More November Pictures from the Mission

Letter to the Family November 22

Family!

 

WHoooohooo!! What could be better than staying with Sister Gandolph in Gig Harbor? NOTHING!!! Seriously every minute of my life here is like on ulta dream mode. I love life! So yes, my address will be the same for the Holidays and we will be able to continue on with the work!

 

So many exciting plans for the transfer. There is a part member family-3 unbaptized children and a single struggling member dad who has been inactive for ages that we are working with. They should be baptized.

Ronald* is 87 years old!! He hopes to be baptized on the 5th of December!! What a glorious thing. Young and Old, strong or weak testimony, the light of the gospel can fill everyones heart.

This one guy Thomas* has got to come to church and get a testimony of the restoration.

Mark* will understand that there is a Savior who loves him and has the Power to take away his suffering.

Sister Clendening will get more patience and develop more Christlike love while serving with patient and loving clhildren of God.

Something amazing I've been able to learn from working with other leaders and missionaries is that positive reinforcement and love, leading by example, is the best way to influence people. If their spirit gets engaged in the work then as a leader you have very little to do! But love and teach truth!

 *Names have been changed for privacy

John the woodcarver was baptized last night. It was so clear the difference between light and darkness iwth him. Before the ordinance he was nervous and scared while after he felt "light and strong."  Satan is angry at this work just as he has been angry all along. Though he tries to thwart the path bath to our Heavenly Father-the only way he can do that is if he come inbetween us and our covenants. Covenants and ordinances of God are our access to his Power. John felt that power immediately and I feel it every time I see the exercise of the Priesthood. WHat a blessing we have!

 

Hmmm I don't know what much to say...oh. Transfer meeting is going on without us. And without a lot of the missionaries. We are getting a lot of snow and the roads are not really prepared for it. I don't know what its like because I'm not the one driving but they aren't great. a Semi jack knifed on the Tacoma Narrows bridge and so we are not crossing to Tacoma. Only those missionaries who have to Transfer really need to go. hmmm...luckily that is not us! hehehehe

 

mmmmm I wish I was at home so that I could clean and organize. hehehe.

 

I am glad you are still remembering the sharing activity! I know that it is scary to share, anytime! Blessings await, for you and the listener!!

 

So needing to get warmer stuff for this weather! Hahaha, but hey, I'm from Utah so this is normal. BUT! I think people in Utah must keep their houses warmer or something. Some places I come in and they are not nice and toasty...its a much better temperature than outside but not the oven that I want to warm me up! Hahaha, but I love Washington. I am growing to love people so much! In a way that I never thought I would before. I am learning to be patient and....its great! I am so glad to pray every day!

 

I love you family! Thank you for all your support, prayer sent and mail sent!!!

 

your missionary sister Clendening!!!

 

as a missionary there are two things we want noticed when people see us, the name of Jesus Christ and our family name.

"Companions" extended :)

 As mentioned before, Sister Clendening and Sister Gandolph made great costumes for their Halloween ideas. Even though they didn't use them as first imagined, here is the process in pictures!

And then there were two...

Want S'more?

A Companion Tradition

Sister Gandolph

Sister Bailey

Sister Nybo

Halloween in Gig Harbor

 Even though they were not able to dress up as they wanted, Sister Clendening and Sister Gandolph still were able to hand out candy and pass-a-long cards. They had so much fun!

Package Notification!

To Whom it May Concern:
The Mission Home is hosting a Christmas party for all the missionaries in the area, and would like your Christmas gifts sent to the Mission Home address (see side bar) to surprise the missionaries. The President would like each missionary to be able to open up a present, so please make sure that the package arrives at the mission home by December 3rd.
Thank you for your continued support of Sister Clendening

Random Pictures from July/Aug/Sept

Letter Excerpts from November 15

It is quite different being in Washington. The cold here is really cold sometimes but not so bad other times. Really I think that the Utah cold is way more fun! It's dry and crisp and stings you! This one kind of sloggs you down...but its easier to recover from:) I am staying pretty warm. We got rain boots that look like Santa boots and they are doing great. However my pinky toes have terrible little callouses on them. Most of the time they don't hurt but then randomly we'll be walking and they really start to hurt. Don't know how to explain it...or what to do. I will probably just let it simmer out. Persevere!!! You know I was re-evaluating my service the other day and realized that I am not really strained. I need to make sure that I am working as hard as the Lord expects. AND!!! Whoa he must expect so much. I have had the gospel in my life FOREVER!!!! I learned so much from you and I have such an accuaintance with the spirit and the scriptures that there should be nothing that the Lord cannot do with me. I appreciate Mom and Dad's guidance of me through life to give me such a privilage of serving the Lord with accuracy and efficiancy. It is such a blessing-you must know how you are blessing others through me. I love you so so so so so so so much!~!!

My guess and hope for transfers is that Sister Gandolph and I stay together. It is up to the Lord but I feel it would be a rightous thing and a successful thing for this area if we stayed together. The Lord has worked many miracles since we have been here and it is so humbling and endearing to see that work progress. When we get the chance to be front row to the Lord's dealings with his children, in changing their lives to be closer to their Savior, my heart becomes more focused on the magnitude of His love and the many ways He is reaching out to us. I love Christ so much and want to serve him forever. This desire of mine will never fail because it is fueled by His love and blessings. As I grow and turn to him more he blesses me more. When I pray for more desire to follow him he blesses me with more desire and I am able to move into a higher realm. We're not left to climb the mountain alone. Every step is accompanied by His grace; from my first thoughts of moving higher, to catching me when I fall, to rewarding me for every improvement, He is the author and finisher of my faith.

 

Christmas is coming soon! Whoa! thats crazy. The ward is going to have a christmas party and sister gandolg and I are goign to reuse our haloween costumes (see previous post for picture) and participate in the talent show. We'll dress up and make a medley or something our of Hymn 13 (TOTALLY one of my favorites) and scripture power. Coooool!

Doris is helping me develop patience. It is wonderful to realize that everything doesn't have to match my fast pace and understand that the Lord's Spirit works best to quietly guide me when I'm not getting flustered over things that do no line up with my plans or predictions. I love the Spirit! and I love when people are patient with me! It helps me be more Christlike in return. As people around you show patience and love, it gives you space and a reason to work on repenting and changing yourself to be more like that instead of repelling you into your pride shell. I love life!!

 

And I love that we get to go to a chiropracter here. I love that my nails don't break. I love that I am healthy. I love milk. I am hating these apples I bought. I love popcorn. I love talking to everyone. I love the gospel light. I love following the spirit and saying "that was a Christ like thing to do" to a man who I later found out was a Jehovah Witness (who don't believe in Christ) wow! Small and simple things.

 

I LOVE that Faith is the power. Joseph smith taiught that when a man works by faith it is by his words that he surely works. I said a prayer that the RS pres would know that we love her and are trying to work with her and then she called and was very nice and pleasant (very different from our morning meeting). Words and faith are POWER! How significant is it "And God said let there be light" and there was light. We have so much power on earth. With a body we can think and feel something and then SAY something. Enjoy your physical. It is so wonderful that the lord lets us experience controling the powers of earth to some extent. Don't waste this precious time to control the physical things. As you learn rightous dominion over those things-you will gain greater understanding over more heavenly things.

Snail Mail Letter from November 9th

Dear Family,

One time I told an Elder he looked like Christan Bale.... that didn't end well. :)

One door we knocked on during 5-7pm was rather typical. (See picture above.) As we walked away Sister Gandolph says "Mexican?" and after a minute of very confused replay of the door scene I just saw, I answered quite honestly "No, I think he was white!" Hahahah!

Another time a man came out of the doo to talk to us, and he had pretzel breath! I called him out on it :) and then had to explain our lovely previous experiences with Marko's pretzel breath. Love you Pokey!

Okay, @ doors: I always seem to be pointing out that people are old! Things like "old ppl like you" and "you're old and have seen a lot." Haha, it's always in confirmation of an old comment they've made (or so I hope to think...) hahah! but it's still not the best. Lol Sister Gandolph points out. :)

One time... actually it was the Monday after Halloween-- we were at a door and I asked the little boy (9-10 yrs old) if I could have a piece of his candy (that was spread out on the coffee table) and he gave Gandi and I both one!

We got matching plaid rain boots to conquer any winter weather we face here. In light of these indestructible beauties I felt compelled to test them out in puddle jumping. But puddle jumping is different in a skirt!

Spreading the gospel is like eating syrup in the morning. The smell is always with you. share the awesome knowledge that we have. I love you family. Thank you for praying for me! I hope you are getting some of the blessings I am!

Love Family Member #5

"Companions"

In a recent letter Emily sent, she included this picture. The inscription on the back reads:
"Yep, we made these costumes for Halloween. We handed out candy in the Harbor, only not in costume. Pres. Bowen wants us to be dignified. :) But the ward now calls us the Scripture Sisters! :)

Letter Excerpt from November 8th

The work in Gig Harbor is amazing!!! Really wonderful things. Did the family get my book of Mormon challenge? I didn't hear back from anyone about it.... and amazing! Just as I was typing it up for you guys, my blue copy of the book of Mormon was sitting next to my computer and the guy sitting next to me asked if he could see it, because he wanted to read some! WHOA!!! The Book has such an amazing power. John the Woodcarver is going to be baptized on the 21st! great great great. He is so excited. He love the book of Mormon. He gets emotional when he talks about it. At a loss for words after describing it as a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day and just what he needs John says "Its a miracle. That's all I can say a miracle." OH JOHN! if only you knew how prophetic those words really are. Its true!!! the Book of Mormon is plain and precious-plain because it is so direct. Precious because it is part of the covenant and promise of the lord for out teaching in these last days. The Lord knew that he would have all nations to convert and hand picked what was recorded and compiled so we would have the best chance at finding our Redeemer. John says he will do whatever it takes to follow that book. I hope we each have that commitment. please share your love of the Book of Mormon!! I love it. I've had 21 years to grow a love for it but when john shares his love for it-my heart burns and expands to an overflowing of joy as my love for the Book grows even more.

 

OH GREAT!

 

What should I write about this week? umm oh! This is interesting. We saw someone beat up on someone at a gas station one night. I was quite shocked and didn't know how to react. Could something so small and simple (compared to the drugs, murders, and horrific things I never see but DO happen) leave me feeling this sad and regretful? Some people wonder 'How could there be a God and such terrible things happen' and now that concern rang in my ears. Why does that happen? It doesn't seem fair. And then, weirdest thing- I started feeling to spirit so strongly. What was I being told to do? Had I been asking for direction? I hadn't really been asking anything (decision making) and I wasn't being prompted to do anything...so what was going on? But then I learned another wonderful thing about the Holy Ghost. He is a comforter. The strong feelings of the spirit will come when we need a direct answer or direction, they come to push us into action, and they come to confirm truth.  But they also come to protect us. As we live worthily, we can have all of the blessings of the Holy Ghost.  He guides our minds and comforts out hearts, helping us see through the mists of darkness in the world today and understand God's true and loving character. The power of the Holy Ghost is real and alive in missionary work. I am so grateful to have the gift of constant companionship.

Letter to the Family Nov 1

Dear Family!

 

We saw such an amazing thing happen. John the Woodcarver was in rough shape. His rental house (which was his Mom's) was just trashed by some renters who fled without paying rent. He now faced his water and power being shut off. He was sad and everything bad in his life crept out from where he had pushed it aside. We offered him the Word that heals the wounded soul (Jacob 2:8) John took the Book of Mormon and started to read where we had indicated. Alma 33:6-11 are some beautiful passages about prayer. He struggled very very much, cycling through 4 pairs of broken and scratched reading glasses. He could barely get out the words. Sister Gandolph and I were still. He went on missing most of the points...and then at last he found a magnifying glass. This was like turing on a fire hose. As he could now see, he began to read. The words came with increasing accuracy as he went on. In no time he had finished reading the verses we had chosen but what did that matter!? He continued on with a new heart. The whole feeling in the room changed; it went from bitter to sweet, from helplessness to hope. John stoped and commented "Look at this...its right up my alley..its like you knew." We continued to be still. He flipped the pages and opened to another place, this time a war chapter. He read about Pahoran and defending liberty. He once again commented on the personal application this text had to him. He just ate it up. John felt the goodness of the book. Once he read from its pages, he showed unrestrained eagerness as he held the Book of Mormon and took in its holy words.

 

That book is a book of God. It is His holy scripture, meant to gather in those at this last day. Let him gather you in. Know what is in its pages. It holds the key to happiness and simplicity in gospel learning. Love it and cherish it as you should. If you want to learn about it, Dalin H Oaks gave a wonderful talk about it "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" But if you want to know it and its goodness for yourself, read it. ponder it. and live it.

 

I challenge everyone in the family to say something about their most recent scripture experience to someone else! (outside of church and the family) like :"how is your day going? (your response can go shomething like:) "oh just great, I was reading the scriptures and felt the Lord telling me how to be happier" anything! ehehehhehehe. I will follow up with you all at Thanksgiving time!!! So that's about a month....if you don't want to participate in this challenge that is your choice. But, I better hear a pretty good excuse as to why not. And then, ultimately, it will be the Lord that you tell your excuse to.

 

I love you family!!