Wednesday, May 15, 2013

To the Best Family in the World



...Visa status= no visa. Kinda awesome because I really like serving here. TRANFERS!! are this week and nobody knows where to put all us visa waiters  because when they actually get here, we're off. Possibly mid-transfer. No clue. 

Ok I'm going to go ahead and describe a bit about the mission, where I'm living, that stuff. It's about time. Right now I'm with three other sisters living in a member home. It's weird because the neighborhood I live in is a bunch of mansions, up overlooking the valley right next to the mountains, but my whole day is spent in around four trailer parks. Layton is so pretty! I thought I was close to the mountains in Provo. Here I feel like I can touch them, that close. The weather is as bi-polar as it gets but esta bien.

We met with the Amaya's again today and basically they're top notch people. It's weird to think that Janeth is my age. I really respect her and her decision to investigate the church. I love that in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we all teach and learn from each other. There is no one person who knows it all. From the 8 year old who speaks in sacrament meeting to the bishop, we are able to see how others have learned and come unto Christ and then apply what they have learned to our lives as well. Makes sense.

Had the chance to meet Asencio the other day. Asencio is in his late 50's, from Mexico, and waiting for his family to join him in the United States this summer. He is so excited! He really got a kick out of my Spanish, straight up started laughing. This week I've made it a goal to not tell anyone that I'm "learning spanish" and instead just go for it. Throwing words out there. It's been going nicely and it's changed the conversations I have. When people see that I'm trying and not making excuses, willing to look dumb, they respect me more. Even trust what I have to say more. When the effort is there and you're teaching with humility you allow the spirit to testify to investigators. Ok, so here's the miracle. The minute we left Asencio, Hermana Roades mentioned that Asencio had actually dropped them around 4 months ago- hard core drop. Please leave. I don't want to hear anymore drop. What?! But he loves us?! Shocker. Seems that his heart has been softened. I'm excited for him to hear the gospel a second time with a willing heart.

My first transfer has already changed the way I think about everything. The mission, my relationship with my companion and with you, my family. It is TRUE that when you love your companion, you'll love your mission. I can see that it could be easy to judge your first couple trainers- well every companion you have I guess. But we just need to learn that some things DON'T MATTER. Being united with Sister Roades this transfer has allowed me to show my love, Christ's love, for those we teach. Surprise, this transfer has been hard. I've have been studying and really trying to understand humility. Thinking, how can I develop humility? It's consistent work. I know that faith leads to action, and when we are consistently trying to be better, Heavenly Father will help us out. Thinking about charity, having the pure love of Christ is a GIFT....and I could go on forever so stopping now.

This week I encourage all of you to decide what really matters to you and to let the small stuff go! Do it! You will feel better, you will have a better relationship with every one...
Whew. Long letter...sermon. 

I love you all! Excited to hear from you!

Love, 

Hermana Cleveland

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