Surprise!

 Hi family!

Overall this week I feel like we worked really hard to committ people to come to church. After seeing one person attend I thought about what we´re not doing. Early in the semana we need to be emphasizing the importancia of coming to church, and solidly committing every lesson. Are we taking advantage of every moment we have to prepare our investigators to come to church? In our own lives do we recognized how important church is?  The simple  things matter most.

Hermano Juan Carlos came to church this past week and will continue to come to church for the rest of his life. Really, it is a miracle that we found him and have this chance to know him. Sometimes it feels like we´re doing nothing more than inviting and he´s doing all the work. He has been prepared to accept the gospel. Su unico desefeo es que el fuma aveces. Estamos orando por el y si necesario vamos a crear un plan para ayudarle dejar fumando.

My world just changed a lot because surprise!  I have a new companion who is really really great. Doesn´t like the bike but I have faith that she will like it! She will! Hermana Figueroa is from Chile and yes! Speaks really fast. She is always asking questions about how she can do better. Something I´ve already noticed is that she teaches with conviction and is never apolegetic. She has no problem correcting me, and I´m grateful for that.

 I know our Heavenly Father answers prayers. I know that through prayer and reading the scriptures, that we can know what to do. He has a plan for us.

Thank you for your emails. I love you all!

Love, hma cleveland

Just Pictures!

I wrote everyone back...accept mette...err mette! Wait for it ok?!

Silvana and her belly! We´re excited for her!

These girls wanted a photoshoot with our helmets.

I'm fine, how are you?

When we practice english and I ask hermana morales how she´s doing it´s always ¨fine¨ ha We´re working on it. More importantly, I´m working on my pronunciacion. I talk too fast.

 

A member came out with us and we ended up finding a family knocking doors. After the lesson he let them know ¨ you´re all going to be great mormons!¨It was funny...my face probably looked a little..a lot scared. Great day.

Had a service project cleaning an elementary school with the rama. 6 missionaries, 4 members! It was a lot of work but in the end we got it all done. 

One thing this mission has taught me is to accept my errores and do better. There really aren´t excuses. Our area is hard, it was raining, bike broke- a lot of times we´re wasting time thinking about all the reasons why we couldn´t and not spending enough effort getting over it and thinking of how we can do better. No time to be discouraged!

Seems I´ve found a lot of answers to prayer this week through the scriptures. This morning I asked about my investigators specifically. How I could help them find a desire to attend church, that I could know how to apply what I´d learn today in my life and then teach it to someone else. Lots of stuff. I was reading in 2 Nefi and in the middle of my study laughed a little. Found my answer to prayer, was a little surprised how straight-forward and quickly my prayer was answered. It was a great morning. I have a testimony that God answers prayer and that when we ponder the questions we have in our minds and look for an answer. We´ll find one. 

Well family I love you! 

Love, Hma Cleveland

service project. LOTS OF MINI HORSES HERE

Transfers! Junin!

Family, beloved family! I have a few things to say.

Mariana´s baptism this week was special. She one of those people who has been prepared, so prepared! This past sunday after her baptism, she came out with us and helped us in teaching Nancy. Seriously, it was an anwer to prayer. When Mariana bore her simple testimony, it was like suddently all our hearts were pounding and we were anxiously engaged in what she would say next. It was like feeling the spirit. I know the Lord has prepared people here in Junin who can support the rama, we´re just working on finding these people. 

Sometimes you have really awesome days and then there are days that are hard- but that doesn´t deawesomize them! My days are the hardest when I set out with a plan to get a lot done and it turns into mush. It´s easy to be frustrated, hard to let things go and make the most of it. Seems my whole mission I´ve been practicing letting things go. Having a virtuous mind... It really makes night and day difference.

I love this work and I feel blessed for the miracles I´m seeing!

Love you all!

Hermana Cleveland

fotos. Hermana MOrales taught me how to make homemade tortillas, cami...the district.

 

Rub Some Dirt In It

One of the greatest joys in life is teaching your way awesome comp some funny sayings in english. Hermana Morales has started to become less embarrassed practicing her english. It´s the best.

Ok. Momma! We wash our own laundry by hand and the members don´t feed us. Once a week we eat lunch with a member family. I´m so much better at cooking, oh I´m so excited to show you my new skillz. 

This week was a toughy. The people will who accept us si or si live far from the iglesia. They´re humble, kind, people. It´s hard becasue there isn´t public transportation here in Junin. A little frustrating. 

Had a chat with Mariana, one of the investigators of the elders in la iglesia the other day. We´re buddies and it´s the best feeling. Earlier the elders had mentioned that they had invited mariana to be baptized and she was all about the word ¨no.¨No but we were talking about her family in Bolivia, her two boys, her work, everything and eventually baptism came up. Family it was a miracle. This past week I have been more direct with people than I´ve been in my whole mission and I know this isn´t me. Mariana´s baptism is this saturday at 4. I´m so excited! It was funny, after church we showed mariana the font and the elders asked her who she wanted to baptize her. Told them she wanted me to do it haha. Lesson review....

Well, we´re doing great. The rama is doing better. So far the the mission home, from the city, from everything it feels...but we exist! This little rama in Junin. 

I invite all of you to think of someone you can invite this sunday to church. Have someone in mind. I expect a detailed 3-4 sentence report de CADA UNO DE USTEDES. (from everyone) If they so no, no importa! 

Love you all!

Love, Hermana Cleveland

FOTOS

I wrote mom and dad and jackie this week so ustedes solo van a ver mis fotos..k? Bien familia, BIEN!

I love you all!

This week Guillermo y Hermana Claudia were baptized and family, wow. A lot of opposition this week, but in the end all went well. The Lord is watching out for la familia Rodriguez. We survived! I´ll write more about it later.

Love you all!

Hma Cleveland

Dia de Helado

My family, dear dear family!

Short carta hoy.....How is everyone? School has started anew and mom, does this mean you can finally rest? Si o Si! (I suggest forcing mette to walk this year haha Shout out to Mette Cleveland!)

Short...

We had a few hard days this week, and found ourselves expecting some serious miracles for sunday. We made a point to pray specifically for who we were expecting to come to church, that they would have the desire to attend, have the means to get there...everything. We also prayed we´d find people in their homes. Specific families and referencias that we have not been able to find for the life of us. We woke up sunday and yeah, went to church.

Well family, guess who was in the capilla this sunday! Every person we prayed to be there was there. We were busy teaching lessons all day, found 7 new investigators who have a ton of potencial. When we finished the day, O sister Morales and I were laughing we were so happy. Sister Salas and I always finished our metas, every week in castelar. But logging 100% of our indivadores claves in Junin..it´s a different world. In little Junin! O my heart is so happy. It´s tough love here in Junin.I´m grateful to be here in Junin with our family of missionaries, This tiny rama...We really are working as a team.

One person we found walking home is Nancy. She is special. Walks an hour to the river everyday to read her bible and walks back home. She is at the very edge of our area and litterally, we never would have found her. Needle in a haystack. Well nancy has been prepared. She is stellar, and teaching her, I´m learning myself. All in all, I´d say finding Nancy topped the list of miracles this week. A person who really has a desire to learn. Personal study I spend a lot of time studying for her...she sure knows her stuff!

Family I love you!

Love, Hermana Cleveland

Took this picture with a cow. Sister MOrales haha, It´s windy here k?!