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

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 ;)

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.

December 28, 2015 Letter...

Concerning the suit, I already have one :) It´s dopppeeee. (I´m saving it for when I get home tho) And it was less than that, too. It´s brand spanking new and my comp gave it to me. I got it fitted to me and everything. superrrrr sick:) I want to get one more though! I love suits.

Love you though mom :) my health is feeling a bit better. My only worry right now is that I have dropped down a lot of pounds and I gotta get that back up. I´m going to buy some maltodextrin here but it costs 30 bucks, don´t worry about it right now just try to get me that WHEN YOU CAN.

It was so good to see you guys on Christmas. The fam damily is doing GREATTTTT. Everyone looks really good. Mom you look younger than ever. Dad also is looking like Cool STUFF. The brothers are getting huge. Brigham sounds like a man and Cameron is still the cutest little boy. Zack is tall as john. Bear needs to lose weight, he is a fatty. Kula´s training is paying off. That was fun to see. I´m glad everyone had a really good Christmas and just know that for the next one, we´ll be together! Wooohoo.

Not much has happened this week. Like I told you guys, I had been sick for 3 days, in bed wanting to die, but I´m feeling a bit better now. We had a lot of activities this week going out and contacting people, which is always a good time. We also had our mission activity this week. It was a good time cuz we got to get together with everyone and have some activities and watch some videos and then eat burritos, which I love. BTW I miss Mexican food more than anything. There is Mexican food here, but few and far between (I don't know if I said that phrase right LOLZ) We are a Mexican food family and I´ll cherish that forever. Two things I want when I get home, Pat´s BBQ and solid Mexican food. Anyways the mission activity was FUNNN even though I was sick. (the burrito helped) And allllll this candy is great :) I love the package mom! And also the songs you sent me! I´m living the rich kid life! Gooooo Knights! Alpine kids!

Nothing much is happening right now, we are just working and killing it and we should have a baptism this WEEK. Keep Ingrid in your prayers, that this week she can be baptized! Okay? It´s going to be GOOOODDD.

Funny story this week, so as usual, at about 8:45 I was buying my nightly slab of chicken with rice and potato (that´s all we eat here) and as I get to the small chicken grill stand, I see these 4 women sat down also buying chicken. Out of no where they started hitting on us, and I was like "What, stop.. don´t do that, I´m a missionary. Women terrify me." And then I realized that every one of these women were actually dudes! WORST! From there I felt even weirder. I offically got hit on by transformers and I will never be the same. We left from there and then I ate my chicken in the house and it tasted funny. Peru never stops suprising me.

Anyways,, keep it real,

Elder Cluff

December 21, 2015 Letter...

Good to hear everyone is well!

This week has been a little bit here and there, but the good thing; we have seen a lot of miracles! We have a large amount of investigators that are finally progressing towards baptism! My comp and I have increased our faith, and the Lord has blessed us for doing so. What I have come to understand in my mission is that increased faith comes as a by-product of a righteous and worthy life. In the mission, we are expected to live the commandments, but in addition, we have many other rules we need obey. As I have lived the rules of the mission and worked with diligence, I have been blessed with increased faith, and as a result of increased faith I have seen that, as the Prophet Joseph taught, faith isn´t only a principle of action, but also power. That very power works miracles; it helps me to complete with my purpose as a missionary by reminding me to put my trust in the Lord and not in the arm of flesh, and it gives me the spiritual confirmation that the Lord will complete with every promise he has made me, if I continue exercising faith with an eye single to His glory.

The bad thing; I am sick as a dog. I ate something on Saturday that literally gave me the black plague. I was slowly dying yesterday with huge chest pains, diarrhea, vomiting, fever of 102, and body pains like I have never felt before. I´m recovering right now and feel a bit better, but still got that classic shotgun diarrhea going.

On Tuesday, I could have sworn I was going to have a transfer, given that I have been here for almost 5 months and that I was basically already here in this same spot for 6 months before, but on Monday when they called us they called us to tell us the transfers.. I didn´t have one. Crap. That would mean, half of my mission here in Rimac in basically the same spot,and  my only two Christmases in the mission, here in Rimac, and 3 transfers with the same comp. I´ll be honest, at first I was pretty ticked, but later I recieved a confimation that this is the Lord´s will. It´s hard sometimes to be humble and say that he is right and that he knows what´s best, but truth be told, He DOES know what´s best, and it´s not just sometimes, but it´s ALWAYS. I know I was kept here for one more transfer with a wise purpose that only He knows. There is work to be done here, and there are people to help. I feel like I have to be the one to carry that work out. I´m pumped and I accept the Lord´s challenge and this transfer I will continue giving it my all.

I only have a half hour today to write because we´ll be talking on the 25th! Christmas!! It does not feel like Christmas here, super weird. But hey, remember Bishop Garcia? From Leoncio Prado? My first ward? Anyways, I´m going to be spending Christmas with him and his family AGAIN. Hahaha. I might as well consider them my new family :) So yeah the call on Christmas.. how about we do it at 2:00, I don´t know if we are on the same time or how many hours we are apart, but let´s say at 2:00 PM Peru time.

Love you guys, see you soon!

Elder Cluff

P.S. I´m gonna use Skype, so please try and coordinate with Sky and Ash so they can be in on it, too! Also any young hot single adult lady is welcome to the Skype sesh. LOL. I´m still hilarious.

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.

December 7, 2015 Letter...

Love you mom! It's good to hear from you guys. I hope everyone at home is doing well. This week has been a real butt kicker, to say the least. I don´t know what it is with Rimac, I don´t know what it has against me, but it is kicking my bootie. We are fighting and fighting and fighting to help the people receive and accept the only true and enduring help for their problems, but in spite of all the people that we are finding, which are a lot, they aren´t wanting to progress nor change their way of life.

We have people who are progressing and who are going to be baptized, like Ingrid for example. She is a solid girl we met a while back who was receiving visits from the Jehovah's Witnesses. Currently we are helping her now gain her testimony by personal revelation, and she is coming along beautifully. Another one is Tito, this boss who wants to be baptized after so many years of hearing about the church, but never taking the firm decision.

Even though we have these people, sometimes I feel like it´s not enough. I feel like the work here in this ward, Rimac 2, should be advancing a lot more quickly that it is in reality. It seems sometimes as if everyone is content with living in their sins. It´s something I don't understand. To be honest, it´s heartbreaking. The truth is that people aren´t understanding the doctrine. Even though the doctrine is presented in its most basic form, by the holy ghost, if the person doesn´t want the holy ghost to enter in, then it won't. It´s like what Nefi said.... ¨When a man speaks by the power of the Holy Ghost, it carrieth it unto the heart of the children of men.¨ Although that is true, it doesn't mean the holy ghost necessarily carries the message INTO the person´s heart. For that to happen; for the message that carries the holy ghost to enter INTO the heart of the person, the person receiving the message needs to permit it. He needs to act as an agent. We are really searching and praying to the Lord right now in the midst of the difficulties that we are having, that the people can act as agents, and allow the holy ghost to penetrate their hearts, so they can feel it and know. That´s the only way I have seen that my converts and the people I teach can understand the doctrine, if it's not like that, it goes right over their heads.

But that is the mission in a nutshell, and I am so grateful for the opportunity that the Lord has given me to serve and preach His holy gospel. I can say I have never worked so hard for something in my life, and I can also say I have never felt better doing anything else in my life. It feels good to serve the Lord. Even though sometimes when we don´t see the things go the way we want them to, and every once in a while the Lord has a different plan for us than we had originally thought, it´s all part of his great plan, to shape us and mold us and help us reach our divine potential as his true disciples that bear his holy name. I can honestly say that every day I am becoming more like him, and in the trials that he gives me, I am able to learn and prepare myself for what comes next.

The Christmas devotional last night was the greatest thing of my entire life. I am not kidding. I loved it. Every talk given, had something super special for me that the holy ghost was able to teach me. Amazing. I don't have a favorite because I loved them all. Okay, maybe Elder Bednar´s was my favorite. As you know I have a sacred crush on that man. (wuttt) And motab last night was on point.. even better, I listened in English and yeah, good stuff.

Keep it real peeps,

Elder Cluff