8.25.14 Laughter is the Best Medicine

Dearest Family! I just want you to all know ALL IS WELL IN ZION! I love being a missionary and being able to serve the Lord with the little strength that I have left, plus all the strength he has given me. The thing that has stood out to me the most this week is the thought of 'Enduring it well'. Trusting Happily.

So as I have been resting a little bit this week I decided to get outside myself and serve my companion, she is so great and has had to put up with me so I thought she deserved something nice.. so I decided to get some of my old socks and I made her a sock puppet. He is a wonky looking little guy his name is Swiffer. He’s adorable! He has brought so much laughter and joy into our apartment and in our proselyting. It's amazing to me that no matter how old you are sock puppets never get old! Also I've learned that everyone needs to be able to laugh, its so health. 2 Nephi 2 25. "Adam fell that men might be, men are that they might have joy!"

Swiffer experience #1
Sister Harvey and I decided to venture into a part of our area that really hasn't been worked in, and we've been seeing so many miracles from it. As we drove, sister Harvey had some Disney music that we listened to and she animated the sock puppet as we went along. It brought so much joy and laughter. I really haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

Then also we passed by this old man, who saw the sock puppet, did a double take and started laughing. We pulled up to a read light and he rolled down the window and asked if he could keep Swiffer. Sister Harvey just looks at Swiffer and using him to answer saying 'we need more time' then we drove away. It was a funny moment of my mission.

Swiffer experience #2

Our Mission president has been urging us to contact people in creative and individual ways. So naturally we decided to take Swiffer with us proselyting. It really worked! It was a great icebreaker for people. Then we started talking about the gospel. 3 out of our 4 new investigators this week were with his help. 

So Saturday night we were driving home and we get a voicemail from a member of our bishopric saying he had an emergency. So we called him back. The emergency was that he needed us to speak in sacrament meeting the next day. We gladly accepted the challenge. As we sat down that night to plan for Sunday.. We realized that we had already committed to teach young woman’s, gospel principles, and speak in sacrament meeting. Sister Harvey and sister Clark running the whole church ha ha, jk but it was a great experience. Needless to say after sacrament meeting we were exhausted.

We were given free range on our talks to speak. Sister Harvey talked about her conversion story and how we can be lights and examples to others. I decided to speak on trusting in God and obedience. It was a good opportunity for me to be able to study more and think about how we gain trust in God. And how we can show that through our obedience. Something that stuck out to me is that there is a difference between. Believing God, and Believing IN God. We can believe that he exists, that he is there and he loves us, but it's another thing to believe in what he says and his promises to us. I feel like something God has been trying to teach my whole mission is to trust him more. Lean not on my own strength. It's amazing when I let Go and Let God. Things always seem to work out better.. go figure:) 

After church we went to a nursing home to go sing some hymns to some of the people there. I LOVE the elderly! It reminds me of the good ol' days in Toms River. We spoke with a member of our ward after and we spoke about the people who made the greatest impact in her life. She spoke of several different missionaries. It would be so neat to know that something you did, or were inspired to do, touched someone’s life or made an impact. I know as we listen to the spirit and act on those promptings that we can be an instrument in his hands.

All in all it was a great week! Excited for continued more adventures to come! Thanks for your love and prayers! They work! Love you all

Love,
Sister Clark

At the doctor's office trying not to watch favorite movie 

8.18.14 "The Prayers on Your Behalf are Heard"

Dear Family, So.. I guess cat is out of the bag a bit, yes, I am a little sick, but all is well in Zion nothing that the Lord can't take care of. It was an amazing experience this week as I asked for a priesthood blessing and specifically it talked about those who were praying for me and how those prayers are heard. It was such strength to know that I have your prayers. They are felt so from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

It was also neat to see Luis again (recent convert from Caldwell who works in the doctors office.) he told me that they miss me and that he is praying for me... there are little moments on your mission like that that make it all worth it’d

So this week wasn't too eventful. Just a lot of recuperating. Yesterday was my 16-month mark.... CRAZY! 

I'm trying to think of something profound to say about this week.. but nothing is coming to mind. Sister Harvey and I are going to make sock puppets out of some old socks that we found.

This week I’ve also grown a deeper love for the Book of Mormon. I love it! 'It’s delicious' I love reading and feeling the spirit. It’s so cool how you can be reading a chapter about war, yet feel so much peace. The Lord always knows what you need to get out of it. And the spirit will speak to your mind what he wants to say to you. 

We also visited a recent convert family. The Wu family and went over and shared the because of him video with them. As we were watching the mom talked about how she disagreed how 'death has no sting' she went on to talk about the death of her son 2 years ago. Sometimes there are moments on your mission that you just have no idea what to say. Yet you open your moth and the Lord gives you the words. I am so grateful for the power of the atonement, to heal us in many aspects of our lives. "The Atonement of Christ can remedy what we alone can not repair." wither it's our health.. or sadness…heartache etc. it covers it all. 

 

Fan from China 

Sorry this letter is short! Next week's letter will hopefully be more eventful! I love you all thanks for your prayers. The gospel is true! I love being a missionary! It’s the greatest thing in the world!

Skateboarding adventure

Our Zone

Companion craziness!

Love,
Sister Clark

8.11.14 Jesus Take the Wheel

Pizza with grandma 

The title of my letter is a song by Carrie Underwood that really had helped me this week. This past week has been a little crazy with lots of changes. But who knew that inspiration from on high can come from all different places. Just when I thought I was at the breaking point this week I finally decided to just 'let go and let God'. The Atonement is real. I can testify from the moment I decided to just give it to him and just to Trust him, my week has been so much happier, It's the greatest feeling in the world to know you are not alone:)

Monday

Sister Allen and I decided to go out with a bang so we went to the zoo then went to a very old fashion dinner here in our area then went out and shared the gospel with our investigator named Charlie. He is an older man who lost his wife a couple of years ago, we were able to talk to him about eternal families and the atonement the spirit was supper powerful and strong. 

Much needed transfer ice cream!

Tuesday
Transfer Conference: President Taggart is hilarious, this was his first transfer conference and he was just having the time of his life up there announcing the transfers.. naturally my zone was the last one he announced. But sister Allen is now serving in Englewood (which is north of me) she is serving with sister Houser's old companion (sister Houser is now home) my new companion is sister Harvey, she is from Folsom California, she is a surfer, wants to go into marine biology and is also an artist, and a model, she is a social butterfly it's been fun to teach with her. The Members here already love her.

Sister Harvey and I eating food 

 It’s been quite the change but we are getting along well. She is really awesome. Oh and she loves all the same music that I do, which is a huge plus! We refer to ourselves as 'Mike and Sully' from Monsters Inc. We also had dinner with the bishop’s family. They are awesome I love this ward because a lot of the members are so tall and I just feel like I fit in with the whole height thing. 

Wednesday was district meeting, which was a lot of fun, sad moments when you realize that you are one of the oldest missionaries in your zone. Yet still trying to figure out how to do everything. Ha-ha something that I've learned on my mission, expect the unexpected, most of the time nothing goes according to plan, The mission defiantly will prepare you to handle unexpected situations. 

Friday was a really hard day, but that's OK cause that's what the atonement is for. Our investigator Mary had her baptismal interview and didn't pass. It was rough, trying to explain to everyone what was going on, and explaining to the ward council etc. I felt like I had let everyone down but I'm very grateful for the chance we have to repent and start fresh, because I am so imperfect.

Saturday

Got in contact with a less active family for the first time. I love working with less active members, just being able to help them rekindle that testimony that was there. I feel like we all need that rekindling time and time again. Also another miracle was that we were able to see Dave!!! (Our investigator I sent the picture of who was reading the book of Mormon) we had not been in contact with him in forever because he was on a business trip but it was a miracle we were able to find him again! He’s doing well and loving the book of Mormon. So excited to see him progress more and more in the gospel.

Main lessons I've learned this week. Let the Lord help, the Atonement is real. Life is about growing and stretching but doing it with happiness. If you are waiting for everything to be going perfectly right to be happy.. You’ll never be happy. Just finding happiness in the journey is huge:) love you all thanks for your prayers

Love,
Sister Clark

Our "Y" sign of her being transferred 

I love Sister Reed 

Sister Reed is now serving right next to me

PIZZA!