December 14, 2015 Letter...

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!! <3 

Elder Pedrera was an answer to many of my prayers. I love that Elder so much. I credit him as the person who taught me the majority of what I know. What a boss. Super, super good guy. I´m glad you have been able to talk to him :)

And it sounds like everyone is having fun and everyone is doinggggg well! Good to hear that. I love you guys a lot :) also pumped for the packages... sorry I suck and don't send anything home.. I literally have 0 time...

Okay, we have to plan at what time we are going to Skype on Christmas day.. what time you guys thinking ... like 8? or like 10? or something like that. Just let me know so I can get it arranged here.

The work of salvation this week took a leap! We are seeing MIRACLESSSSS!!! We made the goal to increase our faith this week... and we did it... and now we are seeing many blessings because of it. Something that has really helped me this week has been changing my attitude from doubting and thinking... "well.. that's gonna be hard to do... I don't know how we´re gonna to meet that goal...the Lord´s not going to do that for us" to a positive attitude based on a firm foundation of faith and trusting more in the Lord´s merits than in my own. I have seen the most success in my mission when I have most trusted in the Lord and left the work in His hands. On the contrary, I´ve had the hardest times when I have thought that my ways are better and doubted in the Lord and the miracles that He can perform.

I don't know why we tend to forget about the witnesses and confirmations or the blessings we have received for having put into action a gospel principle. I guess it's all part of what King Benjamin talked about... "putting off the natural man and become a saint through the Atonement." The natural man wanders and wearies, and tends to forget, but an essential part of this life is remembering what the Lord has done for us, and continuing to apply that every day and having the new-found knowledge that the Lord has given us. We tend to forget sometimes, but we need always remember. 

Anyways, we have solid investigators that are finally progressing towards baptism. I'm so grateful. We taught a lot of solid lessons this week and the spirit has been strong. I'm learning patience and humility. That's something I have always lacked. But I feel like I'm getting better everyday.

The sacrament yesterday was also a wonderful experience. I'm so grateful for the emblems of the sacrament, in which we have the amazing opportunity to remember the Savior and his everlasting sacrifice. There is not a better moment to feel the spirit and communicate with the Lord than in that moment. The sacrament is essential and it's become something sacred for me here on the mission.

We are also teaching a man with generalized cancer (terminal) named Julio. It hurts seeing him on the verge of death, but it gives me great peace to be able to enter his home, and teach him about the gospel and the plan of salvation. What brings me peace is that, thanks to Christ, death no longer has victory. He loosened the bands of death and he did it because he loves us and wants us to go back to him. I know that Hermano Julio might not have much longer, but I hope and pray that before he goes he can make the decision to accept the gospel in it's fullness.

Anyways, love you guys so much.

Elder Cluff

p.s. funny story...

The other day we had a lesson and we brought this member with us because we needed a dude or we couldn't enter into the house alone... and we get there and sit down ready to teach a lesson about obedience to the commandments, the sabbath day in especial.. and out of nowhere, the member we brought starts talking about how he drinks his own pee every day to stay healthy and tells that to our investigator and I was like, DUDE WUT.... STOP. And then yeah, I wanted to punch something, but turns out our investigator happened to drink her own pee, also, so it ended up not being that bad....... weirdest day of my life. Hahahahaha. Goooo Peru.