May 27, 2013

Hello Clegg Family,

Thank you for your letters. I appreciate them very much as always. Sounds like the Memorial Day race went really well. I am glad that you had so many people running. That is really a neat thing and has a lot of potential! Sounds like it was a lot of work and loved by those participating.

It has been a great week here in Villa Mitre. It was a normal office and area week. Moises and Rut are doing awesome. David and Edith has gotten a little cold and have stopped doing their commitments like before. We had a great lesson with them in Presidents house. They had some rather large doubts about tithing and we were a little tentative about teaching them in Presidents house, but we decided that we have nothing to hide. We watched President Monsons last conference address and that was really great. They left really good and we resolved a lot of doubts. President and Hermana Parreño are so kind. They are just incredible. We announced the baptisms of Rut and Moises for this Saturday. Rut wanted to wait for her husband, but we told her that God would bless her more if she took the first act of faith. She is awesome, so prepared.  The members are doing a good job with them also. They will be a great blessing to the ward here. They will come to do Family Search tomorrow in the center. Keep praying for David. If he decides to go, he is the Father of a large family and you could see some huge results. His son is a pastor and he puts a lot of doubts in his head, but we could not have explained it more clearer with more members. So I feel OK.  He is a great man. He have had lots of spiritual lessons in their house.  We got a surprise on Thursday, we will be getting 11 new missionaries this week, and that was not in the plans and is not part of our transfer cycle. That will be interesting and it will be a lot of movement in the mission.  Funny story for you Mikesell... We were teaching the Family Vasquez tithing with a member who was Evangelical. He is great. It got a little tense at one point in the lesson between him and David. And the member started to talk about how the blessing have came upon him since he paid his tithing and as he went to say "the blessings have come 10 fold" he brought his hand up to the sky and then brought his hand back down again.  A mixture of Napolean Dynamite and after a freethrow in JHS. Elder Bird and I got a kick out of that after the lesson....

We had a lunch with the Tidei Family this week and they are such good examples. Also we ate with the old Stake President and I love talking to him and observing him.  

A story that is not so funny and still hurts happened last night. We were contacting a man close to dark on a bridge and as we were talking a car passed by and then jumped the curb and hit the fence of the bridge. We were the only ones there so we ran over and everyone was ok. It was three drunk men. They tried to start the car again and back out, (the front part of the car was totally destroyed) we told them to get out and then when some other people showed up we moved the car out of the way, to be able to lift up the car, I put my scriptures down on the side walk. Lots of people passed by as we were moving the car and after we talked to several people, we went back to the bridge and my scriptures are no where to be found. So scripture set number two. Check. Gone.  I was a little bummed, but  then we went to house of the man we contacted when they wrecked and we were able to find and teach there... so that was good. I guess I just need to learn that it is more important that I apply the scriptures and not if they are all marked up like I like them or not. Haha, I got a good laugh out of it. If no one ever accepted the gospel through the last pair of scriptures, maybe this one will have a better chance. :)

We have been going to our ward mission leaders gym and so that has been good. The exercise has been great!

I have really enjoyed my studies this week. Some of the scripture that I would like to share.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Marcos 10:17-23

Mosiah 5:8

Luke 17:10- 

Abraham 1:4-

10 Axims to to govern your life, Feb Ensign 2007. Elder Hales

Dad-thanks for your wonderful analogy. I needed that. 

Mom, Mikesell, Brennen, Alex, Harrison, McCall-

Have a great last school week and I hope that your finals go well. I love you all..

I know that through Christ we can make our life visions clearer and purify our hearts....

All my love to each of you and have a great week....Elder Austin

May 20, 2013

Hello there family, 

Thank you all for you letters. It sure was great to hear from you and I am glad that you all had a good time up at Redfish. I am sure that is very pretty up there. 

It has been a great week here in Argentina. It was a normal work week without conferences. We had some great lessons with the Family Vasquez and they are all doing very well. Gabriela, who hadn't came to church yet, came to church yesteday and she enjoyed it. It was a good meeting for them. Moises and Ruth have told that that for sure they will be baptized the 1st of June, so we are excited for that. We are working with the doubts of David and Edith and they are making a good progress. We had a lesson with them with some great members in our Ward and also with President and Hermana Parreño. Thank you for your prayers in their behalf. They are very sincere and I know that they will come around. It has gotten considerable colder this week. We found a great part member family also. Well, he found us, he went to the church in his car looking for us and we were not in the church. He left and just as he turned we were returning to the church. He stopped us, it was dark and told us he wanted to talk to us. He is a good man and is going through some hard times in his life. They didnt' make it to church, but we will keep seeing what we can do to help them. We had a great meeting with President Parreño. Elder Zabellos talked about the importance of learning to speak in english in our weekly meeting.  We had the first hour in English. That was really strange. I admire President so much. He is so wise. Elder Bird is such a stud. He all service and never thinks about himself. He is the perfect example of  Mosiah 3:19. I am so grateful to be with him these weeks. 

Dad- Glad to here Dustin got up there okay! He will really enjoy it up there. Tell him that Hermano LLanos from his last area will be getting baptized within the next couple of weeks. That will make him really happy. I am glad that you are in the swing of things at the lodge. It sounds like a very fun but busy and memorable time for you. I l ove you Dad and thanks for thoughts and letter!  Have a great week.Good luck with the race this weekend!

Mom- Thank  you for your email. I am really glad that you got my letter. It is the least that I can do... I hope that you can enjoy the last few weeks of spring madness. I don't know how you do all that you do. I love you and thank you again for your email.

Mikesell- Thanks for your email. I am glad that you are enjoying the Redfish life. Sounds like you enjoyed going to state and seeing Grandma and Grandpa Clegg and Uncle Alan, Aunt Julie,  and the cousins. That is great. I love you Mikes - Have a great day.

Brennen- Glad to hear that you are doing well buddy. Thanks for your email.  Love you brother. Have a great week! Keep up the physical therapy!

Alex- I hope that you have a great week buddy. Tell the Coach Messick and Coach Sharp and Coach Clark hello for me. Enjoy it and play hard. You can learn a lot of really important life lesson out there on the court. There is nothing you can not acheive if you really have the desire and put forth the effort.

Harrison- Hey buddy!!  Are you excited for birthday number 10?  What are you doing to be doing? I love you Harrison!!! Have a great week.

McCall- How are you sweetie! I hope that you have had a great week. I sure miss you. Keep being a good helper for Mom!

Well I sure love you all.. Sound like the surgeries in the family went well. I am so grateful.  I will be continuing to pray for you all and have a great week! 

Ether 4 :11-12

2 Corinthians 10:5

Sad to here about Sister Monson. What a great lady.   Keep praying for President Monson. 

I love you all have a great week! 

Elder Austin

May 13, 2013

First off...thank you Lyly Valdes for your dearelder!  That is very kind of you to take the time to write and I am glad that Elder Watts has been able to read a little about the best mission in the world!!:). He will enter the MTC the day I finish my mission, so I will miss him, but tell him that he should be very excited and do all that he can to prepare himself spiritually. Thank you again for writing...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!

I hope that you are having an excellent day and that you have been able to feel just a little of how important you are for so many. It sure was great to talk to you yesterday for Mothers Day!!  I love you Mom so much. You should get my letter soon. I hope today. That would be a miracle!;)

It was excellent to talk to you all yesterday. It is strange to me to imagine seeing you so soon. It seems unreal a little bit. But like I said I am at peace and happy.

Like I said yesterday on the phone... it was a excellent week!! The conferences with Elder Zabello went really well and it feels good to be done with that. I laugh sometimes because I feel like my whole life before the mission was to prepare me for the mission. Things like getting last minute asked to be on the speech team, learning how to drive a stick the last month of high school, microsoft excel classes, ( use excel a lot with the stats of the mission), and little things like that. 

So I will write the experience that I had with Elder Zabellos...

It was great to be able to serve Elder and Sister Zabellos. The zone leaders helped  a great deal with the organization,and that helps a great deal. We drove back from Mar Del Plata and Elder and Sister Zabellos followed us and that was neat.  Elder Bird took the first shift and I took the second. I was shocked at how much Elder Zabellos drove. He drove all the way from Buenos Aires to Mar Del Plata -which has to be like 5 hours and then 5 more hours to Bahia Blanca. We got to Bahia Blanca at 8:30 and we dropped off President and Hermana and Elder and Sister Zabellos for a mulitstake meeting. Then on Friday after the conference as we sere serving lunch, President leaned over and said to me, "Elder Clegg, Elder Zabellos would like to have a interview with you." So Elder Zabellos and I went into Presidents Office. Like I said yesterday, he was really kind and spoke highly of the mission and what he saw. He told me some stories and asked me some questions about the conferences. Then he asked me if I had any questions for him and I asked him what had brought him the most success in his career, schooling, and in his church service. He opened my eyes and was so kind. As we were walking back to the conference he looked at me and told me how good life is when we live the gospel. It reminded me of a interview that I had when I became an Elder. President Buhler (from Salmon) told me that "I couldn't even imagine how good life would be if I just lived the Gospel". That is so true. It was a experience that I will treasure for my whole life. I am so grateful for President and Sister Parreño. The whole experience was something I will never forget in my lifetime.

Saturday was a great day. The Vasquez family came to the baptism in the ward, it was actually their neighbor who got baptized and is an investigator of the sisters in the ward. Nestor Baptized him and he did a great job.  He is a good man and I love to see how the Gospel is changing him. 

I can´t believe how quickly the week went by. Thank you for your prayers for the Vasquez Family. They are so special and we need all the help we can get to help them. 

The pictures are of the conference in Mar Del Plata (100 people),  and in Bahia (106), Elder Gravelle, Elder Mikesell, and Elder Bird, President and Hermana and Elder Zabellos and Sister Zabellos, and of Nestor at his baptism.

I love you all. I hope that the very busy week goes well and that you have spiritual experiences. I hope that the surgeries of Papa, and Aunt Robin go well, and that Grandma Daw can get feeling better soon. All such important people in my life. I sure love you all.

I know that the Gospel changes lives, because it helps us to change our attitude and effort. I am grateful for a knowledge of the plan of happiness that helps us grow and see life with a great vision.

I love you all. Keep on keeping on. Have a great week!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!  I know you will have a great one.

Love,

Your son, brother and friend,

Elder Austin

May 6, 2013

Hello Dearest Family,

Thank you so much for the excellent emails. It is sure great to hear from you all.

Brennen- I am sure proud of your accomplishment in earning your Eagle. That will bless you greatly!! Thank you for being a example of living what you learn. You are the man!

It has been a excellent week. I have learned a lot and although it was very busy with the preparation for transfers and the conference with Elder Zabellos... it was a great week. Elder Bird and I had the goal to teach at least one lesson with member everyday.  It really worked miracles in our area. Teaching with members is so powerful!! Last Saturday we found a great family.  Their nephews live in Chille and are converts and were recently sealed in the temple. They are talking with them through facebook and that is a big help. But we taught them every day with members and it worked out so great. They are understanding the Book of Mormon well. They know a lot about God and have some great questions. The Family consists of the parents who (David y Edith) who have 84 and 80 years. They are the funniest couple. Every time David finishes reading in the Book of Mormon he shouts out to his wife "Mama- 18" and points at her. He was a very active member of the Baptist faith but because of some bad experiences he stopped going. They have  two daughters who live with them, Garciela, who has 48 years and has a great son named Mosies, he is 30 and single. Then there is Ruth and her husband and there daughter Veroncia. David, Edith, Mosies, and Ruth all came to church. The others had to work. They enjoyed it and it was a great experience. Also Erwin and Ceclia came to church... we have been working with them for about three weeks and they finally came. The two families showed up at the exact time in their own cars.  The family Martinez and other members were really great in helping them feel good in the church. It was a great experience. There always is a special spirit when there are investigators in the church and it was great. Martha got up and bore her testimony. She is incredible. Her knowledge is deepening and she is really loved and taken up by the members. Nestor and Raul are also doing well and sticking strong. Bishop teasingly asked for my membership records, and another Brother offered a room to rent out if I just wanted to move to the ward. I love the ward and am really grateful for them. Heavenly Father really answered my prayers this week. 

All the Elders and one Sister are here in the office. It is another great group of missionaries heading home with transfers and I am so grateful for them. I was trying to remember how many of the family nights with finishing missionaries I have been to and I think this is my 6th or 7th. 

 

 This week on Thursday we are in Mar Del Plata for the conference. We have a lot of set up to do. And then we get back Thursday night to prepare for the conference in Bahia Blanca. We are trying to assign out the work so that it goes a little bit more smoothly.  Your prayers so that everything goes smoothly and that it is well organized ...are greatly appreciated!!! Also this week was President Parreño´s Birthday, we had Asado with them and that was a neat experience.

Dad-  I am glad that you are up at The Fish. I hope that all the set up goes well. Thanks for your email. Have a great week.

Mom- I sent your birthday letter last Monday. It should get there on time. Next week is Mothers Day..I will be calling in the afternoon after church, is that ok?  Is there any conflicts with that? I sure love you Mom. Have a great week. Thank you for all that you do!!

Mikesell- I loved your letter. Thank you for being a great example of attitude and effort. It sounds like it will be a great week for you with Dad. I loved being up there in the spring time. It is a sacred place. I sure love you Mikesell. Have a great week. Keep strong.

Brennen- Such great pictures of the court of honor!! That is awesome. Tell Jacob congrats also. How do you feel? How is the rehab going?  How are your classes going? Are you excited for finals?  Keep growing brother. I sure love you.

Alex- How goes the battle buddy?  How are your classes? What have been your spring activities. Have a great week buddy. I love you!

Harrison- Souds like you are living it up and are also busy with all your activites. Thank you for your prayers Harrison. You the man Harrison. Have a great week. I love you.

McCall- How is the sunshine on that freckled face of yours? I hope that you can finish schools with all 100's. I love you Cally.

I love the Gospel so much.  My greatest desire is to feel the sprit and just work and change peoples lives. I am excited. Thank you for your prayers. I hope that you have a great week. All my love.

Eter 12:4

"Stick to your task till it sticks to you, beginners are many but enders are few,

Honor, power, love, and praise will always come to the one who stays."

Love,

Elder Austin