Letter from May 20, 2013 (One week after Mother's Day)

Howdy!

From everyone's letters I can say I also enjoyed the phone call home!  I am not really sure what to talk about today...  I guess I can share a little about my week.  Well the Zone had 9 baptisms! We had 3 for our companionship! And also a wedding!  We just had a great week! I love my comp! I love my district and I love my Zone!  It is a super young Zone!

(There are 11 zones in the mission.  2 in Ethiopia, and 1 in Rwanda, and 8 in Uganda) We are over Iganga Zone. One of the 8 in Uganda.  With 12 missionaries.  We are the youngest Zone in the Mission. Only 2 Elders are over one year.  So just to give you an idea. 

A cool experience this week is a guy came to church yesterday and he talked to the branch Pres.  and the Branch Pres called us into his office and introduced us to this guy who is a Bishop of 8 Christian congregations.  With over 200 members.  So we sat down with him, just Gacula and I.  We asked him what he wanted to get from us teaching him.  And he said his whole life as a Bishop/Pastor, he has always wondered why there are so many baptisms and why why all of these really famous pastors who teach the "Gospel of Peter, and John and James" he said, "Where is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!?",  as he said this we pulled out the pamphlet that says.. The Gospel of Jesus Christ..  He looked at it as if it was pure gold.  We taught him the gospel and he was so excited! He accepted a baptismal date and he asked if he could teach the gospel of Jesus Christ in his churches.  He asked us if we could teach his congregations.  We said heck yeah!  So we told him to gather ALL of his 200 members and meet in one place.  And we will go to that location and speak and teach about the Gospel of JC...  He said EVERYONE at that church was asking the same questions he was.  So yeah, this week we will see how it goes.  A huge opportunity has presented itself.  The guy was awesome and so humble.  He wants the Priesthood so bad but we will see how serious he is.  He understands the concept of being baptized correctly.  He even asked us if we could go this Sunday and baptize his whole congregation, because he KNOWS we have the priesthood and he does not.  WOO! 

So about the wedding.  It was Henry and Sarah who were married and Baptized and a kid named Delousi(De-L-ow-see).  Awesome wedding.  The Mpumudde district guys had a wedding also.  And three of my recent converts were there.. I now have a firm testimony on how the gospel effects people who join the church and live the gospel...

You remember Florence from Mpumudde.  That woman could hardly speak English.  But she was speaking fluently to me! What!!! That was only 4 months ago! She was incredibly shy and now she is the 2nd councilor in the Relief society.  Her SMILING face that beamed when she saw me instantly brought tears to my eyes... I know we are not suppose to hug girls but I hugged that 50 year old woman and did not care:)!  The Gospel truly changes people! It is amazing the change you see!  And I baptized her and her whole family! WOO!

Lets see.  My comp and I had 6 Baptismal interviews with investigators on sat.  It was a long day.  And my comp has had this TERRIBLE cough.  I gave him cough drops and Tylenol and Anti allergy pills because i also think it is allergies.  But he is doing a lot better today! 

ZLC was awesome like usual!

I'm gonna send some pics..  I love you all and I love it here so much... It feels unreal on how fast time is going... But I don't think I will want to come home after  another year.

Till next time,

Elder Lloyd

Picures from the new apartment in Iganga

Pictures of my new apartment in Iganga.  And Ron Burgundy... My truck!  Sweet!

Thanks for the package!

I got my package!!!! It's awesome! Thank you guys so much!!! Um it was really weird driving on the other side of the road but I am really used to it now... Its weird thinking of driving on the right side...

Yes! I have seen so much of Uganda now!!! Everywhere but the West.. But our mission does not go into the west.  

In the North we would be driving back to  Kampala and we saw a ton of baboons as big as me on he road! Like 12 of them! So crazy! But it's so weird how just a few hundred km's away from each city, there is another COMPLETELY opposite city!

Um we went to 7 Zone Conferences! With at least 12 missionaries at EACH.  So a LOT of trainings I had to give but I think i have a knack for speaking.  I really enjoy it too... But yeah crazy week! This week we are going to Ethiopia and next we are going to Rwanda! Sweet! And we ALWAYS drive the Nissan Navara.  Its the personal truck for the APs.  I love it! The thing is a beast!  But we NEVER tract anymore which really stinks! No teaching:( But we get to, when we go on exchanges with other missionaries in the zone! Which I am going tomorrow! Sweet!

Dad, tell mom to stop sending so many packages! But I do love them very much. Just 1 a month or so:) Thank you!

I sit in the office so much and just do remedial stuff so I think I'm going to start getting fat! I work out every morning but still... I hope that's not the case..

Anywho.  I Love you so much! Thank you again for the Camera!!

Have a great week! 

Ooh! I'm going to get to call soon woo!!!

21 March 2013

Dear Brother & Sister Lloyd,

We are pleased to inform you that your son Elder Nathan Brent Lloyd has been assigned for a season to be an Assistant to the President, in the Uganda Kampala Mission.  He is working with two other Assistants, Elder Thabethe and Elder Facer.

This assignment is the highest leadership responsibility a Missionary can have in the Mission.  An elder who is called to be an assistant is one who has proven himself worthy by his diligence, ability to teach, willingness to serve and exactness in obeying mission rules, devotion to the Mission and to the Lord.  Elder Lloyd meets all these qualifications.  He has a wonderful spirit and is a great example to his fellow missionaries.

We express our deepest gratitude to you for helping to prepare Elder Lloyd for this calling.  You can be very proud of him and his efforts in the Uganda Kampala Mission.  This opportunity will bless his life and prepare him for future service in the church.

We send our respect and love to your family.

Sincerely,

  

President Eric C. Jackson

Uganda Kampala Mission President

Pictures from Feb and March

Sorry for not adding to the blog lately, I will do better. These are all the pictures from February and March.

Three Months Already

Hi All,


Tray months! Whoo...   Elder Asere from Kenya went home last week.  Elder Gotora went to Njeru.  So not a good week last week but whatever!  It's a new week.!  So Momma I have a son!  (I'm training!) His name is Elder Kole Halladay.  He is from St. George Utah. He just turned 19 and went to the provo MTC.  I got him super green on Thursday.

So the first day I tried to get him out and working so I took him to Mkenge.  A village, the farthest area away from home.  About an hour walk!  Sun was just burnin bright!  He was sure breathing hard!   He has a really pretty girl waiting for him (she is going to France on a mission in April, he has lots of pictures of them together..)  The first time I met him he was really excited and somehow arrogant (not in a bad way though..If ya get me).  Then i took him out and lets just say he was sufficiently humbled... The same way I was.  No one understood him and he didn't understand them. Just like me my first couple weeks... But he will get better, we all did.  But it is super different being with an American.  He talks of home a lot which makes me somehow trunky... But Its all good.  I love the kid.  He is here in Uganda, I respect him.  He looks to me for a lot of things.  He is amazed on how much Lusoga and Luganda I know.  But he will be fine! I know he will.  But being the DL and training is seriously hard.  Very stressful.  My first transfer I wanted to train and I got my wish answered!  We will do good together.  I have 3 more baptisms this next transfer lined up!

So I love you all so much! And am praying for you every time my head hits the pillow, and every time my head rises from the pillow.  Another couple cool spiritual experiences happened this week but i dont have time.. Remind me next week to talk about Mary and the chicken.  But Basically ALL the teaching is on me now.  LIKE ALL OF IT! So we shall see how it goes.  Three months and I'm DL and training.  70 missionaries will come in the next few transfers.. So eh I may be training a lot...

I gotta go! Everyone I love you soo much! Mission is awesome! All you perspective Elders! Join the army of God! 

With all my Love,
Elder Lloyd

 

 

 

Hi All,

That picture of my muddy feet, I printed it out and put it above my desk.  Awesome!  Thank you!    Anyways...It has been a good week.  But with some bad things.  So we have bed bugs.  And I mean BED BUGS! Like terrible bed bugs.  We are in the process of getting another apartment! I'm looking for them with Elder Ballsteadt (First councilor to President Jackson).  So hopefully we find one.  I'm not sure how much longer I can stay awake at night just freaking out.  But My feet have been torn apart by the little ninjas!!!

So a weird thing happened.  As the District leader I have to interview the other Elder's investigators before baptism.  I interviewed A guy named I..  And He is a fantastic investigator! Really wants to be baptized.  Understands the doctrine well, and is just perfect! I found out he had some things concerning chastity issues.  He wanted ME to baptize him too.  It was definitely tough to call PJ and get the news that I.. has to wait 6-8 more weeks to be baptized..  And it was tougher to tell I.. he had to wait. But he has to understand that you must use the repentance process properly.  Not just pray and say you are forgiven but be chastened. You must fully give your sins to Jesus Christ. The way I look at it and use it in teaching Ugandans is when you sin you spit in a bucket.  You keep sinning and keep spitting.  When you have sinned a lot you repent.  And when you repent you pour the disgusting bucket on the head of Jesus Christ.  You don't want to but he has already atoned for our sins so you must use it!! If you don't then you have wasted the atonement SO REPENT YE SINNER!!!! He is 24 by the way. 

So this Pastor came to Mpumudde market and is singing and dancing and preaching.  He had a bunch of followers with him.  But while he was preaching I had the prompting to use it to our advantage.  To start contacting in the crowd!  So we start.. Pow! Doctrine of Christ! One new Investigator! Pow another, and another and another! It was pretty funny/powerful at the same time. In the crowd we met this born again.  He said "are you saved"  oh yeah here we go!  I responded "are you?".  "Of course I am because I repented of my sins and Jesus Christs loves me!"  Me-  So what if  you go kill those children over there and come back, can you still tell me your saved.." He thought about it and said"Of course I will be saved still, I have been baptized..."  It was a great teaching opportunity. 

I have been studying in Jacob.  The most impressive parable in my opinion, is found in Jacob Ch. 5! I will send a pic next week of my study journal and my thoughts on Jacob chapter 5. Dad Randy Matt Megan mom! Give me your thoughts on it!

I'm going to head out and go to the Keep for lunch! I love you all and thank you to all my friends who have been writing me! Katie, Cam, Sam, and Allie! Also my cousins! thank you!!! I love you all and God bless all of you!
Family I love you all so much! Megan! I have not heard from you in a while! Whats up???

Til next time,
Elder LLoyd

I Love the Children here