The Alien Family 3/23/15

Hey family!

This week was crazy. We finally were able to see Genaro for the first time in forever. We reset his baptismal date. We went over the baptismal interview questions which helped us see his concerns. He told us that he has to work every Sunday now :( We are praying that Heavenly Father will provide a way for him to get to church. 

Someone gave us a referral for a nonmember (or so they thought). We went to contact them and invited them to be baptized. Turns out they're members. Awkward. 

We went on exchanges again this week. I went to Rigby with Sisters Little and Fermoso. They are awesome! They teach with such power. We were able to visit a man and testify about the Plan of Salvation. It was a cool experience. Funny story: We went to dinner at the Allen's home. They had a sign that said "The Allen Family". Sister Little must have read it wrong and said, "Oh how cute! The Alien family!" We were all dying.

Yesterday, we met a super cool man named Abel. The sisters taught their family a few times, but the wife and kids went to Mexico. Sister Willes thought they had returned so we tried them last night. They were still in Mexico, but the husband was there. It was such a great discussion. He is so open and wants to learn more and do it with his family. We talked about the tender mercies of Heavenly Father and how they are all around us. It was a tender mercy for us to find and teach Abel. We have a return appointment this week with his whole family. We're excited!

We spent a lot of time with some sisters that we serve with this week. They have been struggling so we went to try and help them. Although I'm not sure we helped out much, I learned a ton from this. I have felt love for these sisters more than I ever have before. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father has given me this opportunity to learn from them. I know that He is watching over each of His children and He loves each of us individually. He knows exactly how we are feeling. He knows how to help us in our times of need.

I read a talk by Elder Holland that I think all of you should read. It is called"Cast Not Away Therefore Thy Confidence". Make sure you read that this week! Don't ever doubt the impressions you receive from the Spirit!

Love you all lots! Happy birthday to Jason, Max, and Annie! Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Clay

Picture 1: Last time seeing Chele! She leaves for the MTC this week and will be serving in Washington DC North and in the Visitors' Center!

Picture 2: The best spoons in the world that Sister Willes' little brother sent us.

"I AM the Bible!" 3/16/15

Hey family!

This week was really busy and full of ups and downs. 

We went on exchanges twice this week. I was able to be with Sisters Wilemon and Cole. They are amazing and super hard workers. Lots of interesting things happened while on this exchange. They have an investigator who really wants to be baptized but her mom won't let her. Her mom is quite an interesting person. We went to talk to her to hopefully help her understand that baptism is the right choice for her daughter. She asked us to meet her at a park because it is "Jesus' park" and "you can hear the angels sing" there. As we were talking with her she told us that she has been ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood and that she is the Bible. She is such a sweet person, but definitely has some interesting thoughts. Unfortunately, she still hasn't given permission to her daughter, but in time, I'm sure she will! We also went to help clean the apartment of one of their new investigators. It was nasty! But that's ok. We were able to set a baptismal date with her! Hooray!

I also went on an exchange with Sister Duncan. She is such an awesome sister and trusts so much in Heavenly Father! We had a successful day and I learned a lot from her! I'm grateful that I have this opportunity to learn so much from the other missionaries here.

Destiny is doing awesome! She is so prepared. We did have a good/bad thing happen with her this week. Our Ward Mission Leader invited Destiny and her mom over for dinner on Friday. I was not there because of exchanges. As the sisters taught the lesson of the Restoration to Carissa (Destiny's mom), Carissa expressed that she would like Destiny to push back her baptism. Bummer. But the miracle of the whole thing is that Carissa accepted to listen to the lessons. Sister Willes and I were sad that Destiny won't be getting baptized this weekend. But as we thought about it, we remembered that the gospel blesses families. It is not just an individual thing. It is for families. Destiny will be much stronger in the gospel if she has her mom along her side. We are super excited to start teaching the both of them!

Genaro has been super hard to get in contact with this week. He has had to work a ton. But, Cyndi (his wife), told us that he has been reading. Cyndi is the best! She bore her testimony for the first time in sacrament this past Sunday. It was so powerful. The whole meeting was powerful. I love serving in the Spanish branch.

There's the update for the week. Although there were a few setbacks, Heavenly Father showered us with His tender mercies. I am so grateful that I have this opportunity to be a missionary. I love serving and I love the people. Life is always going to have it's challenges, but "con su fuerza puedo hacer todas las cosas." (It sounds better in Spanish). Have an amazing week! Love you all tons!

Hermana Clay

Fred the Mouse - 3/9/15

Hey family!

This week was crazy awesome! There were some big miracles that happened.

We had zone conference and it was great. Everything was focused on Doctrine and Covenants 4. So many great trainings were given. I have been able to study that section more this past week and I have learned a ton! My desires to serve have definitely been realigned.

We were able to set a baptismal date with Destiny! She is absolutely amazing. She has such a pure heart and really wants to learn about and be closer to her Savior. When we asked her why she wanted to be baptized she said, "I want to be closer to Christ. I also want to go do baptisms for the dead and help those who didn't get the chance here." Holy cow. Amazing!

Guess who else we set a date with? Genaro! I'm not sure if I've talked about him yet. His wife, Cyndi, was baptized in September. He is a super awesome guy, although at first a little intimidating. We have been trying to set a date with, but haven't had success. He really doesn't know much about religion. He never grew up talking about God or even celebrating holidays. On Saturday, we stopped by to visit. The Spirit completely took over in that lesson. It was kind of scattered, but everything said was exactly what he needed to hear. We set a date with him for the end of this month. Sister Willes and I walked out of that lesson completely stunned. It was seriously a miracle! As she and I were talking afterwards, we really felt that it was because we realigned our will to Heavenly Father's will. Genaro is still a little nervous about baptism, but we are going to work super duper hard to make sure it goes through! He was at church yesterday, so we're on the right track!

I am starting to really love this area. There is so much potential! Hope that everyone has a super great week full of miracles! Make sure your desires are aligned with Heavenly Father's :) Love you lots! Happy birthday to David and Sammy this week!

Hermana Clay

Picture 1: Accidental twinning and one-legged Sister Willes

Picture 2: Zone Conference with my favorite Mohana!

The Móle Disaster - 3/2/15

Hi family!

This week has been crazy. We had a bunch of meetings this week, so there's not much to report.

Here's a funny/terrible story: Tuesday was my last day in the Teton Valley. That night was insane. The Bedolla family wanted us to stop by one last time before I left. Typically when we come they will make us food. I was really hoping they wouldn't this time because we had a dinner appointment with the Shauster's at 7. We went to the Bedolla's and sat down to talk. Everything was great and they weren't making food (which was even greater). Then, Dolores gets up and starts making food. Dang it. I tell them that we better get going since it was already 6:45. They insisted that we sit down at the table to eat. Dang it. They gave us móle. If you know about móle, you know it stains super bad. I guess I wasn't being careful as I ate it because when I looked down it was ALL over my sweater. Margarita goes to her room, brings out a sweater, and tells me that I need to put it on. I kept telling her that I couldn't take her sweater and she said, "Are you going to deny my gift to you?" So basically I felt terrible and accepted her sweater. Then, they brought out this huge tres leches cake. As I was handing Margarita the cake cutter thing I accidentally jabbed her hand with it. Oh my word. I can't even explain how embarrassed I was. It was all super hilarious, but I felt terrible. Luckily, they're super nice. So the sweater I'm wearing in the picture with them actually isn't my sweater. Good times.

Wednesday was transfers! I'm now in Ammon with Sister Willes. Things have been crazy since I got here. We moved houses and have had a ton of meetings. So far it's been great though. We had an awesome miracle. There is a girl in our area who had a baptismal date, but it dropped. We went to contact her fellowshippers and ask them if they could invite her over. Turns out Destiny was actually there hanging out! Perfect! We were able to talk with her and she is solid. She really wants to be baptized. We just need to work with her family and make sure everything is ok with them. Hopefully they all will take the lessons!

I'm looking forward to this transfer! I think we will be seeing a lot of miracles! I love missionary work and I'm so grateful to be one of Christ's representatives. Have an awesome week! Pray for missionary experiences and God will give them to you! Love y'all lots! And happy birthday to Gabi this week!

Love,

Hermana Clay

Picture 1: The Markegard family. Love them!

Picture 2: The Bedolla family and the sweater that's not mine

HI Dad - 2/23/15

Hi Dad,

I have been so greatly blessed! I love serving here. Before I came to this area, I was very nervous. I wasn't sure if I would be able to do full-proselyting. Elder Gee (I served in the VC with him) gave me a blessing. In the blessing he told me that someone was waiting for me here. Well, it was getting to 5 months of being here and I still hadn't found that person. Then, we got assigned to serve in Jackson. And the miracle of Diana and Jonathan happened. They were baptized and confirmed this weekend. It was so beautiful and the Spirit was so strong. I am getting transferred on Wednesday. After the confirmation, I went to speak with Diana and Jonathan and told them that this would be the last time I saw them for a while. Diana began to cry and thank me for coming and teaching them. She said they wouldn't be where they are now if we had not come. They were the ones waiting for me. I know it. It took a long time for me to find them, but how grateful am I that I did. I feel so blessed. I can't wait to see them go through the temple together in one year!

I'm going to add Mom onto the email because I want you both to read this. Thank you for supporting me and always giving me encouragement. This is the greatest experience I've ever had! Love you both tons!

Hermana Clay

Wedding!! 2/16/15

Hey family!

This week was so so wonderful. Diana and Jonathon got married! I'll write about that in a little.

We were able to visit the Shelline family one last time before they left for Salt Lake. Again, I love that family! Lauren was baptized and confirmed this weekend! I was able to get a few pictures from them and it just filled my heart!

We were able to go to the Idaho Falls Temple with Chele (a girl from one of our wards. She is awesome! She leaves on a mission soon.). This was my last time there! It closes in March for renovation. Sad. But, it was a wonderful experience. I love the Spirit that is in the temple. All worries that I have leave me. I was reminded of the first time that I went and being able to walk into the celestial room and see my family waiting for me. What an amazing experience that was. I know that families can be together forever!

We had a lesson planned for a less active member, but then had to change it really quick. It was clear to my companion and I that what we planned is not what she needed. We decided to read this talk with her. I absolutely love this talk. I know that Jesus Christ is the One that gives us hope. When everything seems to be falling apart, Christ is the light that shines through the darkness. 

The wedding! Wow. It was absolutely beautiful! The ward mission leader is an interior designer and completely transformed the cultural hall. Diana and Jonathon looked so great! They were definitely a little nervous, but very excited. As I talked with Diana afterwards she told me that she was so happy, especially because now she can be baptized. Their baptisms and confirmations will be this weekend! The wedding was such a miracle. It strengthened my testimony that the Gospel really does change people. I can't wait for this weekend!

There were lots of other great things that happened, but I need to get going. I love you all tons! Happy birthday to Parker, Wessy, and Dan this week!

Hermana Clay

these were sitting outside of the church

One Year! - 2/9/15

Hi family!

Wowzers. This week was incredible! We received SO many blessings and miracles. It was insane. Be prepared...this week's email will probably be longer. There are just too many things to write about!

First, the Shelline family. I love them! We were able to have a wonderful lesson with them. Evan told us that the Bishop wants him to baptize Lauren. He was ordained a priest this past Sunday! How awesome. They leave for Utahon Tuesday and Lauren will be baptized on Saturday. We are so excited for them!

Next, Julia Ortiz. Last week, we had a super powerful lesson about the Plan of Salvation. We left her with a commitment to pray about what she should do - either move out or get married. On Wednesday, we had a church tour with her. As we were standing by the font talking about baptism, I asked her if she had given more thought to what we talked about last time. She said, "I have. A lot. But I'm not sure if I'm ready to tell you guys." I thought we were about to hear bad news. It was the exact opposite. She said, "I've decided that I need to start coming to church every week. I've also done a lot of praying....and a lot of crying...but I've decided that I'm going to move out so that I can be baptized." MIRACLES!!! I can't even begin to describe the excitement and joy that filled my heart. This is such a difficult decision for her, but she trusts in Heavenly Father. We are so grateful that He was able to soften her heart and help her realize that she needs the Gospel in her life. 

Richie Larson is awesome! We were able to take a trip to Idaho Falls with the Green's to visit the Visitors' Center. And it was on my year mark! That was super special to be back there. Anyway, we had an incredible experience there. We watched "Meet the Mormons". Afterwards, we walked around and talked about temples and families. We then watched "God's Plan" and finished at the Christus. The Spirit was so strong. As we were talking at the end, Richie got teary eyed and said it all really touched him, especially about families. I'm so grateful that we were able to go to the VC and feel of the Spirit that is there. It is definitely one of my favorite places!

On Friday, we were finally able to visit Isaiah, Larissa, and Michelle. Isaiah is 9 years old, but hasn't been baptized yet. That family is so cute! We taught the Restoration and were able to set a baptismal date with him! More miracles!

On Sunday, we were able to have a church tour with the Bedolla family. President Rowbury came and helped us so much. It went really well. We read 3 Nephi 11 at the end. Wow. The Spirit was so strong! I absolutely love that chapter.

I don't know if y'all remember, but last week, Jonathon told us to give him a week to think about marriage. After what he explained to us, Sister Honeycutt and I felt certain that he would say he wanted to get married. On Saturday, we went to their house for a lesson and only Diana was there. We sat down and she broke down crying. She told us that she didn't think that marriage was going to happen. She was so sad, especially because she has such a strong desire to be baptized. It was heartbreaking. We left feeling pretty defeated. On Sunday, we received messages from Jonathon but couldn't read them because our phone is dumb. I called him after the church tour and he said that he was sorry that he wasn't at the lesson on Saturday. He said that he had been doing a lot of reading and said that he would like to get married to Diana this Saturday. WHAT?! MIRACLES AGAIN!!!! I was beyond shocked when he said that. We are praying really hard that all will be able go through without any problems! Your prayers would be much appreciated! 

Heavenly Father has been so good to us this week. There were even more miracles that happened, but the ones I wrote about are the big ones. I know that this truly is God's work. He is preparing His children to receive the Gospel. I know that we can find true and lasting happiness as we embrace the Gospel. I know that families can be together forever and I'm so grateful that we have temples. It's crazy to think that a year has already gone by. I am beyond happy here! It's hard, but it is so worth it. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father led me to make the decision to serve a mission. I wouldn't trade it for anything!

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and love! Have a wonderful week full of miracles!

Hermana Clay