May 23, 2013

Sveiki!

Hello everyone. I'm sorry but I don't think this email will be very long. The time is flying buy and there is SO much to do today!! For those who sent me letters in the past week, I'll do my best to respond to as many as I can today, but you might be getting your next letter from me from Latvia. We are flying out of the MTC Monday morning and I'm so excited! We leave the MTC at 4 in the morning on Monday and we fly out of Salt Lake at 8ish. I'm excited! We are flying to Washington DC, then to Frankfurt Germany, and then to Riga, Latvia. We'll land in Latvia at 1:35 there time on Tuesday the 28th! It is so crazy!

Well, this week has been crazy and there isn't a lot to tell about. Sorry. We've just been so busy that I don't remember a lot of what went on. I do know that this week was incredible though. I loved it! It was a spiritually uplifting week with lots of teaching and sadly, already some goodbyes. One of teachers taught for the last time on Saturday and we had to say goodbye to him. It was so sad! I didn't like it at all, and I hope I see these amazing teachers when I come back, from my mission because they were amazing people! It is likely that as long as they are in Utah we probably will see them because they have a big get together every conference the Friday before conference. So, they get together as many as can from the mission every six months! I thought that was awesome! That makes me so excited! I'm also going to miss the other people in our district since we have three missions represented in our district. I'm not looking forward to saying good bye to them. That will be so bitter sweet!! We are going to do out best to have a district reunion when we all get back from our missions. One of the members of our branch presidency we also had to sang goodbye to this last Tuesday. That was so sad because Brother Parrish and his wife are so dear to me! They both said that they want to be their when we all get back from our missions. She said that she had never worked with a group of missionaries like ours before and she is so excited for when we come back becuase she wants to hear all of our stories. She said that we are the only group so far that she has wanted to see when they get back and to keep in contact with while we are out. That was so sweet of her and it touched me so much. I'm also excited to get together with our district when we get back because we have some pretty incredible missionaries in our group and they are going to do incredible things!

Well, this week we got to hear from Sister Mary Edmunds at our Sunday night devotional. This is our second time being able to hear from her and it was amazing! She is so funny, but also has a great message to share. I'm so excited to got out and serve now because she always gives us such hope to be a missionary and that we can serve an honorable mission well and do incredible things. I'm so excited to be a missionary and go out and bring people unto Christ their savior and just try to help them see the importance of my message. I know though as well, that I am never in this alone! I know that is so true! None of us are ever alone unless we choose to be.

Also, this last Tuesday we heard from Elder Nash and his wife. They both shared so much incredible things with us. Elder Nash spoke with such incredible authority, and I know everything he said was true. He talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of that in our message, but also, the importance of that for us now, and how we need to live the gospel of Jesus Christ daily in our lives. How we apply faith, repentance, baptism, the holy ghost, and enduring to the end in our lives right now. I wish I could share it all with you but there was a ton of information. Just know that I know that this church is true. I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants what is best for us in all things. He want to hear from us in prayer. Pray to him and I know he will listen and I know that he will answer if you have faith and are patient. I know that Jesus Christ lives. He is our Savior and we can do all things through him. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know that He restored the fullness of the gospel on Earth for us know and I know he received and translated the Book of Mormon. I know that the Book of mormon is true. I love the book and the joy I feel when i read it. I know that reading it can bring so much joy and so many blessings to our lives!

I'll quickly write my testimony in Latvian (a simplified version):

Es zinu, ka Jēzus Kristus ir mūsu Glābējs. Jēzus Kristus mūs mīl. Viņš mirsta mums, ka mēs varam atgriezties Dievam. Es zinu, ka šī baznīca ir patiesa. Es zinu, ka Džozefs Smits tulkoja Mormona Grāmatu. Es zinu, ka Mormona Grāmata ir patiesa un Dieva vārds. Ez zinu, ka Dievs ir mūsu Tēvs. Es zinu, ka Dievs mūs mil. Dievs grib lai mēs lugtu viņam. Lūdzu, lūdz viņam. Es zinu, ka ja jūs ludzat, jūs jutīsit mieru un viņa mīlestību. Jēzus Kristus vārda, āmen.

I know that Jesus Christ is our savior. Jesus Christ loves us. He died for us that we could return to God. I know that this church is true. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and God's word. I know that God is our father. I kno wthat God loves us. God wants us to pray to him. Please, pray to him. I know that if you pray, you will feel peace and his love. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I love you all! Have a great week!!

Sister Cloward