From the President

My parents received this letter and picture, last Saturday, from Emily's mission president:

They sound so grateful to have her!  We also received an email from Sister Clayton on Monday which I will be posting soon and am in the middle of attempting to put together a list to distribute it.  She sounded the best she's been since she left!  

Florida or Bust!

We received a call from Sister Clayton at about 5AM today.  She was at the airport waiting to board her plane to Dallas and from there she was flying to Florida.  A friend of hers from Utah State happened to be on her same flight and let her borrow his phone to call each of us and sent us this priceless picture.  Em sounded great and I told her she didn't even sound like a 'wierd' missionary.  She was anxious to get to Florida and we can't wait to hear from her there! 

Week Eight, The Last One in the MTC

Emily leaves the MTC early Tuesday and we are expecting a phone call in the morning!  She said her last week in the MTC has been an interesting one!  She had an allergic reaction to something in the cafeteria and the inside of her mouth got huge!  They gave her two Benadril, which she's never had before but told her companions she was okay and they went to a devotional.  Well, it turns out she became extremely tired or as she said, "out of it" and said she knew sentences weren't coming out right.  She was so confused what she was saying, some Spanish, some English but apparently none of it was making much sense!  She said she slept better that night than she has in the past two months!  Emily got to host another incoming sister this week and said while she was outside she saw her aunt Kathy and uncle Russ dropping her cousin Cole off for his mission.  She said she waived but wasn't sure if they saw her.  She hopes she sees Cole before she leaves.  She is obviously so anxious to go to the field and has just days left!  She knows her Spanish needs some work but said she's been trying to work her "little hiney off"  Emily said this week, "I don't know how to explain it but I know that my relationship with the Savior and the Lord is becoming so much stronger because of the challenges and trials on the mission.  She said her two companions have had a lot of personal/family problems this week and that the elders have been so sweet to give them many blessings.  Emily said she's grateful for them and her experience in the MTC.  She said she's doing wonderful because the Lord helps her though hard things.  All is 'wonderful' and we're looking forward to hearing from her Tuesday!

We haven't gotten any pictures from Em in awhile!  Luckily I'm kind of a stalker and got these beauties from an unidentified source.  I'm sure having some of her best friends in the MTC with her  has been a great experience for Em!

Week Seven

Emily started by saying she is still experiencing night terrors regularly and is told by her roommates that she screams out every once in awhile throughout the nigh.  The only way she could explain it is that she gets so excited at night and is wide awake thinking about things and then crashes.  Other than that Emily said this week was wonderful and again mentioned how much she loves Sundays!  She spoke in church this week and said her talk was all in Spanish.  She said she loved it and and wasn't worried one bit.  She also said her relief society lesson was really good this week and sent an excerpt from her journal that day.  It read:  "The night before I prayed to learn more about the atonement.  Of course the lesson was on the atonement.  I know Christ went though what he did so we would know how to succor me Emily Clayton in time of need and run to my aid.  I know he is walking by me every step of the way.  The the devotional was about Come Come Ye Saints.  Wow this week I have been so proud to be a Clayton that song is amazing and the speaker talked about how it relates to missionary work so much and how we can have pioneer faith and be a pioneer for the people in Florida.  I feel so blessed to come from such a wonderful heritage.  A mission is so fun!  I have enjoyed it so much this week."  Also this week Emily said they had a good week in her trio.  They fasted and read their Book of Mormon in Spanish together and only spoke Spanish for two days.  She said her Spanish is improving and she is becoming more confidant.  She said she talks every lunch and dinner with one of the Spanish workers.  Other than that she mentioned she has a new running sister buddy and they go running together every morning and try to talk in Spanish while they run!

Week Six

This week Emily got to host a sister for the incoming sisters and said it was awesome!  She said this week was a little frustrating but that she has seen so many blessings come from difficult times.  She feels like she is so anxious and excited to go into the field but that part of her kind of likes how comfortable she is in the MTC.  Emily always talks about how wonderful Sundays are in the MTC.  This week she said President Jolly spoke and said that sometimes we have to take many steps in the darkness to find light, it's part of God's plan for us.  She said she saw a glimpse of God's plan for her and why she is here.  She also talked about how our generation always expects immediate results but that this week she watched a video on the building of the Salt Lake Temple and it put 'immediate results' into perspective.  The email was short this week but she sounds good!   

Week Five

Em is halfway through her time in the MTC.  She wrote and said she starting getting night terrors and although she doesn't remember anything it apparently scares her poor roommates pretty bad!  Sleeping must have been overall  rough this particular week.  Emily said the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night one night and everyone had to evacuate.  If you know Emily you know she is NOT a morning person and HATES to be woken up.  She even admitted in this weeks email that she was beyond grumpy sitting in the parking lot in the middle of the night wondering which sister burnt popcorn.  She said the police and fire department all came just to learn that it was a malfunction.  Also this week, Emily said her Espanol was coming along but 'slowly.'  She said she might be slow at Spanish but she has a very strong desire to teach and bring people to Christ and work hard.  She added her teachers are wonderful and that her goal everyday is just to progress a little more than the day before.  She said that she knows no matter how difficult the task the Lord asks us to accomplish it is possible if we trust and have faith that the Lord can help us.  It does no good to be negative and discouraged or stress if anything it just puts you back a few steps.  This week Emily's 'trio' really tried to listen more to each other as a companionship when they taught so they taught the lesson and for the first time it clicked, all three of them worked together in unity Emily said the spirit was so strong!  This week the Provo Temple was closed and they allowed the missionaries to clean it.  Emily said the sisters cleaned all the chandlers and that it was too cool.  Emily ended her letter by saying one of her teachers told her she'd the ideal missionary and we know it!