Clean up…District Leader….Moving to Cushing….and training a New Elder

Hello family

so dad you shouldn't feel that bad. because like one second after you text-ed president Taylor called and said every one text your family and let them know that your alright. so you just beat me to the punch. im glad you love me. enough to break the rules. 

but this week has been crazy! lots of tornado clean up. between me and elder rumsey we did 48 hours of tornado clean up, and were going back at least twice a week for the next couple of months. the devastation there is super crazy. like the news doesn't show the half of it. just one big mess. most of the time we spent just sorting through stuff. like one pile of stuff to burn, stuff to keep, junk, and metal. there was this big group of tree's and like half of the house was entangled in the tree's and most of another house was sunk into the tree's. so we just sawed down fifteen tree's and got the house out of there. i don't know words cant describe how terrible it looked. there was about 1000 volunteers that we worked with. and if we didnt have that many the stuff we got done would have taken a whole week. it just looked like an impossible task but when we worked together we got alot done. and people came in form all over the country there were people there form new york and from California. we had the Mormon helping hands shirts on. and alot of people were asking what group we were from. so many people were so thankful for our help. we were not suppose to be missionary's there. like we could talk to people about the church but we weren't suppose to give away book of Mormons or anything.  

we helped this family take down part of there house and put it in a big trash pile. it was super sad because they had just got through building this house and it was just destroyed. there were still tv's in packages that were busted and couches that had wraping paper on it that were tour apart. and because they hadn't finished the house the insurance wont cover anything. so it's a total loss. but those people weren't sad. in all reality they looked happy. the material positions didn't matter to them it was there family. there were so great full that none of them got hurt. they said money, and houses can be replaced family can not. it was so inspiring. 

but any ways. im glad that i could help. and im so grateful that you guys are safe back home. and that this didn't happen to us. 

so yes im still getting transferred to cushing. yes were going to be cleaning up for the rest of the mission but im still going to the new area with the new missionary. i also found out that im going to be district leader. that is super crazy and alot of responsibility for the next month and a half. i guess i need it or something. this will definitely keep me in line for the last little bit. there will be no room to slip up at all. (not that i slip up before or anything) so i will let you know how it goes this first week. 

transfers are today in about five hours so i don't have alot of time. if i have the opportunity i will write you a big letter. ok. and let you know how every thing is. 

but on the missionary side of things. we had a great week. we are teaching this lady, and she came to church this week. and loved it. she got alot of fellowship from the sisters in the ward. so hopefully elder rumsy will be able to baptize her in the next transfer. along with  all our other investigators that we have. man im going to miss this place. yea it is small and not alot of missionary work here. but it was still a good area. and definitely the longest ive spent in one area. saying goodbye to people as a missionary is really awkward as well. because you cant hug them you cant say i love you. or anything. so its just a hand shake and a wave good bye. but i wish i could hug some of these people. there so nice to me and the missionary's. as a going away present the vermillian family bought me a lasso. (there like $50) that's just too nice. i feel so blessed to be serving in this area. and be serving in this mission.  and for helping all of the people in Moore. 

well i guess that is it for this week i love you all so much and i care about you form the bottom of my heart (and also the top) you are the greatest family ever. and i miss you like crazy but not enough to get trunky. 

LOVE ELDER PAYTON CLEMENTS 

thanks for writing me the letters. 

Got a email from the Mission President and He will buy boots and gloves and go help in Moore now for who knows how long......

This email was sent before the tornado so everything has changed now.

Hello family 

man using the internet at the library only using it once a week. you guys could be missionaries. lol is there alot of creepers at the library in utah i forget. because there definitely is here. the guy next to me smells like he hasnt taken a shower since last year. and two down there is a guy thats looking at some little girls face book account. creep stach. 

anyways. so life is great. all kind of fun stuff going on. 

Monday we played Frisbee golf because it wasn't that windy. elder rumsey was bored  out of his mind. but that's ok. its better than sitting in the apartment. we try ed a bunch of people that night but nothing went through.

Tuesday. we saw this lady named kathy i swear every one we come in contact with is named kathy. but we taught her the plan of salvation with the bishop. which is huge because bishop hates missionary work. well he doesn't hate it but he doesn't have a testimony of it. (yet) the lesson went well she said she would love to be with her family forever. but was a little hesitant about be baptized. we see her again tomorrow. so hopefully we can get her than. 

Wednesday. we taught this gay kid. it was crazy. he is super interested. but i don't know if its in the gospel or me. (awww, get back Satan!) but the lesson went well he said he would come to church next Sunday. because his old church pretty much hates him after he came out of the closet. he hasnt done anything yet just he said he has those feelings. so  hopefully we can get him converted before its too late. we told him that he could become a Mormon in less than two months. and his whole family too. he seemed somewhat excited about that. 

on friday was exchanges. elder Anderson came down to altus with me. he's a cool guy but i hate him because he beat me in an arm ressal. but as soon as we got back to altus we had an appointment with one our investigators. its that iraq guy and his wife. the lesson went super good and bad at the same time. good for rocky the husband. and his wife aww not so much. rocky said that he would read and pray and get baptized if he found out this was true. he said "there is a reason for god letting you come here. and i need to learn form you" but kathy she had her brick wall up. o guys im all ready a baptist. i grew up that and i only need the bible. blah blah blah. anyways though she was helpfull at times. she said if i found out this was true then i would have to join your church other wise god would be pissed at me. and were like yep. 

Saturday we helped re shingle this guys roof. first we had to take all of the old ones off. and there was two layers of them and then we had to put the new ones back on. really hard work remind me to get a cologe education so i dont have to do that for a living. not that had work is bad. but man im really sore today form all of the pulling up on those shingles. you had to get this shovel and tear them off. and the shovel had some crazy spikes on it to help pull the nails out. but i know what im using just in case a zombie attack happens. 

BUT here is the word of the day. the AP's called on Saturday and told me that im shotgun training a new missionary in a new area. im going to this place called cushing its far up north. next to still water. im excited and nerves at the same time. this is alot of responsibility to have. especially my last month. so wish me luck. im leaving altus on the 29th and going to my new area. and then form there it will be home ward bound. (just like the cats and the dog) 

well thats it for this week. i love you all so much keep me and my new comp in your prayers. 

LOve EldeR cLemEntS

We got his flight plans!!!!!!! 7 am on the 11 of July!!!!! 58 days

hello family
this is kind of going to be a short email as well because you know i talked to you last night.Which was awesome!

so here are some things that happened this week

sunday i called you. best mothers day ever! went to church that was fun. but it was super sad because for the speakers a guy was asked to talk that his wife died less than a year ago. and he has four teenage girls to take care of. lets just say it wasn't that tradishinal mothers day talk.

i had to force elder rumsey to call home. because he didnt want to talk to his mom. but i told him its not about you its about her. this inst your day its hers. i don't care what she did to you or how much you think she doesnt care about you she is still your mother and gave birth to you. so he called home and loved it. what a crazy kid.

we had zone conference this week. and it was my very last one. witch i thought i had one more. so its a tradition in this mission that your last meeting you get up and bare your testimony about your mission. so i did and it was super sad i almost cried. because im going to miss this. it only happens once and its almost over.

but the rest of the meeting was great. it was also president taylors last meeting. so i got a picture with him and sister taylor. man they have played such a big roll in my mission and im sure the rest of my life. good thing there only about five minutes away. so i can visit them any time i want.

but the rest of this week we have been working hard and knocking allot of doors. and for some weird reason every body we run into just happens to be named kathy? (i think its some under ground plot to freak us out, like everybody that belongs to this church, there pastor told them to say there name was kathy when the missionaries came around.)

Monday was zone pday it was fun. we played ultimit frizbee. it was fun my team one. but just by one point. but it was a really fun pday compared to the rest of them in this area.

but thats pretty much for this week. i love you all so much and i will talk at you latter

Love Elder Clements

last weeks email

Hello family.

so im sorry but im going to have to cut this one semi short. because i have to be in lawton in about 2 hours and its an hour drive up there. because its zone pday. i would say forget about zone pday if i wasnt calling you this weekend. witch is going to be super crazy. two phone calls in the same area. what a trip. but yea i think i will call at about 2:30 your time or about 3:30 my time if thats ok. yea invite dakota, and anybody that wants to talk with me. nana, papa, jake, tyler, who ever. i definitely want to talk to you guys the most but every body else is a bonus.

so this week has been great. on Monday. i got a hair cut and its short again. sister jones she always cuts it shorter than i like. but whatever you cant beat free. but they were talking with me and they said you know were moving to Italy in six months and if you and your future wife wants to hunny moon there we'll let you stay at our house. kind of cool.

then after that i was just looking around at alot of stores and this one store has a bunch of western were. and they said that they could give me a discount of 25% (you know im a sucker for sales) so i bought a cowboy hat for 15 dollars. then we were looking around and found madder (like ta-madder with out the TA!) its this old beat up tow truck with eyes painted on it.

then on Tuesday we helped out this old lady in the ward. and we were cleaning out here garage and there was this old bag and she was just like throw what ever is in that bag away. so i looked in the bag and there was two cowboy hats in it. i asked if she still wanted them gone? she said i could have them. SWEET! so now i have two straw hats and a nice felt hat its made out of beaver skin. the price tag says $330 (guess i should have waited to buy that hat)

on Wednesday we went up to the city for the greeny meeting. it was a meeting for all the new missionaries and there trainers. really good. i have never driven so much in my life. but its worth it to get that spiritual boost. man the mission is great. normally you have to wait until general conference for a spiritual boost. but here you get it about once a month. i love devoting my time to the lord its so rewarding.

o that brings up another story.

So once upon a time this lady stopped us on the side of the road and asked us if we were jahova witnesses. we told her no and she said good if you were i would of had to yell at you or run you over. because apparently two J Dubs came to her house and made fun of her husband and just mocked him for his testimony on Jesus Christ. so we said were  Mormon so she said you guys can come on over.

so we went over to there house and talked with them and they asked lots and lots of questions about us and about missionary work. and the husband his name is rocky was so impressed with what we did and how devoted we are. he said we need to meet every week. because this is the most beautiful thing that i have ever heard. he also said that we are going to meet together until im converted to your faith. perfect. 

Saturday we help a guy break into his house. but it was easy all we had to do was open a window and unlock the door.

we also are helping this lady quite smoking. she has been wanting to quit for a wile but she just didn't know how. so we showed here our 15 step program and she has been smoke free for 3 days now and she just needs 4 more and she will never want to smoke again.

Lauren thanks for being a good missionary. remember never forget to stand up for what you believe in even if its with your friends. but all ways be willing to share the gospel with others. because it has blessed your life in so many ways, so why not share it. man i remember missionary week. it was great i think it has really helped me on my mission. its kind of a tast of what the real mission field is like.

well i love you all so very much keep up the good work and i will talk to you on Sunday.

Love Elder Payton Clements