WOOH HOO!

5/18/15

Alright, I don’t have much time. But two major events happened this week. Ok well, more than two.

1)     Transfers - I will be staying in Lamarque with my companion Elder Peel.

2)   Córdoba Temple Dedication - AMAZING! We only were allowed to watch one session and the cultural event, but it was amazing. Having a second functioning temple in the country is such a blessing and has really had a major impact on the members already.

3)   Our own place!! - As you know, I am serving in a small town of about 6 or 8 active members. We are currently meeting in a member’s house and the elders have been working for a year+ to find a place to have meetings. Well, after a long hard battle, we got news yesterday that we, starting in June, will be renting a place to have our meetings. A majority of the less actives are less active because we haven’t had a place and they feel uncomfortable in the member’s house. We are expecting attendance to over double.

This weekend’s occurring’s have been incredible. I have literally been able to see the work of the Lord progress in this country and in this area and it bring tears to my eyes to be able to see it advance right before my face. This work is true and I can’t explain the joy I receive by being able to do it.

I love you all and I thank you for the prayers. 

Elder Clifford

This week went by SOO fast!

May 11, 2015

¡Muy buen día! ¡Les quiero mucho y gracias por visitar!

This week went by SOO fast. It’s crazy. Time just starts flying.

Monday: P-day was great this week. We did some hiking in a little canyon and hill just outside of Choele. It was a lot of fun to get out and hike. It’s something I miss a lot. It may have been a little brown and I may be used to the wet green of the PNW but it was acceptable anyway. :) Fotos attached.

We also had a good zone meeting this week, which meant traveling 2.5 hours to Villa Regina at 9am and then not getting home until 11:30pm. That was a long day but it was worth it. Learned a lot and had a good time.

Saturday we had an amazing Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) as a branch. We had a really good turnout and it was a lot of fun. We talked about unity and how important it is to be united and focused in the real work of the gospel: bringing the blessings of salvation to everyone and working together to do it. 1 Corinthians 12: I don’t remember the verses. Sorry. But it was really fun and we had food and it was great.   Let it be noted: I had a competition with one of the members. We both were going to bring a dessert and who’s ever was eaten first, won. I killed. My banana bread throttled her Pasta Flor. Let it be known.

I love you all so much. I’m so grateful for my wonderful family; for the experiences the mission gives me; for the growth that it allows me; for the love I am able to feel for the people here, for all of those in my life and more importantly the love of my Heavenly Father. This is His work. We may sometimes feel useless, but God has His reasons for everything. Keep up the good work and our purpose will be found. 

Elder Clifford

Pictures

Mamá Sandra and her mom and daughter with Elder Peel (my comp, the really blonde one) and Elder Mark in her house for Skyping on Mother's day. 

Villa Regina Zone Conference

I hate Bees...

5/4/15

Hey everybody! How are things going! Thanks for reading! I know it’s not that exciting but I hope you enjoy...

Well. Let’s start with the most interesting. This week marks one year in the mission. Can we believe that? It’s insane how fast things go out here. I can’t believe it. One half gone but I am so excited to see what half 2 brings me. I love the mission.

This week was great. We had a wonderful fast and testimony meeting and some of the members here from Lamarque were able to travel to Choele Choel for the meetings! In Lamarque we meet in a house here but for Testimony meeting we have to travel to the branch. It was great and the Spirit was really strong. 

As far as the work goes, it’s alright. We are finding lots of good people but the progress goes slow. That’s life here. But we are seeing lots of miracles and these next couple months should be incredible. I’m excited. 

I hate sitting down to write these letters. I always forget what I wanted to say. Funny story of the week: We are walking down the street and a bee flies down the back of my neck (keep in mind I am in white shirt and tie with a sweater on) manages to work its way to the front of my chest and stings me. Great. Luckily we were close to the pension so I could go and get it all taken care of. I hate bees. 

So I was reflecting this week on my mission and who I am. I’ve come to the conclusion that the best description about how I feel can be describe using SpongeBob. Hear me out. There is an episode where the Krusty Krab gets turned into a fine dining restaurant and SpongeBob has to forget everything except fine dining and breathing. I feel like as a missionary, that what I have to do: forget everything except the gospel and baptisms and Spanish. But I’ve realized that being able to clear my head has truly given me the opportunity to find myself. I know, sounds so cliché but it’s true. I am so grateful for the mission and the opportunities it gives me. I’m grateful for the year that I have spent here and for the year that is coming. It’s going to be great. I know that this truly is God work and I’m grateful every day to be able to do it. I’m glad that He trusted in an unworthy, unfruitful servant like me to be able to do it. What a blessing. I love you all. Keep trusting in the Lord. He can and does and forever will change lives.

Elder Clifford

We made empanadas with some members this week. Lots of fun.

Volcano Calbuco

4/23/15  (excerpt from Sister Lovell’s blog)   This has been a VERY unusual day in the mission. Volcano Calbuco has erupted in Southern Chile, and we are in the wind pattern to receive ash from this volcano!    

4/25/15  One of the big health concerns for the missionaries is breathing the volcano dust in the air. Because of not wanting to take any chances of causing respiratory problems for any of the missionaries they were asked to stay in their pensions all day yesterday. 

April 27, 2015   

Good Morning! It’s cold and raining here. Makes me think of home. :)

The city of Lamarque is super simple and easy to navigate. I’ve pretty much got it down. Plus we walk down almost every street every day haha. 

Funny story of the week: I had to go to paperwork in Neuquen last Thursday to renew my Argentina ID (this is the day of the volcano eruption.)  We leave at 2:30am from here in bus to head to Neuquen. We arrive there at like 7 or 8 am. We go straight to immigrations to get started and they are closed due to ash hahaha. So we went and bought some doughnuts, hung out at the mission home for like an hour and then got on a bus again to come back. ROADTRIP!    

It’s about 4.5 hours to Neuquen from here. Didn’t get much sleep. I didn’t sleep Wednesday night hoping I’d sleep on the bus but didn’t haha. But with the ash we couldn’t leave our pension on Friday so I got caught up haha.

Neuquen had a good dusting of ash everywhere. Everything grey and the air super foggy. We wore scarfs to filter it don’t worry.  

Here in Lamarque we barely got any ash from Volcano Calbuco, but did get some.  The ash is bad in other parts of the mission.   In one part, which isn’t even that close to the volcano, it was at 5cm and that was before some of the most recent explosions. 

The work is moving slowly. We aren’t seeing much progress with anyone haha. The only good things going on are: 1) the stake president should be coming in the next week or two to help out and find a place to rent to have church. 2) The eternal investigator (like 10+ years) is looking close to baptism. She has all her family in town. They are all active members. Plus she is having major health issues, which the smoking is not helping so hopefully we will see great progress there. As soon as she stops, it’s in the water. 

These pictures were not taken from Tyler’s area, but are some amazing photographs I found on the internet. This is the ash cloud that was blown across Argentina. 

This third picture is taken at the mission home in Neuquen and you can see the dusting of ash.