Reaching New Heights

Height has always been a topic of conversation in the Clegg home. My parents are average height. Mike's parents are not. In fact, they are short. (Were short...not sure how to respectfully address the height of people who have passed away.) That being said, my kids are surprised at Mike's height, despite having incredibly short parents. My kids have enjoyed keeping track of their height with marks on a wall or door frame every few years. Hayden couldn't get tall fast enough. He felt it was his key to making the high school basketball team. The majority of his height came after tryouts and by then he found joy from biking and skiing. Autumn's height came fast and furious and she lamented being taller than all the boys. That gap is now closing and she is owning her height a little more. (I even got her to wear her adorable black boots with a heel the other day!) Aubrey just wants to grow. She sees her tall brother and sister and has great hopes of joining them someday. It is fun to look at the marks and dates on the wall and compare heights over the years.

If I were to be measuring Hayden's spiritual height he is gaining, I would need to make a mark every week. Each letter, I am the one in awe at the growth he is making. I am humbled when I read his letters and feel the Spirit testify of the truth of his words across the miles. Here he is this week...


"Hey its Monday and Stuff,

This week was a crazy good week for multiple reasons.. Conference, splits, and not having anything too exciting happen. Haha my only weird story for this week is that one night I got into bed and was like "Wow I love it when I can get into a bed that has been made. It makes sleeping on the floor great.." Then I was like.. "Oh wait.. I didn't make my bed. Hey Elder, did you make my bed? No..? Ok.. who made my bed?" Haha then I went to sleep in my nicely made bed. I love it when ghosts and robbers and stuff are nice to me.

My first time doing splits was such a great experience. Elder Kimball from California came over to my sector to stay the night and work the next day. The two of us have a combined experience of less than 5 months.. I was a little unsure of how we were gonna be able to do! Haha but greenie luck.. We taught the most lessons of any day I've had.. and even put down a baptismal date with some dude we found! Haha I am here to tell you that "The Gift of Tongues" is a real thing.

Also, there's this holiday in the Mission that nobody tells you about.. General Conference. We still work and everything, but we get to listen to all of the sessions at the chapel in a room full of the gringos from my zone.. In English.. It was awesome! We all paid super close attention and tried our best to receive the revelation that we need! My personal favorite talk was the one about the night sky by Uchtdorf. He blew my mind. We have a God who knows our name. He loves us. This has never been more apparent to me. God loves all of his children! Even the really rude Catholics down here in Chile. Haha I am sure everyone has tweeted the crap out of all the good quotes.. So I will try to not bore you with that.

However, I will tell you about my personal conference miracle. Haha as missionaries we try really hard to bring investigators and such to the conference, but not many people were successful with that. My companion and I were settling in for our last session of conference in the gringo room when he looks out the window and sees one of the families we have been teaching randomly show up..This was a miracle in its own right! Haha we talked to them and had them sit by some members in the ward.. Returning to the gringo room I started to pray! I just wanted more than anything for them to hear something they could understand and like. I was getting a little discouraged with one talk left.. Then I remembered.. "Hey Bednar is gonna talk." I said one last prayer.. Probably the most sincere prayer of my life that they would hear something they needed.. Right after I said amen, Bednar stands up and says that his talk is going to be to the people not of our faith. I just started crying. It was embarrassing! Haha but by the time he said "Every Knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ." The 20 other missionaries in the room joined me. I have never felt the spirit so strong in my life.

Right now, few knees are bowing and fewer tongues are confessing.. As missionaries, it is hard, but I can't wait for the day when we realize that all of our trials and work was worth it. When we can say, "I told you so." I have a new love for conference.

Hope you are all doing well.
Con amor,
Elder Clegg

P.S. I have only eaten Oreos for breakfast twice in my mission and one of those times was today. A man's gotta survive."


Hayden is inspiring me to try to reach new spiritual heights. I am going to need to find more ways to strengthen my faith and testimony, so I can grow as well. We miss him so much, but we also realize the plentiful blessings our family receives because of his spiritual growth and sacrifice.


Hayden being domestic. It sounds like he is good at cooking Oreo's!!
Hayden showing us what he puts in front of the door to feel safe at night. So comforting...
Hayden in his front doorway. He barely fits!!