CALLED TO SERVE - PERU LIMA CENTRAL MISSION - JULY 2014 ~ JULY 2016

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

July 27, 2015 Letter...

~PREFACE:  "Coon" is an endearing term for someone who is truly a unique individual and does not follow the crowd. (Ex., Joseph Smith, Nephi, Carrie McEwan, Elder Cluff, Diego Benites Gonzales :) )~
Hahaha, straight coon blood is the TRUTH... if you do your family history, and if you are Peruvian.. you will see a common ancestor.. the coon. Literally, it's not a joke. Coon country. I love these people!

And my heavens mother..  now you are the coon for rolling your ankle. I'm glad your doing better and I'm glad Carrie gave you her medicated lotion, hahahaha. Friends or die.

I would love to see that Price family here.. that would be cool beans. They are good people.

And that's awesome.. I wanna go 4x4ing. When I get back we´ll go check it out :) that's great.. get it planned out and we are gonna go do it when I get back.

Yaaa have the boys writeeeeee me mother.

Anyways, I love you guys. This week was good. We spent all of it getting Jose Luis ready for his baptism.. but wow, the guy was way ready even before we met him. We taught him and he understood everything. He signed up for classes from institute and is now studying church history.. you got to remember he has like 68 years old, but he is so ambitious to learn because he knows that it's the truth. His baptism was super chill. President and his beautiful family came to be a part of it! It was so weird that he was there, not something we're use to, but such a blessing for everyone. He has such an amazing spirit. His whole family has such an amazing spirit. I love them. Anyways, they came, we got started, president baptized Jose Luis and it was such an amazing experience for everyone. Aww, I can't stop thinking about it. Anyways... another amazing experience for Jose Luis is when he received the gift of the holy ghost the Sunday after.. I had the opportunity to be a part of it.. and wow.. such an amazing thing. Jose Luis felt it and shed some tears and I was like.... ya...... this is what matters. This is the truth. Really, there really isn't anything more important. Helping people learn the gospel, apply the Atonement in their lives, and helping them make sacred covenants with the Lord is the worlds most important work. The worlds most important thing! It's a blessing to be a part of it and really right now my heart is full of gratitude. I have been blessed immensely here in the zone Condevilla. I have been able to meet a lot of amazing people and help them in their eternal course towards eternal happiness. I love it. I'm SO grateful also for everything that I'm learning here. For all the good habits I've made and that I'm still making. Even though the Lord gives us trials here and there, and sometimes we´re tired, and sometimes the food gives me the runs, I'm happy. I have a strong testimony that I will carry with me for the rest of my life! I now know my purpose in life. What I need to do. What my goals really should be.

I love you guys so much and hope you all have a great week :)

Elder Cluff

 P-day fun.

 Jose Luis Baptism.  Elder Cluff, Jose Luis, President Larson and Elder Caipo.

Jose Luis and President Larson's family :) 

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

July 20, 2015 Letter...


Good to hear everything is going good. That makes me really happy. Zack is a bossss and I'm glad he is killing it out there. Also Cam is a boss.. that kid is a prodigy... not kidding. And I'm glad Brig had a good time at scout camp. Thanks for making him go... scout camps slash ward camps were a blast even though at first they sounded horrible.. good stuff. One thing I regret is not participating more... but ya, what are you gonna do. I'm pumped for the package!!

This this week was good. We worked our little bums off to be serious and it was good. Hard work and obedience with exactness out here really brings miracles. The other day we were with our investigator... super prepared investigator named Jose Luis in the church to teach him and in walks our mission president (our church is the stake center and he had a meeting with the president of the stake).. we were like okay sweet, our investigator will have the chance to meet the president... so Jose Luis starts talking to them in English because he speaks it because he's been to the U.S. a lot... and Jose Luis was like... hello.. and we're like, hey this is our mission president.. our "boss".. and Jose Luis was like, oh my heavens it's such an honor! Okay.. then out of no where Jose Luis was like... President... I have been reading the Book of Mormon every day since the elders have showed me it, and I decided to memorize the names of the 11 witnesses of the Book of Mormon.. so he recited every single one to the president and his wife and they stood there like awe-struck .. like are you serious? This guy is a legend.. haha it was awesome.. Jose Luis shared his testimony with them and president was like... stoked. It was cool cuz president just got here and for him to see someone like that who has been changed by the gospel was something cool. Anyways, pres went upstairs.. we taught Jose Luis... and as we were leaving.. president happened to be leaving too.. and we were like hey dude, ask president to baptize you on the 25th.. and he was like.. ya okay.. so Jose Luis asked the president to baptize him and president Larson said YES. So he'll be coming to our baptisms on the 25th to baptize our investigator :) whatttt a solid experience. I love this mission. Greatest thing of my life. The Lord has prepared Jose Luis so much its hard to believe sometimes.. like every day he has a new story to tell us of how he received even a stronger witness and testimony of the gospel... and it's crazy because we literally met him like 3 weeks ago hahaha. In the street. Out of no where. It just goes to show that the Lord will guide us to where we need to go and will tell us what we need to do if we are obedient and listen to the spirit. We have to be worthy though :) I'm so grateful for every experience in my life that has gotten me here. Every challenge... every hardship... I love it. Bring on the challenges. I was watching a video the other day.. The Refiner's fire... a Mormon Message and I highly recommend it... something that the sister who was talking said that really struck me was about Newton's Law; that says every action has an equal and opposite reaction not only applies to the physical world, but also the spiritual. When we experience a lot of difficulties and hardships in this life.. it will make the ability to feel happiness and joy in this life greater. The action is the hardships and trials, the reaction is the capability to experience more happiness. So we have to pass through trials and hardships to be able to experience the fullness of joy in this life. Vital part to the plan of salvation. For that reason Lehi counseled his son Jacob that all his difficulties and trials, even though they were many, would be for his benefit... and it's true, because he became one of the greatest prophets and leaders in the Book of Mormon. Anyways just some thoughts I had this week. Love you guyyys.

Elder Cluff

July 13, 2015 Letter...

Are you kidding me? Again with Kula?! I hope you guys got that dog insurance like dad was always talking about... that honestly makes me super sad. Poor Kula... and his hair... that's gonna take forever to grow back. Poor Kula :( but everything is alright? I'm glad the boys are doing good and are staying busy. And it's okay... I just emailed in the morning to try it out and I realized that it's really not worth it. Hahaha it's the worst, so anyways, I'm probably gonna keep emailing in the afternoon. And Carrie is too funny... that makes me laugh hard, hahaha. And are you serious? So many kids grandkids and greats? That is amazing. I love Elder Packer, too. I'm gonna get some pics sent. But I love you, mom and hope this week has been good for you too! For me it was pretty chill... it was just the usual... nothing really. Haha, funny story the other day... we ate lunch at a members house and she made mashed potatoes... and I was like "Holy cow Sister Valedomar, these are seriously the best mashed potatoes I've had in Peru... the flavor is incredible... what is your secret? All the other Peruvian sisters gotta learn it"... and she was like .. "Huh? What secret? I didn't have time to make them for real so I just made them out of a pre-packed box." HAHAHAHAHA demoted. I laughed. I'm terrible... But really it was pretty funny you had to be there.. no one else laughed but me but I'm always crackin' jokes and laughing and sometimes people don't laugh, but that's all part of the game baby. We also had interviews with president this week. They were awesome... pres is a very smooth man and his wife reminds me a bit of you mom, and it drives me crazy (blonde and way nice:). Good family tho and it was fun. Alsooooo this week we have been working with all the investigators and they´re progressing and it's good stuff. We are working hard as always and the Lord is helping us out a lot and guiding us to prepared people. Hermano Jose Luis, the prepared guy I told you about last week is a stud. He is coming every week to church, tells us the BOM is better than the Bible every day and it makes me laugh. He always is signed up to take classes from Institute... and it's crazy because we literally taught him for the first time 2 or 3 weeks ago. SOOOO PREPARED. He is a good guy. A little crazy, but he makes me laugh. His baptism is the 25th and he is telling every about it. Awesome stuff. We are also working really hard with the less activities. We had a reactivation this week and more coming up. My comp is good... he is smooth cuz we can joke all day and it's fun. I can say that even though I love it here in Amakella, it's been a good 6 months, and I'm ready for a new sector. Changes are August 11 so we'll see. I'm pretty sure that I'll be leaving. Anyways just know that exactly one year from today.. at probably this hour, I'll be home, With you guys. It's super weird and scares me how fast time has gone, and I'm still not ready to go home, but we'll see if I am in another year. Take good care of the home, take good care of Bear and Kula please. And the boys. I'm still waiting for those little fools to write me. Tell them to do it plzz mama :) Anyways, love you guys! Hey question did you ever get you concealed carry permit? You should do that. Also how is work going? What did you have for dinner last night? What are you going to have tonight? Anyways, tell Zack to keep being a stud and keep working and also keep lifting and eating. Love you guys. When do you more or less plan on sending the package? 

Elder Cluff

 Having some fun...



Baptism of Felix and Gladys and their son, Felix Jr. (left) 

Our Pensionista's grandson's baptism... Joshua!

Monday, July 6, 2015

July 6, 2015 Letter...

Yessss! I will be home in a year babbyyyy.. that's gonna be awesome but sad at the same time. We`ll see though. Yeah Hermana Rocio talked to me about her cousin... poor guy :( he is super strong tho and he`s fighting. I told her to ask you because you might be able to verify the prices. Thanks momma. (I told her it would probably cost more in the US). That's great that Paul and Candice came to visit... are there fotos??! I hope so. Haha Paul, I miss that guy a lot and his terrible jokes. I can't wait to destroy him when I get home.. haha. what else... Good to hear you`re sewing again! I hope your curtains are COOL. You'll have to send me pictures. I love you mom and know that you are my hero too (heroine) right? goooo english. But not the drug, that would be weird. That makes me sad the Boyd K. Packer has passed away. I loved that guy. But yeah, he is on the other side now continuing his work... and it's so true that the next conference is going to be awesome :) Tell Skyler I'm pumped for him, too and all the work that he is getting done. I'm proud of him and how hard he has worked. He has always been such a strong example in my life. 

Anyways, good to hear everything there is going good. Everything here is also going good. We got to meet president Larson and his wife and family yesterday.. I love them. I absolutely love them. His thing is obedience with exactness and I like that. He is soooo loving and soooo caring and his wife, too. It's gonna be an awesome year to work with them. For real. We are going to see so much success awwwww, I love it. And for real, the new president's energy is awesome. Two of his kids came and visited from the U.S. yesterday to meet us, too.. they are both RMs; one a girl of like 23 years and the other one a son of 21 years. They both served in Spanish speaking countries and it was awesome to hear them talked to us and everything. Their little kids, a boy of 11 and the other 14, a girl who are living here with their parents gave their testimonies in Spanish and it was so cute. I can't imagine how hard it would be to leave your home at that early of an age.. but they are happy and we as missionaries are pumped :) anyways... what else happened.. not much. Our sector is progressing which is good to see, also we have interviews with Pres. this Wednesday so that'll be cool. Our investigators are doing good. We hope to see at least 4 baptisms this month and even more in August. We should have more, but we're running into a rough patch right now, and we're just barely getting out of with, with a lot of prayer and fasting. Right now we are searching for a new job for a lady named Isabel, of whom all of her kids are active members that I have baptized. She wants to be baptized, wants to come to church, but she has to work Sunday's. She gets ripped off and it's hard to see the sacrifices she makes so her family can eat and have clothes. We are giving our all to help her. Keep her in your prayers that she can find a new job, and be able to come to church. Haha, we also have this other investigator named Jose Luis who is just insanely prepared. A true cornelio. Like... we met him a while back ago in the street.. and taught him a little bit in the street and invited him to be baptized and he accepted, but after that we never saw him again. Til the other day we saw him and we were like, hey dude come.. we're going to the church to teach you. So we took him, went to the church and taught him the Book of Mormon. It just so happened that he had lost a contact card a while back that was really important for a job, and when we taught him the Book of Mormon, he found the contact card in his BOM when he opened it up and told us... Elders... this is a sign from God... I know that this book is true and that this is the true church... haha WHAT?! Too good to be true... so yeah, I didn't buy it so we gave him Moroni 10 to read as homework.. and like the next day he called us and told us that what we gave him to read in the BOM was the greatest thing he's ever read, even better than the Bible he told us, hahaha. What a stud..... he was like... I know this book is true. So we taught him again the next day and same thing... he has a hand that just got surgery... but he told us that it doesn't hurt him anymore ... another sign from God that it's the true. Anyways, the funniest thing was that he came to church on Sunday... and it happened to be his first Sunday there, and it also happened to be fast and testimony meeting... and omgosh the guy bore his freakin' testimony. A guy we had only taught like two or three times, and his first time in the church bore his testimony on the truthfulness of the gospel... it was also a little irreverent, hahaha, because he comes from a baptist background and you know how they are when they speak... but it was awesome. I was soooo nervous when he got up there to talk.... but he did good and all the members were so taken back. He was like.. these Elders.. Cluff and Caipo are the highest quality.. their love has converted me. Too good. Crazy experience now we just gotta get him baptized. He should be this month. Love you guys :) good stuff here.

Elder Cluff :)

June 29, 2015 Letter...

Yeah, I had to carry my comp to the hospital, lol. jk But yeah, we had to go like 400 times and we have to go back Tuesday.. he has like a blood clot in his leg.. the doctors say its cellulite .. but I don't think they know what that even is. The medicine here is CRAP. The medical advice is even worse. Funny pics tho that Diego sent, huh? I had to call him to come help us cuz I needed to leave to teach people but no one in my ward could go.

That's awesome tho about the lax stuff.. Cameron for real is my hero.. and glad it's bringing the family together :) honestly, that's the most important thing.. everyone's having a good time out there :) And yeah dad's retirement is coming .. that's gonna be such a blessing. And even more of a blessing I'll be home right after he retires .. wooo hoooo. 

That's awesome Riley left on his mission.. he´s gonna love it. The greatest experience ever. 

I'm glad to hear everyone is happy! Keep working hard mom, keep at it, and the Lord will bless you. I promise. Keep studying too. Just get it done. Loveee ya.

This weeeeeek was almost impossible cuz my comp was in the house all day for 3 days straight because the doctors told him he couldn't walk... so yeah, we had to call members to come on divisions with us.. but they only came like 2 times and it was terrible. Worst weeeeek ever. Fun thing tho is that Diego came and we took those funny-as-John pics hahahaha. Good stuff. Mission life babbbbyyy. But ya know.. And now our sector needs a lot of work, so this week we are going to kill it. We need to finish the week with a lot of people with baptismal dates so we can get a least 5 baptisms this month of July. I know we`ll be able to do it. We always meet our goals when we plan with the Lord, and seek His guidance to accomplish what He has given us. Really it's true. I started the BOM over again like 2 weeks back or so.. I can't remember, but it is the greatest book ever written. I love it. I absolutely love it. It is true, and no one can deny it without denying Jesus Christ. Anyways, not much else happened this week... oh yeah, we had to go to the office before going to the hospital to get money, and while we were there we gotta talk to President Borg for like 30 min and it was awesome. I'm gonna miss him. He leaves today late or tomorrow idk. But then Pres. Larson from Idaho will be here ... woooohooo. It's gonna be fun :) Anyways, not much else.. I've been pounding a lot more food lately to grow.. I do 6 eggs and 2 cups of oats with a huge protein shake for breakfast. it feels good. Elder Larson, one of the assistants (how ironic the mission will be ran by pure Larson`s) and a good buddy told me that he's gonna probably give me his weights when he leaves in Sept. and he has like 500 pounds of weights.. so I'm excited. LESS GOOOOO. Anyways, this week we have a lot of work to do and I'm so excited to do it. All of our converts here are doing so well and are so strong. Life is good. Love you guys and I want all the boys to write me this week :)

Elder Cluff