Week #37 April 22, 2019

Week #37  April 22, 2019

April  Hello again from Puerto Maldonado!!

These past few days have been super great. Super great experiences and lots of super awesome people!!

WE met this family of a recent convert and it was amazing!!! I loved it and we got to know them all super well. WE did a super awesome service activity and it was super Fun but a lot of work. We got up at 4:30 and cut down a bunch of huge bushes with machetes for about 2 and a half hours haha. But it was the best!! They said that they were tring to put it in the Ensign coming out soon. Sounds cool to me haha!! Like all the wards came together and helped out with the activity and gave food and drinks out to everyonhe haha. Super awesome. Sunday was a busy working day in the super hot sun, we walked alot cause we had a lot of citas, but a lot of them fell through. But we met with one guy and he jsut gave us his life story and all about the bad stuff thats going on where he is from. Hes from venezuela and i dont know if youve heard alot about that place but nothin aint good about it right now. 
Another thing that was good is that i got to know my comp alittle bit more and it was super cool. He Is a super cool guy, wants to study aviation, and for the first 6 months of his mission he served in pretty much his hometown in Nicaragua. I thought That was crazy, but he honestly told me he loved it. But that he first came on the mission out of obligation from his parents, but now he does not want to leave the mission at all haha. Sadly i am killing him. That means that this is his last month iin that mission and he wiill be going home soon. He is excited and sad at the same time. But hes a super dope guy.

 LOve you all fam and friends!!! HOpe you all doing well. Send me pictures of all that you do and email me lots haha.

the activity

My comp getting a haircut from another elder haha. I did also hehe.

Week #36 April 18, 2019 MY Amazing and sad week all at the same time!!

Week #36

April 18, 2019

Happy 19th Birthday Elder Clawson

MY Amazing and sad week all at the same time!!

 Hello friends and family!! These past 2 weeks have been really busy haha. But so awesome and spiritual all at the same time. I will say right off the bat because i cant keep it inside any longer, we baptized the family of 4 and it was such a beautiful experience!!! 

So from the week before, i honestly cant remember very much but Ill give it a shot. So we had been working with this family for a crazy amount of time. And they were progressing alot but the mom is always working, so it was super hard to visit all of them at the same time. SO me and Elder Chamberlain came up with this plan so that we could still get them baptized before I left to another place. Because I love this family and it was my last week in Sicuani! So our plan was to visit the kids in the morning cause they were usually there at that time, Then visit the mom after her work! SO we did that for like 3 day straight!!! And It worked!! WE visited them just so we could keep reminding them to come to activities, or bring them to english classes, teach them and all, it all worked out amazingly!! On saturday, we met with them and the zone leaders so that we could do there interviews, and all of them passed with flying colors!!! We did the interviews after our day in Pitumarca which was a super super sad goodbye.

We went to Pitumarca to teach the profesor jorge and say goodbye to everyone else. Hna rosalia gave me a pure alpaca scarf as a recuerdo and i visited my converts Nelida and Lila. I told everyone I was leaving and seriously everyone I told began to tear up and it made Me want to tear up and cry!!! One hna there bawled her eyes out and gave me a big old bear hug. She was about 76 years old so not a huge problem. But that was my whole week and pretty muchmy day on saturday. 
Sunday was also pretty loco cause I was getting ready for church and for a baptism later that night. We had to get a bunch of clothes to use and baptismal clothes for them and wow it was insane. at the church we invited all the members to come to the baptism and support this family cause they were all alittle shy. A ton said they would and ALl of that. But when we actually did have the baptism, so many of the members actually showed up and wanted to meet these new future members1!!!. WE had gotten the font all filled up and ready to go and it was perfect!! WE had a baptism and it was amazing!! Elder Chamberlain baptized Gabriel, boy 12 years old, and Rosalinda, girl 13 years old. I baptized Karen, Girl 9 years old, super sweet and cute girl, and the mom Ayde. The mom accidentally swallowed some water she told me after the baptism haha. But Ive never seen such bright people and have never been so happy in my entire life. Something else that is cool is that the whole zone came to our baptism and was just a super great support. It was a beautiful turnout. At this time I had already known my changes and was terrified about them. After the baptism i told them I was Leaving to Puerto Maldonado, the hot jungle! And we all said our goodbyes.

 I will never forget that family. They were the real reason I was in Sicuani for 5 changes. I Knew them from day one in my mission and taught them during that whole time. I know how true this gospel is and that it can truely change wonderful people into something better and something that God wants them to be. I knew i couldnt leave Sicuani until I could see them get baptized. And all thanks to the blessings and miracles of the lord, they came through in the end. But after it felt impossible to leave them. I love them tons and hope they can become faithful members of our faith. 

I dont have a great testimony, its very small, but its what i know to be true. I know Jesus Christ is our savior, that he suffered and died for us, so that we can live again with eternal happiness. I know that joseph smith did restore the true church of jesus christ. And that we have living prophets today on the earth. I know the book of mormon can change people with the spirit, if only they exercice a little bit of faith and pray to know if it is true. I know this is true.

I left to Puerto monday after a great small party for my 19th birthday with all the missionaries in my zone that were still there. Then I left. Both me and elder clancy are here in puerto. We flew from cusco to lima, then to Puerto after haha. Kind of weird i know haha. And a little trunky going to lima first haha. But its all good and My comp is from Nicaragua, Elder Gutierrez!!! He was in sicuani with me for a change and now im sadly going to kill him. He only has 4 weeks left till he goes home. But he is a super cool guy haha. I love him to death already!! 
Puerto Is sooooooo hot and my first couple days here were the worst haha. Im in a constant state of wetness, and i am dying in my sweat always haha. But its so awesome here haha.

Today we played soccer and died more of heat. I wqas so tired after so we just took showers and then slept after haha. 

I love you all and miss you!!! HAve a great weekend and see ya next time on Elder Clawsons Crazy Peru Experience!!!

Elder Clawson

Week #35 April 8, 2019 MY week in The terrible cold and scorching heat of Vallecito Sicuani

Week #35 April 8, 2019

MY week in The terrible cold and scorching heat of Vallecito Sicuani

 Hello Friends and family. How are all of you doing!? I hope you are all kicking butt at home, feeling the spirit, watching the beautiful conference, and helping all you can right now. 

My week was very good. Super awesome and pretty productive. 

Tuesday we and the district meeting and it was pretty darn good. I cant remember what we talked about but it involved the scriptures and why we need to use them to teach and help other people to realize they are the true scriptures and they testify of our savior Jesus Christ. 

On wednesday we did another Invasion. (Thats when all the missionaries in the district come to one sector and contaCT AND FIND a bunch of new contacts and people to visit.) But this time we went to pitumarca, one of the pueblos in my sector. We went there and spent the whole day finding and talking to a bunch of people. Also while there I did divisions with Elder CLancy my zone leader. We had a good lessons with a progressing investigator about the word of wisdom which went really good.

It was interesting cause he just straight up said, I dont have any problems with any of this stuff cause right now my dad is dying from drinking too much and he was all for it!! He was super ready to accept and live this commandment it was just a dope day. All in all we got like 10 new contacts from pitumarca with was sick!!!!!

Thursday was a pretty cool day actually. So We have a progressing investigator named Jimmy. But he cant always travel to come meet with us so we went to another pueblo where he lives. He gave us somee small directions to find his house. He is 17 years old and lives in this village called Tinta, where he is studying. So we told him we would meet him in the Plaza de Armas at 2,30 in the afternoon. We actually didnt leave from our house until 2,30 and its like a 30 minute travel to get there. So thats our first problem. We got there at like 3,20 or so. Nd we waited in the plaza for a bt and noothing happened haha. So from the directions we had, we went out to find him. SO we started to go through tinta. Tinta is honestly a way more beautiful and multiple times i said to my comp elder Chamberlain, bro i feel like we walking in a small town in ITaly. Cause its just a small cute town that you can walk there and all the streets were just beautiful cobblestone. We headed back to the plaza, asked these kids  who actually turned out to be the same age as us, if they knew wehre jimmy lived. They wanted a pic with us, but we just wanted to find out where jimmy was haha.   One kid knew him so we found out where he lived. All these girls, like 7 of them, had lots of questions or us, some about gospel topics, but alot about having girlfriends while here in peru haha. Gently but firmly we declined the secret offers from satan and went to find jimmy. While walking to his house, 3 of them still followed us and told us that they still wanted a pic with us, so we took a pic with them, but a very mission appropriate pic haha. I think they were a bit bummed by it but thats just how we missionaries role here in Peru haha. 

Friday we had a baptism for the sisters of Vilcanota. I almost got kissed by a very wonderful down syndrom girl. She really wanted it haha. Then had a good english connect class with the members and some investigators. WE met some italian  people walking home who were super coool !! Its funny coming here and meeting all the different people here. Ive met a guy from france, columbia, ecuador, venezuela, Italy, and Greece. Tons of people from crazy places haha. 

Saturday and Sunday we justed watched a lot of conference. In hopes of the mission time dropping which did not happen!!!!!!! Freaking JEDEDIAH!!! YOU FRIKIN LIAR HAHA!!! BUt conference was amazing. One of my favorite talks was Elder Hollands.  I think. WHen it talked about not being sad when we share the gospel and people reject it. Just cause some people feel like they are not ready. IT was awesome cause that is no joke how it feels out here in the mission. YOu want to help people so bad and uou know that this message is true and from GOd  but people still dont want it. But  yiou cant do anything but love them, I loved that talk. I challenge all of uyou  at home or in other places to share the gospel and do not be discouraged when someone rejects or doesnt accept the gospel, but just keep doing it and stay strong in all places. I lov eyou all and miss you. Tell me about your experiences if you would like to.

Elder Clawson

We found a tarantula in the church and my comp took it home.

An off day for my ZL elder clancy

Week #34 April 1, 2019 Mi semana, pucha!!!

Week #34 April 1, 2019  Mi semana, pucha!!!

Hey fam. And Friends.

this week was long and honestly full of lots of work, but not in our own sector haha. 

Tuesday and Wednesday we went to Espinar to do divisions with the elders there. I went with elder Jellen and we just tried to find some people and some old investigators to talk too. couldnt really find anyone but i got to know elder jellen more and hes a dope guy haha. After the night we went to the house, we realized that we had both the cell phones. so we decided to wait for the elders at the house before we left to eat. WE went to the room in te cold night and listened to church music and ate candy and drank water and just talked. WEdnesday we had a interview to do with one of there investigators for baptism. She was super sincere in the interview and she passed with flying colors. Then we left for Sicuani.

Thursday we spent the whole day preparing the sisters baptism cause they didnt know how to fill up the font or anything. In the morning we filled it most the way to leave some water for the hot water. We went to our house to eat lunch and then we went back to do the rest. When we got there, the water was all gone!!! We forgot to close the flippin drain!!!! hahah So we had to do it all again and then filll the hot water up. The Baptism was great and all of that. My comp baptized him and it was super awesome. 

Friday i cant remember alot, but we did have a fun party for our zone leaders birthday. WE just all told him how much we HATED him haha. JK WE all love that guy and hes super dope. 

Saturday we went to Pitumarca and we met with an old investigator who I met my first week in teh mission!! He told us he wanted to be baptized and so we went through the baptismal questions with him. HE only needs like 2 or 3 more lessons so we put a date for the 28 of april with him. He was super excited. Yesterday was a lot of working haha. WE went to lots of citas and to a couple converts. Super good work day and we had 8 iinvestigators come to the church!!! SOOOO DOOOOPE!!! Super frun and good week. Kick butt everyone at home and in your own missions. Tons of people need the help of the lord and thats one reason why we are here. Stay strong in all trials always!!!

Elder Clawson

We bought candles for the party and we played with them later. In a good way.

Chuñyo soup in a resturant

Us with a member in Pitumarca

A dope family we met in a pueblo called Onoccora

Week #33 March 25, 2019 La semana Bonita, the beautiful week

 Week #33 March 25, 2019

This week was not beautiful, sorry to throw you all off. But it wasnt a horrible week. 

This week was cool. 

Tuesday we had a zone meeting, and the zone leaders ripped into the district leaders for not working at all!!!! Just kidding, we had a good meeting about how to set smart goals for the month. It was super good actually!!!

Wednesday Was interesting. WE went up this street that i had never really been up before cause we wanted to find some new people to contact and teach. We walked up this road after a huge rain storm and it was somewhat dangerous just going up haha. But it was super fun. We passed these two little girls and they were whispering to each other while walking toward us haha. As they walked by they both said at the same time HELLO in english, giggled, then ran away. WE were covered in dirt and mud from the straight up mud road  we were walking in. But we went up hecka far ahah. Then as we were walking, we saw a lady looking at us from a window totally spying on us. So we said hi and she jumped back and rushed out her front door with a huge smile on her face. We talked to her and she couldnt understand anything we said, so we asked her if she only speaks quechua and she said yes in quechua. So we improvised with the quechua words we know and a five year old girl to translate for us haha. But she said she wanted us to come back and visist her again. 

Thursday was also a contacting day for us. WE no joke Do that alot haha. But WE tried to contact and haad no success sadly. But as were walking, this poor young lady was struggling with her puppy. SO we decided to talk to her and help her with her dog haha. She eventually got it, but then it sprints out of her store towards us. Its a smalll dog so i was like im just gonna stick my hand in the way. SO i did exactly that and the dog just opens its mouth like a pup does, and i felt my hand enter the mouth of the little wolf as if nothing had happened haha. But Then the dog like totally twists its head and gets whip lash!! I didnt feel anything after, but then i look at my pinky finger and a big ol deep hole is there haha. So i looked to my comp and im like bro we need to get to the house to clean this off haha. So i just clenched it to not make it look obvious to the lady and we left. at first my comp was like WHY WE NEED TO GO MAN, and i just opened my hand as it bled like it was my wrist haha. HE saw it and was like OH FLIP YEA LETS GET HOME! Then i cleaned the crud out of that thing haha. Surprisingly it did not hurt at all but i seriously fear getting a freaking shot in my belly button haha.

Friday was an interesting day. WE met this guy from cusco in our church and he told us about his friend who lives in a small Pueblo called Onocorra who is a member and he wants to serve a mission. We left super late and i thought i just had a feeling to go cause id never seen it. WE get there and it was a sketch place! Lots of darkness and alcohol and freaky people looking at the weird gringos. So we called the guy and i couldnt understand him. After waiting for like 10 minutes we decided to leave, as we were waiting for a car to come by, this guy on a motorcycle pulls up to us and says, Elders how are you, what are you doing here. Turns out he was the brother of our contact and just going home from work! He told us he was a member and his bro was in cusco. And then his little brother comes up to us too and we just talked and laughed with these less active members that were heck dope!! It was a true blessing and it was a blast know them, we have another cita with them this friday to do stuff!!! 

Saturday we went to Pitumarca. The only thing significant is that we were told that there are two people who want to be baptized!!! WHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!

Sunday we honestly just worked out tails off haha, it was a crazy busy day hahah. 

Thats my week friends haha I hope you are all going awesome and i love you all!! Email me if yha want to talk please haha.

Our pensions husband and me. IM teaching him out to be a thug haha

Haha Mom thank you for the awesome email haha. Sounds like you guys had a freakin blast in mexico. Man im so jealous of you guys, did you ever go out to eat at all or did you just stay in your house and go to the club beach?? Haha how was it hearing spanish, was it different?? Cause thats what i live with everyday haha. 
Thank you for your prayers with the mom and her 2 little girls. Me and elder chamberlain both know that they are all ready, but Their mom feels like she is not all the way ready, so we pushed the date back to the 13 of April just so we could help them out alittle bit more. But another problem with them is that we cant find them at their house all the time cause their mom is always working and the kids all go to scfhool. So that way its a bit difficult. But when we saw them and talked to them a couple days ago or yesterday, her son who is 12 also said he wants to be baptized!! So that was super cool and we promised him that he could be baptized with his fam if he could get all the same lessons that his family has. Im so excited to hear seth is having another race!! Please send me some pics Of it!! And some Of janes sweet new mountain bike, is it like a real mountain bike!!!

Week #32 March 18, 2019 (Week #

Week #32 March 18, 2019

 Hello friends and family. I hope you are all doing great, and i love you all, i bet your all kicking trash back at home in work of the lord and thats awesome. Follow through to the end!! ENDUREEEE!!!!!! 

This weeek was super cool. WE honeslty just did the usual but it was cool as always. Tuesday We had district meeting and i geve the lesson. I cant remember what it was a bout but I bet it was alright. 
Wednesday I drop0ped my comp off at the bus terminal to go to cusco and buy his ticket to go to Macchu Picchu. I did divisions with Elder Stephenson who is a tall skinny stick, that doesnt like to talk alot haha. But it was fun, we found 2 new people for.... him and his comp to teach, but thats all good. Eating with his pension and her family was fun and hilarious, while she was cooking i learned a bit of the rubix cube form elder Stephenson. 

Thursday we did a super dope comp study and he opened up to me and i did to him and it was actually just super spiritual and good. I remember we tried to tryto visit some less active members and soe converts but the rest of the day we gopt nothing and just a lot of walking.

Friday no joke me and Elder Chamberlain contacted the whole day and no one answered us or even talked to us, it was a super rough day haha. We tried to visit our progressing investigators but they were leaving to go somewhere else and had no time. WWWWHHHHYYYY!!!!!!?!?!??!? Super frustrating day.

Saturday morning as we were eating breakfast, i said the prayer in english and i remember saying, help us father to have thy spirit with us,and to PLEASE have some success today. We were walking to a cita and this guy jumped out of a small store or tienda, and said elders como estan? We looked to him, saw he recognized us and began to talk. In his hands he had 2 liter bottles of beer haha. He told us he used to follow god and that he wants to change and wants us to help him. At one point, he told us that he was alittle drunk but seriously wanted to have us visit him. He was actually a super sincere guy. Ive talked to so many drunk people here haha. I used to be super scared of them,but now they are just funny and weird. After we went to pitumarca and founde 2 new people there, It was awesome and our prayers were totally answered. 

Sunday... I just love sundays honestly. I love to say hi to all the members and be super surprised to see investigators there haha. It was awesome. I found out we cant be part of ward counsel unless we are invited now so thats hard. For lunch we ate more guineau pig and I made a ton of cookies again haha. They loved the cookies and we invited the zone leaders to come and eat with us and my zone leader from south carolina said, these are the best cookies ive had in 2 years haha. Later we went out to citas but all of them fell through. So we tried to contact for a bit but had no success. So we went to the bus terminal to pick up the elders from espinar so they could stay the night with us. It was fun and we just all talked for a long time.

Today for pday we went and played sports for like 3 hours haha. We played rugby and soccer. For both we had these latinos play with us and they loved rugby and after we played against the in soccer haha. Tons of fun and a lot of sun. After we went to Papichas for lunch, and one of the elders was having a super bad headache or something so he asked if i could give a blessing to him, as we are in the middle of eating our lunch, so i gave him a blessing in a restuarant today. Then i bought a cool sweatshirt and now im here at teh internet hahah! 

The mission is super hard, but super fun and super full of blessings and miracles and it is just sooooo amazing. I love the people here and I will seriously cry when i leave this sectyor. If any of you are thinking of going on missions JUST DO IT -Nike

Les amo cada uno de ustedes y quiero hablar con todos!!!

Hasta Luego mis amores

Elder CLawson

Me and Chamby on a cool streeet

Little kids with there dog on the bike in Pitumarca

MOm sounds likie you guys had a full on week this week. Haha someone told me taht seth drove to school one day, is this true or what ?? HAhah What did you eat at the peruvian restaurant?? I havent and actually cant eat any seafood here in Cusco cause at times it is very not healthy for us sto be eating it. But i love it here. Especially the little sicknesses that we get haha it wouldnt be peru if we didnt get sickalot haha. I dont get sick alot but i think i got alittler today haha. how is everyone doing down there mom, im super jealous that you are going to Mexico again!!! What?? I wish i could go tomexico cause i could actually talk tothe people up there. This weeek wasfn. Ill write more about it in the big email, but Ill tell you a bit. Sooo On wednesday i did divisions with the other zone leaders comp cause they were going to Buy tickets for macchu pichu. It was the weirdest divisions ive ever been on. He is just a super socially bakward kid and doesnt like to talk a lot. I asked him where we could go to find and visit soem people. WE went to contact a bit and i serioulsy did it all casue he just never wanted to talk!! I was getting alittle heated with him and lucky stayed calm. But the next day everything was way better. We had a super awesome and spiritual comp study and we kinda just opened up to eachother and now we are closer as warriors in the army of God. Ill write more about everything in the big email but i love you mommy and I want to call youguys for sweths birthday cause i want to be part of it!!! Love you and thank you so much for letters mom, you seriously give so much about home and it makes me so happy to hear and read it all.

Week #31 March 11, 2019

Week #31 March 11, 2019

Hello friends and family how are all of you guys!? I hope you are all doing so well.We had an awesome slash weird couple days this week. 

Saturday we had our zone conference and the miission pres came to Sicuani. It was awesome and super informative. Then after me and elder chamberlain found a drunk guy who just wanted t argue with us for a long time. Super hard and the spirit was not there. But the highlight opf my week was with some investigators and we had a super fun birthday party. The son sang some songs to us and we played games and really just gained a super good relationship with the people. I loved it. WE   had a buch of really gd citas too on sunday wth progresing investigators. It was such a good day. Then we had an awesome pday today, we played soccer rugby, football and ping png too. It qwas super fun.

Sorry i dont have a ton today but i will get more for next week!!

I love you al and miss you tons.

Elder Clawson