Oh yah, don't yah know, up der in da U.P...I'm a yooper today can't yah tell. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY. Thank you to my dad and all the father figures who have helped me, taught me, blessed me, and have been such a wonderful influence on my life. I can't thank you enough, and you just don't know the magnitude of a blessing you are to me, thanks! J

I would also like to congratulate the Netherlands soccer team for beating Spain 5-1 this past week. Fifa has started in Brazil and it's an exciting time to be a soccer fan! Go Orange and Black - Netherlands!!!



Farewell to Elder Pounds; I'm moving on to Appleton.

My new companion, Elder Allen from Saratoga Springs UT.

This was a really good week for Elder Allen and me.  It was a roller-coaster week, however, meaning we had really good days followed by really unsuccessful days. It’s a fact of life and nothing to get upset about none-the-less; it was a really great week. On Tuesday we had a Zone Training Meeting, it was very inspiring, and I felt uplifted and edified. The Zone Leaders talked about finding "the one" the person or family that you and your companion were meant to find, teach, and bring closer to the Savior. It was kind of convenient because that same morning Elder Allen and I had talked about what it was that the Lord had intended for us and this area when he inspired President Cutler to put us together. The other major topic of ZTM was being a Capt. Moroni missionary. We watched a video by Elder Holland, after the video I commented in the lesson that Elder Holland does not say "the missionary, or the Elder" instead he says the "the Missionaries, or the Elders, the companionship." I commented that in order for a missionary to be like Capt. Moroni, the companionship must work together to become like Capt. Moroni. This too has been a topic of discussion between Elder Allen and me since ZTM. I'm grateful to be with Elder Allen, he has the desire to achieve many great things, he wants to work hard, and we both want to be a Capt. Moroni companionship. Wednesday was one of those slow days for us. We were out walking around the parks, tracting all day and we only talked to one person. It was a little upsetting but I kept telling Elder Allen that it's just one day, and tomorrow is a new day. And it was a new day. Thursday was amazing, we talked to many people, handed out many Books of Mormon and I got to celebrate my one year mark with a little tie burning. J Friday was slow though. Once again it was more tracting, more street contacting and also a broken buss that took away two hours of proselyting. Saturday was probably the best day of the week though. We taught more lessons on Saturday than the rest of the week combined, and we handed out a lot of Books of Mormon. It was such a great Saturday!!! Sunday was fun; I got to see the ward for the first time and met some people. The Bishop pulled a fast one on me by announcing my name early in the sacrament meeting program that I would be speaking (with no prior warning). Than after the first speaker he got up and said that I would not be speaking today but perhaps next week. The Elders and Sisters in the Ward describe Bishop Allen as sarcastic and comical - should be fun to get to know him better. J

I want to go into a little more detail into the broken bus experience on Friday. We were on the number 30 bus, and we were intending on heading back to the main station so that we could go home and eat lunch. The bus goes to the mall in between where we got on and where the main station was. At the mall, a woman was a little anxious to get off the bus, so she used the emergency exit (which normally wouldn't be a big deal) but as the emergency door was closing, something caught and the sensor and it broke. So, the doors are closed but the sensor says the doors are open and so now the bus can't leave the mall. 30 minutes go by and the driver is trying everything he can to fix the issue. Nothing works so he calls for a new bus. While these 30 minutes are going by, Elder Allen and I along with the rest of the already crowded bus are enjoying the comical scene as we see people from the mall waving down the bus so that it doesn't drive away. These happy people who think they caught the bus at just the right time swipe their cards only to be stuck on a broken bus. This scene continued on for the whole 30 minutes. Meanwhile the bus is getting more and more crowded, and Elder Allen and I are by now laughing our heads off as we see more and more people waving down the bus that won't be going anywhere for another hour. Eventually the bus driver lets every one off and so Elder Allen and I go into the mall and get pretzels. Well somehow we missed the bus and so we spent another hour at the mall, waiting for a bus to come and get us. Friday was not our best day, but hey, we got a really good laugh out of it all. And I haven't even told you the funny quote that we heard on the bus, but I don't think it’s appropriate for email.

Another short story:  On Wednesday June 4th (transfer day to Appleton), when I arrived at the transfer point I met Elder Allen and the two Hmong elders who serve in our ward. Elder Lor and Elder Cutchaw. When I met Elder Lor he gave him a hug he told me that on the prior Monday when he was looking at the transfer board. When he saw my name and that I was going to be the new District Leader. Apparently he thought that the “Y” in Luymes was a “V” and he didn't see the “S” so when he hugged me he called me Elder Lovme. Since then, this is my new nickname in the district, Elder Lovme.

Scripture for the week: Alma 9:27

And behold, he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name. 

Thank you for your prayers (I'm sick right now) and thank you for your support of the vast missionary movement!!!

Love,

Elder Lovme

Ritual tie burning ceremony on my 1 year mark on June 12th.