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

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

January 25, 2016 Letter...

So yes... I'll have a transfer. Tomorrow, I will being going to one of the richest zones in the mission.. hehe.. Limatambo, as a Zone Leader with a missionary named Elder Paredes. It's going to be good! I've been able to learn a lot of things in these past 6 months as district leader, and I'm super excited to be able to help out even more as a zone leader. I'm ready to take on whatever challenge the Lord gives me. I'm excited and ready to continue serving :) I love you mom! Thanks for everything!

My heavens.. that's amazing.. I'll be honest I really don't remember who those men are haha, you'll have to send me pictures... but that makes me sad that Bishop Rasmussen is no longer the bishop.. I really, really love that man. He was a wonderful influence in my life and I'll always be grateful for him! Wow.. that's just amazing. I'm glad to hear that mom :) So Bishop Pike Goss will receive me when I get home.. wow. That's gonna be fun! Was he the 2nd counselor in the bishopric? I honestly can't remember, but amazing haha!!!

I love you guys! I didn't have much time to write this week. But I love you guys a lot and hope the family is doing really well!!!! :)

Love y'all!

Elder Cluff


Member Pics!

Always a treasure when ward members send me pictures... tender mercies!  Enjoy!

 Member (blue shirt) Carlos Maguino sent me this one of these Elders! Elder Schade, next to Elder Cluff has Cluff heritage! Elder Cluff met like 4 Elders in his mission who we are related to!

 Carlos & Elder Cluff on his last Sunday in Rico Rimac!

 Ward Member Everly Portillo sent these darlings! Elder Cluff has a soft spot for the kiddos, and it shows! Look at that smile! ;)

Another ward member with Elder Cluff's companion, Elder Coayla and Elder Cluff a few days before he was transferred!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

January 18, 2016 Letter...

They should send my travel plans in like April or May I believe.. it's gonna be a while still, I imagine. And that's sooo fun that you guys were able to get together and have a good time. Good to hear that Skyler and Ashley are doing well and that everyone is happy. That's the best. I remember being in the MTC with Abigail Yingling haha.. that's funny stuff that she is now home. The time goes by sooooo fast. I can't believe it. So crazy.

This Wednesday, we had the great opportunity to be able to listen to President Uceda speak, with all the ward councils in the mission.. Wow.. I’m just completely blown away with the presence of this man, and the power and energy he uses when he addresses us. I love him. I love this church. It’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to my life. I love our leaders, with a love that extends much further than that of a simple friend or someone I admire. I can’t explain the love I have for them.

And then on Thursday it all got better. What a great and wonderful and productive day that was had. Today we woke up super early at 5 in the morning to get ready to get ourselves to the Magdalena stake to receive an all day training from the President Juan Uceda (Area President). This training changed me. So we get there, I had a bit of time to chat with elders I haven’t seen in forever (given that the whole mission was there) and that was a real blessing. We had a good time. Then the hour came and we began. Before we started we all had the opportunity to go up and shake president Uceda’s hand (and his wife's) and tell him where we are from and what stake. Wow. Then afterwards, President Larson gave a message, then sister Larson, then Sister Uceda, and then President Uceda… What a elect man called of God! What a powerful, but yet humble loving man. The most perfect balance of being loving, but at the same time very direct. A balance that I have never seen before. He talked about many things that I have written in my study journal. It’s all there. I’m not going to record it here on my large plates, But one experience I will put here. President Uceda, before the meeting had talked with President Larson, telling him that he would be needed a specific elder with a specific amount of qualities and requirements. President Larson thought, and then chose me, and gave my name to Elder Uceda. So in the meeting, President Uceda called me up (in front of the whole mission), then told me to give him a hug. I went up, and I was like "goodness, I'm gonna hug a general authority, what?" Then I got to hug him, then we did like a companion study demonstration to teach a certain principle.. the principles included: asking council and ways to improve from your comp, how to better extend invites and commitments and all that. President Uceda and I were stood up there and he asked me questions as we saw the video of The District (preach my gospel missionary demonstrations) when they invite an investigator Eric to pray. He pretended to be a comp, a comp who needed a lot of help, asking me a lot of advice, and I answered his questions with the knowledge I have accumulated over the past 18 months. It was amazing. He asked me some pretty deep questions, like: Comp, what do you notice the elders doing in the video; Comp, how can I better make eye contact with people in the lesson; Comp, how can I make my prayers more effective and from my hear; Comp, how can I love the people that I teach… and I felt the spirit flow through me so strongly answering his questions and giving him advice. Wow. It was like I was speaking, but the spirit was putting the words in my mouth. The prophecy in D&C 88:85 was completed through me. (not really a prophecy, but I like to say the prophecy was completed because it sounds cool) At the end he asked me a question, I can’t remember, and I responded to him inviting him to repentance. Hahaha. It was funny cuz the whole day he kept inviting us to repentence as missionaries, telling us it was something sweet.. something marvelous, not something to be ashamed of. So in the practice, even though he wasn’t being Elder Uceda, he was being my comp, I was like.. “Well comp, what can you do to get over this problem is do what you always invite me to do, repent. Because it’s something sweet.” Hahaha, he laughed and then the practice ended. I was up there for about 25 minutes with him answering his questions and teaching him. Just wow. I love him. And haha, even though it was a practice, I invited a general authority, to repent. Check that one off my list.

Then he taught us more about acting and doing things with our investigators.. if they don’t read, read with them; if they don’t pray, pray with them; if they don’t go to church, by golly go to church with them. He made us a promise that doing those 3 things, we would see a serious difference in all of our sectors and that our current investigators would begin to progress rapidly. Seriously, one of the greatest days of my life. We got home at like 4 then ate lunch and worked all day being soooo tired, but super full of the spirit.

Our investigator Carmen Ramos is progressing beautifully. We answered a lot of her questions and she didn’t complete with her commitment to pray and ask God if she should be baptized and if the Book of Mormon was true, so at the end we prayed with her and she received an answer! We applied exactly what President Uceda had taught us earlier that day, and it worked. I love this gospel and the mission. I love the leaders of this church. They are called of God and no one can dispute that. She´ll be baptized the 30th!

We had interviews with our wonderful president Larson the day after and those were also great. We talked for like 30 minutes or so. I got the feeling that I'm most likely going to have a transfer this next week. I hope and pray so. It's been a good journey here and I've learned a lot. The downward slope is declining more and more every day.. the mission goes by soooo fast. Wooooooww.

Anyways, I love you guys.

Elder Cluff

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

January 11, 2016 Letter...

Mom... the house is a great idea.. buy it. or rent it, lol. I would also like a private room. Do it. Get it done. Now. Don't wait. Hurry. Nowwwwww! How much would we have to pay every month? But, yeah I'm down with that. Keep talking to Sue about what would be the best, but if you guys feel good about it, then that's what we want. Get err done. Love you. Make the right descision. DO IT.

Yes, I am typing on the keyboard Austin gave me. That's why my letters have been a bit longer lately! But even then I have little time, haha but I try to get it done.

I gotta send you those pics! Sorrrrry. I'll do that. And I'll send other pics too. It's just hard cuz I have such little time, but I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and see if I can use dropbox to send pics to you guys. Deal?

And those albums are seriously boss.. that coming home song... WOW. brings me to tears every single time. It says that Tim McGraw is featured on that song! Is he doing the backup vocals or what? And how in the world did they get him to be featured on a Mormon trek pioneer album? Solid music though. Like really solid country. Get dad listening to that. That'll help him keep the spirit as he's working. Burn him a CD or something.

And wow that's wonderful that you went to lunch with Alexis ... she is the best. And Jared too.. solid family. Have fun at their house haha. And hopefully dad and father Jared can work their dogs together. Good stuff.

McEwan's are moving to Alpine.. the celestial kingdom.. how great! And I love Ashley. and my nephew. I'm gonna teach him a lot.

This week has been rather normal to be honest, and rather tiring because I didn't get a nap last Pday and when that's the case my whole week becomes very tiring. Transfers are in about 2 weeks and I think I'm going to be transferred. I'm ready for a change. I like change. I've been pretty sad this week because a lot of our investigators with baptismal dates have decided that living the commandments is too hard and they would rather follow satan and be bounded by the chains of hell than follow the Savior and be happy. Last night we went to visit one of our investigators that has a baptismal date for the 23rd, who was progressing beautifully, and we get there and knock on her door and she opens it and yep... she's drunk. Fetching woman. What part of that one commandment we taught you that says that we shouldn't sip back on grandpa's cough syrup did you not understand. Anyways, I burned her with love and she felt dumb and we are going to see what happens with her now.

I have seen a huge problem here in Peru with the people breaking about every commandment possible. I don't want to say all of Peru, but Rimac is especially evil. I see drugs, alcohol (kids too), gay sex trafficking (it's like a problem), pure immodesty (worst than Vegas), abuse, pornography in every direction, literally, and an over-excessive amount of robbings and delinquency every single day...

...and I think to myself... what a wonderful world...

One of the members the other day asked me, hey Elder Cluff, when you got your call, did you know you'd be coming to sodom and gamora? No, I didn't.

It breaks my heart seeing the amount of power that satan has in this world. Everyone here needs the gospel, but in reality there are very few that want to change. Although, I must admit that I have witnessed first hand the change that can take place in even the most vilest of sinners. I have many converts who before lived a life of sin, but through the gospel could make that change and never look back. The gospel has that unique power. We see that over and over again in the Book of Mormon. One of my favorite and most classic examples would have to be of Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah. Those dudes were bad. Apostates that were not only apostatizing on their own behalf, but were also leading the hearts of many people away trying to destroy the church and all truth contained therein. They liked getting people to sin. But what happened, the Lord, in his infinite mercy, after they repented even until death, could help them see the marvelous light of God and the everlasting joy of His gospel. Alma and the sons of Mosiah experienced a great change of heart; they exercised faith in the redemption of Christ, and in the end could sing the song of redeeming love.

I do know that there is always hope. I see miracles every day and continually pray always that the people can open their hearts and accept the truth. I do thank the Lord every single day for the people I have been able to help make these changes. I know that we'll have a few more baptisms before I leave here on the 26th of January, which by the way I'm almost sure on that day I'll have a transfer.

The mission is amazing. At the same time it's weird. I feel like I've been here for such little time, but I look at it and in 6 months I'll be home. I don't know if I want to accept that. Maybe it's because I still can't grow a full beard... so much deception. I thought a promise of the mission was the power to grow a full beard. It's not. Any tips? Dad.. Skyler... yea. Anyways.

Love you guys a lot. I'll send a better letter next week. I wrote this letter this morning and that's what was in my heart at the time. HEHE.

Elder Cluff

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Pictures!

A member of Elder Cluff's ward sent these pictures to me!  Thank you! :)



Elder Cluff's apartment!











Barrios Rimac Dos... random drive-by picture.  I found this picture on the ward's Facebook page ;)

Monday, January 4, 2016

January 4, 2016 Letter...

Family!

Well, this week has been rather interesting. I forgot to tell you guys that we have been working with a man that had cancer named Julio. He had lived a super worldly life full of drugs and alcohol and when we received his reference we didn't think much of it. It just so happens that this man's cancer was terminal and had spread to every part of his body. Anyways, we went to his house to contact the reference and the first day there, November 29th, we felt inspired to invite him to be baptized on the 26th of December, but for some reason it felt like it wasn't going to happen. For the whole month of December we visited him in his house, usually three times a week, teaching him and doing all we could to give him spiritual strength and cheer him up. He was to the point where he had to be in bed all day every day and his depression was just terrible, the worst I have ever seen. He was extremely skinny and too weak that he couldn't move easily because his muscles just didn't allow it. The good thing was that he did understand a lot of what we taught and we taught a lot about the Plan of Salvacion, because we felt that he was going to go soon. Our goal was really to help him gain a testimony before he left, so he could get baptized here on the earth and continue in the next life. Anyways, we continued teaching, continued inviting him to be baptized the 26th, but he just didn't want to accept, he kept saying "only time will tell" when we invited him to be baptized. He couldn't read or go to church so that made the process of receiving a testimony rather difficult. So on the 26th we go to his house to see him, and we see that he is sleeping. Hmm, Okay. Darn, looks like we'll have to come back another day. So we returned a few days later and he had passed away, on the 26th of December, the same day we had been working towards for his baptism. Super weird. I feel like we felt to invite him for that day, the 26th, because it really was his last day and last chance, and he would have the most amount of time possible to accept the gospel. In the end, due to his health, he couldn't understand everything we taught, but I do thank the Lord for taking him and bringing him into a better place. I know in the spirit world he will have the capacity to understand the gospel, and will be able to accept in its fulness.

This week we have been working extremely hard to get our investigators that are progressing baptized. This week we accomplished that goal and Ingrid was baptized on Saturday! How wonderful. It's amazing because the Lord really had prepared her from the beginning. We didn't really do much. We felt the impression to talk to her in the street about 3 months ago, and that day she told us, "Well, you can try to visit me, but I'm Jehovah's Witness and you're gonna waste time trying to convince me." Ha. Anyways, we took a while in contacting her again, but we did it and began teaching her. The Lord had prepared her for us unlike I had ever seen before. She had a great knowledge of many gospel truths... she had already bought a Book of Mormon but didn't know why, she had a mormon friend that, for many years, taught her about the gospel, she had many dreams and spiritual experiences that helped her recognize that the Lord had something more for her, she just didn't know what. Just wow, as we taught her she had many, many, many questions, but we could relate the gospel truths with all of her questions and ideas to help her understand the meaning of everything and see the overall picture of the Gospel. With each visit, she was able to gain a testimony and receive many answers that this is the truth. She shared her testimony with us many times. We capped it all off with her baptism, and she is happy. I have so much to be grateful for, but today I'm especially grateful that the Lord does answer prayers and does bless us when we are diligent and increase our faith.

My birthday was cool. Probably the most regular day of my life, haha, but I'm sure it's the first bday like that of many. Unless I get a cool wife who makes my bday's cool. That night we had permission to be out until 12:30AM, and we went to a members house to eat dinner and cake for my bday, fuunn. Then we came back to our house, and climbed to the very top of our building.. like 7 stories, and watched the fireworks from there. Sooo smooth. Peru is cool because no one cares and laws don't exist so everyone and their dog buys the biggest john fireworks and bombs and dynamite and c4 and blows it off on New Years. Dope. Literally, the whole city of Lima was lit up, it was sooooo smooth. Good way to finish off the year and my birthday. Now we're in 2016 and idk what to do.

I want to thank you for the Joseph Smith tapes you guys sent. I must admit, Truman G. Madsen is one of my heroes. That man is a scholar. I'm jealous that Grandma and Grandpa Cluff were friends with him, I would've died to meet him. The Prophet Joseph really was the man. I'm grateful for all that he did, for his diligence and for the service and work to which he dedicated his life. I know he was a prophet and nothing can change that. Before the mission, I don't think I could've said that.

One last thing, this letter is huge idk why I'm sending letters like this. But anyways, I woke up last Tuesday with two giant ball like things on my back and I was like, what the flip? So I had my comp look at them, too, and he was also like dudeeee, what the flip? So I made the decision to have my comp cut them off with a new razor blade from my shaving kit. So he did. I thought he was going to cut a line in it so he could squeeze whatever was in it out, but he decided to grab it and cut the entire ball things off. When he cut it off, these two hard white things came out, like hard balls of fat. The good thing was that I didn't feel anything. Anyways, yeah, it bled a lot and I was terrified so I called the secretary and Sister Larson was like, yeah I better go to the hospital and get it checked out. So we went, (there went our whole day) and we get to the doctors and showed him the pics and he's like, "What have you done, why did you cut it off?" Then he looked at my back and was like, "Wait, good job, that's a clean cut. I would've done the same thing, thanks for saving me time. Now I don't have to work. You're free to go, just take these antibiotics".. okay thanks, doc. Anyways, he said they were like random fat deposits.. (idk if he's right) and that they weren't too harmful. I personally still believe that they were cockroach eggs. Cockroaches climb all over me at night and it's terrifying. But yeah, my backs better now. I'll send pics.

Pray that Romano gets baptized this week!

Love yall and God bless the USA.
Elder Cluff
PS... I'm never writing a letter that long again.