Happy Almost New Year!

Skyping you guys was definitely one of the highlights of the week! The camera worked so perfectly, I've never seen skype work so well! Wait you got the pictures? Which ones? It kept telling me it failed! So I'm glad you got them! Yes that was the housing building project! The food one was at our pensionistas house, and the food was some sort of meat ball... haha I didn't like it much...

Here I think the Christmas tradition is everyone makes this certain spicy meat. It's really good! We had it the next day because we were supposed to eat with a member for Christmas. We went to a member's house but they hadn't prepared anything so we opened a can of tuna and had some potatoes! Our next baptism is for January 25! We are all working as a zone again for this day. After we talked on Christmas I waited for my comp to finish and then it was time to go home pretty much so we returned the laptop at the church and visited with some members for a bit and then went home because they wanted us in right at 9 because it was a holiday. I did cut more hair this week actually! It wasn't my best work because it was dark in the house... but it looked fine when I was done.. The boy was pretty sad though because he had long hair. Haha he said he wouldn't come to church anymore because of his haircut. But he came anyway. Haha It's just shorter than he's used to.

Sounds like Christmas was great! I wanted to go caroling too!! But my comp and I are always singing in the streets while we walk anyway! We sing church hymns for fun. haha. I can't believe it's almost 2014!!! I am excited to spend this entire year on a mission! What an awesome way to spend my year! I am so excited to be here. Feeling so blessed and humbled to be a servant of the Lord. This is exactly where I want to be, doing His will and His work. I have focused so much on the investigators this week, and we have met some really amazing people this week. I really want these people to accept the gospel and let it change their lives. Leaving my family was hard, but I am so happy to be helping other families be together for eternity. Families truly are eternal. And I am so grateful for that. So incredibly grateful for the temple. The branch is planning a temple trip for the 1st and I want to go so bad!!! I have been thinking about my time working in the temple a lot and I just love it. I loved what I learned there. I love the temple and I can't wait to work there again when I get home.

The members here are so wonderful! I keep finding people that I think, oh they would be great friends with you mom! Or the YW pres is so awesome. She served a mission in La Paz, and she is Jenae's age and she is seriously so sweet. Her personality reminds me of Jenae because she just is really loving with the youth, and I really want her and Jenae to be friends! Haha I keep finding people like that here that I want to be friends with you guys. I just had a thought.. I bet we were all friends in the pre-existence because I knew them and promised to come find them here in Bolivia and teach them. And I knew you guys in the pre-existence so it makes sense! And we are teaching a 10 year old I want to be friends with Jamie! Anyway I'm out of time!  I love you all so much!!!

Love,
Hermana Clark

housing building project

Not my favorite meal...some sort of meatball...

Merry Christmas!

Bermejo is good and hot again!

Wow! Tell the ward thank you for the Christmas card! What an awesome surprise that was!! I feel so much love and support! And thank you mom for sending me a letter! It was a great week with the mail!

Whew! It has been a really great week, full of work and great miracles! We had two baptisms this past weekend. It was for the Noche Blanca, where the whole zone worked towards that night. We were all preparing people for baptism that night so there was a huge group!

Last pday, and the one before we went to this wally ball court. That was really fun! We also played pool and I whooped the elders. Then we went to a bridge that goes over the river. On the other side of the river is Argentina! So half the bridge is in Bolivia colors and the other half in Argentina colors! That was really cool!

Funny story! Last week my comp and I were walking through the city, and one of the ward members dogs was running around (everyone's dogs just run free here), and he recognized us! We had been to his house earlier that week.. He followed us all over the city that morning! He is this humongous great dane. So huge! We would go into shops and he would come too, and the store owner tried to get him out but he wouldn't leave without us! And then they asked if he was mine! Of course I said no, because he's not! But it was so fun having him as a buddy that morning!

The other day I cut five kids hair! There is a family that was just baptized and they have six kids! Five boys and one girl, and one on the way! They didn't have enough money to have all the boys get haircuts, so I cut their hair! Haha I'm not sure what Kelsey would think of my work... but they turned out pretty well. The elders were cutting the little girls hair and it looked reaaally awful. I tried to fix it but... haha It still is a little meh.. but she wanted it buzzed so it wasn't a big deal. Some girls here buzz their heads and I'm not sure why... I think it's because it's so hot! Anyway, that was so fun practicing cutting hair because these kids didn't care! But they were all pretty sad to have their hair cut.. It was all long, and some had rat tails! Haha gross.

Here in Bermejo, there is a Christ statue on the hill, like in Brazil! It's not as big though, but I really want to hike up to it soon!  Sorry I don't always answer all your question! Keep asking them and I'll eventually answer them I'm sure!!

We have family night with the families here, and it just made me so grateful that you were always so faithful with our family nights. It has strengthened my testimony.

Yesterday the branch did a service project, and we built a house for a lady in the ward, and a bathroom! She didn't have anything.. It was really wonderful working with the branch for the service project. I got a lot of bug bites, but he branch is really awesome! I love my branch here! I'm really loving devoting this time to serving the Lord. It's true, when you're homesick, you need to stop focusing on yourself, and start focusing on your investigators and the people. Work towards helping them, and all homesickness goes away. It's really amazing. I love this gospel! I know it is true!

I love you all so very very much! Thank you for your love, support, and prayers!
Love, Hermana Clark

Happy Birthday to Jenae!

Hola from Bermejo!

I am doing great! Hope everything is great back home! I cannot believe how fast these weeks go... Is time fast for you guys too?? Okay lots has happened this week! I tried to make up for my incredibly boring email last week! Haha. And yesterday was Jenae's birthday!! I thought of her all day! I'm glad the surprise party worked out!! That sounds so fun! Do you have any pictures? So my foot is much better! At first it swelled the most it ever has, but every night I sleep with it propped so it's a lot better today. Barely even swollen. Last week I counted 42 bites on my body! 2 on my arms and 40 on my legs! Yikes! I haven't been bitten in a little while though so they're all healing nicely.

That's an awesome story that Brother Bradford told! I love hearing stories like that! It reminds me of a talk Elder Bednar gave while he was serving his mission. You should look it up! It's about 20 german dollars. I love that story. I'm glad your class party went well!! Sounds really fun! I hung the picture up that Jamie drew of the minions and my comp thought it was a picture of Spongebob because she's never seen Despicable Me! In Spanish, Spongebob is pronounced Bob Esponge. haha It's funny hearing them sing the theme song.

My branch isn't too big, but it's a good size. My Branch President, President Flores, is really awesome. He cares so much about everyone, and he is just really nice. He's really young and has a young family. He reminds me of the actor Christian Bale, Batman and Newsies. Haha I'm not sure why but he kinda looks like him. Funny story! Haha okay at church yesterday I was sitting next to our investigator and my eyes were closed for the prayer and suddenly I'm getting wet. And I peak over and the baby is no longer nursing! Nope! He is squirting me. Squirting me with his mothers milk. Haha I was so... oh man no words... But I just laughed and closed my eyes again because there was nothing I could do! Anyway, so the prayer ends and then the baby turns towards me and starts throwing up major. And I quickly move and avoid it all. Whew. And then he kept nursing.

So it's rain season here? Goood! Because I've heard this is their hottest time of year! But it's been raining off and on all week and I love it! We got to go to Tarija for a conference! That was really fun! The conference was with the missionaries in Tarija, and my zone. Everyone prepared a Christmas song and we all performed for each other. We sang Oh Holy Night in Spanish because it's not a Spanish song but someone found a translation! We also watched these awesome  Mormon messages you should look up! It's Elder Tod Christoferson about Moses and mana and patience. Haha it's awesome. There are three videos. The road to Tarija is insane! SO windy! and our driver was going so fast! I've never seen anyone take turns that fast and there were rocks all in the road that he was dodging, and everyone laughed when I put my seatbelt on... and I was like well I don't want to fly around. Throughout the trip everyone else put their seatbelts on too. At the conference President and Hermana Willard spoke. They are so amazing I can't even handle it! They asked me to lead the music so that was a fun time. Then we all went to lunch at this really nice restaurant. After we had to leave early to make it back for the wedding of my investigator, and we made it just in time! The next day they were baptized along with their niece! I am so excited for them! They are really great people, I just love them!

So here they don't really have buses, and our area isn't really big enough for that. We do take taxis sometimes though when we're running late. The taxi drivers always have this plant in their cheek so they have a huge bump on their cheek. It's a drug, and it is so they don't have to eat, and they don't get tired..

They eat fries with everything here! Everything! And anything they can put mayonaise on they do, and I've tried it and it's pretty good. Super healthy! haha. At lunch time everyone closes their shops and they all nap. I think because it's the hottest part of the day. And there are dirt roads here. The main roads are paved, but most are dirt. AND! there are lots of ladies here who dress in the traditional Bolivian outfits and it makes me so happy. They wear these poofy skirts and their hair in two braids and bowler hats! It's the best! Also I think my bites are better because we got a screen put on the window. I was being bit at night, so that works out very well now! We also hand wash all our clothes. I have the hands to show for it! And everyone talks loud in church. NO ONE knows how to whisper. So picture while someone is talking at the pulpit or in class, someone in the back is talking to their kid, and who knows what. Haha that's kind of strange.

But I am doing really great! The language is coming along, and I understand almost everything that is said! I just can't talk very well.. but I talked with other missionaries at the conference that I was in the CCM with and they are having the same thing happen right now so that's good!

I love you guys so very much! And I pray for you all the time!! Thank you for your prayers and support! It really helps!

Love from Bermejo, Bolivia
Hermana Clark

Hola familia!

Hola familia!

My bug bites are good.. now my other foot is swollen! Haha it's quite the look I've got going... Not only am I the whitest person these people have ever seen, but my foot is rather large. But my comp and I still get whistled at so I guess they don't care.

We have a family getting baptized next week, and getting married this week! I'm so excited for them! One of the sisters I live with has been sick all week with bronchitis, however that's spelled, so we did splits a couple times and I stayed home and studied, so that was fun!

Lots of storms this week too! It will be blazing hot one minute, and then all of a sudden a sand storm will come and start raining! It's been a good relief from the heat.

This week has been tough because of the language, but I have prayed more than ever and I feel it strengthen me. I have faith in Heavenly Father, and I know He has faith in me. He wants me to succeed! He just needs me to grow into the missionary He needs me to be first. I've been teaching a lot more. I'm able to share more. And I understand almost everything that's being said, I just don't know the words to respond back yet..

My comp and I set up the Christmas tree, it looks great! Thanks mom!! I'm doing well here, and I love serving these people. I can't wait until I can speak more so I can really feel like I'm helping these people. But I love them! And I pray for them all the time! I pray for you guys too all the time! I hope you are all doing well!

I love you!!!
Love,
Hermana Clark
© 2013 Microsoft

Happy late birthday to Beck and Wes!

 Hola from Bermeja!

MOM THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CHRISTMAS PACKAGES!!!!! I can't wait to open them! And decorate the tree today!! All of them had been opened, but I think it's all there.. The wrapping had been poked to see what was inside as well, but I won't peak. Thanks so much though, it will make Christmas so exciting!!

Sounds like you guys are having a really awesome Thanksgiving Break!!! They of course don't celebrate it here, but I live with another North American sister, and told her it was Thanksgiving, and she said "oh...really??" haha and that was the extent of our celebration. But every prayer I said that day was just all what I am thankful for.

Do you remember what was said during my setting apart blessing? Also, did you get the bank card figured out? They give us a card to use here, and it's bank of america as well. Also, do you think you could find some scripture cases for me? Some with a zipper and I don't know colorful.. Just whatever you like!

Funny story! So on Sunday we were walking to church, and some of our investigators rode by on their motorcycle. Everyone drives motorcycles here, and they try to fit as many people as they can on them. But this is the most I've seen. So this family had a child in the front, then the dad driving, child behind him, the mom, and then a child strapped to her back! So insane! I wish I had a picture! But we have two families getting baptized in the next few weeks! I'm so excited for them!! And one family is getting married in the next couple weeks to prepare for their baptism.

We get to skype on Christmas so prep the computer!!!!!!! Haha I'm so excited to skype you guys!!

I have bug bites ALL OVER! So it happens while I am sleeping because I wake up with them.... It's crazy.. But I am doing well, and enjoying the people in Bermeja. I'm not sure why anyone would settle here because it's so stinking hot.. But people did! Haha lots of people here!

All last week we had crazy rain storms! Its rained everyday, and it felt awesome!! And I actually had to go to the bathroom! When it's hot here I drink a lot of water all day, but never need the bathroom because you just sweat so much. Haha so it was weird needing the bathroom last week..

Oh ps my foot is better! I guess it was an ant bite? But it's not swollen anymore, just tender. Tell Grandma Clark and Grandma Betty hi!!! That's so fun they were both there for thanksgiving, and Jer and Kels!! How fun!!!

Oh my goodness so when the members feed us they feed us so much meat it is out of control. Honestly it's like 6 servings of meat. They start out with a soup which has a hunk of meat. Even though it's hot out they like to eat soup. Haha And then they bring out a plate with some sort of meat, and then they give you another, and then some chicken, and then some ribs, and then potatoes, and "salad" which is actually just onions and tomatos. It's insane! Haha so much foooood! But we don't eat all day other than just that meal. We eat some crackers sometimes but I'm not ever hungry for food. That one meal just does it for ya.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you so much! Thanks for all the emails, love, prayers, and support! I need it all!!

Love from the depths of burning hot Bermeja,
Hermana Clark :)

Toad bugs

Toad bugs are huge!

A Rodeo!!!!

Birthday party for a sister in the ward

Me and my comp!

Christmas packages!

Ovens where they cook bread

BOLIVIA IS THE BEST PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN!

The second we flew in it felt like home! The city of Santa Cruz... I don't even know how to discribe it. It's wonderful though. We went to Pres. and Hermana Willard's house and wrote ourselves letters that we get back after the mission, so that was cool.. They are amazing people. I love them a lot! My companion couldn't get a flight in to Santa Cruz so Hermana Willard was my comp for the day, but everyone met their comps at the church and chatted with them and Hermana Willard told me about mine. We stayed in a hotel the night we flew in and the night after. It was fun because you could see all of Santa Cruz! So now I am in an area right on the border of Argentina! I had to take an hour plane ride, and then a three hour car ride to get here! It's called Bermeja, and it is hotter than hot here. Like holy cow I didn't know I could sweat so much. I'm surprised I don't have mold growing on me because I'm wet all the time! Haha it's awesome... The people here though are seriously the greatest! The ward is wonderful, and my companion is one of the best people I've ever met. She is so good with the people and I just love her. I'm glad she is my trainer! She goes home in February and she keeps saying I'm going to be her comp that will kill her off.. So we'll probably be together for a long time since she goes home in Feb. But that's okay because we get along really well.

You should mapquest where I am so you can see more pictures. I've never been bit by a mosquito before until now so that's been a joy.. oh! also the other night we were outside teaching a lesson and suddenly a bug bit me. I didn't think much of it since it happens a lot. But then my foot started to go numb! And swell up!! And next thing I knew I couldnt walk on it! So we hobbled 30 minutes home, and I propped it up when I went to sleep and in the morning it was totally fine, but then by the night it was swollen and throbbed all over again. It's good again today so hopefully it stays that way. It also has a red ring around the bite.. I'd ask you to google it mom, but I think google will make it sound worse than it is. The internet and computer I was on was really slow, I'm on a different one now, but now I'm out of time. Sorry this isn't very long! But the people here are awesome, and they all just don't have much of anything. I was telling Jamie that even the poorest places in the US, there are worse places here. But the people are happy, and the kids are the cutest! I'm learning spanish a lot faster with my new comp! She is from Peru, her name is Hermana Guerra. She loves these people so much, and they love her, I'm so blessed to be with her. So pdays are Mondays now!

It was the best talking to you at the airport!!!! I love you all so much! I read through all your letters today and I just love you!

I love you!! Have another wonderful week!!!

Love from the heat of Bermeja, Bolivia!
Hermana Clark

President and Sister Willard

Santa Cruz

Meeting my comp

Helping our investigator move rocks

HOLA!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JEREMY, GRANDMA BETTY, AND EVAN!

First, I have to tell you.... there are beagles. Beagles everywhere here! Haha everyone has a beagle, Ali would love it! Things are going really well here! It's been a crazy week! We got our latino companions on Thursday, and that has just been.... a dear joy.... haha She is from Venezuela.. not sure how thats spelled.. and she talks really fast and slurs her words together. It's fun fun fun! The first night we were together, all night long. ALL NIGHT LONG, she climbed up and down the ladder. Haha I have no idea what she was doing but she was opening all the drawers, and I thought oh maybe she is unpacking, but in the morning she was still packed. And she wanted me to come with her to the bathroom, so being kind I did. I think it was too dark for her or something. Anyway she never sleeps. And she likes to touch me a lot, and everyone knows how I love to be touched. Like repeated tapping while I'm looking at her. Haha I'm not sure what else she would like me to do... At first she was really mean to me. Funny story, when we would first try to comunicate whenever she didn't understand me or I didn't understand her she would roll her eyes!!! Haha like what? And then make a big loud sigh. Everyone kept telling me how sorry they were because she was just mean to everyone. Haha I told her ''sorry, I'm learning a new language!'' Then I started praying for her. And praying that I would see her through Heavenly Fathers eyes because He somehow found a way to love her. And then it got better! She doesn't do that anymore. I think she realized that even though I don't speak the language well, I know how to teach because I've been able to be here forever and practice. I think she appreciates me now, but I can tell we're both excited for the transfer... But we taught the coolest lesson last week! We were teaching our investigator, and we had this whole lesson planned but we didn't get to any of it because he was just asking questions about the book of mormon. And we were just testifying and sharing things out of there and the spirit was so strong! I loved it!

We got to go to the temple twice this week! Pretty much the best thing. And they have everything translated into spanish now so yeah new everything!!! It was awesome to the max! When the session started a lot of the North Americans started to cry because they were so happy it was new! I'm not sure if that makes sense... Dad should know since he works at the temple.. I like my new teachers! They are nice, and one reminds me of Jeremy because he is so funny! One day I was just having an awful day because of the language, and my comp, and he just sat down next to me and said, ''Hermana Clark have patience. The language will come. Heavenly Father has faith in you, that is why He sent you here. I can tell how much you are trying to learn this language, and I can tell how bad you feel when you can't say something. I promise you, you'll get it." And he said this all in english, and he doens't really speak english, and he went on for a bit, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I know it was a blessing from Heavenly Father. It was so cool! The gospel is just so cool! The language is coming fine... I speak alright, but not very well.. My grammar is pretty bad.. haha But that's okay. I know it'll eventually come... the most frustrating thing is not being able to share what I have to say! Like in class, they talk about whatever, and I want to share but I just can't say everything I want to. I think Heavenly Father is teaching me to love to share things and teach in English so when I come home I'll want to do that since I didn't usually at home.

Another thing that made my week awesome was I was honestly just trying to enjoy every little thing I was doing. Like sitting in class, and at mealtime, and during the lessons, and just conciously thinking about enjoying everything. It's made me so happy! I love it! We went tracting the other day and we gave a woman a Book of Mormon and that was really neat! And then this other guy was just yelling at us and my comp was talking back rather intensly, and he was saying something about how there are too many religions and stuff... He was talking really fast I couldn't understand everything, and my comp did not look happy as she responded back and I could just tell that it wasn't good what was happening.. but I was just standing there smiling at him because I didn't know what he was talking about, and then I told him it was nice meeting him, and I pulled my comp away. Haha we were at a park and I didn't want to cause a scene..... Anyway it has been quite the adventure here! I love the CCM, but I am so ready to get out of here! I think that is another reason I was blessed with this comp... so I would be excited to leave! They have given us something different every two weeks. First two weeks, we were in provo, next two in colombia, and then the last two with latino comps! It's made this month go so fast! I was hoping to be fluent by now! Haha

Oh last funny story!!! okay we were teaching our investigator, and he was out of time so he asked if we could come back tomorrow, and my comp said no! haha and I said, why not? and she said, because we have to teach him now! We have to do this right now, we can't come back. And I said.. but he's out of time.. and she said we need to do this now. And I just turned to our investigator and I laughed and said, no we would be happy to come tomorrow! And he said, oh good! and my comp looked so upset and then after our investigator came and found me and he was laughing and saying... what was that all about?? Haha he said, I needed to go and teach my class, but I was afraid she wouldn't let me! Haha I love the teachers here! They are seriously so amazing.

I'm out of time but I love you all so much!!!!!! Thank you for your prayers, love, and support!!!!! Talk to you next week when I'm in Bolivia!!!!!!

Love,
Hermana Clark

Happy P-day

Hola!!
I'm so glad we got to email again so soon as well!! I've been looking forward to it since we stopped emailing on Friday! We actually have done a lot since we last talked! So on Saturday we got to go proselyting, is that how it’s spelled? haha, and it was so awesome! So when we started out we weren't having a lot of success... in fact we weren't having any! No one really had time to talk to us! It was hard. But we prayed that we would be guided to someone who needed to hear our message. Then we started talking with people. Some guys wanted to take pictures with us, and we started telling them about the Book of Mormon instead. Haha they ended up being really nice and they said they wanted a picture with Mormon missionaries to remember Colombia. So we said si but said no touch! haha We were determined to not get hugged or kissed that day. We did a good job at that. Then when we were leaving we saw these two men sitting on a bench and we were running late for meeting up with our group but we were like... we should just talk with them. So we walked up and started chatting and this one man was just amazing! His name is Luis, and he said he was in the military, but he has been searching for a church. He said that he has been to 15 different churches and he said he would go to church on Sunday! How amazing is that? And then we gave him a Book of Mormon and he was looking through it, and just kept saying, wow this is beautiful. And then we showed him a few of our favorite verses, and he said wow what a beautiful book. Ah! And then his friend was sitting next to him, but his friend wasn't really listening to our message, he just kept telling us we were beautiful and asking for our number so we gave him the number to the church. hahaha and then he kept saying so beautiful, so beautiful, and we would say no intiendo. haha we don't understand. It was interesting to see the difference between the two. One who just cared about our message, and one who just cared about us.

Today was such a fun pday as well! We got to go to this mountain today! It was an hour drive, and we got to go into this cathedral and it was all underground. You wouldn't like it mom! But yeah it was crazy. Like it's a monk monastery..however that’s spelled. And huge crosses were carved out of the walls EVERYWHERE. And then there would be this huge cross and then this huge, huge tunnel room thing and in one there were these mounds on the ground and I'm pretty sure they were bodies... And then there was a thing with all these hardhats and it was all the hardhats of the people who had died working down there! And all the workers had hardhats on. It was really cool though! And they had this monk music playing making it a little eerie, but really awesome, too. Like these people had built this ginormous church all underground!!! Like whaat?? I'll send some pics if I have time! And today it rained all day. The rain here just picks up like crazy and then just stops and the sun comes out!

No one got sick this week, so I'm not sure where you heard that.. I'm not sure why the pdays got switched, but next week I think it will be Friday.. maybe Tuesday or Wednesday... but probably Friday. And tonight Americans come! So that's exciting! And more Latinos come tomorrow! Right now we have about 20 missionaries, and tomorrow we will get Latino comps! Yay! Pray she is patient and loves to help me learn Spanish!!!

I love you all so much! Thank you for your support and prayers and emails! I love hearing from you! Have a wonderful week!!!!!

With love from Colombia!
Hermana Clark

View from the plane to Columbia!!!!!! So beautiful!

Hermana Ellison, Hermana Zapata and me!

Me and Columbia!

The dogs are EVERYWHERE!!!

Hola! Happy late Halloween from Colombia!!

And thank you for the Halloween Package! I got it the day I came, so maybe it was just sitting here for me? I'm not sure!

So much has happened since two weeks ago! First... I made it safely to Colombia! Taaadaa! No problems at all! Second, I am typing on a Spanish only keyboard so it is telling me every single word I write is wrong... haha so sorry if anything is really misspelled because I can't tell. Also it is hard to find the right punctuation on this thing! Okay, so when we first got to the CCM, that's what they call the MTC here, there were about 11 other missionaries! They were all North Americans, and some were the people we were originally supposed to come to Colombia with. So that was weird because we went from tons of missionaries in Provo to about 20 here! But then the Latinos came the next day so that was fun! It has been fun talking with them, and practicing my Spanish with them. They are all really sweet. I have two companions now! We are in a trio. I am with Hermana Zapata, and Hermana Ellison. Hermana Ellison was in my district before, and I am rooming with all the girls from my district before. 7 to a room! haha That's been fun! 

On the first Saturday we were here, a couple teachers walked us to a shopping center and we got to proselyte for two hours! That was pretty much THE coolest thing. The people here are so ready for the gospel it is amazing! They really wanted to hear what we had to say about the Book of Mormon! And they were very fascinated with my skin. This old, old man was pointing at my skin and saying something really fast.. I have no idea what he was saying but he was really happy about it. haha And then he tried to kiss my hand and I turned my hand so he kissed his own and we all started laughing really hard and then he said something about my face turning red. haha okay and then, when we walked away, about 20 minutes later we were across the street and he was still standing there reading the Book of Mormon! And when we were talking to him my companions were talking to him and he just stopped looking at them and stared at me so I testified of the Book of Mormon, and its truthfulness. I could feel the spirit so strong and I know he could too! It was the most amazing thing. 

The culture here is so interesting! Lots of hugs and then a kiss on the cheek. One guy while proselyting, I stuck my hand out for a handshake and he just crushed my hand and kissed my cheek. Haha so I'm going to have to work on that one because that was weird. Haha.

And on Wednesday we get new companions! They will be Latino so either she will hate me because I can't speak to her very well, or she'll love teaching me and I'll learn a ton! I'm hoping for the latter... Everything here is so amazing! I love the city of Bogota! We got to go to the temple on Tuesday! The Colombian temple is so pretty! I loved being at the temple because it was all just so familiar. I am so grateful I got to work there before coming on my mission. Such a huge blessing. Driving there and back was so awesome too! There are a million taxis everywhere. Seriously almost every car is a taxi. And if it isn't a taxi it is a motorcycle. I have never seen so many motorcycles in my life! And the driving is insane, and the buses are so packed, I didn't know that many people could fit on a bus.

My teachers are awesome! I love both of them. Hermana Mendivelso is just great, and Hermano Martinez is hilarious. I am learning a lot from both of them! Hmo Martinez travels an hour on the bus to get to the CCM. Such dedication! And they both go to school full time. 

The food here is pretty good! Lots and lots of soup! And we all know how much I love soup..... No I actually don't mind it so much here.. We eat a lot of rice, and meat, and fried banana, and this crazy other fruit that you have to crack open and inside is this green blob that looks like fish eggs, and you suck it out. Haha pretty much THE weirdest texture but it tastes pretty good. They also try to make North American food sometimes which is fun. We had pizza and hamburgers the other day. And they serve hot dogs with EVERYTHING. Haha. I liked hot dogs before... But they serve a waffle and then a hot dog, pretending it is sausage. And eggs and a hot dog, and hot dogs hot dogs hot dogs. Haha

But I am loving it here! And learning a lot! I have another pday on Tuesday, so I'll send pictures then! On Tuesday they are letting us hike a mountain or something! I am excited about that! We are inside pretty much all day and the whole area is fenced off and they are really strict here! Like they take our cameras from us! Haha But it is great.

I love you guys so much!! Have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon!!!!!

Love, Hermana Clark

MOM THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME PACKAGES!!!! THEY WERE THE BEST! AAAND OUR VISAS CAME!

Hola!!!!! I can't believe our visas came! It was crazy! They announced it over the loud speaker, like will district 11 please come to the travel office. And we all just started cheering! All of my district, minus two sisters who are going to Mexico MTC, are traveling to Colombia together Tuesday morning at 3:35 am! I'm excited we're all traveling together because honestly we have the best district. I think this past week has been the best week of my life. And it has just flown by!

Okay, first off, our Tuesday Devotional... guess who came to speak to us.. Elder Dallin H. Oaks! And his wife! Coolest thing ever! I mean come on. One of my very favorite apostles came to speak to us!  He spoke about our missionary purpose, and what we are here to do. Some of my favorite parts were when Sister Oaks said, "It is our turn, it is our time. Keep your promises to find those you promised to teach before you came to earth." WOW. I love this one! Holy cow. And then Elder Oaks said, "The fact that everyone on this earth is here, is testimony that they fought for Christ. They need our help now." And then after the devotional we had a zone discussion about it and one of the hermanas said, "When we were in the pre existence we all talked about coming to earth, and we rejoiced knowing we would have the gospel in our lives, but then some of our brothers and sisters were told they would not be born into the gospel and they were so sad they wouldn't have it in their lives. But we turned to them and promised them we would find them and bring them the gospel." Gives me chills every time I read it!! Ah I just love it. I am so happy to be on a mission! I just want to share this gospel with everyone who will listen! And it breaks my heart when people reject it. With our investigator this week he said he didn't want to get baptized because there were just too many rules. And it broke my heart because I didn't know how to tell him in Spanish how truly amazing this gospel is! I just left the lesson and cried because I want so badly to be able to express myself in Spanish to our investigator, but I'm not quite there yet. But that's okay. Hopefully soon! And then our investigator, Luis, became our teacher! I am so glad because I love Luis, well Brother Lee. He is such a great guy, and has so much to teach us! I wish he was coming with us to Colombia. My other teacher is Brother Stevenson, and he's awesome too. He's a funny guy.

Also I was in the choir for the devotional, and we sang Praise to the Man. It was so amazing, and the director told us stories of Joseph Smith, and it just made us sing the song with more meaning. The spirit was so strong. Even if I never learn Spanish, the people of Bolivia will know this church is true because they will feel my love for it!

Another way we study the language here is going on this computer program called TALL. It's been helping me a lot! And we get to go on LDS.org and listen to music so it's the best. Haha. My favorite stuff is the EFY 2013 CD. Everyone go look it up! Like Good Friends, and Mountains to Climb, and It's a Good Start. My whole district is obsessed with these songs. I love my district. My whole zone sits at one table at mealtime, and we take up the entire table and the tables are really long. The food has gotten better, well my body has gotten used to it. We have so many sisters in our zone! Mostly from our district! 8 sisters in our district and only 4 elders! So crazy. And every night after class we have a district devotional and that's just something we started doing, no one told us to do it. But our district leader, Elder Evenson, chooses one person to teach and they just teach on whatever they feel they should, and seriously it has been amazing. So great. I love it here, and although I'm excited for Colombia I am sad to leave Provo! But stoked most of the district will be there.

So to answer some questions, on P-days we get to the temple. This morning we did a session, and then my comp and I came back and printed off emails, and read them in our rooms so it didn't take up email time. And then we do laundry, email, get stuff from the bookstore here at the MTC, eat, and then we have class from 5:30-8:30, and then we plan for Saturday, and study scriptures, and go to bed. You can also nap somewhere in there! On Sundays we have Sacrament at 7:30. And for the talks President Tyler just randomly chooses two people to speak so you have to prepare a talk for every Sunday because the themes change! And of course it has to be in Spanish, haha so I just pray I won't be picked for a while.... and then breakfast at 8:30, and then relief society at 9, and then lunch later, and then study time from 2-6. We also go on a temple walk as a zone, and we took pictures and walked around. Choir is at 4. There is also time in between there when you're allowed to take naps. Yay! haha. And then dinner, and then Sunday Devotional. Last week we watched a MTC Christmas devo and Elder Bednar spoke. It was the best talk I've ever heard! He pretty much told us to stop worrying about yourself because you're not here for yourself. No one is here for selfish reasons. We are all here to do the Lord's work so just get over yourself and serve! It was perfect.

And I sent that picture from my comps camera! She has one of those cameras too. Pretty darn cool! I hear Elder Robison's mom sometimes sends the pics around that he sends home. So that's good! And I haven't seen JR anywhere!! I have no idea where he is. I thought I would have seen him by now because he teaches Spanish but no! And I haven't seen anyone else I know.. Actually Elder Brewer, and Sister Carter left the MTC I believe so I have to represent Murrieta! And one of the hermanas in my district was living in Temecula before she came, but only for about two months. She's one of the hermanas going to the Mexico MTC. I'm really sad those two hermanas aren't coming with us because I just love them! AND they're so good at espanol and so helpful. Oh whell. I hope Ivy's costume turns out!!! I definitely want pictures! Of everything!! Send me some family pictures please!!! Even like the group ones we took a while ago because I forgot to bring some! So yes please send pictures. I miss you all.

I love you guys!! Have a wonderful week! Next time I talk to you I'll be in Colombia!! Ahh! :)

Love,
Hermana Clark

Bolivia!!!

My District!

The Hermanas at the map

Singing the Himnos!

Hola familia!

So my p-days are on Friday! These past couple of days have been insane! I feel like I have been here forever...except for the fact that I know very little! Everyone says the days are long, but the time passes quickly, and I can see that they're right! But that's okay! I'm slowly picking up on everything. The MTC is great! I have three sisters in my room with me, and my companion's name is Sister Crandall. She's awesome! She is from Mesa, Arizona and doesn't know any Spanish either, so we're in the same boat! When I was dropped off on the first day, all the new missionaries met together for a big welcome meeting, and we sang "Called to Serve." Coolest thing ever!!!!! Sitting there with all the missionaries singing that we're bringing the world His truth was just amazing. My favorite part of these past couple of days is when we have these workshops. An "investigator," who is really a member and just acting, meets with a huge group of us and we talk about his concerns and questions he has about the church. And the spirit is SO strong there! Those meetings are the best.

Later tonight my companion and I are meeting with our first investigator! AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SPEAK IN SPANISH. Haha yeah... that will be interesting! I'm not sure how that will go... but we will do our best! We have both been studying for it, but I don't feel I am retaining any of the information so I will just have to rely on the Lord and the spirit. Some sisters mentioned that we should pray for the gift of tongues in every prayer, so I do that now.. I pray for it all the time! All day long! But I have a goal to know 35 words by next Thursday. That is my first language goal!

Last night we met with our zone and had a sort of welcome meeting. Our branch president is President Tyler, and he is the best! He has so much knowledge in the gospel and the Spanish language and he always has some new fact to share with us. I love it! At the meeting last night he asked us all to bear our testimonies, and wow we have an awesome district. Everyone has such strong testimonies, and it was so awesome hearing them all last night! We are all excited to serve the Lord!

This morning we got to go to the temple as a district!! Yay!! That was the best. And then we ate breakfast there. The food here at the MTC is......blah. haha. I am having a bit of a hard time with that. It tastes fine, and looks alright, but my body says no thank you! Once you eat it, it is so heavy it just sits at the top of your stomach making you feel awful. But they have this awesome thing called sack lunches... and you go and build your own sack lunch. That's my favorite because it doesn't make me feel awful after! So I've been trying to do that lately.

Sorry this email isn't very exciting! OH! I have seen a lot of people I know! Like Aaron Brewer!!! Haha that was the best! I saw him coming, and then he saw me and we both kind of screamed and then proceeded with ten high fives, but then we realized that wasn't very appropriatae. But we were both just so excited! I haven't seen him since, but I have seen Morgan Carter quite a few times, and I saw Cole Edwards the other day. I also wish I had brought sweats! It's freezing here, and sweats to the gym would be awesome.. But oh well! And my purple water bottle is missed! I am dehydrated all the time and so I have a constant headache, but I got a disposable bottle today at lunch that I keep refilling. But I am doing really really great! My arm is all better, and my blanket is THE BEST THING EVER! Seriously though. All the hermanas are jealous. And I have met Jeanette's son! He's way nice and in my district. I am also glad you got to word with the first graders mom! That age is the best! It was probably so fun seeing kids you worked with in the Kindergarten area! I hope you

enjoyed being there today!

Well, I love you guys!!!!!! Have an awesome week! Thanks mom, dad, and Jamie for the cute notes! And for hiding treats in my luggage! That was a great find!

Also, here is my address at the MTC:

Sister Julie Brianne Clark

NOV20 BOL-SC

2011 N 900 E Unit 256

Provo, UT 84602

Love you all so much! Thank you for your prayers, love, and support. I miss you all!

Love, Hermana Clark 

Hermana Crandall and I

The sisters in our room, Hma Iverson and Hma Davenport

Our classroom! This is where we study! :)

Farewell Sister Clark!

Sister Clark gave her farewell talk a few Sundays ago on September 22, and was set apart as a missionary last night! Yesterday Sister Clark left for the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. Her visa is not in yet, but should be here in about two weeks so she is headed to Provo before heading off to Colombia! She couldn't be more excited, and couldn't express enough how much it meant to her to have everyone at her farewell!

"See you in 18 months everybody!!"

Julie and her little sister Jamie!

Julie with her parents!

Her brother Jeremy and her sister-in-law Kelsey!

Her sweet Grandma Betty!

Her oldest brother, Johnny!

Julie's sister Jenae, brother-in-law Mike, and their two kids Audrey and Wesley!

Her Aunt Chris and Uncle Grant!

Her second family, the Hoyts!

Her friends Rachel and Marissa!

Her friends Janelle, Kiera, Nicole, Ali, and Joe!

Her little niece Audrey!

She was sad to miss taking pictures with some people, but she loves them all the same! Thanks for supporting our missionary!