Hi everyone!
I have officially been transferred! I’m in the Stilesboro Ward, which is in Kennasaw/Marietta Georgia. It is VERY different than Americus, so it’s definitely been quite an adjustment these last few days. It seems to be a super nice area and I can’t complain. My new companion’s name is Elder Peterson, and he is cool ?. He’s from the faraway land of Saint George, Utah.
Last Monday feels like a couple months ago! As it was the last Pday for the transfer and literally half of our district was leaving (including me), we all got together and had food and chilled at the church. Sister Ruud brought skip-bo and Elder Fredrickson brought a game called House of Danger. It was actually really cool because it was a choose your own adventure game, where it was just like the books, but you had to roll dice and find clues and things like that. So that was fun on Monday.
Tuesday was also a blur! I know we had district council, and some lessons? I can’t really look back because I’m not in that area anymore so I don’t have the calendar. I do remember it being a good day though, we finished out the transfer strong!!
Wednesday was transfer day! We ended up having to go up to Fayettevile bright and early because Sister Allred said she needed the hitch off of our car. We got the hitch off at about 9:30? After, we went to this Mexican Shop with a restaurant in the middle of it and got some good breakfast burritos. Turns out that was a popular place to go before transfers, because there were so many missionaries there, it was crazy. We then went to the Peachtree building for transfers, and had a good transfer meeting. Elder Harmon stayed in Americus, and for the first time since he’s been on a mission, he isn’t training!! As I said before, I got transferred to Stilesboro Area with Elder Peterson. The rest of the day was pretty much a blur, where we went to a member dinner and I got settled into the apartment.
Thursday, we made a bunch of contacts, had a lesson with a recently baptized member, and had a member dinner. It was this day that I learned that literally every single day is filled up on the meal calendar, so that was actually kind of insane!!
Friday, we had ZLC (because Elder Peterson is District Leader) and that was a good meeting. I guess the finding in this area has been a little slower recently, so after ZLC, we ended up going to some people’s houses and calling a bunch of people trying to find people to teach! We had another member dinner though, and that was super tasty!
Saturday, we did a bunch of in person’s (because not as many people work on Saturdays) and we went to a LOT of houses, and every single one of them we got in contact!! We had an impromptu lesson with one gentleman, and introduced the Book of Mormon to him and invited him to read it. #Tendermercies because a couple days ago, one of his friends from Utah reached out to him saying he is moving or visiting to Georgia. This guy said that he was going to ask his friend more information about The Book of Mormon, so hopefully that goes well and we have someone new to teach!!
Sunday was quite the experience!! I’m not going to lie when I say I was just a little bit culture shocked! Coming from the small branch of Americus, to a very large ward in Stilesboro, I had to keep myself from letting my jaw drop from everyone there ;). It was nice to be able to meet more ward members! I don’t remember most of their names, but that will come…eventually ??. (I hope!!)
That leads to today, where it’s been a pretty low key day so far. We need to go to Walmart to get some stuff, but other than that, I know we do have a lesson later today, so that’ll be fun.
For a spiritual thought today, I don’t know if I have any specific Scriptures, but something that I’ve been thinking about is a talk by Elder Bednar called “The Character of Christ.” I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned it before, but it is a really good talk. It teaches that when the natural man turns inward, Jesus Christ would turn outwards. That is the character of Christ. With that talk, I’ve been thinking about ways that I can become more like Jesus Christ.
First, I’ve found that you have to know who you want to be. Everyone is different. We look different, we think different, we act different. That is great! The world would be such a boring place if we were all the same! If you want to become a good person, then you have to know who that person you want to become is. You can’t be who you don’t know. There are so many different ways that you can turn outwards and so many different ways that you can be a good person, the first step is to figure out who you want to be.
Next, you have to try to be that person. I hope that part of your plan and who you want to become is to follow the Character of Christ and be a converted disciple of Jesus Christ. It’s not easy! There will be things to change and improve. I can promise that as you humble yourself, and prayerfully strive to be who you want to become, Heavenly Father will bless you for your efforts! It might seem anticlimactic, but as you strive to be this person you envision, you will find more opposition; more thoughts of doubt, fear, anxiety. All of those feelings are normal, and they come from the Devil. Satan does not want you to succeed; rather, he wants you to stay complacent and not reach the divine potential that you have. Of course as you strive to become who God wants you to become, he will try to steer you away! Don’t let that stop you! Always remember who you want to be and who Heavenly Father wants you to become.
“Bad things” happen to good people because God loves us. Countless times in the Scriptures we see “bad things” happening to good people! You can look at Nephi, who’s brothers literally beat him and tied him up. Joseph (technicolor coat) was thrown in a well, framed for things he didn’t do, and locked in prison for years. Alma and Amulek were smitten and cast out so many times. Joseph Smith was wrongly accused and was rejected from so many of his homes and imprisoned on false charges. The list can go on and on, but I feel it important to also mention Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior who led the Perfect life, was rejected, and crucified for each and every one of us.
What do all of these people have in common? They all stayed faithful. In his greatest time of affliction, Nephi prayed to the Lord and he was delivered out of his Brothers hands. Joseph prayed, and eventually had opportunities to become the Pharoah’s right hand man. Alma and Amulek were faithful, and time and time again they taught with power and were kept safe through their struggles. Joseph Smith died a martyr. Even until the very end, Jesus Christ turned to Heavenly Father and pleaded for him to forgive as they know not what they are doing. All of these examples turned their hardships into faith building experiences that in the end, helped them become who they wanted to be.
I know that doesn’t make it any easier, and doesn’t solve all of your problems. But I do know that in my life, I have found peace and hope in knowing that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. Everything that happens is because he loves each and every one of us. He is aware of me, he’s aware of you. I invite everyone this week to determine who YOU want to be. Don’t put it off! Things will come up, it will be hard! Strive to be you. You have so much to offer and so many things to do. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
-Elder Claussen
December 16, 2021 — Today we received a text message from a family in Americus, Georgia with a picture of Elder Claussen and his new companion Elder Harmon. They were there for a dinner appointment. In the text message we were told that the elders are great and that this family feeds the missionaries every week. 
