's South African? Anyway, he says it tastes like antiseptic and yet he drinks it all the time.:) We laugh so hard when he tells us, and honestly, we don't know why he does it. We have tried explaining that he can have herbal tea or hot chocolate but he is determined to stick it out and,"Get an acquired taste" for Rubash. As Sister Davis says, "Bless his heart". His dedication is inspiring.We went to another baptism this week, a boy named Danny who will be in the YSA ward and Paul cried. He said it felt like his baptism even though it was just a "dummy run". Paul is an example of how we all need to be...So humble before the Lord.

Humility has been my key endeavor this week. The Bullocks depart this week, so we had Zone Conference to say good bye. They had missionaries stand and talk about the mission culture. Primarily, the mission vision of BECOMING pure in heart, exactly obedient, and "Preach My Gospel" missionaries. The Bullocks have done a beautiful job setting the tone for the mission. Someone told me that this is one of the most exactly obedient missions in the world. I BELIEVE IT.:) The missionaries are ALL solid. Not just a few. I am so inspired by them. I am humbled and honored to be here in this mission. I feel inadequate yet SO motivated to try and carry on the legacy the Bullocks have established. I know that exact obedience brings miracles. This is not an easy mission but it gets easier as we do exactly what we should. The Lord will help us more if we show him  how diligent we can be. I might not be drinking Rubash everyday but I am trying to consecrate my life. I do not want ANYTHING I am doing to prevent me being receptive to the Holy Ghost and his promptings.

I know this Gospel is true. I know more, now than I ever have in my life, that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and our Redeemer. He loves us. He wants to help us. He is on our team. He is here with me on the streets of England, rain or shine. He is there with you in your home. He is in our hearts. And He can be everywhere if we live worthy of His presence.

Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for being on the righteous team. Really the best way you can support me is to be valiant. Lift just where you stand.

I love you with all my heart. Please post on the blog to read Elder Holland's talk, 'Mend Broken Things' and 'Lessons From Liberty Jail' and Hugh B. Brown's, 'God is the Gardener.'

I LOVE MY FAMILY! I love hearing about what you're doing, I don't feel like I am missing out because this is where I am suppose to be! I love you all.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

 Sister Lovell

Laying the Foundation

 This week has been a bit different then the rest. Sister Davis had jaw surgery on Tuesday. So we have spent most of our time in the flat letting her rest. I really pleaded with the Lord to help me best utilize the time inside to better prepare myself and get oriented, logistically.

Lets just say I stayed PLENTY BUSY. I organized any space in the flat I could find, bathroom, kitchen cupboards, book shelves. I created a work out schedule for us to do each day together. I decided how to organize my study journals, what my study schedule would look like each day/month and established weekly, monthly and yearly goals. haha I was so busy that whenever Sister Davis would wake up she would always be surprised about whatever random project I was working on. I have been happy all week. My spirits have been high and I have sincerely felt a shield of peace and protection over our home. Thank you for your prayers, we really do feel a peace with each day and the power that your support brings.

I am short on time today but wanted to share one powerful moment I had this week.

As I sat waiting for Sister Davis to come out of surgery, I spoke with my temporary companion, Sister Cannon. Sister Cannon and her husband, Elder Cannon, work with the YSA /Institute programs in Manchester. She expressed frustration that the Center for Young Single Adults will be built after they leave, though it was supposed to already have been completed. That means the Cannons end up having 20 plus YSA in their home nightly. The Cannons also do the difficult paper work for the YSA ward, sifting through WHO actually is in the ward and who has moved away.  This is tough since most students are in a permanent state of transititon. She felt frustrated about doing the grunt work knowing they would be gone before they see the fruits of their labors.

It reminded me of the experience of working at CHOICE in the villages in Kenya and Guatemala. Looking around and seeing the POTENTIAL for growth and development, I thought about how we dig the foundations of new classrooms and often leave before any of the bricks are laid for the walls. I remember talking to expeditioners about their concerns. "How do we know that it is going to be finished? Will we be sent pictures of the final product?" We all love results! As Sister Cannon and I spoke, I had a realization. The hardest part is digging the foundation and laying the cement. It must be done with the most care and skill. If it is not done correctly then the whole building will not last. As missionaries in an area, "That is going to see a huge change in the next few years," it can be discouraging. However, the big changes and developments will only happen if we work our hardest and smartest now. Being a futurist, I am very motivated by what will be. I am honored to be a part of getting my hands dirty and shoveling out the foundation of what this area can become. We must understand that each role in the process is important. Whether we are simply laying seeding of the Gospel, or laying a foundation, it is all important! Many missionaries have taught me you typically see the fruits of your labors, the transfer AFTER you have been working your hardest. I am committed...ALL IN... Both feet in the mission. I am motivated and have faith that after we leave the village, the walls of the classroom will be built. AS LONG AS I(we) do a good job in laying the foundation. The future depends on our efforts now.

I am grateful for the strengths Heavenly Father is blessing me with daily. I know that this Church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and gave his life laying a foundation for us today. I know Christ suffered and bled to create a solid foundation for each of us to build our lives upon. I will work hard to show Him my diligence and am humbled daily by His love for us. I don't quite know why we deserve it but I strive each day to be worthy.

All my love,

Sister Lovell