4.28.14 Welcome Ellie "Family..family we are ONE" (from the Lion King)

YAY FOR BABY ELLIE COMING!!! Congrats Jan and Jason. She looks like an angel I can feel her spirit. So proud of you both!

Hello family and friends! I apologize that I wasn't able to write much last week but due to the circumstances (an apostle of the Lord coming) I figure you all understand. But last week was so incredible that I can't just let it pass away without writing home about it. So this will be a combo letter. 

Last Monday we went to the zoo as a zone. It was really fun. This time I was a pro at knowing where things were and also when it came to petting the stingrays. (Sometimes My mission just doesn't seem real.. It's amazing) 

Tuesday.

I was able to go back on an exchange to Paterson with sister snow! It is not often that missionaries get to go back to there old area's to preach the gospel. My heart was just so full of joy as we drove around, I really don't know how to describe it other then love.

 

We were able to see one of my old investigators who I was teaching that were going to be baptized. He asked if I would be able to come but sadly I could not. But it was great to be able to teach him and to see him again. Not only was I in my old area but also it was pouring rain the whole time..

Wow,, life cannot get better as a missionary. So after Kareem we drove to the smith's house. This is a less active family that we use to visit once or twice a week. I wrote briefly about it last week. But we didn't tell them I was coming and we had Betty walk in first with my camera and record their reaction. As I walked in Keisha saw me and threw her hands up in the air and said 'My babies home!' and ran over to me and started kissing my face. We all had a big family group hug and caught up on life. I love these people so much. We had a great lesson with them after about the resurrection in preparation for Easter there was such a strong spirit in that home as we testified of the savior.. so neat.

Then we also were able to teach Kevin that night as well. (Kevin was a recent convert and one of my best friends in Paterson). It was an incredible exchange. Although I loved being there I just had such a comforting feeling to know that here in Caldwell is where the Lord needs me to be right now. 

Wednesday

Was just a random day of miracles? Every house that sister Shearer and I knocked on, all the less actives and people let us in, or set up appointments with us. The Lord blessed us a lot that day. 

Saturday

Was the day of 3 baptisms? We got there early to set everything up and Franklin was the first to come. He was so excited you could not make him frown if you tried. The Lord has truly prepared him and placed him in our hands. We also had Jean and his son Jean come as well. Jean Jr. was all smiles as well. The baptism took a while to get started because Jean and jean were coming back from a funeral but in the mean time. 

Franklin (who loves food) found the refreshments and we caught him in his white jumpsuit eating the refreshments in the dark.. it was a funny moment. I guess you had to be there but it was great. 

Easter Sunday was so great. the spirit was so strong as we talked about the atonement of Jesus Christ. My testimony has grown so much of him and my understanding of what the resurrection means. To me it gives me hope, and perspective to know that I will live again. To know that he loves me enough and he wants me to live with him again is just so comforting. 

We had lunch with our dear sweet Nanay who cooked so much food for us.. It's decided my new favorite food is Pilipino food. yummy.. meat on sticks.. nough said:) then we had a dinner with another family of the ward.

This week wasn't nearly as eventful but I'll give you the brief highlights.

Elder Perry! That was incredible! It was like Christmas in the mission. Sister Shearer and I were so excited! The spirit was so strong as he spoke. He is an incredible man. I will never forget the spirit I felt while shaking his hand.

This week we also were able to be apart of the member of the ward getting his mission call. Flash backs of putting your guess on the map and just the excitement that is there. We couldn't stay to watch him open the call but we were there for the dinner and hype before. It's so exciting to be a missionary. Yes. it is hard, but it is so worth it:)

We also were able to do a service project in our helping hands vests.

Yesterday was pure craziness at church but a lot of blessings as well. I'm excited for another crazy but great week! I love you all thank you for your love and support I hope you all have a great week.

Love,

Sister Clark

Trying to eat healthy 

4.23.14 THIS WEEK WAS AMAZING!!!!

LAST WEEK WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!!! I only have a short amount of time to say a lot of things.. most of which I want to send pictures for to explain.

Highlights

1. L. TOM PERRY was incredible. When he came in he had us all line up and we shook his hand and talked to him. He is incredible the spirit was so strong.

2. We had 3 baptisms this weekend.. crazy stressful,, but soooo worth it. It was amazing.

3. We went to the zoo again.

I'm sorry I don't have any time to write but know that I love you all! HAPPY EASTER!

I know Christ lives. I promise I'll write more in depth next week!

Love,

Sister Clark

PS

So I'll try to explain a little more in the 3 minutes I have

This week I also went on an exchange back to Paterson. We didn't tell any of my people (really the lords people) that I was coming and we recorded a video when I walked in the door. The best reaction came from Keisha smith and there family. She saw me and gasped and threw her arms up in the air and said 'my baby's home!!!!!" then started kissing my face.. Oh how I miss them all. It was such a wonderful moment to be able to be back in there home and to see the progress they have made in the gospel.

 L. Tom. Perry talked about the priesthood and it was amazing. He’s so human and funny we love it. Turns out his wife is president's Jepson’s cousin and he set them up apparently.. Talk about connections. Thank you all for you e-mails they make me so happy. Ah I wish I had more time to write about one of the best weeks of my mission. Next week will be a long one-I promise. Love you all!

Extra Pictures!!!

4.14.14 SRPING IS HERE!!!

Hello family! So it's finally warming up here in Jersey.. sometimes we thought this day would never come but it feel's great. It brings me back to so many flash backs of the beginning of my mission and all the wonderful thing's I've learned and loved about my mission. I love getting letters from everyone this time of year. There is such a renewed sense of happiness and hope that comes with spring and also the coming Easter Holiday.

Speaking of Easter guess what? so our mission president got a call yesterday from Elder L. Tom Perry asking if he could come visit our mission the day after Easter. Of course President Jeppson said yes. so L. TOM PERRY IS COMMIN! We are so excited. I feel like I'm meeting a celebrity. Well the Lord's celebrity I guess. So needless to say we are stoked. 

Ok I'll keep my letter brief but I'll make sure to hit on all the good parts. So last P-day was so nice. Sister Shearer and I were able to just relax; we got some Ice cream and played a couple rounds of Phase 10. After which we headed out to do the Lord's work.

We didn't have a lot of direction since our scheduled appointments had canceled earlier that day. But we felt impressed to go see a former investigator that we had never met. It was pouring rain as we walked towards his house we saw a man sitting in a car. He saw us and got out of his car. It was the Former investigator we were looking for. He told us that he saw us but we were different then the other missionaries he had seen but he said 'I felt something when I saw you' we ended up teaching him a lesson out in the rain (I loved it:)) really neat lesson. Lot’s of spiritual healing.

 Something that I’ve noticed on my mission that I use to be afraid of being a lifeguard because of the responsibility of saving lives.. But as a missionary we are in the same field of work.. But saving souls and preforming some serious spiritual CPR (Church Pray Read). I love watching the spiritual healing that comes about in people. It’s so neat.

Tuesday we went on an exchange and I got to go to a lunch with my old zone. It was so fun to be able to see all my old missionary friends including.. Betty!!! Betty ran up and gave me a big ole hug. Man I love her. She told me that she is going on a MISSION!! She’s putting her papers in how cool is that! I’m so proud of her. 

This week my companion got in a fight with the sun visor of the car.. She lost. Ha-ha (she hit herself in the face with the sun visor) she got a black eye from it.. am I an awful companion for laughing?

Something really Cool that sister Shearer and I noticed. So our trainers served together in Caldwell as sister Training leaders as well.. So cool. We are just carrying on in the posterity work I guess. 

Sorry I have like 0 time but I want to write some of the fun things. 

-Tried to contact a squirrel.. epic fail. But ended up meeting a nice man named Peter who was cleaning the river just because he loves the town. He was so happy to see 'Mormons' and we are going to start doing random community service with him. We ended up contacting 30 people that day. It was really fun. I love talking to people here and getting to know them. Even when they don't want to listen.

This week was great in missionary work as well. The work is hastening. We will hopefully be having 3 baptisms this Saturday.. woot!

Ok well I love you family! Enjoy all the nice warm weather. I know the Lord loves us and wants to bless us all in personal ways that are meaningful to us. The trick is being able to notice those blessing then thanking him for it. I love you all. I know this church is true. I love warm weather.

Love,

Sister Clark:)

Letters from the kido's.

Easter decorations

Pantry (mom has sent too many treats)

4.7.14 Jellybeans :)

Family! Was conference not the greatest thing ever! I loved conference, the focus on love, and standing for what you believe in. I love the spirit that I feel when I listen to conference, and the revelation that can be received as well. I would have to say some of my favorite talks, Elder Holland’s "now be strong, live the gospel and defend your faith." Neil L. Anderson "Changes in civil laws does not change God's laws." Loved President Eyring's talk with the analogy of the tree as well. President Uchdorf's about being grateful. Elder Bednar's about the enabling power of the atonement.

I guess I just loved them all. I've decided that conference is like the super bowl for Mormon's. We prepare snacks, questions expectation, but the results of conference are far greater then any football game could ever have.:) Ok so that's my mini spiel about conference.

All right so this week was transfer conference. So sister Houser abandoned me.. It's ok I forgive her. My new companion is Sister Shearer! She is from Hurricane Utah:) She is so cool. She’s 'almost' 5"4' ha-ha I love her a lot. Sometimes I forget how ridiculously tall I am, then I get a shorter companion and it's just all sorts of fun.

 Any who we are very much a-like, she is a hard worker but also just doesn't stress. She has been such a great companion for me already and I'm excited to continue to learn from her.

This week we spent some time helping a new family move into the ward. They are so solid and we are praying that they will be called as ward missionaries’ soon:). We had a really great experience where our Bishop invited our Investigator over for dinner with us. Franklin is so awesome! He is getting baptized this Sunday and he is so excited. He had an amazing experience with watching conference. We invited him to write down his questions before he watched or listened then listen for the answers he told us that all of his questions were answered with one phrase. "Trust in the Lord, and it will all work out". It was so fun to get texts from our recent converts and investigators telling us how much they loved conference. Caldwell is on fire! 

This week we also met the Goltsch family, the father is a less active member and his wife and daughter are not members. But fun fact about brother Goltsch, He is the inventor of the machine that makes all the blue painters tape.. pretty cool stuff.. he's so great. He has a strong testimony he just needs some motivation to go. We are excited to work with him. 

Conference was fun! It was really neat because we got to watch every session of conference in a different home, in a different setting. 

Saturday morning we watched with a less active member on her computer, she is slowly progressing on coming back to church but it was great to hear some of the revelation she received from watching conference.

Saturday afternoon we watched with dear sweet Nanay. An 85-returning member from the Philippines who is preparing to go to the temple. She was grinning from ear to ear watching conference and doing her best to remember all the speakers’ names. It's official I love Pilipino people, they are so sweet.

 Sunday morning we watched conference with our investigator Jean Michael and his son, at a member’s house. The Titus family has 6 kids all under the age of 8 so to have them listen every time someone said Jesus. We all got jellybeans. It worked! They were all so quite and so attentive... I like the reward system. The jellybeans were good, but the spirit tastes so much sweeter:) (Corny I know) anyways that was fun. Then Sunday evening we watched it at the church. With some members. What a blessing!

So I want to tell you about an incredible miracle sister Shearer and I saw last night. So for our Zone goal we have a goal to get a Key Indicator score of 10 each week. Usually that is a very reachable goal for us, but with transfers and with general conference we found ourselves on Saturday night at a 7. So, Sister Shearer and I looked at our Sunday schedule and made goals, we were going to get 1 investigator on date, Have 1 member present, and then find a new investigator. We had a determination to reach this goal and we counseled with the Lord in prayer that we would be able to see these miracles.

 As Sunday went on we were able to watch general conference at a members house with 2 of our investigators, after conference we shared a message with them and invited our investigators son to be baptized with his dad. His response, 'Yes, I would like to be baptized'. The members who were there helped us teach the lesson and helped him feel prepared and confident in his answer to be baptized. That was miracle number 1 and 2:).

So as the night went on appointments fell through and our goal of 10 seemed to slowly slip away from us. But we were determined. We talked to everyone within sight, striving to find someone to teach. At the end of the night we ended up going to see a returning member who goes to Montclair state. On our long walk back to our car we talked to 4 sorority girls who were waiting for a bus. One of the girls (who appeared to be the leader) started to laugh at us. Thinking of Elder Holland's talk earlier about the sister missionaries who were yelled at and were 'mash-potato's'. I testified to these girls about the importance of Jesus Christ and then thought 'Mashed potato's'. They weren't interested.

 So we continued our long descent back to our car. It was 8 o'clock, all hope seemed lost, we were Hungary tired missionaries but we were still determined to find someone to teach. As we were walking we passed a young man named Arius. We started talking to him and he told us that he had strayed quite a bit from the path but knows he needs to get back on. We testified of the Book of Mormon and ended up teaching him a lesson and setting up a return appointment with him. He's really cool; he's an aspiring rapper and wants to learn more.

 As we departed (when Arius was out of sight) I jumped for joy. The Lord had seen our Righteous desires, and we had done everything we could to achieve them, and then at the last moment he blessed us with a miracle.

We ended contacting 2 other girls before we got into our car that were interested as well. I know that the Lord is aware of our work. As we do all we can to achieve righteous goals, he will bless us with results. 

Well that was my week. It was great and I'm excited for more blessings and miracles to come. I love this work. I love my Savior and I'm so grateful for him. I love our Prophet; I know he has been called of God. The Church is True. I know it, I love it, and I breathe it. Love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Clark