Family and Friends!!

 

      I hope everyone is well and loving life right now. I am, that´s for sure. It has definately been a lot more consistant this week.This computer freezes about every 30 seconds and so this may be a rough email...and that worst part is that the timer on the screen doesn´t always freeze with the computer (weird) and so you hear a grunt in unison as all of the computers freeze and the Elders and Sisters lose their precious time. I really don´´t like the pressure of that timer, but I´ll get over it soon. haha

      THANK YOU for all of the letters, Dear Elders, Postcards and Packages. I really feel loved, and my District (group of Elders and Sisters) rolls their eyes when I get a little slip for a package. So thank you. haha. I heard that the white car got fixed, YAY!! It´s finally safe to drive. I had faith in that little thing. It´s so beautiful up here in the Provo valley. Every monrning I see enormous mountains covered in all colors of trees and then when we climb the hill of the temple, we see the beautiful Lake. It´´s truly amazing. EMMA!!! Your birthday is coming up!!! Happy Birthday!! I love you so much! I also love all of my nieces and nephews (Jacob, Camylle, and Claire) I hope you are doing well!! And say Hi to your bears for my bear!!! So I heard about the blog that Kristen and Ryan set up ¨¨lilrinrin.blogspot.com¨¨ very clever you two....haha. Thank you for doing that. Oh and GRANDMA, I have already used our family history stories a ton, so thank you so much for your hardwork in getting that for me. It really means a lot.

      So as for Elder Mann (my boyfriend), he leaves the MTC this upcoming Monday, so that´s exciting but sad. If you already read his email, he talked about the awkwardness of us almost sitting together at a whole mission Devotional. If not, just know that it was really awkward as I was ushered to a seat next to him, and then to have his District Leader give him the ¨¨that´´s not a good idea¨¨ look, then to stand up and look for my companion and end up asking the Elders to shifT down a few seats so we wouldn´t get in trouble. I understand why they were worried, and in the end I was grateful because it would have been more difficult to focus with him right next to me. But I see him everywhere else, so it´s okay. Our conversations are short, but it´´s enough to just smile at him and say ¨¨hola, como esta¨¨. I hope he has a safe trip to Nicaragua.

       This experience, as short as it has been thus far, has been hard but really amazing to say the least. I think that being called as missionary makes some people believe that they have to be perfect in order to serve. That is definately not the case. The thing that I have learned is that ¨¨to lose yourself in the work¨¨ doesn´´t mean to forget who you are, it means to be who you are but focus. I can honestly say that has been a huge relief to me, as I am a bit weird sometimes. But the love here is really awesome. I love working with people and learning about their lives and strivning to be sensitve to the spirit (the feelings and promptings form God) so they can find peace with their lives. When you follow those good promptings it is amazing what can happen. My District has been so blessed with Spanish. It is amazing how much you can feel God help you remember and speak the language. Words I learned once many years ago have come flooding back when I needed to communicate to someone. I can honestly say that I am dumbfounded at how much I have been helped. Also, it is amazing how many people from such diverse backgrounds are here. I met some sisters from Spain, Japan, India, and other awesome places. That´´s the beauty of the GOspel of Jesus Christ. It is for the individual, and it is for the world as a whole. The best words of advice that I have heard thus far about Spanish is, ¨¨If all else fails, and they can´t understand you, you can always smile in Spanish¨¨.   

         Some funny things happened this week, first of all we have been practicing teachin in Spanish and as we have about a week´s worth of experience, it is inevitable that not everything said will make sense. One Elder, Elder Lords, had a tramatic experience in his lesson when he said ¨¨Jesus atoned for our pescados¨¨ he meant to say pecados (which is sin) but he said fish. He came out the room horrified at what had happened. We tried to cheer him up. Also, the sisters in my room are AWESOME! Hermana Stockton is really sarcastic and she tells us really random stories, this week´s was on ¨¨farting on a date¨¨ (really sad true story). So as some of your know I made a clothing catalog for myself so that I don´t get stuck wearing the same outfits over again, well the Hermanas think it´s awesome, but the Elders wont let me live it down and they are requesting to see it daily. So that´s fun. Also, I´´m getting good at volleyball, so you better watch out family when I get back. hahahahahha. I love you all! I widh I had more time to write. Thank you for your love and prayers, I feel them all. If you wrote me, I am working on writing you back so don´t worry!

 

Love

Hermana Clement

Hermana Clement MTC Week 1

Hello Family!!

 

      

 

THANK YOU Jodi for dropping me off!! It was a blast to be with you and your kids! And thank you LESLIE for seeing me at the Temple 5 min before I repoted...haha. Also thank you for all of you, including Marissa my stepsister (but in a good way) for the love that you sent me off with. I was able to ride it the whole week!! I was so excited to get your emails today! And although I do not have time to respond to them all, know that I love you and that I did get them! Iºll write back hand'written letters.

 

        It has already been a week. I definately agree with everyone when they say, days feel like weeks, and weeks feel like days. The first few days were pretty hard and I felt my instincts take over to adapt to the situation...so to speak. Yes Cameron, it is a highly concentrated center of young people who think they know more than they do. But we were humbled the first day when we had workshops and just the transition into the MTC itself. But luckily I got an awesome companion! Sheºs really quirky and so I spent one day just focussing on her and her weirdness. Needless to say, I grew to love her as a sister that day. (Sheªs kinda awkward around boys, so Iºve helped her with that a bit). My District (small group) has 6 Elders and 4 Hermanas, including me. MacGyverºs zone (multiple Districts) is right next to mine and our classes are in the same building and on the same floor...haha. ya. Itºs pretty awesome to say the least! I see him at least 3 times a day and the Elders and Hermanas in his District come up to me all of the time like Iºm a celebrity. Thatºs weird, but it makes me laugh. Oh cool fact! Brother Monson (President Monsonºs Nephew) is in my Branch Presidency (one of my leaders). Him and his wife are really awesome and are not conventional in many ways. His mannerisms are a lot like Thomas S. Monson...at least the way he speaks. Well it was really neat because I was able to talk to him about the Restoration and Prophets and Church History and he was so open and kind to me. He said that he grew up in the house of Thomas S. Monson and that he knows first'hand that he is not perfect. Does that mean heºs not a Prophet, no neccessarily. Does it make it harder to have a testimony, maybe. It all comes done to the fact that our leaders are awesome but still human. It is unfair to hold them to an unreasonable standard that we ourselves cannot attain. So that was neat to hear it from someone who has first hand experience. ALSO, Sheri Dew (CEO of Deseret Book and Author) was our speaker in Relief Society. She was so down to earth and talked about the Priesthood and Women Ordination. She even referenced the blogs that Cameron had told me to read. If you wanna hear more abou that, write me a letter so I can spend more time on it (email time is only 30 on P Day). She brought up a point that I really liked. 

 

       Well Family! I only have 2 minutes left! ahhhh.....All I can say is that I love and pray for you all. I am pushing through the hard times and loving the good times. I have been so blessed and watched over, I know that is true. And if you can send hand written letters or on DEARELDER.COM that would be cool so I have your addresses!!! Love YOU!

 

Hermana Clement

Rumor Has It...

Hello all! Welcome to a community Corrinne blog! If you would like access to post any pictures or letters that you would like to share- hit me up!

As for gossip- word on the street (from my mom, who is super street) is that we will be receiving pics from MacGyver via his mom of Rin's first day in the MTC. Anyway. End lame post attempting to get the ball rolling.... now.