Pray for her

hello hello. family
so whats up. this week was high flying awesomeness. you guys sounded
like you had a good week to. O before i forget there is a family that
wants to move to Utah in our ward. there looking for a house that has
like three or four bedrooms. preferably south of salt lake city. we
have been working with them for about 3 months and trying to get them
to the temple. and to help quite smoking. but i told them i would ask
around and see what i could find. so if you could send me some
information or just keep your eyes open that would be great!
but this week was good. on Monday we had zone pday. we played kick
ball at the church. i got to see elder shupe again. so that was fun
seeing him. i miss that kid no offense to any of my other comps but he
was probably my favorite. it was really fun playing but the zone
leaders were being sticks in the mud because they wanted to play
basketball but no one else did. after that we had a specialized
training meeting on the heavenly gift. we had to film ourselves
knocking on doors and how we prayed and interacted with people. they
were not real people so dont worry we just knocked on the church doors
and another missionary would pretend to be the investigator. it was
funny filming ourselves and all our weird facial expressions  and the
way that we talk. and i filmed elder charlesworth and elder otuafi and
they are fighting like cats and dogs so they were not in unity the
whole time and you could just tell that they hated each other on the
camera. and elder charlesworth knelled down to say the prayer and he
has this huge bald spot on the top of his head. but you cant normally
see it because he is tall.
so we were asked to sing in sacrament meeting on sunday. so we had to
practice one night and we sang ill go were you want me to go. but no
one would give us a ride to the church so we had to bike the five
miles there. so about half way through elder jones asked if we want to
race. so because i don't want that greeny to out run me i just start
boo-kin it down the road im my highest gear. we reached speed over 25
mph down hill. but in the end i came out victorious. (yea take that
new guy) elder dalia and beames were far behind and elder dalia is
riding a bike that the bike shop rented him. and a car stopped right
in front of him and he flipped over his handle bars.  because his back
brake wasn't working as good as the front. this is his second bike
crash in like a week.
but back to the singing, it was two high of a song for all of us to
sing. and the lady was playing in a weird key so we didnt know how to
sing it? so she yelled at us the whole time because we weren't singing
it right.
on thursday we taught this lady names sister charles. she is a really
sweet older lady. she has been looking into the church for about a
year but she never has joined because her husband is a preacher of
another church. so we have been working with her. and our lesson went
super great! she said that when she does bible study in her church she
feels like she is not progressing and when she goes to our church she
is learning more and she feels the spirit. and were like duh thats
because your church doesn't have the fullness of the gospel.  so we
asked her if she prayed to know if the book of Mormon is true? and she
said that she had and she knows that its the word of God. and she
knows that god wants her to join this church. it was so fricken sick!
i love how the gospel changes people. but she talked to her husband
and he was shocked but she knows what god wants her to do. cross your
fingers and pray to God that she gets baptized no matter what.
we had the ward Halloween party/ Chile cook off. and that was fun. we
got to be the judges and there was some really good Chile and some
really bad Chile. the one that one had beef sirloin pieces in it and
bacon. it was so good. and the worst one was a vegan flavor one. i
think it had real vegans in it.
on Sunday we sang in church and it was terrible. we sucked so bad you
could see people shaking there heads and stuff. it was kind of dumb.
every one sang really quietly and elder jones/ beames stopped singing
half way through. just a bad song choice.
than that night we had a baptism and me and elder dalia sang how can i
be at that. and it was completely opposite. the spirit was in the air
people were crying and the kids were excited to be baptized. they were
two nine year old boys that there family is less active and we have
been working with.  just a good week all together.
but thanks for all that you do for me and the ward back home. don't go
less active or i will hunt you down. i would write more but elder
johnson is waiting for a computer.
i love you and i miss you and i will talk at you ladder.
LOve your favorite missionary Elder Clements

pictures

 4 of the biggest guys I know :)

 Football game the President let then go to

 Biking on P-day

listen to the spirit

hello hello hello and welcome to the wonderful world of elder Clements.
this weeks starts out with a young missionary that helped move in a
YSA (young single adult) on his preparation day. so this lady called
us up and wanted us to help her out from 1 to 6. so we decided out of
the kindness of our hearts to help her move instead of playing games
and stuff. then this old couple in the ward invited us over for pizza.
but they forgot to tell us that they were the FHE coordinator. so we
showed up and there were like six girls there. and one guy (that's an
investigator) so when we showed up they were like yea! guys. and were
like gross, girls. so we ate and the girls were trying to flirt it up
but we shut them down. (touchdown missionaries) then we played them a
song on the uke like we normally do and got out of there.
so a couple of cool things happened this week. and a couple of funny
things. so elder dalia is super obsessed with being "the best" so he
put $200 worth of stuff on his bike. and they weren't even performance
stuff they are just to look cool. like fancy copper wiring and casing
and different colored stuff. because he wants the best looking bike in
the mission. (there is not that much competition trust me) so he
ordered all of this stuff and told his parents that his bike was
broken. so they payed for it. and then on Thursday he was going around
this corner and he decided to drift and his back bike tire exploded
and he crashed hard core. his rim bend in half and his tire is messed
up and he bend his frame. so we went to the bike shop and and they
said its going to be about another $300 to fix it. so i told him
that's what he gets for lying to his parents and telling him his bike
was broken.
so a couple of nights ago this lady that's like fully active in the
ward decided to call us up and tell us that she doesn't want to come
to church any more because she fells like the ward doesn't like her
and that she wished she had a better relationship with the people in
the ward. so i talked to her and asked her what church is for. and she
said to help us be better. and i told her its to take the sacrament
that renews our baptismal covenant. and to be able to be forgiven of
our sins. and that coming to church wasn't an option its a commandment
of god. and said so what if you don't get along with the people in the
ward that inst what church is about its about growing closer to our
heavenly father. i told her that i have dealt with less active people
all my mission, and 79% of them said that they were offended and that
they felt like they didn't belong. but once you let the lord out of
your life that's when all hell breaks lose. and it just gets harder
and harder to come back to church and you procrastinate the day of
your repentance until finally you lose your testimony of this work.
needless to say she showed up to church that Sunday.
on Wednesday we got a call from a guy that needed help fixing his
house. he lives in Dallas but his mother is renting out this house and
it needs some fixing up. so me and elder dalia, Jones, and beams when
to help out. we got there and the house was trashed. we spent like six
hours helping out. i did a lot of cabinetry work. fixing these
cupboards. and elder dalia did the yard work elder Jones did the
carpet and elder beams helped paint walls and fix the doors. lets just
say he got free labor and he got what he paid for. i mean of course we
try ed our best but there was some spots were he probably should have
hired some professionals. but his mom was so impressed with our free
labor and our willingness to help that she is taking the missionary
lessons. so that's great!
so last night we were biking to one of our appointments and this guys
comes up to talk to us. he is this stinky homeless guys right. and he
want us to go with him to see his friend. we cant understand half of
the things he is saying so we asked if we could say a prayer for him.
just a little side note here. some people in like to hold hands while
they pray.
so we start saying a prayer and he is holding mine and elder Dalias
hand. and i don't have that good of grip on him because i didn't
really want to touch his hands. but in the middle of the prayer he
just starts squeezing as hard as he can on my hand. so im trying to
ether get out of his grip or get a better hold on his hand because he
is breaking my fingers. so we get done with the prayer and he was like
walk with me to my friends house we asked were his friend lives and he
says on ninth street. so that's like a half an hour walk and its all
ready 8 pm. so there is really know way we can get over there on time.
and he was like just follow me and started heading down his dark ally.
i get this prompting to not go down there with him so we told him we
couldn't. and he gets mad! like yelling at us and telling us that were
not really missionary. and that the lord wants us to go with him. so
we just book it out of there. who knows what could of happened. elder
Dalia says that in Guatemalan that a tactic that robbers use, is ask
the missionary's to help them out and follow them and then a bunch of
there friend beat them up and take there stuff.
so that's some stuff that happened this week. transfers is in two
weeks and i think im staying and elder dalia is going some were else.
i got your package and it was the best! thanks so much for sending me
great stuff. the movie was amazing the light one. and i really really
really wanted that 17 miracles  CD. so that was just what i needed.
well i love you so much and i will talk at you ladder.
Love Elder Clements

I like to ride my bike cycle

Hi family
thanks for writing me it makes my week. hands down the funnest thing
we do on pday is email our family. better than biking or hiking or
playing games. you guys are the best and mean the most to me.
so you got my package that's good. i didn't know how many stamps to
put on it so i just put all that i have. apparently it was enough. so
the song i was singing on the tape me and elder robb and robbison made
it up! great right! i love playing the uke it brings me great joy.
did you  get elder dalias letter? he finally payed me to write Lauren.
(sucker) so try to at least right him back once.
but the rest of the week was good. Monday a family in the ward let me
barrow there guitar for pday. it was really great to get back to me
roots. the uke is a really fun instrument to play but you can do so
much more with the guitar. im glad that i can play both.
Tuesday we had a apartment inspection from the elder and sister luke.
we cleaned our butts off and the apartment still looked like crap. so
there going to move us to a newer place. because the sink leaks the
shower sucks the walls are banged up. there is rats in the ventilation
system. but hey we at least have a place to live hot water, AC, beds,
heating, lighted and bikes to get around. when ever life gets me down
i just say count your many blessings name them one by one. so the
lukes gave us an assignment to get a new place to live.
so on Wednesday we looked all over town for a nice cheap place to
live. a couple of the places were we looked at were super cool and
super crazy.  like the first one that we looked at was a 100 year old
hotel that was converted into apartments. babe ruth used to stay at
the hotel when it was new. the next place we looked at was a little
apartment that was above an artifact and antique store. we went into
the store and it was the kind of place that you would find a magical
object. or discover some great secret. (Ive read to many fantasy
books) the next place was an old school that has old class rooms that
you could stay in.  that place was super cool really big apartments.
and wide halls. but we made all kinds of jokes to the lady and she was
not very happy. like when does first period start? and do i need a
hall pass to go to the bathroom? and what grade point average do i
need to keep to join the football team? needless to say she was sick
of us by the time we were through.
on Thursday we rode our bikes alot.  i have put like 400 miles on my
bike in 8 weeks. thats like a fifty mile bike ride each week. my  legs
are getting big. but anyways we were riding our bike and we came to a
dead end and there was a water drainage system with big cement sides
and steep walls. so there was a little ramp to get into it so we
started riding our bikes in there. we road for about five hundred
yards and there was a tunnel. so we went into it and it got super
dark. and we did not see a light at the end of the tunnel. elder dalia
was freaking freaken his pants so because i wanted to see a big
football player scared i just kept riding so he had to follow me. i
turned on my light on the bike and we road through this tunnel it felt
like for 20 minutes. then we turned around because i got scared there
was going to be some homeless guy down there.
friday we went on exchanges with elder otuafi and charlesworth. i went
with otuafi in his area. he is such a cool guy just so chilax about
everything. i want to move to Tonga after the mission and just sit on
the beach in a bamboo hut and play the uke.
but we saw alot of people and one guy that we saw has like every
problem that you can imagine. and he just keep it on keeps it on, the
gospel really can make you have a happier life you just have to
realize it.
on Sunday we had stake conference. it was really good there was alot
of good talks really uplifting president and sister Taylor spoke about
helping the missionary out. but there was this one guy that just got
back form his mission a month ago and he spoke on how the gospel can
change people. and lets just say it gave me a great example of what
not to do or say in my home coming talk. he went about 15 minutes over
and he didn't say anything.
Sunday night we were trying to visit some people and no one was home.
so we were just about to leave and we saw a door open across  the
parking lot so we went over to talk to them and they slammed the door
when they saw us coming. so we just went to unlock our bikes and we
got the spiritual impression to go and talk to them. it was going to
be super awkward but we fear god more than man. so we knocked on there
door they answered and let us in. we prayed with them and told them
about the book of Mormon. it was super cool the spirit was awesomely
strong. and we are meeting with them again Wednesday.
well that's whats happen in my neck of the woods.
im sorry you guys were sick i hope you get better and remember that im
all ways praying for you. and if you need it ask your home teachers
for a priesthood blessing. encourage those youth to go on a mission we
need the missionary's out here. the lord is hastening his work so get
on it like blue bonnet.
i love you guys so much and i will talk you yall next week.
LOve EldeR cLemeNts

Go Ask A Missionary

hi y'all
so yes i didn't send off the package. im sorry i tryed but the post
office inst in our area and it would be a ten mile bike ride just to
get there. so i didn't have the opportunity to send it. i will try
today. ok yes i know what Yoda says. do or do not there is no try.
so some cool things happened this week. Monday we didn't do anything.
we played games and stuff just a really chill pday. it was the first
day of the new transfer so i didn't have a planner. because i forgot
to grab one form the DL. so i felt naked like the whole week. i
usually write down everything (shocking right this mission did teach
me something) and every time elder dalia had to write it down. but i
got one now so its all better.
so we ran into some people last week and they wanted us to come back
and play them a song on the uke. they own a second hand store/ antique
store. so i carried the uke on my back on the bike about five miles to
go and see them. we got there and played them a couple of songs. one
of them is called a witness. its about all of the prophets in the
bible/ book of Mormon that stand up for what they believe in. and then
how i will always stand for the right and be a witness of Jesus
Christ. (here are some of the lyrics, many stories have been told
about the great men of old, and how they stood for whats right,
against the wicked they would fight for the lord. like alma when he
taught the people that sought his life. i put my self in there place
and with unshaken faith i will say. SO WILL I !) so it was a really
good song and the people were all like shocked. so elder dalia played
a song that i taught him and there was this old man that asked if
elder dalia owned a uke? he said no so the guy led him to the front of
the store and said what do you think of this one. he pulled an old uke
down form a shelf and handed it to elder dalia. elder dalia's face lit
up like a kid on Christmas. he started playing and said its so cool.
the guy said well you can have it. so elder dalia is super stoked
about his new old uke. its about sixty years old and was made in new
york.
the next day we worked hard all day and weren't having any kind of
success. everybody was like busy or didnt want to meet with us. so we
decided to go do some door knocking. by the time we got there and the
bikes were locked up it was about 8 pm. so it was dark and the place
were we were at was super sketchy. like gangster ally. we pick a
street without looking at it. and we started knocking we talked to
some people and some people were pissed that we were knocking on the
door so late. then we got about half way done with the street and i
saw the sign. the street was called Elm Street! (that's were the
nightmares happen) but we ended up getting four new investigators that
night. the only one that had a nightmare was Satan.
on Friday i went on exchanges with elder charleswroth. he is a cool
guy i served around him the first of my mission. so its good to see
him again. i convinced him to buy a uke so he is still playing. we
went to a Chinese buffet for lunch with our whole zone. so you know
those places are kind of iffy anyways. but that night i got so sick. i
threw up and had the runs hard core. so because i didnt get any sleep
that night i was super tired for conference. i almost slept through
the whole second section. and that was super crazy about the age
change. and your right i wish they could have changed that a couple of
years ago but its ok because im serving now and this is my time to
shine. we were expecting something bit to happen but we thought it was
going to be china that opened up or something. and it could happen
very soon. this is going to double the missionaries. and there is
going to be so much change that goes on. its going to be fricken sick
chicken.
my favorite talk was the ask the missionaries. it was so powerful and
i could feel it was directed to me. but i also liked Jeffry r. Holland
talk. it almost made me pee in my pants. he tells it like it is. and
you better shape up.  the rest of the conference was so inspiring and
just what i needed.
Sunday night we taught this family the stop smoking workshop and about
the temple. we showed this video that had all kinds of temple
pictures, to music. it was really spiritual and the lady thats working
to going to the temple was crying and supper pumped to go. really good
lesson.
so thats kind of it for this week. i love you so much and keep up the
good work. good luck on your test Lauren and make sure to pray. the
lord knows more than you do about anatomy. wink!
mom and dad your the best parents a guy could ask for. thanks for all
you do for me and i will talk to you latter all right.
LOve  eLdeR PaYton ClemEntS

Bathroom fun :(

HI people back home. (home is were the heart is)
so this week has been great. i guess i will answer your questions
first. i didn't find my memory card. i prayed and asked the lord if i
would find it and he told me sorry. its ok i guess. i lost alot of
pictures. but they were all from this last two transfers. most of them
were just silly pictures anyways. im going to send home alot of
pictures this week and my memory card. and a tape so just be expecting
that in the mail.
my stomach is alright. there are some times when it sucks on ice but
most of the time its ok. ok this is kind of a funny story/ a really
terrible story. so we had Mexican food for dinner (that was my first
mistake) and i was feeling fine until i started biking. when i got
about half way to the destination. about a mile away. i was like o no
here it comes there is not stopping this bad boy. so i told elder
dalia and he was like were not turning around. so we just kept going.
it went away for a little and i thought i was going to be ok. then we
got to the members house. there less active and we have been helping
them come to church for about a month now. not to mention they have
two beautiful daughters, of god. so we got there and started talking
the mom was not home so we just talked to the girls on the front
porch. then it hit me like a ton of bricks.  i asked to use the
bathroom and they said yes. so i went in there and this bathroom was
small like 3 feet wide and five feet long. and there was no fan no
smelly spray no nothing! but there was no turning back at this point.
i was in there for about fifteen minutes and i was looking for
something to make it smell better. all they had was like rubbing
alcohol. so i opened it up and pored a little in the sink and a little
bit in the toilet to just try to curb this horrific smell. i got out
of there and there like what took you so long? i just said don't worry
about it. then we rode home. that was my second time pooping at a
members house and both times it sucked.
But the rest of the week was good. we got a new elder in the house his
name is elder jones. he is a really good guy he has only been out for
a month. so we can still call him greeny. for some reason i could see
lauren marrying a guy like that. he came on wednesday, and we had
elder otuafi with us because everybody else went to transfers. so we
decided to deep clean the apartment to make the greeny thing that we
have a clean house. and that we clean up after ourselves. it works
like a charm he has kept the house clean for a whole week.
elder otuafi got a new companion and he is all ready going to kill
him.  elder otuafi is the most humble loving kind guy that you will
ever meet, but just make sure to not push him over the edge because
then he will be the biggest scariest most likely to rip off your head
kind of guy. i don't think they will last the whole transfer.
so on Thursday we had dinner with this family that lives out in the
boonies. and there allergic to everything, gluten, sugar, happiness.
and they fed us witches brew it was hands down the most stomach turning
food Ive had on the mission. ( i even ate boiled cow stomach soup
called munudo and it was worse than that) i was great full that they
fed us and there a really cool family but i just couldn't handle the
food. i ate it with a smile on my face but lets just say that i
probable have some kind of worm in me now.
the work is going really good we found six new people this week. and a
lot of them were unplanned finding. like we just stopped people on the
street while we were biking. and they wanted to be taught. like one it
was about 9 pm and we were biking home and there was this girl that
was walking down the street. we thought it was one of our
investigators (in the dark it really did look like her) so were like
hi, were are you going. she kind of freaked out, were lucky she didnt
have bear mace. she jumped back and was like o sorry am i in your way.
we kind of felt bad after but she became a new investigator. the lord
works in mysterious ways. (mysterious not dumb, name that movie)
one last thing happened this week. elder dalia convinced president
Taylor to let us go to a football game. it was a collage game and it
was free family day. a bunch of the team members are less active
members and were teaching them, so pres had us make a deal with them,
we will come to your game if you come to church. it was crazy i have
never seen that happen on a mission. and only heard about one other
case were President Taylor approved such a thing. and it worked we had
like the whole foot ball team there.
but yea this week has been great i hope you guys have the best week of
your life. keep going to the temple and keep reading your scrips!
your the best
Love Elder Clements