Mexico City#6 Testimony

From: Clayton England <clayton.england@myldsmail.net>
Date: October 14, 2013 at 4:58:39 PM MDT
To: Todd England <Todd.England@crengland.com>
Subject: Re: Hi from home

¡Hola Papá!

  

This week has just flown by!  When you're really working time is super wierd!

I was really happy to see those pictures  it was really nice to see you guys!!!  Mom sent me a picture of cody with his gnarly moustache.  haha!  That thing is super gross!  He really looks like a nazi of some sort...It's good to hear that chelsey's baby is doing well, that really calms me down.   I've been praying for connor to find a girl so maybe this is the one.   I also super glad that chase and amanda and the boys are doing well!  I know cassidy LOVES to travel so she is loving that.  Who's the girl she's with in the picture on the left?  Tell cassidy to tell her to wait for me?!    I'm not surprised at all about Alex and his talk, honestly he's a people person.   I've always looked up to him.  

Also its nice to hear that the Utes are doing good!  I don't know if i told you, but when they played BYU, we could hear the game from the corner of the MTC.  It was so awesome to hear the Utah fight song and know that we were winning!!!   One of my branch presidency members is a huge BYU fan so it was nice to rub the game in his face.  (he's cool, so no worries)  

 

I'm sorry to hear about cole and his seizures.  I think about him a lot, and how having him as a brother has helped me so much in life.  I know i could have been a better brother to him, i regret that, but I really admire him, he's a really strong guy.

  This Friday and Saturday was really hard with remembering Max's passing.  It doesn't feel like it was a year ago.  It feels like yesterday.  I completely agree with Courtney and Gordon not wanting to go to church.  I know i couldn't do it.  I'm pretty sure that Max is with me a lot of the time here.  I can never really be positive, but I like to think that all of our family members on the other side of the veil are helping all of us.  I ask Heavenly Father a lot for help from Grandma Stander and Grandma England, and Max, Uncle Rodney, and cousin Riley England.  Thinking about it right now, I really believe that they are helping me everyday.  I am really praying for Courtney, Gordon and Jax right now.  They really are so strong, and like Grandpa said,  "We don't know why things happen but they happen for a reason.  It's all part of one master plan."  That to me, sometimes makes no sense.  but I know heavenly father knows us and he knows what we need.  

Well this week was a lot better.  me and my compandion are becoming good friends, and spanish is coming... slowly, but coming....Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial, bajo le direccion jesucristo creó la tierra para nosotros.  Somos aquí a aprender y crecer.  Dios quiere nos enseñe por medio de experiencias y truebas.  yo sé que este vida es duro pero yo sé que con padre celestial y el poder de la expiación que podemos hacer todas cosas.  

 I'm not really sure that was right, but chase and rhett will hopefully be able to read it.  ok something funny.  

Well yesterday in church me and my companion taught sunday school to the new converts and investigators, which we have 6 or 7.  I didn't know we were teaching until that morning and had exactly 0 minutes to prepare.   It was on the principles of the gospel.  When my turn to teach came again, I had nooooo idea what the paragraph said in the book.  I know all the people in the room well enough to say in spanish,  "I really don't know what this says so i'm just gonna read it".   After I read it,  I bore a very simple testimony saying "I don't know what this says but I know that it's true"!  I just looked at them and smiled and then they laughed.  That was really really REALLY humbling!!! 

 Something interesting...ok Well we have an investigator Jose, his girlfriend is a member and he has already read 1 Nephi before we started teaching him. He came with us to church for the first time and it was testimony meeting.  I wanted to share my testimony and introduce myself to my new ward, so I went up.   A few minutes later, Jose came up too.  I waited for him to go first, and he stood and said.  "This is my first time in church, but I know that this church is true.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I want to become a member of this Church."  This is what i understood at least!   Isn't that soooo cool!!!  His baptism is november 10?    Muy chido!

 On a mission you do a lot of soul searching.  I really want to change over these next two years.  I want to change so I can be a better son, brother, father, husband, friend...all these things.  I don't want to come home and still be me.  I want to be Clayton, the Clayton that is alls  ya'll favorite!

 But I really want to be better for others.  Does this make sense?  I really want to become who Heavenly Father wants me to be.  This reminds me of something that I learned in the MTC.   Becoming converted and having a testimony are two completely different things.  Becoming converted is doing all those things that build your testimony until those things become part of who you are.  They become part of your nature and you want to do those things because it's who you are and what God wants of you.  The main goal of this is becoming like Christ.   What Christ is, is completely selfless.  He turns out to others when the natural man would turn in, to himself.  I want to not even worry about my self for the rest of my life.  I want to help others.  I want to help you guys, my family.  Thank you, all of you for helping me prepare for my mission.  I really am so indebted.  This week I read in Alma 45 - Helaman 5.  A scripture that spoke to me is the  one about the strippling warriors and their mothers.  "Mom, Dad you too, thank you so much for raising me like you did.  My Patriarchal Blessing says I should look to you two to know how to raise my family right.  Thank you.

I love you all, and Im praying for you all!!!

-Elder Clayton Rodney England

My address for mail is:

Mision Mexico Este

Av: 510 #90 col. San Juan de Aragon

Delegacion: Gustavo A. Madero

Mexico Df

CP 07950

Para:Elder Clayton Rodney England

Moctezuma Barrio Aeropuerto