The Good News

"The good news is that Jesus Christ has made a perfect atonement for mankind that will redeem all mankind from the grave and reward each individual according to his/her works" ( Bible Dictionary, Gospels).

The other good news is I'll be staying at MSU with Elder Taylor for the rest of my mission. While I'm not sure I like the finality of that statement (mostly the idea that my mission will eventually come to an end), I'm excited to be able to continue to learn and grow as Elder Taylor teaches me how to be amazing, as we work closely with President and Sister Jones, through serving the mission, and by staying in the same ward for the rest of the summer. President Jones and I talked several times about what I might like for my remaining transfer-and-a-half and after some thought and prayer he made his decision on Friday. I'm grateful to know that my assignments have come and will continue to come through inspiration.



We had a fantastic week. Two temple trips definitely didn't hurt! I could get used to going every week. Over the last transfer I feel I've learned a lot about how to approach the temple ceremony by patiently listening for the whispering of the Spirit and allowing the Lord to teach me according to His will. Our last temple trip will be this Wednesday. (Not that this trip will bring an end to especially spiritual experiences for the mission - did I mention we're going to Ann Arbor for a meeting with Elder Bednar on the 19th?)!
(Insert:Elder Weaver and I at the temple last Wednesday.)

Ashlie is doing really well and is excited for her baptism on Saturday (as are we). She informally bore her testimony in our Gospel Principles class yesterday. Elissa Konkol, who was baptized in December, bore her testimony during Sacrament Meeting. There are few things that bring me greater joy than hearing the sincere testimonies of recent converts.

It's exciting to see the mission improve over time. Although we're currently struggling significantly with finding new investigators, we've taken a step in the right direction as more and more companionships consistently teach twenty lessons each week. Several of the zones are teaching twenty lessons in virtually every area. Now that we have the desired quantity we're working on improving quality so that they will produce referrals and new people to teach. It's always reassuring to recognize progress.

I hope you all have a great week!

Love,
Elder Cloward

P.S. I thought I'd send a few pictures from our trip last Monday to the MSU Gardens.

- the rose garden



- the pond