Staying "Home" for the Holidays, and their Zone is #1

Looks like he's staying "home" for Christmas. Didn't get any pictures this week, however last week got 14.  So, I can't complain.  He loves his area, district, zone and most importantly the people. So he is so excited to be here for the holidays. Just 9 days and we get to talk to him. To say I'm excited is definitely an understatement. Enjoy...

Hola Familia Clayton! Well the change has ended here in the mission! Presidente has changed how the transfers work, in the past we found out Monday night and changes are Tuesday morning, but now we found out Sunday and changes are today! So we found out that Elder Brown and I are staying and we are super happy to spend Christmas time here in Huasteca. I would honestly say its one of the best places to be for Christmas! So we are happy, also Huasteca, our zone came out to be number one in the mission! We were very happy and proud of the zone and the work they did this last change. We have 8 new Elders coming into the zone, who have some time in the mission so we are excited to have experience in the zone. Yesterday we went to the Devotional de Navidad, I liked it a lot, and this next week there will be a program at the temple, we are all excited for. We had two new investigators that came to church yesterday, and they loved it. They are named Berenice and Karla, its funny how we found them. We went to a house and weren't there, and right next door, there was someone screaming at what we thought were kids, but just screaming and yelling, and I told my comp, we gotta contact this person! haha I like talking to everyone and getting to know them, and my comp jokingly said, I am scared to contact this person because they were yelling so loud, so we contacted the house and the nicest lady came out! Turns out she was yelling at her dog! We are quick to judge, and turns out she has a friend that was a missionary in of all places Honduras, but in Tegucigalpa. She is super nice, and recognizes the spirit and loved the church yesterday. Our first lesson we asked her what she was looking for in life and she said peace, and she told us that she has found a lot of peace from our visits and by praying and reading, for sure an escogida. I love the work, and finding the people that are ready. This week that comes up is semana 1!! We will be working hard and sharing with everyone la Dadiva. love you all!! Feliz Navidad.

Stake Conference, Thanksgiving & Seeing Old Friends

Oh how I love when we get great emails and LOTS of pictures.  This was a bonus week.  I was able to be on with him and he chatted about Thanksgiving and how time is going too quickly for him.  He is so happy and they are seeing so many miracles and lives changing.  I love reading how he recognizes the Lord's hand in their lives and his own.  I remember thinking on Thanksgiving and saying a small prayer in my heart hoping he might have something good to eat.  With so many Americans where he was I was very hopeful that it would happen.  It sure did.  They were well feed.  We talked to Bridger about his Thanksgivings in Honduras, rice and beans for sure.  This Elder has been well taken care of...in so many ways.  Enjoy...

Hello Clayton fam! This week was so sick! First off, let me tell you that yesterday was stake conference and it was awesome. President Swapp and Hermana Swapp came and talked about the Christmas campaign the church is doing, its going to be really big and everyone is really excited! After Stake conference, I went to go see the Familia Briones, the dad and teenager, Joel and Joel were all there and so was Elder Gomez, he had a surprise for us and he told us that he had been preparing to receive the Melquesidec priesthood!! I was so pumped. Elder Gomez confirmed him an Elder and the whole family was way happy. Elder Gomez and I felt very thankful to the Lord and the opportunity we had to baptize Joel and Joel and 8 months from the baptism date give him the mayor sacerdocio. Super cool. Also, I saw the Hermana Catalina!! She was very excited to see me, she is doing well and she thanked me for being there in a time of need in her life. When I think of it all, it was just a miracle how we found Jose Manuel and helped him and his family. It gives me the testimony that God really does have a way of things, and he uses very small mediums to effect much larger things. Just like it says in the Book of Mormon in Alma 37. Its all true, it has been more than a blessing to be an instrument in his hands to help his children here in Monterrey. Also this week, we had a baptism of Armando, and we have his son, Gilberto scheduled this next week! We are hoping that he decides to baptism, he just has some small doubts but we are willing to help him. Oh and thanksgiving we ate Turkey dinner with the convert of Elder Brown who is helping us divorce a guy so that he can get married, here in Mexico there is a way for everything haha. Oh and those burritos..nombre yo andaba bien full. It was a fun week and this week that comes up is going to be great as well! love you all!!

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Elder Clayton

Even Though it doesn't Always go as Planned, Great Attitude Prevails...

 Many times you will find that things do not go as planned, however as you will read, his attitude never gets him down and they keep going and understand it's all about people's choices.  Yesterday marked his 18 month mark.  I know that now for him, time will fly and although I want him to return as I miss him so badly, I certainly do not want it to be over for him.  Thank you once again for following his journey and the love and care you have for our missionary.  It means so much to all of us, especially him.  Enjoy...

The baptism fell through because the person who was going to be baptized didn't fell well and went to the hospital! So we are planning it this week, this week coming up is stake conference so I will get to see my converts in Mitras with Gomez! Sweet huh? the chances are very rare of that happening! Elder Gomez is having lots of success and I am very happy for him, we did divisions this last week and we had lots of fun hanging out another time, he is an excellent elder. We found a lot more people too this week, but we have to get them to church! its hard, I would say that's one of the hardest part about being a missionary sometimes, when people don't come to church! its rough, but there is always next week. love you all!!

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Elder Clayton

Elder Gomez and I did divisions, just like old times! we are getting older! 

 Antonio, our investigator! he is super cool, he was a reference from a Hermano Mora!

This hermana is a member and is super nice!  Love you all

#1 Zone & Laughter all Day

As you will witness in this short, but awesome email; they are thriving and doing amazing things.  His attitude is amazing and they are #1 in the mission.  As you will see in the picture, they are quite the pair.  My friend said to me she keeps wondering if they are stalked by the girls down there.  To be honest, I hate to ask.  But, I'd go to church to see him!   Next week marks his 18th month, and Thanksgiving.  We are so grateful for his amazing example and the great missionary he is.  Enjoy...

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Hola Familia! This week was excellente, Elder Brown and I found a lot of new people to teach and we had a lot of success in the zone, as of now, we are the number one zone in the mission! We are working hard and loving it here, we are going to have two baptisms this Sunday or Saturday, we are still working out the details but we are excited, yesterday, not many people came to church, neither members or investigators! no se porque, but that's what happened, its hard when that happens after a hard week of work, but its all good, we have faith, and we are going to work harder this week that comes. I really have been blessed with amazing companions, Elder Brown and I laugh all day and we have lots of fun, we have a lot of things in common that we did before the mission and I am grateful to be a zone leader with him, hes a tight guy. I love the zone and everyone is doing well! I love you all and am thankful for all you do for me. les amo mucho! 

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Elder Clayton

Tender Mercies for Gilberto & Lots of Wonderful People

This week we heard from him on Wednesday as they went to the temple on Monday.  He is doing wonderful things in this area and you will see how awesome the members are.  It is amazing to see the hand of the Lord in people's lives.  All their lives you tell them of these things, but to have him write home and recognize these things on his own, just testifies of all the good they he has learned out in the mission field.  He has changed so much, and we couldn't be more proud of all that he is accomplishing.  This is another good one...

 

Hello Clayton familia! This week was a great week, we had lots of success finding new people and working out dates of our baptisms in the next coming weeks! As of right now, Elder Brown and I have 8 people planned out this change to be baptized, where I am at is such a great area and I love it. The members are awesome and they love us. Remember Edna? Well she is doing great, she is really happy and so is her son, Adan. She has her mom living with her and when we first started teaching Edna, her mom didn't want anything, but now, guess what?? She wants to baptize! In fact, we invited her mom to baptism and she said the classic, well I have already been baptized in the Pentecostal church. but now, she has seen the change in Edna, and there really has been a change and she wants to come to church, so we are really excited for her and her decision to start to listen to us. Also, kind of on a sadder note, Elder Wells and his other companion had a convert here, and she passed away last week, so we helped them out with the funeral and it was pretty sad, because the family don't have much and it was pretty sad to see them to go through this, but its amazing to see little miracles everyday. The Sister that passed away is named Juanita, and just one week before her death, her son, Gilberto was deported from Atlanta and came back to his house. but listen to this, on Elder Browns second day here in the area, we contacted Gilberto and he told us who is mom was! So the next day we visited Gilberto and invited him to baptism and he said yes, and then 6 days later his mom passed away. but to think that he got deported in that time to be with his mom and to learn from us is pretty amazing. So I will be getting a picture of Gilberto and his family pretty soon, they are really nice people. As for that, everything is going really well and I am really happy here! Its starting to get really cold here though! The mornings are super cold but we have hot water, so everything is cool. Love you all!! 

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Elder Clayton

 Elder Clayton & Brown @ the Monterrey Temple

A New Companion, & Time is Flying in La Zona Huasteca

Another change this week brings him a new companion.  He is doing so well, and as you will see he says the time is flying by.  The pictures he sent this week looks like he is having a great time with his new comp, but has he ever not, right?  Enjoy...

Hola familia! This week there was changes! Elder Wells left and Elder Brown came! We actually arrived here at the same time and will be leaving the same time. He is an excellent Elder and is a lot of fun to be around. He reminds me of Elder Peterson of Bridgers mission. we both have nixons and I know we are going to have a good time and have a lot of success here. The zone is doing well, young as ever as well. We are the youngest zone in the mission with 9 out of 12 companionships in training! So it is going alright, I remember all the good times I had with Elder Gomez and am happy for the rest to see and feel the things Elder Gomez and I did while in training. We do alot of divisions or splits, so I am getting to know a lot of other areas and other missionaries which is way cool. We have missionaries from all over the world in our zone. We have Elders from The Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Ecuador, San Salvador, Spain and other parts of mexico. its super sweet and I love it! This week went by super fast with all of the work we had and people we are teaching. We had new people in the church, and are finding new people everyday. I love you all and cant belive that it is already November!! time flys! love you alll! adios!

 So strange that this picture won't transfer over the entire file.  Maybe next week. Or you'll see his companion in the one below, he is the one with the hat on.

All his pictures only did half this time, not sure why.  But, at least we see him. 

Saludos de MTY - Another Baptism & Life is Good in Monterrey

Hard to believe it was time to have another change, but it looks as if he will most likely stay in this same area.  He is seeing lots of success and finding that no matter where he serves he loves these people and they in return love him equally as much.  I look to hear the excitement in his words as these wonderful people understand and embrace the things he has know his entire life.  Even more to know that they are being solidified in his heart, too.  Love him so much and as I take down the Halloween decorations, I am one holiday closer to having him join us back home.   But, I am certain it is going much faster than he is wanting it to and is every so happy!  Enjoy, another great one.  

Hola familia! Well this was the last week of the change! It went by really fast and changes are tonight, I just got here, so I don't think anything will happen, but there might be a few changes in the zone, but I would say the two highlights of my week was the baptism of Edna and seeing the Familia Briones. Edna, Elder Wells had contacted her about 4 weeks ago and every lesson we had with her, she wanted to learn more and loved it. Actually the first time she went to church, she didn't go with us, she went to another church of ours but farther away, the taxi didn't know where it was, so she ended up there, but still loved it. Anyways, she is a Madre Soltera with her 5 year old kid named Adan and she is just a cool person and accepted our invitation to follow Jesus Christ to baptism in our first lesson with her and 4 weeks later was baptized. Due to work, she was baptized in the morning and confirmed later in Sacrament. It was a great program and I really enjoyed it. She will be going to the temple on Saturday and wants to enroll in Institute, she is excited about everything. Also, on Wednesday, we went to Mitras for a meeting and my old area, Mitras was having mutual and I ran into everyone that I used to know there. It was really great talking to everyone there and seeing how they were doing. The best part was to see the family Briones and how well they were doing and that they are really happy. I felt so good seeing them and I cant wait to see my converts and other members in my last area. I miss them haha. Well, I am glad that you had a good sacrament meeting yesterday. Tell Caleb I love him and cant believe that he is going to dances! That's cool though, me gusto su playera aun que me dio miedo!! Nos Vemos familia! les amo mucho.

Eating Campechana y la familia Briones!!! I had a meeting in Mitras, my old area and guess who was there!!! The Familia Briones and they were super happy to see me, Joelito is doing well and so is their dad, they are happy and can't wait to get sealed in the temple in March.

Edna y su hijo Adan.

Hermana Cortez, miembro que nos ayudo y Mi compa Elder Wells

As I looked at the mission blog this morning I came upon this fun surprise.  A few months back Elder Oaks, Elder Beck and Elder achos came to visit.  I just happened to look at a picture and low and behold there in the crowd was one particular missionary, smiling in his usual fashion.  I was so grateful for this, funny as it sounds, these things make my heart leap with joy.  Even without prompting he is smiling and looking so happy.  The answer to the prayer I said many months ago of just let him be happy, then I will know that all is well.  And it is...

Oh, how I love this missionary of ours!  Well, done Elder Clayton, even when no one is watching that smile is oh so real!!!