"I'm Feelin 22" // Merry Christmas in July !!!

Hey everyone :)

This week has been a busy one. It is only appropriate that I gave this email that title because when else can I say that. It's been a good birthday week :) Huge thanks to my family and friends for making my birthday special even while im out here in Idaho.  For our last P-day sister Olson and I got some members in the ward to donate bouncy houses for p-day and we had an Olympic games day it was super fun and i think all the missionaries really enjoyed it. That night we had exchanges with the "Kuna Trio" which was fun. I was in Kuna with Sisters Latu and Beauchamp and we had fun with all the cornfields and cows in Kuna. It was a very much needed exchange for one of the sisters who is far from home. We were just grateful to be able to step in and help the sisters in their area. We were able to find a potential investigator who said he would like to learn more and get into some less active homes which they needed some more work in their area. This week i really focused on being a bolder, better missionary at ever door we went too.

 Sister Olson and I worked on having a thought prepared for them as we approached and we had some good conversations with people. Our district leader  committed us to talk to 10 extra people everyday. It helps that Pokemon Go came out because we can actually talk to people on the streets now. We had a lesson with a potential investigator that I have personally been praying about and for for weeks now and the moment came we brought a member and he brought his friend. His friend did all the talking and the purpose of us meeting was so lost. We went twenty different directions and I asked the gentleman what is your purpose if you want to know the book of Mormon is true what are you going to do when you find out? There is so much that flew through my mind in the moments. It wasn't the most positive experience but i learned many things from it this week. I reflected on Oliver Cowderys experience when he wanted to translate the plates the lord says in Section 9 "you supposed i would give it to you.. and you thought not to ask me and i will answer" sometimes we expect heavenly father to just give us answers and the fact that we asked the question should bee enough. But Heavenly Father asks us to search and ponder we need to work for the answers we get but when we truly search we learn and then receive that confirmation of the principles truthfulness and that journey is what builds our testimony. 

 Saturday morning we went to have a tracking blitz and were supposed to meet in the high council room and as i walked it I heard "Surprise!!" It's super hard to surprise me but, well I'm nosy and i make it my job to know. But Sister Zittinig and Robinson pulled it off and we had a early birthday celebration with the zone ice cream was the cake with 22 candles :) It was great. Balloons, streamers, party hats it was super sweet of my sista to pull it together for me! Tons of randoms surprises this week from family and friends it was awesome. Sunday was great it was filled with tons of happy birthdays from the primary kids who sang to me twice, more ice cream and cupcakes than you can imagine from ward members and tons of sweet birthdays wishes. I serve in such wonderful wards and am super grateful to have celebrated my birthday in the mission field. We ended our day with ice cream sundaes with the members we live with and their kids and a awesome voicemail President and Sister Sorenson left on our phone wishing me a Happy Birthday. It was a jammed packed week but we made it work! Thank everyone SOO much for thinking of me on my birthday I really appreciate you remembering one of your favorite missionaries :) Hope everyone had a great week :)

Merry Christmas in July :)

xo Sister Cleveland    

The CTR 6 Squad

Hey everyone :)

Hope you all had a great week. We've been trying to get a lot of the referrals we had from our tracking blitz this week and tried to teach Aleena about our purpose as messengers of the truth. The only problem was that she was very intoxicated :( She opened up to us about alcohol addiction and how she was suppose to be entering rehab that weekend. She and her husband George have and could hear them of course i didn't tell her that the next day. We ended up finishing the "lesson" by giving her a book of Mormon to read while she was in rehab. It was quite an interesting experience to say the least. You have those prayers you offer that you will be led to the people who the lord has prepared and you find them and often time they are broken down and you see how much the gospel can help them if they will just turn their  will over to heavenly father and trust him. It's easier said then done but i have seen the beginning and ending of this investigators and the ending is far more beautiful then they could have imagined. We asked Aleena why she thought we were there she answered "God sent you". That is the truth the Lord loves his children everyday in the mission field yet alone in our own lives there is  evidence that the Lord loves his children. Often times our prayers but also the prayers of our family and friends are answered by a simple invitation to come unto the Good Shepard. Aleena and George came to church on Sunday ( no rehab yet) and everyone in church is soo good with welcoming them. This week we taught Kahbrea who is super sweet and we were able to set a baptism date for her for next transfer. This week we also went to Sister Gilman and Sister Canary's  Ward pioneer activity. It was super fun and good to do it with all the sisters that serve in our zone . This Sunday we were asked to teach the CTR6 class and in the middle of my speak on how "Choosing the Right brings Happiness" one of the little girls asks "Are you a mother?" I replied "No why..?" she said "You seem like one!"  haha It was super cute :)  but still will be interesting my third trio on the mission.. well hope everyone has a good week and are watching everything Olympic for me!  #Rio2016

All My Love,

xo Sister Cleveland

America' ,Exchanges, Baptisms, Miracles

Hey everyone :)

This week we started off celebrating 'Merica which was super umm less exciting than usually but that's because we are missionaries. haha  Still we had fun with the family we live with painting and watching fireworks from the deck it was a good night. It was actually a little weird since we had curfew and were in by six that night i was slightly bummed we couldn't go out and work but its all good. The next day we had tons of prep for the baptisms this weekend and the adversary was working super hard on one of the families that we are working with. We had changed the baptism place and time so many times and we trying to get approval from the parents to have the baptism. It was a mess and lots of contention was going on those few days. Sister Olson and I prayed and fasted super hard this week and waited upon the Lord. We also had interviews with our mission president this week which went super well he told us his goals for the mission and invited us to be exactly obedient there are always areas we can improve upon and i took that challenge my companion and i have been working on leaving lessons on time, and getting home exactly when we need to be. Preparation for the baptisms this week was a little stressful baptism week is always a little crazy but I'm grateful for that craziest because it means the Lord work continues to move forward. 

We had exchanges this week with my girl Sister Zitting sista since the MTC and (proud member of the trio) we had a grand time and had so much success. It was awesome. It was pretty much having a mission sleepover with one of you best friends. We went tracking on Saturday and we were just laughing down the street trying to make tracking fun quoting movies, and we decided to knock on a door or two kidding we knocked on tons and got rejected plenty of times BUT there ones the one.. (side note: those of you who have seen a Cinderella story remember the scene when its the last quarter and Austin in about to catch the snap and he looks over at the sideline and his dad is saying "This is the one Austin, this is the one!!") We knock and hit it off with Elena right away were laughing and sharing stories. We start talking to her about our purpose and missionaries. She told us that Jehovah Witnesses always come and never leave them alone. She and her husband having been trying different churches and they are really trying to find a church to belong to because times are getting crazy so we invite her to church which is the next day and she says YES! Sister Zitting and I were like What?!? I was defiantly in shock..  You hear about these tracting experiences but never would I think it would happen to us... hah So we are in church yesterday and Sister Olson and I were ask to speak on the power of scripture study. I didn't see Elena before church and figured she wasn't going to come. It was a rainy morning and maybe decided to sleep in. I get up to speak and start "preaching" (kidding.. slightly) and i look over to the left side of the chapel in the back is Elena and her husband.. like MIND- BLOWN! You know people always say us they'll come to church but she actually came and the best part was everyone in the ward came up to her and talked to her and her husband and were super friendly and she said we could come over this week and teach her and her husband. Huge Miracle. 

The baptisms this week we everything. We were only able to attend Swayzee's because Greggors was at the same time. We should have split but didn't.. But Swayzee's The spirit was so strong and the emotion from the family was beautiful. we were able to run over to greggors after and take a picture with him. Such a tender mercy that I'm blessed to be apart of so many lives and meet so many people who have such a desire to "come unto Christ and be perfected in him." Each baptism comes that spiritual confirmation that there is nothing I could be doing right now that would bring me and our heavenly father so much joy. 

This week I've been thinking about this awesome article I read about improving our personal prayers everyone should read it here! I have been thinking about the purpose of real intent and how we ask our investigators to pray with real intent.. as i have been studying this throughout the week we when petition our heavenly father for spiritual gift s or assistance the question came to my mind "What will you do when you get it?" I have been trying to be better as I have been praying to take the time to think before I say my personal prayers and to really prepare to speak with my heavenly father. I have seen the difference and i would invite you all to do the same.  Lie it says in Alma 37:37 "Counsel with the lord." It will make a huge difference in your week.

Have a great week everyone. 

Lots of love from Idaho,

xo Sister Cleveland

Happy Fourth of July

Helloooo everyone!

Another wonderful week in the mission field. This week we got a new mission president and had an awesome meeting with him. President Sorenson & Sister Sorenson already love this missionaries its awesome and it was super good to talk to them.

This week was a little all over the place which kept us busy. We continue to work with Swayzee and Greggor and they are going to get baptized this week. We are super excited for them. Things are coming together nicely and I know there families are super proud of them. Its been dreadfully hot this week at one point it was 111 degrees i'm defiantly working on staying hydrated during the week i have to say i miss the humidity for sure.

 This week we've been doing some contacting with past referrals and ran into a man named Sampson and had such a great gospel discussion with him. I couldn't stopped thinking about the conversation we had. He said that he's studied at a bible college and researched about the Mormon faith and kind of felt bad that we didn't know our own religion it was funny. But  it made me think where is our source for truth and light? do we rely on the words of google and search engines? Or do we follow the example of Joseph Smith who had a sincere desire and went to the source of truth and light - Our heavenly father. I've been thinking as I have been able to teach people on the mission each lesson we have is to prepare myself bring the spirit into the lesson.. because there is no denying the spirit. If they are going to push it away they are going to reject it having felt the influence of the spirit and hearing his truth. But many people don't ask for themselves and that's the key.. you can listen to anyone who is writing articles or creating podcasts, even missionaries, but if you truly desire to know if you want to know the truth for yourself you must ask the right source. You will hear or see many examples of members of the church but you can truly know the truth of what you hear through real intended to act upon the answer you receive. So if you really want to know and are willing to act upon your answer i'd invite you to ask for yourself.. I promise you will receive an answer. 

This week we went on exchanges with my old companionship. They are awesome and it was super good to exchange with them to learn from each other and grow. I was with Sister Chevalier and it was great to be with her again and in my old area. I love being able to serve the sisters.

Lots of random pics. Hope you all have a great holiday.

Much Love, 

Sister Cleveland

1. Sister Zitting and Elder Skipper MTC dayzz 

2. Exchanges with Sister Chevalier

3. I mowed that lawn.. not perfect but grass is shorter :)

4.Fourth of July packages from wonderful people who i love!!

5. Hot Days in Nampa

6. Sister Olson and I

7. Sunday Patriotic outfit I had a red bow in my hair to top it off :) 

8.Fourth of July packages from wonderful people who i love!! (again)

9. Trio Love <3

You Can Be the Difference

This week has truly been a tremendous blessings. We picked two new investigators last week and have been teaching them so much this week. One investigator we have aught everyday. This week we are getting a new mission president and on Tuesday we had a leadership training meeting and it was the last time we were able to see President and Sister Cannon. I'm so grateful for the love they have showed me and the patience as we as missionaries have stumbled and have struggled. They have been wonderful mission parents. They love all the missionaries so purely and have been a tremendous example to me. They have helped mold the mission that i desire to serve truly teaching us the importance of getting the gospel in side of us! and serving to be righteous children of god.

We have been teaching Greggor and Swayzee this week. They have baptismal dates for next week and we are soooo excited. Greggor is ten and has a heart of gold. His parents are not active in the church right now and they sadly are not together anymore. Greggor's grandparents are in our ward and he is staying with them for a four weeks. We had a month to teach him and prepare him for baptism. We found out this week that Greggor's parents weren't very excited for him to be baptized and we started to worry. Sister Olson and I decided we were going to fast on behalf of their families. And I had such an interesting experience fasting yesterday.. We were in church and we've been working so hard this week just trying to fit everything in the hours we have and by the time i go to bed I'm exhausted. And we woke up and i'm just tired but I was going to fast for Greggor and I'm sitting in church my eyes are drooping from not having much energy and that little boy walks by us to leave the chapel and smiles and waves at us. And I immediately thought this is who you are doing this for.. and the scripture Matthew 10:39 and I thought how important it is to lose yourself in the work and to the lord. I know that I losing who  who I think I am and desiring everyday to find the lords children and help them to feel of the saviors love to them. Me being tired and fasting isn't a big deal but in that moment when Greggor walked by me I knew that this mission was the lords and that everyday if i'm willing and I want to and am obedient I can be his hands. I can lose myself and do everything I can for the people in Nampa Idaho. We had a lesson with greggor last night and his grandparents told us that his parents were not too happy he was getting baptized and we taught about fasting and fast offerings that night. His grandparents suggested that for greggors first fast we fast for his parents hearts to be softened. Greggor agreed even though he told us giving up food is hard for him.  So next week we will fast for Greggor's parents. This morning we got a call from his grandma saying that they would like the baptism to be a different day, and Greggor's father and mother are supportive.  Tender Mercy. Miracle #2 this week.

Miracle #1 We were fasting yesterday and had a lesson with one of our investigators Kahbrea and the missionaries said her mom never lets people in the house. And our last appointment she cancelled. We've gone to visit at ton one time 12 times in one day NO LIE! One day she saw us walking up to her door and we turned and her white van was backing up in the middle of the street and left the neighborhood. Its been super hard.WE set an appt for after church and we came to the door and SHE LET US IN and we taught Kahbrea and her mom. We asked Kahbrea if she wanted to be baptized.. she looked at her mom and back at us and said YES! later that day we were trying to visit a less active and no luck. Sister Olson had a prompting to visit a woman in our ward who we had tried and tried so many times and she never answers the door. We rang the doorbell.. no answer. We knocked and nothing.  I was turning around and the door opened. She let us in and we talked and then she just broke down and talked about how hard of a time she's been having and how grateful she is that we stopped by.. she knew immediately that she needed a blessing. Tears in all of our eyes and I shared this thought with her from Hebrew 10:35 &39. We can not lose our confidence in the lord, walk by faith trust the promises of the savior believe him  DO NOT "Draw Back" our heavenly father will not forsake us. He is mindful of each of us and our personal heartaches, desires, and triumphs. I know this with everything in my soul! Everyday this week as we prepared for bed and pleaded with the lord for help from heaven we were blessed to see these miracles and so much more. Going to bed knowing that you did all you could for the savior that day is one of the best feelings!

Have a great week everyone :)

Sister Cleveland

Temple Blessings

Helloooooo from Nampa!

Happy Bleated Father's Day to all the Fathers our there who follow the example of the perfect example our Heavenly Father! Your love and divine calling has greater affect the you may see or believe.

So this week was awesome. 

Highlight was the temple trip on Thursday! It was amazing. So I'll just skip to that. To say that I believe that we are halfway already is crazy. So we celebrated with the temple the car rides, the photos, session, and the people were truly AMAZING. It was so special to go with president and sister cannon on there last temple trip taking missionaries as Mission President. I was so blessed to go with so many missionaries that I love and enjoy serving with as well as president and sister cannon and see so many people that I have served in my previous areas.The temple is always an amazing experience but to enhance it this time was the opportunity to take a family name to the temple my testimony of the eternal promises and importance of the family continues to be strengthen as I serve and especially in that beautiful opportunity to help my family who have passed through the veil.

This week we've had meetings upon meetings its been a little exhausting. But the area is good we picked up two new investigators this week and have tons of lessons scheduled for this week. We actually went to a house 12 times to track down an investigator it was crazy but we got an appt set up for this week so it should be good. Where we live is surrounded by fields we can roll down our window on the way home and smell the mint its awesome. We kinda live in the middle of no where though, and we can see everything. There is a huge lake we can see and everyone boating on i may be a little jealous because i miss my vitamin sea that im use too. We've been bless this week to visit and meet lots of people and for them to be interested in the church, a great source for us has been the Nashville Tribute Band concert that lots of people want to attend. Well its been a busy week, up to the same thing serving the lord. Best thing. Hope everyone is doing good.

On a super un-spiritual note- I showed up in church yesterday and some of the men though it was a sign that Cleveland was going to pull through and win last night.. and apparently it worked. guess ill be their favorite sister for now :)

Lots of Love, xoxo

Sister Cleveland

What Didn't Happen This Week?!

Two Baptisms, A Wedding, Transfers, Bucking Hay, Nerf Gun War, Cherry Picking you name it we probably did it.. :)

Safe to say it was an AMAZING week.. so let me back up!

** Warning- There will be pictures all over this email because I'm sure some of you just want to see the pics! 

Okay so Monday it was our last P-Day together as a Zone :( and  we decided to have a Nerf war was it EPIC indeed it was! We have some awesome members who gave us some Nerf guns to borrow and we went to town district vs. district. Perfect last P-Day. This week we knew we were going to be soo busy. And we were super grateful to be apart of the lives of the people here in Nampa. 

This week was sooo HOT! Wednesday our investigator Dan was getting married. They asked us to come set up so we did. Except it sort of turned into us setting up however we thought it should look so we kind of had free reign.. call us wedding planners! It turned our super cute though. It was 102 that day as we were setting up.. that was my first with the hundreds in dry heat whew! The wedding was beautiful and it was awesome to see their family and friends there to support and love them. The next day was Dan's baptism and what a long awaited day for his family. Her bore such a beautiful testimony on how he supported his wife in going back to church and was just going to support and then it became about his growth and desire to learn. Dan has been waiting for that moment for so long and it was so wonderful to feel his spirit and see the joy on his face surely as well in his heart. Such a blessing to work with him and to see how the gospel blesses families.Dan had 8 sister missionaries teach him over a span of a year. All of us were there. And a huge ward family was as well! I know that the gospel will continue to be an anchor in there marriage and family.

We finished teaching Francisca the lessons this week and it was a huge blessing to work with her. She was a referral from the ward. Some young women's girls reached out to her two years ago at school and over two years with the fellowship of the ward Francisca was able to get baptized this week. She truly is amazing.. something funny she said in our last lesson. We were teaching about the the ten commandments and we talked about good language and not taking the lords name in vain in speaking and action. And she said "I'm gonna tell my sister, she can take all the curse words and make a sentence" i had to write it down! Francisca is late for everything really its so bad.. hah Soo we were ready for her baptism and she needed to be there at 5 because the baptism was at 6.. So we set things up and were waiting and waiting and then ward members starting arriving and no Francisca. We called and she didn't pick up the phone it was the most stressful experience ever.. 5:30 came and went.. and we were all waiting pacing up and down the halls of the church.. finally she called us and told us she was waiting for her parents who are not members to come to her baptism but because friends were over the opted not to come.. the sadness in her voice was evident and I knew how hard it was going to be as she said so.. "I'm coming alone" We waited for her to get there and with puffy eyes she got dressed and some sisters from the ward came in to help her and reassure her of their love. We sat with her through her baptism.. no parents or family but the amazing ward family there to support her. Such a powerful baptisms the tears with flowing and the spirit was so strong. That amazing ward has cared for and hosted lessons, invited and invited and loved her. The power of reaching out with love was evident at that baptism. How important is heavenly father children to him? there are too many reasons to count. Every time I sit and watch those who I have been blessed to teach enter the water of baptism.. every time the power of the spirit is so strong as it whispers "its means everything to me". How grateful I am for the example Francisca is of following what she knows in her heart to be true and being converted enough to act on it. Even when her decision was not supported by her family. Do we truly understand the power of Nephi's words in 1 Nephi 3:7? With all the surety and strength of my soul I truly do. 

The previous week I finished our mission president challenge to read the Book of Mormon. I saw this quote this week that testified of why we offer the book of Mormon to friends and family, why we invite those we love to find out more about the things we believe and know to be true "Our desire to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with you is a reflection of how important these truths are to us. Some of you may respond, “But I already believe in Jesus and follow His teachings,” or “I am not sure if God really exists.” Our invitations to you are not an attempt to diminish your religious tradition or life experience. Bring all that you know is true, good, and praiseworthy and test our message. Just as Jesus beckoned two of His disciples to “come and see” (John 1:39), so we urge you to come and see if the restored gospel of Jesus Christ enlarges and enriches that which you already believe to be true." - Elder David A Bednar   We also did service as a zone this week on a ranch and I got to experience some things I haven't before.. such as bucking hay and brushing horses it was pretty fun. The cherry trees are growing like crazy here so we have gone picking three times already. I love mostly anything free..so it was perfect. This week we had transfer calls and I have been transferred to Nampa West. Super sad :( I'm going to miss trio life and my awesome companions. We loved serving together. This week is my halfway mark and we are heading to the temple on Thursday i'm super excited!

Hope everyone has a great week

Much love,

Sister Cleveland