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.

4/8/13

Hey Everyone, I'm glad that everyone loved conference too, it was amazing. Well we say that after every conference and it is always true. It is such a huge blessing. My favorite part is listing to the testimonies or whiteness of the apostles, wow. I learned so much and feel like I have been changed even more after all the talks. I like everyone loved Elder Hollands talk but also Elder Ballard's talk and also elder Ukdorfs talk in priesthood. Oh and Elder Anderson's talk on mission work. My testimony was strengthen and I felt so much peace and knowledge.

The rest of the week was really good too! we started teaching Hectors ( 9 year old who's is getting baptized this Saturday) cousins they are 2 girls of age 13 and 11. We had an amazing lesson with them on Friday. We watched finding faith in Christ with Hector, the 2 cousins, 2 more of his little cousins, 2 of Hectors little friends, and their moms and Hectors grandma. It was a lot of people and we watched it on a laptop. At first they couldn't pay attention to well but as the movie went on they were are gripped and where like ´ wow¨ when they saw miracles on it. by the end they were are quiet and the spirit was in the room as we testified and asked them all what was their favorite part. Our plan was to invite Hector's 2 cousins ( hionori and Jeine) to be baptized like Hector ( and Jesus Christ) but I thought, nay we will next time, but I felt strongly I needed to invite them. The spirit gave me the words and they accepted a date for the 27th. It was an amazing lesson, thanks to the spirit. They also all went to the afternoon session of Sunday conference, so everything is great. wow conference was so good. Mom we did watch it in English which is about 26 times better. and yes we all went crazy when Elder Ukdorf read Allen R Walker  to be a area 70. But non of us were surprised, this to me is just one of greater things to come for him, he is unreal. And yes he will be our presidente until July, I think.. I haven't heard an official word yet.

So the rest of the week was good. Our best day was Friday, our bishop gave us a reference of a really good family and also between the 2nd session on Saturday and Priesthood were weren't sure if it was worth it to leave to our area but we decided to and found a really really good investigator named Carmen.

Today for p day( that's why I'm writing so late) we went to Parke Fundidroa) that amazing park I've told you guys about before. You have to go someday, its so beautiful. I love Monterrey, to me it is the coolest city, so yeah that's about how the week went.

Oh mom my apartment is really nice, one of the best in the mission. and the area is a good area, its really tall and skinny in size and the top part is literally  on the side of the mountain. I will  take pictures sometime to explain what I mean.

Michelle good luck in your final week,  just brace yourself and start praying right now and you'll do amazing. Be excited for the MTC. I loved it so much.

Alright fam that's about it. Mom thanks for the pictures,  really jealous you went to conference. and who is Jason's ex mission president? (it is Elder Erich Kirpokriee (sp) he spoke in the Sunday afternoon session)

4/1/13

This week was good as far as numbers go , we found people and found lots of menos activos. We feel like we can do more or that we are missing something but it was a good week. 

Thanks for the emails. sounds like Michelle's talk went amazing and that it was a great Sunday and great week. I cant believe that she leaves in 2 weeks. good stuff.

So there's not really an order to this email just what I can remember. So yesterday in church it was ward conference. there were 5 speakers who each gave 15 minute talks, I just keep looking at the clock and couldn't believe we were still there. I don't know if it was planned to be a 2 hour sacrament meeting because it was ward conference, maybe, I didn't know you could do that but we finished exactly at the 2 point, it was brutal, well actually there were some really good messages but there is a point were you cant pay attention.  Actually thinking back it was pretty good. We left from sacrament directly to priesthood where the stake leaders chewed out all the brothers for not doing their home teaching ha, interesting but good Sunday. After church we found some really good less actives all with great potential and we had really awesome experiences. There are so many in this ward, and they are all really awesome.

We are finding lots of PFs or families where everyone are members, that's been most of our work and finding source.  One of the people we have found is named fidencio, he's like 70 and him and his wife are less active and are super, super poor. But they have a lot of faith, one of there grand kids that lives with them ran away so we said a prayer with them and the granddaughter came back that same night. Seeing people so poor has made me think a lot about Heavenly Fathers plan, and it has strengthen my testimony of it. I don't understand everything but I know that his plan is perfect. I am trying to be more humble because of it. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself or do things complaining in my head but I forget that it's the lords will and that he knows best and I need to do what he asks. 

So yeah learning lots. So this weeks was semana Santa which means holy week but its Easter, they just celebrate it for like a whole week, especially Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It was hard to find everyone because they were all on vacations or with there entire family, especially Saturday catholics don't work that Saturday or Sunday. I don't know if it is this area or if it was this week only but everyone here drinks and gets really drunk, I have never had so many burachos or drunk guys talk to us, just a side not, but its really sad.

So Tuesday the day of the US v Mexico game, I had been looking forward to that day for my whole mission, I thought I would get stuff thrown at me and get yelled at all day like the American fans do when they go to the game in Mexico City in el estadio Azteca. I was so excited but I didn't know it was Tuesday until that same day, I was super disappointed cause nobody said anything, only a few members, I wanted to see the game but well, I couldn't. It ended 0-0 and was just a lame experience. Apart from going to the world cup next year I plan on going to the next us - game that is played in Mexico, in 2017.

So that's about it. we gotta go try and fix elder Abarca´s clothes, he washed his whites and his dark colors together and now all his shirts and garments are blue haha, I have no clue what he was thinking but poor guy. 

Have a great week family. Happy Easter

Elder Clark

3/25/13

Alright so today has been kinda crazy because he had interviews with president, so that's why I'm writing so late. Anyway this went very well. elder abarca and I are getting along great and finding new people. The highlight of the week was finding and teaching Hector, is a 9 year old and his mom is less active. He is the smartest  brightest 9 year old  have met. We taught him lesson 1 and he understood it better than adults. What he really understood was the laying on of hands is necessary to give the priesthood. Then he told us that the year before the other missionaries gave him a book of Mormon and told him to pray about it. So he read some of it and said a prayer and felt really good in his heart so he knew it was a true book. So he was like I already did that, and we taught him lesson 2 where he ask all sorts of questions about the Resurrection and the kingdoms of glory.I love him. He has a baptism date for the 13th of April and came yesterday to church and is ready to go. 

We also found some other good people so we will See how they progress but they have some serious potential ( well I guess of course, they are children of god ) they seemed really interested and understood that they can pray to know the truth for them selves, its a hard principal for a lot to understand; that they can ask questions to god and he will answer. They only ask him to bless them with stuff. We almost meet all of our goals this week. I have a testimony of goals, they help you push yourself and miracles can and do happen when you act in faith to reach your goals.

Yesterday in church elder abarca and I had to give talks on the spot. I told the story of Roque and how the lord prepares people and there are people looking for the truth, it was really cool. 

It has been really cool to see our work pay off, when we find someone to teach. We are working hard, I just want to know how we can be efficient and find more people. We started of the week with nothing, we had a few rough days to start of including Wednesday. it rained all day ,non stop pour. Got completely socked and cold but we kept going. In the back of my mind was the promise Jason told ¨ when you track in the rain your future wife gets better looking¨ I told it to elder abarca and I have told it to all my companions when it rains. Thanks to Jason for teaching me that true doctrine. We got back to the house just dead and socked but we made it trough the day. The rest of the week it was burning hot. 4 of the 7 days it was above 95 and a few days of 99, I getting used to it again ha. It's gonna be nothing but heat from now until October.

I'm really excited that Michelle's talk is on Sunday. I will be there in spirit, but not really cause that's not possible. I'm so pumped for general conference too. 

Oh other stuff that happen this week. I set a world record for hitting me head on something. In our house the doorways are made for hobbits ( or I guess Mexican people) and on the sidewalks there are overhand things. It was kinda rough. 

well I'm still deciding of where I should go to college after my mission. Amanda can you tell me when are to due dates to apply to Utah and BYU Idaho

Alright well that will be all from me folks. Have a great week. Always in my prayers.

love Elder Clark

3/18/13

hey fam. glad that everything is going great at home. dad and michelle i dindt have time to read your emails but im going to print them off and read them right after.

so this week went by a lot faster than last week haha, it felt like a normal mision week, where the days literaly fly by. so it was a really good week. we kept working hard and did what we could. we found some good people and some good potencial. we were really guided in our contacts and in our days. I can understand Elder Abarca better now and were doing really good together, he has a lot to learn but thats what time is for, he really has so much for everyone that he meets and thats the most important and is what has helped us so much.

so there area a ton of less actives here in this ward, a lot. and there not totally dumb like less actives from my other wards. so we have meet a lot of them and had some awsome experiences. one of the parts of the week was that 10 less actives came to church.  and we are gonna have even more next week. we are still strugiling getting to know all the ward members but were on our way.

so some of the cool things from the week were. the ward night on wednesday that we were in charge of, a lot of investigators, people invited and less actives came. we did a cool activty and showed the restoration and it went realy good! the ward is waking up and it is really cool. we have a long ways to go but i feel lke we are going to get there.

antoher cool thing was i meet the grandparents of those 3 kids that i babtized in guadalupe, they are members in this ward, that was cool and they love me.

so everything is going great. sorry that the email is short again but thats how it is fam.

yetsterday is was really realy tired but everyday i wake up and i have a new charge of energy. it is a miracle and i am so greatful for the help of the savior in his work. i know that all that we do in the church is for him.

i will write more next week and take some pictures.

love you guys

Elder Clark.

3/11/13

man this is so hard writing in a internet place and we dont have hardly any time. thanks for all the emails they helped me especially so much. wow i dont know where to start, i wish i could reply to some of your emails but i dont have time.

okays so my new companion is Elder Abarca from mexico city. he is really good but it has taken some serrious ajustments. he is 25 but he looks like and acts like he is 20. he has the faith of a 8 year old haha, picture elder Calhoon from the best to years, its some super greeny faith, its awsome. my only conplaint is that i can not understand him! i feel like i just got here again, i dont know if he has a Mexico city acent or just the way he talkes but i am dying trying to understand him ha im learning a new language. 

so tuesday we got here at like 7 and i got the phone and called the bishop and was like ahh bishop were gonna be here, he was so excited, the whole ward was so excited ha. that same night we had a special missiary work meeting with the leaders. i really like the ward, there really good. there are tons of less actives so there is lots to do. we littaly worked our tails off, poor elder abarca haha, we were like airplanes going everywhere. ha it was an experience like none other. we had no idea wjhere we were going. I feel so overly blessed for how were were guided and blessed by the lord to find the less actives and everything and contact the right people because we started with nothing. a member named brother lozano took us in his car and just drove around and showed us were all the less actives live. 

we meet a lot of them ( less actives) and had some amazing lessons with them. we have seen a lot of word of wisdom problems here so far, it has been cool to testify of the the comandment and the healing power of the savior to overcome addictions and reaturn to his arms.

it was an amazing week and one i will never forget, really really challenging, i have been realy tired but at the same time energized and strengthend 

conratz to amanda and brian. mom i loved the target email with all the pictures it made my week. also Abinadi emailed all of us to say he is waiting for his mission call!! i am so pumped and happy for him. 

well that is all the time i have for you fokes. thats how it is not being a secretary. but i love you and i thakyou for all your prayers. 

if you guys have any quiestions i will be happy to answer them.

Elder Clark

3/4/13

So its official. I'm leaving. Well president told me on Tuesday but now I know where I'm going. I will leave the area of Guadalupe and the offices and I will open the area of Tacubaya as a trainer.  Wow its gonna be awesome but a lot of work. Tacubaya has been closed for like 5 or 6 months, its like 30 minutes from the offices so its in the city and pretty close but its a different stake and everything. I am really excited, to be able to open an area and also to be able to train someone new. I'm not sure what to expect but I expect to have success. When president opens areas it is because there are prepared people there ready and waiting, so I gotta go find them.

 I leave Guadalupe with my heart bursting. Saying goodbye to everyone was something that I have never experienced before. I can't really describe it. We taught and said goodbye to Gaby, Sandra, Orazio and monse. Orazio the dad who before didn't let Gaby get baptized started to cry and said he wanted to say a prayer and thank god for everything and that I was sent here and to ask to protect me, so we said a second prayer. Then I testified of the Savior and of eternal families and thanked them for everything. I walked out in another world, thinking wow. sometimes it doesn't seem like we make a difference, but I learned that by me just doing little things I made some kind of a difference, but it wasn't me at all. If you just do the small things the spirit does everything else. I don't feel like did anything special, just did my small part.
 

Walking to go pack I stooped by to say goodbye to Lucy- that was hard- and walking to the house I just felt a peace and a joy like I have only felt on the mission. The scripture ¨how great shall be your joy¨ 

I don't remember what life was like before Guadalupe, I feel like that is my home ward, and a few of the families are my families. but that's the mission and that's life. Just a very very emotional day yesterday. Someday I  am going tell you guys all about my time here and about all the members and what happen when I said goodbye. Roque was sad and thanked me like I have never been thanked. Dad I know exactly what you were saying in your email. 

I am sad and happy to leave the offices. Well mostly I'm happy but I will miss It too. You guys have know idea how much I have learned and all the great things that have happened here and how it was sometimes. Life is just awesome. i feel so blessed it ridiculous. Going back to section 18 of doctrine and Covenants and to the heading of my email, ¨the worth of souls is great in the sight of God¨ the church spends so much money to be able to have missionaries and for everything, its the Lords money. There is not price to helping souls find the truth and return to live  with him again. it is the lords work!

This week I worked my tail of to get everything ready for Elder Mills, he doesn't know what's coming quiet yet but I'm going to be praying and I've left everything in good order. Today the new people get here so I've got lots still to prepare and I have to go get some in-grown toenails taken out, its the second time in 3 months, they're the worst. 

Well I'm not sure what to say. Ready to work. 

thanks for all the prayers. Mom the debit card works, thanks you saved me. Oh mom the US soccer jersey never got here, is there a way to check were it could be at? In the package if you could send a new electrical razor I would be so eternally grateful.

Take care everyone. Love you guys. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAN . AND SOON EMILY AND BRIAN!!!!!!

 

Elder Clark

not a secretary 

1. me in my last night

 

 

2. Gaby , Sandra, me, Oracion and Monse

 

 

3. me and Elder Mills

 

 

 

4. plaza in the middle of my area

 

 

 5. the Puente Family( my other family)

2/26/13

Wow. crazy week. Okay so for all of you at home with the Reynosa Mexico Mission being opened, our mission will be split in half! wow. It's so crazy. Reynosa as you may remember was were I started, its 3 hours away from Monterrey. Also apart of that mission will be 3 other border cities. So now on July first the city and the border will be 2 different missions!

What does the mean for me? Who know, if i get transferred to the border this transfer I will probably be in the Reynosa mission, or I stay in the city I will be in this mission still. So almost everything depends on this transfer, when I leave the offices, but..... but..... the new mission has to start from scratch, and guess what they will need....... a financial secretary. who is the only trained financial secretary left in the mission..???.. me. ( besides elder mills who is almost trained) . I may have just seen the last of my head of hair. Elder Lopez the assistant  said last night that they will need a ready office and everything before the new president gets there. That they might have to train 2 more assistants to be ready, and maybe secretaries. so all I can say right now is who knows, because I really do not have any idea. Tomorrow we have the meeting with president about office stuff and he always gives us the inside scoop.

So all of this strengthens my testimony of this work. ahh it gets me so excited, all that is happening in missionary work!! Especially here in Mexico. In sacrament meeting I talked and talked about that and how the time is now, it's getting closer. 

This week was better than last week, we found a few new people and just felt better about life. That amazing 20 year old fell through, which was really sad, but I felt sad for her, not for myself. The best thing of the week was that Orazio, Gaby's dad came to Church! They went as a family, it made the whole week payoff. Elder Mills will probably baptize the whole family at the end of March or some time in April. Sandra told me she wants me to baptize them all but I will probably well be gone.

I have really been taking advantage of my personal study and I am loving it. 

so starting tomorrow Elder mills will take my desk and be ¨Financial Secretary¨ but it will be like half and half but it's what helped me me the most to learn everything. Next week will be an interesting email, it will be really emotional if I leave. 

Keep praying for me. thank you for you love! Speaking of which huge thank you for the scriptures and the notes. I read all of them. My favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon is Alma 26, its unreal.

Love you guys.

ps the weather is nice, warm but nice, I'm loving it. but its gonna get hot soon.

Thanks Fam

Elder Clark

2/21/13

Hey family, I am going to write this email fast because I got lots of things to do, I probably say that every week but its always true so I will keep saying it.

Honestly there's not much to write about this week. It was a little rough. The best part of the week and most exciting was zone conference on Friday, oh man it was awesome. Sister Walker talked about knowing who we are, that Heavenly Father lives and that we are literally  His children, and if you really know it, not just believe it, everything in life has an eternal perspective. It was powerful. She also talked about when people give talks or when reading the scriptures we always need to listen as if the message is for us. President talked about diligence. It always is a changing point after zone conference. 

That same morning we had to take an elder to the airport at 4 in the morning, so after zone conference I was dead. But it was alright because in the airport there is Krispy Kremes.
 

The rest of the week well, it was good, but not too memorable. Oh what was really good was the Stake conference on Sunday. it is my second her, it was really good, but..... we didn't have investigators, Abby that girl we found couldn't come and we weren't able to teach her during the week.  But anyway in stake conference president and sister walker talked and a seventy, it was really good. Also a returned missionary talked, he gave the advice to wanting missionaries to love God with all there heart and love other people with all you heart, it affected me a lot. I have to keep progressing with that.

This week we learned how to contact in the street again, we are allowed to contact people in between appointments. We can't knock on doors and we can't plan or put goals for contacting but in between our appointments and plans we have to talk to people in the street. It has been hard at first but now I have almost lost the fear again. We had more contacts than anyone in the zone. that could be because we didn't have great numbers apart from that. 

So I'm doing great. I am trying to get everything ready to leave, it is going to be a lot of work these 2 weeks but it will be all done. 

What do you guys think of the pope stepping down? 

Alright well have a great week.

 

pictures 

Chile's!!!!!!! American food

Office Picture

2/11/13

hey family whats goin on. hows texas jason and jason. hows iowa michelle.

so this was great. on tuesday we had our meeting with president and officaly told me and elder mills that elder mills will be the new financial secretary and said ´should know everything in just a few weeks¨ so its almost for sure that march 4th i will leave. wow. a lot of mixed feelings. it will be so hard to leave. the thought of maybe, big maybe,  never seeing these people again just kills every part of my heart. but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. 

so i have been teaching elder mills everythings and he is a really good learner. but i kinda feel bad, i feel like it is my burden to bear, i know how hard it is and that its not a plesant burden for someone but i know that i have done what the lord has asked me to do and know its someone elses turn. 

this week we looked and looked for less actives on the ward list. i dont know if i told you guys but we cant visit members anymore to ask for refereals. we have to work with pure less actives and investigators. we didnt find a whole lot but we did find some and we were happy to get to know them and that they didnt kick us out. it is sad that there are a lot of less actives. it doesnt make any sense how a lot of these people have changed chuches. we meet this less active that has a calling in a christan church. she says that her 3 years in the church were like her base to her faith in christ and this church is like the rest of the building, but she needed a good base or the rest doesnt work.... what???? but you have to respect there belives and try and teach about athority. some people just dont get it, it should make sence but i just doesnt to some people. alright im done venting.

so maybe the best part of the week was our new investigator named Aby. we were looking for a house and we knocked on one to ask if they lived there by chance and a 20 year old girl came out, she had that prepared/ golden look. so we contacted her and put an apointent for saterday. saterday we got there and taught her lesson 1 which went amazing! elder mills and i normaly cant teach like that, wow. she acepted a babtism date for the 2nd of march! she is aswsome! ah man elder mills and i left just happy as two 2 american mormon missionarys in mexico could be. i will keep you updated, she didnt go to church but she told us she couldnt because she had to take a test or something but it was alright because the talkes were pretty badly prepared in sacrement meeting. maybe thats bad to think/ personal apastacy for thinking that, owell. oh and also because the Neighbors of rocky ( roque) atacked him with anti mormon stuff so he came to church with lots of quiestions so in gospel principals we answered all of them and he actped all of it perfectly. he said them atacting him stregthened his faith and belife, that he knows he is in the truth. wow, he has a lot of faith and such a strong testimony. 

also yesterday after chruch we found someone else really good. we were walking in the steet with not much to do and in all my disicions i prayed about the two  options and we felt like we should visit an old investigator, he wasnt home but his neibor answered and we taught him and his really good. 

on saterday a ward in our district had a babtism and it was so special. i had a really amazing experience in his baptismal interview. just more testimonys that people can change trough the savior. 

i have felt really good. i am so grateful for the holy ghost and to have company of him. it feels good to be able to teach people and not worry about the language and being nervous about what to say. i am gratefull for the progress i have had in these 14 monthes. 

okay well thats about all.  

oh mom i got the Hawaii package! it made my week. ahh there is not any food/ snacks better and the t shirts and the calender were much appreciated !! okay and thanks for sending a new debit card, hope it gets here soon.

so have a great week everyone.

Love Elder Clark

2/11/13

hey family whats goin on. hows texas jason and jason. hows iowa michelle.

so this was great. on tuesday we had our meeting with president and officaly told me and elder mills that elder mills will be the new financial secretary and said ´should know everything in just a few weeks¨ so its almost for sure that march 4th i will leave. wow. a lot of mixed feelings. it will be so hard to leave. the thought of maybe, big maybe,  never seeing these people again just kills every part of my heart. but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. 

so i have been teaching elder mills everythings and he is a really good learner. but i kinda feel bad, i feel like it is my burden to bear, i know how hard it is and that its not a plesant burden for someone but i know that i have done what the lord has asked me to do and know its someone elses turn. 

this week we looked and looked for less actives on the ward list. i dont know if i told you guys but we cant visit members anymore to ask for refereals. we have to work with pure less actives and investigators. we didnt find a whole lot but we did find some and we were happy to get to know them and that they didnt kick us out. it is sad that there are a lot of less actives. it doesnt make any sense how a lot of these people have changed chuches. we meet this less active that has a calling in a christan church. she says that her 3 years in the church were like her base to her faith in christ and this church is like the rest of the building, but she needed a good base or the rest doesnt work.... what???? but you have to respect there belives and try and teach about athority. some people just dont get it, it should make sence but i just doesnt to some people. alright im done venting.

so maybe the best part of the week was our new investigator named Aby. we were looking for a house and we knocked on one to ask if they lived there by chance and a 20 year old girl came out, she had that prepared/ golden look. so we contacted her and put an apointent for saterday. saterday we got there and taught her lesson 1 which went amazing! elder mills and i normaly cant teach like that, wow. she acepted a babtism date for the 2nd of march! she is aswsome! ah man elder mills and i left just happy as two 2 american mormon missionarys in mexico could be. i will keep you updated, she didnt go to church but she told us she couldnt because she had to take a test or something but it was alright because the talkes were pretty badly prepared in sacrement meeting. maybe thats bad to think/ personal apastacy for thinking that, owell. oh and also because the Neighbors of rocky ( roque) atacked him with anti mormon stuff so he came to church with lots of quiestions so in gospel principals we answered all of them and he actped all of it perfectly. he said them atacting him stregthened his faith and belife, that he knows he is in the truth. wow, he has a lot of faith and such a strong testimony. 

also yesterday after chruch we found someone else really good. we were walking in the steet with not much to do and in all my disicions i prayed about the two  options and we felt like we should visit an old investigator, he wasnt home but his neibor answered and we taught him and his really good. 

on saterday a ward in our district had a babtism and it was so special. i had a really amazing experience in his baptismal interview. just more testimonys that people can change trough the savior. 

i have felt really good. i am so grateful for the holy ghost and to have company of him. it feels good to be able to teach people and not worry about the language and being nervous about what to say. i am gratefull for the progress i have had in these 14 monthes. 

okay well thats about all.  

oh mom i got the Hawaii package! it made my week. ahh there is not any food/ snacks better and the t shirts and the calender were much appreciated !! okay and thanks for sending a new debit card, hope it gets here soon.

so have a great week everyone.

Love Elder Clark

2/4/13

okay well hello to everyone. where should i start the following topics will be mentioned in this email 

1. Baptism of Roque with explanation of Heading of email

2. Elder mills 

3. Learning that I might not leave the offices in 4 weeks

4. Things learned

5. Other things that I think of 

6. Pictures

Alright so I will start down the list. Okay so the baptism of Roque was a moment or a night that I will never forget, it was something that you look back when you're 85 and realize how amazing life was and the gospel is. So during the week we taught him all the commandments and he loved them, and they made him more excited, passed interview and everything. Then Saturday arrived and we had fill up the font, I have learned that the font is the hardest part of a baptism, more than changing someones heart and converting them, the font is Satan's plan D and he always uses it. So we took forever in cleaning and get it ready then started to fill it. Then we arrived at 6 ( an hour before the baptism) and the font was barley halfway full if that and had been going for 3 hours. We panicked then said a prayer and had the idea of filling a giant garbage can with water and dumping in into the font. so we did it and by 7 20 it was full and ready to start the service. Sister Puento said ¨this shows that there really is opposition in all things¨ ha cause it was the only problem we had with Roque ha. So the members arrived and the service started. This is where the heading comes in. It was such an amazing service. Amazing doesn't describe it, I feel like I can't explain it really. Estrella ( the 10 year old) gave a talk and her mom bore her testimony and how they found Roque and how they know they were instruments in the lords hands. He was baptized by Elder Cayetano who had special permission from President Walker to go and baptize him, president said he really wanted to go too but he couldn't. After the ordinance we sang hymns and the spirit filled the room like a flood of fire. I just felt so blessed and grateful for everything for the gospel and for my life. so many things. we left and all the members were gleamings and so were we, I felt like it was what heaven will be like. We went back to the house floating on air. Later that night Elder Fonseca who lives with us who went to the baptism told us how amazing it was he said¨it was a room of fire¨

So yeah. the next day he was confirmed and is doing amazing, he is just so happy, he says 60 years of looking for this and he has it now. should have a calling soon.

Alright Elder Mills is the best. He is from Idaho Falls so we have had a lot to talk about. He almost watches as much sport center as I do, almost. Ah it's awesome, I haven't had a companion who knows more than jimmer ferrtte played for BYU or that there are mores sports than soccer. He's a really good teacher and knows how to be a missionary and is really focused. He's a little overwhelmed to be in the offices but he is doing great with it. 

Alright so this week president had an interview with Elder Mills and did not say one word about him replacing me, or finances, he only talked about material secretary stuff. He also had an interview with Elder Cayetano and his companion Elder capiz and told them that elder cayetano will leave in 4 weeks and elder capiz take his place. Me.... nothing I even entered his office to ask a question hopping he would say, sit down elder Clark I need to talk to you... nothing. my only hope is that the assistants  told us last week that elder capiz and elder mills would be our replacements and that on his computer Elder Mills has access to finance things, Elder Bennett didn't. so in summation I will probably leave in one more transfer.  That will make it 10 and half months. wow. wow. It's alright, if I wasn't in an amazing ward it would stink but its alright. I will keep you updated. just to postpone your ideas and to say good goodbye to the rest of my hair.

Alright I learned a lot this week I learned that the best chapter, okay one of the best is ALMA 26 WOW.  I could not get over it, it is so perfect to describe a mission, it should be recited every week after D&C 4. I have the goal to memorize 10 of the verses from it. It talks about being an instrument in the lords hands, and how that is his reason that Ammon is so happy. I know that I am an instrument in the lords hands. 

Alright other things. Elder Mills kinda has a foot problem so we have to walk slow but it works fine. A lot of appointments fell this week and we need to find more people but the baptism made it all okay. 

Good luck Jason and Jan in Texas, I will for sure visit you guys when I get back, and if there is a job opportunity well even better. Oh I need to decide some time soon where I want to go to college, or at least apply. who knows what I'll do. 

This week the whole mission will get new credit cards, so you can image what I will be doing.

Mom can you send another pair of pants, size 34. health is great, normal. 

Love you guys. Your the best ,everyone. there are people looking for the truth. Always love everyone.

Elder Christopher Clark

1/29/13

yes as you may notice the Title of the Email, My Replacement will Arrive Tomorrow. to help us understand please read the following points

•   as way of clarifying I Have to train him, for at least a transfer. you don't become a finance master in a few hours.
• This transfer is only 5 weeks long for the adjustment on amount of time in the MTC
• it is assumed i will leave after those 5 weeks,
• who knows where too
•  Elder Cayetano and i will not be companions. Elder Cayetano will return to his old Area where he was a transfer ago and also receive his replacement as Executive secretary ( or visas ) 
• please note that Anything can happen in the offices
• Elder Bennett, Elder Buhler and elder Canela will all leave
• My New Companion is Elder Mills 
• he has 13 months on the mission 
• He is from Idaho
• I will be District leader
• Elder Mills will be put to work to learn everything

Okay I hope that those points help a little bit, but lets look unto the past week.

Okay well it was for sure a memorable week. so remember how I told about Rocke the investigator who went to church, well we had a lesson with him on Tuesday and..... HE IS GOLDEN, whats more gold than Gold? He's that. We had one of the best lessons i had on my mission. his beliefs are so LDS, he was so interested in every word we said. the spirit was so strong. he was asking us about modern prophets and so much stuff. he just keep saying stuff like ¨ I know i can change, i know you guys can help me change, i want to help other people and help them find the truth like you guys. 

remember that book of Mormon you sent me with a picture of our family and your testimony in English, i have been saving it for someone special and that spoke English, last week i felt like i should keep it in my back back, then when i reached in my backpack to give him a book of Mormon, i realized i had that one too, and knew i was supposed to give it him, he was so touched and promised not to let me down for giving him that book. thanks so much for that book fam, it helped him a ton. then on Thursday we taught him lesson 3 with lots of scriptures, we read 3 nephi 27 and he eat it up, the doctrine of ¨nothing in pure can enter into his kingdom¨  unless we are cleansed by the savior through faith, repentance baptism, the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end. he ate it all up. so on Sunday at church we got there at there 20 minuets early and he was there in church clothes talking with all the members, cracking jokes, we showed up and he was like finally you guys got here( he cracks jokes all the time) we put is baptism date for the 15th of February and by the time we left church his date was changed to the 2nd or this Saturday and the ward invited. ja I'm not kidding you. Hes the nicest guy and right now he is so excited ¨to take a step closer to god¨ and because ¨he found the church where he feels full¨ goodness gracias.

alright so that was the good. the bad was..... Gaby didn't get baptized, we had the baptism font full and everything. what happened was that on Friday knight we had a lesson with Gaby and her mom and they told us that her dad didn't know she was getting baptized the next day and they wanted to do it without him knowing. so we were like wow wow hold on a second its not a thing of secrets and because what had happen early in the week .. this is was another amazing part of the week. on Tuesday night we had a lesson with Gaby and her dad was there and we invited him to say the pray, he said no but we insisted. then he said an amazing pray and then put his head in his shirt and cried. he didn't say anything for like 5 minutes. he finally talked and said that when we are here things are different and that everything is better, and what he just felt he hasn't felt in a really really long time. the rest of the week he stop swearing and when we came by he has talked with us and says he wants us to teach him. wow! I know that sincere prayers can change everything. so back to the story we told Sandra and Gaby we would talk to him. so Saturday we filled up the font expecting everything to work out.  and then went to talk to her dad. well its a long story but her dad said he wants Gaby to be baptized but not so soon. so we talked to him and explained it all and he said, no we will wait 2 months. then we asked Gaby how she felt about baptism and....... she said¨ i don´t know¨ if she would have said yes she would have been baptized but she was scared. soo long story short she will get baptized soon and..... her mom is getting divorced this week and they want to get married in the next month and get baptized the both of them. It has been unreal to see the lords hand with this family. wow.

alright so those were the main things from the week. i am really exhausted but i feel so good. i would have written all the details but it is the Monday of cambios and we have to leave to go and work and do a million things still. 

Stay safe in Utah with the cold. right now it is hot which is nice. cause when its cold its super cold in the houses. Shout out to kieran for his talk in stake conference, wow!! that is so cool. 

oh this week i got the Christmas card from the family. and you guys chose that picture of me jaja. i need to send you guys more pictures. that was a really cool experience with elder Tate. well family sounds good. oh so my favorite thing that i studied this week was Elder Bednars talk on being converting to the lord, i just eat it up. every word of that talk. 

well family i hope that everyone has a great week. mom i am so down for some Texas trips and thanks for the pictures, love them. 

love Elder Clark

1/21/13

Hello family Clark.

Just so you know i am totally fine health wise, everything is all good here. 

this week we had to catch up in the office a ton from not being to work for a couple days. but i got all caught up which was a miracle and i also got a ton of other things done. i have some big projects i am trying it get done before my replacement gets here so he doesn't have problems. speaking of which transferees are on Sunday and Monday so i will know my future, hopefully. we will see if my replacement gets here, if so I'm gonna train the heck out of him, i will be like a drill Sargent, to avoid what happened to me when elder Cameron left. 

anyway so yeah lots of time in the offices but we did have some great things happen in the area., so we taught Gaby on Saturday and it went pretty well butt.. she didn't go to church, we don't know why. we think she will still be baptized on Saturday but i feel like Satan is giving all hes got. 

okay so the best thing of the week aka miracle was what happened in church. early in the week Sister Puente told us that her daughter who is 10 had a reference for us. it was a man named Rocke who they see everyday walking to school and talk to a lot, he is an ex friar( higher thank priest in the catholic church) . it was her birthday on Sunday so she told Rocke that he had to go to church with her because it was her birthday on Sunday. so she took us to meet him so we talked a little and told him where the church is and he promised to be there. 

we got to church and he showed up. Sacrament meeting was amazing, the young men talked and did really well. then in gospel principals we felt like we should teach the plan of salvation. we taught it so good, with tons of scriptures, the spirit was working so strong. then as we were waiting for priesthood to start Rocke started to talk to brother escutia( i acted like i wasn't listening) about his life and then he got chocked up and told him that he had been praying as hard as he could to become closer to god and  for the truth and to know what was going to happen after this life. i couldn't believe it. Brother escutia shared his testimony and then we had to go to elders quorum which was on non other than... baptism. thank you Teachings of Lorenzo Snow Chapter 4. another great lesson and as we left the class brother esutia told him to come back next week and he said of coarse, and we will see if you cant help me with that, pointing to the chalkboard, or pointing to the word baptism. azu!! Hermano escutia, sister puente and me and elder cayetano stood thinking,. what just happened??  

we are going to see how it all develops but sooooo cooool. we will see what Old man Satan has to say about it. 

 I know that the lord listens to prayers. 

on my mission i have come to the complete knowledge that this church is true. even lately in my mission. in my head there is absolutely no doubt, it is not a second thought or a meditation anymore. i am so greatful to be apart of it. but i am still working on my conversion, it is a hard long process with a ton of faith. 

mm it is so cool to be a missionary.

something really cool was that this less active couple are starting to reactivate. when i got here the brother had an accident in work and couldn't work for 6 -7 months, and his wife had there first baby a months of ago, with those two events they have humbled so much and have sincere desires to come unto the savior. the bother Oscar just got the aaronic priesthood this week. i care for them so much and so happy to see there lives improve.

so yeah i am doing great. learning and working

oh quick random thought, mom do you see the pictures that Eric sends, tigers, elephants, waterfalls. i just showed everyone here in the offices those pictures and they were dying. Oh and Jason are the 49ers in the super bowl or just close? 

sounds like Hawaii is and was amazing. dint know what to say. i learned so many small things this week. i read president Monsons talk about looking at blessing and prayer. i am so grateful for all the little and big things the lord has blessed me with, and i know that heavenly father answers prayers.

so this will be another busy week, prep for transfers. thanks for your prayers. it hit me so strong that you guys really do pray for me non stop when dad shared what breya said after the prays. it was like ohhh they really do, that's where all that strength comes from. non kidding, some moorings i should be totally dead but i don't feel tired and i am ready to start the day. 

alright, if you have any questions please ask.

Love Elder Clark

1/14/13

Wow you guys are killing me with Hawaii ha ha not really. Dad told me last week like oh yeah by the way we are going to Hawaii in 3 days... what.. it's cool, enjoy it. who's all there? Eat a ton of food for me.

Mom and Dad your emails really helped me a lot.

Okay well this was a very, very interesting week. so Monday at about 6 I started to feel sick and Monday night at like 10 I went to the hospital and had to stay the night. Nothing serious at all, just a combination of bacteria, a virus, this food called ¨ mole¨ really weird gross food that we eat all the time and yeah one of my intestines swelled up a little and my temperature dropped so it was just a perfect storm. I had to stay all of Tuesday and we didn't leave until Wednesday at like 7:45. I felt good by Tuesday night but they had to feed me and see what happened and to observe me, so yeah. Elder Cayetano went crazy haha 2 nights and two days in a room with the same clothes and nothing to do ha. Tuesday Sister Walker answered our prayers with movies, scriptures and supplies. We made the best of it and had laughed for 3 days, I think the nurses were confused why were laughing so much. It was weird also because I was called Christopher for 3 days and they talked to me in Tu which is un-formal Spanish that we cant  speak as missionaries. 

Mom I know that you taking so much about your blessings last week was what I need to hear because Elder Cayetano gave me a blessing on Monday and being reminded by you helped me have more faith in my own blessing. I know that the priesthood is real. I knew that the Lord was taking care of me and that I was going to be fine because I was promised so in my blessing.

Right now I'm back to 100% with no problems and back to eating almost normal  ( can't have chili and lots of grease). coming back and being thrown back into everything was the hardest part. It took me days after to get all my strength back and my spirits back into normal groove, I don't know how to describe it but it was a big trial. I cant remember a week with so many emotions and ups and downs.

Well as much happened in the area. We had to catch up on the work we missed in the offices but we took advantage of the time we did have. On Thursday night we had a family night and the family invited one of there neighbors. Our lesson was on faith in Jesus Christ and it went amazing, we showed Finding Faith in Christ and then had everyone share their testimonies. During the video the spirit was so strong. on Friday we had a lesson with Sandra and Gabi that also went very good. Apparently Gaby's Dad gave Gaby permission to be baptized!! So she should get baptized the 26th and Sandra says that in February she is going to get divorced and get married with her husband. Sandra is really excited right now, the thing that got Gaby's dad was when he went to the Christmas activity and saw a karaoke machine and kids dancing and people in normal clothes, he thought we were all really strict weird people, thank you Christmas activity. 

We have passed by everyday to try and find Marivell but nothing. we have some good plans in motion though. 

Church yesterday was the best personally. Elder Cayetano and I talked in sacrament and I talked on christ-like attributes and how the savior commands us to be like him, I focused my talk on charity the most important Christ like attribute. then I closed with D&C 4 how the field is white and faith hope charity and love qualify us for the work.  Sunday School was  on the atonement and the members shared about receiving strength in hard times and finding joy in life all the time, even in the hard. I learned so much and was very very grateful for the lesson.

Despite some tough moments this week it was overall really good. I learned so much and felt the hand of the Lord like non other. We had some amazing lessons and less active lessons. All in all I feel like I am a member of this ward more than a missionary. We told one sister I was in the hospital and when I got back the entire ward knew and asked how I felt. 

Mom I've been praying a lot for you and for the rest of you too.

Well family those in you in Utah or Texas have an amazing week and those in Hawaii also I guess.

( picture taken this morning on our roof )