May 16, 2013

Sveiki!

Hello everyone! Life is going really well! Things here at the MTC are coming to a close and it is crazy!! I don't even know what to do about it! It is so weird and stressful that time here is coming to a close. The language is far from ready, but I'm definitely doing my best to have it ready! I study a lot and hardly do anything else! This week has been awesome! We continue to teach, but nothing super special has really gone on with our teaching this week. We are still teaching the investigators and struggling to learn how to be good teachers. We have our good lessons and our bad lessons, but we do our best to learn. I'm not sure we are getting better but I'm doing my best to really get this done and to learn all I can now! It isn't always easy, and I have my down moments, but I keep the faith that I am doing my best and I can't do more than that. I just have to rely on the Lord for everything and never falter. There has never been a time where I have had to depened on the Lord more than I do now. I depend on him to help me with everythign that I do!
Well, this week we are been so spiritually fed. First off though, this Sunday I was an accompanist for a violin duet! They did amazing and I enjoyed being able to help them out. We just played for our branch, but our branch isn't so little anymore. Last Wednesday we more than doubled our branch. We had 15 and added another 22 missionaries going to Indonesia, Malasia, and Singapore. And then yesterday, we got another 14! Our Branch is going to be huge for a couple weeks and then 11 of us leave in a week and a half. I know part of the new group is going to Madagascar, but I don't know where the rest of them are going. So, our branch is now very diverse! It is awesome though! I found out that other branches do their meetings partly in the language that they are learning, becuase they'll have a big group of French speakers or Spanish speakers. That was so weird for me to find out because we do everything in English, because now we have 9 languages in our branch! And they are all so completely different!!

Also, for relief society on Sunday we were very priveledged to hear from Janice Kapp Perry. For those who may not know who that is, she has written one of the hymns in the hymns book and tons of primary songs! She was so great to listen to! She talked a lot about how music changes her mission with her husband. She also said that there is a two fold purpose of a mission, 1: to bring people into the fold, but 2: to sanctify the missionary. She said that this is important because the mission will be a stepping stool for the rest of our lives and will affect everything we do from here on out. We also sang a lot while she was with us. We stood and sang a medley of primary songs that was beautiful, all of which she worte. We sang, A child's prayer, I love to see the temple, I belong to the Church, I'm trying to be like Jesus, Army of Helamen, and Love is spoken here. It was beautiful! There is a lot of power when sisters all stand and sing in unison! Also, she and a committee of people are working on songs for sister missionaries. She said that the church is excited for all the sisters that are going out. I thought that was pretty cool. I didn't know that the church is as excited as I am about the opportunity that I have to be a missionary. So, at the very end of the meeting we ended with one of the new songs she has written. She changed the lyrics of her song as Sister of Zion, to be The Sister of Zion. It was all about sister missionaries and what we are doing! It was beautiful and it held so much power! I cried through the whole thing because it perfectly stated my testimony and feelings about being able to be on a mission. I didn't really sing at all. I wish I could share the words with you, but I don't remember any of them. I just know that I am so excited to be in this wave of sister missionaries going out to serve the Lord! I love being a missionary!

Also, this Tuesday for devotional we were very priveledged to hear from Elder Russel M. Nelson and his wife Sister Wendy Nelson! What a spiritual feast that was and I learned so much! I wish I could share it all with you, but I will share some highlights of the talk. The general theme for them both was family history and missionary work and how they are related. I already have a HUGE love for family history, but I thought that I wouldn't be doing much with it these next 18 months, but they made sure to point out that a huge part of my mission will be family history work as well, and helping others with their family history work. Just like there are tons of people that I need to find that are living here that need to hear the gospel. There are even more people on the other side just waiting for their work to be done. And if I can just bring one person into the fold and help them do their family history work, then I can bring thousands into the fold! I thought that was so amazing! So, I just need to focus on helping as many people as possible! Sister Nelson siad that we need to pray for help from the other side. Especially we need to pray to the ancestors of those that we need to teach. She said exactly, "Pray to be led to people who's ancestors in heaven are praying for me." I thought that was so cool. She said the people on the other side are very awayre of what we are doing. She said that we can pray for specific people to attend us each day when need that extra help and that we will have angels surrounding us. I thought of Grandpa Darrell at first (my mom's dad) becuase he is so special to me and how I know he would be right there to help me out. Also, I got a letter from Grandma Sharon that evening and at the end of the letter she talked about her dad and how much he loved mission work and he loved his mission. She said at the very end that he is pleased with me and what I am doing. I cried pretty hard over that because I know my grandpa Leland Foote is watching over me. My namesake is watching out for me. He is an incredible man, and I'm glad that I have him to help me and to assist me in this great work.

Well, I don't have a ton of time. I'll just end with the fact that I love to be a missionary! I know it is something that is so important! She said that mission work will go on whether we are here or not, but it will go faster if we choose to serve and we will be changed dramatically if we do serve. We will make waves in what is going on. I want to challenge all who read this to support the missionaries in any way you can. Pray for them, contribute to the general mission fund, or if you are able, go on a mission. The Lord needs missionaries now! It is so important that we all do our part to assist in the Lord's work and to help his children find their way back to Him through His son Jesus Christ. I love you all and this is so important. I know this church is true and that Jesus Christ is our savior. I know that we much strive to do all we can to become like him. I also know that we can do it! God loves us and he wouldn't give us anything that we couldn't do. Always remember that. You are loved and we can do everything through Christ. Pray and use the atonment to receive strength and guidance. He will give you what you need to do what he asks. If we are obedient we will see success in our lives, and if we are exactly obedient we will see miracles. I know that is true and that if we follow the commandments exactly and remember the Lord in all things, we will experience miracles in our lives! Again, I love you all and thank you for all the letters and support! I will do my best to respond! You are all amazing!!!

With much love and gratitude,
Sister Cloward