Here Comes Santa Claus!

Monday, December 10, 2018

Oakton, Virginia

Don't have much time this week to email, but we heard about transfers on Saturday! And I will be spending my last 6 weeks in the Reston Ward! They are actually getting rid of the missionaries in Wolf Trap because there are so many missionaries going home and so few coming in. I'm kind of sad about it. So, the missionaries in the family ward will be teaching those in their ward boundaries - even if they're a YSA. So, I get to still teach a lot of people we were working with before! But I will miss all of the people I was able to make friends with!

Exchanges

We got an assignment from Elder Nielson (a senior missionary), and we get to deliver the mail to everyone in the zone a couple times a week due to the Christmas mail rush!  I frequently sing "Here Comes Santa Claus" as we deliver them--much to my companion's delight. 

A perfect marketing technique (I now want to buy my tree at this lot!).

We said goodbye to about a billion people this week because Sister Bagley is going home *sniffle*. But that means that we got a bunch of pictures for your viewing pleasure! Here are pics of "killing Sister Bagley". (This is missionary slang for a missionary who has finished his/her time on the mission.)

There was a Christmas party that we went to for the ward (we rocked our ugly sweaters), and there were pupusas and empanadas (I'm still not entirely sure what an empanada is.) and macaroni and cheese. Oh, the college life.  We had dinner and then gathered around the piano to sing Christmas tunes, and they asked us to share a spiritual thought with everyone afterwards. I thought it would be fun to have everyone read The Living Christ with us (because that's the perfect thing to do during Christmas). I love the words of the testimony of the Apostles and how they focus on everything that Christ was. My favorite line is: "His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth." I love how we are able to focus on the best gift we have ever been given during this time of year! The gift of the Savior! I am so grateful for that. 

Rocking our ugly sweaters at the ward Christmas party!

Sorry it's so short! Leaving for departing interviews! 

Love, 

Me

PS: Here are pics of Sister Bagley saying goodbye to lots of people we've grown to love over the last 6 weeks: 

Dec 4 - 10, 2018

Monday, December 10, 2018

Merriwa, Western Australia

This was a good week.

This week, we had to set up a caroling performance for our zone at some shopping malls.  We were doing heaps of driving this week, and we went to a couple of meetings, so our limited K's (kilometers) are smashed!  But on Saturday, we had an opportunity to sing at the Warwick Shopping Center, and it was pretty good... We had the Arnoldsons (a senior missionary couple) come and play the guitar for us because no one in our zone is able to play an instrument.  It was good, though.  We had a couple of people come up to us and say how grateful they were that we were bringing Christ back into Christmas.

From Mom: I pulled this photo from the mission blog updated weekly by Sister Bennallack, but I don't
think this is Elder Kleven's zone. Just use your imagination to superimpose his cute face on one of these 
handsome elders, and you can picture how effective it would be!

This week, we also had exchanges with our District Leader. I was with Elder Tiaeke (from Kiribati). He is awesome... I forgot to get a pic of us, but I did get a pic of the beach...  Also during the exchange, we met a bus driver who was quite angry and told us that he was going on strike... 

Another gorgeous picture of a beach along the coast of Western Australia looking out onto the Indian Ocean.
It's summertime there and absolutely lovely.

That's about it!

Elder Kleven

Nov 27 - Dec 3, 2018

Monday, December 3, 2018

Merriwa, Western Australia

This was a good week.  We had Zone Conference this week.  It was good. We had the opportunity to train with the STL for our zone; it was a pretty good training -- we just coordinated over the phone a few days before... This week, we also had the Tech missionaries over, and they trained each companionship in our zone on how to use the new phones and the new Area Book planner app. It took them all week, and they need to go over everything again with a few companionships, but it should be all good.

Zone Conference of the North Coast Zone

In other news, there has been some major disobedience in the mission, and some of the leaders have been dropped.  I'm not entirely sure what for, but I don't really need to know the details.

Otherwise, not much happened this week. Something that I've been studying in the Book of Mormon is the amount of times that it mentions Christ.  This book truly does teach and testify of Christ, and all we have to do is read it to find out if it's true; it's so easy.  The Lord wants to tell us, but we have to read and ask first.

Hopefully, I'll get my phone back for pics this week.

Elder Kleven

Feliz Navidad!

Monday, December 3, 2018

Oakton, Virginia

With Sister Caplin

I spent a whole 24 hours as a Hermana this last week.  I learned no Spanish.  In fact, some of the Spanish in my head was deleted because I heard how you actually are supposed to say things, and I was not saying anything correctly. The Hermana that I was with said that I had a good accent, but I'm not entirely sure she was telling the truth. I think I sounded French. It was a great exchange, though! We got to teach lots of people, and I got to try some authentic Mexican cuisine at some lady's home! I don't remember what it's called, but it sure was cheesy and delicious.  

Exchanges with Hermana Mendoza

Yesterday, J* didn't come to church, so we hunted him down at his apartment.  We had to tell him that he couldn't be baptized when we had planned because of his court case, and he was sad.  So, we read the Book of Mormon with him to cheer him up.  He is just so spiritual and ready to be baptized.  He is from Sierra Leone, so when we were there, he said his mom was cooking in the kitchen and asked if we wanted something to eat. Well, it was Fast Sunday and no one had signed up to feed us, so we said: "Yes, please!"  I thought I was going to have some food from Sierra Leone and have one of their cultural dishes under my belt, but then he brought out some dinosaur chicken nuggets. There wasn't even a dipping sauce. I was slightly disappointed, but they were scrumptious, nonetheless.

I promise this whole email will not revolve around food.  

Exchanges with Sister Wood

In Sacrament meeting yesterday, somebody said something about the roles of the Holy Ghost in their life.  They mentioned that the Spirit was both a teacher and a revelator. When I heard that, I had to stop and think for a second.  What's the difference?  They both tell and show you things that you don't understand.  But then I realized that the teacher tells you things that are for the world. Things that everyone knows or could know - a worldly knowledge.  A revelator tells you things that are only for you.  Things that only you would find useful and things that are specific to your own situation - personal revelation.  I thought it was cool that they are so close and are almost the same thing, but there is also such a distinct difference.  It's so important that we have the Holy Ghost in our lives to fulfill both of those roles and many more.  I love the Holy Ghost!! 

Missionaries -- Sight & Sound

I gotta go, but it was a good week and I love you all! 

Love,

Me