Suppppp mommmmmyyy. Well, I don't have my keyboard today because this week I have had literally zeeeerrooo time to write which is a bummer, but hey it's all good. So yes, I am here in my new sector and zone, as a zone leader of one of the richest and nicest and thee biggest zone in the mission, the famous Limatambo. Larcomar, La Costa Verde, Barranco, San Isidro, all those super nice and touristy places are in my zone. The work here is a lot more tough, but it just takes a stronger mentality and a good attitude to be able to have success! That's the key :) As zone leaders we gotta keep the elders and sisters excited and get them to work for themselves. It's a blast. Also, we have little time to work in our own sector, because we spend most of the time traveling in the zone getting a lot of admistrative stuff done and going on interchanges. My comps name is Elder Paredes from Bolivia.. he is a blast. We laugh a lot and that's good. He finishes in 1 more transfer after this one so he'll be going home soon. This will be his last transfer here then I'll be getting a new comp. The ward is really nice. There are really, really good people here. I'm excited to begin to work with them. My sector has a part that's pretty normal and then a rich part. There hasn't been a baptism in my sector for about 6 months, but we will be changing that very soon.
Moving my weights was terrible though. Holy cow. I'm done. I hope that this is the last sector haha, cuz they are so difficult. We did the dumbest and riskiest thing to get them here. So after we had got together in the offices with all our stuff to come here to the sector, we called a taxi and loaded it up, but all my stuff filled the taxi.. and we were like, uhhh what do we do? So we hatched an idea, we're gonna call another taxi and have the guy with all of our stuff follow us. In the U.S. that's a dumb thing to do, but here it's SUICIDE. Absolutely stupid. You cannot trust anyone here. At all. But in reality there was no other choice. So we got in the other taxi and told the dude with all of our stuff to go in front of us, we followed him, and I was praying the whole way, and ya know what, we got to our house safe and sound without him robbing us :) weeehooo.
Our house is awesome. It's on the third floor and the walls are drywall, and not brick. WUT. It's nice. I'm super happy. It's the nicest apartment I've had yet on the mission! I'm loving it. (bu bu buu buu baaa). Love you guys though. That's about all that's happened this week :)
And yeah I need to send pics.. I had the thought that I didn't want to send pics until the end of the mission, haha. ... but we'll see. I'll send them next week :) the only bad things is that my USBs and memory cards are full of viruses.. so I gotta take those offfff.
Love y'all, God bless y'all.
Elder Cluff
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
LA IGLESIA DE
JESUCRISTO
DE LOS SANTOS
DE LOS ÚLTIMOS DÍAS
Misión Perú Lima Central
Av. Juan de Aliaga 510
Magdalena del Mar Lima
Lima 17, Peru
Tel: 011-51-1 222-2173
2010429@ldschurch.org
27 de enero de 2016
Dear Cluff Family,
I am delighted to inform you that your
son, Elder Cluff, has been assigned to serve as a Zone Leader in the Peru Lima
Central Mission. I am sure that you are pleased with the accomplishments
and leadership ability that have made him worthy of this great responsibility.
Elder Cluff will lead a zone which will
consist of at least two districts and many missionaries. He will have the
stewardship of administering to their spiritual as well as their temporal
needs. He will meet with the District Leaders to train, up lift, and
edify them. He will also be involved in the Mission Leadership Council,
which meets every month at the mission office. As he
serves, he will gain valuable experiences which will assist him in the
future both in his family and in leadership callings in the church.
Thank you for all you have done to make
him the fine young man that he is and for your continuing support of his
missionary service.
Warmest regards,
Stephen
J. Larson
Presidente
Misión Perú Lima Central
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!
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!
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!!!
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.
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.
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 ;)
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