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