Buenos Noches!
I love my mission so much. Sometimes I feel so incompetent and like I have know idea what I'm doing, yet we still see amazing miracles. :)
On Tuesday, we had a District meeting with President Wolfert, and he emphasized the importance of talking to everybody. He also told us that even though we are the Spanish missionaries, we need to talk to English speaking people too. It has beeb easy to use the "they don't speak Spanish" excuse, but not anymore. About an hour after that, we were in an apartment complex, and we were trying to visit a couple people, but nobody was home. We were then walking around outside looking for somebody to talk to, and of course there was absolutley nobody. We start walking back to the car, and we saw this man that didn't speak Spanish, but we went and talked to him like we were just told to in District meeting. Turns out he took the lessons from the missionaries over a year ago in California, had been to church a lot, and was still reading The Book of Mormon. He was going to call the missionaries in California that day so he could get the number of the missionaries here, but we went up and talked to him, so he didn't have to. Definitly a testimony that this is the Lord's work, and He is really the one that leads it.
In Norcross, the English and Spanish Elders help each other out a lot. They recently found somebody super awesome for us. This lady has so much faith in Christ, and she has told us she will do anything to follow him. She even accepted the invitation to be baptized before I finished saying it. I said "Seguira el ejemplo de" (Will you follow the example of) and she said yes. She also has a married son and a daughter that have listened to a bit of the lessons. The whole family is just a great family.
And then at the end of the week, our car broke down, our bikes were being slighlty problematic, and Elder May got sick, but that was all totally okay. We had such an amazing week, and even with those problems, the work continued. We could have found somebody else to be baptized in those few days. I say that pretty much makes up for any problem.
Yep, awesome week. Today, I'm actually back in Cumorah on exchange with Elder Spear, my companion from the MTC. This place is a like a second home almost.
Hasta luego
Elder Clark
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
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como como como
Hola mis siguentes de blog. (Thats supposed to mean hi blog followers, but I don't think it does.)
So probably one of the Coolest things this week is that we had 7 less actives and one investigator attend church. The total count in Sacrament meeting was 65, which is also super high for our branch. Our branch has a goal of reaching 100 active members by the end of this year. That equals about 20 new members and 20 reactivated members. Elder May and I are doing everything we can to get those baptisms we need. Most of our branch members are recent converents or recently recent converts, within the last 5 years.
This week we've seen a lot of both sad and amazing things happen. We saw 2 people being or having already gotten evicted, one other almost evicted, and so many people in our branch or investigators that don't have work. One of members told us his story about how his wife and kids are in Mexico, he hasn't seen them for over 15 years, and he doesn't have job right now. Yet, this Hermano has such an amazing testimony of the Gospel. It's amazing what people go through to live here, and understand the gospel supports them.
Other amazing things include that we're finding more people to teach. One of our investigators told us she really wanted to get an answer from God if the church was true, and another one is starting to really understand what we're teaching. Even with all the bad happening, there is so much good to see.
Also a miracle, my abilitly to speak spanish has jumped like crazy. No, I'm still not fluent, but I'm lot better than I was 3 weeks ago.
I know that this is the Lord's work, His Church, his Gospel.
I hope you all have an amazing week!
Elder Clark
So probably one of the Coolest things this week is that we had 7 less actives and one investigator attend church. The total count in Sacrament meeting was 65, which is also super high for our branch. Our branch has a goal of reaching 100 active members by the end of this year. That equals about 20 new members and 20 reactivated members. Elder May and I are doing everything we can to get those baptisms we need. Most of our branch members are recent converents or recently recent converts, within the last 5 years.
This week we've seen a lot of both sad and amazing things happen. We saw 2 people being or having already gotten evicted, one other almost evicted, and so many people in our branch or investigators that don't have work. One of members told us his story about how his wife and kids are in Mexico, he hasn't seen them for over 15 years, and he doesn't have job right now. Yet, this Hermano has such an amazing testimony of the Gospel. It's amazing what people go through to live here, and understand the gospel supports them.
Other amazing things include that we're finding more people to teach. One of our investigators told us she really wanted to get an answer from God if the church was true, and another one is starting to really understand what we're teaching. Even with all the bad happening, there is so much good to see.
Also a miracle, my abilitly to speak spanish has jumped like crazy. No, I'm still not fluent, but I'm lot better than I was 3 weeks ago.
I know that this is the Lord's work, His Church, his Gospel.
I hope you all have an amazing week!
Elder Clark
Restoration in a box. This could be the next best thing since typewriters
Elder Clark had to give up the computer last week before he got to write his email home, so here is the letter he sent home:
The title is a direct quote from my companion, Elder May. He has a wall of quotes, said by him, in our apartment.
We had a really amazing start to the New Year. New Years Eve day was another one of those fun days where everything doesn't go how it's supposed to. About 6:30 in the evening the people we have planned to visit were not answering their phone, so we just went anyway. When we got to this family's house (they're less active because they have to work every Sunday) we found out that their home teacher had just finished giving them a lesson and left. Then we arrived to share a message. The family shared their testimonies and how they felt so blessed by the Lord to receive 2 messages in one night. It's crazy how perfectly timed our arrival was at their house. It was absolutely perfect! It is amazing to me how the Lord makes things work down to the second.
After that visit, we went over to a less active part member's house. We were supposed to go over at 11:00 a.m. that morning, but they all weren't there so they told us 3:00 p.m. We went back at 3:00 and nobody was there, even though we called them and they said they were inside watching TV. But when we knocked again they didn't come to the door, so we thought they didn't want to see us. Despite this, we tried again at 8:00 p.m. and they were all home. We had talked to one of them a couple of days before about how their power had been shut off because they couldn't pay their bill. When we walked in that night we saw thy had nothing - no chairs, no couch, not table, no t.v. In one room, the only source of light was from the Christmas tree. We were able to share a message with them about faith. During the lesson, all the little kids were running around screaming while all the rest of us were sitting on the floor. One of the parents, through all the noise, turned to us and told us that they couldn't believe we came back that night after trying 2 times that day. She also told us that she had prayed for a sign of hope for the New Year, and that us coming was her answer, and she knows the church is true because of it.
That night, Elder May and I left feeling like we wanted to do something to help them, like find them a couch. As we were walking in the same complex we saw a couch by the dumpster. Elder May thought maybe we should take it over to their apartment, and I just thought we could get front row seats to the dumpster. Anyway, we left without doing anything with it. A couple of hours later, Elder May convinced me that the couch was really for them. So we went back and the couch was still in really great condition and even had the pop out foot recliner thing. Right when we were about to carry it over to their apartment, this nice hispanic man came by and helped us carry it. The family wasn't home, so we just left it outside their door in the apartment building. It was a fun adventure!
Later we snuck garbage of an investigator's porch because they told us not to take it, but we wanted to. (We're assuming this was an act of service)
So yeah, there is my awesome New Year beginning.
Muchas gracias a todos por todos,
Elder Clark
The title is a direct quote from my companion, Elder May. He has a wall of quotes, said by him, in our apartment.
We had a really amazing start to the New Year. New Years Eve day was another one of those fun days where everything doesn't go how it's supposed to. About 6:30 in the evening the people we have planned to visit were not answering their phone, so we just went anyway. When we got to this family's house (they're less active because they have to work every Sunday) we found out that their home teacher had just finished giving them a lesson and left. Then we arrived to share a message. The family shared their testimonies and how they felt so blessed by the Lord to receive 2 messages in one night. It's crazy how perfectly timed our arrival was at their house. It was absolutely perfect! It is amazing to me how the Lord makes things work down to the second.
After that visit, we went over to a less active part member's house. We were supposed to go over at 11:00 a.m. that morning, but they all weren't there so they told us 3:00 p.m. We went back at 3:00 and nobody was there, even though we called them and they said they were inside watching TV. But when we knocked again they didn't come to the door, so we thought they didn't want to see us. Despite this, we tried again at 8:00 p.m. and they were all home. We had talked to one of them a couple of days before about how their power had been shut off because they couldn't pay their bill. When we walked in that night we saw thy had nothing - no chairs, no couch, not table, no t.v. In one room, the only source of light was from the Christmas tree. We were able to share a message with them about faith. During the lesson, all the little kids were running around screaming while all the rest of us were sitting on the floor. One of the parents, through all the noise, turned to us and told us that they couldn't believe we came back that night after trying 2 times that day. She also told us that she had prayed for a sign of hope for the New Year, and that us coming was her answer, and she knows the church is true because of it.
That night, Elder May and I left feeling like we wanted to do something to help them, like find them a couch. As we were walking in the same complex we saw a couch by the dumpster. Elder May thought maybe we should take it over to their apartment, and I just thought we could get front row seats to the dumpster. Anyway, we left without doing anything with it. A couple of hours later, Elder May convinced me that the couch was really for them. So we went back and the couch was still in really great condition and even had the pop out foot recliner thing. Right when we were about to carry it over to their apartment, this nice hispanic man came by and helped us carry it. The family wasn't home, so we just left it outside their door in the apartment building. It was a fun adventure!
Later we snuck garbage of an investigator's porch because they told us not to take it, but we wanted to. (We're assuming this was an act of service)
So yeah, there is my awesome New Year beginning.
Muchas gracias a todos por todos,
Elder Clark
Monday, December 19, 2011
Lo que paso es que
"Lo que paso es que" has got to be the most used phrase.
Hey!
So I'm getting transferred. I know, the excitement. The scary part is that I'm going to be driving! Yeah, super scary. I'm going about 20 minutes down the road to a place called Norcross. What’s weird is that I'll still be in the same Zone and District. Elder May, who's going to be my new companion, is really awesome to work with, (I know because I have done it before.) The Elder that’s replacing me here in Cumorah is actually my MTC companion, so that’s all fine and dandy. :)
We've had some amazing lessons this week with investigators, and we have two more that have accepted the invitation to be baptized.
This last week, we had our branch Christmas party, and I got to dress up like a shephard (totally spelled that wrong.) The thing is you'll have to wait until next week to see how awesome I looked.
Sorry this is super short, but I actually have to go to an appointment right now, exciting!
Merry Christmas everybody!
Elder Clark
:)
Hey!
So I'm getting transferred. I know, the excitement. The scary part is that I'm going to be driving! Yeah, super scary. I'm going about 20 minutes down the road to a place called Norcross. What’s weird is that I'll still be in the same Zone and District. Elder May, who's going to be my new companion, is really awesome to work with, (I know because I have done it before.) The Elder that’s replacing me here in Cumorah is actually my MTC companion, so that’s all fine and dandy. :)
We've had some amazing lessons this week with investigators, and we have two more that have accepted the invitation to be baptized.
This last week, we had our branch Christmas party, and I got to dress up like a shephard (totally spelled that wrong.) The thing is you'll have to wait until next week to see how awesome I looked.
Sorry this is super short, but I actually have to go to an appointment right now, exciting!
Merry Christmas everybody!
Elder Clark
:)
Monday, December 12, 2011
Every 8 days
Anyone writing to Jordan in the next couple of weeks should send it to the mission home since he will likely be transferred soon.
Buenos Tardes! Como estan?
Thats all the Spanish I know!
So awesome story with Stephanie. She went to a a buffet, and swallowed something she thought was a fish bone. Later, during dinner, the thing stuck in her throat started bothering her more, and eventually casued her to cough up a little blood. She went to the hospital, and they pulled out a little metal wire from a scrub brush. Because of the pain, and the drugs she had to take, she hasn't smoked since! That was 2 weeks ago! Talk about little miracles in the most unexpected ways. She's getting baptized this coming Saterday before our Branch's Christmas party. The Christmas party is going to be an awesome missionary opportunity. We're expecting a bunch of people to be there.
We found a new investigator this week, and he commited to be baptized the 14th of January! We were looking through old teaching records, called him up, and found out he's super cool. He came to church this last Sunday for the first time.
I'm getting a little better at talking to people. Before, I would be like super scared, and walk up to people, fall on my face, get up, open my mouth to talk, and nothing would come out. Now, I can say about a sentance, and I don't fall on my face anymore. Ok, so really, I'm not scared to go up to strangers and talk to them, well, at least a lot less scared than before. The more you do it, the easier it gets. It also helps to remember that everybody is a Child of God, and that everyone needs to hear about the Restored Gospel of Christ.
Sorry this letter is extremly short, but next Espero que puedo contar mas la proxima semana.
Huesto luego
Que lo vaya bien
Adios
Elder Clark
Buenos Tardes! Como estan?
Thats all the Spanish I know!
So awesome story with Stephanie. She went to a a buffet, and swallowed something she thought was a fish bone. Later, during dinner, the thing stuck in her throat started bothering her more, and eventually casued her to cough up a little blood. She went to the hospital, and they pulled out a little metal wire from a scrub brush. Because of the pain, and the drugs she had to take, she hasn't smoked since! That was 2 weeks ago! Talk about little miracles in the most unexpected ways. She's getting baptized this coming Saterday before our Branch's Christmas party. The Christmas party is going to be an awesome missionary opportunity. We're expecting a bunch of people to be there.
We found a new investigator this week, and he commited to be baptized the 14th of January! We were looking through old teaching records, called him up, and found out he's super cool. He came to church this last Sunday for the first time.
I'm getting a little better at talking to people. Before, I would be like super scared, and walk up to people, fall on my face, get up, open my mouth to talk, and nothing would come out. Now, I can say about a sentance, and I don't fall on my face anymore. Ok, so really, I'm not scared to go up to strangers and talk to them, well, at least a lot less scared than before. The more you do it, the easier it gets. It also helps to remember that everybody is a Child of God, and that everyone needs to hear about the Restored Gospel of Christ.
Sorry this letter is extremly short, but next Espero que puedo contar mas la proxima semana.
Huesto luego
Que lo vaya bien
Adios
Elder Clark
Monday, December 5, 2011
Tenemos que ear nose jaw
Bien venidos!
For those understand the title of this post, congradulations
I've decided that coinsidences (don't think I spelled that right at all) aren't really coincedences (spelled it wrong again, but differently. win!) Especially as missionaries, I've seen so many little things line up in super precise timing to accomplish something we didn't think would happen. I definitly know that this is the Lord's work, and he is going to provide ways for it to happen. Even from weird things like talking to this one guy, and then seeing him 3 seperate times after that in totally different places. Its crazy, but is awesome to realize the miracles that happen all around us continually.
We had a lot of cool things happen this week. We took one of the less active members we've been working with to a lesson with an investigator. In that lesson we talked about how important reading and praying about the Book of Mormon is in gaining a testimony of the Restored Gospel. The day after we were visiting with him, and he said that before he had never wanted do that. He just wanted to study it out and figure it out logically. Now, he wants to read and pray to get a testimony. We also found out his Mom is going to be an awesome help with one of our investigators because she had very similar experiences while she was learning about the chruch.
The very next day, we had a lesson with one of newest and most promising investigators. We brought a member with us, and the lesson went super awesome. First, our investogator invited a friend who was in the kitchen to come listen. After the prayer, the member we brought with us started testifying about the truthfulness of the Gospel and how it has blessed him. It was super awesome to hear his testimony. He even answered questions. We wondered why we had never him to brought him to other lessons before.
Another awesome thing is that we were able to visit 2 less active families and another less active member that we had never seen before. We weven found a new investigator through one of these families.
I hope that everybody also had a fantastic week, and that all is going well.
Thanks everybody!
Elder Clark
For those understand the title of this post, congradulations
I've decided that coinsidences (don't think I spelled that right at all) aren't really coincedences (spelled it wrong again, but differently. win!) Especially as missionaries, I've seen so many little things line up in super precise timing to accomplish something we didn't think would happen. I definitly know that this is the Lord's work, and he is going to provide ways for it to happen. Even from weird things like talking to this one guy, and then seeing him 3 seperate times after that in totally different places. Its crazy, but is awesome to realize the miracles that happen all around us continually.
We had a lot of cool things happen this week. We took one of the less active members we've been working with to a lesson with an investigator. In that lesson we talked about how important reading and praying about the Book of Mormon is in gaining a testimony of the Restored Gospel. The day after we were visiting with him, and he said that before he had never wanted do that. He just wanted to study it out and figure it out logically. Now, he wants to read and pray to get a testimony. We also found out his Mom is going to be an awesome help with one of our investigators because she had very similar experiences while she was learning about the chruch.
The very next day, we had a lesson with one of newest and most promising investigators. We brought a member with us, and the lesson went super awesome. First, our investogator invited a friend who was in the kitchen to come listen. After the prayer, the member we brought with us started testifying about the truthfulness of the Gospel and how it has blessed him. It was super awesome to hear his testimony. He even answered questions. We wondered why we had never him to brought him to other lessons before.
Another awesome thing is that we were able to visit 2 less active families and another less active member that we had never seen before. We weven found a new investigator through one of these families.
I hope that everybody also had a fantastic week, and that all is going well.
Thanks everybody!
Elder Clark
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