5.27.13

Holy cow, I don't know where to start about this week. So I left off with Elder Holland( which I count as being part of this week). I have been riding that spiritual high all week. The next day Tuesday I wrote you guys and we had our p-day kinda lame day until..... Tuesday at 8 o'clock the zone leaders called us and told we had received special transfers.  They said that a new elder had arrived from Peru and I was going to train him and we would be a trio ,3 missionaries, me, elder abarca and elder Farfan( the new missionary) for one week until the transfers. i was pretty darn surprised to say the lest. The next morning or Wednesday morning we went to the offices and picked him up.  All these last 5 days I have had 2 kids.( training 2 missionaries) Amanda and Brian I don't know how you do it, haha it has been insane. Well maybe not like having 2 little kids because Elder abarca is finished with his training and elder Farfan has 4 months in the mission, so it wasn't that bad but yes it has been really hard. Just being 3 missionaries is hard! My Respects to Michelle, I don't know how you have done it. The hardest part was that elder abarca and I have been together almost 3 months and we have a system of teaching and know how to teach just us two, and we had throw elder Farfan in which was hard. Not to mention elder farfan was in a little culture shock haha, He is from Peria Peru, he is 18 and was serving in Lima 4 months. he played professional soccer 1st division before coming. We get along really well so far.

Which leads me to the transfers. When elder Farfan  came with us it was pretty much official that I would be staying and elder abarca would leave, but elder abarca didn't really catch on to the meaning of me training Elder Farfan meant I would stay here with him to train him ha, he thought he would maybe stay. As ofyesterday Officially I will be staying here as district leader training elder Farfan( who is already trained but I guess I'm still training him)  and officially as confirmed by Craig Hill I will Be in the Monterrey East Mission, Yeahhhhh. I love Monterrey I'm pretty pumped, I would have gone wherever but I'm happy to stay. We have good things going here. Everardo came to church yesterday and should get baptized the 8th of June. He is so awesome, he just has to quit drinking totally, which I believe he will do. Also yesterday Marisol came to church, she is 23 and we had been teaching her like more than a month ago but because of her work she couldn't continue, but she has kept reading the Book of Mormon and finish 1 Nephi.     Saturday in our lesson she told us she knows its true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. But she says she cant be baptized for a reason that she wont tell us, and its not her family.  We are going to have to pray a lot to find out what is keeping her from not being baptized.

 

Okay so Wednesday was our first day in trio, it was really tough and not to successful of a day but we prayed and worked out a system. On Wednesday Elder Capiz called me and told me that The Sanchez Family( the Family that got baptized when I first got to Pedregal with Elder Montejano) would be going through temple and be sealed on Friday and that they had invited me to go.!!!  Wow you guys don't know how exciting that is. So on Friday me and my companions went to the Monterrey temple!!!!!!! Also there was Brother ( ex Elder) Montejano and his ex companion Elder Rawlings who started teaching them, and His companion happened to be Elder Aldaz who replaced me in pedregal when I left and then stayed there like 8 months.  I cannot tell you how amazing of an experience it was family, having almost 1 and 6 months without entering the temple, seeing the that unreal family getting sealed, all the members from pedregal and the overall experience of being in the temple was one of the highlights of my entire mission. I love the temple so much. Not going for so long felt like I hit a wave of spirit when I walked in and in other parts of the temple. It was also great to catch up with elder montejano and remember our days together, he was telling the other missionaries our snake story. I also loaded up on supplies and garments in the store of the temple
(aka a small room in the church in front of it) mom I've spent a lot lately with my card, can you check and see how much I have. It told me a few minutes ago I have like 800 pesos. 

But wait there's more. Yesterday was the Baptism of Manuel! he asked me to baptize him and it was such a cool service. We held it right after the church services and all the kids of the primary stayed and sang  2 songs, also lots of members stayed which i didn't think they would. Manuel was just so happy, wasn't scared just so happy and excited, his mom also came who isn't member. After the baptism I  felt so much peace inside.

So that's about how the week was. We hope that the investigators we are teaching keep progressing. Excited for the future. Thanks for the pictures and for everything. Sounds like everything is great at home. 

Elder Clark

5.21.13

Well you might have wondered why I didn't email yesterday. I was busy being instructed by Elder Holland, and today is our p day. I don't even to know how to describe it or do it justice. It was unreal. We got to the stake center at like
11:45 and it didn't start until like 2 . I got to see all my old mission friends and we sat and studied the scriptures and sang hymns for 2 hours waiting for him to come, all together as a mission. The meeting stated with an amazing testimony from Sister Walker that set if off then Elder Johnson president of area Mexico and then Elder Holland. He got up and said he had to change everything he had planned to keep with the spirit of the meeting. He talked about the doctrine of Christ and read parts of 2 Nephi 31 and explained so much to us.

He is my hero. I got to shake his hand and what he said was so amazing. How he talks in conference all fired up and pure passion is exactly how he talked to us. We felt a spirit unlike any other yesterday. He said more important than teaching is living and more important that the doctrine of Christ is the life of Christ. That we have to live like Him and ¨follow him¨ and then we can help people to do the same. He finished by telling crying that he loves the Savior with every single part of his body, soul, heart, with everything he loves the Savior. Wow I want to love the Savior like him and give everything like Elder Holland.  He said that we are also investigators of heavenly father. He wants us to do what we want our investigators to do, have more faith, keep commandments, go to church etc. He told us lots of things that I will have to share later.

Oh mom  that would be awesome if you went to elder Bennett's homecoming! He would be so happy. Also his mom might have a box of my things.

 

So apart from yesterday being amazing,  the week was really good. We found lots of people and really good ones too, we were so blessed. We improved in lots of ways and just felt good. Sunday not many came to church but one more really interested person showed up with a family. We have lots going for us right now and it would be hard to leave if i get transferred. The transfers are Monday and one of us goes. Elder Abarca is convinced that is going because he had a dream that he left haha, we will see. All in all I have learned so much training and have been pushed more that I thought I had. I thought I was done with trails after the offices and nothing would be hard, well I leaned otherwise. but I have really liked it after all is said and done.

Oh the best part of the week ( not including Elder Holland ) was our conference with Elder Wilford Anderson, he blew my mind and I learned so much about faith and repentance.  I know that repentance means to change and become better. I have learned that really well on my mission . We studied a ton about the doctrine of Christ and I now understand my purpose so much better.

Well family thanks for the emails and pictures. Love you all, can feel your prayers. Let you know next week  if i stay of if i go.

Elder Clark

ps guess for Alex is Mexico City

5/13/13

so i dont know if i will write to much because we just talked yesterday and also because we have less time to write this week because we have to work more time because of the meeting we will have on wednesday with a 70. its going to be an amazing week! elder anderson( 70) on wednesday and Elder Holland!!!!! on Monday!!!!!!!!! i am so excited, he is just talking to our mission, it will be in the steak center right next to the offices, that day we will also hear from elder Johnson, president of area mexico. wow i still cant believe it i hope i can prepare myself spirutatly.

so i loved talking to you all. i love you guys and miss you a lot. it was cool i got to talk a little to michelle she sounds like shes 25. wow.

 

so this was good, weve had a few slow weeks lately but were hanging in there. our best hope right now is Everardo. he heard the missionarys 8 years ago and started reading the book of mormon and well got to 3 nefi. last week he looked for the church on mormon.org and went to a differente ward all by himself. we got the refereal and meet him on tuesday. he is so prepared and awsome. he hasnt acepted a babtism date yet but he should soon, well i hope because he says that christ doesnt have a church and just looks at peoples harts, but he knows the book of mormon is true, but no that this is christ church, to me it doesnt make sence because the hand in hand but its alright,  he went to church yesterday with us.

this week we will probably have to drop carmen, its really sad but we will see.

 

aright fam. love you guys. thanks so much for your love and for helping me so much.

elder Clark

5/6/13

alrgiht everyone. so not sure how long this letter will be. thanks everyone for the emails and the updates!, i really like the 2 missionary system. okay so i cant beileve Elder Benson is Michelle`s district Leader! that is so cool! thanks for rhw pictures and updates.

so i think i might do a rose thorn and bud style letter this week. dont get used to it, when i get home i will still participate half heartily

Roses

The bigest rose of the week was the Babtism of Jhionary and Vianey. wow it was an unreal service. first of all they have both changed so much in a little over a month. there was a better turnout than hectors babtism which included a special number from the young woman. the spirit was so strong and i remembered that its work all the hard work. i got to babtize Vianey and elder abarca babtized Jhionary.( see atached photo) 

Elder mills telling me that Sandra, Gaby and oracio. ( the family from Guadalupe) have babtism dates for june

Getting a new Ward mission leader yesterday. our old one didnt do a thing so he got realesed and now we have a really really good leader. 

an investigator named marisol coming to church. we had been teaching her but her work changed so she couldnt keep meeting with us but came 

yesterday and is reading the book of mormon and says she is gooing to make time for us. 

no problems with my knees.

yesterday testimony meeting, it was so good. 

Hectors talk on faith in the babtism of his cousins.

Thorns

being lost in different area all day saterday (we had intercambios on saterday and i went with a missionary who has very little time in the mission and in his area, we got lost and it because a sucesfull day just because we found were were again haha. 

Elder abarca^s 2 week caughing and caughing. he has caughed for 2 weeks strait. in every study and lesson, i have almost gone crazy. alright enough complaining

yesterday forgeting to turn of the pump to the babtismal font and having to call the 2nd counsler at 10pm to go turn it of when i remebered that we didnt turn it off.. oooppss 

Buds

finaly getting my package tonight that the zone liders have with them.they say its big

Elder Holland coming in 2 weeks. also another general athority is coming this week. as preperaction we doing a hard core study of the doctrine of christ and we have to invite everyone we contact to be babtized, wow. 

talking with you guys on sunday

alright so the computer isnt letting me send pictures but i will try to send them in internet place.

love you guys talk to you on sunday.

Elder Clark

4.29.13

ello everyone. sounds like your all doing great and especialy michelle, i cant believe she gets to the field today! mom and jan the blog is so sweet, ill try and send more pictures so its even more legit. Congratz and a shout out to jan for her Graduation!

this week was really good. thank you for the prayers! my knee hardly hurt at all this week, it was amazing! it didnt make sence to me why it didnt hurt or was bugging me and as i just barely read your emails about that you have been praying a lot for me it clicked and i understood why not. i am so gratefull for the hand of the lord. like i said it was a good week. the best day of the week was saterday, and also church yesterday. we have an investigator named carmen that is really good but is really unsure always, she gets confused easlily and doesnt know if she should keep listining to us or what she should do. she was scared to go to church but we finaly convinced her and she told us that if she didnt like it than she wasnt going to litsten to us anymore. so saterday night were thinking about how we would get her to the church, who could sit by her and make her feel good and as we walked home a less active sister pulled up in front of to go to her house and we decided to ask her is she take us and carmen to church the next day she said okay and the next morming we went to the less active members house to go and she wasnt dressed and said she couldnt go, she asked us who the investigator was anyway and we told her and she stoped and said, give me 5 minutes to change. the 3 of us went to pick up carmen, elder abarca went up to the door and carmen came out not ready and said she couldnt go, elder abarca told her that the sister was right there waiting in her car, carmen stoped and said, give me 5 minuetes to change. turns out that they are like best friends and have gotten really close because carmens mom died a year ago. carmen had an amazing time at church, we had such a great lesson in gospel pincipols on our heavely family. she stayed all 3 hours, and asked if she could boworr a gospel principols book to read it. it is amazing how the lord helps us in his work, it was such a blessing and miracle.

also veaney and hionari went to church and will be babtized on saterday. they are doing amazing. they had tons of test and homework this last week and we told them that if they read the book of mormon first would be able to do the hormwork better and do better on there tests. we kinda forgot aout that we said that and came back another day and they were so excited to tell us how good they did on there test, they couldnt believe how good they did and knew it was because they read the book of mormon first. 

we also found some other good people, one husband of a active sister who is really good, the members and his wife told us hid dindnt want anything but one we passed by when his wife wasnt home and just talked to him about work and his family and the church, then we came back later and taught him lesson 1 and he eat it up and wants to keep listiing.

mom one of the packages got to the offices, and i just baught as knee brace, i will see if it works and let you know. they havent told us anything yet about mothers day calls, i will let you know. time goes by so fast. mom or amanda, when do i need apply to college if i want to start in january?

 okay no time to send pics.

 

Hava a great week

 

ps Elder Holland is coming to talk to us may 20th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4/22/13

wow great emails. i was so excited to read them and to hear about michelle and that she wrote me and for your testimonies. thanks so much for all your love, team clark( michelle and i) couldnt do it without you, your a critical part of team clark, well your part of the team.

wow so this week had some roller coasters , some ups and downs. it started off pretty slow but we had a really good day yesterday, found some good people and Hionari and Veaney came to church and should be babtized the 4th of may if everything goes as planned. keep praying for us and for them.

 

so the last few weeks my knee has been buging me and wednesday i went to the doctor ( really good doctor in a nice hospitial) just to check it out. everything is perfectly fine but looks like my knee cap ( my left knee, the one i had surgery on) isnt where it should be, that it wasnt fixed all the way by the surgery and tends to move to the left when i walk. its not serrous and he said i wont have any problems in finishing my mission but when i get back i should talk to my doctor and in his opinoin it will need surgery in the future. he gave some medicine for pain and excircises to do everyday and i am A + okay, i can work normaly and it wont do any damage to keep going , just to take care and let the pain be my guide. so thats what im doing, dont worry it is fine, but just keep praying. i have prayed a lot and have felt so strengthened. something about my mission that i have learned i have needed to do really completley on the lord. i have told him in my prayers that he is all i have, i have no other source of comfort and i have felt his arms around me. i know he lives. mom i loved so much your email tome and michelle, thanks so much for your testimony. i also know that all of it is real. wow i am so graefull for the gospel, what would we do without an eternal persective and a testimony of the truth of god.

michelle sounded so good in her email she wrote to me, wow. mom i love those pictures like you dont know. will you foward me the emais she wirtes to you mom, if thats aright with her. oh and mom i think the packages you sent are sitll waiting to get picked up be the secretaryies, they are  pretty busy, good for nothing secretaries why dont they just put there responabilties on hold to get my package ha.

alright i am going to try and send a few pictures thats why its shorter, i gotta figure out this getto computor. thanks for your love and emails. i gotta go.

Elder clark

4/15/13

well this week was really good and a little tougher. it was a good week but it had its moments. thats usually how it is after amazing conferences, satan goes to work. The best part of the week was for sure the baptism of Hector. wow you cant believe how prepared a 9 year old can be for babtism. he literelly understood what babtism ment and what convenant he was making. we didnt get a great turnout form the ward but the spirit was there just as powerfull. i would send pictures but i forgot my camera card. in atendence where hectors cousins who are well on thiere way to doing the same thing, but.... they didnt come to church, they didnt wake up, but we already have a plan so dont worry. yesterday we found a super prepared lady who was taught by the missionarys last year but never went to church for her work but now is not working . she already has a testimony and acepted to be babtized the 11th of may. tuesday was really hot. 105. but on we went. maybe the hardest and coolest part of the week was friday. i did not feel good para nada. i could barely walk and we had to work in the mountain parte of our area. i stumbeled my way up to the food apoinment and eat a little. the brother offered to give me a blessing and i accpeted, Elder Abarca gave me a blessing that i would be healded to be able to keep working and serving. after we left the house could walk normaly and in about an hour and a half i was completly normal and healed. it was a miracle and i as so greateful for the preisthood and for how the savior literaly takes care of me. that night we had a really good leason and i come home so greatefull. saterday we had to get the babtisim ready and off course.. there were problmems with the font. its rule number one of all babtisms. there will be a problem with the font. but we fixed it and it was a great day and week. well i gotta go. so from i understand presidente is already a 70. he has to do both things at once. wow. oh today is the day of transfers but elder abarca and i are staying the same. it was such a boring transfer night and day compared to the offices. poor secretaries, we recieved i thing like 29 new elders and 21 are americans. pray for elder mills. and for me.well michelle will be amazing. good luck with the saying good by. the time will go by fast. if i served the same time as she will i would be getting home in 1 month. so dont worry, it goes by fast.
Elder Clark's mom i havent got a package yet and i will send pictures next week.