Dignity....Relief

Merry Christmas people!!!

THIS WEEK HAS BEEN INSANE. Referrals have doubled, so have investigators, so has my trust in the Lord. I feel like my spirit is outside of my body, and i have such a special gift of observing my life through Christs eyes. It's been very unique and very special.

Nancy has her baptism this week. She's basically a member. She goes out and teaches with us all the time. I am so happy for her. Our other investigator who had a baptism date wasnt at church sunday, so after sacrament i called her. She told us theres a lot going on with her family and she has to push her date back. Her ex husband is living with her because he had a heart attack.... FIVE years ago and is abusive and what not. She is also raising her granddaughter, and her daughter (the actual mother) has just moved in with her. She is a saint, and is so strong... but satan is sure working her through her own family. It's pretty sad that he attacks us through some of our most important gifts. Dang man.

So, if anyone knows Nepalize... PLEASE come to New Hampshire. The gift of tongues is real, but holy smokes im struggling with the language. It's hard teaching when its hard to understand, but the spirit is the most important teacher, and thankfully the spirit works through feelings. And he's most definately working through my feelings too this time of year!

Everyone keeps asking (esp our investigators) if we are homesick. I can say with my whole heart thats not even on my mind. YES family, i love and adore you, but i sure love my Savior a whole lot more. He is my best friend and right now i am serving His children! Yesterday i had the opportunity to go to Presidents home and have lunch with him and sister stoker and the ap's, and then have interviews. I wish i could write all about the interview.... but that news can come next week :) What i can tell you is that i was asked to give 3 gifts to the Savior, and after really pondering about it, here they are, so everyone... HOLD ME TO THIS! 1. Dignity. I want to act at all times in such a high manner of dignity, that when im at the store... or just driving by someone, when i pass or when someone sees me they cannot deny that there is a greater being within me. They cannot deny that i am a christian, and that they WILL know HIM because they know me. 2. Relief. I want to provide relief to everyone i come in contact with. Stranger or not, i want to be able to in a moments notice discern what this person needs and provide relief to their hearts and minds. and the third, was love. One night this week i couldnt sleep. The pain was excruciating and i just wanted to CRY. I remembered the words of my incredible mom saying in those moments, get on your knees and dont get off until you feel HIS love. So i did. I then had the thought of Heavenly Father, where do you get your power? Immediately, He answered. My dear daughter, my power is within my love. I then started to study charity and it just makes sense. When we obtain that pure love of Christ, all the negative attributes leave. We are filled with GODS power. Satan will never conquer... because he doesnt love. OHHH love. It's just the best thing ever.

I know that my Savior loves me! I know i am about to go through some extremely hard times in the near future. He is preparing me for some pretty huge trials, but i know He is preparing me to be strong too. I welcome hard things. I embrace them, because i need to be who my  Savior wants me to be. He alone, bore the cross. He alone suffered in the garden. He alone Atoned for me. I'm not alone, nor will i ever be. He lives, and what a beautiful time to remember this. Each day, is a beautiful time to know it too.

Thank you everyone for all the love, prayers, packages, cards. They are never in short supply. AND PRESIDENT OSTLER! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Merry Christmas from New England!

Sister Cloward

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Holy Referrals

Merry CHRISTmas everyone!

What a week. I'll start with my companion. So, when i found out that president was splitting the triple combination and receiving only ONE sister, who also had health problems, i was so heartbroken. I was nervous, stressed, and i felt like the whole world was on my shoulders. I had talked to this sister just a few weeks before. Her companion was an old companion of mine, and had been really struggling so president asked if i would call and counsel with her, so i was able to talk to sister frampton (my comp) to try and get a feel for things from her too. I knew these sisters were struggling, and that is why i was so nervous to receive her. Every single companion i had had (im on my sixth... in my sixth transfer. Goodness gracious im blessed :) ) i have known their story before i received them. But i was so wrong in have preconceived notions about her. She has been one of my greatest blessings here. She has just decided to go home, and is LEAVING ME in four weeks to have surgery on her shoulder for a torn labrum. Both her arms are numb... so they think somethings wrong with her neck too. Putting us two together has proven to be very challenging, but in those challenges is where we receive the greatest growth. She is such an example to me. We immediately had a love for each other and a huge bond! We spit out church raps, she is ALWAYS laughing at me, she picks up my slack and i pick up hers. I feel like we are married but in a non weird way. I feel like through her i am preparing for a glorious marriage, a selfless marriage. She has such a powerful conviction and she is so God fearing over man. She knows going home she is going to get crap. She knows it will be hard, and people will talk behind her back. But she also knows this is what she needs to do. She fears God, not man. What a testimony.

So now on to the miracles of the week. HOLY REFERRALS. we are a referral seeking receiving team! Last monday just at the mall we stated our purpose to ever sales assosciate and got lots of referrals. Tuesday a LA gave us referral, we went to the wrong house, and got a new investigator. The next day, we received another new investigator. Thursday we had some AWESOME lessons, and friday gained two more investigators and were able to bring Nancy (shes getting baptized the 27th) to a lesson. Funny store on that one... so every apartment building here is coded to get into and you have to be buzzed in. So we show up, and they are not answering their phones!! So i had this brilliant idea. Lets just stand in the snow in 10 degrees and yell up  to the third floor to their balcony. SO im screaming JACKIE!!!!! When i have the impression to go find a back door (that was after praying of course!) So we go, and a little kid comes. I ask if he has a key and he says no. He then tells me to back up, puts his leg on the door, and YANKs it open. Totally worked the system. I did heel clicks down the whole hallway. THATS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PRAY FOR A MIRACLE PEOPLE! 

Then Saturday i felt prompted to make 72 hour kits. We went above and beyond, filling our car with gas, getting new windshield wiper blades, getting tons of warm blankets etc etc. Then what happens? A huge storm hits. We were at a LA's christmas party helping before it started. And so many miracles came from that too!!! We made friendships like no other. That is how we really receive the most success. She show people we care. WE LOVE THEM. SO anyway, President shows up to the party and she turns to him and says "dont you dare ever take this sister away from me." then she referred herself. Oh how i love my sweet Penny!

We two sisters, though only proselyting two hours a day, are the most successful in our zone. It amazes me that success doesnt come from the time we spend doing the work, but the preparation of our hearts and our minds and our willingness to open our mouths and speak. When we open our mouths, we are laid with sheaves, laid with converts. OH YA. we had another sweet referral. His name is king and he is from Ghana. And guess who referred him to us? None other than PRESIDENT STOKER HIMSELF. Im so grateful that he is so eager to get in and do the work too. We are being so blessed! So so so blessed. The spirit is so evident in every lesson. We are quickened with what to say. We are bold, and we are loving. I love this gospel. D&C 130:20-21. That scripture is so real. I know it, because i see it.

I love you all. I hope you all never doubt that i know the truth of this gospel. It is Him. It is His and we are His. God's whole purpose for His plan was simply to bless us. Remember that when discouragement comes, remember it when you fail to see the blessings. Because, They are there and so is He.

Merry Christmas everyone! HE lives!

PICTURES-

The Pettingills two daughters came to visit. i have been adopted in! Mikell and her hub and baby roman are getting kicked out of the pettingills house when we all get home so they p's can make room for me :)

THE MAP. we have 99 areas... so ive been given the job of making the new area map. holy stressful. and yeah, i stole president desk.

Sometiems when it snows really awkward pictures are taken!

 

 

 

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The Gift of Tongues

So I have about 5 minutes since the people are kicking us off here and we JUST got on!!!!

 

Well everyone, this week has been a week of miracles so needless to say I'm pretty sad I don't have much time. My new comp is sister Frampton, who just came from my old comp sister berg, who just gained sister burton! oh how I miss my trio ladies. But I love this girl so much. it is SO hard though cause we are both crips.. I'm office full time and work at night, and she is office when needed. We had a super spiritual study and I felt we needed to pray, we prayed, I looked at her, and she said with tears "I need to go home and have the surgery" so in 5 weeks shes leaving me, and ill be pulled into just an office since the weather is really proving to be bad for me. That's okay! Yesterday in my studies I was praying about why I have this trial, and it came to me "because your spirit was too strong to be tested any other way". last night president came up to me and said he was praying about me the other night and asked why I have this trial, to which the words came to him "because she is too strong. I needed to refine her and this was the only way I could". What a beautiful thing.

 

Yesterday we gained 3 new solid investigators. The Lord blesses us when we are faithful! we have like 15 investigators and only can give about 10 hours a week, with about 8 LA's we are working with too. PRAY FOR US! We are working our bootys off!

 

We have a baptism in a couple weeks, another a week after that, and one shortly after!! I have been so grateful to see the progression and even find some of these people. They have my whole heart!

 

Everyone, I love you! The church is true and I am grateful I know it. What a beautiful time to be on a mission.

 

OH. I believe in the gift of tongues. We are teaching a deaf man, and have a deaf man in our ward. In just 2 days I have learned so much and everyone keeps asking how long I've been signing. Another miracle for the faithful!

 

Sister Cloward

 

ps. im pro driving in the snow. whadupppp

Glad Tidings

MOM!!! + anyone who reads this!  Well, i got both your packages! The big one today. I was already pretty emotional because me and sister a&b are ALL being split and im getting a struggling sister who also has medical problems who will most likely go home, and we aren't in a trio because there is not enough sisters. So im learning really to trust in the lord and know HE ALWAYS has a plan, even if it logically doesn't make sense. Because think about it, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. So when i opened it the first thing i did was grab your letter and the first line i read was about Dallan. I just sobbed. I was at the office with my sisters, and sister stoker and sister p sister skidmore and pres and the assistants. I just sobbed. No, i weeped. President came out of his office and hugged me  and asked what the matter was. He pulled me in and we just talked about dallan. I had actually just born my testimony on him the other day, how i am grateful he was placed in my life so that i could gain a greater testimony on the atonement, and immortality and resurrected bodies. He gave me an incredible blessing.  He said that Dallan came here only because he had to have a part of mortality, and that he will be there in the morning of the first resurrection, and i will be there too, and that i will recognize him by his spirit and that it will be a glorious reunion. How incredible is that. He also said that i can pray for angels to buoy up my family, and that God will honor that prayer, i just need to ask. So family, if you have any neat experiences with feeling angels attending you, write them down and send them my way. So, as i mention Sisters AB&C are being SPLIT. We knew sister a prob would go, but we did not see sister b leaving esp since im mostly an office worker. President had me go aside to inform me of the situation, and asked if i would accept this calling. As much as I didn't want to, how could i not? How could i tell the Lord no? How could i ever limit my potential and limit my growth, even if there is so much uncertainty? I just cant. And so i accepted. I'm receiving a struggling sister again who also may go home for medical soon, and we are together going to hold down the Bedford 2 area while working in the office. Ill still be mostly in the office, and her... she'll probably do a lot of splits except at night we'll go to work. This area has so much potential! The assistants have Bedford one, and don't have much time either. But again, there is no room to doubt or fear. His will HAS to be done. It just has to. I know the Lord trusts me with this! So, one cool miracle. We have 2 investigators getting baptized soon! One was a self referral we contacted LAST MONDAY, and committed her right there to be baptized. She is so excited. Her name is Sherri. The other is Nancy, who NEEDS to quite coffee, so pray for her! and while im at it, if you could pray for all my investigators thatd be lovely. There names are 1. Mama Jean 2. Sherri 3. Purni and Amity 4. Nancy 5. Carolina 6. Lisa 7. Kris 8. Oscany 9. Paul 10. There's lots more but my brain is fogged... So a cool story. Yesterday in testimony a woman got up whose a florist and bore her testimony on a sunflower she had gotten. This sunflower was big, bright and beautiful, and was bumped leaving a whole of petals missing. She was so sad and was about to toss it, when she thought of the atonement. We are all people missing pieces. We are. But because of the sacrifice, we may be whole again, but in the meantime we are still beautiful people, even with missing pieces. Well my beloved people. I love this season. I love that the world is forced to think about our Savior at this time. It's sad to see that over here in the East Christ has been taken out of Christmas, but dont worry, i'm doing my part to exclaim glad tidings and help others rejoice in the greatest man who walked this earth. I love Him, I know Him. I am in His care. Merry Christmas to you all, and may we all reflect on the love that is given to us at every moment that we dont deserve. Love Sister Cloward