Lucas's Baptism

November 24, 2014

Dear Family, 

Las Piedras is awesome! I am really loving it here and Elder Havens is the best. We get along super well and he is a good worker so everything is going great. We have 0 investigators right now but that is how every other change has been. But I kind of like it like that because then we can just start from the start and find a bunch of new people. We already have found a family that has good potential   so we will see how it goes. I really like it here though. It kind of reminds me of Aeroparque in a way. Here in our zone we have 10 Valientes and 3 Oros which is crazy talk. Valientes are missionaries in their last change and a lot of them are good friends of mine. (Oros are new missionaries) Elder Powell is in my zone and he is a Valiente. He is on the BYU football team as well. Today we were planning on getting a good basketball game going but we ended up playing a game of soccer instead..... BYUs soccer team better watch out. I think Elder Powell and I are going to switch sports cause we played pretty well. It has been to long since I have thrown a football! haha

So I think I completely forgot to tell you about the baptism of Lucas. It was perfect! His whole family came and a lot of the ward was there as well. I will try to send you a picture of it. We will see how well these new computers work down here in Las Piedras. Lucas is a stud though. He is one of those young kids that is going to change the lives of his whole family. He already wants to serve a mission. It was kind of sad because he was really sad that I was leaving. He is a good kid.

I got your package! Thank you so much! The shoes are perfect and the peanut butter and carmel apple suckers and protein bars have saved my life this week. You are the best! 

Recently I have been learning a lot about working with members. Here in Las Piedras there are some really good members so I am looking forward to working with them. Being a missionary has opened my eyes to what role members need to play in the conversion of investigators. It is also interesting because as members help in the missionary work their own testimonies grow. If we truly have testimonies then we will want to share the gospel with everyone that we love, and we should love everyone so we should be sharing this message with everybody! I am so glad that you guys have such a strong desire to share the gospel. I remember that Mom was the first one to really share  a spiritual message with Tyler Hough. I remember you shared a plan of salvation puzzle thing with him and he said that he felt like he had already heard it before. If it wasn't for Mom I don't know if I ever would have talked to him about the church. I was crazy. I love the mission because I have learned so much about the Gospel and how God works with his children. It really is the best 2 years.

I love all of you!

Elder Lacey

Dear Dad,

In my other letter I said that if we have testimonies then we will share it with those we love, but it is a commandment to love everyone so we much share our testimonies with everyone. Yep, we need to baptize Obama. It is to bad that Sean Farley didn't baptize him. I guess Obama would need a question 4 interview because he has supported abortions but we could probably arrange one of those interviews with the mission president in Washington DC.

But I would love to see everyone in Skype That would be awesome! 

Also, I think my shoes get better mileage then any car so if you just buy me a new pair of shoes when I get home that will be good enough........haha But I would be grateful with whatever car you decide to give me. I would love to have my old car back but a 2015 Corvette would be ok I guess. haha

I love you Dad!

Elder Lacey

Las Piedras

November 18, 2014

Dear Family,

Changes! I am leaving Melo. I will be a zone leader in Las Piedras (which is basically in Montevideo) and I will be with Elder Havens. I am sad but I am also excited for the new experience. Changes always bring a little bit of sadness but I already know through experience that being changed is always what is best for you. Elder Leavitt and I got along great and we worked well together and so it is too bad that we didn't have more time together but I know Elder Havens and he is a really good missionary as well. All of my comps have been bosses! (Excellent Missionaries) 

The good news is that After 9 changes of being at least 6 hours away from Montevideo I will finally live close to it. NO MORE LONG BUS RIDES AT 1 A.M.! haha! 

Well, I have 4 changes left. I compare the mission to a 400 m race. The strategy is not to save yourself at any point in the race. The strategy is to sprint as fast as you can and give it your all. The only rule I have is that you have to finish faster then you started :) That is right, 110% . I guess it is time to really pick the pace up! Lets go!

I feel great right now. My sickness is completely gone. I have had a little bit of allergies but I still have a bottle and a half of Zyrtec so I am well covered. 

I love receiving emails from you guys because I always feel the spirit really strongly. I can just imagine Luke passing the Sacrament! It is humbling to me how important his job is as a 12 year old deacon. I am proud of him. I am glad that he liked the drawing. It is interesting to me because I wrote him a letter and I wanted to draw him a picture but I ran out of time. It turned out that I wasn't able to send the letter until the next p day and I felt impressed to draw a picture so I did it. It is something super simple but I really feel like God wanted it to turn out that way. If I would have read this story before the mission I probably would have laughed and said that it was just a coincidence but I know that God loves us and that he cares about even the smallest of things. 

I know that God lives and that he loves us. He watches over us and cares for us. This plan is perfect. Death does not have victory. Families can live together forever. Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I love this gospel.

Love

Elder Lacey

PS I knew that I had read that scripture recently! (Ezekiel 33:9) I totally forgot about that you had sent that to me! That is really awesome. I actually think that this email was the catlyst that got me thinking about what I read in my personal study. Thanks mom!

The Watchmen

Elder Lacey and Contreras with la familia Acosta

Elder Lacey eating CHIVITO

Elder Lacey leading Zone Conference

Elder Contreras, Veronica, and Elder Lacey

November 10, 2014

Dear Family,

I cannot believe that Luke is already graduating from primary. It is amazing how fast time has gone by. I sent him a letter for his birthday but I don't know if it will get there in time. I am so pumped that he will get to go to the temple to do baptisms!

That is so sweet that you got a big bear hug by Elder Dallin H. Oaks! When I get home you will have to give me a hug so that I can say that I have hugged my mom who hugged Dallin H. Oaks who hugged President Monson! That is a pretty awesome experience. It is amazing how much love they have for everyone.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that Elder Leavitts grandma is Sister McConkie who gave a talk in the last General Conference. Ya.....So I have the hookups now. Front row general conference seats for life!! haha! 

Today I was doing an activity in Preach my Gospel (It is a challenge for the whole mission to finish all of the personal study activities) But I was studying in Ezekiel 3:17-21 and it was interesting what I learned. As we preach the gospel we save our own souls. In a later chapter in Ezekiel it talks about a watchmen, and how if he blows the trumpet it is not his fault if the people choose not to heed the warning of the trumpet. The watchmen did his part. I studied a little bit more about that but it just gave me even more of a desire to go out and make sure that everyone is warned. Sometimes it is sad because the people don't listen but as we warn everyone we will save our own souls as well. Here in Melo it has been pretty rough. I don't know if you guys remember Rebecca but she was as golden of an investigator as you can get. It was amazing how fast she progressed. She completed with every commitment we gave her. She was living with her boyfriend and she even committed to live the law of chastity. But She still couldn't get baptized because she was living in the same house of her boyfriend still. In the end her boyfriend told her that she shouldn't go to church anymore so she stopped because she was scared of losing him........Super sad story but hopefully one day she will get baptized. It is amazing how many people are prepared here but they just haven't been able to pass there last challenge! But Lucas is going to get baptized this saturday! He is so awesome.

I love you guys so much! I hope Luke has the best Birthday ever! Hopefully he gets my letter soon!

Love

Elder Lacey

The Window to Revelation

November 3, 2014

Dear Family,

Sorry, I don't have a poem for you guys this week. haha! But nevertheless it was another successful and good week here in Uruguay. I feel like this was one of the fastest weeks in my mission. Time just keeps speeding up. And these next 2 weeks will probably go by even faster because we have concilio, zone conference and then next week we have a multi mission conference. So we are going to have a couple of spiritual feasts coming up. I really like what you were saying about decisions. Time goes by so fast that if we do not decide to do what is right it will be too late. we will end up like those Direct TV commercials where the guy didn't get Direct TV and he ended up on the side of the road in a ditch.....we need to choose the right or we will end up in a ditch on the side of the road.

I have come to realize that people named Lucas are chosen! Lucas in 33 is awesome, and the Lucas in Melo is awesome and the "Lucas" (Luke) in Utah is awesome! They are all chosen young men that have some huge roles to play here on this earth. It is amazing how fast the Lucas here is progressing. 

The weather is getting weird down here. We have had some super hot days but recently it has been raining a ton and a little bit cold. It reminds me of Chuy! Being so hot that you are swimming in your sweat and then the next day swimming in the streets in the rain. Good thing I got my Ecco Boots! Anyway, I will try to keep this email short so I will be able to send you guys pictures.

Recently I have been studying a lot about revelation. It is interesting how big of a role that revelation plays in our lives. Joseph Smith says that without revelation we cannot reach salvation. He also said that if we have the spirit then we will receive revelation. The only way to have the spirit with us is through keeping our covenants. In the sacrament prayer it says, "so that they may always have his spirit to be with them" If we want to receive salvation then we must receive revelation. To receive revelation we need to have the spirit and to have the spirit we need to keep our covenants. I love what Elder Eyring says in the talk that you sent me. “The words ‘Thy will be done’ written on our hearts are the window to revelation.” 

I am so grateful for our loving heavenly Father who loves us so much that he is willing to give us revelation everyday so help us along the path. The mission is the best!

Love

Elder Lacey

Dear Dad,

Here on the mission I have learned a ton about promises. the scriptures are filled with promises! And sí o sí they will be fulfilled if we do our part. I was studying about humility the other day and there were blessings that I found that I never even thought of. I can't remember all of them right now but maybe later I will send it to you. 

So, are you going to go be the next coach of BYU? That would be sweet! haha resurrect the old play book! 

It will be interesting what happens with BYU in the future. Quick questions. what has been happening with the Power 5? and What are they going to do about paying players? does everyone get paid?

Anyway, I am doing well. thank you for your support. I have the best dad in the World!

Love 

Elder Lacey

PS I can't get any pictures to send :(