5 Feb 2019: Does Black Panther Ride the Bus Now?

Hola peeps,

My trainer, Elder Dillender, heads home
Hope all has been excelente for you all! To address the title of this week's email in the Mission Saga, we were on the bus one night, on the second floor of a doubledecker bus (yes they exist outside of London) and I look next to me and there was an African American man who was dressed in full on Black Panther Cosplay. I was half impressed and half disappointed that it wasn't Chadwick Boseman. So I guess he ran out of Vibranium and had to take the bus. 


This week has actually been very good. Hailey got baptized, and someone we are teaching came to the baptism, which was awesome! The stake president baptized her, and it was such a special experience. 

Tuesday night, someone we are teaching took us out for dinner to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate Elder Carpio's birthday. Funny story attached to that. We were driving there, and this restaurant is located on the west side of the I-15. Part of the I-15 is the border of our mission. It is strictly forbidden that we leave mission boundaries. Where this restaurant is located, is on the other side of this freeway, and when we crossed it, I thought it was out of mission boundaries, and stopped breathing. But when we looked it up, there was a part of the I-15 that was IN our mission. I took a huge sigh, thanked God that I wasn't going to get sent home, and had fun at Texas Roadhouse with them. 

Oh yeah, we are taking Luz to the Temple this week! We have been helping her to do family history recently, and this Saturday we will be taking her to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. For those who are now thinking we baptize corpses, in the Temple, we do baptisms in behalf of those who have passed away, especially for family members who have passed away that were not baptized by the priesthood authority of God, and people are baptized in behalf of that deceased person. In the Spirit World, that deceased person has the opportunity to accept that ordinance. If you have more questions about what this is, shoot me an email! I'd love to answer any question you may have. 

We also got our transfer call yesterday, and we are both staying in our area, and our district is staying the same as well. 

On exchanges, the area I went to was on the mountain, and in the morning Elder Castañeda and I went on a run, and ran up a hill on the road that lead up to the mountain. We literally ran up part of the mountain, it wasn't a hill. I died that day. 

Anyway, this week has been awesome. Really, really busy, but awesome. 

This week's spiritual thought is about miracles. I testify that miracles still happen everyday. In my personal studies I have realized that in the miracles that Jesus did, two things were always present: His priesthood authority, and the faith of the person upon whom the miracle was happening to. It is by our faith that miracles happen. The priesthood authority of God has been restored, and it is essential in working some miracles. That being said, miracles are wrought by our faith, and our works. I promise you, that as you exercise your faith in Christ, and couple that with righteous action, and you will see literal miracles.

Lovell you guys!
Elder Lovell



This is one of the YSA guys that I taught and got close to at his baptism a few months ago. He got baptized the transfer after I was there. I was so happy to hear he got baptized, and is still going on strong!


District pic: left to right: Elder Hermansen, Elder Lu, Elder Carpio, me, Elder Castañeda, Elder Palmer
Hailey at her baptism with her mom and brother. The stake president baptized her at her request. SO AWESOME!


Elder Dillender, Elder Díaz, and Elder Carpio and I. We were looking into the sun, that's why I look like a dork. They are finishing their missions tomorrow.
Elder Carpio and his birthday Donette. We didn't have a match, so we used a lighter and a toothpick as the candle.


Elder Carpio on the saddle at Texas Roadhouse. What a great missionary moment for him, and what an entertaining moment for me, ha ha!
a Preparation Day sports pic from two transfers ago








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