Altus OK

                                            This is all in one week

                                               What a fun family

                                               Payton (bad dog)

                                                          P-Day

                                              Snap dragon!  I mean mouse :)

                                               Sounds like a fun place

Hi family 
i didnt think i was going to be able to write to you today. but guess what merry Christmas.
i got your packages. one from nana, two form you, one form uncle john, and one from the willams family. don't worry i haven't opened a single one yet. everybody that i know has already opened there's but i like to wait until Christmas. 
so i guess to give you the low down on what happened this week.
the first part of the week was just packing and saying goodbye to all of the people down in texas. i hate to admit it but i got some Texas pride in me now. it was a really great area. i have never cried when i left an area until i left Texas. there was a lot of people that i got close too. alot of people i love there. there was a couple of family's that cried when i left as well. so its good to know that your loved. elder pugmire was pissed off the whole week because he didn't want to leave and he thought that it wasn't inspired of the Lord. and he was scared all of our investigators would go away. but he got over it. i feel really bad for him because he didn't even get a chance to serve there. he got in and got out. 
on Wednesday i got to altus. i got there about 10 but they weren't expecting me until about 2 so everything that they had planned was after that. 
so i guess i will describe the town of altus Oklahoma. its a small town. its got a walmart so that's something.  everybody has a browning sticker on there car. i  don't know if they just gave those out one day or if they came when they bought the car. there is a north and south side of town. the north is rich the south is poor. and scary. not as scary as my last area but still. at least we have some good parts in this area. the wind blows a lot here. i forgot about that in Oklahoma. in Texas its only every other week. and then it stops. but here its all day everyday. so needless to say its really dusty here. i feel if i swallow any more dust im going to fart out a brick. but the people are nice and the ward is awesome of what i can tell. willing to go out with us. and help us any time we need. our fridge is full of meat because a member love to give us food. the apartment is huge! three rooms two bathrooms. a kitchen a living room and a porch. and the carpet, is so fluffy! (name that movie)  
elder shumway. is a good guy, willing to help out with anything. like even the little stuff that you wouldn't normally do. i feel like a bad companion to all my other comps. because i didn't do anything for them compared to shumway. he is from south Carolina. so he is a east cost kind of guy. (my third one) so im almost tied on my comps form utah and not. ive known elder shumway for a while. i saw him his first transfer. and a couple of times since then. when i first met him i instantly thought of the book Howay fow Wadny Wat! because he cant say his R's 
so i was kind of bummed because i left my last area right before Christmas. because i knew all of the family there and now i don't know anyone. but we have lots of people inviting us over so it will be great. im super stoked. 
my district here has nine people in it. thats super crazy. i have never been in a district more than five. we have, elder clements, (hey that's me) shumway, salmon, garcia, nelson, hardt,(he was in the mtc with me) shumway. (yes a second one), sister Carlini and sister Eual (don't know if that's how you spell it) this is also my first experience with sister missionary's. Ive been in all elder districts until now.  but if there is anything i know about sisters is that they cause lama drama. not the sisters themselves but when elders try to impress the sisters. o well this transfer is going to be spectacular. 
but i guess thats it for this week. i love you all so much keep up the good work and i will talk to you tomorrow!!!!!!
LOve Elder Clements

going on a new adventure

hi family
well i just found out the terrible news that im leaving the area of
wichita falls central. and that's not even the bad part. the bad part
is that elder pugmire is leaving as well which means the area that
were serving in is getting closed down for one to two transfer. in
preparation for the sisters that are coming to this area soon. so all
of our investigators are going to the north elders. the areas are
combining but because the north elders don't know our area and because
are area is a five mile bike ride just to get to the edge. i doubt
that they will be visiting our area much. so all of our 35
investigators. (not to mention less actives that we visit) will not
have missionary contact for about two months. im really scared for our
area. and for our investigators. i wish this wouldn't happen. but i
guess its ok. the Lords ways are not all ways our ways. even though it
looks crappy i know the Lord has a plan for our investigators. me and
elder pugmire both prayed for ever last night trying to receive
inspiration on verification on whether or not this hast to happen.
the answer i received is that we have to be patient and the lord will
do his part. and that this hast to happen. elder pugmire said he had a
dream were the lord told him that his testimony has got our
investigators to the point there at right now but it wont get them to
baptism. but that someone else's will.
but i found out im going to altus Oklahoma. its a small town just
north east of here. im still going to stay in the same zone but move
districts. its a ward so that's good. i here the area is nice. my new
companions name is elder shumway. he has been out for about a year.
and that really all i know about him. i know its going to be a good
transfer and this is what the lord wants.
but here are a couple of things that happened this week. we taught
this guy that owns a guitar shop. he used to play and open for big
bands back in the day. like the police and hewy lewis and the news. he
is about 65 or 70 but we taught him the restoration with the bishop.
it was funny because he wasn't going to let us in but the bishop (who
is 6'"2 and very intimidating) was like you know if i were you i would
let these boys into your house. and i wouldn't turn some one away at
this Christmas season. it was funny they guy was like ok. and let us
in. the lesson went great.
another thing that happened was we ate at taco bell and as soon as we
walked in i overheard people talking in the back about how we can have
multiple wives. and stuff. then as we were ordering they just got more
and more crude and disrespectful. like talking about how much birth
control we had to buy and crap like that. i was getting super pissed.
i was going to freaking freak out. we sat down to eat and my temper
just kept getting bigger and more ready to bust. i was shaking i was
ready to call these people every name in the book and told them that
this was discrimination. but as i went up there to yell at the manager
the spirit was like hold your horses dock. this isnt the lords way. so
i casually went up to talk to them gave them a mormon.org card and
told them that we don't believe in multiple wives and that if they
really wanted to find out what we believed in to visit the web sight
on the back.
we had a live nativity at the church and the relief society president
came up and asked me if i would like to sing a song. so i sung in the
live nativity. i sang O holy night. (one of my faves) and played the
uke. so at the practice i had a light on my music but when it came
time to sing the angles didn't get out of the way so they blocked my
light. and so i wasn't able to see. so i screwed up on the cords like
half way through. its ok people still told me it was good. but that's
probable because were in the church.
we had two people die in the ward. and both of them loved the
missionary's so for there funeral they wanted us to help. i said the
prayer at one and gave out the programs for the other. it was really
cool. both funerals you could feel the spirit so strong. and lots of
nonmebers came so it was a great experience for all of us. one of them
we gave a blessing two like three days before he died. and in his
blessing it said that your life is finished go home and rest now. crazy.
we helped move three people this week. lots and lots of people are
moving into this ward and changing houses in the ward.
we sang with the other elders at a mental institution. like a crazy
house. so we called it crazy caroling. most people in there listened
but a couple were freaking out at us. it was a scary place.
but lauren you got hit by a car! thats sick! i mean im glad your ok
and dont do that again. but still that's kind of cool/ stupid. im sure
mom and dad already yelled at you but make sure you think before you
act. love you
mom? dad? how are you doing i feel like there is something that you
need help with. or that your sad about. i love you so much. keep up
the good work. keep reading your scriptures. and praying. and going to
the temple. remember when life gets you down the lord can help you up.
Courtney. hows the BABY. whens the baby do. if your going to say it,
its coming out loud. BABY! (what baby?) but did zack ever get into
medical school i forgot? and were. are you excited. what kind of
doctor does he want to be? well keep up the good work. and are you
going to be there on Christmas?
Dakota i love you man keep doing what your doing. im glad your doing
better. keep on the lord side the world ends in less than a week. jk
but some of my investigators are really worried about that. did you
find another job yet? and how is the rest of the group back home?
Tyler and jake and ryan and zack? you should have them write me a
bloody letter.
allright i love you all so much and i will talk to you ladder gatter.
Love Elder Clements
P.s. i got a package form you or someone. but its at the post office i
have to sign for it. so i dont know who its form or what it is. love
you thanks

Keep Moving Forward

hello so i guess i will start off this week. by saying its freaking crazy! the weather here. so on friday it was 90 and sunny and really hot and humid but now its like 20 and there is snow on the ground. so we took pictures in the sun and snow its funny. so on monday we just played monopoly. it was really fun. at first i was losing hard core but then i ended up winning in the end by making some smart trades. then we had a lesson with a Jehovah witness. he basically said he didnt want to learn any more because were not going 
to change him and he isn't going to change us. but he gave us a bible study guide for jdubs. and its got all kind of funny pictures in it about what the end of the world is going to look like. then we taught a lesson in spanish again. i still cant understand much but i try my very best. i can pray and bear my testimony in spanish and i understand when elder pugmire is teaching because of the key words that i do understand. the family that we taught is really solid they love the gospel and they know that what were teaching is true. they said that everytime we come in they feel the spirit with us. its really cool. so we found out that lady that was going to get baptized her name is machel charles. her husband showed her a bunch of anti Mormon films about the temple and stuff. so she is going through a hard time. and she wont let us talk to her. so were just going to give her some space and talk to her in about a month. we had alot of people come out with us this week but most of the lessons have been falling through. i dont know what the problem is. but all of these people were solid, but now there just being really flaky all of the time. we cant seem to get into contact with any of them. but this week has still been good you just have to count your many blessings. we still have people to teach we get feed four or five times a week by members. members are willing to teach with us. we still have a bike and a house that works. (except for the rats) i have a great companion. and the sun shines most everyday. one of the ward members gave a talk on missionary work. and how we can become more Christian Christians. one of the things he said was all the devil has to do to win is make sure that we don't do anything. we don't really have to be doing stuff wrong but if were not doing stuff right its the same thing. we need to be constantly moving forward. if we stopped were actually digressing. and not progressing. this life is about progression and changing for the better. and if we think were done or were satisfied with ourselves satan is wining. is all about enduring to the end.not stop ing but keep moving forward. keep doing good back home and keep moving forward. keep going to the temple. i received some cool insight on something. when Jesus came to the americas he came to the temple. and only the people that were at the temple go to see him. and all of the other people missed it. until the next day. so we need to be at the temple all that we can. because that is the lords house and if the lord is going to come home, where is he going to be? you guys are great. sorry for the short email but i love you so much and your the best family a missionary could ever ask for. love Elder Clements

Pray for Michelle Charels

Subject: big merry 57

Hi family!
so how is life? im so glad that your all doing so great. keep going to
the temple. that's were its at. and read your scriptures every day.
its funny but the three main things we can do to keep our testimony
strong is the simplest things. read your scriptures, go to church,
pray. if we take one of those out our testimony will fall. and its up
to us how long it takes us to catch it. like right now were helping a
lady stop smoking and she does everything that she needs to. and she
was doing just great. but then she stopped reading her scriptures for
a week. and guess who started smoking again? just that little thing
that takes fifteen minutes out of your whole day. can ruin a whole
month of progress.
so im just going to start off that there is opposition in all things.
if you have a great week the next week isn't going to be so well. the
lord will try our faith every once in a while to see if were obedient.
its easy to do the right things when everything is going your way but
when things turn south it makes it alot harder. next week will be
great though.
so our goal is to get members out teaching with us everyday. and this
week has been really slow at that. i swear i have called everyone in
the ward like ten times this week and we cant get a bloody member to
come out with us. we have had a lot of success teaching on our own but
that is not what helps people stay converted to the church. the
prophet says every body in the church needs a friend. (and two other
things but i cant remember) so that's why we take a member of the ward
out with us to be that friend when we leave the area.
but a couple cool lessons happened this week. we taught this guy a
week ago and he invited us back. his brother answered the door and let
us in. the brother lived in Idaho most of his life so he know all
about the church but has never talked to missionary's before. so we
taught him the restoration and he decided he wants to be baptized. its
really cool to see the way this gospel can change people. i think i
said it before and i will say it again. my favorite part about the
mission is the way i can help people come unto Christ and change there
lives. (its mostly the holy ghost but someone hast to bring it)
another lady we taught is named shabecka (we called her chubacka on
accident) she was really happy about the message that we shared and
asked if we had anything going down for Christmas? and that we could
come over. and she then ran into her kitchen and gave us a couple of
pizzas. and then she said wait and then gave us some clementines. and
then a soda. its really funny/ awesome the way people react to us
sometimes. because they can tell that were representing Jesus Christ.
we taught this other family and they are a young couple and they just
invited us back. they probably thought we wouldnt come back because
when we showed up they were shocked. but we taught the restoration and
they kept interrupting with all kind of questions. its ok because we
said would answer any of the questions.
but they were like have you every had sex? "no" why? "because i choose
not to plus its a sin." what its a sin to have sex! "outside of
marriage yes" D%#@ so does that mean we cant have sex any more?! "yes"
wow so do you do drugs? "no because its a terrible habit to get into
plus its a sin"  WHAT! its a sin to do drugs! "ugh yes" man what can
you do! just funny people that have grown up without the gospel. were
seeing them again but its going to be hard to get all of these habits
to go away.
were teaching another lady that just got out of jail and she want to
change her life around.
and the preachers wife did not end up getting baptized because the day
before because the husband freaking freaked out. so we have to have
his consent before she can be baptized. so just pray for her so that
she can over come the obstacles that she has.
the first presidency message last night was great i loved it. did you
listen to it or watch it? did it get breakfasted to your tv or did you
have to go to the church?
But that's it for this week keep up the good work back home and be good.
Lauren be a good girl keep the commandments and don't do anything
stupid. just work hard in school i know you will do great. make sure
to turn to your heavenly father for help. remember he wrote history so
he can help you out. and what do you want for Christmas?
mom dad i love you your the best. i think your the best parents in the
world! lots of people have lots of problems because of how they were
raised. but you guys took the time and raised us right. i love you so
much!
Love Elder Clements
P.S. i dont know if i will be here for Christmas transfers are on the
19th so idk.