Bonus Pictures & Christmas Phone Call Home

This week we did receive an email but it was rather short and just said that he would be calling to arrange the time to call us.  He was changed to a new area.  He is now 10 hours by bus away from the city in a place called Truilljo.  We looked it up on Google Earth and it's a really pretty place.  His new companion is from Mexico and he is a trainer again.  It was so good to talk to him and see his face.  We were able to talk for a while and it was really difficult saying good bye.  As his mom, I sure wanted to have him stay with Elder Peterson until after the holidays, but the Lord knows best and I'm certain he will be just fine.  He has been entrusted to a fresh new missionary to teach him how to be an effective and awesome missionary.  He looks and sounds great.

Here are just a few bonus pictures I found on the mission blog.   Thank you for following his journey and praying for him, he's doing great and the prayers are felt, always.

Couple of Bonus Pictures for Elder Peterson

Will looking at Letia's facebook, I found a couple of pictures from when Bridger served with Elder Peterson.  He was sad to leave him, but still feel like they were so blessed to be able to have the time together they did.

 Sofie's baptism

What they received at a white elephant gift exchange.  Lucky???

A Fun PDay, Sofie's Baptism & Why go on a Mission

First a couple of pictures of him and Elder Peterson.  This week may be a bit sad as the two of them may be changed.  Hoped and prayed it would happen after Christmas, but we will see.  He was changed last year right before Christmas, which not sure why a it couldn't wait until after the Christmas, but that is one thing I'm sure will be answered during our phone call.  Can't wait to hear his voice.  Sure love him and am so proud of all he is doing.  I really appreciate the words he tells to who ever is reading his email about going on a mission.  It is scary thing to decide to go and his words are an answer to prayer for me as Stetson is preparing to send his papers in.  It's a good one, enjoy...

1st off yes got the package this morning sooo bomb i haven't opened it yet because we have been running around getting everything ready but now its all good today we had a great PDAY we me and Peterson decided to make an American breakfast for the zone (with the help of the Hermanas) and watch a movie of Christmas so awesome we watched this new movie ive never heard of it i think its new called Arthur's Christmas so funny i loved it we watched it in Spanish so it was alll good also we had a white elephant gift exchange while we listened to Christmas music our Zone is AWESOME i think today was one of the funnest pdays i have ever had with my zone man i hope we don't have a change i want to stay with Peterson for one more change so hopefully we will see what happens the next change is freaking 9 weeks long so we will see how it goes. Anyways what a week i don't think we had one normal day

Whats Up Holy smokes we are so close to Christmas can you believe it i cant it seems to be flying by this month so this week was INSANE for Elder Peterson and me we ran everywhere we took out more papers and were in the registro national of personas for so much this week but it all ended good.

Well changes are this week i still don't know if i will have a change nut we will see what all goes down it would be cool to stay with Peterson for 1 more change just cause hes freaking cool and i love that guy but no one really knows right now but in a day or two we will know so he how are we going to talk this year facetime??? Or skype just let me know so i can get ready and well i want to call on Tuesday is that cool but it wouldn't be until the afternoon I'm thinking but let me know what you guys think.

So anyways the zone caught fire this week we had some sweet baptisms our baptism went awesome with Sofie so legit she got up and bore her testimony after and it was so good we had a way cool Hermanas Hermanas molanfy crying after cause we also watched a way cool video of Christ and how we can remember him during this Christmas season honestly I love Christmas there is something.....something different I can't really explain it but it's amazing here even though Christmas isn't that big I love seeing lights and trees it's the best. Ya know I do have to say the mission is the coolest/funnest thing in the world to do with your life anyone that's reading this, because you learn so much you learn about Christ you learn about the church but most of all you learn about yourself who you are and who you need to be and I think that is the best. Watching people get baptized is soooooooo cool there is just something about it that makes you feel good. I'll have to send you a pic of Sofie she's AWESOME!!! well I can't wait to talk to you again sorry this email is all over the place you're the best.

Love Elder Bridger Clayton

A Surprise Limo Ride & the Talent Show MC's

It is so much fun to ready his emails each week.  You can see that both him and Elder Peterson are loving their time together.  I am praying that they do not get changed this week as it's a transfer week. I have prayed hard many times and this time it is for them to be able to spend Christmas together.  I was looking at the mission blog and found some bonus pictures on there, so exciting they are at the bottom of this post.  Enjoy, it's a good one...

Heeeey how are you guys doing today well this week was good alright lets just start it off with a little adventure so the aps are good friends of ours they re way sick and we wanted to something cool for the multi zone on Wed so me and Peterson put our thinking caps on and figured something so sick out so we go and contacted this guy who's got a LIMO white way sick and we ask him if he could come and pick all of us up and we will ride to the meeting in a white limo with Pres. Veirs so the guy was way cool and said ya which the plan was a go so then to get everyone a little more stoked..well a little background info our mission is AWESOME to spread news or gossip hahah so we start this rumor with just 2 elders that we hear that an apostle coming  and boom by 9 at night everyone KNOWS KNOWS that Elder Christopherson is on his way hahah so funny so we dressed up way nice got our suits on sunglasses and Hats the limo came and picked us up with President so then we pull up and everyone is just going crazy and the driver opens the door and hahah the crowd devastated haha man it was so funny but everyone was a good sport about it but man we pulled a good trick on em so funny. Then they chose me and Peterson to Announce and run the talent show hahah it was a good time.

So that was funny also we just had a crazy week we had some meeting with the stake pres and we need the zone and the stake to do better so hopefully we can this week in the zone we have 16 baptisms planned so ya we need everyone of them and we have a baptism this week of Sofie so cool shes awesome itll be this Saturday so we are excite for that it will be good. Anyways ya pretty much no one went to church again this week only Sofie so we definitely need help in finding people man its killing me so ya hopefully we can find people this week!!!! Pray for us to find people and that people can find us some how well i hope you all have a great week i love you all so much you're the best.

Love Elder Bridger Clayton

The Dynamic Duo

Working the Mic

President Veirs & Elder Clayton

Riding in the Limo

A Birthday Surprise for an Hermana & Just as it Should Be

You can tell they are having a wonderful time. There are rumors of them staying until temple dedication which is in April. I guess we will wait and see what happens. Thanks for all the support and prayers always appreciated and felt. Enjoy...

Man what a week this week flew by insane i cant even believe it so we had a bomb week though i will say that so this week it first off started with RAIN RAIN RAIN it poured here for 15 hours straight it was a mess streets turned into rivers roads collapsed houses and neighborhoods swept away it was crazy we got to go and help out a bit with cleaning houses out and everything but what a mess man but the church did a great job with volunteers and some people slept in the church for t a couple days so ya also a bit of Good news Tegucigalpa Templo is DONE we are just waiting for a date now but they say it will be for sure before the next general conferance which is good news because with the release date being changed i will still be here in april hahah i still dont know what to think about that but whatever. Also so in our zone there is this one Hermana Named Hermana Lopez she is freaking coool from Costa Rica and it was her birthday this week and she doesnt have family or anything at home so we i guess you can say ^KIDNAPPED^  her and her companions and took them out to kunch but we didnt want to just go the typical beans and rice Honduras style so we changed it up and went out to CHILIS hahah wow was that good and she was stoked she had never been to a place like that and she loved it they all sang to her and we got a cake after all it was so worth it because she called me and Peterson and thanked us again and again for having the best birthday ever and how she felt and how she would never forget it it was way cool SOOOOOOOO worth it she was excited so that was good also last night we went to watch the christmas devotional i honestly had never seen it before nor did it ever call my attention but it was AWESOME Elder Uchtdorfs talk was amazing the same with Eyering and Monson they are all awesome guys. well i hope you guys have a great week STETSON i am sorry about you car that blows big timwe i hate people  like that that kind of stuff ticks me off all the robbing and stealing it helps NOONE  but youre all good man dont worry.

Love Elder Bridger Clayton

An Awesome Week with Peterson & Turkey in Honduras

Well family how was your guys week I hope it was great especially with thanksgiving how was the turkey to tell you the truth WE HAD THANKSGIVING!!!!! From a family in iur ward the molanfys they re cool and the turkey was awesome i hadn't eaten turkey in 2 years and it tasted and I love that you put the lights up already and the tree I think that is the fun thing about being here in central is at a lot of the businesses and  there are lights and trees which Make me freely good I will start taking some pics hopefully so you can see whats going on with us.

So what did you guys think of our little surprise haha pretty cool huh we thought so we talked about doing it and we loved your reaction yes we are comps so what I couldn't explain last week was how changes went cause we had to keep it a secret but it was something like this...... They get to zona San Pedro SULA. And they're going in putting the zone in when it's time for the new ZL of SPS with me so all I hear is "elder Peterson from jazmines will go to centro SPS as junior ZL with Elder Clayton ..... Whooooooooookaaaaaaaoo the crowd goes wild I'm telling you everyone is just like are you serious baha so Peterson gets up with me and we finally sit down and president just says "I think I screwed up " laughing so changes were cool! And me and Peterson have. Been working hard these 2weeks we have 1 girl progressing for baptism so that's good sofie I think she will. E baptized the 8 th of December so ha we just. Red to get more people to church dang it so pray for that that more can go and that we can find a family to baptize for noc
December I would love our zone to be. Celestial if that happened I could stay another. Change probably so that would be cool pray for us that these things can happen but hAha I can't. Believe it's almost December wow I am going to send a package home anything you guys would like if you can tell me by tonight at 6 I will be able to get the message so ya tell me anyways this week was full of excitement I think the funnest part of the mish is getting out and just working that's when you see the craziest and funniest things ever.  Like this week one day for lunch we went to a chicken place in centro right in the heart and were eating when some lady walks in and all the uneaten food is at and starts throwing it in a bag when all of a sudden the people who were eating go back and have to kick the lady off their table because they were just filling their drinks up hahah man I felt bad so the lady threw the chicken and beans back on the table and moved on to the next one Peterson is just in unbelief and I'm just kind of chuckling just cause its so normal but whatever all good when all of a sudden she pulls a 180 and taps Peterson on the shoulder and asks him if he is going to eat the huge piece of chicken on his plate mind you it is untouched and he was going to eat it when he's a good guy and says no go for it and boom that thing was in the bag in 1.2 seconds my head spun it was so fast hahaha man good times.


Well also we had a really good time teaching this week found some good people they just need to go to church so well hope for the best also I wanted to share a story with you guys about Omar caballero remember him the guy that me and Johnson baptized well he has been a real friend to a member of the church named Jorge Gonzalez and this is who told of his Christmas story ..... One Christmas Jorge had nothing to give his family for Christmas over 20 years ago he didn't know what to do so one opportunity came to sell chairs yeah chairs to make some money it was the 23 of December and Jorge had no idea what to do or to whom he would sell the chairs when the thought came to him of Omar caballero he calls him up and Omar says bring all of them to me Jorge a little astonished replys I have over 100 here that's not  important bring them to me so he takes them to his house they unload and put them in the garage after Omar just gives him an envelope with the money and says Merry Christmas Jorge goes home and when he gets outside his house he opens the envelope to find a lot more money then the chairs were worth so he calls Omar to say this when Omar says the money is not
Important have a merry Christmas I love you and they hung up. Hearing this story was amazing what a friend what an answer to a prayer awesome I love Omar caballero he's so cool a guy with a huge heart  I live Christmas a time when we can think more about others then ourselves I love you family you're the best thanks for all your love and support and prayers they are felt I love Honduras especially te city it's awesome I love you so much have a great week.

Love elder Bridger Clayton

A Big Surprise! and Dia De Gracia

We had an awesome email with great news from Bridger on Monday.  If you remember, Bridger had a roommate in the MTC, Elder Peterson who was like another brother.  They had so much in common, oldest of three brothers, the Nixon or BIG watches, sunglasses, etc., and they became fast friends.  Josh's mom and I went to lunch to meet and then we got our families together and we have met with them every 6-8 weeks for dinner.  They are one of the choicest blessings of his service. 

WOW Thanksgiving can you believe it its already freaking here unbelievable i thought how you said that this year it will only be you 4  but then i really thought that's all you really need is you re own family you know what i mean sorry i cant be there but for sure the next one right haha anyways i hope you guys all eat some turkey and mashed potatoes I'm sure i will be eating some Beans Rice and Tortillas hahah but its all good i like that too believe it or not i really do love the food here sometimes i even get  a craving for a banana soda ah man those are bomb anyways so what else happened this week school should get out on Wed for Caleb at least so that's cool also we had a good wee this week in church we had 2 news come a inactive family that has a daughter that is not a member so we will start to work with them and also a way cool guy named Antonio who has a problem with alcohol in his life and just wants to change so i know we can help him he just has to help himself too anyways the weather here too is changing a lot its actually cold i think which is sad because its really only like 82 degrees but i have no idea what i will do if i ever get home in March ahhh I'm dead oh well. Also this week we had a blast because me and my new comp started to jump into the Christmas spirit buying lights and putting them up in our room and listening to my Christmas music i love Christmas time its just a different  time everyone well most walk happy and there is just something in the air we also are going to do something cool tonight so there is a nice family in our ward not the most well off family but they love the missionaries so tonight we are going to have a family home evening with them and buying pizza!!! They have no idea but it will be good. The ward here in San Pedro is doing good we just now need people to teach the mission is struggling a little bit and we need to help it i always get so nervous on the last week of the month but all is well we just need more investigators and for people to accept this message i sometimes wish the church flowed as smoothly here as in Utah like i remember in our ward always started on time and Mom taught us to always be on time for whatever appointment or date we had to do and that is just something that kills me here is people being late even if its only 10 mins late your late man its a killer anyways its all good. This change will be a good one i can feel it we just need to find a family for December that we can baptizer so that in a year they can go and get sealed in the temple! Anyways so Changes were this week my comp is a Elder Denìs hes a good guy with an awesome outlook on life I've known him alot through the mission and hes a good guy so we will work hard and turn Zona San Pedro Around and being better anyways i think that's something i love about the Gospel is you have to be the best you can be getting better everyday but there are times we stumble and we fall down but we have to get back up and keep trucking on. Well that's it for this week thanks so much I love you

Love Elder Bridger Clayton

A Firm Testimony of His Own & Sending Another Home

Last week he shared his testimony of the Book of Mormon.  Today he sent his testimony of the Gospel.  He has a strong testimony and you can see loves what he is doing.  This is so awesome to know that he has learned to stand on his own and has witnessed the spirit speaking to those he is teaching.  I love him and am so proud of all that he has become.  This is a great one.  Enjoy...

So well this week was pretty normal i guess we had elder castellons last week he goes home on Wednesda to Managua Nicaragua so I will have a new comp on Wednesday I have no idea who it will be I always get nervous for changes but we will see what happens we had to make a movie for the changes to get the missionaries excited to come to our zone its freaking sick we are going to have a member  put it on youtube so i will give you the direction when they do it. So this week we had the baptism of Fernando whey pilas.com I'm telling you its nuts he is an awesome guy after his confirmation on Sunday he went to the temple prep class cause he wants to go to the temple so bad freaking awesome also so supposedly the date for the dedication of the Tegucigalpa temple is somewhat out March man i hope I'm here that's really all i want is to see it dedicated it would be so awesome. Yesterday we were here in the stake center and they were doing interviews for workers in the temple everyone is so excited for the dedication i love to see it in every ones eyes and as they talk its what everyone wants its what everyone is waiting for not having to go to Guatemala on the 12 plus hour bus ride now it will only be 3 hours away so that will be awesome i hope one day to come back and actually be able to go to it that would be so cool. Well the church is true that's all I'm going to say last week i talked about the Book of Mormon and its a true book and this week man i just love the church i love going and i love watching new people discover it for the first times its great and helps everyone of us. Anyways the only thing I'm a little nervous about it is for my new comp and well we don't really have any possibilities right now because we work in two areas but after 15 months of being closed they are going to open it that's great news for them because they have 2 baptisms set up for the 24th of November hahah and in Centro we have nothing so we have to do some finding i hope we can do it, Well i love you Family i think i will be back on later today like at 4ish i hope so anyways right now we are running around doing last minute things for elder castellon hes cool I've had a great time with him.

I love you so much you're the greatest family in the world,

Love Elder Bridger Clayton

And bonus...pics.  I love when he sends these.

Fernandos Baptism

Cathedral Centro

His Own Testimony of the Book of Mormon

This email is one any parent would love to receive.  Your whole life you hope you kids obtain their own testimony and to know he has is wonderful.  I have to admit tears flowed as I read this weeks happenings.  He has truly become a man as he serves these people.  And at the end when he says it was a hard week, you certainly wouldn't know it by reading his words.  Enjoy...

Well today is the 4th of November i cant even believe it how crazy right changes are not this week they are next week the 14th of November so ya this week there aren't any changes but the zone is doing good and we are doing good too this week we have another baptism of  a guy so freaking cool and Fernando hes 29 years old going to school and is just awesome we talked about know about if the church was true and hes just told us i know its true without a doubt and then hes like you guys talked to me about baptism... when can i be baptized we told him this week and he is all for it hahah so its awesome also we have another family the Familia Romero that they will be baptized this month of November so that is great man also a highlight of my week i finished the well i guess its El Libro de Mormòn but to you all its the book of Mormon yes awesome book i honestly have a testimony of it.... its TRUE i can say it without fear i know it i feel it its true and can help everyone of us its true there's something about it when you read it read it with the right mind that you just feel good. I LOVE IT. Also San Pedro is awesome i heard a song the other day when we were in the taxi and so then with a members help we found it on the Internet that just describes San Pedro For me the song is called This City by Some dude from fallout boy and Ludicrisp ok seriously this probably isn't the most spiritual paragraph in the world but  i love that song i love this city of San Pedro Sula its the bomb all the people all the craziness there is nothing else i could of asked for i know that i am suppose to be here right now and at this moment and Heavenly Father knows it too i have seen it with everyone of my comps and every single area so also some sweet news Omar Caballero the guy who johnson and i baptized got the priesthood and his calling this week in church he is the first counselor in the Sunday school presidency!!! and hes stoked outta his mind i love him always greets me with a big hug love the guy hes awesome. The Fam from La Lopez that we baptized had there baby and sent me some pics they are going to the temple in December!!! Amazing that's all i can say. Well those were the highs of the week it was kind of a tougher week but you have to look at all the good things right. Well i love you guys you're the best.

Love Elder Bridger Clayton

And a couple of bonus pics...love these!

Rainy day in Omoa

 Baleadas gotta love em

Familia Ortega

A Great Week, & Sending another Home

Sounds like his week was a good one.  He has sent so many elders home, which I think would be a little difficult.  However, I did receive an email from President Veirs yesterday saying what a great missionary he is and always has such a positive attitude.  He wants to finish strong and will.  Enjoy...

WOW can you believe that October is freaking over what the heck?!! well i guess we will now welcome in November right i cant believe it anyways how was your guys week i hope everything is good my week was good we had the baptism of the Familia Ortega which was awesome i wrote dad this but here this is just how COOL this family is so was less active and he is a well known painter down here that paints traditional art and sells it around San Pedro and Teguc. And so his wife is a Doctor that works in the best Hospital in San Pedro freaking sweet and they're son Julio man what an awesome baptism and what an awesome family that was awesome so awesome. to watch someone be baptized is just so cool and then after Jenny shared her testimony about how all she wants to do is in one year go to the Temple so that they can be together forever!!! So Awesome i mean to hear that man you really feel good you know what i mean anyways that was the good part and so that was awesome then this week teaching wise we freaking sucked it up seriously i have been a little sick and so that slowed us down and also as you know i am killing again my comp is going home in two weeks and man we just gotta get that desire in us some days and its hard but we just have to keep going the hard thing is we have baptized all the people we have been working with and now we have to find more we have a baptism scheduled for the 10th of November so hopefully we can get all the papers and everything in so that can happen and I'm praying that Elder Peterson can come here and be my comp ah that would be so freaking cool that's what i want so bad but we will see what happens well anyways thanks for everything fam thanks for all the support.


I Love you So Much


Love Elder Clayton

Memories of Joseph, Honduras Soccer, & Bonus Pics!!!

This week's email came with a couple of bonus pictures.  I love when he sends these.  The first one is a picture of the flowers they took to a sister that feeds them.  So glad he has such a compassionate side and is so thoughtful.  He tells of his Sunday School class discussing the story of Joseph and his brothers selling him into Egypt.  We took Bridger to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat when he had his perfect birthday, turning 7 on the 7th of February many years ago.  He loved that play and would sing all the songs with Stetson over and over again.  It's fun to see that as they are discussing it all he could think of was Donny Osmond being Joseph.  Totally worth the expensive tickets we bought to have many years later this memory come to him.  

Thank you again for following his journey...

The baptism that he talks about in his email.

Alright What up FAMILY i hope you had a great week I'm so glad that Caleb shot his deer hes the MAN what a great shot right Caleb i love you bro i cant wait to go hunting with you you know what we should do is freaking put in for a bear tag in the spring and go bear hunting!!!! How sick would that be i think it would be cool i think i already have a point or two anyways this week was insane i just don't understand how like on Tuesday i have 15 things i have to do in a matter of like 10 hours and amazingly i complete all of them its awesome but then i have to wake up on Wed. morning and i have a new 15 things to do i just don't understand it sometimes....? But its all good i love it! i love helping out the other missionaries they're all cool we are in a little trouble with baptisms in the zone this month but this week we should end OK i hope so anyways this weekend we had an awesome Baptism with Cesar Luis and Enrico so cool both 18 years old friends and brothers of members both shared their testimonies after the baptism and both said we did the right thing now we have to keep going and in one year serve missions!!!!! SWEET how cool is that and man did i feel good i really had a great week and that was just to top it all off i will send some pics for sure cause it was cool the best part the brother of cesar luis baptized him and the best friend of enrico baptized him it was great!!! so that was sweet also this wed. we have 2 possibly 3 more baptisms here in my ward Family Ortega si hombre they are so cool and shes a doctor that's legit right man they are cool we are also trying to baptize her sister that lives with the family that just turned 16 so we will see what happens.

Ok La Selecion that is the national soccer team of Honduras and in the past 2 months they have been playing to move on to round 2 for the qualifiers of the World Cup so on Tuesday they had to play Canada here in SPS LIKE 5 mins from where i live the announcement was made and guess what they freaking made Tuesday a national Holiday!!! hahah so from 2-4 everything and i mean everything was closed well not closed because you could just walk in anywhere and everyone was watching the game but ya closed man they love their soccer it was so crazy so nuts because well the outcome of the game was something like 8-1 HONDURAS SPANKED Canada and that's when it just went NUTS we have parades in the street we have fireworks going off blue and white everywhere people screaming the natl anthem....I LOVE HONDURAS hahah so awesome it was nuts like i actually got scared because they get so crazy down here for there soccer but haha oh well the next game they will play will be February 5th haha everyone already knows and everyone is stoked!!!

OH now we will just go to the headache of my days REGISTRO man just imagine having to go to the DMV every stinking day and trying to fix problems that arent even youre...welcome to my life ah its crazy but we are still working with that so ya anyways i love registro but and the same time i freaking hate it but its all good.

So ya pretty much that was my week family ortega is bomb and will be baptized this week so that should be awesome i love you guys so much thanks for everything you do for me all the support and love i love you guys prayers are heard and answered i know that is true as long as we are worthy to receive the blessings we will receive them i also one thing i loved is our elders quorom pres broke down the story of Joseph in Egypt all i could think about was flippin Donny Osmond but hey that's alright isn't it anyways how Joseph was all good then his brothers sell him that sucks he goes to potifer and potifers wife just screws him over cause Joseph was awesome and ran away then they throw him into prison when hes in prison he still and always is OBEDIENT!!! and in a couple weeks or so he is NUMBER 1 in prison then what happens hes always obedient and becomes the Pharaohs Assistant so as we can see even being obedient has its down days but then always in the end after going till the end you will be blessed and that is the truth.

I Love you Guys so much LOVE YOU

Love Elder Bridger Clayton

WWW San Pedro Style & a Bonus Email for Me

World wide wrestling is what the subject means. You'll understand after reading. It sounds like it was a hard week.  Although he can still smile and say, "Come What May & Love it"  We couldn't be more proud of how hard he works and the man he has come to be.  I can surely tell that he is watched over and protected.  He also sent me a bonus email that was so sweet and touched my heart. Funny thing is I had just read a book my neighbor gave me that made me cry and then his email came the next day. Times like these I know Heavenly Father is so aware of who we are and what we need. For which I am truly grateful. Thanks as always for following his journey. Enjoy...

Alright what up family this week has been a hard one especially since Caleb didn't get his buck I'm going to be praying hard for him this week that he can shoot a nice one up in Bear Lake what a great kid right so anyways this week has just been more stressful than i can believe with papers and just everything seems to be falling all at once its just killing me and i don't know what to do because there are some things that i don't even have control over like the stuff from Guatemala we got but we have to send them back now to get them authorized so that's a 120 dollars ya not freaking lemps more that we have to find another family the Hna doesn't exist in Honduras Papers really all i can say the worst thing about Honduras is the Registro National of People it SUCKS i am in there at least 3 times a week just going over papers for the mission and my zone we take out partidas from other missions too its crazy and this week has just been to much to handle but freak come what may and love it i guess right so then on Friday we are in a cita at 3 o'clock when i get a call from one of these areas ok so don't freak out or anything but what i am about to describe blew my mind... ok we have an area in my zone called the aldea del Carmen its a pretty chill area and with changes a kid from Panama stayed way nice kid he has i think 6 months really just loving and nice has a great heart so they put him with this Elder that well lets just say he just doesn't do anything has had a lot of problems in the mission and he bounces around everywhere so they put them together right anyways these are the guys who call us but when i get the call its the elder that is the problem one i answer and he says ¨Elder i am having problems with my companion¨then from the background i hear ¨LIAR LIAR¨AND BOOM BOOM BANG BOOP the kid from panama gets the phone and yelling says ¨he will not be with this guy who does nothing he sucks all he does is sleep and yells at me he says he is going to hit me and ou ouwch ouch he's hitting me¨boom boom pam bamp boom the and so i just say ¨Were coming just stay in the house and please don't kill each other¨so we call the aps that were close thankfully and haul out to the aldea its like 30 mins away and when we get there the gate is open and all we hear is Pass through Elders come from the house when i walked in this was the surprise that i got we have the loving missionary from panama standing ready with a broom stick the other one who is the problem elder is sitting on the ground and there is blood all over the place!!!1 HAHAH oh my gosh words cant even explain it so when we all walk in  the kid from panama is just screaming at all the thing that this guy does wrong and when he called the problem elder started punching him and took him to the ground and that's when this kid from PANAMA just snapped literally!!!! he went crazy and just took this kid to town it was insane so we were there for like a half hour when we took the problem missionary out to come and stay the night with us cause if they stayed together they would of killed each other so he was with us for a day and Saturday morning they sent him to another area so man what a week just a week full of problems who knows it was just crazy so ya anyways this week i will hope that its better haha man it was bad but I'm safe don't worry all is good i hope that this week i can feel more of the spirit with me man i love when i can feel te spirit its makes everything so much better and i need that so that we can find more this weekend we will have 2 baptisms cesar Louis and Enrico both way awesome guys love em so hopefully everything goes good and we can do good in the zone. Well I love you guys you're the best i have no idea what i would do with out you thank you so much for everything.

Love,Elder Bridger Clayton

And here is the best part of the week, at least for me anyway...

And of course, there were tears...and lots of them.  But, they were happy tears.

A Welcome Email & Concern of a Brother to Another

This week's email came with much anticipation as last week we didn't get to hear from him.  I always love watching conference and knowing that he is watching the exact same thing.  This is the time of year that if he is to get home sick this would be it.  It's hunting season.  Wayne and his dad were successful on the first hunt and pictures were sent to him so he could feel of the fever.  He is already talking about next year being there right along side him. More than once his grandpa said they needed him and missed him.  But, they will for sure pick up where they left off with next season.  Bridger has always had a close relationship with his grandparents and he mentions this in this email.  They have sent him written letters as they do not have email and you can tell how much he enjoys this. The announcement of the change in mission age I'm sure was quite a surprise to a brother who is excited to see his pal.  He was able to chat with Stetson and said he would understand if he decided to go.  However, Stetson has a plan and is going to continue to press forward with papers in December and hoping to leave May/June 2013.  This way they can hang out with each other for a couple of months which I think both are looking forward to.  This is a great email.  He is doing fantastic. And today we attended a welcome home of a sister that served as a mission nurse and was in the MTC with Bridger.  There were several other missionaries that knew Bridger and it was fun to hear of their love for him.  In the words of Elder Anderson, everyone loves Elder Clayton...I'm not surprised.  Enjoy...


General Conf what a bomb week right i mean one of the bests i think especially if you are a missionary because its a time that you can actually relax and take a break and really just i don't know the talks seem to be for me more than anything i have learned how to really listen to them and get inspired to be better and do better its like there messages of Hope you know what i mean just that's what i got from this conferance cause there is so much screwed up in the world these days and they all know about the errors and everything bad but then they all talked about Repoentance and Jesus Christ i mean its so cool that He loves us so much that no matter how far we are off the path that if we want to change and are willingly he will always let us back in i think of my freaking brothers man we probably used to fight ok not probably we did for sure but i love them so much so much and i want the best for them thats why they have to stay in church go on missions and ah freak Pres Monson with the new age for missionaries i could not believe that cause i mean Stetson is there ya i mean freak i just have always planned on finishing up then hanging out with him for a couple months and then that he could start his awesome adventure but who knows he could be gone. I Love that kid hes the bomb. So ya conference was great oh with even better news after watching conference our investigators all want to be baptized!!!!! We should have 8 this month hahaha can you believe that im stoked and we will be zona celestial. I love San Pedro so as im sure you know we did not have a change and im staying here in San Pedro YES!!!!! so the plan is this My comp goes home in November ya im sending another one home haha so i will be here until December for sure and really im stoked about it it will be awesome.i love the city its the best. So last week i was in the hospital it was so boring!!!! i was bored out of my mind but its all good now they did not have to operate they were right to the point when it just went away miracle hahah it was cool so then we had a good week the month of September we baptized in the mission 300 people!!!!! that was bomb so there were only like 30 changes not any pretty much so changes were pretty boring. oh highlight of the week reading Dads email about Grandpa Daves deer hunt BOMB.COM man i cant wait for the 2013 deer hunt im stoked i want to go so bad really that is something that i actually miss that and hanging out with you guys but i love Honduras i talked to a family the other day from my old Satelite Area they have a daughter thats 7 and when she turnns 8 she said i have to come back and baptize her or she wont get baptized....ehhh hopefully i can do it right the family freaking loves me there the ones that threw me my birthday party so freaking cool i love them and i love so many people here Honduras is the best the Lord knew exactly where i needed to go also i was thinking something funny remember before i got my call and everyone is always like ^where do you wanna go^i would jokingly say Bismark South Dakota but then really i just wanted to go to some sketchy city in the United States like New York Chicago Detroit Oakland and its funny that the Lord was just like alright he can handle it so lets send him to the most dangerous city in the WORLD hahaha and right now i am in the heart of the city which i freaking love its the best. Thanks for everything guys you're the greatest i love you so much you are always in my thoughts and prayers.  And Grandma and Grandpa sent me a letter this week that i got i love their letters they're the greatest Grandparents in the world and i am so lucky to have them i really want to spend more time with them cause they are the greatest and grandpa dave is someone i look up to so much in my life as well as my dad they are the greatest men i know i love you all.

Love Elder Bridger Clayton by the way you should look up a tamara smith she came with me in the mission and just went home wed. shes from salt lake i gave her youre guys number maybe you can go to her homecoming shes crazy but cool

Love You

No News is Good News...Yeah Right...

This week was quite sad as we got a really short paragraph from Bridger saying he had spent the night in the hospital with his companion who was most likely going to have to have his appendix out.  He said it had been a long night and he was hoping to be able to write later.  Here's the very small email we received, I have to say when I read it at first I thought it was him having the trouble, but it is his companion, Elder Castellon.  We will pray for his speedy recovery and hope all goes well with his surgery.  We anxiously awaited to hear more from him, but it never came.  Faith seems to take over and we know he is ok.  How did people ever do the old fashioned way of regular mail.  I would not have survived.  Here it is...

Well I will hope to write a better email later on right now I am in the hospital with my comp elder Castellon we think he is going to get his appendix out but we are just waiting to see what happens I have been here since 930 last night man talk about long nights didn't get a room until 230 but its all good well I love you all so much talk to you later

Love Elder Bridger Clayton

LOL, a Cut Up Shirt, & Heavenly Father know us Best

His emails always make me smile while I read them, and this one does not disappoint.  I realize now more than ever it's come to the time when he  is realizing that one day he is going to return and it's going to be hard for him.  Knowing that he is going to have a hard time and leaving a big part of his heart there makes me sad.  Our bishop warned about this and to be honest I thought oh, it won't happen.  How wrong I was.  You'll see, he loves it there and is exactly where Heavenly Father wanted him to go.  Love this boy, who is not that anymore, he is now a man.  Enjoy...

Well it was a funny week that's all i have to say i find myself laughing a lot at everything it could be the littlest of things like alright here's something funny so here in sps the church has offices  here where people work and we know everyone cause they're all freaking cool and its fun but we go in on Thursday night and we have been working all day i sat in a chair at a house that was way dirty and somy shirt was dirty when i was talking to Saul and he starts flippin on how I'm a missionary and i cant be walking like this and no se and flip
so he tells me my shirt doesn't work and better that he just cut it now and he will buy me a new one i told him the shirt was fine and that he just talked the talk and couldn't walk so he wouldn't cut it this ¡ticks
him off so hahah so funny he freaking cuts my sleeve with a pair of scissors haha i was just like are you kidding me when all the office is just like IDIOT what are you doing haha but he made me a promise
and bought me a new shirt on Saturday so well needless to say i have a brand new white shirt hahah sweet right i love san pedro so legit i love it.so anyways this week was good oh and im stoked for this week
we are going to be zona celestial as we have 20 baptisms this week in the zone!!!!! its gonna be awesome i cant wait i love it here i never thought i could fall in love with a place so much i mean i love Utah
and that is definitely my home but San Pedro Sula... its sketchy but really its another paradise its funny as we were walking the other day i was talking to Castellòn about before i got my call everyone was
asking where do you wanna go and i would tell people Bismark South Dakota haha but really i just wanted to go to a sketchy city like NewYork New York Detroit Michigan Oakland California somewhere sketch in
the states right well that came and got me because Heavenly Father knows me and knew that's what i wanted so he sent me to the most Dangerous city IN THE WORLD hahah funny how he knows us so well right anyways we found a new family this week... SI HOMBRE huh Familia Ortega so bomb they're getting baptized the 15th of October i cant leave here i don't want to i still have so much to do i love all of you
guys you're the bomb.com love you all!

Love Elder Clayton

Come What May and Love It

Baptism of Elizabeth and 18 Months

This email brings the 18 month mark.  As you will read he seems as if it is flying by for him.  He is so happy there and this baptism was one they have waited for and was so excited the marriage took place and Elizabeth could become a member.  We were able to tell him about Elder Johnson coming to visit and it's funny how excited we are to tell him of things and he is very focused on what he is doing.  He's doing awesome and it surely shows.  Enjoy...


Welp can you guys believe it i have now been on a mission for 18 months i cant even believe it yesterday i was thinking back to it and its just freaking crazy to believe so this week was very cool and like always just full of adventures first YES we had the Wedding and Baptism of the Family Beltran it was so cool but i have to tell you something really cool right now they are a family that are having rough time with money so  ya anyways she was talking how she wanted a dress and her hair done and flip who knows what else she says this at the last minute so we have an idea theres an awesome lady in our ward that has a beauty salon and so we call her up to see how much it would be just to do her hair and she just says no nada just bring here so we didnt tell her and went and picked her up with a member it was sweet cause it was pure extreme home makeover hahah so that was cool i thought and she was way suprised and so happy so that was friday day and friday night we had the wedding and baptism after a huge and we are talking huge rain storm it was nuts!!!! anyways it was good and after wwe were out of the water i asked her how she felt and she just said she felt a huge sensation  of goodness and love it was cool i always love hearing what the people feel its so cool! So that was awesome. Also Saturday we had a huge mega activity the san pedro stake to raise money to go to the open house of the temple. by the waqy the brigham city temple looks way cool i think i wish they would just finish Tegucigalpa we need it i want to be here so bad for it but now they have put it on hold again so who knows!!!! im still hoping for it anyways. so ya also what else happened this week trying to think oh right now we just had a tournament of futbol i am dead we played for two hours straight it was way crazy we played with 2 zones and there were 26 of us insane right but it was fun futbol is just well we can say ginourmous down here right now everytone is praying that honduras moves on to the world cup i am too i think i want them there so bad this country is awesome. Also this week well the 15 of septiembre is Independnce day for Honduras so the country shut itself down we can say NOONE was working haha so it was funny the 15th everyone just stays home sleeps and eats or they go swiomming sometimes but ya it was cool man i still cant believe i have completed 18 months do you guys remember the night i got set apart-.......good times dont worrry im sure we will have better ones. on anther note im glad you came in contact with Elder Johnson freaking cool guy right i love him and i hope you like the stuff i sent home just a little taste of Honduras for you its great i hopew you all liked it i love you all so much and you mean more to me than i dont even know i think about you alot and love you so much i hope calevb likes the wallet i use one i bought here too so thatsw cool right . And the cocunut bracelet switch blade and jersey so ya awesome.

Also so stoked to see the scooter is still MOBBING it love that thing cant wait to ride it again anyways ill be on for a while hopefully someones onlimne love you all so much thanks for everything love.

Elder Bridger Clayton.

ps crazy about Leo Calquin wish him luck for me

 Not sure what is up with the glasses.  

Elizabeth's baptism!

Another Zone Conference.  San Pedro Sula Zone

Robbed of Power & Cheap Jerseys...Sweet!

What up family how are you doing how has your week been mine was good full of suprises but ya anyways so we had everything planned for the familia Beltran to get married everythng but the partida that was suppose to be coming from tegucigalpa never flippin came dang what a bummer so we are in the waiting process to see what we can do to get that thing here..... So ya that kinda sucked but they were ok with it especially since i went on Divisions with the APs and they had had a fight..... so that was lame what a bummer but after talking to them and reading a bit out of the book of Mormon everything chanfed and it was all good. So i hope that can make it here this week i really hope so im hoping so bad for it. also so heres a good story for you so funny so friday night we all go to bed and my comp wakes up at 430 and supposibly is freezing cold we have an air conditioning system in our house from the 80`s that barely even works but its true somehow we get cold at night anywyas he wakes up cold and turns off his fan when then he wanted to turn off the air thats really only like 5 steps away but he didnt want to get out of bed. So he is just like wishing someone will get up and turn it off one of the other 3 missionaries right anywyas about 5 mins pass by and BOOM the power goes out MIRICLE we could say right anywyas funny and so about an hour later i wake up to go to the gym and i see that the power is out so we call the gym to see if they are still opened even though the power is out so i call and the guy tells me that yes its open and there iss light well thats wierd since the gyn is only like 2 blocks from our house but whatever so we go to the gym and on returning from there we see and notice that everyone has power so i think maybe its just our apartments so i knock on our neighbors door and ask her is she has light she flips the switch and her light goes on ya i have light ...well what the heck so we go next door to the owners of the houses sister and tell her we dont have light she says ok well i will cal my brother to see whats up  thats when the owner gets to our house and tells us well i know why you guys dont have light... follow me as we walk out of our house into the street all we see is two meter counters and a hole in the wall  .....at 430 in the morning someone ROBBED OUR METER FOR THE LIGHT HAHAHAHAHHAAHHA can you believe that we all laughed cause thats just ridicoulous they are now stealing the meters   what next the owner was ticked thoiugh cause thats gonna set him back a good 18000 Lempiras but man what next right so now everythng is good and hopefully we wont have that problem again so ya that was bad. Also something cool in the street the other day i saw this sweet clippers jersey for sale so i went to look at it its a Sam Cassel not the best right but i asked how much they wanted for it a real Adidas Basketball jersey stitched and all lets just say i got a screaming deal and paid a whopping american equal of $3.00!!! Not too shaby right hahah so ya anywyas it was a good week the only thing that sucked is noone went to church yesterday so that was a bummer but ya. Also this week i have gotten more into Jesus the Christ way cool book i love it anywyas Fam i hope you all have a great week i hope you enjoyed your summer cant believe its over thats wierd to think right. Also yes i KNow Elder Jones way awesome guy he was AP here and is so cool love the guy funny what a small world huh talking about small world Dad remeber gracelyn Brito the Hna from temple square i met her yesterday eating dinner with other members i met her in the MTC!!! Small world right we talked and it was funny she seems nice and seemed to enjoy the easiest mission in the world hahah probably easiest but not the best that definitly goes to San Pedro Sula Honduras. Well i love you guys so much i hope you call up Elder Jake Johnson tell him i say whats up love the guy love you guys i pray for you everyday pray for me too that i can become a better person i have really thought this week about my mission and i know i jhave changed but now i want to change a little more so that i can be better just like Pres Hinkley would say try a little harder to be a little better i know with your prayers you can help me a ton i love you so much!!!!!


Come What May and Love It-


Elder Bridger Clayton

 Alejandro's Baptism

And you thought you had a wire problem..check this out

And hole in the wall meter gonzo

A Wild Ride & Seeing a Family's Progression from La Lopez

He sounds so good and happy in this email, which helps my heart to know he's safe and doing well.  I have to give a talk in church on Sunday and so he also sent me something to share in Sacrament Meeting.  I did well, hardly any tears.  I will include the talk at the end of this post.  All missionaries were represented by one parent to update and give a progress report.  It was an awesome meeting.  We live in a wonderful ward.  And it is evident on days like today.  Enjoy.

Haha well this week was sweet had a good one we have a date for the Baptism of the Familia Beltran this Saturday so that will be awesome!!! Elizabeth is so cool she want to be baptized and everything the only thing is shes nervous about the wedding and everything being ready before Saturday so we just have to reassure her about everything but it will be good the ward will hopefully help us out and it should be great. What a great family speaking of awesome families remenber the Familia Villanueva from LA LOPEZ i saw them the other day with their baby they are doing awesome and have their 5 month old baby and are going to be going to the Temple in December!!!! So cool it was amazing to see them and see that they are doing so awesome. Also a concern you guys had was Elder Johnsons Number well i sent them your guys so hopefully he will call you hes sweet take him to dinner cause he is an awesome guy. One of my best changes with that guy. And Anderson too have you talked to Him man im hoping to see these guys again one day i love em. So this week was Good Elder Castellon is awesome and we really worked good this week including had one Wild Ride so friday we had to go all over the place to run some errands for the mission and also do interviews for missionariews for baptism so friday night we took like 7 rapiditos which i llove they just get funner and funner with time but this one was insane so we get in and its pretty full already and we get going along and theyre throwing people on but noone is getting off so its just so fuul i feel like im in a mosh pit seriously with the spanish Reggatone blasting in my ears too we make another stop when a pregnant lady goes to get on and so i get up to offer my seat cause theres no more and i mean come on shes pregnant so me with the assistant of the rapidito and one other guy are on the ledge of the rapidito holding on for dear life while we go through this colonial named Gracias a Dios it was so fun just an adreniline rush like it always is right hahah but i loved it. Also yA THere was a new family that went to church yesterday so we will start working with them they are so cool so ya anyways my week was good i dont know what else to write sorry i feel like my emails kinda suck but ya.....

 

Well Love you Family

 

Elder Clayton

Here's a couple of pics he sent this week.  One of the smaller size of spiders he shares his apartment with, and he titled the other one "thumbs up" San Pedro Sula.

I also included my talk I gave today.  Feel free to exit at this point, but for his journal sake, I put it in.

Hey pal.  Thought you might enjoy reading the talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting today.  You would have been so proud of me, not too many tears.  Of course, when I read it to dad the first time, I sobbed and after 8-9 times through this morning and a short prayer before I left.  I had help to get me through.  I love being able to tell of your progress.  Hope I did you proud.  I love you so much son.  Enjoy...

Good morning  Brothers & Sisters.  The last time I was asked to speak and give an update on our son, Elder Bridger Clayton serving in the Honduras San Pedro Sula Mission, he had been out for exactly 100 days.  Today, according to one of the three apps I have on my phone he has 188 days left,  I also look at other countdowns as well, only one General Conference and as Lynette Berven suggested I count, 6 Fast Sundays.  Not that I’m really counting…

I am excited today to give you a Reader’s Digest version of some of the highlights and testimony building experiences he has written home and also a few things I have learned as a mom of a missionary.  Anyone who knows him knows he has quite a sense of humor and can tell a good story, his emails do not disappoint.  As I read them, I can hear his voice as if he is sitting in the kitchen or living room and telling them to me.  I have gone back to a few of my favorites and will let you hear of the adventures he is having as he serves.  

One particular week he writes:  Just this week we had a super hard time finding people, super hard.  I don’t know what the problem was but man hard week.  We have three families we are working with so that is good.  The Familia Beltran and Mendoza so cool, love them.  They have a daughter named Dana who is scared of gringos.  Everytime we go she starts to cry and man it’s bad, but oh well right after talking for like 5 minutes she’s good, but man she is scared of us sometimes.  So this week we were with the familia Beltran and they asked us if we wanted to go get a tamale.  We said ok and went with them to “swap meet San Pedro.  Man did I stick out like a marshmellow in a cup of hot chocolate.  It was fun and they had great food, but man I was definitely the only gringo there for miles.  

Another family he is teaching is a returned missionary that served in the area.  The wife is not a member and they have two children ages 9 and 7.  They had never talked to the missionaries before, but he wants so badly to change his life for the better.  What a great family.  We got there and he said something that really stuck out to me. And I quote, ask them whatever you want, they are here to help you and help us!!!  Awesome he said it was time to get things back into order and so that was bomb.  They went to church and everything.

This past Monday’s email tells of another fun experience:  So this week was good.   Elder Castellon is awesome and we really worked hard this week including had one Wild Ride.  So Friday we had to go all over the place to run some errands for the mission and also do interviews for missionaries for baptism so Friday night we took like 7 rapiditos which i love they just get funner and funner with time. but this one was insane.  So we get in and its pretty full already and we get going along and they’re throwing people on but no one is getting off so it’s just so full i feel like im in a mosh pit seriously with the Spanish Reggatone blasting in my ears too we make another stop when a pregnant lady goes to get on and so I get up to offer my seat cause there’s no more and i mean come on she’s pregnant so me with the assistant of the rapidito and one other guy are on the ledge of the rapidito holding on for dear life while we go through this colonial named Gracias a Dios it was so fun just an adrenaline rush like it always is right hahah but i loved it. Also there was a new family that went to church yesterday so we will start working with them they are so cool so ya anyways my week was good.

He does write of many testimony and faith promoting experiences.  One of my favorite experiences is when he was serving in an area called La Lopez.  We had a

crazy experience that honestly strengthened my testimony a ton.

We were out getting to know the area when we passed by a house and

they greeted us and we passed it and something said go back ok so we

turned around and started to talk to her.  Nice lady and she was a

member right, just inactive is what she says ok so as were talking

there is screaming and she goes to see what’s going on and her daughter

had fallen down and split her head open with blood GUSHING from her

head it honestly was one of the things that has actually scared me

here because i thoiught she was gonna die because of all the blood.  In

like 2 seconds i pulled some oil from my backpack and told my comp to

do the annointing and fast as the mom was holding her daughter both of

them are screaming he does it blood still gushing then my turn I

sealed the annointing and gave a blessing in this blessing I said that

the blood will stop NOW that you will return to normal tomorrow! I

said in the Name of Jesucristo Amen we took our hands from her head

and....It had stopped bleeding as I am writing this there are like

tears in my eyes because it was a miracle miracle thats the only way

to describe it miracle. She then went and layed down we then said

another prayer and left.  I was thinking HOW ,WHAT JUST HAPPENED

I have never seen anything like it.so the night ended and the next day

we were working close so we went by and she was playing outside with

her friends with NO MARK at all!!! Amazing Amazing thats all i have to

say i really am liking this area i love being a missionary i witnessed a miracle this week

 I have grown to love Mondays.  I look forward to reading what his week has been like, but mostly it is like filling my cup back to full to see that he is safe, well and happy. I knew that I was going to give this talk and so for a couple of weeks I asked him what he would like me to say to the members of our ward family about his mission.  I was getting quite concerned as for the first couple of weeks, he didn’t answer my request.  So, last week when I wrote him and asked again, the email that came and the subject was, “Sunday Talk” excellent, he wrote most of my talk for me.  So in his own words I will read what he sent.  

Well there are so many things to tell really in the mission I have had some amazing experiences where I really have been able to see the hand of the Lord in many things with many people and many blessings. Right Now I am in the Heart of San Pedro Sula and as I’m sure you know mom Honduras is the most dangerous & violent country in the world at this moment. But don’t worry I’m ok I’m fine I love it here.   This is one of my favorite areas of my favorite area.  They have both been right in the city where all the action is right. haha anyways something that I really have learned is no matter where you are who you are you can find peace and Hope in the Church and in the arms of our Savior, Jesus Christ who is there for us always.  This area I have had the amazing experience to teach a man named Omar who is an engineer.  We are talking top of the line here and he has always had work just insane and now with the country the way it is he was a man just looking for peace, went to church with us and found it. I have thought a lot about that because so many people out there look for this peace.  Members of the church look for it when they are in something wrong or have done something wrong you can repent and find peace I like the Talk by Jeffery R Holland called “We are all Enlisted!!! Awesome Talk great for priesthood boys and everyone.  The part that I like is when he says whoever you are....and whatever you’ve done, you can be forgiven it’s the miracle of forgiveness. It is the miracle of the of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.  But you cannot do it without an active commitment to the gospel, and you cannot do it without repentance where it is needed.  Forgivness and the comfort one can feel from this. I mean lifes hard and reallywe think we can do it alone but we can’t really what we have to do is DO OUR BEST AND LEAVE THE REST TO THE LORD. Come What may and love it it’s been the theme of my mission and it is and now will be the theme of my life. Learn and Keep Going  I can’t be dribbling out of bounds just when the Lord needs me to get in and play my heart out. EVERYONE can have more peace in their life and more hope and they can find it in the gospel.  

That is what he has been doing out there, teaching people about the peace and comfort of the gospel and the power of the Atonement.  I have watched this boy that we sent out into the mission field become a man.  Nothing we could have taught him at home compares to what he has learned while serving a mission.

 He continues to say with each email how fast the time is going, and they say that the 2nd year goes faster.  I’m not sure who “they” are, but for this Elder it seems to be flying by.  We have truly been blessed as he is serving our Father in Heaven.  I have witnessed many tender mercies of a loving Father in Heaven that assures me that he is in His Hands, and He is watching over and protecting him, and it is whispered to my heart that he’s ok.

 Yes, I still miss him…everyday.  I still tear up at many hymns and most sacrament meetings I shed a tear or two, but I would not trade this experience by having him home.  He has learned so many things and lessons that will benefit him for the rest of his life.  Just a couple of weeks ago we attended a welcome home of another Elder that served in his same district.  As he told of his experiences, some even a bit scary, I witnessed the sadness of his heart that he wished he could go back.  He loved the people of Honduras and learned to truly serve as I know Bridger is doing today.  

Thank you again for your kindness, for praying for him and asking us how he is doing.  It means so much to us.  Through the amazing technology of blogging and facebook many of you are followers of his mission and for that we are grateful.  We live in such an amazing ward and so many of you helped to get him to where he is today.  

I know the gospel is true.  I have never doubted.  I knew that even stronger when I watched that young boy go into the MTC to begin his journey.  He loves being a missionary.  I witness it each email as he shares his love of the gospel, the love of the people in Honduras and his testimony of the promise of the Atonement and of a loving Heavenly Father who knows each and every one of us here on the earth.  I know that whether it is in North Salt Lake UT, San Pedro Sula Honduras, or anywhere in the world,  I know He hears and answers our prayers.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

A New Comp & A Marshmellow in a cup of Hot Chocolate

This email tells of his companion Elder Johnson going home.  We are anxiously awaiting a phone call tell us that he is here in SLC to go to school.  I can't wait to meet him.  I love his attitude, he seems to just press forward and go forward.  Even though I know they had such a great time together.  I love how they worked hard even until the end of his mission.  Many times they get anxious and stop working hard and this is not the case.  He was sent now two Elders home, which is quite unusual.  This week also marked 199 days until his return.  I don't want to wish it away, but I sure miss him at times.   Thank you so much for following his adventures, it is appreciated and your prayers are felt.  Enjoy...

Well this week was kind of a bummer week with Elder Johnson leaving and Everything these 6 weeks went so flippin fast i cant even believe it what an awesome guy so started on Tuesday we were waiting for the news when only the latins howed up Pres made some calls and stuff the flights for them were cancelled for 2 days so i never saw elder williams bummer right but hes in a good area called Santa Ana with a really awesome Comp named Elder Rodas i believe so he will be good ill be sure to say hey to him if i ever see him haha so anyways that is that also some sweet news about the change meeting remember my kid Elder Zavaleta the Elder that i trained well hes training!!! i was stoked he only has 7 months and its insane but very cool im a abuelo hahah ya know ya have the whole family thing in the mission so my "kid" is training so that makes me a grandpa which is sweet cause i still have some time so maybe if this kid is pilas ill be a great grandpa!!! what a family line it would be right. anyways the sad thing about changes was that Elder Johnson Bounced outta town which sucks i was bummed for that he was definitely one of my favorite comps i have had in the mission we worked hard and had so much fun love the guy you have to go and meet him!!!! Ill try to find his number or something but ya you gotta meet him. So then we were in Changes and i got my new Comp Elder Castellon you guys have probably heard of him before we have bounced around the mission together and nw hes my comp so that is cool i hope that it will be a good change. Just this week we had a super hard time finding people super hard i dont know what the problem was bt man hard week also we only had 3 at church so that kinda sucked too but we still have the 3 families we are working with so that is good we have dates for this week we just have to make sure that the partida will come in time! so that they can get married but they are freaking cool the Familia Beltran and Mendoza so cool love em. they have a daughter named Dana who is scared of Gringos every time we go she starts to cry and man its bad but oh well right after talking for like 5 mns shes good but man is she scared of us sometimes. So This week we were with the familia Beltran and they asked us if we wanted to go get a tamale we said ok and went with them to"SWAP MEET SAN PEDRO" Man did i stick out like a marshmellow in a cup of Hot Chocolate it was a chill place but dang lets just say it was sketch city down there every friday and saturday night they have this huge this it was fun and they had great food but man i was definitively the only gringo there for miles since Elder Castellòn is from Nicaragua but it was good we ate tamales and drank some Horchata have you guys ever drinken Horchata wow is it an amzing drink i love it and whenever its available i buy if you havent tried you should this week I'm sure they sell it at BETOS so ya that was the week pretty much this week we just have to find more people to teach it was a good week though all in all i love being a missionary crazy where the time goes Stetson told me that Tanner Peck leaves for the mission this week thats crazy that kid was a sophomore when i was a senior anyways thanks for all the prayers and support i love you all so much.

 

Love Elder Clayton