Miracles

¡Hola todos!

I am happy to be able to write home again. A lot has happened, though the week felt short. I am happy here in Argentina!

 

My companion playing the piano. He can`t play any hymns, but he`s still pretty good.

 

This week there was a satellite transmission for all missionaries. Six other missionaries came to Villa Ángela. We had a little time before the transmission, so we split up to serve even more people in our areas. It was really neat to lead another missionary around the area. When it came time for the meeting, we got to watch about 15-20 minutes of it and then the power went out. Apparently it was a mission wide power out. While we waited for it to come back, we sang hymns about light (Noche de luz, Jesús es mi luz, y Hazme andar en la luz). It was really silly, but I felt the peace and happiness of the messages we were singing. Song is such a joy!

 

The power came back, but only long enough to go back out again, but it was okay. I learned a lot from our songs.

 

Right afterward, we had divisions, which means that missionaries with leadership positions split with us. I got to go with another missionary to his area and learn from him. I learned more of how we need to talk with all that we see and not walk past. I also learned about truly loving the people we serve and desiring to help them.

 

In the last family I visited with him, all of the children were members, but the parents were not. We shared a breif scripture and a few laughs. Finally at the end, my companion asked, "Do you have anything to add Elder Cloward?" "No," I said. But as I looked at them, I saw my own family and how happy this family would be with the full gospel of Jesus Christ. "Your family is amazing! You are why I came on my mission, to teach the gospel to families so they can have the joy and happiness I have in my family." I know that families can be together forever!

 

As we were leaving, the father called us back. He thought that I was the other missionary`s companion and that he would see me again. But because I was leaving, he gave us 100 pesos, $10, to buy ice cream. We ended up buying a kilo of ice cream, which I couldn't eat very much of and my companion finished it off. That was really fun and silly, but it strengthened my testimony of what I am doing. God loves the family. He wants us to treasure it. It is a place where we learn more about Him and learn to love.

 

This week was a week of miracles. There were many times when we were in the right place at the right moment doing the right thing. We spoke to so many people that approached us. That almost never happens, but when people are looking for help hard enough that they call out to the missionaries, that is a miracle! Meeting specific people in a big city isn't just a coincidence. God is helping us find those who are ready to listen.

 

There is a young boy, just slightly younger than me who has been going to church, but is not yet baptized. We had a lesson with him and his friend and invited him to be baptized this Saturday! We are going to talk with him tonight about his decision. We are excited for him!

 

To answer some questions (I will answer more next week):

 

I haven`t been able to see the mission president very much, but we have interviews with him every other month. We get to see him this Friday, and I am excited!

 

We have a meeting with the other missionaries in our city every Tuesday and one with the missionaries in the surounding area once a month.

 

I do kind of stand out from the other missionaries in our area. But I don`t feel left out. The other missionaries are great!

See you next week!

Elder Cloward

A Week of Change and Learning

¡Buenos dias amigos!

This week felt very short, but a lot of incredible things happened.

Tuesday night, we walked to an appointment that was really far from the pension. As we were walking, we saw big black clouds in the distance. Before we knew it, the wind picked up really strong and dust started flying everywhere. The temperature felt like it had droped by ten degrees. Big drops of rain started to fall. Just before we got to our destination, we looked up at the sky and saw the clouds circling, the beginnings of a tornado! We were able to make it inside just in time before it started raining really hard. We taught the family by candle light, because the lightning and the storm had caused the power to go out. We taught that our faith is like the light of a candle. It begins small and is very weak. It is important to act for ourselves according to our faith to strengthen it. I would add that we can expect great storms to come. They will come, and for these we prepare. God will always protect us and He did. The tornado didn't touch the ground and a friend of the family we taught took us back safely in his car through the flood. As we do all that we can do act according to our faith in Christ, God will protect us and help us. 

My zone from last transfer. Now we have two sisters in our district, one from the States!

God helped us find new people to teach. We met one man who was sitting beside the road in the shade. He had hurt himself in an accident and had a cruch. We sat beside him in the mud and taught him how Jesus Christ loves him. I know that He loves us and wants to help us. That day we all felt God`s love for us.

Just yesterday, God helped us to find a lady who wants to stop smoking and her father who was happy to talk to us. He was very drunk, but it was neat to speak with him. I told him: "God loves us as much as you love your daughter." After that, he gave me a big hug. That was kind of supprising! I hope that we can help them more the next time we visit.

There were a few times this week where I became discouraged. Discouragement is natural sometimes, but should not be continual. I learned that positive thinking goes a long way. Just telling yourself, "good job, you did that part right," or "good job saying it that way!" Also, humming and singing uplifting songs goes a long way.

There is a lot more I would like to say, but the power went out in the internet cafe for about 20 minutes as it does nearly every day here in Argentina. However, I am happy to be a missionary. I know God helps those He has called if they don`t fear and work hard. And so he has.

¡Hasta luego!

Elder Cloward

A really fun toy. Thanks family!

Realy good icecream! It was expensive here, $3.50 for a quarter kilo, but sooo good!

First Transfer!

¡Hola todos!

What a blessing it is to be able to talk to you. Technology is really incredible. Don´t take it for granted.



This week was really crazy. The mission time is organized into 6 week periods. Every 6 weeks, we get a call. They tell us whether we´re staying in our area, or moving to another part of the mission. They called me and my companion and said "¡se queda!" You stay! Hurray! I love Villa Angela and know there is still more for me to do here.

Moving in with the other Elders

We spent a good part of the beginning of the past week traveling to various meetings. It`s frustrating to me at times to go to meetings because it means we aren't there with our investigators, but I know they are important.

Our old pension. Now clean!

For a large chunk of the end of the week, we got to clean our pension really well because we were notified that Sister Missionaries will be joining us here. I think it`s super exciting; Sister missionaries can teach in a way we Elders can`t. It does mean, though, that we have to make everything perfect and... we have to split the member lunches. That means less food and more cooking. Still, I am excited to have more missionaries in our district. We`ve been searching for a new apartment, which has been tough. A lot of the things we do here take away from teaching. I hope we can find a good one soon.





This week, we had consejo (planning meeting with the leaders in the branch) and invited many people to accompany us to lessons. We already had two of these lessons and they were outstanding. The members can teach, often way better than we can, and the Holy Ghost is with them when they speak. I can`t wait to share the work with the members. I invite you, if you can, to go out and teach with the missionaries. It`s a really good way to grow your testimony of missionary work, make good friends, and have the spirit.

I have really been stretched and pulled this week. I feel like God`s torta frita (fried tortilla). Throughout our lives, he rolls us out with His great big rolling pin of tests and trials. He does this because He loves us and knows the great potential we have. God will always provide a way to accomplish what He asks of us.

Bread! It is good!

I have found that some of my minor health issues before have now become a burden here. I`ve been getting sun rashes and the soap we use to clean the dishes hurts my hands. Also, I have a minor case of hypoglycemia which means that if I don`t eat enough, by blood sugar gets low and I start to feel like everything is going wrong even when everything is fine. These trials are hard, but I know that this is part of God`s mission for me and just means I have to take care of myself a little more.

I know that God loves us. He knows each of you personally and wants you to be happy. He has provided a way for each of us to have joy in this life and in the life to come. Jesus Christ is the way. Keep his commandments and repent and He will give you the greatest gift of all; to live with Him with your families. I testify that this is true. I invite you to have faith in His plan and then to act to receive these great blessings.

Looking forward to a happy week! Remember, happiness is a choice, not a circumstance.

See you next week!
Elder Cloward

¡Feliz nuevo año!

My companion and I in the rain.

¡Hola todos!

What a year and what a week! I hope all of you had a safe Christmas break. Don´t forget to celebrate Christ always, it´s not just an annual event! I forget to mention that last Sunday, we got to sing in church as a
district. We sang "Cantos Santos Angeles" (Angels we have heard on high) and it was the best we have ever sung it! I was happy to proclaim the joy of Christ´s birth through song. Afterward, the Brother who was supposed to teach Elder´s quorum forgot and I got to teach. I only had about 2 minutes to prepare and then I was teaching a lesson in Spanish. I´m so glad I got to practice teaching classes at home. The best lessons are discussions and the people here love to talk!

I learned so much this week. There was a lot of time to study because both the 31 and the first, we had to stay in our pension to be safe during the celebrations. My companion also got sick. This was the week we wanted to go out and find new people to teach, but God had other plans.

Rain

As I said, my companion got sick Tuesday morning, but some how was able to get up and work in the afternoon, even with a fever! Probably a bad idea, but that is the strength of a dedicated missionary! What a blessing he did because that day, we found Juan. He was reading his bible when we saw him and he was so ready to receive the Book of Mormon and learn more of God´s words. Wow! That same night, my stomach started hurting really bad. I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital and that scared me, but the next day it was better. Right now my companion and I are well.

I learned a lot about myself this week. In the Book of Mormon, it says: "and if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness" (Ether 12:27). That happened to me, thankfully in a very easy way. God helped me discover one of my greatest weaknesses. Now that I know where I am weak, I can repent and change. This is a great blessing! 

On the 31, it rained super hard and we got to walk through it. It was super fun. Fortunately, I have boots now because the water reached over halfway in some places.

Wit and will. What a can!

 We got to buy ice cream which was so good! My cone was only 1 dollar! Today was a crazy day (Monday). We were informed yesterday that we had to go to Las Breñas again. Our bus arrived at 5:45AM, so I set my alarm for 4:45... PM. Well I woke up in the night and decided to check my watch. It was 5:40! I woke up my companion, who freaked out because he was having a dream about snakes. The other Elders in our district called us: "hey where are you?" and my companion told told them "yeah, we´re on our way." We rushed to pack and actually made it to the bus stop before the bus. Crazy!

Serving as a missionary for Jesus Christ is really hard, but also super fun! God blesses us so much! We do all that we can to invite the Holy Ghost into our lessons because he is the true converter. When we teach because we love, not because we are supposed to teach, the Spirit is there. Love invites the Spirit. I invite each of you to love someone this week. You and that person will be so happy. "Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy!"

Make this the best year!
Elder Cloward

P.S. To answer some questions:

Our A.C. wasn´t ever broken, but every day its really hot (so everyday) the power goes out for a few minutes. It would be funny, except that it gets up to 95+ degrees in the pension without air conditioning. Ow!

Popcorn in a pan!

Arroz con leche.

We cooked pancakes with banana and cinimon this week. They were really good! We also made arroz con leche. Delicious!

¡Hola amigos!

¡Hola amigos!

I know I wrote home Saturday, but some other really great things have
happened since then!

I got to Skype home to my family! I really loved being able to talk to
each of them. I know that God loves us and I felt His love and Spirit
as I spoke with them. We all cried a bit and I felt more peace
afterward. I can`t wait to see them again in May, but as my Dad said,
until then I will try to focus more on the people I am serving. My
family will be there when I get back. That is happy to me!

On Christmas, I got to have my first asado, which is the Argentine
equivalent of BBQ. My companion cooked the meat and did a pretty good
job. We cooked it out on the church soccer field. There may or may not
be burnt holes in the grass now ;). There was a lot of meat though,
probably too much.

My companion cooking asado.

Saturday, our branch had a fun mini nativity where members of the
branch dressed up as Christmas characters. One of our investigators
came to the activity, which was really exciting!

Characters from the activity. The branch president is the shepard in brown.

All of the characters from the branch activity.

The next day, we woke up and there was a bird in our pension! We
didn`t have any windows open, but there are two small holes that it
must have gone through. It made it out safely.

The House Sparrow that got stuck in our pension. Poor girl!

The work is going very well. My companion and I improve together each
day. We are focusing on finding more people that God has prepared to
hear His word. We seek the guidance of the spirit to know what God
wants us to do. I know that this is God`s work and I am so excited to
be a part of it. I am happy to share the joy of the teachings of Jesus
Christ with God`s children and share the joy my family has
experienced.

I invite each of you to share something important to you with a
friend. This could be a scripture, a teaching of Christ, an experience
that has been a blessing in your life, or a picture that represents a
blessing in your life. I am learning that we don`t have to step
outside of ourselves to share Christ`s gospel. We share what is
important to us that we know will bless our friends. Share as if you
were talking to a sibling or someone close to you. I promise that in
sharing, you will have greater joy and happiness.

Until next week! Make memories; your life is from God, and He gives
you freedom to be happy through the Atonement of Christ! Act, do not
be acted upon.

¡Nos vemos!
Elder Cloward

¡Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas everyone! We have had another two weeks of much learning and many miracles.

First, some of the fun stuff. I bought some indoor "slippers" (Toms, I think they are called), or traditional Argentinian shoes for less than $8. I also got a potato peeler, which is so nice because before, I had to use a knife.

New Shoes

We have learned that whenever we get lost (sometimes even when we have the map) it is for a reason. One day, we were going to a specific investigator's home and some how passed it by 6 or 7 streets. We walked back by another way and saw another investigator that we had met a few days previous. We ended up setting up a member lesson with her (a lesson with a member of the church involved), which was amazing because it was our first set member lesson and both the member and the investigator were available at the same time the following day. God works through small miracles. Another day, we accidentally passed someone we had intended to teach and ended up teaching a different investigator who has relatives in the church and is more likely to receive Jesus Christ's teachings. We make plans for every day, but sometimes God uses our talent for getting lost to accomplish His purposes. It is both funny and humbling; a powerful testimony that this is His work, not ours.

Oops, I should probably get our of the road. However there is a siesta in Argentina that lasts for several ours in the middle of the day, otherwise, it would be really busy. Also, 9:00PM is the normal time for dinner. Pretty crazy!

This week was also a week of practice and listening. My Spanish is improving, though always much slower than I wish. I am able to teach more parts of the lessons now and Elder Takapu let me take charge of one of our lessons. I taught what I thought was an excellent lesson and shared my testimony. Then the lady we were teaching turned to my companion and said something to the effect of: "I don't understand him. What is he saying?" This is harder than I thought... I can understand a lot more than I can say at this point and just need more practice. I practice frequently with my companion and learn through the spirit every time. I am learning what it means to teach a lesson (bad), and teach through conversation with an investigator (very good). That's why in Spanish, we call it a charla (or chat) because we learn so much more through conversation than through lectures.

Buying Meat for the Asado. Mmmm!

The people in Argentina love to talk! And sometimes we can't get them to stop talking. It's great because we get to know who they are really well, but frustrating sometimes because we can't say anything back and have to interrupt them constantly if we want to say anything and cut them short when we have to leave. Its great practice for listening to Spanish, but I don't get many opportunities to speak. I know that God will help us in our individual trials. He knows each of us personally and wants to helps us. We just have to show Him that we are willing to work hard for His help.

Where we buy eggs and vegetables.

Christmas is a little different here, especially because it is so hot. Fortunately there have been a lot of clouds so it's only in the upper 80's. Last night, I couldn't sleep because there were so many fireworks right above our pension and it got really hot because the power went out in the city. Many stores and homes have small decorations, but as for Christmas traditions, I have heard that it is a special day to be with family, eat food, and watch a movie. As for whether there are many presents given, I'm not sure.

Our district and the zone leaders.

I am well and happy! On this special day, I get to talk to my family through Skype, which is really special because I only get to do that on Christmas and mother`s day. My parents will probably write how that goes below. I love my family and know that they are a blessing from God. My goal as a missionary is to share the happiness I have in my family with the people of Argentina so they can have this great joy in their lives as well.

My favorite bird here. It looks like a dinosaur and sounds so cool!

An Astronomy center in Villa Angela.

Cicada- yes, they are here too and as loud as ever.

Breakfast for the Zone. My companion is a great cook!

I know that Jesus Christ lives! He loves us and died for us so that we can change, repent, and return to live with our Heavenly Father again. I love them so much. I know that if we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, we will live with our families with God forever!

You all are awesome!

Elder Cloward

Miracles!

¡Hola amigos!

What a week! My companion and I grew so much. God has blessed us many times to find the people who are ready to receive our message. I have discovered countless times my weaknesses, but God has made everything work out.

Every day at night, missionaries set goals and make plans for the following day. My companion and I made plans every day this week. However, almost none of our days actually go to plan. Some days, nearly all appointments fall through and absolutely nothing goes to plan. That happened a lot this week. One day, my companion and I ran our of ideas for who to help because no one was available. We decided to pray to ask God what he wanted us to do. We prayed once, without any ideas of what to do, and didn't receive an answer. We realized then, that in order for God to help us, we had to first put forth some effort and think of some ideas for Him to chose from. We prayed again with ideas in mind. We didn't receive a definite answer, but God did send His peace. I know he was pleased with our efforts and was happy that we prayed. We just started walking and God led us to a family we had taught, but couldn't find again. God works many small miracles like this that are mighty, but easy to pass over. When we receive blessings like this, we should always pray and thank God. There were a lot of thank you prayers this week.

My companion on a dirt road.

My companion and I have half of the city of Villa Angela to help. That is huge! One night, I just felt so overwhelmed by the task. I told my companion, "we are so imperfect, yet God trusts us with all of these people." Though we are far from perfect, we are giving our all and God is with us.

God's help is evident in our work. There are some children that we have passed by many days who like to try to speak English back at us. "Hello!" they say. Once one of them shouted, "my name is Lukas!" Through conversation as we passed by in our work, we befriended them. One day, my companion and I decided to actually visit with them and their parents. That same day, we had received a reference for a family nearby. We decided to contact that family and went to ask the kids where the family lived. Before we asked, they invited us into their home and we quickly learned that the reference, and the family in front of us were the same! They are an amazing family. They have 14 year old and 8 year old boys and a 12 year old girl. We taught them that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth, that Joseph Smith prayed to know which church was true. When I taught that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father, the Holy Ghost confirmed powerfully the message I was sharing. Afterward, we invited them to read the Book of Mormon, evidence that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet, that Jesus Christ lives, and that the gospel is restored. The whole family listened intently and accepted our invitation to read the book and pray about it. We learned that they were searching for jobs. I got to talk with the children, who were really excited to talk to me and learn more. I then showed them a toy my family gave me, that you drop and it bounces over your head. They loved it so much! They immediately asked, "how much is it?" We'll have to see, but I may just give it to them. Every time we pass, the youngest runs up to me to ask to play with the toy! We passed by later, and the father of the home now has a job! We look forward to visiting them again.

Main street.

Sunday was a really special day for me. My companion and I gave talks in sacrament meeting and I taught about the Holy Ghost. I felt the Holy Ghost as I spoke. The joyous feeling of they Holy Spirit is priceless. We were fasting that day that our investigators would come to church, but it rained that morning, and hardly any of the members even came. This is a sad thing that happens here. Even still, I had a very spiritual experience. I remembered again why I was serving a mission and how I want to help everyone to feel Gods love. It is empowering to have a purpose you know you can achieve!

Our pensión.

Many other small miracles happened this week that I don't have time to relate. Many of them included being in the right place at to right minute to see specific people who were out and about. We taught a lesson to two drunk men, something I never could have seen myself doing before my mission, and may have even convinced one of them not to commit suicide. I still cant speak Spanish very well, but God did use what little I do know to share a scripture, 3 Nephi 17:6-7. Jesus invites all who are afflicted in any manner to come to him and he will heal them. I invite each of you to come to Christ with your own afflictions, willing to do whatever He asks and I promise as He promises, that He will heal you. He is filled with compassion.

¡Hasta luego!

Elder Cloward

P.S.

I probably wont email next week because I get to Skype my family on Christmas. Hurray!