5.27.14 "I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!"

Oh happy delayed Memorial Day everyone! All the libraries were closed yesterday so thus, the delayed e-mail. I am so grateful for the freedoms that we enjoy, especially the freedom of religion. Because of that freedom so many miracles have happened. ... this week was so epic!!!!!!

This week started with a fantastic district meeting about faith and about how to avoid the 6 destructive D's.

1.doubt

2.discouragement

3.lack of diligence

4.disobedience

5.disbelief

6. (I forgot sorry...)

These 6 'D's' really got me thinking. The weapon to defeat these D's is by none other then faith! I was reading in Mathew today and there is a scripture that talks about a mustard seed. Although it is the smallest seed, it grows into one of the most grandest, important herb. That fail, even just a little can do great and wonderful things, things you never thought possible.

Moroni 7:33-34 "and Christ hath said if ye will have faith in me, ye shall have power to whatsoever thing is expedient in me". This week started with an increase of faith, a cast out of doubts and the result... miracles!

I will just hit the main highlights

First miracle. 

-We were heading into the weekend and there were a couple of our number goals that we had not hit yet. So in order to catch up we needed to get 2 new investigators and 2 referrals. For some reason all week I have just been so excited and pumped about everything. (That crazy little thing called faith).

 We were about to go on an exchange so when the sister who was coming with me came, I gave her a million high fives and told her what we were going to do that day.. then we went to work. One miracle after another, we ended up with 3 new investigators and 2 unexpected member presents.. We taught Shelly and Alicia. They are 2 of our investigators with a lot of dogs.. we don't know exactly how many but we know it's more then 7.. but we went and the dogs were quiet while we taught about the plan of salvation and it was amazing. We had a member with us who was just teaching exactly to their needs. It did end a little rocky when our member started to talk about the pros of polygamy (face palm) but it didn't seem to scare our investigators so it was good.

Then we got in contact with a young man who is a less active and shared a message with him. We ended up sharing Helaman 5:12 (Christopher’s favorite.. well he might have a new one now) and we also sang the song the wise man built his house upon the rock.. it was an interesting door contact to say the least but it went really well.

Then the last miracle of that day. We started teaching a less active member and her 10-year-old daughter Aleigha wants to learn about the church. So we started to teach her as well. We had Stephanie (a 2 year old) putting stickers all over our faces and our hands as we taught the restoration but we got the lesson across. Day of miracles!!!! When you make a goal. Pray and seek for the lord’s guidance and then put full faith in him and go to work.. He always provides!!!

Second miracle..

Ok. this miracle starts with a confession. So Dad.. remember how you use to have those armor of God coins that you would give to the young men.. well... before my mission I found one of your and took it with me on my mission... sorry.. but when you hear this story it was for a good cause!

So we had a lesson last week with our recent convert Luis and Denise. They have been going through a rough time so we talked about enduring to the end. And used emphasis to teach about the armor of God. As we taught I remembered I had that coin in my bag. I was prompted to give it to him. So I did. Luis was so grateful.

Then this week we had a lesson. Luis brought his sister Katharine. They had won a singing competition in Newark the night before. He talked about throughout the week there were lots of trails and hard things but every time he would get discouraged he would feel the coin in his pocket next to his phone, he would pull it out read it and then keep moving forward. When they had the singing completion the night before his brother (who is very critical of the church) was really nervous to go on stage so Luis let him hold the coin.. His brother talked about how it gave him such a peace and asked Luis about his baptism... MIRACLE!!! And we also picked up Luis’s sister as an investigator. So dad thanks for the coin:) it is working miracles. 

Third Miracle.

Last the best of all!

So sister shearer and I were walking in Nutley and were just not having any luck finding people. I had remembered that Sunday that our member told us if we ever needed to knock some doors that there was a house down her street and the people where really nice. So Sister shearer and 

I started walking.

When we arrived at the house we knocked and an elderly man answered. He looked at us and then he pointed to our tags as a huge smile spread across his face. He eagerly invited us in. His wife was home so we entered. He invited us to sit on the coach. We sat as he went upstairs.. Sister Shearer and I at this point are very confused and not sure if he's really accountable.

But not to worry, the man comes down the stairs with his Book of Mormon in hand and points at it, he eagerly sits down and shows us the inside cover where a missionary had written his testimony in it for him.

Long story short… His name is Jerry. He met the missionaries when He was in Poland and he was investigating the church for 3 years there. He was almost baptized 2 times. But they were both canceled. One, because the owner of the pool where he was going to be baptized canceled at the last minute. Then the second time they were going to do it in a river and there was a huge rainstorm so the members canceled. He eventually came back to the states but lost contact with the church.

 Jerry was just so overcome with emotion as he thanked us for finding him. The spirit was so strong in that room. There is no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father loves Jerry a lot. If you've ever doubted that God is aware of you.. I testify that HE IS.

We've shared the Jerry story with members of our ward in ward council and it's gotten everyone so incredibly excited about missionary work. I'm so grateful to be apart of the 'Jerry story'.

So that was basically my week. I am so so grateful to be serving a mission. I love this work. I love being a missionary.. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior. I know with a surety now that this is exactly where he needs me at this time. It took a long time to come to that realization in full but the Joy and Peace I feel is undeniable. MISSIONS ARE THE BEST! Well family I love you all! Thanks for the pictures of the cute kids! I pray for you all always!

Love,

Sister Clark

I love rain!

Drawing I did on Memorial Day 

5.19.14 "On a Golden Spring Time"

Thank you for your letters and prayers, I really felt them this week. This week was one full of ups and downs but hey, that's missionary work for ya. One of the neatest things about this week is right outside our apartment there is a little nest full of baby robins. Sister Shearer and I noticed it the other day when they were still eggs, every day when we leave our apartment we pass by this little nest and check on our 3 little birds (we haven't named them yet.. we'll get on that) but It's been such a neat experience to watch them grow everyday. They are growing so fast and we don't want them to leave the nest! I think we have them for a while longer. 

OK so this week really was great! it started of with lots of big blessings! It also went by so fast that I'm racking my brain trying to remember the highlights.

Monday

We had dinner with a new family of the ward, both returned missionaries and excited to have us over. Sister Remington served her mission in Switzerland (right outside of Interlarken) and actually her mission companion was visiting her when we came for dinner. It was so fun to talk with them about there missions then to share a message with them. sister Remington's friends commented how strange it was to be on the other side of the discussion. 

So also Monday, we had received a referral from Franklin (our recent convert) he invited us to teach his mom.  So sister Shearer and I needed a cleaver way to go over and introduce ourselves. So naturally we decided to make cupcakes. (cupcakes and Jesus.. what more do you need?) We went over with cupcakes in hand and met Franklin's family. It was a very neat experience as we shared a message with his mom and had Franklin help us teach. He could not stop smiling as we share the gospel that has come to mean so much to him with his mom. She is our new investigator:) we are so excited. 

Also Franklin in taking the challenge to read the book of Mormon in 90 days. He reads for an hour everyday he started in Jacob and he's now in Mosiah 7 i think.. He's on fire! I love all these people here in Caldwell, especially our recent converts. They are so strong in there testimony of the gospel. 

Tuesday

oh my goodness, it was amazing! Sister Shearer and I have grown in our testimony of planning. We made all these plans on Tuesday, and every single plan we had made, happened.. It was amazing. We didn't know what to do, or to handle everyone who was letting us into there homes.

Wednesday

Was a day focused on working with members for missionary work. We have a lot of members who are now working with friends to be ready to accept the gospel. It's fun to be apart of, I'm still learning a lot for myself how to work with the members, and also how to be the best member missionary when I get home.

We also had an interesting experience, We were at the bishops House for dinner, and one of the members of the ward was with us as well. and in the middle of dinner he passed out on the floor, He apparently has had a lot of health problems, he use to be boxing partners with mike Tyson, or something like that. but he is a very loved man in the ward and in his community, it was a scary moment to be there as a missionary but also An eye opening experience as well.

Friday we had the young woman's general president and the primary general president come and teach some of us women here in new jersey. We were not able to go unless we had a less active or an investigator come with us. we ended up having 2 of our less actives come with us and it was an amazing experience, they talked about coming unto Christ and staying on his side.

Sunday Highlight

FRANKLIN PASSED THE SACRAMENT! it was the coolest thing to watch. He was grinning from ear to ear as he did so. He did a great job and the members of the ward were all there to rally around him and to help him. So neat.

Sorry This letter isn't to exciting but I have a feeling this week is going to be great! We are getting ready to go back on exchanges. It's weird to think this is my last transfer in Caldwell, I'm going to give it my all and serve these people with all I have.

Well I love you all! I hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Clark

"Grandma's Willow Tree"  Pocahontas 

5.12.14. One Happy Missionary!!!

WHAT A FUN WEEK! It felt so good to talk to you all! You all look so great! I will admit I was so nervous to talk to you all.. I'm not sure why but that phone call was just everything I needed. It gave me peace about my future, and it made me so happy to talk to you all:) so thanks for making my week so special.

Again mom and all mothers HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! I hope you all had a great day. It was certainly a great day for me. Man I don't really know what to talk about I need to start writing down funny experiences or something so that my letters are more entertaining.

So this month has been our focus on faith and working with members. It has been amazing, as we have set goals that stretch our limits. My testimony of fasting and prayer has increased a lot with my faith this week. We have a goal to get 4 member referrals this week. I have been studying and praying how to work with the members more to achieve this goal. Any ideas of how us missionaries can work with members better? I am very determined to hit this goal. Not only will it increase my faith but also if we hit our goal, were going to get permission to watch the prince of Egypt on p-day... yes.. I am motivated:)

I think the highlight of the week for me was our lesson with Grace. She is apart of a part member family. Her mom is a returning member from the Philippines. We started teaching Grace and she is having the hardest time wrapping her mind around the concept of Religion. In her mind science explains all, and death is the end. We talked about eternal families the other day and that is what sparked her interest to learn more. She couldn't bare the thought of, if there was life after death (which there is) she didn't want to be the cause of her mom not having an eternal family.

So this brings us to the point of our lesson on Thursday. We sat down and started to teach the plan of salvation. She had so many good questions, and at the end we invited her to be baptized. She said if she comes to know it's true then yes. She said 'But I have to know'.

 It was amazing to see her real intent and desire to know it's true as she almost in tears just expressed to us how she wanted this plan to be true, how she wants to know so bad. So we invited her to kneel down right then and ask God if it was true. As we were kneeling down her sweet mom knelt down next to her with tears streaming down her face said a silent prayer for Grace as I taught her how to pray. Then Grace offered the most sincere sweet prayer. Just asking Heavenly Father to be patient with her, and how she understands how her answer will come through time but she asked to know if it was true. The spirit was so strong. It's moments like this that just make my mission. I love Grace so much, it was an amazing experience to be apart of, and definitely a moment I will never forget. (Pray for grace!)

This week we were also able to participate in helping out at a soup kitchen for another church. It was fun to serve, and when you’re in that environment, religion almost always comes up. We had a lot of people ask us questions. I love the feeling of serving others and the joy that comes from it. 

Oh I guess I'll explain the mustache pictures. So Monday was Cinco de Mayo, and we were teasing Luis and Denise. Our recent converts that we were going to show up in mustaches to celebrate. So sister Shearer and I actually decided to do it and as we pulled up to the church parking lot, they were wearing mustaches as well.. Ha-ha I love them both so much. These people are seriously some of my closest friends. We then taught our lesson about family history work and it was a great spiritual lesson as well. 

Tuesday (I guess I’m going all sorts of out of order) we had zone meeting, I gave training on how to work with members it was a lot of fun, it was a good zone meeting. 

Mother’s day! It started of with a great sacrament meeting. We had a lot of people show up that we were not expecting. I sat by 2 of our investigators who are teenagers. I love being around youth. I think it's because that's the level of my maturity, the amazing part is they have been bringing their friend to church and we were able to ask her if she wants to learn more and she said yes. So were going to start teaching their friend as well.

Then we had a great relief society lesson for mother’s day. It was titled, mothers and whales.. Yes.. I was confused about the title but it had something to do with whales and how they take care of their children. I'm not sure but the title was catchy and then we all got roses and made mother's day cards for the woman to the left of us.

 I loved all Sunday was the emphasis on how mothers are not only the woman who have given birth to a child. But those who are an example to others, who nurture, etc. It was a really neat perspective.

Then we headed over to the Bowman's for a dinner and then I got to talk to you all,, still on a happy high from it, I keep remembering little things you all said and it just makes me so happy. That was about my week. But I love you all, stay tuned for next week! The start of a new Transfer wahoo! Keep staying strong.

Love,

Sister Clark

5.5.14 "Mirror Moments"

Wow, thank you all for your wonderful letters. IT sounds like you are all doing so well, which makes me one happy sister Clark:) This week was crazy busy with meetings and paper work and etc., but it was fun. Where to even begin. I guess I'll start with a great experience I had last night.

 I had a really amazing moment last night, as I was getting ready for bed I was looking at some of my old pictures from back home of the person I left behind. As I looked up in the mirror I realized how much I've changed, and how grateful I am for that change. I dropped to my knees and thanked my Father in Heaven for allowing me to serve a mission, for the blessings, the people who have changed my life forever, and the Joy and love that I feel every day. Before I came out on my mission I thought I knew the gospel, I thought I had a pretty strong testimony. I am so eternally indebted to my father in Heaven that he loves me enough that he sees this potential in me and who I’m becoming. It's far greater then anything I could have ever imagined. Or far greater then any joy that I've ever felt. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. I fell asleep with a huge smile on my face and just so overwhelmed by the spirit. So much happiness! As I was reading in Alma 36, it was like Alma the younger was speaking to me directly, specifically talking about how he had this experience of truly coming unto Christ. I'm starting to understand what that means now. In verse 24, it talks about how he labors with everything he has to help others feel that joy, and in verses 25 it was as if Alma was pointing to me directly and telling me, hey hey you, this applies to you. Anyways enough of my ranting. It's just a great day.

I'm very excited for this new week, a week of somewhat normal, no exchanges and not to many meetings, just my companion and I. Were going to go save some souls!

Ok I don't have too much time to write to many details but I'll save the good stuff for

Sunday (craziness!)

 So this Tuesday we had zone conference, President and the assistants came and taught about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and what it has truly done for us. I'm so grateful for the Atonement, the more I understand about it the more I have a desire to share the gospel.

So after zone conference, some good lunch, and chasing after some bouncy balls (our lunch game) Wednesday we had district meeting. So for one of our Role plays it involved playing basketball... and no my competitiveness with sports has not changed on my mission, especially against elders. Anyways needless to say sister shearer and I were the only sisters and we beat them all pretty bad:) it was fun. I love sports. I think I might want to help coach some volleyball when I get home:) maybe help coach salvo. 

Thursday was so neat. We went to Ellis Island! But this time to do family history work. I can testify that the spirit of Elijah is real! Family history work is incredible. That is also something I'm dying to get my hands on when I get back home. It working on family History. I met this sweet old man from Ireland who just lit up as we found his family’s names and signatures, what they did for a living etc. He just told me everything about his sweet family in his Irish accent, we met people from all over the world!

Friday we had Mission Leader council where we talked about working with members and also about increasing our faith. Something that I learned is that every member of the church is on a mission. We are all at different phases of our missions but it's important that we are all striving to do something to reach the next level, for example, you may not be at the point on your mission of giving a referral, maybe you first need to get to know your neighbors first, or to give someone a pass along card, and if that is to scary then to leave a pass-along card somewhere. Start where you are at and move up:) it was a great meeting and also again, good food:) 

Saturday I was on an exchange with a sister, we ended up both getting really sick and had to rest, but it was interesting how that was exactly what the lord needed us to do at that time.

Sunday, oh Sunday. It was amazing to have almost all 6 of our recent converts at church during fast and testimony meeting, as I was bending down to get a sticker for a child sitting next to me I heard Denise Bustamante’s voice at the pulpit, I looked up as she had tears running down her face as she bore the sweetest testimony how she came to know that God lives and loves her, she expressed the gratitude for being 'found' by him. I couldn't help but let the tears roll down my face and smile from ear to ear.

I cannot describe the feeling of Joy of helping invite souls unto Christ, I simply cannot, but it is truly amazing. Anyways that was basically my week. I’ll save some ammo for Sunday but I’m very excited to talk to you all:) love you!!!

Love,

Sister Clark