Bittersweet Goodbyes

The four day journey home has begun...

Sunday - 6 hour bus ride from Blantyre to Lilongwe

Monday - flight from Lilongwe, Malawi  to Lusaka, Zambia

Tuesday - flight from Lusaka, Zambia to Johannesburg, South Africa

Tuesday - flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to London, England

Wednesday - flight from London, England to Chicago, Illinois

WEDNESDAY @ 4:02pm - arrival in Salt Lake City!

Travel safely Sister Clifford!

Time is Far Spent

Eish. My Friends. Last email. As Carly Rae Jepson would say- "This is Crazy."

In honour of Sister Wallin and my departure next week, the Blantyre Zone held it's first Zone Activity in a year. To get our last bit of Malawi in, we went to the local Animal Sanctuary and had a good old fashion braii, with an American twist. Man- Malawi is beautiful. I have no idea what I did to be blessed enough to serve here. The Lord truly knows what makes me happy- and rolling jungle hills with mystical lighting is one of them.

As part of this Zone Activity, we had a follow-up on some Special Training we received from President Erickson about a month ago. We were trained on goal setting and executing those goals. I decided to apply this back on the entirety of my mission- from before the age change up until today. One of the Zone Leaders shared the story of the three trees who had great goals and dreams of what they wanted to become, a treasure box, a great ship, and something small and useful. The first tree became a feeding box, the second became a fishing boat, and the other sat in a building forgotten. Eventually the box becomes Christ's bed at birth, the boat he uses to fish, and the lumber used for his cross. Of course I had heard all this before, but the last part applies exactly what I have learned the most on Mission. It says:
"The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined."

Boy- do I feel like one of those trees! But that is exactly how I feel about the course of my Mission. I came in with what I thought was no expectations. However, looking back I totally had them. I had expectations of what kind of Missionary I wanted to be, all the adventures I would have, all the great doctrinal things I would know, the great stories of the Gospel changing lives, being a part of history of the church in Africa, learning a new way of life, having God use me in specific ways I was expecting, and so much more- like staying in Botswana for 18 months. For the most part, I have had those expectations fulfilled, some more than others. Just like the trees, never in the way I had wanted, expected, or worked for. Looking back at it, the biggest miracle of my service has been the blessing that Heavenly Father has given me of complete trust and faith in Him, His timing, and His plan.

I know that this Restored Gospel is truly the only path for pure and complete happiness in life here on Earth and in the worlds to come. Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation for us provides countless opportunities at each turn to show our love for Him and His son through obedience to His laws and commandments. I know that even if we fall, whether it be big or small, Heavenly Father loves us too much to let us lose Him. The Atonement- I can't even begin to express my love for it. I am so grateful for the experiences that I have had placed in my path that Heavenly Father has provided me to realize the power the Atonement has for me personally as I've developed and strengthened my personal relationship with them, and that I have been blessed to share it to anyone who wants to listen (and even sometimes those who don't really want to). Our paths are so individualized, and I know that the path that I have ran was exactly what I was meant to run. Africa is in my blood (literally, with all the times I've cut myself in the area some dirt has got to be in my stream). I know theoretically was sent here to give these amazing people what I know, but really I was sent here because there was so much more I needed to learn from them. I don't have enough time to start with my love of Africa and these people that I've been blessed to meet, teach, and learn from in three different parts of the Vineyard. I have loved all the missionaries I have served with- I owe them so much! I am so blessed. So blessed. Even through the course of three missions, and three countries, my purpose as a missionary never changed, and neither did the reality of the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am the luckiest girl in the world.

See you soon- and it better be with a Sweet Pork Salad in Hand-

Sister Kleefourd, Criffold, and Clifford

YOSO {you only serve once}

I wish this second to last email could be full of miracles of and life-changing stories. But it's not going to be. Instead it will be one of more medical diagnosis.

Let's just flashback to eight months ago when I was down for a few weeks due to some freak virus and back pains. Well, we now are speculating this virus to be some form of Malaria, but since I was in South Africa and it's not common, I wasn't tested. I've been having bad, but bearable, knee pains for about the past three weeks, so I was just icing two times a day and living off of ibuprofen. On Tuesday I woke up and it was freezing cold outside, and literally every joint hurt. From my toes to my jaw. I lasted through District Meeting, Gloria's appointment (she's doing awesome by the way, she got called to be the RS Secretary yesterday!), then gave up and went home to ice and call the Senior Couple. Sister Reynolds told me just to keep icing and wait it out as she called the Area Advisor.

Wednesday morning I woke up to severe shooting pains in my bones. So we called in and got clearance to go to the hospital, where I was diagnosed with Reactive Arthritis, with a flare up of this malaria-type virus, given some heavy drugs, and ordered on bed rest for at least five days (I'm on day five in case you're wondering. And still mentally sane). So for this past week, I've been shuttled from Senior Couple to Senior Couple couches. It's been hilarious. And since I couldn't even hold pen to write or to study, I was thoroughly entertained. I now know every detail of the Reynold's and Merrill's lives. Seriously, I could win jeopardy with all this information. 

And that's where I'm at. Waiting out the last two weeks of my mission on bedrest. But man, I have seen so many tender mercies, acts of compassion and service, and the hand of the Atonement more than almost any other week of my life. I thought I would be more upset than I was/am, but really it proved to be an answer to many of my prayers, and allowed me to learn things that I could have only learned through this experience. I know that Heavenly Father knows the intents of my heart, and needed me to exercise all that I've learned throughout my mission. This all sounds like I'm depressed and struggling, but I promise- I'm really not! How could I be with all the love and comfort that has been shown to me throughout this week from both this world and the unseen?! I am too much grateful! I love all of you and are forever grateful for the prayers and support I am being given! And I LOVE Africa.

Sister Clifford

ps- Here's a hilarious quote from our RC Paul. I had asked him if he knew that the 10 Commandments were in the Book of Mormon. He just looked at me with this 'duh' face and said "Well of course Sister Clifford, it's the fullness of the Gospel." Duh.