It's raining today! I love it! (: September 30, 2013

It's P-day! YAY! Thank heavens! I missed you family SO much! Seriously. This week was bad. It was a poop week in the sense of work, and then I was grumpy some days, and I missed you, so it was just blah.. But those days happen. It's just important to know that you can't stay that way. To keep pushing forward! So I'm excited to write you! I love you.

So get this! On Sunday, I was having a hard day. I was just blah, and not having a good time, and the fun of the mission is kind of winding down, and it's hard and I just wasn't having it. Well after sacrament, a man walked down the aisle and we made eye contact, but he just kept walking. And it seemed like something was supposed to be said or happen. Well he passed by me, turned around, came back, and stood beside me and said, "I feel like I need to tell you this. Sometimes we're in a group and we're having fun and doing good, and other times we feel lonely and just need to remember to keep pushing forward and doing whats right." WHAT?! No. That just happened. I was just in awe. He said EXACTLY what I needed to hear! Like exactly. I was so shocked, I awkwardly was like, "oh, thank you.." And then he walked away. I have no clue who he was but he knew exactly what he needed to say to me. It was a miracle. And I was so grateful for it! Heavenly Father keeps an eye out for us and sends us people who we need to hear from. Thank goodness!

So get this! Last week, I slept talked. That's not the surprise, that's normal. It's what I was saying! I was talking missionary talk! I was teaching part of a lesson and then was scheduling a time we could come back to teach more. Bahah! No! Oh my goodness. Missionary work is in my subconscious! Freaky!

The not-designated-driver gets to have the privelage of backing the car out of parking spots. Yepp! That's me! I get to be the awesome super cool person who stands behind the car in the Walmart parking lot, and awkwardly wave the driver back to be extra a lot sure that she doesn't hit anything. Then I tell her to stop by raising my hand in a "stop" position and then hop in the car! YES! I get to do that! (: It's hilarious! The looks that I get are great! "Yepp, just backing out my friend from the parking spot! Oh ya, she's dangerous, I just have to make sure she's safe." Hahah! (; It's great.

Something that I really miss is being able to know where I'm going and not have to always rely on a GPS. Our area is huge and odd shaped, so we don't ever know where we're going, and I miss that. I also miss dad's homemade salsa and momma's mashed potatoes.. But that's beside the point.

Um. Carrie Underwood is remaking the Sound of Music? What? Yes.

A lady loaned us the CD Consider the Lilies by the MoTab! Oh my gosh. We listened to it this morning and I started crying. Ha! I miss you mom! It's the CD you'd play in the morning to wake us up on Sundays. I loved that. That's a good memory that I have. So it has a lot of sentimental value to that CD, so listening to it was both happy and sad. Ha!

So teaching! I found the reason that I was reassinged to Miamisburg, Ohio. The reason's name is Mariah. She's why I'm here. She's 18 and I love her. She's so prepared and so ready to know of the gospel. Last time we taught, I just had this overwhelming feeling that she was why I was reassigned here. Wow! That's a big deal! She's incredible! And she's getting baptized in October!!!!! AHHHH!! HAPPY! (: She's the best! So now we have 2 baptisms in October, Bella and Mariah. We are rockin it! I love it. Missionary work is awesome! Every member a missionary! Do work! Find people for the missionaries to teach! That's how we found Mariah. A member texted us saying, "I have someone for you to teach who is interested in the church. Be at my place at this time on this day to teach her." Um. OKAY! It was awesome. She's great. I love her (:

Well the work is coming along. It's been hard. This last week was pretty hard, but Sister Clawson and I know how to have fun. Thank heavens. Last night we were laughing so hard I almost tinkled my pants. That would've been embarrassing! But it was so fun! We have fun. I'm grateful for that. I'll always remember how much fun we had and how hard we worked here. The best two things ever! I'm making memories! (: Hazzah!

I love you all SO much. Really. I miss you a lot. Send me letters in the mail. Because every time we pass the mailbox, which is like 5 times a day, I always look in to see if I have a letter.. Nope. I don't. Not yet. Except from David Morgan! I got his. That was happy (:


You're all the best. Keep being my amazing family. I love you lots and think of you and pray for you.

The girl out in Miamisburg, Ohio,
Sister Clara Kay Dunn.

P.S. I need Sharpie pens like asap. They're my favorite, and I have been to Walmart 4 times, 2 different Walmarts and they don't have them! Are they a west coast thing? Who knows, but if you could send me some, you'd be my favorite. Thank you! Also. A photo album. I don't have pictures of my family.. And that's kinda sad. I miss your faces. But take your time on those, they're not super pertinent. Was that the right word?.. It felt right. Ha! I can't speak English or Portuguese. Ah great. HA!

Te amo muito! Este igreja e verdadeira!

Love you!


1. S. Clawson and I with flowers given to us from a little girl (:
2. Our car and we live on the top floor, so that's our balcony!
3. Ohio railroad tracks.
4. Tracting in the rain!
5. Making things fun! I love the rain! (:

Love you! (:

I'm a missionary! September 23, 2013

People of the world. Meaning my family. I don't know if you know this or not, but I'm a missionary. Yep, I know, it's a shocker. But it's TRUE! I put on my name tag every morning, study my scriptures, pray a lot, and go out and find and teach people about the restored gospel! AH! Don't worry, sometimes I forget myself, so don't feel bad (: But ya, I'm a missionary and I do missionary things.

So not much happened this week.. Just another week. Well the Elders in our ward and us went and did service for an investigator, Angela. Sometimes we get distracted, and so somehow, Elder Watkins and I started throwing a football back and forth. I thought I knew how to throw and catch a football, I found out I did not. And Elder Watkins has like a full ride scholarship to Snow for his football playing skills, so basically he's good and I'm not. The like second time he threw it, he threw it really hard and I caught it terribly and I jammed my finger. Yes. But not like a little "ow my finger..." But like, "Um, Elder Watkins, that hurt reallyy bad." Eventually he taught me how to properly catch the football, which prevented any of my other fingers feeling like they wanted to fall off, and eventually I kind of got the hang of throwing it. I still need more practice. After passing it a couple of times we got to doing service. But throughout the day my finger started to hurt more and more. Elder Watkins said I probably just jammed it and it'll be fine in a couple days. Ya. No. It's been almost a week and it still hurts. It was my left ring finger, and don't worry by the next day it had gained like four pounds and turned purple! It was hideous! And it hurt SO bad! It still hurts, every time I type an S it hurts. Curse football. That's what I get when I get distracted. It got super swollen, and it was hideous, and I was so embarrassed by it. I had to tape it to my other finger so it wouldn't bend or hurt all the more. But it's slowly getting better (: That's pretty much it.

Here are some random things I wrote down to tell you.

Oh! When my finger got all swollen, my ring was stuck on it. It looked stupid so I yanked it off. It hurt, but needed to happen so that my swollen fat finger didn't engulf the cute little ring.

Um, mom! Remember how when you take naps, you make those funny little sigh noises? Well guess what, I do them too! Bahahah! I may or may not have accidentally fallen asleep during my language study and woke myself up because I like sigh moaned to myself. Haha! It happens all the time now! When I'm taking a nap I'll like randomly wake myself up. It's goofy and every time reminds me of you (: Like mother like daughter.

Sister Clawson and I went on exchanges on Thursday. It was different. Ha! Sister Clawson went with our Sister Training Leader, and so I went with her companion, who has been out the same amount as I have. Which is nothing. So we were lost a lot, but it was a lot of fun. Well a member came and picked us up for an appointment, and it fell through, so while the Sister was figuring out what to do next, the member decided she wanted to show me the Englewood Dam, since I'd only be up there for a day (: It was beautiful! And an added bonus was the fact that we were in her convertible! And it was overcast, and had just rained so it smelled delicious, and we drove across the dam then she took us to this beautiful like park or camping spot or something and they were just narrow roads between forests! It was BEAUTIFUL! It just like Oregon! I loved it. And the top of the convertible was down so I could smell everything and look up and see all the trees, and everything was so green. It was perfect. I loved it!

So I do not want to get nasty tan lines, or sunburnt, so putting on sunblock is part of my morning getting ready routine. Well it's not working because I am getting nasty shoe tan lines! NO! It's like classic sister missionary to have terrible tan lines on the tops of your feet. And I've been trying to avoid it, but it's not working! And so there are faint lines where my straps go on my feet. Yuck. Haha. But soon winter will come and they'll fade. Hopefully.

Have you guys been watching the Bible Videos on lds.org?! Because they're INCREDIBLE! Seriously! A member showed us a couple and I cried watching them. It was like we were actually there, hearing Jesus Christ talk to us, and love us. It was incredible! The actor that plays Jesus is phenomenal! Just go and watch them, they're great. And then post them on facebook, or wherever. Because a lot of people think we don't believe in the Bible, but we do! They're great missionary tools. Use them!

We've been teaching an 11 year old, Bella. Her dad, Abraham, is a member but went less active for awhile, but started coming back to church, and when he saw us he asked us to come teach his daughter. I love them both so much. They're incredible. Bella is so smart and accepted baptism and is SO excited to be baptized. She really likes the fact that she'll be completely clean, she's excited to be able to feel that (: And to have the Holy Ghost as her constant companion. It's amazing to have an 11 year old understand what we are teaching and want to be baptized. It's incredible! Abraham's wife just left him one day, and so it's been real hard on him, but because he's been coming back to church, you can see him regaining that happiness. He's excited for his daughter. His parents and his brother and other family are all going to fly in to see the baptism (: We're shooting for October 25 cause that's when everyone is able to make it. It's incredible!

This gospel is so true. I think it every day. It really has blessed my life, it's brought me such happiness. And being able to share that to others is priceless. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him and restored the true gospel and the priesthood power. We have the fullness of the gospel on the earth today! We have more scripture, to add to the bible, to help us learn more about Christ and what we need to be doing in our lives to become more like Him. It's incredible! We are so blessed! We are in the last dispensation of the gospel! That means that we know that it will never be taken off the earth again, like it was when Christ was crucified. We have the fulness, we are blessed because of it, why would we keep that knowledge, happiness, and blessing to ourselves?! We wouldn't! We'd share it! And that's what we're asked to do! Share it with friends, with family, with random people you meet on the street! It is so true! Ah! I can't get over it. I love my mission. It is so hard, but so worth it!

I love you all so much. I have the best family (: You're all great! And I miss you SO much! Thanks for all the emails, they're really help me to keep going. It's hard getting out of bed at 6:15. I don't ever want to. I seriously have to roll out of bed and onto my knees. But then I begin praying and I know that Christ will be with me, and the Holy Ghost will help me throughout this day. It's hard to get out and exercise, and get going and be awake. But each day, something happens that reminds me why I'm here. That I'm supposed to be here. That this is right for me. That yes, it's hard, but having Bella, and 11 year old girl say, "Yes, I want to be baptized, I want to be clean, and I want to go to church," THAT keeps me going. Seeing the face of her dad as she is excited to show us her knew scripture quad and mark scriptures and kneeling down and having her say the prayer. THAT is why I'm here. THAT is what I'm doing. I'm grateful for the Lord's help, because I know I could not do this alone.

Well I love you family! You're the best (:
Sister Dunn

P.S. I'm still trying to work out how to upload pictures on the computers in this public library. So if I don't get any out today, I'm sorry. I haven't taken many, so if we have to wait another week, hopefully by then I'll have more to send (: LOVE YOU! TE AMO MUITO!

Zero time equals short email! September 16, 2013

I have absolutely no time! We're supposed to be bowling with our district in 7 mintues. So I'm gonna book it! Ignore spelling errors and all that.

This week was good! We're kind of getting our foot in the door. FInding and teaching. It's hard work. I hate tracting. And talking with people is hard. But I'm getting better at it. My companion tell me multiple times that I'm so personable. Which is good cause I've been trying. I don't want to sound like a robot or anything. Also. Up-talking is EVERY WHERE! Every single missionary does it. It's super annoying. And one time I started doing it! Ah! NO! So I stopped. I'm just Clara out on a mission with a different name, SIster Dunn. I will be me and not an uptalking robot missionary. So I think that's why I'm so personable. I just talk with people and don't sound fake.

So we finally got the keys to our apartment, in our actual area. Yay! But can't move in until Wednesday, that's when they turn the hot water on. They just turned the electricity on. Our apartment is SO nice. Like a member from our Mission Presidency was telling us not to tell other missionaries about it because it is SO nice. Like really. It's nicer than the apartments I've lived in at school. So holla! Excited! Anywho, there is a little storage thing out on our balcony (yes, we have a balcony), and I went out to open it to see how big it is. Well I opened it and was ATTACKED! By a swarm of angry WASPS! Oh my goodness heavens gracious! Now. The wasps here in Ohio are like four of our little wasps from Oregon. They're HUGE! They're like birds. Their nest was on the inside of the storage door so when I opened it I angered them. Well cool! They were bouncing of my head! BOUNCING! It was the scariest thing ever! But the Lord blessed and I wasn't stung (; Haha. Well I freaked out and ran back into our apartment but one followed me in! NO! Not in our new beautiful super nice gorgeous apartment! NO! Well we trapped it in the blinds. So there's squealing and freaking out on my part and laughter from Sister Clawson. So I devised a plan. I got a cup and be being super brave and ninja like trapped that sucker between the cup and the window. It. Was. Mad. Freaking out buzzing in that cup. It was scary. So I got carboard and transfered it from the window, to the cardboard and just outside the door on the balcony. Then I got the broomstick, and used it to shut the storage door. Then, me being inside our apartment, super afraid, I slowly pushed the cardboard and cup further onto the balcony. Then swiftly and quickly I knocked the cup over, gave a yell, pulled the broomstick in the apartment and quickly shut the door! That thing was MAD! It zoomed around and then creepily snuck through a crack into the storage thing back to its evil lair. It was gross. But don't worry guys. I'm safe. I'm alive. And NO ONE is allowed out on the balcony, unless they want to die! It was HILARIOUS! Sister Clawson and I just died. It was great!


Get this! Sister Clawson and I are kicking butt! One week from when I arrived here in Ohio, this last Thursday, we taught an 11 year old and I extended baptism to her and she accepted! Oh my gosh! BATISMO! Whoop whoop! Her parents are divorced, her dad is a member but went less active, but is coming back now. And her mom isn't quite for it.. She just left them, so that's sad. But for her to get baptized, she needs the permission from both parents. So we're working on it! Hopefully she'll get baptised ont he 28th, in two weeks! I'm so excited! We're doing hard work out here. But super rewarding. I love talking about what I believe with others. This gospel is SO true. It really is! I love it!

Also, Sydney, can you send me your address! Thanks! (:

I love you all so much! Thank you for the thoughts and prayers! Keep them coming. Sister Clawson and I are having fun. It's great! (: Missionary work is awesome. Go out and spread the truth! I love you all so much!

I believe in Christ, so come what may!
Love you,
Sister Dunn.

It's real life, I'm in the field. September 9, 2013

I'm here! It's real life people! This is the real deal! People's salvation rest in my hands! (: And I accept said challenge and mission! Bring it on!

Okay, so we flew here, our mission president, President Porter, picked up us up at the airport, all 39 of us. Yep, 39. One more time now, there were THIRTY NINE new missionaries in this area. And this is a new mission, created in July, so hot dog for our President! Ha. Then he took us all to the mission home, where we all got pictures with him and his wife. Then we learned more about our mission and the Great Ohio Cincinnati mission. Yes, I don't know if you know this, but D&C 39 talks about being sent on a mission to the Ohio. So whoopdidoo that's me! I'm doing it! (: Then we all spent the night at the mission home and then got up early to head to transfers! Can I just tell you I was so nervous out of my mind for this! This is where I'd get a companion, who'd I'd be with for the next 12 weeks (cause training is 12 weeks and you're usually with them the whole training), it all boiled down to this! Well we got there, I almost peed my pants, but I didn't! And I received my companion, Sister Clawson. And guess what?! She's awesome! I love her! She's awkward and goofy like I am so we've been having a blast! We seriously laugh a lot. It's so much fun! I love her! (: And she gives the best prayers ever! She's so thankful, so awesome on her! We were doubled into the area of Miamisburg. Prounounced like Miami's burg. And being doubled in means that we were both brand new to the area and had no clue what was happening. But something fun is that there are elders in this area as well, so we were doubled in and they were already in. So it's us four assigned to one ward. And it's been SO CONFUSING! Mainly because the area book and all the investigators are with the elders cause they've been here. We were just dropped into this area, so we're starting fresh! But because we're new, that means that we don't have an apartment.. or anything.. So we're bunking with the Middletown sisters, who are 25 minutes from our area, so thankfully we have a car (that'd be a heck of a long bike ride!), and so we have to drive for like 25 minutes to even get to our area.. So that uses a lot of our miles. So, lucky me, I've been sleeping on the floor for the past nights and living out of my suitcase... So fun! Adventure! Sister Clawson and I make it fun (: Now, because we're new and are starting fresh and have no investigators, we get to do the hard work of finding people. And how do we do that?! Not by referralls because for some reason no one wants to do that.. But by tracting! Yay! Woo hoo! My second day with Sister Clawson, we tracted for 3 hours. Then on Saturday we tracted for 5 hours. Yep. FIVE hours straight! Then on Sunday we tracted for 2. I told Syd, tracting equals my job at the calling center + when we delivered phone books + the Spirit. So thank heavens we have the Spirit or this would be a suck job! Hahah (: But through ALL that hard work, we got 2 return appointments! And I handed out my first Book of Mormon to a man, who we're gonna go check up on because he was awesome! Anywho.. Missionary work is hard. And starting at the bottom is super hard, but it'll pay off. And it was bound to happen sometime that I had to tract (: Our Ward Mission Leader is AWESOME! Seriously! He was there at transfers, he took us and the elders out to lunch at Chipotle (first real food outside of the MTC! It was delicious!), and has been calling and helping us through everything. So grateful for him! But anywho, church was great. We all had to bear our testimonies in sacrament, so that was scary. But then after sacrament I cannot tell you the happiness we experienced. Seriously everyone got up out of their seats and flocked at us! It was great! They were SO excited to have sister misisonaries in the ward! They were offering us furniture, and rides, and to come teach with us, some lady handed each of us a card, and people were making dibs over who got to feed us first! It was awesome! I felt so loved! The ward is awesome! They're gonna be great and help a lot with this. I'm so grateful for them. There are some sisters here leaving for their missions soon, so they want to come out and teach with us, so that'll be fun. I honestly love it out here. Being in the field is amazing! And being with a companion who is awesome makes things all the more better! I honestly love her. She's already my best friend. I look forward to being with her during the day, and that's the way it should be. We can laugh and joke around but still be able to share the gospel. And we get into good conversations about anything, I love her. It makes a big difference.

Oh, fun fact, our area is HUGE! Seriously. It covers 7 cities! SEVEN! We gotta get going so that they have to make 7 different wards! It's a huge area, but that just means all the more people to teach!

There are bugs everywhere! I hate bugs. They have those freaky tree bugs that make the loud sounds. I think they're called sekada.. I can't spell. But they're freaky! My companion just said, "Of course you're writing about the bugs. Haha." Seriously, they're every where, and I freak out! I hate bugs. Everyone has screen doors too. It's weird. We don't have those. So it's awkward to like open a door only to knock on a door.. Weird. And it's weird talking to people through glass or screen. It just cuts us off from each other. Oh! And don't worry, I cried during my first contact. Ha! She was awesome, and seemed interested, and she started tearing up and then I cried, and then we left cause she wasn't interested. But yep, that's me! Crying on my first door contact. Ha!

It's flat out here. I can see out for forever on the horizon. I hate it. I think it's plain and awkward. I miss mountains. However, there are a lot of trees here, so I am so grateful for that! But they're kinda like foliage forests of bushel messes.. Oregon's forests are pretty and like organized. Out here it's a mess! And there are just random patches of thick forestry in the middle of places. It's awkward. But I suppose I like it. Rather that than deserts! I'm excited for fall, I think it'll be beautiful!

Also! There are water towers for every city! I think it's hilarious! What are water towers even for?! I like calling them out on our commute to our area, Sister Clawson just thinks I'm a goof (: Ha.

MOM! I know it's a couple days early, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I've been thinking about you all week and how it's coming up! I'm so excited for you! It's a big one (: I love you so much. And I am so blessed that you are my mother. Honestly. I love you more than anything, and I miss you like crazy. You're incredible. I hope your special day is incredible. Just know that I'm thinking about you and that I'll eat something special on that day and say it's cause it's your birthday (: I love you lots Mom!

Well, I better get going. It's 4 o'clock and we have a dinner appointment at 5, and we gotta drive out there. We were so lucky and got someone to feed us everyday up to Sunday! Yay! That is so nice! I'm sick of peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches! No, that's false, I love those (: It'll just be nice to have variety. Ha!

I love you all so much. I'm so glad I got to talk to you while in the airport. Really. That was the happiest thing ever! It really lifted me up. So thank you! Also, Dad, that book you're reading, our ward has been talking about it a lot! It's popular! We got a copy of it, but I'm not sure I can read it.. It's not on the list of things we can read. But someday. It sounds like an awesome book! Anywho, I just want you to know, that this is really hard work, I've never worked so hard in my life, but I love it! Really. I have never been so happy. The field is amazing! The Lord really does bless me and helps me through all of this. I have never been so happy all the time! When we're running for early morning exercise, or tracting on 50 doors, or studying the scriptures. Honestly. I love it! And this area is great! And Sister Clawson and I are gonna work super hard to show Miamisburg what we got! (:

I love you all so much!

Sister Dunn!

P.S. Since I don't have an apartment yet, just send everything to the Mission Office so they can forward it to me. And then once we get our apartment I'll let you know that address! (: I love you all so much. And miss you lots!

P.P.S. Our mission President has challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by Thanksgiving. That's super quick, and I'm already behind, but if you'd like to start doing that, that'd be fun! LOVE YOU!


Pictures:

Ohio Cincinnati Mission!
Two missions! Cincinnati and Curitiba and Clara!
At the airport before we all split! Elder Willliams, me, Elder Millsap, Elder Nickell and Elder Shirtz.
My mission President and his wife! President and Sister Porter (:
The back yard of the mission home. It was beautiful! It's so flat, and I hate it, but it's pretty cause it has trees (:

Love you lots! (:

They're Here!! Letter from Mission President.

Dear Brother and Sister Dunn,

Sister Dunn has arrived in the great Ohio Cincinnati Mission! We very much look forward to the strength she will be to this great work. Many thanks for all you are doing to assist. Your ongoing letters of encouragement and prayers of faith are so important. We constantly ask the Lord to pour out His spirit upon our missionaries, members, and the people of Ohio and invite you to join us in daily prayers on their behalf. We are promised that we can know we are being successful every day when we feel the Spirit testify to people through us, when we love people and desire their salvation, and obey with exactness and honor. [See Preach My Gospel, page 10].

Attached you will find an awesome photo of your missionary with President and Sister Porter! As well as some suggestions for you and your family to help support your missionary.

Our mission address is: Ohio Cincinnati Mission

PO Box 11671

Cincinnati, Ohio 45211

You will want to find us on FaceBook: Ohio Cincinnati Mission

With thanks and warm regards,


John P. Porter

President

Ohio Cincinnati Mission   

                                                         

Family! (: August 30, 2013

You guys are so cute, and the best ever! Let me tell you! You guys are amazing to have left your campsite, and drive out to a gas station so that you could have service to read my reassignment email. You're the best. I met with my Branch President for an interview and one of the questions that he asked was if I had been receiving emails and contact from my family. And I was able to proudly say that you all email me every week and the support you show me through that is so great, I honestly would not be able to make it through this mission if it weren't for my family and all the support they show me. So thank you. It really means a lot. It especially means a lot knowing that you would drive out to a gas station, while camping, to read and email me. You're the best! Thank you! It really means a lot to me.

Dad, you're probably right, I most likely will not be speaking a whole lot of Portuguese in my reassignment. Which scares me. I'm afraid I'll lose practice and forget a lot and then get to Brasil and not remember anything! Thankfully, I'll still get an hour of language study in the morning, my companion will just have to have an extra hour of study. But you never know, Anika just sent me a letter saying her brother, who is going to Brasil and was reassigned in California met a lady who spoke zero English but spoke... guess! Portuguese! So he's super excited cause now he has a chance to practice and talk with someone. So we never know, there could be some people in Cincinnati who need me because I speak Portuguese (: I obviously need to be in Ohio for some reason! We will soon find out! Dad, I do know Sister Kaegi, we knew each other before we left, we went to the singles ward together, and get this! We were in the same branch! So we went to church together, and our schedules were the same so we'd have meals and gym time at the same time. So it was a lot of fun being able to see a lot of her (: She just left for Michigan! Which is super exciting! Also Dad, I did not get your DearElder. My guess is when you shut the browser, it just got rid of it all. Which is a bummer.. Dang it.

Sydney! Just so everyone know, actually, I hope you read all the paragraphs, even though a lot of them start with a specific name. Because I just ramble and go on and on about anything that may have nothing to do with the person being said in the beginning. Ha! So everyone just read! (: But Syd. I got your email DearElder, but I can't print those off, they're weird format in my email. So I'll get that tonight and then I'll try writing you a letter back as soon as possible! (: It also leaves me something to look forward to for tonight. Yay mail! So are you super excited for college?! It's coming up, ya?! Just a couple of weeks now. When do you drive up there? I'm so excited for you. And somewhat jealous! I miss BYU-I. It's awesome! You'll love it. Just have lots of fun and be positive about everything!

Momma, way to rock it at golf! Dad told me how great you were! That's awesome! And how fun. I think that's so cool that you guys go out there and play. I love that. By the way mom, everyone loves my scripture case! Seriously. So many people tell me how much they love it and that it's so cute. Even random people are complimenting it. They all want to know where I got it. I just tell them that my awesome mom sent it to me! It was funny, one girl asked where you had gotten it and I told her Etsy, and she responded with, "I wish my mom knew how to shop online.. I don't even think she knows how to get on the internet." Bahahah! Sad. Basically I have the best mom ever, which I already knew, but now it's extra for sure proven. You're the best! (:

Here are some things that I wrote down to be sure to tell you all!

I sang in Sacrament! It was so amazing. It was me and my companion, Sister Hymas and Elder Fagersten and Elder Nickell. We sang a quartet of the song In Humility, Our Savior, but Elder Fagersten had changed the lyrics so we sang parts of Joseph Smith's First Prayer and I think it was Isreal Isreal God is Calling. Let me tell you, it was GREAT! Elder Fagersten did an awesome job of arranging it. And it was so exciting cause we all sang out parts and it was so beautiful sounding. I forgot how nervous I get when I sing in front of people. I haven't done it in awhile, and I got up there and was super shaky! It was scary. But I did it. And it's something I'll always remember (: It was so much fun.

At Devotional of Sunday two sisters sang The Olive Tree, and Sydney, it made me miss you so much. I just started crying. It's such a good song!

So because we don't have any form of our normal entertainment, like phones, computers, movies, tv, and all that, we all resort to ancient times and find our own ways of entertaining ourselves. Like telling stories. Hah! And elder in my district, Elder Hardy is the best at them. He's hilarious. So during meals he'll just bust into a hilarious story, it's great. Or we play tic tac toe, ya, remember that? That's the game you play on paper, and you use a pen and you mark a "hashtag" with 'X's and 'O's. I know, ancient times! And then we sing hymns. All the time. It's a great outlet, it just feels good. The quartet that sang in Sacrament, we sing together a lot. It's really pretty. Our voices actually sound really good together. Yep, ancient times right there, ancient times. Hahah!

On Wednesday I got to be a new missionary host! Which means that I took the new missionaries who were being dropped off on Wednesday to check in, to find their residence hall, get their books, and then take them to their classrooms. And let me tell you, I almost started crying seeing all these missionaries leave their families. I just wanted to yell to them, "Hug everyone a little longer! You won't get to hug them for a year and a half! Take advantage of this time!!!!!!" But I wasn't allowed to do that, I had to act like rainbows and butterflies and happy flowers (: Which is true, it's just sad seeing people leave their families. But they were all awesome, I showed about 6 girls around.

I got my reassignment! As you know! YAY! Ohio Cincinnati Mission! Cannot even believe this! So weird. So I leave early Wednesday morning, so yes, expect that call because I cannot wait to hear from you! I am going to be so tired cause I'll only be getting about two or three hours of sleep that night cause I have to wake up so early. So yippee! Haha! So because I am leaving on Wednesday, if anyone is planning on sending hand written letters, hold off until I have my mission address. As for DearElders, don't send anymore after Monday. Because if I'm already gone and they get a DearElder for me, they just throw them away... so I'll never get them.. I'm pretty sure for hand written envelope letters they'll forward, but I'm not sure, so just to be safe, lets hold off. That would be great, thank you! I think I'll be sending a package home of my letters. I haven't decided yet, but just so you know.

Mom, I was wondering, will you write out, or type out, your conversion story? I don't think I really know a lot about it. Like you meeting with the missionaries, and having dad there and helping. I've just been really curious and wanting to hear about it. I would love if you wrote it out and sent it to me. I think that'd be awesome. I really want to know, and it'd help with investigators telling them that you were a convert and was baptized into the church. And dad, would you write out some mission stories? I know I've heard a couple, but not a lot, that would just be really cool too. Funny, serious, investigators, funny moments, whatever you want. I've just been real curious about you two and want to know more! (:

Lucy and Cooper! And also Dad! Has the new IOS 7 system update come out yet?! Super exciting stuff! I'm excited to hear about it. Before I left I saw the video about it, it looks awesome!

So you asked about others and their reassignments. So last I heard, which was from last week, there are 700 visa waiters in the States. Holy smokes, that's a lot! We're all just dying to get into Brasil! So other people in my district got called to the Oregon Salem mission!, Vegas, New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and then Ohio Cincinnati! (: Mostly in the east. I'm really sad to leave though. They're all my best friends, and leaving is hard.. I got really close to Sister Riding, and I had to say bye to her last week. She got reassigned to the Idaho Pocatello mission. And it was so sad to say bye, I love her. Best friends. So it'll be sad to say bye. And I'm last to leave. Everyone leaves Monday morning, and so I'll have two days by myself, with about 3 other elders, until we fly out on Wednesday.. It'll be sad.

I'm nervous to have to give a lesson in English! I've never ever done it before! I've only taught missionary lessons in Portuguese, so it's going to be weird teaching in a different language... my native language.. ha! But it'll be an adventure!

Let Tina Westlund know that I have a little shout out to her. I loved your letter Tina. You are so sweet, thank you so much. It means a lot to hear from you. And your story, thank you. And yes, I do know Sister Kaegi, like I said previously, we were in the same branch so we saw a lot of each other (: Love you Tina!

Okay, so that's it! Hope you have fun camping! I'm so jealous, best campout ever! However, with like 13 families and 65 people... that seems a bit hectic. Ha! So maybe I'm glad I'm missing it (;

Can't wait to hear your voices!!! I'm SO excited! Love you all!

Sister Clara Kay Dunn

Clara in Cincinnati and Curitiba! How perfect (:


Pictures:
1. Went to the temple last Friday! It was raining, and was so beautiful! I loved it! And I also love my rain jacket (: It was perfect!
2. Sister Kaegi and I at the temple walk on Sunday.
3. The George Q. Cannon building, my second home! That's where my classroom is, so that's where I live for the majority of the day. Hahah.
4. On Tuesdays, we have devotional in the Marriott Center at BYU, so we walk over there. By the way, this weeks speaker was Neil L. Andersen! YES! Super cool. It was great! Anywho, we were told that it was pouring rain, lightning and thundering outside, so we sat waiting in the Marriott Center for awhile to see if it would die down, it didn't really. So we all had to walk back in the rain. I loved it! It was so much fun! So this is a picture of Elder Craft, Elder Kesler, me and Sister Hymas. We all walked back together and it was hilarious! We loved it (:
5. And then all the sisters. Me, Sis Peterson, Sis Hymas, and Sis Van Wagenen.


Love you! (: