Trade-offs and a Grass Skirt

Me and Elder Weaver in our hawaiian gear

Hello Family!

We had a great week. Here are some highlights:

1. 3 days of trade-offs. I spent Tuesday in Grand Rapids with Elder Lopez. We had a good day there and made a couple new contacts for them. President Jones, as I think I might have mentioned, has challenged us to have three new investigators per companionship per week and has said that the first zone to reach a zone total of three per companionship for two weeks in a row will get some kind of special activity. The word on the street says that special activity will be a temple trip, assuming President Jones can get permission from Salt Lake. Anyway, Elders Lopez and Guedez, our zone leaders are really pushing it for our zone, so spending the day with Elder Lopez got me excited about it.

My second trade-off was with Elder Andersen, one of the Elders in North Muskegon, with whom I spent most of Wednesday and Thursday (normally we would have traded back Thursday morning but they got a ride from a member for that since it's the end of the month and we all have no miles to spare). If you'll recall, I was with Elder Andersen in the MTC and haven't spoken with him much since. We had a good trade-off, had some good teaching appointments, and got SOAKED while biking in a sudden thunderstorm.

2. We had Cindi in church again this week. She's progressing really well - we're planning to set a baptismal date with her tomorrow night. Sunday we had some AWESOME meetings (it was Branch Conference) and a delicious potluck afterwards, where Cindi enjoyed a lot of fellowship from branch and stake members. Also in church, Elder Weaver and I sang acapella with an octet that performed "Be Still, My Soul". It went really well.

3. We found five new investigators! And they're all pretty awesome! The most awesome came out of a challenge we issued to the Brown family to have someone for us to teach in their home within three weeks. They started two weeks ago with a fast and have been working on it ever since. When they realized Bro. Brown would be gone at Scout Camp the whole third week, they decided they had to get 'er done! They invited one family to meet with us, whom they'd been thinking a lot about, but they weren't available for Friday or Saturday. So, Sis. Brown asked her five-year-old daughter whom they should invite. She listened to her daughter and invited the wife of a church member, who, much to everyone's surprise, graciously accepted the offer. And we taught her and it was great and we're teaching her again on Thursday.

4. I'm a little bit dumb. I locked our keys in the car. The wrecker came to jimmy them open this morning and it cost me $50. Not that cool.

5. We helped out at the nursing home's annual picnic, which had a Hawaiian theme this year. So ... they dressed us in Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts and had us help the residents with pineapple bowling. Some real live Hawaiian dancers also taught us how to hula. Well, taught me how to hula. Elder Weaver was a wuss and just sat there eating while I hula'd in front of everyone :).

Love you all,
Elder Cloward

P.S. I've attached several pictures. The first is

Elder Andersen with an old lady we met while knocking doors. One is from the pioneer picnic last week (watermelon-eating).

and I threw in a gorgeous view from the bike trail for good measure.

One Year Older and Wider Too?

Hi family!

Thanks for your emails and for the package - I had a great birthday! The cookies were delicious (don't worry, they're not ALL eaten yet), the ties are much appreciated, and the CD is great.

My birthday, since we're on the subject, was great. The branch held a pioneer picnic, which was a lot of fun - we went on a trek through the woods, had a watermelon eating contest (I was second place), had a balloon-toss (Elder Weaver and I were second place), and ate lots of food (I was second place; I'm pretty sure Elder Weaver ate more). I ate way too many slices of Sis. Myers' delicious peanut butter Texas sheet cake, which I adopted as my birthday cake :). It was also our branch president's birthday, so the branch sang to both of us.

Also on my birthday, at the risk of being irreverent, I asked Heavenly Father for a present - I only asked for one new investigator but he gave me two! (That upped our week total to four). We taught Jerry and Leann Saturday (after talking to them while tracting over a month ago). Interestingly, Leann has an aunt who loves the missionaries (I don't know if she's a member or not) and has been telling Leann to talk to missionaries and get a book from us for years. We're excited to teach them more. (Sadly, I'll be in Grand Rapids on trade-offs tomorrow while Elder Weaver and Elder Guedez teach them).

Another of our new investigators, Cindi, came to church with us on Sunday! She requested a copy of the Book of Mormon when she saw an ad for it on TV; she was feeling really depressed (she's been recently laid off) and thought it might help her out. She loved everything we taught and was excited to go to church again after years of not attending any church. We hope things continue to go well there.

I have to wrap it up here because I'm out of computer time. I know Jesus Christ leads this work. I'm so grateful for his patience with me and the grace by which He strengthens me each day. The Lord knows what kind of instrument he wants and needs and he'll make us into that! I love you all!

Elder Cloward

Another 5 Weeks in Zion!

Dear Family,

Hi! Best transfer news ever! I get to spend (at least) the next 5 weeks (it's a shortened transfer for missionaries who have to get home for school) in Hart! The best area in the mission (possibly the world)! I'll be keeping Elder Weaver for that time.

This last week went pretty well. We made some great progress with Robert, a 70-year old man we have been teaching. He prayed aloud (outside of mass) for the first time in his life last Thursday. We were encouraged that our Tuesday lesson on prayer had sunk in; he kept his commitment to pray about the Book of Mormon and he told us he's pretty sure it's true. Now we just have to help him understand what that answer means for him.

We also had some fun adventures with the toilet this weekend ... we're not sure why, but both Elder Weaver and I enjoyed a sleepless night filled with worship of the porcelain god. Thankfully (kind of), we didn't share a night - Elder Weaver hogged the toilet all Friday night and I had dibs for Saturday night. I don't think I have ever hated being sick more than I hate being sick on a mission. Canceling appointments, which are so hard to get in the first place, always ticks me off. But ... I suppose that's just the way it goes.

Not much else to report this week. I hope everything goes well with all of you.

Love you,
Elder Cloward

Sis. Meyers is Great! She Feeds Us Chocolate Cake (Almost)

Hi Family!

This was a pretty good week for us. I had an opportunity this week to have my first two trade-offs with my district with Elder Egan on Tuesday and then with Elder Hansen on Wednesday. I can't say I did a great job 'leading' the trade-off but I always enjoy working with other missionaries. Hopefully I'll get better at using trade-offs for improving our work as missionaries.

We did attend Gary's funeral this week. It was actually held at our church, which was wonderful, thanks to the efforts and offers of a wonderful branch member, Bro. Walborn, who has been a good friend (and across-the-street neighbor) of Gary's family for most of Gary's life. The church was as full as I have ever seen it (every single chair the branch owns was occupied and there were people standing in the back and in the hall). I had the privilege of playing the piano and organ during the service and Bro. Walborn did a great job conducting and later blessing the grave. Bro. Brown gave a wonderful lesson on the Plan of Salvation (to roughly 300 people, only 5 or 6 of whom are members of our church). It was a very nice funeral, very personal and a wonderful memorial for Gary. After the internment, the Methodist church in Shelby served a nice luncheon. We plan to visit with Gary's girlfriend and parents this week to see if there is anything more we can do for them and to invite them to learn more about the church into which Gary was planning to be baptized.

The best news I have to report is that Juan and Amalinalli, the Spanish couple we began teaching last week, attended church this week and very much enjoyed it. In addition to the two active members who speak Spanish, a Spanish-speaking couple was visiting from out of town, so they were all able to help Juan and Amalinalli feel very comfortable. Speaking of Spanish investigators, I also received an update on the Peruvian man I met in Grand Rapids last week. He has been taught several times and wants to join the church, but he'll have to do it in California, because he just moved there to stay with friends until his medical treatment is finished. He apparently told the missionaries that, since he is a periodista (he produces radio and television news broadcasts), he wants to help the church spread its message through his broadcast resources in Peru. I hope the tender mercies of the Lord allow me to see him again some day. But if not, I'm glad I got to spend a few hours with him on a Tuesday morning in downtown Grand Rapids.

And, in explanation of the subject line, Sis. Myers, affectionately called "Mama Myers" by the missionaries who love her, gave us some chocolate scones to bake for our breakfast this morning. They were delicious, and somewhat reminiscent of the Cosby children's infamous breakfast.

I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and support. Jesus Christ is the Savior; He will strenghthen and support us in every hardship and through every trial until we have become everything He knows we can! He has restored His church and the fulness of His gospel to the earth in this time! This is His work!

Love,
Elder Cloward