17 March 2020: The Nevada Las Vegas Mission Race

Hello everyone!

So...... This week has been interesting, to say the least. It has been quite a blur, and lots of things have happened. Primarily, this afternoon I received a phone call from my mission president early this afternoon, and he informed me that because of the issue with COVID-19 in the United States, the First Presidency and The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the prophets that lead and guide the church) determined that all male missionaries who reach their 21 month anniversary on or before September 1st will go home early. With that direction he received, President Youngblood told me that my finish date for my mission was moved from June 24, 2020 to May 13, 2020. Needless to say I have about a million different emotions in my head, so much so that I think my brain is just numbly confused. If anyone has any advice, please let me know, I would love to hear it. He told me that I would "finish my honorable mission on May 13, 2020" those words stuck out to me in the midst of all the others he said to me. Honorable mission. One thing I have learned is that a full-time mission doesn't end when you get released. It never really "ends". You just change location and assignment. My mission here on earth is to represent the Savior Jesus Christ to all by living the life of one of His disciples.

We had a lot of things cancel on us, like a Latino conference that was going to be held on Friday with President Dallin H. Oaks, Elder Ulises Soares, and Elder Kyle S. McKay. Fortunately, President Oaks, who is the First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church felt impressed that they should still hold the dual mission conference, held with my mission and the Vegas West Mission. That was awesome. I got to meet a missionary serving from my own stake in the West mission, Elder Bartholomew. That was cool! Instead of shaking the General Authorities' hand, we just walked by them and looked them in the eye. Any of you who are returned missionaries know that when an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ looks you in the eyes, he is interviewing you, and boy, did they interview me thoroughly! It was an awesome conference.

Other than that, we had only a few days this week where we actually went out and proselyted like normal. Once Sunday hit, we realized that our normal means of doing missionary work would not be as effective as we thought. On Sunday instead of doing regular church since it was suspended, we did video chats with the Zarate Family and the Coreas Family and Ana to do the Come, Follow Me program with them. If any of you don't know what that is, please email me and I would love to tell you all about it!

The next 8 weeks are going to be interesting, but something that I was taught by the Spirit this week is very applicable: "a mission is a race, and when do runners ever slow down once they see the finish line? Answer: none of them, so why would missionaries?"

Love, 

Elder Lovell

-A cool little Superman toy that I found in a chapel on Friday. I barely touched it for fear of Corona. 

-Elder Troya, Elder Palmer and I with our semi-quarantine faces on.