Čau visiem!! (Hey everyone!)
I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I know I did! I really enjoyed talking to my family on skype. I got to meet my nieces for the first time, and they are so cute!! I love those little girls so much already. As much as I love my family, talking to them was not the best christmas present I got this week. My best Christmas present it written about below. :) I loved the present.
Also, I myself haven't gotten any packages yet... :( (if you sent one I hope it didn't get lost) hopefully soon, but I had a blast watching Sister Mitton open her presents and talking pictures as she tried on all the hats, gloves, and scarves her family sent her. Also, her mom is awesome and sent me a stocking! It was very sweet and thoughtful!
Sister Mitton gave me a harmonica for Christmas as well as some other small little things. I love serving with her and celebrating Christmas together was great!
"Well, everything worked out with An (our potential new investigator)! We got a new investigator this week! He has very little faith, and it mostly intrigued right now, but he is questioning, and seems to want to know. He has started to read a little bit. It is early to tell, but we hope that something will work out there. We met with him twice, first lesson with G and the second time with Sim. The lessons went okay. He has tons of questions and interrupts sometimes to ask them. It makes it hard, and I am really going to need to learn to be more assertive, but loving. We are going to be meeting with him again this week with G and her husband, Ga. We have been meeting at his home and keeping up daily contact. We are really trying to apply everything from Elder Bennett as we help An grow his faith in God and Christ.
"We had three investigators at church! We did everything we could to invite people! And we had three come (that was our goal!!). interestingly enough, the 3 we thought would come didn't come. We had three unexpected people come, but we were so excited anyways. Di (recent convert) brought her sister who is visiting from the country, and her sister's friend, I, who Di has been helping a lot lately. He is in a wheelchair, and Di visits him and encourages him. So, they were both there, and they are going to attend family night tonight! We are looking forward to that. We hope to set up a meeting with Ivo for this week. Also, In's daughter Lin attended the branch in center this week. WE are still working hard to set up a meeting with them. We haven't had a lot of success, because In won't let us still, but we will just keep working on that.
"Also, I talked to you about this on the phone, but we had a miracle this week with a less active (also named An)!! This was the best Christmas present I have ever had, even better than talking to my family! I called this less active on Christmas to wish him a merry christmas and find out how we was doing. We had been trying to keep up contact with him if not everyday, then several times a week. Well, I was talking to him, and he's stops and says, "you know, you are a very good girl. I really appreciate the support you have given me." I just simply told him that of course I was supporting him. I came here to help him and to be here to strengthen him. Well, he said, I think I finally want to come back into the church. I was so happy! We talked a little longer and I assured him, that we are here to help him out, and that together with the Branch President we can help him come back. Well, I called him up again last night to see how he was doing. I asked about his job, and when he is finally going to get time off (he has been working long hours every day). He said that actually he would have time off this week for a few days, and he thinks that it is time to meet with the Branch President and get this all figured out! I was so excited! We have also now talked to the Branch President and we are going to make this all work out for him. Another miracle part of this, is the branch picked names of Melchizedek Priesthood holders they want to help come back. They set a goal of 3 people by name they want to help come back. I hadn't heard these names, but when I told the Branch President that An was finally ready and willing to meet with him, he told me that he is one of the people they felt was ready to help come back this year! I am so excited for this whole thing! I have worked with An for a while and I am really looking forward to helping him come back into full activity and get him back to the temple again. I would also like to help him bring his nonmember mom with him. :) She is one of Sister Mitton's and mine transfer goals this transfer!"
Sister Mitton and I are getting another transfer together in Imanta! I am really looking forward to it! She and I get along really well, and laugh a lot! I love her and am so grateful to serve with her. He is what I wrote President Boswell about my thoughts on transfers!
"So for goals for this upcoming transfer. Our ultimate goal is that we are leaving this area better than we found it. To do that we are going to continue weekly appreciation calls to members and giving small gifts for name days and birthdays of people in our area. We are going to work for 2 baptisms (we have 4 potentials with names already). We are going to bring An back to the church. WE are going to do this by more fully applying the advice of Elder Bennett. We are going to be more urgent and proactive in everything we do. We are going to make our 1st priority always being a missionary! We are looking forward to this transfer together and helping this area to grow!"
I hope you all know that I love this time of year, and even more than that I am so glad and grateful to be a missionary. I know that this is The Lord's work. He leads and guides it. His hand is in it. He is our savior and redeemer and he loves us. I love him and I am grateful for that which he has done for me. He truly is the reason I am out here. I am here in Latvia to help other people come unto him. Without him in our lives, we will not make it back to live with God again. I know that if we follow him, we will get eternal life with God, but also with our families forever. I am so glad that I am part of an eternal family. What a great blessing. I am also glad that I am out here to help bring other families together for eternity!
With lots of love,
Sister Cloward
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