Chickasaw

Subject: chickasaw 57

Hi family.

so yep yesterday was a holiday so the library was closed. so I'm email ing you to day. (imagine that) well yes you still would send stuff to the mission office. and they would send it to me.

so yep the new area is good. its really large in area but not very big in population.  we cover a couple of small surrounding towns so we cover alot of ground. there is like one road that has anything on it. and the rest of the town just has small houses and duplexes. there is a McDonald's here a walmart a subway, a brawms, a goodwill (its like the DI) and a kcf. and thats about it. there is also a small collage here (that's were i am right now) there is probably about 10 stop lights in the whole area. its crazy being in the big city and then all of a sudden being out in the middle of no were. kind of a culture shock really. o and there is like no black people here. and before in OKC 75% of the people there were black.  so that's basically the area

the house is huge (compared to what we had before) we live in a 2 bedroom 1 bath duplex it has a living room and a dinning room. (which means i don't have to eat on my bed any more!) the carpet is ugly but soft. we have a washer and dryer. we have a weight lifting bench, two couches and a couple of desks. its probably three times as big as my last apartment. o yea and we have a back yard and a lawn mower to mow it.  kind of cool. we have a neighbor next door. she is kind of cool shes about 26 and has a daughter thats about 5. shes like best friends with the missionary's. because she has lived next to them for about 3 years. they have tired to convert her for about that long as well. everything that comes out of her mouth is sarcastic. (she reminds me alot of Dana,  color, personality) and she wants me to date her sister. i told her i was a missionary and i wasn't allowed to date. she said "your not a missionary for ever just come back in 13 monthes." i told her ill think about it.

so now to the companions. elder ----- is really chill all around he is from Samoa but he moved to St. george when he was 10. (he knows Devyn) he is really funny and a big Lady's man. he like to skate board and has about 3 board here. so on pday we go to the skate park. hes about 6,3 and can probably bench a small car.

 he is not very how would you put it? motivated. he hasn't woken up on time in about 6 months. and he doesn't like to study. so all i can do is be an example to him. I'm trying to give him reasons to be obedient. like lets run in the morning so that we can lose some weight. and we can listen to one of my Cd's and then we can listen to one of yours. I'm not being pushy because that will just go down hill. so I'm just kind of rolling with the punches for right now.

Elder Platt is just the opposite. he is like short and white. like super white people ask him if he is a vampire. because he has dark hair and golden brown eyes. its funny him and ------took pictures to gether and they look like Edward and Jacob. he is quiet and kind of awkward. but i can see that being with elder ------- for a couple of months has really changed him. he is a big gamer. like one of the ones that lock es himself in a room and playes for days. you can see that he wants to try and be a better missionary but doesn't know how to. so me and him do studies together and "council" on how to change elder --------.

the branch here is small like probably 25 people on a good week. but there is like 100 less actives. so thats were we do most of our work is in reactivating members. its kind of a dieing branch because all of the people in there are old. like in the 70's there was 2 wards and there was all this stuff going on. they had a farm in the back of the church were member could grow there own food. but now no one wants to come to church anymore. the branch president forgets to assign talks so he will somtimes just ask people to get up and speak form the pulpit. so thats allot of peoples reason for not coming to church is that they dont want to speak.

were working with a couple of part member familys but other than that. we have no investigators. like we when on splits with the zone leaders. and got more investigators in one day then the whole last transfer. president emailed me and he is really counting on me to turn this area around. im going to be trying my best to i know its going to be hard but it will be worth it.

but yea this mission is the best! like way funner (is that a word) than high school, or working at pizza factory, or video games (shocking!) or anything than i have ever done. its like a big faith builder and a learning experience beyond all compare. i have learn more about my self and the scriptures and people than i every would have back home. i think there is a statistic out there that a missionary will get 10 years more life experience than someone who doesn't. i mean i can see it in myself the growth. I'm defiantly more willing to talk to people. and public speaking peice of cake (you know with the ice cream in the center). plus the spiritual high your on all the time is amazing! i crave feeling the spirit its awesome. my name is Elder Payton Clements and im a spiritual- holic. like on Friday we were tracking and were offering to pray with people and this lady let us in. we got on our knees and i started to pray. i was praying for her family and her house. and the spirit just gave me a high five in the face. tears just started poring out of my eyes. and when i finished the lady was crying too. i asked her how she felt. and she said. "amazing! i have never felt this way before"  i told her that was the holy ghost working with her. and told her that we like to have people feel the holy ghost all the time. and asked her if we could come back and share the holy ghost with her again. she said yes. so were seeing her this week some time.

we walked out of that appointment just floating on air. it was less than ten min but yet it was one of the best experiences i have had on the mission.

well that's it for this week i love you guys so much i will talk to you again next week. wish me luck.

with all of my love

Elder Clements.

 

Transfers

hi family. thanks for all writing big letters this week. i love them!

so on stake conference or whatever. id you actually hear and see ucdorf? and the relief society pres?

so here is one more question. so i found a phone like 3 days ago when i was jogging with elder shupe. it was just on the side of the road its a little banged up but it still works. its a Samson Galaxy s (touch screen smart phone) did you want it?  because i don't know what to do with it?

anyway this week has been great. so we had zone conference this week it was great. lots of new insights on missionary work. it was all about faith. and obedience. i learned so much and the scriptures that he had were the bomb. plus we have a new method of track ting (door to door) instead of saying, hi were missionary's from the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. and were just going around today share the book of Mormon with everyone. and telling people about our church. (door slam!) we instead say hi were Representatives of Jesus Christ. and we asking people if they would like a blessing upon there home? and if we could pray with them.  its a really cool idea. so the approach is were here to help you out and here is something for you. and before people saw us as taking away form them. (there current religion/church, there addictions/sin there life style) but now were offering to help and bless them. so far it really isn't working. but were still new at it and need some more practice.

so it to the end of another transfer (wow time flys by!) and i found out on Sunday im going to a town called Chickasaw (spelled wrong) its a town smack dap in the middle of Oklahoma. i don't really know alot about it. but my new companions names is elder Platt and elder Kyle so i will be in a three some for a while. there opening up a new area so i might be switching half way through. but im not for sure on that. i don't know elder platt but elder kyle i served around my first transfer. he used to be (i hope he changed) really apostate. like listened to what ever music he wanted, going on face book etc. so i might be there just as a baby sitting job. i hope not because im leaving such a great area and could be going to a non productive one. idk thats were the Lord wants me so im sure it will be great (or at least a place to learn humility)

its sad because im going to miss the two baptisms here. i might come back for them but i will have to ask permission. elder shupe isn't super excited to take over the area. you could blind fold him spin him around three times and let him go and he would be lost.  so he is kind of scared about that. but im sure he will do great. he has already been in the area two transfers so im sure he will figure it out.

o i forgot on Sunday we were driving home from church in the rain. and i saw this truck on the side of the road in a ditch. but it didnt have its hazards on or lights or nothing. so im like what ever than the spirit promoted me to turn around so i made a uturn and stoped on the side of the road. turns out this truck when off the road in to the ditch and through a barbwire fence and was stuck. i jumped out and ran down the bank. there was a lady in the car just sitting there. i knocked on the window and asked if she was OK. she got out of the car and just started bawling. and saying that she couldn't afford a tow truck and this isn't her day and her life sucks. she wasn't hurt physically but her mental status was a wreck this just drove her off the edge (both literally and mentally) so we made some calls and got her some people coming. mean while like ten people form our church stopped to help. it was so cool to see how many people drove by and didnt help. and then like 10 lds people stopped to give assistance. it was kind of like the good Samaritan or something. she got a ride form a friend and sister eddelman let her sit in her car while she waited. i gave her my suit coat because it was cold and elder shupe inspected the truck . just a good sight to see.

im going to be sending home some cowboy boots just so you know so be looking for them. dad you can wear them to a date night if you want. but just be sure to not get them muddy.

yea that was to bad i didnt see ken and get to talk with him for a little bit. but it doesn't super matter i will see him in about 14 months so not to long. wink. well i love serving the Lord i love this Gospel keep up the good work back home dont get stressed out about anything. the Lord will take care of you.

so yea thats it for this week. i guess. i love you all so much your so lucky getting to see "the avengers". i saw a news paper cover the other day that said  "if you haven't seen the avengers yet you should just Punch yourself in the face!"  so i did. jk but its ok i will see it one day. plus its only a movie.

i love you  and i miss you

Love your favorite missionary

Elder Clements

pictures!

Hope not…….spirit prison :)

Elder Shupe

thats alot of Ties

Who Knew

Utah sign

Ward Mission presidents fish

Oh My Mister Payton……….

Something Wicked this way comes

A Moth trying to be a belt buckle

week 41

hi family

so yesterday was awsome! +3-10x57+108 just to round up. so yea its kind of funny the way things just come and go like that. you know you look forward to somthing for like 6 months and then it only lasts about an hour. just kind of silly in a way. right now im dealing with living in the present. im allwasy looking forward and never looking at right now. like it starts out with like i cant wait to go on a mission! then i cant wait to get into the mtc. wow i cant wait to get out of the mtc, i cant wait till im in the feild!, i cant wait till im with someone else. i cant wait till pday. i cant wait for christmas, then mothers day then a year out then two. and i cant wait to go home. and i cant wait to get married. and the vicious cycle goes on and on.we as people are never satisfide with what we have. its part of our genetic makeup. we all ways want more. i guess thats why a "natural man is an enemy to god."  like they say on kung fu panda. "yesterday is history, tommorrow is a mystory and today is a gift thats why its is called the present."

this week has been good. we have been biking it out because its cold outside. (ok not cold but nice) what is the temp like out there? you said you froze your butts off last night?

so who do you think the new bishop is going to be? anybody that i know? or someone that just moved in?  speaking of move in's did any attractive daughters of god move into the ward? and would they be interested in writing me? (wink)

so the work is just chuging along. we do less and less tracking now. i dont know if thats due to effiency or we have lots of people to teach or what? but we havent done some serious door knocking in like a week. witch is good because its not very productive. people are in there confort zone when you knock on there door but when you talk to them there allready kind of mad. because you disloged them form there lazy boy.  so its more effective when people tell you who to go see. or they bring a friend to church.

so i forgot to ask you guys last night. how is the book of mormon challenge coming along. are you guys winning? there is only two monthes left. so if you havent started. you would have to read about 8 pages a day to keep up.

so cool cool cool. life is great. i dont really have that much more to say because i said it all last night. but i love you guys so much and i miss you. keep up the faith and just keep it on keep it on.

love your favorite missionary

Elder Clements.

Week 40 and Sunday I get a Call :)

Subject: jesus is the best 57

HI Y'all!

things are going so great in the OKC! i love serving the lord. its like 10 times better than ice cream! (ok maybe only 9 times) but yea. so first off. this elder that was in my district went home early. last week he was all joking around about it. but he was so full of crap his eyes were brown. i love that kid. but then all of a sudden he was gone. he had an interview with P. Taylor for like 2 hours. and now he is home. he will have the opportunity to come back out in about December of this year. so that's crazy he is like the third elder that went home that i know. just goes to show you to take care of it before hand.

and so because of that, elder Garner. (our district leader/ his comp) is super stressed out and pissed. for one. he has only been in this area for about 2 weeks. so he doesn't know the ward or the area or how to get there. two. he got a new companion but this one got an emergency transfer from his last area. so he was being a baby and sent out by the zone leaders in texas. at district meeting he was about to rip someone's head off.

this week has been going good other than that. we played basketball on Monday. we taught the plan of salvation to this guy that his wife just died. we helped this 96 year old lady quite smoking (and she looks great like i could have sworn she was 50) we got a new baptismal date with this kid. and the ward loves us!

so this family we are teaching. their less active. and haven't been to church in about five years because of the last bishop. but we started teaching then and helping them come back to church. there Son wants to be baptized so were dunking him on the 2nd of June. his dad works in the oil Fields so he doesn't really have the father figure in the house. but he is still a good kid. we taught him three times this week so that we could teach him while his dad is home.

then we taught the guy that got his fingers chopped off. and he gets the Gospel so well. everything we teach him he just lights up! he cant put the book of Mormon down. he is already in Alma. and we gave him the book a week ago. really cool. i love how this Gospel helps people out. it truly is the true church of Jesus Christ.

so ive been playing the uke for dinner appointments right. and the young men's leader was like wow that is truly a beautiful instrument. and he wanted me to play in front of the young men's/ young women's. it was kind of scary but i got though it. i played "how can i be" it was so good half the class was crying by the end. (i was one of them) then i played of the high priest group leader at dinner on Friday. and he was like you know what? the stake is trying to put together a string ensemble for a stake conference or something. and he said that he wanted me to play in it!  crazy.

elder shupe an i are doing great. i love that kid. we have spent so much time together its almost like were brothers. he started finishing my sentences the other day. were working hard to make things happen. we have so much stuff to do. were teaching the Gospel so hard! our teaching skill are getting alot better. the spirit is just flowing in every lesson we teach. dang i love the Gospel.

o and this was cool we tracked into this lady and gave her a book of Mormon and she said she would read it. and we went back in three days and we asked her if she read it? and she was like yes im almost done! i stayed up all night and read! but the only problem with that is she doesn't speak very good English. so we had a hard time teaching her. i don't know what we will do? maybe i will just pray for the gift of interpretation of tongues?

on Cinco De mayo we had sister fords b-tizum. we have been teaching here for the past 18 weeks. and she finally is baptized the ward is freakin freaking out. because she used to be anti and wouldn't even talk to the home teachers. but her baptism was so spectacular. she was just glowing! her face just lit up when she showed up. and her smile just kept getting bigger and bigger as the program went on. i had to lead the music for the program and i just kind of made it up as i went along.

but yea that's kind of it for this week. i cant wait to talk to you guys on Sunday. is nana and papa going to be there? i think i will call you about 4 o'clock? ish your time? but i will let you know. theres not really letting us know what the whole deal is.

i got your package and i love the pictures! they were so great. i want to go to Mexico. and did you say the shark necklace was in there? 

well i love you guys so much and i will talk to you on sunday!

Love your favorite missionary

Elder Payton Clements