Seis Meses! a.k.a. Six Months!

well fam I have done it 1/4 of the mission is gone ha ha pretty crazy to think about it went by really fast, i still got quite a bit of time left which I am happy about but I will try and make every minute of these 18 months that i have left to the lord cause that is why i´m here!

Lunes Martes- pretty chill day ha ha it was those Carnival days where its just a huge water fight with the whole city and people just get super drunk throwing water at each other soooo being representatives of Jesus Christ we could not leave the house for two days ha ha but we invited other missionaries  over to our house where we made some chicken with.. RICE! cause that's all they eat in this country ha ha but it was way fun and we just hang out for the day in our house

Miercoles- TEMPLE! we got to go to the temple this week which was way rad! I've only been now two times and I can´t believe how amazing it is every time I really miss having the temple so close and easy to go to back in Bountiful, but it's awesome in the temple I  really feel like I am back home, it's amazing and so easy to feel the spirit, also it's the only place that  I know of that has carpet.. pretty cool if you ask me

Jueves- So one thing that is really weird about this area is we have two types of people those that come to church but we can never meet with in the week or those that we can talk to 3 times in a week but never come to church! but we have these two kids that we have been trying to teach for ever that have come to church for a very long time and we finally met with them today and we were teaching lesson one and at the end we asked if this is possible and true? and they both said yes! like without waiting a second so we gave them a baptism date last week and there baptism is this Saturday! Really cool!

Viernes- well this was my six month mark ha ha kinda a crazy day i kinda forgot until around noon and it kinda blew my mind but hey I made it! but anyways we have been working a lot with less active familie with family nights and its really working we always ask them to bring a reference with them to the family night and its helping a lot! we have a family night almost every night this week and last week

Sabado-so this day was kind funny we had this reference from another elder and we were trying to look for him today this is the reference.. Brian Vargas. lives next to a school called seis de agosto his house is two floors and has brown doors.. that's it! ha ha no number, we have no street names so that doesn't help so we were just walking in circles trying to find this house ha ha and asking everyone if they know this guy we gave up after around 2 hours but we gave it our all!

Domingo- so we had a lesson planned after church with this one gal in our ward and her family I was confused on where she lived and so she offered to show us after church as we left the chapel at around 11´30 we took a trufi that was about 30 minutes away and then we literally like hiked this mountain! it was so funny this like 70 year old gal who speaks more quchiwa then Spanish and she was leading us up this  mountain! but we made it to the house where we could see everything! all of Cochabamba it was so cool and just in the middle of nowhere! we made it to the family and shared a message with them, the faith that they have is amazing! I ived less then 5 minutes from the church and I was always looking for excuses and these people have to walk 30 minutes and then take a trufi for 30 more! muchísimo fe!

esta semana era super chevere muy ocupado pero estoy bien! gracias familia para todo! te amo y todo esta bien aquí en Bolivia!

Google Translate:  this week was super cool very busy but I'm fine! thank you family for everything! I love you and everything is fine here in Bolivia!

--
- Elder Clayton
Bolivia Cochabamba


I sent him a picture of the snow storm that had just happened and here was his response:

Elder Clayton: I wanna just jump in that ha ha its been kinda these last few days ha ha
alll of last week it was nothing but rain and now its way hot!
So are you home alone today?

Mom: Yep. Trying to get up energy to go shovel again. Not wanting to. You know how I feel about the snow! It’s pretty quiet here.

Elder Clayton:  Palm Springs! I remember when I was home everyone was going everywhere but now that i´m here in Bolivia i really see how much we travel as a family
ha ha really cool to think about all the places that you guys have been in the last 6 months like the whole family!
yeah six months! way nuts ha ha i really can´t believe it sometimes but again its a lot of time haha I've learned a ton in this little time and I still have a lot to learn! Those photos looked awesome! this week the rain was not as bad which was nice but the weather is always like 80s which is good ha ha
I love you Mom, Happy Birthday!

Service with a Smile, so much rain, and mudslides...

This week has been so much rain like every day and night rain! and every night it floods the streets which really sucks for cars and walking everywhere ha-ha but i don´t know if you guys heard but over in Tiquipaya there was a HUGE mud slide! Go check out those videos super crazy but we went and helped them out Friday, it was.. loco

Lunes- last p day played some futbol and had a family night evening with this recent convert family pretty chill p-day.

Martes- We have this really cool kid that we have been teaching the last 2 weeks and he is progressing really fast, and really fun to teach in our first contact he said that or church was true! Ha-ha but his dad does not believe in God and so it’s really hard to get him to church because his dad does not like us to much, preaching about God and all ha-ha-ha

Miercoles- so my area is really really big and i walk on a new street or new dirt road like almost every day so we were walking on this one road and just happened to knock on a door and this family answered and goes ¨hola hermano Elder!¨me and my comp were a little baffled but they were members!  I’ve never met them before ha-ha we shared a message and then they came to church!  Way cool and kind of amazing to find them.

Jueves- So that new missionary that came in last week he asked us to help out with service in his house, so we were down and went to his house where we dug a ditch for the rain to leave his house but his house was so green and nice we were cutting down weeds with macetas! haha and it rained the night before and just got way muddy, also we were moving these logs and they haven’t been touched for a long time so I was ready for spiders but, it was a lot worse than spiders.. FREKIN SCORPIONS! I found like 4 scorpions while moving these logs! ha-ha and they were like 2 or 3 inches long!

Viernes-  Ok Friday service in Tiquipaya, wow wow they called us in for service the night before and they said prepare to bring worst cloths and shoes we got there at like 8 in the morning and with about half of the missionaries from Cochabamba were helping out but the mud slide was huge, we were walking in mud  up to our waist! I’ve never been in like quick sand but I think that is what it’s like, but i can´t believe how sad it was we were in a house where the mud was like 4 feet high in her house! Crazy and all we could do to help was just push it out with shoves..  I’ve never been so tired in my life! I have photos from another misionaro, I will send them to you all. 

Sabado- way busy day we had 6 lesson plans! way rad we had a lesson at 8, 10, 2, 4,5,7 i love these days when we are just working so hard and finding so many people!  This has been a really tiring and hard but rewarding week!

Domingo- So these to kids have been coming to church for a while and we always have plans to meet with them but they are never home but we finally found time to meet with them today and we gave them the lesson of the restoration and at the part of the Book of Mormon we asked them if they think this is possible and if this book is true.. and they both said yes!  Like automatically! T hey both have one and have read a lot of it and both prayed about it!  So crazy so crazy! Super prepared so when they said that we gave them a date for baptism and they were nervous but excited!

Yeah all in all a very good and wet week ha-ha all is well here.  Love ya!

-- 

- Elder Clayton 

Bolivia Cochabamba 

It was also my birthday and he sent birthday greetings: It's worth including them in here, too.

Hey mom just wanted to say I love ya and thank you for everything you have done for me and to help me be the person that I am today love ya and hope your birthday is fun have a good time with the fam o with your friends if you want! Thanks for the weekly emails they always make my day and help me stay up to date here, love ya and talk to you next week!

Working Hard with his Elder Cordova In Cochabamba

What’s up fam so my new comp has like 6 months in the mish about 20 days more than I have ha-ha he is from Ecuador and is really cool. He was in this area where it’s a little pueblo and its like a two day travel from where he was in Cochabamba, he is really cool and we are working really hard right now, my old comp really did not do a thing so I’m glad he is here now. His name is Elder Cordova too ha-ha.

Monday- last week we played some wali its like volleyball but in a room with four walls all around you. It’s really dope and I played it with this different zone which was way cool and later had a family home evening with this family in our ward!

Tuesday- This was the day of transfers and since my comp was way far away I had to wait for him to fly in around 6 so I was in a trio with my zone leaders which was cool cause they are my two favorite people and then in the night with my comp I got a new BED! Super cozy!

Miércoles- This was our really first day together and it was really weird. First this kid in our ward came back from his mission and the stake president was working so instead of being with his mom who was also working they just gave him to us! Haha this guy who just got off the mission after two years is then working for us! Haha I felt way bad and it was really weird but what kind of sucked was we had one lesson planed this week and it was at 8! So we contacted from 12-1 and 2-8 I’m not kidding. Looong day!

Jueves- We were contacting and we found this way rad kid yesterday. We had another lesson with him today, and we taught lesson three, the gospel of Jesus Christ and then we gave him a lesson of the restoration and a photo, and he gave us like a outline of the pamphlet. He had like wrote a report on it! And he had questions! It was so awesome! And then he came to church! His name is Albert btw

Friday- So I had this reference in our area so we decided to go look for him and we took the trfui to it and when we got to the end of the trufi we were so so so far away my area is like all mountains and you could not even see the city of Cochabamba! haha we were so far and we didn´t even find the dude, my comp is baffled on how big this area is, I am too some days there used to be six missionaries in this area now only two.

Saturday- We taught this way rad dude about the restoration and he was super interested and he had tons of questions which was way sweet I hate teaching when people are just listening and not really doing anything but when they are involved it’s awesome!

Domingo- church came around and it was Fast Sunday and this is the first time I got up to bare my testimony haha, yeah I’m a punk sorry guys but I did it! and it was way sweet and we had 7 investigators in the church and later had a family home evening with this way rad family and eat some pique macho QUE RICO!

Yeah way dope week we are working really well and I’m glad i did not leave this area because if I did it would die cause with my old comp we did nothing! But all is well down here, love ya!

- Elder Clayton 

Bolivia Cochabamba

New Comp Coming Soon, Making Bread, and I'm staying here for at least Six More Weeks!

I don't usually put in what i write to him, but this time I thought it was worth sharing as I know that prayers are answered in many ways and this email shows that our Father in Heaven is very much aware of that boy in Bolivia, his heart, and will watch over and take care of him.  Which in turn, whispers peace to my heart here at home.  Enjoy, this one is a keeper...

My email to Elder Clayton:  Hey Pal:  How are things in Boliva?  Well, things here are pretty quiet.  It's Sunday night and I am sitting in my usual spot in the TV room, with my laptop, blanket on my lap and writing my favorite missionary.  Today as I was listening to Laurie Evertsen speak in Sacrament meeting she quoted the scripture Doctrine and Covenants 18:15 about saving one soul, I thought about your companion.  I know that it has been a hard transfer, and yet you have learned a lot.  I did think about something.  Maybe after it is all over for him and he rethinks his whole mission experience, maybe he will regret those weeks he was with you and the slug he was.  And, then he will realize the example you were to him and hung in there.  I am hopeful this is the case.  I am grateful that although it is difficult, you are still smiling and trying hard to "Come what may and Love it" like Bridger would say from his mission.  right?

The other thing I've been thinking about is the box.  I was never worried about the box.  I knew that you would get it, I just wasn't sure when.  But, after reading your email I realized that you got it exactly when it was best for you to get it.  He really is so aware of your lives and what is best.  I am so grateful you were able to get it and that you enjoyed what was in there.  How were the caramels?  I forgot to ask you how they were.  Sometimes they start to turn to sugar when they get older and I did worry about that, but I'm sure you didn't mind.

How are your investigators coming along?  I pray for them to listen to your message and to see what you have.  I am hopeful you will be able to see your one get married, but if not, he will remember that you were instrumental in helping him make that decision to be a family.  

Is this the week that transfers are happening?  Do you know what will happen yet? I am praying that you will go or stay wherever you are needed and what will be best for you.  Just remember to work hard, even if your companion is not doing what he is supposed to do, you can still do what you are supposed to be doing and learning your Spanish and your scriptures.  He will bless you!!! 

I love you pal. I will continue to pray for you and look forward to seeing what this week has in store for you.  Here's hoping you are getting the answers you are hoping for.

Have a great week.

Sure love ya,


MOM

Elder Clayton:  yeah ha ha I asked him once why he is here and he gave me his testimony which is great but after I said why are you here and he just didn't really have a reason for it. I was really ticked but I was writing President this whole transfer and I think he did this to see what kind of missionary I was.  So he gave me a new comp now and I hope a better one ha ha, but all good.  The box was awesome!

and the caramels are so good and just everything is way awesome! loved it!  Love you guys and thanks for everything!

What’s up fam?  The transfers are in and I’m staying here another six weeks!  ha-ha I’ll be getting a new comp tomorrow and I’m really excited. He is from a area called Uyuni that is really hard to work and he has only one transfer more than me, so I´m really excited his name is  Elder Codveri, from Ecuador.  Should be cool.  Everyone that I have talked to that knows him says he is really cool and works really hard so I’m excited! 

Monday- Last week was a pretty chill p day there is this one thing here called Huber mall where like all the missionaries here go to eat, it’s really fun cause it’s just a giant food court like most American that you could find, and I don´t know if I have ever mentioned this but its way rad. yeah

Tuesday- Zone conference we had a dope zone meeting this week I really love those because its kind of like a half day and we just listen to our Presidente talk, he is really dope and knows the Bible so well!  Every time I leave the meeting  I’m always way impressed and just mind blown.

Wednesday- we met with this way cool little girl this week. She has come to church like 4 times but never met with us!  But we finally met with her this week, but she only has 12 years and she has friends that are 12,13 and when we were trying to teach them they just kept laughing and telling jokes and it was fetching impossible!   But we gave her a Book of Mormon and told her to read it with her friends so I’ll keep you updated on her.

Jueves- one thing that is really hard here for people is the 4th commandment the keep the Sabbath day holy, so freaking hard here! Like they will come to church.. Maybe... but after they will always! Play soccer! always or if they are old they sell stuff outside their doors in the night which is really hard, we have had a lot of people so close to baptism but they just have struggles with this law really hard 

Viernes- we didn’t do like nothing this day. Leer, estudiar, nada mas

Sábado- yeah misma de viernes 

Domingo- yesterday was really rad so I  really thought that I was going to leave so I wanted to say goodbye to some people, and we went to the family to tell  the one girl that I helped baptize, and we gave a lesson with her and after we were talking she asked if we would help her make bread! So I was way down and we just made homemade bread that was so good! Best bread that I have had here! But I´m here for another six weeks ha-ha

Yeah I’m really glad that I will have a new comp and maybe I will leave this area on a good note and not like it is now.... ¡todo bien!

I did like everything in making this bread they just told me what to do ha-ha

I’m a Bolivian now (also I got that package) forgot to say that gracias! the Utah shirt is way dope! 

-- 

- Elder Clayton 

Bolivia Cochabamba 

The box, was a 2nd box that we sent with a lady that delivers packages to the mission home.  10 days it got to him.  The first box was almost four weeks.  This again was another tender mercy of a loving Father who loves this obedient missionary.