Mexico City #20

Mexico City #20

February 10, 2014

Dear Family

Well another week gone, and I have to say this has been the fastest week ever!!!

Wow, well this week we had changes (transfers).  That was super crazy.  Both me and my companion got changed!  What?   That really threw me off, but my old companion Elder Gomez got SUPER grumpy about it the whole time.   I just wanted to planch him (When I say planch, that means chew him out).  Haha!   What he doesn´t get, is that all the transfers are direct revelation.  If the revelation is from Christ or his servants, it´s the same.  But as I was saying, we went on Tuesday, the day of transfers to visit our investigators, and converts in the ward.  When we visited Sister Victoria (our convert) she started crying so badly.  It about broke my heart!  That was a really special moment to see how much she loved us, and she just kept saying, ¨I´m going to endure to the end.¨ That was really awesome!

Well we went to changes and I got my new companion.  His name is Elder Solis.  He is from Medida, which is a city in Yucatan, another state here in Mexico.  Fun fact: There are 32 states here in Mexico, and one Distrito Federal like Washington DC.   He lives like 2 hours from Cancun.  He´s a really cool guy, really different from my old companion.  For one thing, I can really see that he loves to be a missionary.  He loves to teach, and I can see that we are going to have a lot of success.  One thing, he loves to planch, which is super funny.  The people love him, and that will be a good thing to learn, how to earn the trust of the members.  

Ok well my new area is Chamizal.  It is in the state of Mexico, the state that surrounds the Distrito Federal.  It is super dirty, and smells bad, but I love it!!!  One thing is that everyone calls this area the “Promised land! “  Everyone says this is where all the incredibly prepared people live.  I know why, it´s because everyone lives such humble lives.  

This week, I got to know the area.  There is a river that goes through our area called Rio de los Remedios.  They tell me that at one time this river was clean...that is hard to believe.  There is more garbage than I have ever seen in my life in that river, and the water is straight black.  It smells sooo bad, and at night when we cross the bridge over it, we can here dozens of rats  squeeking around!  eeee!

Well as I said, I got to know the area this week, and this ward really is special.  When we went to church on Sunday, I got the chance to learn so much, because the people here really LOVE the gospel!  It was really cool!  

This week was really good, and I want to share something that has really been coming to my mind lately.  

Well there is a family in our ward that lost a child this week.  The daughter had a miscarriage.  We went to visit them, and talk to them about the Plan of Salvation.  As we taught, I felt impressed to share our experience with Maximo.   As I shared my testimony of the plan of salvation, and the feelings that I have felt, I received a stronger knowledge that families can be together forever.  The spirit testified through me that our Father in Heaven loves us, and that we will see Max again.  This is so amazing.  For me, it makes me want to work so much harder so I can win the prize of living with Jesus Christ, my family, and you all for eternity.  This is all possible because of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.  Wow.  HE IS OUR SAVIOR.  He makes it all possible!  I know it.  As Joseph Smith stated, I , Clayton Rodney England say now,

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!”

I testify that Christ lives, and that Max will live again.  I testify that we will see him in the spirit world.  I testify that we have such a sacred responsibility to be true, and finish the race.  I know these things, and I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love

Elder Clayton Rodney England

Mexico City #19

Mexico City #19

February 3, 2014

My dear family,

This morning we found out that we have changes!  Haha!   The weird thing is that we both have changes!  Crazy right?  That hardly ever happens here!   Before I tell you about it, I´m going share a spiritual moment.

Just a few minutes ago, the sisters from our district passed by to pick up some mail from my companion.  While they were here, a Sister, Sister Durham, from Logan was really emotional.  We started talking, and she expressed some family problems.  I could tell that she was feeling a bit down.  A thought hit me.  I asked her if she would like a priesthood blessing.  She felt she needed one, and we talked to the owner here at the Internet Cafe.  He´s our investigator and gave us permission to use the back patio for the blessing.  So we went back there, us Elders, and the Sisters, and we gave her a blessing.  I served as the voice, and it was such an amazing feeling.  I didn´t have any words in mind.  The Spirit just told me exactly what to say.  He told me what she needed to hear.  That was really powerful.  After the blessing Sister Durham expressed her gratitude for the priesthood, and told us, a little like our moms would say, ¨Don’t you ever forget it.¨  That was a nice reminder of our love from Heavenly Father. 

I hope you appreciated that thought, and now I will continue with the week.  Well this week, Elder Fiestas from my district finished his mission!  He is a really good friend, but because of that, his companion, Elder Phethean was with us in a trio, which was incredibly interesting.  You may remember me mentioning that there was an Elder that acted exactly like Dwight Schrut.  Well this is the Guy.  Haha!  He always has something interesting to say.  By interesting I mean SUPER INTERESTING...But he has a heart of gold, and I know that he´s always going to be a great friend. 

Well this morning like I said we have changes tomorrow, so next week I will let you know.

Ok now I´m going to use a little time to write you all individually, so I hope this was sufficient for a letter...if not...too bad :)

Love Elder Clayton Rodney England

P.S.  I just got the packages of the letters from dad on his mission, and the package from the England Family Christmas party!  That was really special thank you!!!!

Mexico City #18

Mexico #18

Jan. 27, 2014

Ay!  ahorita fuimos al centro!  Eso lugar es tan chido y la historia allí es tan rico.!

éste semana, me di cuenta que el señor ésta tratando enseñarme algo.  Espero que puedo saber rapido!

This week was super interesting.  The adversary was attacking me very much on all fronts, this week with my testimony.  I kept getting hit with questions like ¨What if this all was false?”   It just kept coming back and back, and something that kept my heart at peace was the Book of Mormon.  I can’t deny that Cole was really healed by our faithfulness in reading that sacred book.  I can’t deny the night that  I truly asked Heavenly Father if it was true.  I can remember that night when I knelt in my room, and asked if it was true.  Peace came into my mind that it was true.  I can still see my room and I can still feel the love of our Heavenly Father.  This means that OF COURSE THIS IS THE TRUE CHURCH!!!  Of course we have doubts and temptations!  We are the primary fighters against the adversary, so he is trying so hard on us.  I know that we all, as a family have a testimony of the Book of Mormon.  I want you to know that when we experience doubts and troubles, we just need to turn to that book and trust in it’s precepts.  I testify of this, and I want to invite each and everyone of you to read just one chapter of the Book of Mormon today and ponder ¨What has the lord taught me today in this chapter?¨

I promise that if you do, and if you all write about it, you will recognize that teaching in your life.

Ok, sorry for ¨preaching¨ but I hope I can help you out!  Well this week was fantastic, and my companion and me are doing a lot better now!  We talked things over, and I am seeing him really try to change.  I really love him.  We have changes this week, and I think that we will be changed.  

Well this week, we found an investigator from a reference from the Visitors Center!  Wow!   That place is magical!  We got like two in one day!  But this girl we visited is 16 and her name is Anyansi.  We talked about the Visitors Center.   She shared with us that she felt very good when she was talking about families with the missionaries there.  She told us that 3 years ago she was hit by a car, and it was a miracle that she wasn’t paralyzed.  She talked about the love that her mom showed when she really taught her how to walk again.  This reminded me of Cole when he had to learn to walk again, and really how amazing our family is!  I think that we will be able to see amazing progress with Anayansi!

Well I love you and I am praying for all of you!

Elder Clayton England

Mexico City #17

Mexico City #17

1/20/14

Hijole, éste semana fue interesante!  wow!  tuvimos un bautismo por nuestro contacto y mi compañero y yo hemos peleado mucho.  yo no le entiendo.  el los odie las reglas.  y yo he sentido muy...no sé frustrado con casi todo.

Querido Familia,

Well in that Spanish, I just expressed that we had a baptism this week, and that me and my compañion have fought a bit.  I also talked about how he hates rules, and how I´m feeling frustrated!

But before I get to all that, I will share something that I learned this week;  We had interviews this week with the Presidente.  Presidente Anaya, really is a great man.  He was a 70, a convert, and interestingly enough never served a mission.  But during our interview, he shared with me a scripture in Alma 32 which says,

 38 But if ye ^aneglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

Well this was an allegory to faith as a seed.  When we want to grow our seed of faith into a tree full of the fruit of knowledge, we need to take care of it.  We need to maintain it, that is to nurture it.  We can nurture this seed with various things:

prayer, fasting, study, and good works.  Earlier in the chapter, alma says that if we can only desire to believe, we have enough to grow our tree.  Repeatedly in the scriptures, we see that we will be judged according to our desires, and our actions.  I have been growing my testimony that we can accomplish amazing things with our desires, AND our actions, or in other words our desires, AND how we nourish our seed.  Those two things will improve our lives soooo much.  I know we all have the desires to be better, but do we all have the faith to accomplish our desires?

 43 Then, my brethren, ye shall ^areap the ^brewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth ^cfruit unto you.

In the end of this chapter, we are promised the blessings of our faith.  I testify that our desires and our actions should be very closely related, and as we seek to become closer to the lord, we will grow that tree of true and everlasting knowledge.

Ok sorry, I´ll get off my soap box now, and I´ll share my week.  

Well me and Elder Gomez have had a few problems this week.  That´s the truth.  He really hates obedience, and he absolutely hates someone telling him what to do.  This is a problem when he does something like waste time, and I tell him that we should leave.  He does not listen and just gets angry with me.  We have worked things out for now, but I don´t want to become complacent.  I don´t want to let little things slip because I know he will take all the room he can.  I really to trust him and love him, that´s why I want him to become the best he can be.  

Ok sorry for that venting, but also this week, we had a baptism for Arelio.  He was our contact by a miracle, and he no longer is our investigator because our ward got split into two companionships.  Those other missionaries worked with him, and it was really special to see this old man, who has had 46 children with 16 different women receive that needed ordinances.  His daughter was there, who is a member who lives in Florida.  She gave the closing prayer, which was very, very special.  Soon she began crying as she offered her thanks to her Heavenly Father.  This about broke my heart.  Wow!  

Well that was mas o menos my week, and I did get my packages, and they are fantastic!!!  Thank you so much mom!!!  The kids in the ward love them, and they really do work for contacting!!!

Have a good week, and know I am praying for you!  Elder Clayton Rodney England

Mexico City #16

Mexico #16
1/13/14

This week, I was led in my scripture study to 1 Nephi 17:3.  This Verse says: 

 3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and ^astrengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did ^bprovide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

We, as sons and daughters of God, have many commandments.  The Lord has promised that we will be strengthened to complete every commandment, and this pertains to every single thing we have to do.  If we are commanded, as stated in the word of wisdom, to refrain from smoking, but we are addicted, we can take solace in this verse.  The lord has promised us.  PROMISED US.  Wow, the God of the whole earth has given us a promise that we will be helped as we try to follow all the commandments of God.  This man or woman who is addicted can take courage that something will change.  They will receive strength and their heart will be changed, so that this commandment can be fulfilled.  This is just so amazing to me, that we can receive such a strong promise to be changed from our Heavenly Father!

This week was really long and great and funny and, wow just a lot of things!

Well to start off, we started the week off 
with kind of a difficult thing.   Tuesday, we went to talk to our investigator, Luciano, and well...he was drunk...again.  I had never seen him sober up to that point (about 8 days).  That was really hard on me.  I felt like there was absolutely nothing I could do for this man, and like there was no point in trying.  Wow, that really got me down, but after our lesson, me and my companion decided to fast.  We fasted that day after lunch (because lunch is the big meal here) until Wednesday.  We went and visited him everyday this week and his neighbor said he was just upstairs drunk.  This really broke our hearts!  We felt very unmotivated for most of the week because of this.  We worked the whole week, and Saturday we returned to visit Luciano (like everyday).  This time was different.   He was outside doing his laundry, which he hadn't done in weeks.  We talked to him, and couldn't smell alcohol on his breath.  He was sober!  What a different man.  He could really think and share his beliefs and his dreams with us!  Wow!  It was so amazing!  He then told us he hadn't drunken a thing since Tuesday!  (The day we started our fast!)  His neighbor was mistaken, and he was just in his bed sick, I think from not having alcohol.  Wow, the Lord answers prayers, and when we truly need something, we have fasting as a tool!  

The rest of the week was pretty good, I'm trying to set some personal goals, so if any of you have some suggestions, please let me know!  But overall this week was pretty good!

Oh a funny experience Elder Gomez and I had;

He told me this story Sunday morning...I do not remember any of it.

Saturday night, I was sleeping and my companion was a wake because he has trouble falling asleep.  Suddenly I started screaming!  My companion got super freaked out and this is how the dialouge went:

"Elder England....Elder England....ENGLAND!"

"...uhhhh..."

"Why did you scream?!"

"A fork..."

"What?"

"There is a fork."

"Where, in your bed?  Did you lay on it?"

"No, there in the wall."

(I point at the wall)

(My companion turns around and he's super freaked out.  He looks around but sees nothing.)

I say;

"There in the corner."

"What?"

"Yeah the lights form the word fork."

"What?"

"Elder England, why did you scream?"

"...Because it's important when we learn something new."

This is all the story, and I do not remember anything.  My comp just about died laughing.  The coolest part of this, is that the whole thing was in Spanish.  I feel like I can barely speak Spanish, but Elder Gomez says that I spoke perfectly...sad right?

I hope all of you have a good week!  Love you all!

Love

 Elder Clayton Rodney England

Mexico City #15

Mexico #15

1/06/14

Ok, we had a zone activity today, so I will try to write as quickly as possible, because I have already ran out of time!

First of Happy New Year! Wow!  What a year, I wish we could all think back to what we were doing last year, and see that we've improved!  I know that with the gospel of Jesus Christ, no matter who, we can all change.  I saw the Lord's hand in this work this week.

Ok, so on the first of the New Year, I think the Lord wanted to start my year off with a miracle.  We left the house and we went about doing as we planned.  On the way to the first appointment, which was just to contact someone and make a date for a lesson.  But anyways, we left to go find this contact, and my companion and me started talking about the word “dude”.  I was explaining how we use it in English, and for some reason I felt imressed to keep talking about it.  Weird, I know, but as we walked, we noticed that we had passed where we were going and so we happily turned around to walk a couple blocks.  We reached the contact, and we did nothing for a minute beause we have no credit for the phone, and she doesn’t have a doorbell in the apartment complex.  Well I heard someone leaving and it was Yunwen, the contact!  We talked for a minute and started walking with her.  As we parted in about 30 seconds, she told us, "Hey someone is calling for you two".   We turn around and see an older man walking toward us.  He approached us and told us that he had left his apartment looking for someone to change his life.  Wow!!!!  

We joined him in his apartment and sang “I am a child of God”, because he was noticeably depressed.   The next day he asked me if we could baptize him....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How cool is that!  I made the funniest face to my companion because I wasn’t sure if I understood right.  

Wow, the Lord is in this work, and we works sometimes in different ways.  But do you think the lord knew that we would talk about “dude” for a while, or that we wouldn’t have credit, or that our contact would be leaving the house...YES!

I'm sorry that this was short, I'm sorry I don’t have time to write anyone else, I love you all, and I pray for you all constantly!

                                                             Elder Clayton England

Mexico City #14

Mexico #14

12/30/13

Well another week, and I can honestly saw that I have never been as tired as I am right now!

There was a really cool experience that we had this week:

We we're walking on Saturday to paint a sister's house for service, and we got a call from the bishop.  He said that there was a family that was in town for vacation, and wanted to use the church for a baptism.  The bishop asked us to take care of it (wow...he trusts us!).  So we go first and paint the house of the sister, and then we go and set up the church for the baptism.  We got the font all filled, and everything, and we left to go have lunch.  When we got back, the family was there.  They are from Mexico City, but they live in Orem...weird right?  But they came into town for Christmas, and they wanted to baptize their son while they were with the whole family!  (Sounds like something my family would do!)  The whole thing was beautiful!   The boys and sister sang, exactly like an angel, and the spirit was strong.  The most special thing about this, is that the boy, Jacob, had lost his left arm previously.  I don't know how, but the love of this family was strong.  The Spirit was strong in testimony that in the day of the resurrection, this boy would receive his perfect immortal body.  Having a little brother with health issues, I know that that is such an amazing promise.  The Spirit testified to me that day, again, as it had so many times, that Cole will soon have his perfect body, and we will see him as God sees him.  I know it.

Ok there's my testimony, and now I want to share something that was extremely important to me this week, and that was TALKING WITH MY FAMILY!!!!  Wow I miss you all so much, and talking to you on Christmas Day was the greatest present I ever could have asked for!  Hearing all the advice and the love from them really truly helps me!   How blessed I am to be in this amazing eternal family.  One thing that you see here almost immediately is how important the structure of the family is!  I have seen broken, battered, and destroyed families here, and I can truly say and testify that because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my family is still together, and that we are continually getting better!  

For Christmas, we had presents as a companionship, and my companion gave me a hot wheels of a BMW E30.   Haha I love him!  And I gave him a stuffed Sponge Bob!  We ate with like 3 families for the 24 and the 25, and the food was sooooo good!!  And on the 31 we are eating with two!  Wwow the food here is amazing!

I'm sorry that this letter is so disorganized, but I need to learn a thing or two from my friend Mason Childs, because his letters kill it every week.  

It was sooooo amazing to see you all this week, and I love you all so much!  Honestly I can't even imagine who I would be without you all...I don't want to do it!

I love you all

Elder Clayton Rodney England

Mexico City #13

Mexico #13

12/23/13

Wow this week was awesome!  But first I’m going to start off with a spiritual thought;

This week I studied and read Alma 13-20, The latter end of these chapters is the story of Ammon.  i have come to a new conclusion that Alma the younger and Ammon are my favorite Book of Mormon characters!!  Ok but in the part I want to focus on, is when Ammon and the King and the Queen, and ALL the whole household of the king, fall to the earth as if they were dead.  In Alma 19:16 a woman is mentioned, one of only three in all the Book of Mormon; Abish.  Because of her, the word of Ammon’s missionary work was spread, as she ran to tell others of those that were uncouncious.  She ran and spread the word, and I believe, contributed to the conversion of all the people of King Lamoni. Her father had seen a vision, and she was already a believer in Christ.  This one verse, I think can shed a lot of light on us.  Do you think the Lord knew that Abish would be in the situation to help Ammon, and spread the gospel?  Well yes!  He knows everything.  Do you think He knew, and knows everything?  Yes he does.  When we are faced with a new change in our life, do you think the Lord knew that you needed that change?  That in the future when that change is truly manifest, and the repercussions are shown...do you think He knew?  The answer is 1000% yes.  Just think of that.  He knows what circumstances need to pass so that in the future, we are ready to spread His work.  Wow, that just blows my mind!

Ok, back to the real world.  This week was awesome!  We did so many different things!  It was so fun!

First off, Tuesday,  we got have another set of Elders in our ward, which is awesome, because we now can really get this area moving!  

Wednesday...i don’t remember!

Thursday, wow this day was awesome!  We went through the temple!!!!!  That was so amazing!  The Mexico City Temple is incredible!  When I walked into the Celestial room, I almost cried.  The urge really came over to just let the tears flow!  Wow it was super beautiful there!  I could just feel the power of the Lord radiating.  After the temple, we had an activity for the mission, well for three zones.  We had a talent show and a lunch that was muy chido!  But there are so many talented people in our mission!  That day was super good!  Plus I got a blender!  I am making stuff almost everyday, and now I can make pancakes a lot.  That is nice to have a nice breakfast.  

Friday...regular day!

Saturday, we went and painted more at Hermana Alicias and my Spanish was failing that day.  I guess I was just super and it was hard to understand.   So I painted where i wasn’t supposed to.  Wow, it is a good thing that she loves us, and that it wasn’t too big of a deal to her.  Haha , I love her.

Sunday, well as I said, we have two more elders in our ward: Elder Fiestas and Elder Phthean...I think that’s how it is spelled.  We now eat with the members with the four of us which is fun!  Sometimes it’s difficult because Elder Phthean likes to speak in English, so my mind keeps getting changed back and forth.   But sunday we ate with Hermana Rosana, and it was super good!  That’s the best part about Christmas here!  The Good Food!!!  I love the Christmas Mexican food!

Monday, today!  Wow today was fantastic!  We went to the centro, or downtown.  Wow...you can buy whatever you want there.  The trick is finding things that are worth buying!  But there are some landmarks there that I did not know were from Mexico.   I didn’t think that something that pretty could be there!  Something funny is that there are thousands of venders on the street with, what I assume is, stolen goods.  The police hang out at the street corner for a while, just passing the time, and every once in a while, they start walking towards the venders, and then they all, in like 2 minutes pack up and bail.  The cops could catch them easy, but they do it just for fun.  I saw a guy pay a cop off today with a stuffed animal.  Haha wow…mexico!

Well that was my week!  I loved it, and I hope it was good for you all too!  

Just so you all know, I am needing some help.  This week I really struggled with feeling any sort of drive to really do this.  I am coming out of that, but I need some help.  Anything you all can do to inspire me is fantastic!  

I love you all and I pray for you everyday.  Please include me in your prayers!   I need them!

Les Amo,

Elder Clayton England

ok my favorite song is Nearer My God to Thee

my favorite scripture is alma 26:22 

no, we are skyping 3 for you guys, 4 for me i think whatever is 4 oclock for me

love you