9.15.14 "This is Home"

So many thoughts are going through my head right now. I can't believe this will be my last weekly letter. What an amazing mission! I could never express how much I love my mission and how much I cherish it. It has been one of the hardest, most incredibly stretching, fun, exciting, spirit filled, craziness, heart-breaking experiences of my entire life. And I wouldn't change it for anything:) 

Ok So as for this week
Monday
Monday was such a hard, but incredible day, getting everything worked out to come home early, e-mailing the family and telling them, lots of prayers, lots of tears, but mostly a lot of peace, that would be how I would describe this week, I have just felt completely at peace about everything.

 

Short Hills Ward

Sister Harvey and I's matching outfits 

 Also as I 'Dying' Missionary you tend to go down memory lane, remembering all the crazy and incredible times on your mission.. Oh how I love these people and how I will miss them. I also ended the Day from a call from Sister Taggart just expressing to me how she was thinking of me and that she knew that this was the right decision. We talked and I felt a lot of comfort after talking to her. Then I was able to call Sister Richardson (my trainer), which was AWESOME. She is doing so well. She just talked to me about adjusting to home life and everything. I'm so excited to see her. 

Tuesday
Was districts my last district meeting. In our mission we have a tradition that for all the departing missionaries after there last district meeting we have a "Hot seat' where all the departing missionaries sit in front of the other missionaries in the zone and they can ask us any question about our mission, like, most embarrassing moment, the biggest lesson you've learned etc. and you have to answer honestly and you have to answer. So we had a lot of funny stories told between the 3 of us.

 Then you end with your testimony and advice to the other missionaries. I can't remember what I said but I know that the spirit was there. I love hot seats... I just never thought it would be me sitting in the Hot seat. Then after that we went and said goodbye to one of my investigators Rose, she was very sweet, and sad that I was leaving, she is from Haiti, she will be baptized some day, she wants it, she just has a hard time understanding. But sister Harvey will help get her there. 

Wednesday
Ellis Island! We were scheduled to help out with the family history center and because I missed the departing temple trip and Ellis Island and statue of liberty trip, sister Taggart told us to go have fun on Ellis island after we did our service, so we did:) 

Sister Harvey and I took a lot of pictures and just adventured around. It's been so neat to serve and help people with their family history there, to feel the spirit of those who have come through for a new life. (Probably how I will feel coming home, like coming to a new country...D) 

Thursday
Was my departing Interview with president Taggart, he was so kind and just helpful in helping me think of some goals and plans that I want to accomplish when I get home, just expressed his excitement for me. He is a great mission president; sad I didn't get to know him more but so grateful for his love and council during this time.

Then we went and did some service for Mary, she is so close to being baptized, she just needs to set her mind to it and do it I'm excited to see her progression over the next little bit.

The rest of the week was mostly just packing and teaching. But nothing to exciting to report on.

I remember in Christopher’s final letter he wrote a list of things he was not going to miss, then the things he was going to miss about his mission, so I’m going to do the same

Things I'm not going to miss about Jersey

-CRAZY DRIVERS!

-Weird tasting water

-Jersey roads

-So many people

-Waking up at 6:30

-People smoking everywhere

-Jersey accent

-Standing outside the car to back up a companion

-Following a companion everywhere

-The bug bites

Things I will Miss

-The people!, the Shumans, Luis, Denise, Betty, Kevin, etc. etc. so many people

-Teaching the gospel

-Seeing change in people's lives (front row seat to the coolest story ever)

-Feeling the spirit always

-Having fun with companions

-Testifying of the divinity of Jesus Christ to everyone we see

-Always having a book of Mormon in hand

-Being surrounded by missionaries

-The diversity and all the different cultures

-The trees

-The humidity (yes I'll admit I’ll miss it)

Being a set apart missionary, a Representative of the Lord.

As I've been thinking of going home there is a song by Mumford and sons that says

'You are not alone in this' I know that that is true. I've been so blessed from the influence and lives of family members friends, and members out here, companions etc. but most importantly I know that My savior has been here with me every step of the way and I think that has been the greatest part of my mission, to feel His presence, to see the growth and change and conversion in myself, my conversion to Him. I know that He lives, He loves me in all my weakness' He loves these people of New Jersey, and I now understand why I was sent here. This work is the most amazing and most important thing we could be doing in our lives, to help our brother and sisters to return back home. I know that my mission is not over. I have the chance to serve others, to be Christ like and lift the hands that hang low. I know that Heavenly Father lives, He hears and answers our prayers, He loves us immensely.. I love Him to. I am again thankful for all the prayers and support. I won’t blab on forever but I'll see you on Wednesday:)

Love,

Sister Clark
clear eyes, full heart, can't loose 

Ultimate Frisbee with the district

Harry Potter

Fun at "grandmas"

Swiffer and Soup

9.8.14 "Hot Mess"

The title of my letter basically sums up the whole rest of my week.. I sent a very late e-mail last week but then a lot of things have happened since then. Lots of prayers, tears, more prayers, and peace.. and that peace is what

brings me to today. Where do I even begin?

Things I've learned this week

1. Trust in the Lord

2. Submit to his will, and humble yourself.

3. I am a Daughter of God. He loves me and cares about me.

4. Your body is a temple.

 This week has been full of hard decisions. I've also learned about myself I tend to run when it comes to life choices. Fight of flight I tend to flight! ha-ha jk but serious.

So with my current health situation I've been presented the possibility of going home a transfer early. Being the Sister Clark I am. The thought was unthinkable. Even a bit repulsive. 'I am a missionary, I'm here to do the Lords will and preach his gospel and invite others to come unto Christ'.

That has been my attitude during this illness. Walking through life and the mission with horse blinders of what the Lords will was for me... It wasn't until I started realizing that my actions, and my true grit to do what I love and what I wanted affect others. I slowly but surly took of the blinders and started to be accepting and willing to pray and seek for his will not mine.

 As I prayed I felt and have felt peace about taking care of my body and going home. It has been one of the hardest decisions of my life. One that I do not wish on anyone. But I have been so blessed to feel at peace. And have the support of wonderful leaders, nurses and companions.

This week has been a very emotionally draining but spiritually growing week. Sister Harvey and I have grown closer together as a companionship then ever before. It's amazing how when you’re placed in certain trials with someone you grow so much stronger together.

One of the biggest things I keep learning over and over again is to trust in the Lord and lean not to your own understanding. As I have prayed and prayed and struggled and wrestled with God, when I eventually let go and gave into his will I've finally been able to feel at peace. I'm able to see things from a better perspective and know that this is God's will.

I've also decided, if I'm going to do this I'm going to have the best attitude about it ever! Or at least try:). I think the moment when I really decided that this is what I needed to do, was when sister Harvey and I were talking in our apartment, the spirit was super strong and she just sat on the bed and was trying to help me figure out what to do. She started to cry and tell me how much she loved me and how she just wanted what was best for me. I've realized that my selfish hardheaded desires and actions also affect others as well, like my companion, the area and other things.

The Lord has blessed me with so much peace to know that everything will work out. That he has another plan for me. Also that 'the lord judges us according to the desires of our hearts. I know that he knows I have such a strong desire to serve him and be here and he is not going to with hold any blessings from me because of my Health. I know that God lives, that I am his daughter and that he cares about my eternal progression as well. I have been so blessed to be able to serve him for as long as I have.

I know that with all my heart that this is the Lords work. This gospel is true. It brings so much joy and peace. I KNOW THAT THE POWER OF PRAYER AND FASTING IS REAL. I know that if we are willing to listen, He will give us an answer. If we are not and we are set in our ways. There is no way for him to communicate with us. We must be still and know that he is God. That he knows all. Recognize how he speaks to us then allow yourself to be OK with how he answers and do his will positively.

 That’s what I’ve been trying to do and I know that as my dad says. You can't control the events that occur in our lives but our reaction to them always affects the outcome.

 I'm excited to be able to work hard and serve the best I can for another week. Then The Lord has more for me to do in Utah as well:) thanks for all you do! God is real. Christ Lives. The Church is True.. the Book is blue:)

Love,

Sister Clark

Clear eyes, full heart, can't lose!

Sister Reed and I were banished because we were sick....it's okay we had some great "mother daughter bonding" 

Smoke detector wouldn't stop chirping so Sister Harvey took care of it

The ultimate example of impatience 

Happy sickies

9.4.14 "When Upon Life's Billows you are Tempest Tossed"

Hey family and friends sorry for the very delayed e-mail. Lots of stuff to do not a lot of time:) so I will stick with the basic highlights of this past week. 

Last Monday

Sister Harvey and I were able to go and do some service for one of our investigators Mary. It's a really neat experience for us to be able to connect with them through service. We helped her clean out some old movies and had some good conversations with her. Later that week she took us out to McDonald's for some breakfast. She told us how much our service and just loving her really helped her. 

Tuesday

We had district meeting and for accountability we played some fruit ninja. Meaning if we kept the commitments we had a chance to try and slice some flying fruit. Or in this case some old onions.

Wednesday

We went over to one of our favorite members homes and got to hold and pet their pet squirrel.. that's right.. They now are the proud owners of a baby squirrel! We also went to teach one of our new investigators, his name is Alex. He is an Italian man with long slicked back hair. He is a lawyer and as my companion says everything about him screams mafia. He’s probably not but hey we are in Jersey anything could happen.

Then this week
Monday we had a beach volleyball tournament with another zone. It was good to get out and play a little. It ended with us going over to a member’s house to have a Labor Day bbq. It was neat we were able to sit in the candle light when it got dark and I was able to talk to some of her friends about the gospel, we talked a lot about the influence of righteous mothers. I was happy to talk about mom and how much I love her and appreciated everything that she has done for me. It’s interesting to meet these people who aren’t of our faith yet they do have good hearts and desire a lot of similar things. They are looking for something they just don't know what it is yet. 

Tuesday

Was the day of my endoscopy? Interesting experience. I’ll have to tell you about it another time. But the day consisted of lots of sleeping and juice:) and movies.
Sorry not an to eventful e-mail but the week has been good
oh crazy experience that happened yesterday

So we went out to go teach one of our investigators in West Orange. His name is Gordon he is an elderly man and he just has the best heart and wants to learn about the gospel. As we were sitting on his porch for about 15 minutes talking to him getting to know him then all the sudden when he is in the middle of telling us about how he never lies. He grabs his hip and screams out in pain.

Sister Harvey and I didn't know what to do. He asked us to try and move his leg and elevate it. Long story short we sat there in panic for a couple of minutes trying to help him then eventually called an ambulance and ran over to some of his neighbors to help him get out of his chair. The ambulance came. We had to go and search his house for a list of his medications etc. (keep in mind this is the 2nd time we've meet him

As he is driving away in the ambulance, an ice-cream truck pulls up behind the ambulance and his Italian neighbor wants to buy us ice cream... so we said why not. Sister Harvey got a ninja turtle Popsicle and I got a sponge bob one. It was a very interesting experience definitely one I’ll never forget. 

Well that has been my week thus far. I hope all is well! I’m praying for Em and the babies (having the twins via C-section at 5:00 today) hope all goes well. Love you all! Keep smiling life is good:)

Love,
Sister Clark