Hola familia!

I'm in Idaho!! Finally! It's been great so far. I'll try and remember what has happened so far.

Before leaving the MTC, I made a goal to place a Book of Mormon. I thought I was the only one going to Idaho and that I would be on a public bus. I asked Heavenly Father to bless me with this opportunity. Turns out there were 10 more people going to Idaho and that we had our own bus. So I thought I wouldn't have an opportunity. I ended up being the travel leader so I had to sit in the front. The bus driver was a talker. Turns out he wasn't Mormon. He wanted to be, but he had some doubts. We talked literally all 3.5 hours. And in the end, I gave him a Book of Mormon and the Proclamation to the Family. So, my prayers were answered! It was super cool.

Pres. and Sis. Brinkerhoff are the best. I really enjoyed getting to know them a little bit. 

My companion is Hna. Caballero. She is AWESOME. I love her. She is from CA. She has such a strong testimony. She is so patient with me. We get along great and I'm excited to work with her. We're both ready to get to work, so it's awesome.

Spanish is rough. I pretty much only know religious words which doesn't help when trying to get to know someone. I'm prayin' for the gift of tongues!

I LOVE being in the VC! The Spirit is always present there. It's been awesome to learn about it. I have a lot to learn, though. We've had some good experiences taking people through the VC. I speak pretty much all English there which makes it even harder to learn the language. But, I can do it! The senior couples there are seriously the best. I love working with them. Oh! I saw the Weavers, Spiels (however you spell their last name), and Janica! That was super fun.

I forgot to say!! Roger, the man I talked to over phone during VC training, committed to baptism!! It was the coolest thing ever. Those missionaries in West Virginia better get over there soon! I still call him every couple of days and talk to him. We've had some good gospel discussions and he is so willing to change. It's great. Miracles! Just another proof that this is God's work!

We're teaching Cecilio who has a baptismal date for the 19th. It was for the 12th, but he didn't come to church yesterday. Ugh. We went and visited him and we think he is just scared. He's not sure about modern day prophets. We took him to the VC and watched the Restoration and then went to the Prophets section. It was a really great lesson, but he still isn't sure.

This morning we had breakfast with a family. The husband is a member and the wife is getting baptized in June. We're trying to move her date earlier, but she wants to get baptized with her daughter. Breakfast was SO good. I love Mexican food.

Funny story for you...I was getting ready my first morning here and I was reaching for my towel after I washed my face. As I reached for it, I knocked my toothbrush into the toilet. Awesome. 

I am loving it out here and I'm ready to be fluent in Spanish! I know it's going to take some time, but I hope not too long! Love you all and miss you! Hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,
Hermana Clay

I thought I was coming into Spring. I was wrong.

here is the terrible snow that we got to deal with. and yes, i'm using a broom because that's all we had.

This is the group that I came with.

LAST WEEK AT THE MTC!  SISTER CLAY LEAVES FOR IDAHO NEXT TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 AT 7:30 MST.

Hello Family!

This is my last week here! Hallelujah! I leave for Idaho at 7:30 AM on Tuesday, February 25! I am so excited/nervous!

This week has been awesome. I LOVED Visitor Center training. I learned so much about my purpose. My teachers were the absolute best!

We got to go down to Temple Square on Saturday. I was with 2 sisters that were loud and just so much fun. We only worked on the square for like half an hour. That was a bummer. But, then we went to the referral center. We chatted with a teenager from New Zealand. He was awesome! He asked about the Book of Mormon. I shared 2 Nephi 25:26 with him. He said that we definitely did talk about Christ and those people that told him otherwise were wrong. He said he believed us and wanted to learn more. The sisters were going to call himon Sunday, but the connection was bad. It was cool to see how technology works with spreading the gospel. Honestly, I wasn't excited at all that I would be working with computers and stuff everyday. But, now I see just how awesome it is. One of the sisters investigators from New Zeland is getting baptized. All from talking over the phone! It was really cool. 

I was on phones for part of referral center 2 days ago. A man called through and told me his friend gave him a Book of Mormon and he wanted to know about it. His name is Roger. We talked about it and about how the Book of Mormon and Bible compliment each other. We talked about baptism with that. He said that he is going to keep reading and would eventually want the missionaries to come over! He lives in West Virginia. I am going to stay in contact with him and see how he is doing. I hope that my teachers here on west will let me call him while I'm here. He seemed so willing to learn! I'm really excited for him.

There are so many resources that I am able to use in the Visitors Center. But, these resources are only tools. The Spirit is the teacher and I am the guide. I learned a little bit on how to make my tours more "converting" instead of "feel good". I definitely have A LOT of practicing to do to get that down. 

One frequent question that referral center gets is "if we don't know much about God, why do we worship Him?" I was able to study that for just a couple minutes and I thought I'd share one scripture. It's Matt. 23:9, but read the JST version. It's awesome. I know that God is our Heavenly Father and that He created us. He loves us so so much!

I was able to go back to my "sistrict" on Sunday. It was SO good to be back with them. I love those girls so much. We sang Come Thou Fount plus Joseph Smith's First Prayer(?) in Spanish during church together. It was awesome. I felt so much love for these Hermanas. They have been such a blessing in my life. They are going to do amazing things in Mexico! They left on Monday. That was so sad to say goodbye to them.

I'm back at West campus. I am with another "sistrict" that's only been here for 1 week. I'm hoping the teachers will be able to help me with things that I'm struggling while the others are working that way I can be a little more challenged. 

I have felt God's love for me so much while being here. I understand why that is one of the first principles we teach. If we didn't know this, why would we be willing to change? I can't wait to share the message of God's love with His children! Tuesday needs to hurry up!

That's all I've got for you this week. Next time I write I will be in Idaho! HOORAY!! I'm not sure if I will be able to call you, but if I can it will be anytime after 7 AM MST. I hope I'll be able to! If not, El Dia de la Madre is coming up!

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Clay

PS I can't seem to figure out the picture thing again. Sorry.

(Here are the pictures.  She did get it figured out!)

WEEK FIVE. TWO MORE AT THE MTC!!!

Hola familia!

Guess who forgot their camera cord and journal? Me. Which means no pictures this week and it means I probably won't remember half of the things that happened.

To answer Mom's questions...Yes, I got the package! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! It was seriously the best. I also got a package from the Nelson's full of goodies. Seriously, I have the best family (I consider the Nelson's my family, too). My debit card did come and there should be a charge on it. I got my books laminated today. I measured the skirt, but kind of in a funny way. I'll email you later about that. The investigators are volunteers, paid actors, or my teachers pretending to be someone. I like the paid actors and volunteers the best because it feels more real. 

All of my Hermanas leave on Monday morning. It's so sad! I have grown so close to all of them and I just love them. We had an unexpected change happen. They were supposed to be the ones leaving me and instead I left them. Just so I don't have to write, here is what my companion said about the experience:

So this week has been very similar to other weeks days and weeks in the MTC with the exception of one thing. So my whole sistict is leaving to Mexico on the 17 of March except for my companion (Hna. Clay) who is going to be staying an extra week for visitor´s center training. So we went to the info desk to ask them what was going on with Hna. Clay and how that was all going to work out. they told us that they would let us know bu this friday, the 14 of Marzo. Yesterday (Tuesday) she gets called to the info desk immediately and so we go down and see what it is. We are told to go to our main teacher and he would talk to us and then we go back and call a certain lady. So our teacher tells us (en español) that basically there isn´t a group of visitor´s center for training next week and that Hna. Clay is basically supposed to get packed and be transfered up to main campus that day!. Then Hna. Clay calls the lady for more instruction and finds out that its not only that day, but its also in 2 hours! So we are both in shock and go back to class to get her books and to tell the news to the rest of the district. Hna. Day totally doesn´t believe us and thinks it was a joke (which was kinda funny despite the depressing situation) and then the whole sistict (6 hnas.) get permission to go and help Hna. Clay get packed and say good bye, after we spend about 20 minutes getting last minute pictures with our district and zone, and go back to our residency. With all of us helping, she got everything packed and we were ready to go on time, but, if I can say, 1, her mom really knows how to sew, and 2, Hna. Clay has so many cute clothes, but she is a legit "five bag sister" which we were all surprised about. of course she is going to visitor´s center and has to look good so there is a reason, but she doesn´t think that she would have ever gotten it done on time without us. So we get there and find out that she was the last person to find oout about the transfer and the first one there. It was pretty exciting and very sad to say good'bye. I am now a trio with the two sisters Hna. Concidine and Hna. Day who shared our appartment with us.

I'm glad I'm a 5 bag sister so I don't care what they say. Haha they all thought I was insane. But, at least I won't get sick of my clothes quite as fast.

I am here at Main Campus now. This is by far my favorite week. Maybe because it's all in English? I don't know. But it has been great. I am with 4 other Hermanas that are native speakers. I have learned that I have learned like zero Spanish the past 5 weeks. We did a little practice thing yesterday and all I could say was "si". It was a really great feeling (sarcasm). So, I really need God's help. I think part of my mission is to humble me. I have definitely been humbled with learning a language and still am being humbled. It is so difficult! I have been really praying for God's help. 

We went to Temple Square and toured it on Wednesday and also talked with one of the directors. This week I have come to know just how cool and amazing my call is. Only 2% of missionaries get called to serve in a Visitor Center. I'm part of that 2%! Also, I have learned that the Lord must really trust me because I have to prepare to teach people that I have never met before. As soon as someone walks through the door, I have to know what their needs are and how I can help them come closer to Christ. My missionary purpose is the same in the Visitor Center as it is out in the field. It's been really cool to see and practice that. I have amazing teachers for VC training. They are awesome. I'm thinking that this would be a really awesome job for me when I come home. I would love to work there (I think). 

Part of VC is chatting and talking with people online. I thought I would hate this, but it actually is pretty cool. Our first night, we had an amazing chat with a man named Roy. He was black! You all know how much I love black people. So, that was super awesome. He came on chat being very skeptical of Mormons because of what his pastor had taught him. By the end of chat he said y'all Mormons aren't so bad afterall. It was cool.

Well, that's about all I can remember. I can't wait to get to Idaho, even though I know no Spanish. I will be back at West campus next week, so I'm not sure when my P-day will be or even if I have one. I will try to get permission to email you all before I leave if I don't have a P-day. I love and miss you all bunches! I hope I will be able to talk to you before I'm in Idaho! If not, Mother's Day is coming up soon!

Have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Hermana Clay

THIS IS WEEK 4 (again, but with pictures)

Hello Family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABI, DAVIE, AND SAMMY LAMMY!

I am a little more than half way done with my MTC experience! Hooray! I like it here, but I´m ready to get to work. I know I´m not anywhere near prepared, but I really want to start sharing the Gospel in Idaho.

So, like usual, I don´t remember much of what happened this week. So here goes trying to remember.

We have been teaching Leticia. I love her!! She is the cutest little lady. She loves to take walks in the mornings. One day she was telling us about how when she was joven she loved to jump in the puddles and ride her bike through them. We had a great time just laughing and what not. She is great. She is reading the Book of Mormon. We´re going to try to get her to commit to baptism the next visit.

Jose is so great and so receptive to our message. His family life is getting a lot better. He is awesome and I really enjoy teaching him. He committed to baptism! Hooray for the first!

Jack...oh Jack. We had our last lesson with him yesterday. I feel so bad because we basically got NO where with him. He is the less active one. After we finished teaching him, the teacher that was him came in and talked to us about it. He said we spent too much time trying to figure out what he wasn´t doing and trying to get him to do it. Really all he needed was someone to be like I´m sorry that you´re going through a tough time right now. He needed to receive personal revelation for himself. We spent to much time on the bottom part of the triangle, not the part of between God and the investigator. That probably doesn´t make much sense to you all. But, this was a great learning experience. I learned how to ask questions that made him think. I still have A LOT to work on in that area, though. And I learned more about the importance of personal revelation. True conversion can only come through this. Alma 32...the fruit of the tree equals conversion. That only comes after faith, diligence, patience, and long suffering.

Read 3 Nephi 11 1 through 17. This keyboard is messed up so I can´t do the dashy things. Apply yourself to when Christ will come again. It´s amazing! We had such a strong and spiritual devotional on this as a district. I believe we all felt the Spirit so strong during that meeting. 

God will answer all of our prayers. I know this to be true. It´s been great to see answers come. Even in ways that I don´t think are an answer, but then later realize that it was. 

2 districts in our zone left this week. Now it´s down to 2 districts. There´s only 3 elders haha. We get to have church in a real chapel now instead of the bubble! It was super lovely. 

Oh! Look at hymn 153 in the Spanish hymnbook. It´s only in Spanish. It is so cool!

We sat by natives at lunch. I had NO idea what they were saying. I´m in trouble. Pray that I will be able to pick it up fast once I´m in the field. 

Here are some notes and quotes that I really liked from this week. Remember I can´t do quote marks and stuff. Lo siento.

Whatever the weather, bring your own weather. YOU are the master of your fate!

Teach with understanding! Search the soul in every step of the exchange

Apply the promise in Moroni 6 and 7. We know that Christ WAS but now come to know that He IS!

A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it. Richard G. Scott

Help less actives feel love!

There are SO many promises for missionaries in the Doctrine and Covenants! It´s crazy! But there are also requisites. It was cool to see them laid out. We went over like 6 during devotional last night. From just those 6, there were 23 promises!

Those are my thoughts for this week. I hope all is well for everyone! I miss you! Thanks for all your letters, prayers, and support. I have the best family in the entire world. LOVE YOU!

Love, Hermana Clay

Amy´s request for who is who...

Your favorite of all favorite sister, Hermana Horne, Hermana Day, Hermana Concidine, Hermana Weeks, Hermana McMurray

This was Jack.  He's getting married this coming week so we aren't teaching him anymore.  Kind of crazy.  I actually know his fiance.

Hooray for the temple.  I love that we get to go every week.

Hello Family! 

This week has flown by. The days are long, but it's weird to think that I'm almost half way through my MTC experience. 

Fun news...I'm sister training leader now. That's pretty much the same as district leader. I'm not called that because we're sisters. So yeah. Basically I lead our meetings and start class. Pretty exciting.

We've taught a few lessons this past week. Some have been super great and some not so great. Jose (one of my teachers) is so awesome. He has the biggest desire to change and become a better man. I really love teaching him because he is so receptive. Jack is really hard to read. He's a less active. He feels like he's in a spiritual decline, but does everything he's supposed to. He just has no desire and doesn't feel anything. We also started teaching a new investigator. It's called TRC. I forget what it stands for. I LOVE TRC! I'm not sure why it's so different from teaching my teachers, but I just feel so much love for them! The first night we taught members and that was cool. We taught an old man first and he pretty much taught us. It was funny. We're now teaching a woman named Leticia (I don't know how to do accents on this computer). She is the sweetest. I just love her. She is Catholic and doesn't have a relationship with God. She really wants to though. She loves her family and wants the best for them. She is just really great (even if she's a paid actress). Hermana Horne and I are trying to focus more on the investigator and their relationship with God. We have been spending too much time focusing on our relationship with them. That is not our purpose. It's kind of hard to explain. It's a challenge for me to figure out what they need. But I'm working on it!

I've had a lot of great studies this past week. I'm just amazed at the love that Jesus Christ has for all of us. It's incredible! I love studying about Him. I feel like I don't have enough time in the day to study. One hour is not enough! But, He has opened my ear and now I must preach it "upon the house tops" (Matt. 10:27)

We've also had great devotionals. They are putting a really big focus on working with members. It is SO important! I love it when we have a "member" in our lesson. They add a "newness" and they're able to relate with the investigator. Some thoughts from devotional...Richard I. Heaton: my purpose is not just to get people to the waters of baptism. It's also to help them endure to the end. My calling as a missionary does not stop when I go home. Desire is key and it needs to be rooted in God and Jesus Christ. Phyllis Snow: I need to be a ward/branch builder while on my mission. I can do this by my missionary purpose, edifying members, and working with less actives (Alma 31:34-35). Less actives chose to leave and they can choose to come back. That's a simple summary of what we've learned.

The Lord's hand is really in my life and I know He is in everyone else's. He loves all of us. He wants to have a communication with us! Prayer is so important. I know we can have a relationship with Him.

I thought I'd share some cool scriptures that we went over in a lesson my teacher taught. Missionary work is really God's work. He is the one doing the gathering. Read 1 Nephi 22:12, 25, 2 Nephi 29:1, 3 Nephi 5:24, 20:18, 29, 22:7 for just a few examples of this.

Dad, your whoopie cushion came in handy. Hermana McMurray used it to pull a prank on the elders in the district down the hall from us. It was hilarious. I pretty much almost peed my pants. I got a video. I'll show you it sometime in 18 months. 

The MTC makes you really weird. We laugh at the most ridiculous stuff. I feel like such a weirdo. But, at least I'm having fun and working hard, right?

To answer your questions...

Dad: YES! Send all the people you can my way. I definitely can teach in English. That would be awesome. Those experiences you shared with me about Mexico are super cool. Thanks so much! You are such a great example to me of being a good missionary. Hopefully one day I can be a little bit like you!

Mom: Keep talking to the neighbors! I know, I'm kind of preaching, but hey, I'm a missionary. I wonder how Michelle knows so much, too. That would be interesting to find out. Thanks for sending me the updates. It's nice to know what's going on. About the Hermanas in my district...

Hermana Horne: She is from Orem. She wants to go into nursing. She is super sweet and very caring. She is a very deep thinker and has helped me with that.

Hermana Day: From Draper. She is so fun. We get along really well. So much that we're thinking of rooming together when we get back from our missions. She's into international relations (I think?). She wants to study in the mid east.

Hermana Concidine: From Cali. She is very sweet and a hard worker. She wants to go into psychology.

Hermana Weeks: One of the most pure hearted person I've ever met. If that makes any sense. She has such a strong testimony and is so fun to be around. From Cali.

Hermana McMurray: Hilarious. Loves to sing. Very theatrical. From Nevada. She keeps us laughing.

I know that wasn't much. Sorry. Anyways, I love you all! Thank for all that you do for me! Mom, I'm going to send you an email later today to ask some favors and tell you the skirt length. 

Love you!!

Hermana Clay