Week 65-“We might not realize it but the feelings that keep us nice and toasty throughout the cold winter are the little rays of Christs light that we let shine through us.”

Hola!

This week has been fantastic. The highlights are two. Transfers and a Seventy.
Last week an area seventy came to visit our district. The place was packed and his teachings were great. He started by inviting us to ask any questions we wanted. ANY. There were a lot of great questions but he didn’t answer any… we were all wondering what the heck he was doing. He proceeded to tell us that he was going to teach us and that we would all get the answer we needed. He started teaching the parable of the prodigal son. He broke it down in a way that I had never seen or heard and the spirit filled that place. It was a super cool experience. There was a part where he called my comp and I up in front of everyone and asked them all why we were there… a lot of people answered and gave some great answers. But then he shared a scripture about how every time we preach the gospel we receive a forgiveness of our sins. He said these Elders are here so that you can preach the gospel with them and be forgiven of your sins. He told them that they were all fulllll of sins. So that was awesome. It was a super spiritual meeting. I loved it.
Later in the week we had transfers. We really weren’t expecting anything, but we both got transferred….TOGETHER. That just was not expected. We got called to open up an brand new area that hasn’t had missionaries in 4 years. Its quite a transfer but it’s exciting. There is a tiny little house of prayer and about 8 people go to church. Its going to be an adventure. It’s a little far from the rest of the zone, so we will be traveling tons to fulfill all of our responsibilities. It is going to be super fun. We have already seen miracles. We found a house and two new people to teach in our first day there so that is good, exciting stuff.
This week December starts. That means the Light the World will be in full swing. The spirit that the activities bring is incredible. Just watching the videos fills you with a desire to be a better person and to work harder. That is the light of Christ. That is what is really is that we look for in this Christmas season. We all look forward to gifts, parties, traditions… but if we look right down to the core of all of these things it is the light of our Savior that drives it all. We might not realize it but the feelings that keep us nice and toasty throughout the cold winter are the little rays of Christs light that we let shine through us. I know that this Christmas initiative is special. I know that there is nothing that will brighten the holidays like Christs light. Let it shine through you. Participate in this years initiative. Share the videos and give service. I promise that it will be an unforgettable experience if you do. I love you all!

Feliz Navidad.
Elder Cluff

Week 64-“Not as long as you’re livin under my roof!”

Hola!

This has been quite the week.
We started by getting word that Mariana’s sweet little mother is not on board with the whole baptism thing. She said that as long as she lived under her mothers roof she could not be baptized. The hard thing is that Mariana doesn’t need permission..But she doesn’t want to ruin things with her family. We can’t talk to her anymore or her mom will have a fit. It’s safe to say that Satan does not want baptisms here in Ciudad Guzman… We will have to see what we can do with Mariana.
We had a good week, it seemed to go by a little slow after all of that business, but we are working hard and working through it.
This week we spent really planning a zone conference. It was super cool. I received some serious revelation in a really clear way. It was such a cool experience. We were just working hard to get everything ready and it was a little stressful but it was a super spiritual experience. We presented a great teaching and we were really able to grab everybody’s attention. It was awesome.
Today we had a super fun Pday. We went with a member to a little village called Tapalpa. They call it the magic city. It is really cool: Everything is painted and built the same and it’s all cobblestone. We also went a little further to some giant rocks in the middle of nowhere. We had a super fun time with this brother. His name is Abraham and he just got here from Utah with his wife and two kids. He is really excited about the church. His wife is a recent convert and they are working towards the temple. It’s really exciting to watch them. They love to be with us and they do tons for us. I love the tons.
This week we have transfers. We are expecting quite a few transfers in the zone, but we feel like we will be staying together. 26 missionaries will be coming on Monday… 26. That almost never happens and the mission will be changing.
I’m loving the work and I’m growing everyday. I’m thankful to be here. I’m learning and loving it. I’m thankful for this time of year that is coming up. I’m thankful for the Savior and all He does for us. I’m grateful for this Gospel and the knowledge I have of who I am, why I’m here, and where I am going. I love you all and hope you guys have a great week!!
Elder Cluff

Week 63-“This mission is amazing and guided by revelation and I trust in every word our president speaks to us.”

Hola!
This week has been a great one. We got to have some exchanges, we had a baptismal interview, and we taught Mariana.
The other companionship had been working with a great investigator for the last few weeks. I got to interview him and he was all set for his baptism. Well on Thursday he disappeared. We are not quite sure where he is at, but he didn’t get baptized to say the least. Poor guy. He was actually really progressing. We heard from his sister that the last time she saw him he was leaving with his backpack on and a tub of coffee caressed in his loving arms. We just haven’t been able to get a hold of him. The elders are bummed, but all is well in Zion.
The best of the week has been that we have been able to meet with Mariana a few times and her baptism is set for this Friday. She is really excited. She still hasn’t told her mom, but she says she is getting baptized either way.. She really wants to tell her mom but it just scares her a lot. We want her to tell her mom because we want to teach her whole family!! We will see how it goes.
I got to work with Elder Koyle for a day this week. I love that guy. It’s been a long time since we worked together. We found 2 new people and set a date with both of them!! It was a miracle to find them. We were talking to the older lady, Maria, on her porch and she was just kind of like oh come back another day, but we didn’t stop talking. Out of nowhere she was just like, “you know what come on in and teach me.” Her son was also there and he understood reallyyyy well. It was a great lesson and a miracle to see the spirit touch her and let us in.
The coolest miracle that we saw this week we saw as a zone. So last mission council we talked a lot about finding. President Clayton told us he wanted to double the number of new investigators we are finding. As a zone we normally find around 25 new investigators a week. This week we saw miracle after miracle and ended with 61 new investigators in one week. It is so cool to take what President teaches us, teach it to the zone, trust in it, put it into practice, and literally see the fulfillment of his promises. This mission is amazing and guided by revelation and I trust in every word our president speaks to us. How could I deny it when it is happening right before my eyes?
I just love being out here. I want to be better. The mission just really exposes your flaws and it’s awesome cause you actually want to do something about it. It’s super motivating being out here. I’m glad I have to chance to be out here. It’s humbling and such a blessing. GO ON A MISSION.
Well to finish this weekly update.. ‘Ive got to drop that shout out to the parentals. 23 years of marriage.. that is a feat. I cant even handle being with myself 24/7 and I’m not even 20.. How they have done it I know not, but I’m thankful. Also happy birthday to my dad. Don’t go grey on me. Love you man.
Have a good week everyone. Love you all!

Elder Cluff

Week 62-“The best way to have a week full of blessings is being obedient and watching the blessings flow!”

Hola!

This week has been great and it has flown by!! We have had a crazy week. We had to be inside at 5pm on Tuesday for Halloween, so we didn’t get to work to much on Tuesday. We went to Guadalajara for an outstanding mission council. I loved it. It was so good and focused on the needs of the mission. We applied what we learned and saw immediate results Thursday morning. We had to be inside at 3pm on Thursday for Day of the Dead. It was a good time with the other Elders but really we just didn’t get to work so that was a bummer. But we did get to have exchanges in Sayula and it was a great time. We found a lot of new investigators and worked really hard. We had successful exchanges and met our goals.

Today we have had a super fun Pday. We went bowling. Today I picked up a 13 pound ball and rolled it down the slippery lanes of Guzman for the first time in 14 months haha. I am just enthralled. I bowled a poor game, but the important thing is that I have a testimony of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately with all the business we have not been able to see Mariana this week. We have been in contact, but tomorrow morning we have an appointment with her and we are excited for that. There should be a baptism super soon.

I’ve started getting into the bible a lot more this week and I enjoy it. I love a lot of the scriptures and how you can use the Old Testament, New Testament, and Book of Mormon to clear things up and understand everything. The scriptures are so powerful.

Like I said, we have had a productive week, but not a ton went down, but it was a really good week and I am happy with what we accomplished.

One other thing that happened this today…. we had lunch with a New Zelander!! We spoke all English and we have an appointment to teach him on Wednesday!! It’ll be really cool. He has met a lot of Mormons and he is excited to talk to us. Cool experiences every week.

I love you all and hope that this week is full of blessings. The best way to have a week full of blessings is being obedient and watching the blessings flow! Pray for strength to be obedient and strength for me too!! Have a good week!

Elder Cluff