General Conference and more Baptisms Coming Soon!

Whats up Clayton Fam! This week was good, I really enjoyed General Conference I was lucky enough to watch it in English with almost half the zone it was really fun!  We set up tables so we could all take notes and watch it in the stake center.  I don't really know which talk was my favorite.  I liked all of them really, but I mean how can you pick between apostles and men and women called of God, it's kinda hard.

However I did notice that all the apostles had a ton about them they were all really serious and straight forward, and than you got Profeta Nelson telling us to have daily repentance which was really awesome!

Also I totally saw Brandon Smith in the choir singing his heart out and the new temple in Samoa and San Pedro Sula, que chevere.

On Thursday in the week we had a intercambio with the new Elders MIller and Alvarado en Alamos 2, it was really fun I was with E. MIller my old comp from SIPE, we had a good day, they had an amazing reference to open the area who will be baptized next week, and we got him all ready for baptism this next week, really great guy that's so ready to follow Christ. 

Yeah sorry the email is kinda short, love y'all and hope you have a good week! All is well here!

Busy, giving more talks in Church and All is Well!

Well I felt like we worked really hard this week, just in other things. With the zone opening another area and giving us no notice we had surprisingly no time to get them things such as, beds, desks, chairs, wardrobes, a fridge. So basically all week we drove around all of Cocha looking for things. Yes we found it all. they are living in a house with other missionaries, and have everything they need. we went to five different areas, one being my old area Lindo! That was really cool, I saw my old Dueño (owner) and had a good chat with him, he's a good guy and helps the missionaries out a ton! But I'm happy we got it all done.

I don't know if it was a world wide thing but yesterday was a special Sunday of the power in the Book of Mormon, and guess who had the talks! yup the two white missionaries in the ward jaja But it was fun my comp talked about Alma 32 and I shared the story of King Benjamin and some of my favorite scriptures, it was fun.  I have talked in almost all of my areas for at least 3 times, some a lot more, but this ward I'm at three.

We started a new activity in the zone where we help other areas so the whole zone goes to an area to contact and look for new investigators.  It's really cool and we will be doing it on Sundays for like two hours. It's really cool and helps the other areas out a ton. With everyone we found we gave the sisters over 30 references for them to visit; it will be cool.

Well yeah.. our weeks are kinda something. but life is good here.  Love y'all.  Also I'm reading D&C and I'm in section 131 and in the study guide it has quotes form William Clayton talking with Joseph Smith! Really cool.  Well I love y'all.   All is well!

"Just Working" and thank heavens for Sundays!

Well lets see what I did this week.. umm legit the whole week we just did a ton of stuff to help the zone, we have so much stuff to do we made a to do list. This week we were reallly busy by looking for the Old houses of three of the areas in our zone, we found one, the other two the owners live in one Santa Cruz, super lejos, and the other in Punata, little bit closer but still way fetching far. so we had a little bit of progress. So the Garanti thing the one house we did find is actually the same dueño so she just kept it and when the missionaries move out, which could be a long time she will than have to pay when they leave. So we are 1/3 on house finding. 

Tuesday we had leadership council where Psdt gives a really awesome class. This time he shared some messages when Joseph Smith Died how a lot of people didn't know what to do and how there was a ton of confusion going on but Brigham Young was there and got them all straightened out. And he showed how they all have the keys of this last dispensación and we still have those same keys its was a powerful class and my president started to tear up, and he never does that! it was gnarly. but yeah the church is true. yo testifico 

On Thursday I went  on intercambios with my good pal and long time friend E. Dalton! We had a good time, (I gave him the tie) but they are working really good.  Him and his comp and I had a good time with him we didn't have many citas but it was a good time to go contacting with him and just shoot the breeze, but we are probs gonna both stay so I will be with him again for a total of 6 cambios straight in the same zone, which is really dope. 

As of this whole cambio we have had lots of people slowly fall and we have started dropping a few cause they just keep failing, but its ok that just means they aren't ready yet. However each week when we have a really hard time, Sunday saves us.   Yesterday Sunday we had three lessons two were at church and the third one was with the converts Flia. Mendoza! I love them. But Sundays always save us. 

Well yeah this was our week, we are doing a lot of stuff with the the zone to help them out and get the mission running better.  This week we need to find a new house for some elders and get another house fixed for some Hmas. But we will get it figured out. Love y'all  All is well here.

Elder Clayton

Trip to the Rain Forest, another package arrives and I'm a Tax Collector!

Well apart of finding people to teach and looking for old investigators being a normal missionary we had the job this week to find a bus for the zone to head to Incachaca (like a really cool rain forest hike, it's dope if you ever wanna come to Cocha)  But we got help from a member cause he is just one of those dudes who knows someone for anything and everything. So he helped us out and we got a bus guy. Yes, I have a bus guy, his name is Javier but he hooked us up with a nice bus to go to Incachaca which is like a three hour ride. (we went today I got pics)

On Tuesday was Carnaval, which is a holiday.. ¨holiday¨where people just take the day off and throw water on other people so we kinda had to stay home cause its kinda a safety hazard, sooo we were in house all day and made pasta. yeah that was the day. also I'm on section 77 of D&C.  good book.

Otra cosa, in the mission the sec. of financia has given the task of the old houses that the missionary's used to live in, for us the zls to go and find the garanti of the house from the old dueños and get money back from them... now I'm a tax collector.. But we have two houses to do and on Saturday we tried to look for one and when we found the house, and turns out he moved.. to the other side of the mission! so we couldn't go and get it, maybe we will go this week or maybe they will send others. I'm not sure yet. part of the job... right?

On Thursday we went on a intercambio with the DL  I was with his comp E. Miranda from Lima Peru, he's kinda a weird dude jaja he's maybe 5¨3 and a total of 90 kilos, but we had ourselves a good day we had a total of three citas and gave a a blessing to someone, it was a good day. But the hardest thing was this dude being not the tallest fellow snores like.. like you wouldn't believe. the dude woke me up maybe 20 times in the night, I was gonna kill him... I didn't. casi (almost)

Sunday after church we had one of the most powerful lessons that I have been in, it was with a RC and her two siblings who are not members and we invited a member with us who is just a boss. We shared the message of the Gospel of Christ. and the spirit was so strong, the member Jorge, was amazing he is a stud and just brings the spirit in, in any room! But we got them to accept a baptismal date and we have a NDH with the tonight!

ALSO THANKS FOR THE PACKAGE! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST I LOVE JUST THE FEW THINGS FROM HOME.. AND THE STATES. I MISS BOTH OF THESE THINGS.

Yeah I just got them photos on the Drive.

Anyways life is good here and all is well, remember that we only receive trials so that we can become like our Heavenly Father.

- Elder Clayton
Cochabamba Bolivia

Phone Calls and Trying to find New People to Teach

So far the last like two o three weeks now.. we have had a really hard time finding people to teach and if we set citas people are just not there so it has been really hard. However something really cool a member came up to us on Sunday and said she needs her two kids to be baptized one is 8 and the other 11 so that will be awesome! jaja we got the date for them this last week of March, so I'm excited for that. When a mom forgets to get her kids baptized it's kinda funny.

This week we got all the old teaching records and started looking for old people that the missionary's would teach however it was kinda hard cause the missionary's that last kept teaching records were almost two years ago.. so that was really lame. We were looking for people that haven't seen the missionary's for a long long time, however we took out a few citas and saw a little bit of success which was awesome.

On Friday I was a little under the weather. (when I talked to him on the phone, he said it was some kind of a stomach bug and he just stayed in bed all day, so basically a sick day...ha-ha)

Well yeah that was the week jaja, sorry its really short, but we just haven't had much these last few weeks, but we are looking like crazy añd talking to everyone. but its all good here, love y'all

I have photos on my drive and a few more coming soon.

Catching UP and Sonia's Baptism

Well, at least we got an email and caught up on what's happening.  I didn't get to talk to him this week; which I really think is ok. If I have to chose, I will chose an email...and pictures.  He did call and talked with his brother, Stetson and his dad.  So, I guess we all got what we wanted.  Enjoy...

So last week I wrote part of this email but I forgot to send it.. cause I was kinda talking to you guys for camera jaja. so I just put them together, hope that works. 

Well I think the best thing that has happened so far this week is that we had the bautizmo of Sonia! it was really rad but kinda hard cause she wanted a member in another ward to baptize her, which is super chill its just cause if its in another ward they need permission from their bishop so he had to get an interview. But everything was good and she got baptized by him which was awesome!

As of now we don't have a ton of people to teach cause we baptized a lot of them, however we are working hard. E. Gallini and I this first week together and I'm excited to be with him. We found a ton of new people to teach which has been fun, and in church we had a ton of people come, but only one new jaja but we got some return citas with all of them so we can find time to teach them in the week! 

Well some updates on a few people we are teaching Camila and Dilan, they have both been studying like crazy and haven't had time to talk to us... It's been a long time and still haven't found them, kinda hard we keep calling them and passing by their houses but they just fell off the face of the earth.. soo yeah..

Well for this last week we legit had no citas all week, we taught a gran total of 4 lessons that was kinda hard and 3 were in the same day.. so all week long we just knocked a lot of doors and somehow received a ton of references but they are all for next week so we will see how that goes. 

That was pretty much the last two weeks, sorry I didn't send it last week, and that my email is not that big this week. 

Now they can Call...What? But, we still need an Email!!!

Last week was the awesome phone call - which was also my birthday.  It was so fun to see  his face again and so soon after the Christmas phone call.  Still not sure how I feel about the being able to call change.  I know that for some,   Here's what I wrote on my Instagram about the change, I felt it was worth putting in his blog for record keeping and for those of you who may not be on social media, too.

Today’s announcement! This is big!!! Unbelievable, right? All I know is I have the best friends in the world...my phone went crazy. I love that you text’d! I still can't decide how I feel. People know how much I miss my missionaries when they’re gone. I know it will help some probably several. But the anticipation of those awaited calls may not make them as exciting. (No more Christmas countdown chain) Maybe Monday, this first time he could check in...😉because the emailing back and forth has been enough for me/us. But, I know for others it would be very helpful to call home. I’m thinking I’m ok to keep it as it is and we will let Caleb and his mission president decide what he will do. But, ours comes home in six months! So, either way it's fine with me!!! ☎️