August 24, 2015 Letter...

Heeeeeyyyy mom how are you?! So yeah, I'll be buying protein next week.. and it's gonna be around $110 dollars. Yikes, I know that's a lot. Don't kill me. But like I said, just go take it from my piggy bank or something haha. LOLOLOL. But yeah, next week I'm gonna go buy it. Love yaaa :) anyways what else.... good to hear the boys are still playing lax... that's fun. That's good for the bones. Also, I'll send pics today yaaaa? Also.. what else.. my clothes are all good.. my shoes are ya gross but I polished them the other day with a shoe polish that was super dark so they were reddish brown for a while, but they are good now. Everything is GOOD. I'm easy to please. Anyways, thanks for the pics you sent me too.. I loved them. And yeah, the tie clip... I loved it. Cool as BEANS. So sounds like the boys are doing good. I'm doing good. For real.. it's insane being district leader.. I have to make a lot of sacrifices for my own sector to help out other ones, but it's good though and I really enjoy it. I enjoy helping people.:) This week our district had 4 baptisms.. I'm proud of the lads.. one of them was like a last minute thing that I had to work my trash off to help them get it, but they got it and it was awesome. Hard work, and diligent faith in the Lord Jesus Christ really does pay off. Also, I have a blast doing the baptismal interviews. They are such a spiritually uplifting experience. We also had a sweet conference with president Larson this week. He talked to us a lot about the faith and got us ready for what's going to be happening this Wednesday.. you'll never guess what opportunity we are going to have, that's right.. you guessed it.. A VISIT FROM Elder Bednar (and Elder Soarrez from the 70 pres, and Bishop Stevenson, the presiding bishop of the church)...Elder Bednar is my hero.. my favorite apostle (you prolly shouldn't pick favorites, but I just did) He is a pure teacher.. such a Christlike good man. I CANNOT WAIT TO LISTEN TO HIM. What an amazing opportunity I'll be honest. So get ready for next Monday cuz I'll be updating you with everything.

But yeah, we also had a baptism here in our sector this week.. it was a complete miracle :) The sisters name was Martha. When I got here, her desires to be baptized were very low. She had all the lessons, but didn't care much about baptism, but me and my comp knew that it was the Lords will for her to be baptized this week. We kept her in our prayers every night, we did follow ups with her every day, and we were able to show the Lord that WE had faith that she would be able to complete with her baptismal goal. I think the biggest thing that made a difference was when we were in her house, she was telling us she just didn't feel it.. she was still in doubt. So knowing it was the Lords will that she should be baptized, we told her.. okay Hermana, we are going to kneel down right here, and you are going to ask God if all these things that we have taught you are true, and we promise you, that in this very moment, you will recieve the answer you are looking for. We felt inspired by the spirit to do so. We did it, she prayed, we then gave a moment of reverence and silence kneeled, and the spirit testifyed to every single one of us in that circle that this gospel is true. She felt it. We asked her how she felt, and sure enough, she had recieved her answer. She was then baptized this week. I know that the faith is so important. I know it requires constant work, constant trust in the Lords will, but it works miracles. To complete our goals with the Lords help, faith is essential. I know when we actually put it into practice, we will see miracles like we saw, and like we are going to continue to see here. 

Anyways, love you guys a lot!

Elder Cluff

August 17, 2014 Letter...

I love you mom that sounds great. Honestly sounds like you guys had a great trip and I can't wait to go when I get back. We are gonna have a blast. But yeah, it makes me extremely happy hearing all that. Tell all the family I really love them and I'm always praying for them :) Anyways.. yes being district leader is super fun. I love helping other missionaries and now I get to do it even more. I'm in a district of 6 elders and we are killing it. You'll never believe what zone I'm in though... BACK IN RICO RIMAC BABY. hahaha. I'm in the Rimac 2 ward that shares the church with my old ward... so I've seen every member of my old ward and the bishop (who I love) and they're like, what are you doing here, and I'm like idk, but here I am. Like this never happens... a missionary leaving a zone then going back... but it happened with me. I'm sure there is a wise reason as to why :) there are a lot of people to teach here and I'm pumped to start working. It's like a refreshing start. I love changes. My comp is awesome. He is white. His name is Jacob Badal.. he is from LA and has like 9 months in the mission. This week we had ward conference and we brought an investigator, and it just so happened that an area 70, Elder Costa was speaking.. pure teacher.. that man is a prophet of God.. and anyways, he gave many inspiring and amazing sermons and afterwards Elder Costa personally went out and searched out our investigator and talked to her a bit and gave her some inspiring words and personal encouragement. It was AMAZING. What a blessing it is to have living prophets today. And how humble... he probably had a million things to do, but after the conference he came and found us just to talked to our investigator and give her loving words. What he said to her made SUCH A BIG IMPACT ON HER. She has the goal to be baptized this next week :) I'm extremely happy and blessed here in Rimac and now we just gotta put our shoulders to the wheel and do what the Lord expects of us.

The package came! I love it. I absolutely love it. Next week I will explain what I especially loved. Ties.. socks.. the treats.. the pics.. LOVE. I LOVE YOU GUYSSSSSSS. Go missions!

Love you guys! Sorry this letter is short I gtg soon :) but love you all. Read the Ensign always please.

Elder Cluff

August 10, 2015 Letter...

Lake Powell trip... I'm so jealous mother. I want to go to Lake Powell when I get back please. It's a dream there. I'm glad you guys are gonna go do something fun tho :) And that's good too that the boys are starting school soon, they need to do something productive. And I love Sky and Ash and miss them a lot, please take a lot of pics :) Ya transfers are this week. We will know at about 7. I'll let you know what my destiny is. Alpine Dayzzz was too great. Everyone wants horses again... hahaha ME TOO. Not kidding. I want to get back into roping... that was the life.

And yes, keeping the Sabbath day.. so important... one thing I do admire here in Peru is that they do a pretty good job at keeping the Sabbath day holy. No TV, no games, nada. But they do buy stuff and that bugs the tar out of me. But keep it up :) Remember also that the Sabbath day doesn't mean only "refrain from doing things" but it also means, and even more importantly "doing things that are important" such as go out as a family and visit people who are in need of your visits. It could be a grandma (I love visiting grandma's) who doesn't have much family or is in need of help. Go get your visiting and home teaching done, go give service to those who need it. It could be a number of things. Don't ever think that we can't give service on Sunday because it would be "work" and we´re not supposed to "work" on Sunday. Remember, it's the work of the Lord, not ours:

Mosiah 2:17  And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God.

I never really understood these things before the mission, but now I do. It's the Lord's day, which we should dedicate to him by trying to be as much like him as possible. Remember the Lord, remember his example, that is what we should do on the Sabbath day. Keep it up, go give service and help on Sunday AS A FAMILY :) that will help you guys soooo much, I can really promise you. I know if you guys make goals to help people, to give service, to keep the Sabbath holy, the family will be more united than ever.

This week not much happened. To be honest, it was rather difficult. But yeah, what am I gonna do about it. Just smile and keep working. I gave a talk yesterday and it was sick and everyone was like, "Who is this white Peruvian?" And I was like, yeah.. that's whats up PERU. I'm so blessed that the Lord has loosened my tongue to such an extent that I can speak clearly this language, because at the beginning, it was IMPOSSIBLE. Anyways, love you guys! I will keep y'all updated. Keep kicking baby's!

Elder Cluff

August 3, 2015 Letter...

I love you mom.. I love Skyler, too.. I'm pumped to hear that they got to visit you guys! And you are going camping? As a family? That's awesomeeee. Have fun! Cam's a beast and I'm glad that he is scoring... as a goalie? [There are annoying girls in this computer lab place and I want to yell at them cuz my headphones don't work and their yelling and screaming, and my heavens, stop it please.] Sorry about that.. anyways mommaaa.. I love you. Jacob bought a boat.. what the shane the dude is a legend. I love that guy. I hope Uncle is doing well. How is all the fam? Uncles and aunts? Anyways ... package.. it´ll come Wednesday.. I can't go get it but yeah, I'm sure it´ll come :) And gooo mom teaching little kiddies about the priesthood is the dream! And how lucky are you?! You are surrounded by a lot of priesthood holders. One perk to having all boys. :) [and my heavens, people are standing over my shoulder watching me and it's like, kids leave.] Anyways, Diego is a pure bread coon.. I love him and he is always watching out for me. Solid buddy :) Anyways mom, I'm glad everything is going well and tell Ashley I told her happy b-day and that I hope she had a good one.

This week not much happened, to be honest... we worked... and worked... and worked... but we are working so that this week we can have two baptisms. Pray please for Omar Mendoza and for Enzo Chapi.. Omar is a teenager of 16 years old and so is Enzo. Omar needs permission.. or better said, he needs to convince his mom because she is a strong catholic... and with Enzo... we just gotta work hard with his desire to be baptized. So if you guys could pray for them so that this week, the 8th of August, they get baptized :) I know we´ll be able to get it done.. we just got to put in the work and follow what the spirit tells us to do... :) This isn't my first rodeo...:)

Oh yeah, also transfers are next week and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have one cuz I have 6 months here...I'm ready to go. I'm ready to work with new people and get my focus redialed. Changes are always solid because they help us get focused and all that good stuff again :) I really do love it here though and was able to see so much success. The Lord has blessed me substantially here and it is probably the best sector and area I'll have in the mission. I love the family I live with, and all the amazing experiences I've had. My convert, who was recently baptized.. Jose Luis Mongilardi is doing amazing! He bore his testimony again yesterday on the truthful of the Liahona (the church magazine) and the reading of the scriptures... haha he scolded the members and it was hilarious... because he recently was baptized. I love seeing people becoming converted to the gospel mom.. I just love it. The greatest feeling ever. Anyways, all of my other converts here are doing AMAZING. Everyone is active :) we´ll see what happens when I leave... but they are all rocking it. I love you guys so much. Keep reading your books of Mormon. Every night. Keep saying your prayers. Every night. Keep happy :)

Elder Cluff

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 :) 

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!