Christmas Day

We got to Skype with Emily on Christmas Day.  It was so wonderful to see her face to face.  I am so grateful for modern technology.  She looked so happy.  The people she ate dinner with were kind enough to send me pictures.  I am so glad they did because we didn't even think about taking a picture of her skyping.  We have been so grateful for the wonderful people of Belgium who have taken care of our daughter and let us know how she is doing when we don't have contact with her.

gelukkig Nieuwe Year Iedereen!!!

Hallo iedereen!!!

Well then, on to the week. The Belgians love their holdiays. They have Sinterklaas, Kerstavond, Kerst, Tweede Kerst, New Years Eve, New Years day, and second New Years Day (I don't really know what that is, but the stores are closed today and people are off work, so yeah). Gotta be honest, I am super done with the holidays. People aren't home, and it has made meeting with people a little difficult, so I'm very ready for everything to get back to normal. New Year's Eve was fun though. We had to be in at 4:00 for safety (more for the Netherlands missionaries. The Dutch go CRAZY with New Years), so we had a very relaxing night of talking and coloring and reading the Book of Mormon. Also, a lot of our neighbors shot off a ton of fireworks and confetti, so that was fun to watch. 

I just really love Centraal
(The Christmas tree is huge, but Centraal makes it look puny by comparison)

The Church did a Joy to the World campaign where people who were interested could order a free DVD and talk to the missionaries about it, so we spent a lot of time this week looking up referrals who weren't home (refer to the complaint about the holidays). But, we also had some really cool experiences.

First, one of our investigators, Joy, has been going through some really hard things in her life, so the elders came over to give her a priesthood blessing. It was such a powerful experience! The words that were said were such a testimony to me of how aware Heavenly Father is of Joy. He knows exactly what she is going through, and He has a plan for her. I am so grateful for the priesthood. The power of God is on the earth today. It is real, and it has blessed my life.

Second, we had another really good lesson with Seoud where we talked about the importance of reading your scriptures, praying, and keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. When we talked about the Sabbath Day, he said, "Oh, I go to the gym on Sunday. That's okay, I can change that, I'll just work out at home instead. Wait, no, I won't do it at all. I'll just focus on God." His simple faith touched me. He was so immediately willing to make a change in his life to come closer to Christ. We didn't even have to invite him- he heard what God had asked of us, and he just immediately committed to do it. I hope that I can develop that kind of faith and desire to follow God.

I love this gospel. I'm so grateful to have the fullness of the truth on the earth today, and I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon. I finished it on the last day of the year, having marked every time Christ's name was mentioned and making a list of every different name used for Him. There are over 100 names and countless times that He is mentioned. I have truly come closer to Him as I have read it, and I have been reminded of how central He is. In Dutch, they say that He is "de kern". He is the absolute core and center of the gospel, of the Book of Mormon, of God's plan, and of our lives. I love my Savior, and I feel His love for me and all of the people we talk to and work with here every single day.

Fijne week en een gelukkig nieuwe yaar!!!!

met liefde,

Zuster Cluff

Our last district meeting before transfers

ANTWERPEN!
(kind of if you squint a little.. and use some imagination)

Merry Christmas!!!

Welp, I hope all of you had a merry Christmas yesterday! It was really fun seeing all of you, but I feel kind of bad. I didn't really tell you any good stories, or how much I love it here, or how cool it is being a missionary, or how much I love all of you, or how grateful I am to have all of you. Ann told me to make a list of the things that I wanted to say beforehand, but I thought that was silly, because I was sure I would remember, but then I started talking to you and forgot it all, so I guess I'll have to do that one next time. I do love all of you though, and it was really good to see you!!!

I didn't really tell you about my week, so here goes:

We had some good lessons this week, but two in particular were really cool.

1) We had a lesson with Seoud- a man who had never really prayed before in his life and whose first book to read is the Book of Mormon. It has been a really slow journey with him, but her has started praying and reading every day, and he was telling us how he feels really warm when he does it, and how he is happy now, and how he is finally finding peace. It was so cool to hear this man with no Christian background describe feeling the Spirit for the first time. I have learned so much teaching Seoud, and he now has a baptismal date in February, so I'm super excited to help him work towards that.

2) A couple of weeks ago we went to teach a lady named Patience for the first time. We went in and taught her about the Restoration, but her husband was there. He kept interrupting to yell at us about how Joseph Smith is a false prophet and how real prophets sacrifice for their God and do miracles, etc. (all things that Joseph Smith most definitely did). It made it really hard to teach, and it was really hard to stay Christlike and not start arguing or trying to prove him wrong. We both walked out of that appointment a little bit mad, but the wife had said we could come back, so we went back yesterday, and the husband opened the door. I just thought, "Oh great, here we go again," but he started telling us how he and his wife had been reading the Book of Mormon this week, and how he has been using the Bible cross-references and was learning a lot. He then said that he was praying to have God show him His will about this church and if it's the direction he should go. Then he sat in on the lesson and really listened and asked questions. It was like we were talking to an entirely different man than the last time. The Book of Mormon is so true. It changes lives, and it changes hearts. I'm so grateful for it in my life.

Well, I love all of you a lot and hope that you have a great week!!!!

Liefs,

Zuster Cluff

Through a strange turn of events we ended up at a mental health clinic where they had a petting zoo and they had the largest chickens I have ever seen in my life!

Weird Statue in Mechelen

Christmas Eve

A lot of people live in flats so this is how they do Christmas lights

The first empty tram in 4 months .  It was a magical moment

The Lord Uses Leaky Buckets

Mom, sounds like Christmas is in full swing over there. That's a lot of craziness with the dentist- considering our mutual hatred of the dentist, I hope it's over soon. Haha, I remember Santa Land well. I'm glad you enjoyed it, but I understand the kids disappointment. Was Moana good? That one looked really good. It's called Viana here, and there a lot of ads for it. I also think that you and Dad have raised us to be high-yield, low-maintenance church members. I'm super grateful for the way you've raised us. I think about that a lot- how blessed I am to have you as parents. Also, thank you for your stories. They meant a lot to me, and I know how much you hate stuff like that, so thank you. Truthfully, I forgot to ask the president about the money thing. I'm pretty sure I can't give people straight up money though. I can think of a few things that I can help people with with the money from Melinda, but truthfully, I don't think I could come up with stuff for any more than that. 

Dad, haha, that was a pretty good grapje (I actually learned the correct spelling this week. Zuster Berrett and I have been working on that). That sounds like kind of a miserable trip, but I'm glad you at least got a good sandwich and a show out of it. Also, that whole "being on the same level as the primary kids" thing has come to a whole new level here. I sat in primary a few weeks ago with a young investigator, and it was the first time that I understood everything in church. I think I should go there more often. 

SKYPE INFO: I think that I will be skyping you at 6 our time, which I hope is 11 your time. That means that you need to turn your skype account on (preferably at least a half hour early) and make sure that it is working, so that I can call you. Also, if you could send me your skype name, that would be appreciated- I'm not sure if I remember. Also, we only have 45 minutes, so if you could keep Tyson's antics to a minimum, that would also be appreciated. 

So, this week: 

We had a really busy week planned, but it turned out to be one of those weeks where just everything falls through, no one comes to stuff they committed to come to, none of the referrals we looked up were home, etc. It actually became kind of humorous as the week went on. Yet another appointment would fall through, and Zuster Berrett and I would just look at each other and say, "'Tuurlijk" and then start knocking. 

The good news is, if we're willing to go to work, the Lord will use us, regardless of the situation. Our busy week turned into a knocking week, but we met some really cool people because of that. We met this lady named Mickey, who invited us into her home before we even finished telling her who we were. She started telling us all about her life, and how she is not religious any more because some things in her life just didn't make sense with the God she'd been taught about. We didn't have a lot of time, so we just testified of God's love for her and His plan for our happiness. I'm excited to go back and teach her the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and share the Book of Mormon with her. It really does answer the questions of the soul, and I know it will help her. We talked with other people, too, who had sincere questions and who we are going back to teach this week.

This week, in a lesson with a recent convert, Zuster Berrett shared a story about a leaky bucket. To make a very long story short, a man has a bucket that loses almost all of its water on the way from the well to home. The bucket feels bad and tells the man he's sorry that he can't help his family the way that a good bucket should. The man laughs and tells the bucket to look to both sides of the path from the well. On one side, the bucket sees a desert, and on the other side it sees a garden full of food and plants. The man tells the bucket that when he saw that it was losing its water, he started planting seeds on the path, and the leaky bucket's water made food grow that fed the man's family. 

The Lord takes leaky buckets like me, and leaky weeks like this one, and He uses all of our leakiness to accomplish miracles if we are just willing to serve the best we can. I'm really grateful for that knowledge, and I am forever grateful for an all-knowing and wise Heavenly Father who is at the head of this work and at the head of our lives. 

I hope you all have an incredible Christmas!!! Ik hou van jullie allemaal en wens jullie fijne feestdagen!!!!

Liefs,

Zuster Cluff

Alma 27:17- "The Joy of Ammon was so Great..even to the exhausting of his strength"

Mom, yep, sorry for my selfishness, but thank you for the stories! I will read them this week! Also, thank you for the books! Sounds like a Christmas-filled week! I'm glad that you got to meet Elder Rasband. He gave our area conference at BYU right before he became an apostle, and it was really good. They mostly just have lights in the centrum here, since that aren't really houses. Some people do put lights in their apartment windows, though. They do Christmas trees, but not quite as religiously as we do. Some do it, some don't, some wait till like the day before Christmas, it's just not as big of a deal to them.

Dad, you spent two years as a missionary so I know that you must have some stories. Yay for giving the lady a Book of Mormon and poinsettias! How many more do you have to go? Sounds like a pricey night with weird food, but I hope you enjoyed it. Sounds like you're going to have to join the biking club and put that shiny new bike to use. 

This week! It was really good! First off, it was pretty warm this week, which is nice both because I was less cold and because people are a lot more willing to talk to you when it's warm. 

To start, we spent P-day in Gent touring a castle, and I have decided that I want one. My new life dream is to be a Disney princess and live in a castle with lavines, a torture chamber, and a weapons room. It was really cool. Also, it was Sinterklaas- the first of Belgium's three Christmas holidays. 

We also had a zone conference this week with Elder Johnson from the Area 70 Presidency. He talked about being a high-yield, low-maintenance missionary (or member of the church). He said that our goal should be to become someone who is an active part of building the Lord's kingdom and who doesn't need constant help or supervision to do so. It was a really good conference, and I have seen the power of high-yield, low-maintenance members in my life. Also, it was really fun to see Zuster Burnham at the conference. I have missed her a lot!

Miracle of the week (we actually had lots, but this one was the biggest): We are teaching a woman named Yinet from the Dominican Republic. We were knocking a street about a month ago that I felt really good about, and we knocked her door. We told her about the Book of Mormon, and she told us that we could bring one back in Spanish. We did, but she didn't have time for us to meet with her right then, so we scheduled another appointment. When we walked in the next week, the Book of Mormon was on the table and she told us that she and her daughter had read in it every night, and that it was a very important book. We've taught her a few times since then, and last night we were teaching her about baptism. She told us that she really wanted to be baptized, but that she was afraid she was too old (she's 30). We assured her that this was not the case and invited her to be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God. She said, "Ah, ja, ik echt wil het" (Yes, I really want to, but the feeling doesn't quite come across in English- jammer). Also, we her brother-in-law sat in on the last two lessons, and she told us that she hadn't been able to read the Book of Mormon much this week because he kept stealing it from her to read it. I am so excited for this sweet little family! I feel like the Lord has really prepared them for this gospel! 

Graapje of the week: We were teaching Joy (one of our investigators). She has been preparing for baptism, and we were having a really spiritual discussion with her about it. She was telling us all about the changes that have happened in her life since she's started meeting with the missionaries, and it was just a really good lesson. Then we asked her a question, and she closed her eyes to think about it (she does that when she really wants to contemplate something) and not 20 seconds later, she started snoring. Zuster Berrett and I just looked at each other like, "What the heck just happened?" We tried to wake her up, but she was OUT, so we just left a note and left. It was super awkward and funny. She's told us before that when she feels the Spirit, it makes her sleepy because she feels so comfortable, so we're just assuming it was a King Lamoni moment where she was overcome by the Spirit. (But actually she told us later that she'd taken cold medicine, and it makes her sleep).

DON'T SEND THIS STORY to anyone else, but it was a really special moment for me that I wanted to share: We taught Nathalie about tithing this week. I have been dreading this lesson a little bit, because I knew that finances were a little tight. Once we started teaching it, it just didn't feel super right. There was something off, and we weren't sure what. Then she kind of broke down and told us that she really wanted to pay it, but she just didn't think she could. She told us how she was already having to make choices between getting the treatment that she needed (she has 3 bone disease things that make it really hard for her to walk and give her a lot of pain) and providing for her kids in the way she needed to. I had no idea just how tight things were for her, and the whole time I was just praying to know what Heavenly Father wanted me to say to this daughter of His who was struggling so much. It was one of those moments when my mouth was filled once I opened it. I opened it to tell her how much I love her, and then the Spirit hit me really strong, and I just started crying. I told her how much I loved her, and how I would not ask this if I didn't absolutely know that it would do nothing but bless her. Then came what I realized God needed her to hear: "Nathalie, our Heavenly Father loves you even more than I do, and He would not ask this of you if it would hurt your family. He will provide a way for you to pay it, and He will bless your family if you will have the faith to keep this commandment." Then she started crying too, and we just cried together, but the Spirit was so strong, and it was such a testimony to me. God loves us. He loves us so much, and He does not require anything of us that will hurt us. Everything that He gives us is for our good. We just have to have the faith to follow, even without always knowing how it will turn out. It's a strange thing being a missionary, because the Spirit teaches me as I teach others. My testimony of tithing and the commandments in general was strengthened so much in that moment.

Anyways, I love all of you!!! I hope you have a wonderful week!

veel liefde,

Zuster Cluff

p.s. When is your church on Christmas? Because we need to figure out Skype times.

What motivates you? "PAIN"

Hoi hoi hoi!!!!

Mom, I'm glad the Nativity was good! I love the Nativity, and I'm glad you're excited for next year! I'm also glad that you want to change it up a little, because I was thinking the same thing- it's been pretty much the same for the last few years. I'm excited to hear what you do. I still can't believe that Alex is getting married, but I'm super happy for her. I don't know why President Bunnell sent that letter to you, because it's really no big deal. We're careful, I promise, but also, the Lord protects His missionaries. I don't have any specific experiences to attest to that fact, but I just feel it. The Lord asks a lot of 18 and 19 year old kids, but He blesses us with so much. Holy cow! Losing 50 missionaries is rough! That's like, a third of our mission. 

Father Cluffy, thank you for the Dutch lesson. I feel very enlightened. And yes, my Dutch spelling is atrocious. A makeshift pie is a bready sort of crust because you made up the recipe covered in a peanut butter chocolate concoction that you made up followed by a layer of vanilla pudding and topped off with chocolate sprinkles (which actually taste like chocolate in Belgium, not the waxy cardboard things we have in America). So yes, quite akin to a cow pie. Ha! I can't believe you let all those young whippersnappers walk all over you in the token department. If Grandpa Cluff's hard line is 420 tokens, then he better be footin the bill for little J. Heber (Tyson's son, not mine). 

Also, I have a Christmas present request from the two of you. I want life histories of the two of you. Not like, birth and where you grew up and stuff, just like a few stories of defining times in your life, or times when your testimony of something really grew or developed, or when you really became converted. Dad, I especially want mission stories, because I have realized that I have hardly ever heard you talk about your mission. Were there people you really came to love? Did you have a moment when your heart just broke or you thought you couldn't do it anymore? Did you have a moment when you really realized why you were there or what the Lord wanted you to do? I just really want stories about how you two became who you are today. That sounds cheesy, but that's my request. Please email me!

On to the week, then. First about the subject line. This week in district meeting, Zuster Berrett was sharing a Christlike attribute spiritual thought, and she asked "What motivates you?" And a few people threw out, "my family," "wanting to do what's right," etc. and then this pretty serious, kind of quiet elder just says really nonchalantly, "Pain." We just all kind of looked at him, and he was like, "What? I mean, I guess if I think about it, love is probably a better motivator, but sometimes pain just works better." It was really funny, but it has been a little bit true for us this week. It has been pretty darn cold, which has been great motivation to get into people's homes and teach. (On the bright side, our hot water got fixed, so I took my first hot shower in over 3 weeks, YAY!) 

We had some really good lessons with our investigators this week, and we also taught a few first lessons this week. I love teaching first lessons. In the MTC, I studied the missionaries in the Doctrine and Covenants and thought, "How cool would it be to be one of those first missionaries and get to tell people that the perfect gospel of Christ has been restored to the earth again and that He has called a prophet to lead us again in our day?" Then I realized that I am doing the exact same thing. There are so many people who still don't know, and when we taught about the restoration of the perfect gospel of Jesus Christ this week, I just really felt the significance of it. They didn't clap their hands and shout Hosanna the way the people in my imagination do, but they were willing to find out for themselves if it is true or not, and I'm excited to help them find an answer. 

I have thought a lot about the Savior this week. I read a talk that pointed out that by earthly standards, His mortal ministry probably looked like a failure. Most people who heard Him ridiculed Him or didn't understand. Very few chose to follow, and even those who did weren't able to keep His church going more than a generation or two after His death. And yet, He accomplished all that the Father sent Him to do. He made possible the salvation of every single soul ever to walk this earth, and His atonement continues to change people and change lives in a way that nothing else can. His mortal ministry may not have looked like much by earthly standards, but it changed the course of history and made possible an eternity of joy for each one of our Heavenly Father's children. I love my Savior. I am so very grateful for Him, and for the chance that I have to help others to come unto Him. 

I love you all and pray for you daily! Have an incredible week!!!!

Groetjes,

Zuster Cluff

It's a Festivus Miracle!

Mom, holy cow! It sounds like you and your bike have not gotten along too well this week! Maybe you two should take a break from each other. Question: did the chipped teeth come from your misadventures  with the bike? Haha, April and Lynette's messages were perfect. They were just so them- it's good to know that some things never change. Yay for finishing your class! Glad you got it done before the Nativity madness. I'm glad Thanksgiving went good! Have an awesome time with the Nativity! I really miss the Nativity. It was one of my favorite parts of Christmas time. Haha, our appartment problems are not fixed, but our apartment manager only speaks Italian, so I would love to see you try and call him. Oh! Also, vrees niet, I picked up my package at the post office today, so all is well. Thank yoouuuuu!!!!

Dad, 1) our district is 10 people- 4 of which are in the Sint Niklaas ward (with Lokeren) and then the 6 Antwerpen missionaries. Yes, Zuster Berrett had fair warning of what she was getting herself into. 2) Zuster Burnham went to Gouda- it is her first Nederland area, and she has been here 9 months, which is a SUPER long time to be in Belgium in this mission 3) My Dutch is coming. I understand most everything now (or at least can get the gist), but I can't say near as much as I understand. Also, they speak Flams here, and Zuster Burnham only spoke Flams (since she'd only been in Belgium), and a missionary fresh from Nederland told me (with surprise) that I spoke Flams. I have decided to take that as a compliment. Most missionaries speak Dutch, because they start their mission in Nederland, and don't spend much time in Belgium, so they don't really pick up the Flams much. I am quite happy with that fact, but it is going to be rough when I get transfered to Nederland and have to relearn. They say it's easier going from Flams to Dutch than Dutch to Flams though, so hopefully it won't be bad. 4) The next transfer is right after Christmas, so I'll be in Antwerpen 5) The people of Antwerpen are not super religious, but the numbers weren't too bad. We mostly ran a tetoonstelling (I don't know the English word) where we talked to people about the church. 6) No, no one cares about Thanksgiving here. 7) Your ornaments are on the tree. I especially liked the "Don't muff it" one. I will try. 8) Yes 1) Ik sprek niet zo veel Nederlands, so suck it up! 1) Sounds like an awesome week! (other than the missing puzzle piece- glad you didn't let it get you down.)

Well everyone, we had a really good week! We had 16 appointments go through, 11 of which were lessons with investigators! That is a really big number for us, and I'm still not quite sure how it happened. All I can really attribute it to is blessings. Heavenly Father is moving His work here in Antwerpen forward. Also, we hardly knocked any doors this week. It's a festivus miracle! (I actually kind of like knocking doors, but it's definitely more fun and  rewarding to be in homes teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!)

I'm glad to hear that you all had a good Thanksgiving. Mine was pretty good, too. We had zone training, so all of the missionaries in Belgium came to Antwerpen, and we got trained on the church's new Christmas initiative (for those of you who have not seen the video yet, go watch LIGHTtheWORLD on momon.org- it's really beautiful!). I'm super excited to get to share it with people this Christmas season! Also, we had a dinner appointment with some members. They didn't know that it was Thanksgiving, but it was a happy coincidence. Also, Zuster Berrett and I made a makeshift pie, so it was fun. Then we decorated for Christmas with all of the random Christmas stuff that various missionaries have left in our apartment over the years. 

Exciting news of the week: Nathalie is getting baptized January 29!!!! And, she is quitting smoking! And, her little son wants to be taught by the missionaries! And, she came to church! And, I just really love her! I can just physically see the changes that this gospel is making in her life. She is so much happier, and more patient, and more hopeful now than when we first met her. I am watching the Atonement at work, and it is such a powerful thing to see. The Atonement is so real. I have seen miracles here in Antwerpen. I know that the Lord is at the head of this work. He loves His children, and He has given us this gospel to find happiness and joy. 

I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week!!!!! 

Veel liefde,

Taking Over Antwerpen

Hallo iedereen!!!!

Mom, sounds like jullie will have a great Thanksgiving! Tell everyone hi for me! Sounds like your San Antonio trip was about on par with the previous ones, but I'm glad everyone got the experience. Haha, glad to hear that my Taco Bell legacy has left a mark. Cute photo booth! Where'd you get the saddle? I'm assuming that by the time you read this, your big mama bike ride will be over, so I'll just congratulate you for not dying!!! Yay for you!!! That sounds kind of miserable, but I hope you had fun. I just read those Alma chapters this morning! I felt so connected to them. It's funny to see that missionary work has not really changed in a few thousand years. The struggles are definitely the same, but the joy is the same, too. I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon. It has gotten me through these past few months. Sorry about your Sunday School class. That's never a good feeling, but I think Tyson's wrong. I've learned a lot from Sunday School, and I think that if anyone can reach that group of kids, you can! (That sounded less cheesy in my head than when I typed it, but, yeah...). Also, thank you so much for the Christmas tree! I love it, but I sincerely hope that you did it for all the missionaries and didn't make your Sunday School class write notes to just me. That would be super awkward.

Father Cluffy, haha, glad to know that the inmates haven't lost control. Thanks for checking out the clubs for me. That will be useful information when I get back. I will be very sad if Justin has outgrown his utter embarrassment on behalf of our family by the time I get back, so glad to hear that he's still holding strong. I'll throw out a courtesy WOOO in Antwerpen today. That Angry Birds movie looked dumb, but I'm glad they got a good laugh our of it. Did you let Ryan win, or did you not play Risk? I'm a little unclear as to how the game went down. Also, I heard that you have once again pawned off the responsibility of giving the boys the puberty talk on mom. What's that about? I feel like you and Ryan could have had some real bonding moments! 

First off, a super big thank you to everyone who wrote me such sweet notes for Christmas! It made my day, and it makes me happy every time I walk past the tree with all of your ornaments on it. I feel so blessed to have such amazing people in my life!

So, this week the Antwerpen crew officially died. It's super rare to have 7 missionaries stay together for 2 transfers, so no one was really expecting a third, but it was still sad to say goodbye to people. I had to say goodbye to Zuster Burnham as she spread her little Nederland wings (she had been in Belgium 9 months, which is SUPER rare). I expected to miss Zuster Burnham, but it was a lot harder than I thought. You just go through so much together, and it was so weird not to have her there anymore, Plus, Antwerpen is a pretty big city to take over, but so far I haven't gotten Zuster Berrett and I too lost. Zuster Berrett is pretty great, too. She is from Las Vegas, has been out 9 months, was serving in Lokeren before here (also in our district). She is a little quiet, but she likes to laugh, and I think we're going to have a good transfer together. 

This week was a little strange because Antwerpen was hosting an inter-faith event that the missionaries were invited to help with for four days, so we couldn't teach as many lessons as usual, but it was kind of fun to have a change of pace. Truthfully, a lot of this week was nothing to write home about, so in honor of Thanksgiving, here's my gratitude list for this week.

Ik ben heel dankbaar voor:

1) Heat, hot water, filtered drinking water, non-leaky pipes: all things that I took for granted, but our now missing in the Antwerpen appartment. Alles goed though, it has been a fun adventure, and hopefully it will be fixed this week.

2) A lovely woman named Joy who we teach. She if from Africa, and I brought Zuster Berrett there for the first time this week. Zr. Berrett made the mistake of telling Joy that she (Zr. Berrett) can't cook. Joy then went off on a long rant about how all women can cook, European and American mothers just don't give their children opportunities to be in the kitchen. She said "With faith, you can move mountains" and then went off about how if you believe you can fry a plantain, you can do it. She is going to teach us to fry plantains next time we go over. She said, "You teach me about the word of God, and I'll teach you to cook." It's a pretty good arrangement. Zuster Berrett and I laughed a lot about that exchange.

3) People who come to church! We had three of our investigators come to church this week! I have learned so much about the importance of partaking of the sacrament and thinking about Christ's atonement each week. 

4) Mijn familie. Jullie zijn echt de beste. 

5) The gospel. It is just so important. It is not just an important thing in our lives, it is the whole reason that we were given lives. We were given life on this earth to progress and become more like our Heavenly Father through His gospel. How silly is it that we sometimes think that we don't have time for it. It is what time was given to us for. 

6) A merciful and loving Father in Heaven who knows our weaknesses and foolishness and loves us still. Not only that, but He has given everything to help us find joy in our weakness and imperfection and become like Him.

I love you all! Have a great Thanksgiving!!! 

Liefs,

Zuster Cluff

I'm Staying In Antwerpen

Hallo hallo!!!

Mom!!! Your letter made me laugh really hard. I am not in the least bit concerned about the package. Even if I didn't ever get it, my life would be just fine, so please don't worry about it. I'm actually going to be blijven in Antwerpen for another 6 weeks, so it will probably be just fine. They only tell you to send it to the office so that we don't have to pay all the customs fees when we pick it up, but the post office is like a 20 minute bus ride from our house, so it really will not be a problem. You are welcome to send something to the office, but I will not feel bad if I don't get a present at their party thing, so don't stress. Yay for the book fair! I miss those things. And books. Also, as a missionary it is super awkward when no one talks at dinner, and really exciting when people just talk to you and laugh with you like family, so I'm sure it was much appreciated. Also, as a missionary I have realized that our ward is pretty supportive of the missionary effort. We're still working on that one with our ward here. I didn't realize how much of a difference the members made until I wasn't a normal member anymore. The whole biking trail thing sounds super fun except for the Abigail part. But your Thanksgiving one should be good. 

Mr. CLUFFY. I am choosing to not comment on the diaper musings and let you draw your own conclusions. Haha, I miss Sunday nights with pantless protests, dumb challenges, kids crying, then you getting mad at them for crying, then the crying increasing. I can see it all so clearly in my head. Glad to know that some things never change. Then Belgians are very concerned about the whole Trump thing. Nathalie texted us saying that she was praying for us, and that we were just going to all have to stick it out together for the next 4 years. I swear, from the way the Belgians talk, you would think that they were the ones living in American with Trump as their president. They keep saying how they're just going to have to live with the results, etc. etc. I almost want to tell them that they don't have to live with the results, because it's not their country! But I'm a missionary, so I don't. I do remember the Bacher's! That's really cool that they're active again! 

Alright folks, transfer calls are in and I am blijven here in Antwerpen! I am going to have to say goodbye to Zuster Burnham, though, who is headed up to the netjes land of Gouda. Zuster Berret is my new companion though, and she is actually in my district now, so I know her and am excited to get to work with her. 

The zone leaders decided to play a really mean prank on us and gave us fake transfer calls. They told us that we were being whitewashed out, and I was going to Apeldorn and Zuster Burnham was going to Amsterdam. I may possibly have shed a few tears at the thought of leaving Antwerpen so soon, so I was very glad (and mad) when we got our real calls and I found out I was staying!

Never fear though, Elder Turner (one of the zone leaders) left his bag at one of our appointments, so we took it home and tinfoiled everything in there (including keys, coins, etc.) to get him back. It wasn't really a mean prank, but it was kind of funny. 

This week was temple conference!!!! We were all challenged to bring our own name, so I did a little family history and saw that our lineage is traced back past Abraham on one line. Also, there is a lot of work to be done on our line. (hint hint) Anyways, it was a really powerful experience, and it made me feel really good about my Dutch, because I understood almost everything! (More from memory than actually understanding the Dutch, but still...) The Spirit was so strong. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much, and has such an incredible plan for us!!!!

Zuster Burnham and I had a lot of appointments fall through this week, which is a little frustrating, but we did have a few really good ones. We meet with an inactive lady named Susan. She has terminal cancer and is really struggling to have faith in God and His plan for her right now. When we were there, I felt very strongly prompted to tell her as a representative of Jesus Christ that her Heavenly Father loves her and the atonement is for her. I was a little hesitant, because this lady does not usually appreciate things like that, but I did, and the Spirit was so strong. I could almost feel my Savior there with us. It was a very humbling testimony to me that I have truly been called as a representative of Jesus Christ. I have been called to be His hands and mouth on this earth at this time. It amazes me that He uses weak and imperfect people like me to do His work, but I am doing my best to live worthy of His trust. 

His gospel is real, His love is so very real, and I love being His servant. 

I love you all so much!!!!! I feel like that sounds like a repetitive line, but I really do!!!!

zo veel liefde,

Zuster Cluff

Happy Halloween!

First off, a sincere apology to the many Hardy's sending me very sweet emails. I truly love reading them, I just don't always have time to respond, so I am very sorry that it appears that I am ignoring you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for them, though!!!!

Mom, it sounds like you all had a good time at a true "gospel church." I can just picture you awkwardly standing and trying to not be awkward about how animated every else is. Sounds like a fun experience. If there is one thing I have truly learned here, it's how individual the gospel is. Conversion is so personal. Teachers, bishops, missionaries, we're not really part of it. It is between the person and the Lord. That's a pretty powerful thought- He does not delegate that responsibility. He speaks to each of us personal and reaches out to us individually to help us become the people we need to become. I did get a coat and some other winter stuff, but then the weather turned warm(ish), so I haven't gotten to use it much yet. I have no problem with my card, but I'll have to check on the present thing. I'm not really sure if I can do that as a missionary- we have some pretty strict rules about what we can and can't do in that regard, but I'll let you know next week. Grandma yardley sent me a couple of emails in the MTC, but not since. Sounds like the piano recital was fun. I love you lots!!!! p.s. I got your letter on Wednesday, but I haven't gotten Ellen's or any others.

Dad, I want it on record that although I'm in Europe, I have eaten a lot of sketchy African food, and I think it caught up to me. I am glad to know that it brought jullie joy though. I debated on whether to send that or not, but I figured if there was any group of people who would truly appreciate it, it would be all of you. I got out of the bathroom and Zuster Burnham was just like, "Are you okay? I'm glad you got to the bathroom on time. I figured it had to be something with your stomach. That could have been really bad if we didn't get here." Sooo... I just let her think that. I put my bag away from where we were having the meeting, so I don't think that anyone suspected anything, but if they did, they didn't say anything. I'm glad you enjoyed the substitute claps. I'm sure Deana really appreciated your enthusiasm. Sounds like a full week, but I'm glad you got to golf and keep the yard up to snuff. Yes, we did go to DC junior year, and naturlijk, ik vind het een beetje unfair that you are taking Tyson to Europe, when I have been suggesting Europe trips for years that have been shot down time and again, buuuuuuuut, I do think that my mission has softened me, because where before that would ignite a burning fire of anger at the injustice of the matter, now it is more of a slight irritation, so, I will leave that decision in your hands. 

Well, Happy Halloween iedereen!!!!!!! The Belgians don't really celebrate Halloween. They have a few pumpkins in the stores and a few brave souls venture to put up a ghost or two in their window, but it is definitely nothing like America. On the bright side, our investigator, Nathalie, is getting married in an hour, and the wedding is Halloween themed, so I think that we are going to have a grand old time. 

Speaking of which, Nathalie!!!!!! She has made such incredible progress, and I just love her so much!!!! We came over Wednesday, and she told us that she had been reading the Book of Mormon and praying and said that after she prayed, when she read the Book of Mormon, it all made sense, and she couldn't stop reading, and it felt like God speaking to her. She said that she knew that she needed to get baptized!!!!! I want so badly for her and her sweet family to have the happiness of the gospel! They need it! She also came to church on Sunday, and during one of the talks, I looked over and tears were streaming down her face. Zuster Burnham asked her if something was wrong, and she just kept saying, "I"m home, I feel like I'm home." She also has talked to us a lot about how it doesn't feel like she's learning new things, it feels like she's remembering. This gospel is so true, and some part of our souls knows it. This gospel is our home, and I have gained such a testimony of that this week. 

I have to leave for the wedding now, but I'll try and email more later if I have time. I love you all so much! This is Christ's gospel, and I am so blessed to have all of you in my life!!!!

zo veel liefde,

Ooopsy Poopsy

P-day at the EU in Brussels 

Mom, I agree on the reading and praying note, I have realized that it is seriously vital. If they aren't willing to have experiences with Christ in the ways that He has given us, then they can't really come closer to Him. Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ, not just learn about Him. We can teach, but if they don't act on it, then the purpose is kind of missed. I'll try and send pics of our apartment next week. A blanket sounds wonderful, and the only American food that I can think of is box mix brownies. They don't really have brownies here. 

Dad, ik vind 100% meegaandheid niet zo leuk. Also, I'm pretty sure you're going to have to turn to Tyson for a little J. Heber, because he's not coming out of my body. Sounds like a long week of travelling, so I'm glad your Saturday was at home! Also, golfing sounds like a lot of fun! I just realized that I have seen no golf courses here. The BYU game sounds brutal, but the picture of Zuster Baker running around saying NEIGH made me laugh.

A random field of ostriches by the EU building- gotta love modern art!

Well, on to the week:

We had interviews with President on Tuesday, which was really good and uplifting, but I had a not so great experience that I am sharing with you in strict confidence. THIS IS NOT TO GO IN THE WEEKLY EMAIL- you can tell the Hardy's if you really want, but not others. So, we had interviews at the church, and we reaaaaallly didn't want to be late, so we decided to leave over an hour early to be safe, because Belgium transportation is really unreliable. Naturlijk, because we really needed to be on time, the trams weren't running (normally  this is because the lovely people of Belgium have decided to go on strike again, but this time it was an electricity failure), sooooo, we had to take a bus, which is a lot slower. It FINALLY came, and we were late, but not tooo late. We are sitting on this bus, and I start feeling something akin to a great hand of fury reaching in and clenching my bowels. I made it through a few waves of this pain with no lasting consequences, but I told Zuster Burnham that no matter how late we were, I HAD to go to the bathroom once we made it to Centraal. We finally made it there, so we start the rather long trek to the bathrooms when another wave hits. There is no stopping this one, and some little Hershey squirts start to squeeze out. I waddle quickly towards the bathroom at which point I remember that I have no change, and the durned Europeans do not believe in free bathrooms. I head towards the change machine and stick my bill in, but it keeps spitting it back out at me. The bathroom bodyguard lady walks towards me to help, and I do not have the Dutch to explain to her that I will gladly give her the whole 20 euro bill if it means that I can go in the bathroom and stop standing here soiling my pants. She finally gets it to work, I grab my 20 euros worth of change and run/waddle into the bathroom where I exploded. I cleaned up as best as I could, but there was no way I could continue to where my underwear. Since they're garments, though, I couldn't throw them away either, so I cleaned them as best as I could and stuck them in my bag. And that, friends, is how I had my first interview with President commando. 

Otherwise, our week was pretty normal. We had an awesome lesson with Nathalie, and she was really excited to come to church, but she got really sick Saturday night and couldn't come, soooo next week! Drucella is amazing, and wants to be baptized in December! She is so ready and has such a good heart and a desire to follow Christ! We also got a mini missionary this week, which is kind of funny, because everything is so new to her, and it's made me realize just how used to it I am.

Us with our "mini" missionary

 Her name is Jasmin, and she's actually 25, but she's very new to the church, so she's considering a mission. It's been fun having her around. Not much else has happened this week, but something that we've really been focusing on in studies and lessons this week is coming to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ personally. They are not just ideas- they are real beings who love us, listen to us, and talk to us. We can do more than know about them, we can KNOW them. What a blessing that is! I feel like coming to know God is one of the greatest things we can do in our lives. I love you all a lot and pray for you daily! I know that Heavenly Father is watching over you, and I'm very grateful for that!

Liefs,

Zuster Cluff

A piece of the Berlin Wall

Winter ....Hoj komt!!!!

Hallo iedereen!!!

Mom, glad to hear that the shower is fixed and that Ryan's room is happily gray now. If you'll recall, you and I got paint on my ceiling, too, and no one ever seemed to notice, so it's probably fine. Haha, I can just see your face though when you walked in, and also when Abigail said that you made her pumpkin. It makes me happy. Naturally, Dad failed in his duties to send me a copy of his talk, but I would really appreciate one since it got such a high stamp of approval from both Ryan and Abigail in their emails. You make me laugh sometimes when you say what you need to improve on, because you are always so good at helping people and being a real friend to the people you visit teach, and always being willing to serve, and especially in doing the things that you're supposed to every day. I've appreciated the example that you and Dad have always been to me more than ever since being here. It is so much easier for me to do the things that I'm supposed to and have a good attitude about it since I've watched you and Dad do the same thing my whole life. As for your questions: My companion is kind of hard to describe. She's not bubbly, but she's not exactly shy either. She claims Virginia, but was military and moved a lot. Her family is actually in Germany right now, and she gets letters almost every week as well as several packages for her birthday, so you're welcome to send stuff, but you probably don't need to worry about her feeling forgotten. She has a desire to follow the rules, but she and I sometimes have different ideas about what that means exactly. I am doing good with everything. Sometimes it hard, and sometimes I don't feel like I am half of the missionary that I should be, but I have already grown a lot in 6 weeks, and I know that the Lord is helping me become the missionary that He needs me to be. Most of the time I'm pretty patient with myself. The language is definitely coming. It's hard because we mostly teach in English here in Antwerpen (that is not the norm in this mission), so when we do teach in Dutch it's like starting all over again, but I realized this week that I understand almost everything people say to me on the door now and a fair amount of small talk. I still don't understand the talks in church or anything, but I realized that I've actually improved a lot in the last transfer. I definitely do not want an ice tray, because the heat is long gone, and the bigger concern is figuring out how to turn the heat in our apartment on. Our apartment is apparently the most ghetto sister apartment in the mission, but it's not bad at all, just a little small. It's above a pizza shop. I hope that answers some of your many questions. I'll try and answer more next week.

Dad, I don't mind when you call me Zuster Cluff, because I can hear the slight sarcasm in you voice when you say it. I would love a conference ensign. English is great, but if you happen to see one in Dutch, I certainly won't say no. I hope that you had the opportunity to share that miracle in stake conference. I'm sure that would greatly strengthen the testimonies of all those within hearing. I have even considered using it as a door approach this week, because who wouldn't want to join a church that brings that kind of blessings??? I hope that my great enthusiasm is evident enough to warrant a picture of the fruits of your discipleship. That's really cool that you got to talk to a church lawyer. I can't believe you didn't send me a copy of your talk, but I'm sure that mistake will be rectified next week. I love you lots!

There is not much to tell from this week. The weather changed, and it changed fast, which led to pretty much everyone (Zuster Burnham and I included) getting sick, so we couldn't see some of our investigators this week. Unfortunately, missionaries don't have the same luxury of just avoiding the world when you're sick, so we got to brave the cold and go to work. It was good week, and we talked to some cool people. 

We did get a new investigator named Zoey. She is really cool and has had some incredible experiences that have led her to have a real relationship with Christ. She is afraid of the Book of Mormon for some reason, but really likes the rest of our message. We will keep working with her on that. I know that it can bless her life so much if she will just read it. 

Our transfer focus is the Book of Mormon, and our mission has been challenged to read the whole thing before the end of the year, marking every time Christ's name is used and keeping  a list of every title given to Christ and a tally of how many times it is used. If you all would like to join us, I think that would be awesome! It is about 6 1/2 pages a day, and I have already learned so much about how central Christ is to God's plan. I am in chapter 14 and I am already running out of room for my list and tallies. The Book of Mormon is truly a testament of Jesus Christ.

I will take this kind of boring week as an opportunity to tell you all some interesting things about Belgium: 1) They love American politics. Like, more than Americans. They love giving their opinions on the election and who will be the better president, and I'm pretty sure they're better informed than most actual voters, which is kind of funny. 2) They're really scared of missionaries, but also really love to help people, which leads to this inner conflict in them when we ask for directions. When we walk around with a map, people yell at us from across the street to see if they can help us get somewhere. Then they see our tags and get this look of struggle on their faces as they try to reconcile their instinct to give us directions and their instinct to avoid eye contact with all things religious. It is kind of funny to watch. 3) Belgium pride doesn't exist. If you ask them if they like Belgium, or what the best thing to do here is, or what their favorite Belgium food is, etc. they get this really confused look and then say something along the lines of, "There isn't really anything (to like, to do, to eat, etc.)" That is a strange concept for my American brain.

That is all I have for today. I love you all!!!!!

Veel liefde,

Zuster Cluff

Lovely town of Brugge

Our Akward District

I'm Not Dead, Just The Internet Is

Hallo mijn familie!!! (Hello, my family *exlamation points- usually intended to show enthousiasm or heightened emotion*)

First things first: I am alive, but the church internet across Belgium died last week, and they still haven't gotten it to work, so they finally arranged a way for us to use a library in Sint Niklaas after district meeting, but I'm not technically a Belgium resident yet, so Elder Le Duc is very kindly letting me use his time, so I can't take too long. Sorry for the heartattacks Mom, but it was out of my hands and I thought about you a lot and sent good vibes your way. 

Mom, everything you write is exciting, because it's from home, and I don't get homesick, so I really love hearing everything- you don't need to edit to keep me focused on the work or anything. Also, you're welcome to use my first name. I still remember it. That's so cool that the refugee lady talked to you. I did not really understand it until coming here- now it is so real to me, and there is so much need. I'm so glad the church is taking a part in helping. I don't take the rejection personal. I know that the Lord works with every person in His own time, so I don't feel bad when they tell me know, I just hope that their time will come in the future. We usually try to teach our investigators once a week, but sometimes we do more, it just depends. I like the mummed phrase, and I think you should make it a thing. Thanks for the Brigham Young quote, I loved it. I didn't get to watch women's conference, but I'm glad it was good. I'll have to read it sometime when the internet is back. Ummm... as a missionary, I really like hearing any news from home, but it's also really cool when people tell me things they've learned from their scripture studies or experiences, but I've mostly realized that when all of those missionaries annoyingly said they like hearing anything- it's true. 

Dad, echt het spijt me voor de Nederlands, maar ik vind het niet zo moelijk om Goodgle translate te gebruiken. I'm glad that you have educated Tyson and Justin in your manyly tire-changing ways, and Dave's Need for Speed sounds super fun! I really idd feel bad about the lack of emails, but I really didn't have any other choice! As far as Mom goes, I'mjust glad she didn't call the President.  If the worst that happened was irrealistic scenarios shared, then I think she took it pretty well. Thank you for the stories and advice- I really do love reading it. Be safe with all of your travels this week!!!! (Also, how's the Book of Mormon challenge going???)

So, the last two weeks in very short review: We have been working really hard to find more people to teach, and the Lord has really blessed us. We have started teaching five new people, one of which is Nathalie, who is a really sweet lady with two precious kids who I just really love teaching. She is one of the few people who we teach in Dutch, which is good, because it is practice for most of the areas in this mission, but also reminds me that I don't really speak the language yet. We have had some really spiritual experiences with her though, so it has been really good. 

Crazy story of the week for you: So we invited Reuben to family home evening (we have an FHE with single members of the ward, recent converts, and people we are teaching). We picked him up at his house and went to get on the tram towards the church, but he said, "Oh, the bus is faster." We decided to trust him, so we got on the bus, but when we got off, we were in Merksem (where the church is) but had no clue how to get to the church from the bus stop. So, we started wandering, hoping to find something that looked familiar, when this woman stopped us and said, "Hold on, are you two real?" Not quite sure how to respond to that, Zuster Burnham and I gave a very confused, "Yeeeesss?" She said, "Ï've pinned you on pinterest. Your outfits. Oh look, you even have the tags and everything." Still confused, we started talking to her, and it turns out that she followed a bunch of sister missionary boards on pinterest, because she wanted to dress more modestly without looking like a grandma, but she had no idea that Mormons were in Belgium. Reuben invited her to come with us to FHE. She said, "Oh, I'm not Mormon," to which he responded, "Neither am I!" So, she decided to come along. She had a very weird perception of who Mormons are and had a LOT of questions, but we wandered through Merksem, eventually found the church, and went to FHE. Everyone she was at the church she would ask us, "Are they a real Mormon, too? NO WAY!" It was so funny, but also a cool experience.

Funny moments the last couple weeks:

-We taught and did some service for an inactive member named Irma, who is very old, and speaks a horrible dialect called Antwerps. She yells at us a lot, but she winks at the other one the whole time, so we're pretty sure she actually likes us. Sometimes (most of the time) we don't understand what she's saying, so when she asks us a question, we have to say "Wijblieft?" (Come again), at which point she yells, "U verstand nix! Terug naar Amerika!" (You don't understand anything, go back to America!), but then she says something really sweet, so yeah, I think she likes us, but anyways, she's old and walks at a 90 degree angle because of back problems, and the whole time we were there, her skirt was tucked into her underwear as she's walking at a 90 degree angle, but she's not really the kind of person you can tell, so I just tried not to laugh the whole time.

- We knocked on a door, and a sweet 12 year old answered. He went to get his mom for us, but stayed at the door when she came back. We gave our speel about being missionaries, and her son said, "Ummm... wij zijn een klein beetje Muslim." (We're a little bit Muslim). His mom gave him that dangerous mom look that transcends cultures and said, "Klien beetje?!?! Jij bent Muslim, of jij bent niet Muslim, dar is geen ''klein beetje!'" (You are Muslim or you are not Muslim.There is no 'little bit') It was almost Southern accent, and it was just really funny (I realized typing this that it is not as funny in Enlgish), but we actually had a cool conversation with them and set up an appointment for this week, so hopefully that goes well.

Anyways, I have really learned the past couple of weeks that when we come to the Lord in humility, He will show us how we can improve, and He will help us to do it. It is only when we approach Him in humlity, willing to change and accept correction that He can truly make us into the person that He wants us to be and the tool in His hands that He needs us to be.

I really love you all, and I am truly sorry about the email situation, but I have been thinking and praying about you all especially these few weeks since I haven't been able to talk to you.

Zo veel liefde voor jullie allemaal,

Zuster Cluff