E-mail May 6, 2016 from Springfield, Missouri

Wow another week down and another fun story! So on Tuesday this week we got to go to a member's home for dinner.  We get there and its sprinkling and we go inside. We had a wonderful dinner and we shared a message. Then when we were getting ready to leave, the wife in the house stops us and says that first she's going to take a look at the weather to make sure it's okay. Well, turns out there was a tornado a few miles away, then the sirens started going off. So we all got to go to a tornado shelter close by and wait it out. I think they reported 8 tornadoes that touched down near us. So that was this weeks highlight.

Then on Friday I had my first exchange.  I got to go be with Elder Fogg in the YSA ward on the collage campus. It was way cool! We talked to students and just got to hangout with people our age. Then we had service at a nearby food pantry, and the guy that runs it is one of the nicest people I've ever met! He was so kind to all the people we served. Then we got to go feed homeless people at a Baptist church and then listen to their service after. If I've learned anything while I've been out here, it's that there is truth in all churches, but the priesthood is a key thing. I'm so grateful for Joseph Smith and the Restoration of Christ's church.

Oh oh, we also got our apartment back to ourselves! Yay! We did have the other elders living with us but President gave them there own little apartment, so now me and my comp have tons of space. We even gave our stuffed tiger, named Ryan, his own bedroom because we have soooooo much space.

Well, I sure do love y'all and am so grateful for the relationships I've made and the friends and family that I have supporting me. I love y'all and wish you the very best!

Yours truly,
Elder Cloward

Energizing up for their big cleaning day after 

the other elders moved out.

Ryan in his own bed

Ryan the tiger

E-mail April 29, 2019 from Springfield, Missouri

This week has been interesting.  We weren't able to visit a lot of people because they were all busy. It was kinda weird, we had appointments and then they just didn't happen.

We were able to visit Gary and his family. He is the guy that was on date for baptism but then he got sick and had trouble with smoking, and then he didn't talk to us for a bit. But we visited him and he said he wants to get back on track so - yay! We were going to have a lesson with the Burgess family but that fell through. So we kind of just tracted. While we were tracting we found this super awesome park with a pond and a cave, so we decided to chase people down as they walked by.  It didn't really work but we got our exercise.

Then on Saturday we were able to go to this big fair in Marshfield, and the church had a family history booth and this big wooden chalk board with questions on it about family.  People were able to walk by and write on it or draw a picture. It was a party! And I was able to do some flips in the park with another elder so overall an excellent day!

This week I came to realize how powerful the Spirit is, and I was able to really recognized the Spirit when it prompts me.  Since I've had that realization, I've been able to feel the Spirit so much more.  It's amazing.  I love y'all and thank you all for the support you've given me!

a church they passed the other day.  He thought 

the sign was funny.

the creepy cave at the park

E-mail April 22, 2019 from Springfield, Missouri

(8th most dangerous city in the nation)

Two weeks in the field and I'm already getting a feel for how Springfield is, we'll be driving through parts of town and get bad looks from major druggies. Gotta love North Springfield.

But as ghetto as it is here, there are awesome people.  We visited a nonmember this week. I don't know his first name but we call him Peewee because back in his prime, he was a world class kick boxer and he's like 5'4 so they called him 'Peewee'. He and his family are so cool, they make us amazing barbecue and they're smart when it comes to what we teach them. We're going to start going by every Friday to teach them and I'm really excited.

Easter was super fun.  We had an excellent lesson that Sis. Jones taught, and then after church we got to go to the Jones family Easter dinner/party which was soooooo fun.  We played lots of games and had excellent food.

My testimony grows every day I'm out here. The church is true and Christ's Atonement blesses everyone's life.  Even if we cannot see the miracles in our lives, that doesn't mean they aren't there. I challenge all of you to take some time and think about all the blessings you have.

I love y'all and wish you all the best!