Monday, April 27, 2015

E-mail: April 27, 2015 "Elder Dias..."

Wow, I guess the Lord thought that my life as a missionary had become kinda boring, so He sent me a companion who's an expert in all things fun and crazy. This week I've come downstairs on more than one occasion looking for my keys right before we have to leave to find them chained to some random object; a towel curtain, a closet handle, even the bars over our windows. Because it's my keys that are locked up I have to find my companion and beg him for his keys so that I can retrieve mine, which he usually does after trying to make me bargain for it with my food or a free auto ride to our next appointment. He often greets me with cold wet hands on the sides of my face after washing the dishes or by curling up at the head of my bed while I say my prayers before we retire. The funniest thing is that the joking began even before we were companions. I made the mistake of sitting next to him at a veg restaurant after a zone training about a month ago and he managed to discretely fill my shirt pocket with the tiny mints they pass out after the meal, which I'm still picking up around our apartment. I have not yet found a worthy means of retaliation, but I think it's time to put my prank training with Elder Thompson to good use and come up with something diabolical. Beware Elder.

This week was a little bit slower because there's a fever going around and we spent some time in the apartment recovering, but the days we were able to go out yielded lots of positive results. Elder Dias is an excellent teacher and has an incredibly strong desire to get out and do stuff, and so when we had bunked appointments (which happens all too often) and it seemed like we had nothing else we could do his attitude encouraged me try a little harder to be productive with our time. The result? The Lord worked miracles. We showed up at the same homes where people are always busy but they just happened to let us in this time. We walked down the same streets we always do but this time someone called out to us to come into their home and say a prayer. It's my testimony that miracles come only after we give our best- plus a little bit more. The Lord is always ready and willing to help us but all too often we fall short just before we earn the blessing. My challenge to each of you this week is that when you feel like you've done your best and things still aren't working out push a little more and watch the Lord work his magic.

It's almost summer over here in Bengaluru but the temperature still feels like early spring. I've been jealous of all my former companions traveling to the countryside to do their work but as I've communicated with them they say that it's hotter than Hades in their new areas, so I'll count my blessings a little bit longer. We've had a bunch of spring showers this last week too and the city is beautifully green and alive again. The fear of getting hit by a falling coconut is beginning to take root now that they're ripe and there's a million palm trees everywhere, so a few extra prayers that Elder Clouds doesn't become an Indian Isaac Newton wouldn't hurt. ;)

Oh, and I just reached Alma in the Book of Mormon. Good luck everyone. :)

Anyways 'til next time ya'll stay awesome, ya hear? 

-Elder Cloward

From Jen (mom):

I think his getting a practical joking companion is karma for his April Fool's joke.  ;)


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