Faith Brings Miracles

 How on earth is it pday already. Definitely the fastest week of my life but a crazy week for sure yuhhhh.

Haha i wanna start this email talking about the "curse" as a missionary. YOU ARE ALWAYS HUNGRY! Im not even kidding anything that is considered edible, i just pound. The only good thing about that is that I literally eat anything. Only problem is the food isnt very good for you even though it tastes so good. Especially all the pastry stuff they have oh myyyyyyyy and its so cheap. So basically i was like im not getting fat this early on my mish. So me and elder Jones started a diet haha. Every morning we have 4 eggs and we bought pb and jelly and we have 2 pieces of toast, thats my New dessert. With some fruit and a yogurt. But since Lunch is with members thats our time to pound food. Then for dinner we eat a can of tuna, yes thats right mom i like tuna now, and a banana. Gotta keep that 6 pack somehow but ya im hungry rn just writing this haha. But im also cranking out push ups, trynna do 200 a day and elder Jones said we only get oreos if we get a baptism so theres definitely some motivation!

Im gonna talk about another curse i have. I always have to pee. No like ALWAYS. Its actually kinda ridiculous. I literally will go to the bathroom and walk out and have to go again haha it makes zero sense. I am drinking this stuff called clight and i throw it in my water. Its like flavoring and it claims its not bad for you and it feels like hacking a bit. Makes drinking water so easy. But i swear it gives you the infinite pee glitch. Its a problem. If anyone knows the reason let me know

One thing I dont like is its always cloudy and Windy. Elder Jones being the Idaho boy he is loves it, and on tuesday he convinced me not to wear a jacket, probably the coldest day of my life. And he brought a jacket idk what I was thinking. And every 2 seconds he would look at me and laugh and he would be like "you cold" and i got like 500 goosebumps and im shivering. I told him to worry about the spirit haha. It was funny but i took one of his jackets and im keeping it so Jokes on him.

On thursday we had zone conference with the whole mission and President Ferrizo dropped some absolute bars. He basically said the mission wasnt baptizing enough and he basically said if your not baptizing then you lack faith. Tell me thats not an absolute bar oh myyyy. So after me and Elder Jones were motivated and every morning we plan how many people we want to put on date for baptism for that day. We both wrote a number down and it was 3 so we knew the Lord wanted us to find 3 people. This was nuts because it was already 4:00 in the afternoon so we knew we had to work. We had a ton of appointments with families and we were excited but of course every single one fell through. Then this mom with her Kids walked by and boom we put both her Kids on date for baptism it was nuts. Then it was like 8:30 and we were heading home and I was like dude we need to find one more dude and I looked up and saw some dude walking alone and I was like "that guy" so we walked up to him. Bro was like ya i wanna get baptzied like it was insane. Our god is a god of miracles and if you are not seeing miracles then you lack faith. Bars

When i tell you that exact same experience happened the day after the exact same thing happened. We woke up and both felt we needed to find 2 people to put on date. We wanted to find this mom and her kid all day because she was interested but we could never find her. So it was like 8 oclock and we were heading back and we see this little "Kiosco" open which is basically a snack stand. There like everywhere here. But I saw her and I looked at Elder Jones and I was like yo is that your girl, talking about the mom and kid, and hes like no way lets go. Walked over to them and threw them both on date for baptism. It really is crazy how many miracles can happen when you are faithful and obedient to the Lord.

This week has been a struggle speaking but I am able to understand more and more each day. We have been going over the to this members house alot because the mom has a date to be baptzied and she has 3 little Girls that are baptized there so cute haha. But they have been teaching me spanish every time I go I love it. Being on a mission gives you a whole greater love for Kids and just people in general its awesome. They gave me a Princess and the frog sticker and i put it on the back of my plack so itll always be with me, how cute. Oh ya and I gave a mini talk in sacrament meeting, i introduced myself and shared a little 2 minute thought, dont know if it made sense but i saw a bunch of people smiling so i hope it did haha soy el soy el

Ending with a spiritual thought but the scripture that stuck with me the most this week was Alma 7:12

 "And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

My favorite part "he may know how to succor his people" The lord knows you! Your name, your struggles, he knows how to help you. I testify that Jesus Christ knows you, he is waiting to take your burdens off of you. I invite you to ask for the Lords help this week with something your struggling with. He WILL strengthen you.

I love you all and miss you all, shoot me an email i would love to talk to all of you

1. Food

2. Brekky

3. Member but with food

4. Elder Jones thought i looked cute

5. Zlonked during a prayer

6. Mornings

7. Comp counsel

8. Comp "study"

9. MONOPOLY

Misión de Milagros (miracles)

 HOLA MIS AMIGOS

Woooooohoooo ya boy is in argentina and I could not be more excited oh my gosh. This has definitely been one of the craziest weeks of my life and I got a lot to tell you and I dont know how I'm gonna to fit this all but here we go.

I'll talk about leaving the CCM. I'm not gonna lié it was a lot harder than I thought. Leaving Jackson and Westwood was so sad. I miss them so much and not gonna lié I was crying like a little baby. I left the CCM before most people at like 1 AM and my flight left for Panamá City at 5:30 and then right after I hopped on another flight to Buenos Aires. The flight was eh but when we landed It just so happened thar elder Westwood and Jackson landed at the same time and I saw them and wanted to cry tears of joy. Great experience but let's talk about ARGENTINA!

So turns out my mission president, President Ferrizo, picked us up and it was love at first sight. I actually love that guy and we met some other New missionaries and they took us to some hotel for the night. Next morning we met the AP's and got our papers to live their done and it was awesome. I also saw Elder Springer and they fed us empenadas and holy crap they were bussin. I could get used to this. Then all the trainers pulled up and we met all them but then they do this thing like the nba draft to see who ur trainer is. So after everyone met with President Ferrizo we all gathered in 2 línes and they read ur ñame off like it was a mission call and assigned you to your area. My heart was pounding faster than when I actually got my mission call and I was assigned to labor in the Piñeyro A área with Elder Jones!

Elder Jones, my trainer, i freaking....... LOVE THAT GUY. He is such a stud. We get along so well and one thing this guy knows how to do is work. I got back to the apartment and he's like alright let's go do street contacting which is where you just try to strike up convos with people on the street. We got 3 people to meet with us again in like 30 minutes and my trainer was like bro thats unheard of. All to find out none of them were in our área so we had to pass them on. Cool experience tho. But this guy knows how to teach and listen to the spirit its awesome. So grateful I got this stud, a guy who knows who to work and crack a joke like cmonnnn!

We worked all day Saturday and we were street contacting and then we had Lunch with a member and there was 6 missionaries who are super close so we all go to Lunch together its awesome. But i dont think i realized how much they eat here oh my. Safe to say it was bussin but i didnt finish it and the member was like bruh you dont like it and im like you threw a whole cow at me. Safe to say i gotta expand my stomach. And they really only eat Lunch here so me and my comp have a Tiny breakfast and a big Lunch and thats about it. Also the food here is freaking bussin, yet to have something I didnt like i love it. I could get used to this. Haha funny story yesterday we ate with a member, little did i know this member had the nicest house i had ever seen. All the houses kind of look like a dump but the insides are usually nice. I would compare the inside of his house to Roc's it was nuts. Never judge a book by its cover. 

Yesterday was probably the most special day of my life. I got my first baptism! My comp already had people on date, these 2 Kids who's mom we just got reactive. So we walked them to church, or took the bus with them to church, and after 2nd hour i baptized Alessandro José Cordova Alfaro. It was probably the coolest experience of my life and i will cherish this moment forever. And yes i got the words right soy el soy el soy el. Our mission president is all about finding and dunking (baptizing) familias, so we focus really heavy on teaching familias. But seeing how happy the mom was when she had her Kids baptized was amazing. This is the true church yuh!

If anyone was wondering, now i usually dont understand a lick of whats happening and its kind of annoying but my comp is him and just carries me. But the argentina spanish is basically like talking to Mario haha. Thats probably the best way I could put it its so funny and everytime i say a Word my comp is like dude ur such a gringo (White kid) hes like we dont say that here haha. Its so annoying and im getting used to it, but i got a dummy lit trainer a nutty mindset and the lds pump up theme song so whos gonna stop me. 

Hehe email is ending here but gotta end it with a spiritual thought. Something a lot of people struggle with here is the commandments (Word of wisdom, chasity, etc) We all have our struggles, and some are harder than others. But you know who suffered all of that, Jesus Christ. He knows what you are struggling with, he will help you, guide you. I promise you that whatever you are struggling with, Christ will help you. Turn to him, use the greatest gift he gave us the atonement. I challenge you guys to use the atonement DAILY. One of the greatest blessings of our lives. You will find greater peace and joy. 

I love you all so much. Thank you all so much for your prayers they have been felt. Also I am only allowed to email so if you want to talk to me shoot me and email. Love yall. Mucho amor. 

1. Mi pensión 

2.distrito 1H

3. Elder Jones yuh

4. Argentina sun sets yuh

5. Alessandro y Angel

6. Elder Jackson y Elder Westwood

7. Skyline

8. Post baptism

OOOO BIG BOOOO......

 HOLA MIS AMIGOS

WOOT WOOT, last email in the CCM. One week left is this jon and ya boy could not be more excited. I know what you're all thinking, Elder Clouse your emails are so good in the CCM I can't wait for when you're in the field. Trust me I know. But I have never been more excited so let's just jump right in to probably the LONGEST week of my life.

You know I always got to entertain you guys a little bit, to start, On Sunday's they give you a ton of "Missionary Directed Time" which in other words is do whatever the heck you want. Sunday's are lit. But our house gathered in our living room and decided to play...... BIG BOOTY. If you don't know what that is then I'm sorry. But it was so funny, idk why but the thought of 15 missionaries all yelling big booty and trying to mess each other up just makes me laugh. Also let's just say me, Elder Jackson, and Elder Westwood have been getting a little crazy ever since Hermano Rojas left. Class is SOOOO boring now and we can't help but go a little crazy during class. But those are for real my best friends here, idk how I'm gonna go my whole mission without seeing them fools. 

Something exciting that did happen this week is that ya boy got his flight plans for ARGENTINA. It is official. On Thursday morning at 5 Am I fly out to Panama City and then go from Panama City to Buenos Aires and get there around 10 PM at night. Words cannot express how grateful and excited I am to get out of here and go find some people to bless with my amazing smile haha. 

On Sunday, the best day of the week, have I mentioned that before. My friend sent me some document called The Ricciardi Letter. It is basically some guy telling his experiences with his trainer who in other words is the Michael Jordan of preaching the gospel. For reference, bro had 60 baptisms in 8 months, I know that is not how you measure success but that is just unheard of. All missionaries this is a must read. If you have not read it, shoot me a text and I will send it to you but it truly changed the way I look at missionary work and the way I look at life. And for all future missionaries that is for you too! And Luke, you are not him.

Something exciting that also happened this week is I gave my first priesthood blessing of healing. My boy Elder Springer, my future companion, has been having a cough for quite a bit and he asked me if I could give him a blessing. I don't think he realized how much that meant to me. All I can say is the Power of the Priesthood is real. I am so grateful for that opportunity I had to be worthy and to administer that. I am grateful for Elder Springer. For those of you who don't know him I'll talk more about him when we are comps in like a year so. 

Ima be honest this week was really boring and long. The classes are really boring and I am ready to experience culture shock. Something about sitting in a class for 7 hours everyday really starts to take a toll on you. That being said, this experience has changed my life. I made a goal with myself to read the entire Book of Mormon before I left the ccm. I'm not gonna lie I thought it would be a lot harder haha. Yesterday I finished the Book of Mormon all the way through and I loved it. I have gained such a powerful testimony on that book. I know with a surety in my heart that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It testifies of truthfulness, it has changed my life and I know it can change yours. Read it, study it, ponder about it and you will have direction in your life.

In closing, I wanted to share what I learned this past Sunday in a devotional from Elder Bednar. Some of the apostles better watch out because he is creeping his way to one of my favorites. He talked about the character of Christ and what separates him from us, is that when the natural man turns inwards, Christ turns outwards. He then talked about how true conversion comes when you stop looking at your wants and focus on others needs. THAT is conversion. He shared that "It is not enough to have a testimony, you need to be converted....and when you are converted you will never fall away" At some point in your life, you have to start piggy backing off of others and find out for yourself if it is true. You will not be able to survive spiritually in this world with just a testimony, become converted. How true that is, how true this gospel is. Focusing on others is living like Christ did. Love like Christ, serve like Christ. My invitation is to go and make an effort to serve someone everyday, watch the impact Christ will make in your life.

Sorry if this email wasn't as exciting as my others, but just wait till next Monday. I love you guys, shoot me a message today i would love to talk to you all!