6 Days till Christmas!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012 1:45 PM

Can you believe it? 6 DAYS till Christmas! What a special time this is. The lights, the music, the cold weather (in some places). This is truly the best time of year. We are so lucky at the visitor center to have lots of things going on. My favorite room in the Visitor Center is the Nativity Room with all of the nativities from around the world. The feeling there is so peaceful and you see it have an affect on people as they come in. I find it amazing how there are so many different backgrounds and religions that walk through the center and regardless of whether they want to learn more or not, they go away with a smile on their face and a calmer walk. That to me is a miracle in and of itself.

 

So how goes it family? How is the new puppy?? : ) Lova. I think that's just perfect mom. I also hope Kendra finds an Ecuadorian guy while she's there volunteering....heehee. Hope finals went well and that you are all surviving the stresses of work. And that Camie is feeling better. And the Ryan, is still Ryan.

 

This will be very short as today was a very different Preparation Day. My trainer is leaving back to Cali Jan. 2. So today I was with two other sisters who really like to shop... We had a good time together though so it wasn't as tedious as shopping can be at times. ha. Everything here is well, I'm meeting so many amazing people from south and central America, even quite a few from Nicaragua so that is fun to talk to them about MacGyver and they get really excited.

 

So, I will be calling home @ 3pm Christmas Day, the 25th, (for 40min.)...but there is a time difference so I believe it is about 3 hrs. So ya! I hope that you all can be there so I can hear your voices again. I love you all and I hope that you are all in good health and are happy. I will write more next week, but know that I love you and that there are blessings all around if we will just look for them.

 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Clement

Hello!

Thursday, December 13, 2012 12:30 PM

Hello Everyone!

 

So...the end of the world did not come yesterday (12/12/12). I'm glad that it didn't. ha. But it was fun to watch a couple get married in the Temple that morning. How's Arizona? How are you all? I am sorry that I will not be as prompt as I was before with my letter writing because we have limited time with the Festival of Lights every night at the Temple. It is so amazing to be a part of the festival and to see miracles every night and I just hope that you all know how much I love and appreciate your support and words of encouragement. I will write you back in time, I promise!! :) I saw Marissa's Dad, Step-mom, and their Twins this week! That was so fun and there was definitely an awkward "we cant hug" hug thing that was exchanged there with him. hahaha. I was hoping for one of those experiences this month. And ya, in all, the Missionaries here are getting in the holiday spirit and we keep getting lots of goodies...I realize that this is why people gain weight on the mission. But I do my best to limit it. (Moderation...right Cam?)

 

Things here are picking up and there are a lot of things that the new missionaries have to learn fast, because there will be a lot of new Sister Missionaries coming out here this upcoming year, and I will be training right after I myself am trained. So...that has been a trial, and sometimes I get a little discouraged because it is overwhelming. And sometimes I think that too much is expected of me here. But I do know that there is nothing in this life that we can't do if we let the Lord help us, and more than that, we put all of our trust in him. I think we say that a lot, but do we really understand that? I thought I did. But that is what is amazing, we can learn the same lesson over and over again but take a different meaning out each time.

 

Well, I hope you all aren't buying too many presents...and I look forward to calling you on CHRISTMAS! I love you all!

 

Merry Christmas!

Hermana Clement

 Festival of Lights Photo

 Making comida

We tried cooking popusas but it failed!! haha 

 

Eating out with a member photo

Christian (miembro), Hermana Avelar (my companion), me, Hermana Blasco (from Spain) y Hermana Shoemaker (from Canada) eating fancy Peruvian food.

Festival of Lights!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 10:59 AM

Hello Everyone!

 

It's December! Christmas is everywhere and it's even cold here. How cool. :) I hope you all are not getting the annual flu/cold thing, that can be a killer. I've been stocking up on oranges and vitamins to avoid getting it. So....good luck! haha.

 

Well the Diplomat Night was really cool, we weren't allowed to say much as it is offensive in some countries to address them first, but I got to smile and nod a lot. haha. The best has been all of the nights after with floods of people coming from all over the world to celebrate Christmas. I was able to talk to a guy from Nigeria and I asked if he knew anyone that would want to learn more about the Gospel and he referred his sister in Nigieria....so I get to call Nigeria and talk to her and then send missionaries to her home. It is so amazing to be apart of the technology side of missionary work. I also met two ladies from Russia who spoke English but didn't understand very well and so they kept running away from me in the center. :) So I would come up to them again and again just trying to talk to them and I was able to share the Christ Exhibit (in Russian) and also a short silent movie on Christ. I tell you, the Holy Spirit can touch even the hardest of hearts, they walked out giving me not only their phone number to call them but also loving hugs and a promise that they were coming back to the Lights later. Many people have a perception that the Visitor Center is a place to get tours but there's a difference because the spirit is so strong and our goal is to help people receive revelations about the Gospel and their lives. 

 

Another cool surprise, I saw Elder Fast (Taylor Fast) at the Festival last night! That was so fun to say hi and crazy to think that he doesn't have very much time left on the mission. So he says. "Hi!". 

 

We have had some amazing performances at the Visitor Center, the one that I have love the most is Jenny Oaks Baker (Marissa!!!) and they did all of the old world carols, WITH A BAGPIPE, and guess who her guest singer.......one of the Celtic Women!! (Marissa I thought about you and someday we will go to their concert together). They are also having swing bands coming! (MacGyver!!) I can't dance though because i'm an usher but....I definitely had found flashbacks of dancing with you.

 

I hope you all are getting into the spirit of Christmas, because the spirit of Christmas really is the spirit of Christ. And all he asks is that we keep his commandments, the greatest of the all being, Love thy God and Love one Another. I love you all so much! I appreciate your prayers, and you are all in mine. 

 

Con mucho amor,

 

Hermana Clement 

 

Just wanted to send a picture of your cute missionary. I got to meet her Thanksgiving morning at the visitors center. Her trainer Sister Avelar is a wonderful missionary and a great trainer.  I am on my first mission. I am serving as a Woman's Auxilairy Specialist. this is a new pilot program for the church and I am one of 10 sisters in the world launching this new mission. We are under the Relief Society and work with the sisters in the wards, kind of like full time visiting teachers on steroids.. I am serving with Sister Wege from Louisana and I am from Arizona.. We get to work at the visitors center for the month of December, during the Festival of Lights, so I will get to see your sweet missionary often.. I just love working with the young sisters..

Sister Harper

Second week in D.C.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 1:06 PM

Buenos Tardes!

 

What is happening family? I hear the plays went well and now the regular slow process of cleaning up is going on...I don't miss that part. : )  But I do miss seeing your faces. It's almost December!! Can you believe it? That weather out here in Maryland is pretty cold but I'm loving it. Every morning we leave out apt. and yell how cold it is as we run to the car to get warm...it's not that cold, it's just cold compared to AZ. haha. But ya, my new companion, Sister Avelar (my trainer) is really funny. She's super short and is always in a hurry so she is always either running or speed walking. She is very focused, so it is a good thing, although sometimes she forgets about my training so I'm a little behind, but to be honest I'd rather be outside talking to people than in our apt. filling out worksheets. So, that has been the week, we have already taught a lot of lessons and sometimes I feel like we have too many people we are teaching because it is difficult to keep up with all of them, but it has been a good growing time. 

 

Mom, you asked about the Spanish...well, I felt pretty confident leaving the MTC but when I heard the spanish here it was way different. Most of the Latinos here are from Honduras, El Salvador, and some from Columbia and Peru and they all use different words. I was talking to this lady Carmen and I was asking her what she likes to read and she said something and I just nodded my head and smiled, then she asked if I understood her and I said mas o menos, and she explained it again in simpler words that she was reading about husbands who cheat on their wife....I didn't know how to respond to that because her husband was sitting at the table with us and my companion was playing a game with the kids. That was a little awkward. BUT, all is well, the Festival of Lights starts tonight with the arrival of the Ukrainian Ambassador as the guest of honor. Way cool. I'm on shift tomorrow for diplomat night. Pretty cool as well. They say that this next month will fly like no other because we will be at the Temple Visitor Center every night because of the waves of people to come see the Christmas lights and listen to the concerts.

 

So yes, life is good. I hope it is good back home as well. And I hope that with all of the craziness that Christmas can sometimes bring, we remember Christ and how he was the prince of peace. May we feel peace this time of year and even though we have many things we need to do, may we remember why we are here and who we should put first. I love you family and Friends! So much. Take care and reach out to others.

 

Love, Hermana Clement