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!

My Mission Call!

On May 28, 2013 I was assigned my mission call to the Bolivia, Santa Cruz Mission! I am so excited to serve the Lord, and the people of Bolivia for the next 18 months! After receiving my mission call, I started working in the San Diego Temple. The people I worked with, and the lessons I learned there have helped strengthen my testimony in the gospel. I love the temple! And I am so glad I had a few months to work there! I cannot wait to share my testimony with the Bolivian people!! 

Opening my call!

Just peeked at where I had been called.....!

Bolivia, Santa Cruz Mission! The best mission in the whole world! :)

With part of the family after receiving my endowments at the San Diego Temple :)

P.S. My mom is going to be updating my blog after I leave! Thanks mom! You're the best!