tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34804492763289689002024-03-05T01:21:49.794-08:00Mission to Bolivia!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04520790702160636692noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-81845871214845480432015-04-06T14:17:00.000-07:002015-04-07T14:22:21.353-07:0018 months to change a person...<br />
I'm not really sure where to start, and I'm not really sure where these last 18 months have gone. All I know is that this mission has changed my life. Coming on my mission I was searching to find my Heavenly Father, to serve Him faithfully, and to feel His powerful and undying love for me. Ending my mission I can now testify that our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ live, for I have felt their guidance and Holy Spirit more closely than ever in my life. Serving our Heavenly Father faithfully turned out to be far more rewarding than I imagined it would be. To leave all personal and worldly cares behind, including family, studies, friends, music, naps:), and freetime of any kind turned out to be the greatest blessing. As my love for Him grew, the more I wanted to serve Him, and the more obedient I wanted to be. And I discovered the greatest gift of all, that my Heavenly Father loves me. I think it was something that I had heard since I was a little girl in Primary, but maybe it wasn't something I believed with all my heart. How could a perfect and all seeing Being love a selfish sinner like myself? I had never done anything worth "writing home to mom about." And I definitely had my share of faults and flaws. So why would He love someone like me? Well I was convinced that the only reason was because it says so in the scriptures. That out of obligation he loved little Julie Clark. So I came on my mission with that, and I hit the pavement and started running and found that the mission is really hard. Much harder than I had imagined, but then miracles started to happen, and it was still really hard but at the same time it was all so beautifully worth it. Giving 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to share a message about a 14 year old boy who lived more than a hundred years ago and who had seen God the Father and Jesus Christ, and explaining to families why in the world that should matter to them and how it could help them eternally was at times physically and emotionally draining, but at the same time the most joy my spirit had ever felt. As I went along, I found my own testimony of this 14 year old boy, and the Book of Mormon, and the only true and living Church on the earth was growing. As I testified of the truth of this message to families in their one room homes, sitting on their beds because they don't even own a chair, and telling them that through obedience to this wonderful gospel they would have mansions in the Heavens with the Father my testimony grew. I now know without a doubt that Heavenly Father doesn't love me out of obligation. He loves me because I truly am His daughter. He loves all of His children, and I'm not sure how I didn't see it before, but by and through His Son Jesus Christ we know that He loves us. This past Thursday, more than a thousand years ago, Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for the sins, problems, trials, and pain of all human kind. Of every person who had ever lived, who lived, and who would live. And then the next day, on that Friday He chose to let the people torture, mock, spit and finally crucify the only perfect being who had ever lived. The beloved Friend, Master and Teacher was gone, and the next day on Saturday was preaching in the Spirit World. He hadn't even stopped working! And on that wonderful Easter Sabbath morning He was resurrected by and through His unworldly and Godly power. And then today, Monday, almost 200 years ago the Church of Jesus Christ was established on the earth once again restoring all powers and keys to seal families together forever. I know that my Savior lives, He loves me. These past 18 months have changed me because I gave all myself to Him. He changed me, and I will forever be grateful for His love for me. Always remember the miracles He gives us! I love you all!<br />
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Signing off for the last time from Bolivia,<br />
Hermana ClarkJeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-86741615407507986512015-03-30T14:05:00.000-07:002015-04-07T14:33:36.067-07:00Tender Mercies and Miracles<br />
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It's been a good week here serving in Bolivia. We had the wonderful opportunity to teach the mom of Mariela. She's less active as well. The entire family is except the dad and one of the daughters. I know I've shared this with you, but I remember that one of my first lessons here in this ward was with Hno. Guanacoma, and how he told us he just wanted his family to come to church with him. We started working with them, and little by little these past two transfers I have seen miracles happen with this family! Watching Hno. Guanacoma enter the church building alone, and save a whole row of seats for his 5 daughters, and then sit and wait until I thought no one was going to come, and then to see them all file in and sit with him was one of the biggest tender mercies I've seen in my mission. And to watch Hna. Emma do everything in her power to get baptized, and to watch her husband's heart soften was a miracle. And that we are planning a Family Home Evening with the whole family! My entire mission has been filled with tender mercies and miracles, and I think the biggest is the change I have seen in myself. This gospel really does change people, and the Book of Mormon really does bring us closer to Christ. My testimony of this wonderful book has grown bigger than I ever thought was possible. The mission is a miracle, and tender mercy. I love the mission because of all I have learned, and all I have been able to do here serving the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. He has blessed me so much! :)<br />
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Yesterday we couldn't leave the house until 6 in the afternoon because of the elections. On election day there can't be meetings of big groups because they think that there will be drinking and people changing the votes, so actually 2 days before there are no kinds of meetings. So I didn't get to see the Woman's Conference, but I'm sure it was wonderful!! Sounds like it was really good! And we didn't have church yesterday either, and we stayed in the house studying until 6 and then we had normal appointments. It was a really good Sunday though. It was wonderful to feel the spirit so strong in my studies. Today my plans for the day are big big big! I'm going to read my Book of Mormon. Haha. I'm pretty excited about it, just to read all day. :) Hope all is going well with you!! Have fun in Texas!! And enjoy the plane ride mom!! :) Love you and have a great week!<br />
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Love a million cuñape!!<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-64927759139615231562015-03-23T21:05:00.000-07:002015-03-29T21:11:12.048-07:00Hola! Happy Birthday Kelsey!! <br />
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Well, what a week! It was kinda crazy, but it ended well. Emma had a lot of things happen to her this week, and I knew that the adversary was working hard so she wouldn´t be baptized. It even came to her husband changing his mind and not supporting her decision to be baptized. Here, if a spouse is getting baptized and the other is not a member, they have to sign a consent form. And he told her he would not sign it. She came to us so heartbroken, and we had to tell her that without that signature she couldn't be baptized. That night she had her interview, and afterwards we kneeled down and prayed asking that the Lord could soften her husband´s heart. We hugged and she went home to talk to her husband. The next morning we called and she said that he still wouldn´t sign it. Later that day the same news came. But the whole time Hna Emma was so positive. She told us, Don´t worry, i know he´ll soften his heart and sign it. So we kept planning for the baptism. Finally Friday morning she calls us in tears saying that he signed the paper. She shared with us that she shared her testimony with her husband, and that´s when he softened his heart. I´ve never seen anyone work so hard to be baptized and make this covenant with our Heavenly Father. It truly was a miracle and it was beautiful to watch her husband´s heart change. On Saturday, her son Jonathan baptized her. He is a recent convert as well, and he was so happy to baptize her. He shared his testimony a few Sundays back that he always prays that his mom would be baptized, and how excited he was that she would be getting baptized soon. And to have the chance to see him baptize his mom, I can´t quite explain the joy I felt. It was something so beautiful and without words to explain. Emma says with the same surety as when she said her husband would sign her paper, that one day her husband will have his own desire to be baptized and make covenants with the Lord. I love the faith of Hna Emma. What an example she is to me. She has blessed my life and taught me so much.<br />
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I was studying a talk from the Liahona called When Doubts and Questions Arise. I love this talk. It talks about how questions are necessary for our spiritual growth, and searching for answers in the Lord´s way is what we need to do. We should doubt our doubts before we should doubt our faith. Last night a less active told us that she had doubts about the commandments, and doesn´t want to keep them anymore. She said that she knows the Book of Mormon is true, but she doesn´t know if these commandments are true. We shared with her that she needs to search the scriptures and ask the Lord in prayer. After inviting her to actually live the commandments to see if they are true, she said it was too hard for her but that she would try, even though she was afraid she would fail. Sometimes as members we feel like a lot is expected of us, and there is. But Heavenly Father also knows that we aren´t perfect, and that is why He provided a Savior. And I am so grateful that He did. I can´t think of a greater love than that. I love our Heavenly Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. And I love His gospel, and I know that it´s true. I love you all so much!! Have a wonderful week, full of miracles and missionary experiences!!!<br />
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Love you to Bolivia and back,<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-29703691769539503372015-03-16T23:04:00.000-07:002015-03-21T23:05:56.830-07:00Buenos Dias! And Happy Birthday Audrey!!!!<br />
Well, I hear that it was pi day yesterday, and that it's St. Patrick's Day tomorrow! I didn't know, but happy pi day and St. Patrick's Day! :) Sounds like you had a really busy week, and that's fun you got to see Ivy, Beck, and Holland! They sound so grown up! My talk yesterday went well. It was pretty funny because when I got up there my paper flew away because of the fans so I just had to wing it, but it turned out pretty well. Next week we will be having ward conference, and then the next week there isn't church because of the elections here. And then the next week is General Conference! I always get excited for General Conference. This week we had a Zone Conference with President and Hermana Willard. That was really awesome, I loved it. We learned about the revelation through prayer. I also gave my "last testimony" which was sad. Every time we have a conference, and it's the last one of the transfer, all the missionaries who are going home soon share their testimony, so I shared my testimony and another Elder who is going home also shared his. Well, seeing that my entire mission I never thought I would have to do it. I can't believe how fast time goes. But it was nice to share my testimony with the other missionaries. Afterwards President Willard spoke again and he said, "I've never been able to say this in a conference where missionaries were going home, but this time I can say, if all of the elders could learn to be like Elder... and all the hermanas could learn to be like Hermana Clark, I would be the happiest and most blessed mission president in the entire world." And he went on to talk about how in our entire missions we have progressed, and in every interview he has seen a huge difference from the last interview. And that where we are now is just incredible and how proud of us he is. And then he went on to read Alma 48:17.. It was really neat to hear my mission president talk like that because I had never heard him say something like that after the "last testimonies." I am so grateful for President and Hermana Willard. They are always teaching me so much, and the just love us all so much. It's incredible.<br />
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This week Hna Emma is getting baptized, and I've never seen her more excited! Her son Johnathan is going to baptize her. :) We also visited Hna Mariela and her husband Raul yesterday. They're doing really well, and they're progressing so much! I love being a missionary, and I love helping families become eternal families. What a blessing and a privilege it is to be here in Bolivia serving the Lord. :)<br />
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Also, here's your funny story for the day, we were crossing the street the other day right as a bus was passing by. As I was getting closer to the bus I saw that rice was falling out. "How weird" I thought. Then I looked up to see a little boy sticking his head out the window just letting all his rice out. Haha I knew the feeling, having had experienced that once on a trip to Utah... Haha and I thought, the bus driver must feel like Jeremy! Poor guy! Anyways, I almost got hit by the upchuck, but luckily it missed me by a few inches. :) Have a wonderful week! Love you all!!<br />
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Love you to Bolivia and the moon and back!<br />
Hermana ClarkJeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-54528677317096681452015-03-09T22:30:00.000-07:002015-03-11T08:41:30.177-07:00Where did this week go?<br />
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I can't believe how fast this week went.. My Bishop has already assigned me a talk for next Sunday because he says it'll be my last in the ward because of elections, and general conference.<br />
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I feel like everyone always says how fast this time in the mission goes, but you kinda just don't believe them until you're there.. And then this week I was thinking about Lesson 3, the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, and I realized that it's like the mission. You start out the mission clean from all sin, and then you just go by faith. You're in a new place, new food, new people, and lots of time, a new language.<br />
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But then you get used to it, and you might even think, "Yeah, I got this. No prob." But that's where repentance comes in. You humble yourself enough to be worthy of His guidance again, and then along comes Sunday. I don't think in my entire life I've seen weeks go by so fast, and every Sunday I'm thinking.. "Whoa, how is it Sunday again??"<br />
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As your mission passes, you start to have a stronger testimony in the gospel, and you start to realize just how important baptism is. I think in almost every prayer I thank my Heavenly Father that I am part of His Church, and that I have been baptized by someone holding His authority. I am so grateful for the other covenants I have made with my Heavenly Father in the temple. What an amazing Gospel we are a part of! I can hardly get my brain around it.<br />
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And then just like in Lesson 3, the next step is the gift of the Holy Ghost. How amazing is it that Jesus Christ left us with this comforter. And that's truly what He is. As I listen and learn more about this gospel, I feel comfort. Comfort in this gospel, that my family is eternal, that my Heavenly Father loves me and has a plan for me, and that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to atone for me. I can't think of a greater love than that.<br />
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And then there comes a time in your mission where you have to endure to the end. Today dad wrote me (and I hope it's okay to share), "I know where you're at right now. Not having known what it is like to have a family, I could have stayed out on my mission for the rest of my life and would have been very happy. You see the light at the end of the tunnel and just wish it would just go away. I asked for an extension, but they didn't need me to stay. My advice, I know that you are working very hard already and you are finding new people to teach. Keep that up until you walk on the plane and then find someone on the ride home to teach. Take time with those you have grown to love there. You live a long way from them. Record as much as you can for posterity and live each day to the fullest. That 'day' will come and there is nothing you can do about it. You will leave a part of your heart in Bolivia. The ward members will remember you, your investigators will love you and the Lord knows that you loved them back. Heavenly Father loves you for taking care of and helping His children to return back to Him. He will be there some day to greet you home to Him and there will be the people you touched with your spirit while you served there. He will wrap His arms around you and then He will say, 'Well done and Group hug' and everyone will join in. It will be a joyful moment! But, until that time, you will be starting a new phase in your life, that will bring you just as much and more joy and happiness than what you have felt thus far in your life." I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I do wish it would just go away. But I also trust in my Heavenly Father, and I know everything will be okay in the end. "Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His 'more excellent ministry' with a future of 'better promises.'” I love serving the Lord here in Bolivia, and I love being a missionary for this beautiful, wonderful, and perfect church.<br />
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Sounds like you all had a fun week! Our investigators are great! Emma will be getting baptized in two weeks, and Mariela came to church yesterday. We also were able to find new people to teach this week! Heavenly Father continues to bless us everyday. I love you all so much! Just because I'm sad to be finishing the mission doesn't mean I don't love you. I think I love you all more than I could have ever imagined. The mission has shown to me just how important families are, and I am so grateful to have you as my eternal family! I love you! Have a wonderful week full of miracles!<br />
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Love you to Bolivia and back,<br />
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Hermana ClarkJeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-28576953528553190652015-03-02T17:10:00.000-08:002015-03-06T17:19:27.339-08:00Who's up for round two?? And Happy Birthday Michael!<br />
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Transfers are always an adventure. Well my wonderful Hna. Atiz was moved to another area. She had been here since September so it was time for her to go, sadly. But I am now with Hna. Guaman! She was my companion in Bermejo so I'm really happy to see her again! When I was in Tarija I talked with my comp at the time and told her I wanted to see Hna. Guaman again because I hadn't seen her since she left Bermejo back in June! And when Hna. Guaman got here she told me that with her old comp they were talking about people they would like to see again and Hna. Guaman said, "I want to see Hna. Clark.." Haha and now we're comps. So we're both happy about that, although I was sad to see Hna. Atiz go. She was an awesome companion. I've been really blessed with all of my comps here in the mission.<br />
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This week has been a week of miracles. Heavenly Father never ceases to bless us. Although some sad things happened with some of our investigators, some really awesome things happened with some others. The Guanacoma family is one of my favorite families here in Santa Cruz. They are all members, and we have been teaching hna Mariela who is less active. She is just the best. I love teaching her, and we have been teaching her husband as well. Yesterday we taught them, and her husband said that he has been praying about all that we are teaching them, and he feels good about it. He feels like he needs to keep listening to us, and that God isn't going to tell him to do that unless it's something from Him. Hna Mariela came to church yesterday, and stayed the three hours. Her husband wasn't there but their little three year old daughter already made him promise that he'll come next week. In our appointment yesterday he said he is excited to come to church next week. Yesterday we taught him about the Book of Mormon and he is really excited to read it. He just keeps telling us that everything just makes so much sense. And it's true. Everything in the gospel of Jesus Christ just makes so much sense. I'm so grateful for all the people that we are teaching, even when they experience hard times and have doubts they always receive answers to their prayers.<br />
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That sounds so fun about Jamie's play, and that Beck and Holland were in town! I'm glad the play went well and that's awesome our home teacher and his family went to the play! That is how you magnify your calling! I can't believe how big his kids are now since I used to babysit them! He's taller than I am! Haha. And it sounds like your mario cart skills have gotten better! You might give me a run for my money! I can't believe that Nathan gets home this week! Where has the time gone? That's awesome though. That will be fun to see everyone. Well fam, I love you all so much! Thank you for your letters, love, and support! Talk to you next week!<br />
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Love you a million billion cinnamon bears!<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
<br />Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-47229900620303353982015-02-23T15:45:00.000-08:002015-03-01T20:54:44.339-08:00Muddy cars and braided hair... Welcome to Carnaval! <br />
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Alright, no pasa nada en nuestro calle por Carnaval! We waited and waited for the paint wars and waterballoon fights and mud fights, aaand nothing! There was nothing happening on the street we live on! Haha. I was convinced it was all a lie. But we did get to go to church that Sunday so that was nice. While we were out we saw that all the cars were just covered in mud. Like a new paintjob of just mud. The members said it's because they throw waterballoons full of paint at the cars and with the mud it's easier to wash off. But we didn't see any of that action from home. All the girls here also put their hair in braids for Carnaval so that's fun! Haha I braided the sisters hair in the house to celebrate. The ward had a ward party on Monday and brought us steak so we were eating pretty good. And our pensionista brought us food every other day. We spent the days studying and I loved it, but by the third day we were all ready to escape. You can just imagine us on Wednesday when we could finally leave the house. We couldn't talk to enough people! But we're out now, and we're happy about it!<br />
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So I cannot believe that this transfer is already coming to an end. I have never ever ever had such a fast transfer. It makes me sad how fast it is going! But when I started this transfer, I remember that on one of our first days together Hna. Atiz and I went to visit a member and he expressed to us his deep concern for his family. There are six people in his family and he was the only active member. The next week we fasted for them and started to get to work. We have been visiting all of the children, and then the other night the mom finally let us meet with her! We are now teaching all the children, and one of the sisters, her husband isn't a member and we are meeting with them, and we invited him to baptism last night. In all of my mission I have never felt the spirit so strong while teaching the Restoration. It was amazing how strong the spirit was, and to just feel the Spirit telling me word for word what I needed to say. I knew that the hno felt it too. I could see it on his face. When we left, my comp expressed the same feelings, that the spirit was so strong in that lesson, it was amazing and wonderful. As this transfer is coming to an end, I love seeing how much this family has grown. We are still working with them, and on Sunday we saw the dad sitting there alone in church, he had a bunch of seats saved. It looked like he was going to sit alone, until they all started filing in. He was surounded by his daughters and it was one of the sweetest tender mercies I've seen on my mission. What an amazing privelege it is to work shoulder to shoulder with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are working in a grand work, and I love every moment I have to be here. Choosing to come on a mission has shaped me, and built me, it has changed me. I love this gospel. I love the temple. I love the work that we do in the temple. I know that this church is the only true church on the earth, and every day I thank my Heavenly Father that I am a member of this wonderful gospel and for the opportunity that I have to share it with his children who are searching for this happiness as well. We have been so blessed this week, I have seen so many miracles. We are meeting with so many families, and it's just amazing to see how prepared they all are. Thank you so much for your prayers, love, and support! I love you all. Have a wonderful week, full of miracles!<br />
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Love from Bolivia!<br />
Hermana ClarkJeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-15614038904007429172015-02-09T10:48:00.000-08:002015-02-09T10:48:41.114-08:00Hola mi familia! <br />
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Sorry about last weeks internet connection. I got all the emails you sent the day before, but nothing was coming through when I tried talking to you on Monday. I'm sorry to hear about the Hoyt's grandma passing away. She was such a sweet lady, I love that family. Send them my love! And I was so excited to hear about Gabby Nolan getting baptized, and Cayzia waiting for her call! That's awesome!! Heavenly Father is so amazing, He really is preparing everyone to hear about this wonderful gospel. This week we saw so many miracles. There is a less active sister here who didn't want the missionaries to come visit her. We tried about a week ago to visit her, and after the lesson she asked us, "So, when can you come back? Do I have to sign up somewhere in the church?" Haha and we were like... No! What day, what time, where? We're there! So we visited her last week and she came to church on Sunday! Then later that day we went to visit her and her husband wanted to listen to us too! They are both really great people, and after the lesson she thanked us for what we had taught because it was exactly what she needed to hear. I just feel grateful to have the Spirit in my life to guide me. I can feel His help and guidance everyday and I love it. I am so grateful for this wonderful gospel. Heavenly Father really did think of everything! We also went to visit the familia de oro yesterday. They were excited to receive us and they had lots of questions which was good! The member that came with us taught about the importance of the Book of Mormon and why it has blessed her life. I was so grateful she was there with us. So, the members ARE important in the lessons! So ask the missionaries when you can go visiting with them. :) Sounds like Dad's birthday was really fun! I'm glad you got to go to Disneyland! And it also sounds like you have some great missionaries in your ward! That's great!<br />
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Our other investigatores are doing really well. Mario came to church again yesterday. He was the first one in the building again. He even beats the Bishop! I love this ward though, and this area. I have an awesome Bishop with lots of great goals for the ward. This week I felt like the adversary was attacking everyone from every direction, even from some of the emails I got today! But then I have seen these wonderful miracles, and I know that Heavenly Father is fighting even stronger. Lots of investigatores and less actives are having lots of challenges, starting with just this week! But to see them in church on Sunday anyway was just amazing. There isn't a better feeling than seeing a less active worthily take the sacrament again. This work is beautiful, and wonderful, and it's a privilege that I have to be here! I love my mission, and I love this time I have to dedicate all of my time to the Lord. I love this Church and I love wearing the name of Christ on my name tag everyday. I love you all so much! I hope you have a wonderfully awesome week! Keep sharing the gospel. Take every chance you have to talk about Christ, His Church, and how it has blessed your family. And keep seeing those miracles!<br />
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Love you a million bowls of mint chip Rite Aid ice-cream:)<br />
Herman Clark<br />
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p.s. next week is Carnaval so that means I won't be writing until two weeks from now! We'll be in the house for three days, but we'll get to leave to go to church. Lots of study time! Love you!<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-6768731652874414652015-02-02T19:46:00.000-08:002015-02-09T10:49:27.086-08:00Bienvenidos a Febrero! And Happy Birthday Dad and Grandma Clark!<br />
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I cannot believe it. Where did January go? I didn't even feel it. But, this past week was awesome! It's been really hot here and I'm drinking two liters of water everyday! My health is really good, and I'm feeling great! So, this week we got to teach the family that we contacted last week. Turns out they're just as awesome as we thought they were! We taught them earlier in the week and yesterday as well. They are young with two kids. Yesterday we taught them about the Restoration, and they told us they had read the Book of Mormon before! When they were first starting their family living in a different house, they didn't have anything in their house so they would read the Book of Mormon together. A friend from work gave it to them. Can you see how much Heavenly Father is preparing people to hear this message? And can you see what a friend can do to help share the gospel? As we taught them, they had so many questions, and as we answered their questions they told us that it made so much sense! And it does. I love this gospel. We are also visiting someone named Mario. He has about 60 or 70 years, and he's the funniest man you'll ever meet. He is someone that the missionaries before us were teaching and because of some problems he wasn't progressing. We have been teaching him and he is now reading his scriptures, and praying! He also comes to church every Sunday! A few lessons ago we invited him again to baptism, and he accepted. We are also teaching a recent convert's mom named Ema. She also accepted a baptism date! But she chose one in March because it's a special day in their family. But it's okay because she's progressing towards that date. I feel so grateful to be here in Bolivia and to be here in the Primero de Mayo ward. I love these members and the bishop. It's amazing because when you're in another ward you think about leaving and you can't imagine it. And then you get transferred and you love the new ward just as much! I feel like I have been so blessed throughout my mission with great leaders in every ward I have been in.<br />
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Well, to answer some of your questions... :) Last pday we just did the usual! Cleaned the house, I washed my clothes, and wrote in my journal! And then we had another leadership conference! And we talked a lot about helping people become really converted to the gospel. And how we too have to really be converted to the gospel!<br />
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That's too bad about Jamie's soccer game! She's still awesome even if they didn't win. Mm and Chipotle sounds good! That sounds fun you got to watch 17 Miracles! We can't watch that in our mission, bummer I know. But I do love that movie! I always just feel so much gratitude for all that the pioneers did. They were so tough, I don't know how they did it.<br />
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But everything here is wonderful! I love the mission more and more everyday. It has changed me. Changed who I am, the way I think, the way I act, and for that I am truly grateful. I love this wonderful gospel and I am so grateful to be a member of this church! I love you all so much! Keep looking for ways to share the gospel!<br />
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Love a million billion red skittles,<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-81737385787565727812015-01-26T20:52:00.000-08:002015-02-01T18:20:33.501-08:00Good morning from Santa Cruz! And Happy Birthday Jason!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Thanks so much for the emails! I loved every single one of them! Well, miracles are happening here in Santa Cruz. This week we have focused on really talking to everyone. And one night we were contacting people in the street, and everyone was rejecting us. And my comp asked, "What am I doing wrong? Why doesn't anyone want to listen to us?" I reassured her that we weren't doing anything wrong! And that one time Hermana Willard told us that we needed to talk to everyone, even if no one was listening because Heavenly Father sees our efforts and blesses us for them. And then the very next people to come along was a family. We contacted them, and they were very excited to have an appointment with us. We have one this Tuesday! We also taught our neighbors last night, another family, and as we taught the Restoration, they were so surprised and excited to hear about living prophets and apostles. I can feel more than ever that Heavenly Father is preparing His children to hear this glad message. </div>
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Something funny someone asked me yesterday was, "How do you say 'no' in English??" And I said,".....no...." Haha and I asked my comp her favorite word in English and she said it's "Slay him!" I asked why and she said because she was reading the Book of Mormon and it says that Nephi needs to slay Laban! And the Spirit says, "Slay him!" She's so awesome. I love my companion more and more everyday. I don't think she realizes how much she blesses my life. :)</div>
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Well I was studying a talk this week that I printed out from the devotional for the single adults or something and it was a really awesome talk!! It's called "Living With Purpose: The Importance of Real Intent." There was this story about the "Parable of the Oranges" that I loved so much. I'll try to summarize it.. There was a young man who worked for a company. He wanted to receive a higher wage and position so everyday he came in early and stayed late so his boss would see him putting in long hours. After five years, the position became available, but to the young man's dismay, another employee, who had only worked for the company for six months was given the job. The young man angrily went to his boss to ask him about it. His boss said, "Before I answer your question, would you do me a favor?" The young man agreed. "Go to the store and buy some oranges for my wife." The young man went, and came back with the oranges. The boss asked, "What kind of oranges did you buy?" And the young man said, "Well, I'm not sure. You just said to buy some oranges, so here they are." And his boss said, "And how much were they?" And the young man said, "I don't know, you gave me $30, here is your change and the receipt." Then the boss called the young man into the office who got the promotion, and asked him to go to the store to buy some oranges for his wife. When the other young man came back to the office, his boss asked, "What kind of oranges did you buy?" And the young man said, "Well there were many varieties, so I called your wife to see what she needed them for and how many she needed. She told me that she wanted to make orange juice for a group of 60 people. So I asked the grocery worker what kind was best for orange juice and bought those." "And how much were they?" "Well, I asked if there was a discount for buying so many, and there was! Instead of 75 cents for every orange it was 50 cents! Here is your change!" You might say one was more efficient or careful to detail, but the most important difference had to do with real intent rather than just going through the motions. And that is what is important! Are we just going through the motions as we read our scriptures, or praying, or partake of the sacrament? Or are we doing these things with real intent? Diligently search the scriptures, fervently pray to our Father in Heaven, and worthily partake of the Sacrament every Sunday. And that is what we must do! I love you all so much! Keep being amazing, and searching for ways to share this wonderful gospel! </div>
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Con mucho amor,</div>
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Hermana Clark</div>
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<br />Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-71681066264680249122015-01-19T09:39:00.000-08:002015-01-26T07:59:09.730-08:00Bienvenidos a Santa Cruz! And Happy Birthday Bella!!!<br />
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Thank you Kuoha Family for the package!! Loved it! It was perfect and so yummy!! :)<br />
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Okay, it's official! I was transferred to Santa Cruz! Like Amy would say... "It smells like hot trash." Haha I love Santa Cruz! It is really hot here, and it is full of trash, but the area is great and the ward is even better! The members here are so excited and willing to work. I was also called as a Sister Training Leader, and tomorrow we have a conference with the other leaders and zone leaders in the mission. My companions name is Hermana Atiz, she is from Colombia and she's just about the kindest person you'll ever meet. She speaks english really well too! Well, Santa Cruz is really really windy, so it cools it off a lot. I'm grateful for the wind! But after I talked to you on Monday we didn't do much, I took a nap, the first in a long long time! And then in the night it was raining really really hard and there was lightning everywhere and thunder SO LOUD. I've never seen anything like it. Our leaders called and told us we needed to go home, so we planned for the next day and then we got the news about transfers so I packed. It was the first time I was going in a plane for transfers so I ended up leaving stuff behind but that's okay. And now I'm here in Santa Cruz! I miss my people in Tarija, but I already love the people here in Santa Cruz. It's going to be a really awesome transfer though. My companion is a really hard worker so I am stoked because I know we are going to see so many miracles this transfer!<br />
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I can't believe you're already back in school! Crazy! And that sounds so good to eat lemon bars! Jamie will need to make me some too! That's great you have church at 11 now! Ours is at 9. I like church at 9! it's perfect! And our Consejo de Barrio is at 7. I really like the 1,000,000 acts of service idea the stake is doing!! Do you know some of the projects they will be doing. I would love to hear more about it!! And the RS activity sounds like it'll be great!! Drink a double smoothie for me! :) We had an activity the other day where the RMs shared pictures from their missions and shared stories, and it was really really awesome and inspiring! What an amazing church we are a part of! Love you all so much. Keep being awesome!<br />
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Much love from Santa Cruz,<br />
Hermana ClarkJeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-71948187781731472432015-01-12T18:58:00.000-08:002015-01-18T19:00:44.281-08:00Hola!<br />
Welcome to the crazy train! Last week we got a call and we had emergency transfers. My comp and I were staying together, but we were getting a third comp! Her name is Hermana Adams and she's from Payson, Utah. She is in a Mormon Message called "Origin" I think. Haha anyways, she's really awesome. But we have real transfers tomorrow so we'll see what happens! I can't believe it's already time to transfer.. I have 5 transfers here, 71/2 months, so it's very possible that I will be transferred! But, after so much time in a ward you just don't want to leave them. I feel like it's my home ward now. I love these members here, but I am ready for whatever happens! President in his letter this week said, "¡Feliz semana de los cambios…donde todo cambia!" Happy transfer week... where everything changes! Haha so there is a little sneek peak of how I'm feeling. Everything is going to change because President wants us to feel like we are starting the mission over again. Like we are newbies and don't know anything and we'll go through the training program again called 12 weeks. I'm actually really excited about it!<br />
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The other day we got to see Yorka, but she let us know that she is officially moving to Santa Cruz, and her daughter Gladys went with her. So there isn't family here to come back to and visit. That was sad saying bye to her, but I know she and her daughter will be better in Santa Cruz. But Yorka told us that every Sunday she goes to church for the three hours and is advancing in her Book of Mormon. :) Sorry I'm out of time, bad internet connection today! But I love you all so much, and I want you all to know how much I know this church is the Church of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is true. And we have a living prophet. Love you all so much!<br />
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Love you a million billion Trader Joe's candy bars,<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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<br />Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-5834364904173579572015-01-05T18:41:00.000-08:002015-01-18T18:51:32.349-08:00El primer Lunes de 2015!<br />
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Well, I don't know about you, but I cannot believe it's 2015! As I was thinking about the year and my goals, I realized that this year I wouldn't be a full time missionary for the entire year. I remember starting 2014 thinking about how I had the entire year to dedicate to missionary service, but this year will be a little different. This year I only have a few months to be here in the mission field. I love my Bolivia. And I love my mission. I am eternally grateful for the time that I have here, and every new day my Heavenly Father gives me to work in the mission field. But I know I will always be a missionary, all throughout my life. One can really see the effect the mission had on someone when they see the life they live after the mission, and I know that this time here serving the Lord has changed me forever and ever.<br />
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I'm so happy you all started the Book of Mormon over again! Dad sent me the Reading Schedule so I'll be reading with you guys! :) Well to answer some of your questions, some of the traditions here for new years is everyone eats pig. I don't think I've ever seen so many pigs in my life.. The meat shops were always carrying new pigs in. Some of them were huge! But it made me never want to eat pig ever again. Haha good thing we can't eat it in the mission! Yesterday a cool miracle happened. One of our investigators, Yorka's daughter, called us in the morning and asked what time church was because she wanted to come with us!! We always always invite her but her husband doesn't let her come. Her mom, Yorka, has been telling her she needs to go, so she really made an effort and came with us. It was really awesome. And we got to talk to Yorka who will be coming back from Santa Cruz this week, and she said she's been going to church there in Santa Cruz. :) And yesterday, we were walking in our area, and we saw a bunch of members from Bermejo! They were all traveling to the temple in Cochabamba! It was such a tender mercy to see them because I didn't get to say bye to any of them when I left Bermejo. It filled me with so much joy to see these members traveling so many hours to go to the temple. I was wishing I could go with them. :)<br />
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You start school the day we have transfers! Changes changes! I can smell it in the air. Although, I would be very happy ending my mission here in this ward. I love this ward. And that's crazy that it snowed in Murrieta! I still can't believe it! Loved all the pics!! And you're right mom, we do need a new motto for 2015! Because like you said, "I need to come up with a cool motto for 2015. I remember it was 'don't be late in 2008' and obviously that didn't really work because it was 'be on time in 2009!'" Haha:) Love it! I'll think this week about some mottos we can have for 2015! But New Years was really fun because where we live, above us is just a big balcony. So we got to see the fireworks all over Tarija! It was the most beautiful firework show ever! And we drank coconut juice! Haha yes I still have a coconut thing going on.<br />
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This week we are starting to work in the family history center at the church! I am so excited! We get to work this Saturday and help people do their family history. I am so grateful we get to do family history because I've really been missing it!! I love you all so much. Keep being awesome!<br />
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Love you to Bolivia and back times googooplex!<br />
Hermana Clark:)<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-41997331159512152502014-12-29T19:14:00.000-08:002015-01-04T19:20:50.290-08:00The last Lunes of 2014!<br />
Happy New Year! It was so wonderful talking to you all on Christmas! What an awesome gift that was for me. You all looked great, and I loved seeing the pics afterward!! That's great that almost everyone is still there. I love that you did a Christmas show with the kids! That sounds great. Was little Nash the baby Jesus? :)<br />
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I was studying this week about the story of Elisha. I love the faith that he has, and I would love to have faith like him. We cannot fear, and we cannot be discouraged when things seem hard.<br />
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.<br />
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17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.<br />
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We cannot fear when things seem hard or dim because when we are on the Lord's side, we are not alone. We are surrounded by chariots of fire, and the angels will come and lift us up. Heavenly Father blesses us with discouraging days, but discouragement is a tool of Satan. Satan uses that tool to make us feel down, but Heavenly Father blesses us with these days because He knows we don't need to feel down if we turn to Him. And that's what I've learned throughout my mission. Heavenly Father is always blessing us. It amazes me how much he blesses us. We are given a new year to change. We are given the chance to be someone different! We don't need to be the same person we were this year. And we shouldn't be. The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we progress and become more like Him. That's what's so amazing about the Plan of Salvation! We're always changing to become more like our Heavenly Father. I know it still feels like Y2K... But it's almost 2015! So make some goals, and go and be awesome! Love you all so much!<br />
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Love you,<br />
<br />
Harmonica Clark:)<br />
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<br />Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-49953305899406191742014-12-22T23:24:00.000-08:002014-12-31T23:26:08.851-08:00FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!!<br />
Well, I cannot believe it's already here, but Merry Christmas ya filthy animal! I do hope you watch that movie this year just for me. But more than anything, I hope this Christmas is filled with Christ. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity again to just preach the gospel on Christmas day. I love this gospel, and I love the Lord. I was thinking the other day about what it would have been like if you hadn't been baptized when you were 18, or dad when he was 12. And I was thinking about how grateful I am that you were. Grateful for the missionaries that taught you both, and grateful for the friends that introduced the gospel to you. What an amazing plan our Heavenly Father has for us. It amazes me more and more every time I think about it. The choices you made changed generations and generations. :)<br />
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This week I have been studying 3 Nephi, and I read about when Christ came to the Americas, and welp it resulted in crazy dreams about collecting food storage, and the coming of Christ and living in caves. Haha it was really enjoyable. I love studying the Book of Mormon. Also, we ate with members last week on Sunday, and they gave us cow udders and tubes from somewhere inside the cow... Haha also really enjoyable. It's not too bad.. Just a really weird texture. But I'm good not eating it ever again:)<br />
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Well, the mission is just full of miracles. And sometimes it's hard, okay a lot of the time, but it's all worth it. This week I have been singing a song that I made up to the Hymn "Abide with me!" Haha it just talks about how with the Lords help, I can do hard things. It's the cheesiest thing ever, but I sing it anyway because no one can understand me. And it helps me to remember that I can do hard things when I am on the Lord's side! Being here on a mission is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done. But I wouldn't change anything about my mission. I wouldn't change the hard days, the beautiful ones. I would leave it all the same because it has forever changed my life. Forever and forever and forever. And I am so grateful for that. I am grateful we have a loving Heavenly Father who sent us to earth to learn, to progress, to become like His Son Jesus Christ. And I am grateful He sent His Son Jesus Christ, and that Christ wanted to atone for us. He wanted to because He loves us. Our eldest Brother loves us more than we can imagine. The God of this world was born in a manger, and lived a perfectly sinless life. He was baptized to complete with all righteousness and to be an example for us. And He bled and suffered and was resurrected as a gift for us. The only holy and perfect gift. And becuase of His gift, we don't need to suffer the way He did. We aren't alone, and we aren't abandoned here on earth. And thanks to him, we can return to live with our Heavenly Father in resurrected and perfect bodies. That is the perfect gift. And this Christmas season, we can share with others our knowledge of this gift and change lives for the eternities. Can't wait to skype in a few days:) I love you all so much!<br />
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Love you more and more each day,<br />
Hermana ClarkJeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-86029220033354065922014-12-15T23:13:00.000-08:002014-12-31T23:18:41.871-08:00It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....Happy birthday Jenae!!!!!!<br />
It has been an absolutely beautiful, and life changing week. Miracles right and left, I'm trying to remember them all. Heavenly Father is a God of Miracles. I love the scripture in Mormon 9:19 that says, "And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles." And that's the truth. He is a God of miracles and tender mercies. This week we had the opportunity to have interviews with President Willard. What a wonderful experience that was! We started with a prayer as always, and I offered it. I'm so awkward with praying in english now so I said it in spanish. Haha. And he started out talking about my letter I wrote him last Monday. He said, "I have been thinking a lot all week about one line you said to me in your letter." And I thought... oh no what did I say?? Haha and he said "when you told me you were just 'grateful to be Hermana Clark.' I love that! I am grateful you are Hermana Clark as well. I just want to be Hermana Clark!" haha :) And the whole interview was just really wonderful. Exactly what I needed. Last week in his weekly email, President talked about the story in Mark 8 about the blind man. In the story, Christ leads the blind man out of the city, and then spits in his eyes. Christ spits in the blind man's eyes. Why? And then the blind man isn't fully healed. It says that he sees men as if they were trees. And then after all of that he is healed. Can you imagine how humiliating it would be to have someone spit in your eyes? The blind man had to be humbled in order to receive the miracle. And even after he was humbled, he still didn't quite believe, and when he finally did believe, he was fully healed and could see perfectly. And the fact that Christ lead the blind man out of the city to perform the miracle. This blind man who had already been ridiculed and tormented all of his life. Christ spitting in his eyes was not to show a crowd that it was okay for them to do it too. He did it privately. And that's what Heavenly Father does. He corrects us because He loves us. If He didn't do it, it would be because He doesn't love us. But God does love us, therefore He corrects us. He spits in our eyes to make us humble. We receive trials to be humbled and then while we are humble, we can finally see clearly. And we recognize the miracles that God was giving us all along.<br />
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This week Nelson got baptized! A couple of weeks ago he broke our heart and told us he didn't want any of it. So we didn't visit him for about a week. Then on Thursday, we called to teach him one more time. After the lesson about the Sacrament, I asked if he had any questions. And then he asked us if he could be baptized this Saturday! Shocked, we said of course! He told us that in this time when he was not meeting with us he felt so sad. He started reading his Book of Mormon, and praying, and that was when he realized he needed to meet with us again. And then we called him! Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways. He has a plan for us! He loves us! Also, Nelson wore church shoes to church yesterday! Not just his combat boots, and long hair! But now he's wearing church shoes! Little by little Heavenly Father changes our lives. :)<br />
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Thank you for your emails, I love you all! Have a wonderfully, amazing, life changing week!<br />
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Love a million billion Bolivian Flags,<br />
Hermana Clark:)<br />
<br />Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-66894546721484276562014-12-08T20:31:00.000-08:002014-12-14T20:59:30.938-08:00Transfers?Not yet! I still have the wonderful opportunity to be in the ward for at least 6 more weeks! My comp and I stayed the same, but our zone changed a bit. Lots of sisters finished their missions this past transfer, and a few will be finishing in a couple of weeks to make it back in time for school. It feels so weird to think these sisters are going home! The time is going by so fast. But I am loving every minute of it. I love how much I am changing as a person, and I love just having this chance to serve our Lord. I feel like the way I think is different as well. When times are hard I have found myself thinking, okay, what does Heavenly Father want me to learn from this? I know they always say that we should think like that... but just a little secret, I don't think I ever really did before, until now!:) It's hard to think that way when times are hard. But something I've learned is that when times are hard, it will eventually get better. And that's the secret. It gets better. Even when this life is challenging, it gets better. It may not be in this life, but Heavenly Father will reward us for our efforts. He sees the small acts we do, and he takes our small efforts and makes it into something perfect. President Kim B. Clark (President of BYU-I woot woot!) said, “When we act in faith in [Jesus] to do His work, He goes with us to serve others and blesses us to say just what they need to hear.” He also taught that “what we actually say and actually do may feel a little awkward or not very polished. … But the Savior takes our words and our actions and He carries them through His spirit unto the hearts of the people. He takes our sincere but imperfect effort and turns it into something that is just right, indeed, into something that is perfect.” And that's the truth. I know it is because I have seen it first hand as I testify of these things and maybe my Spanish isn't the best, but the gospel truths touch people. Heavenly Father takes our efforts and actions and testifies of it to the hearts of the people. And that's all He asks us to do really. Just give a little effort. Have faith in Him! He will help us! "It's His work, let Him do some of it!" :)<br />
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I hope you enjoyed the Christmas Devotional yesterday! We didn't get to go, but I'm sure it was awesome! I can't believe it was your last fast Sunday with the late time! I feel like you were just telling me that you guys were starting church so late. And to think that was at the beginning of the year. Crazy. That's awesome the Boaz twins are home! I can't believe that either! What is going on here. And Nathan and Davin get home soon too! And then I'll be right after them... My date to come home is for April 9. Happy Birthday to me! Haha. But I'm not sure if we'll be traveling that day, or the next. I haven't heard yet, but don't worry mom I'll keep you posted. And with this time passing so fast, it'll be Christmas soon! We have been sharing with everyone the video that the Church put out about Christ. I love it! He is the Gift! We have cards that we've been handing out that say that on it, and it's been amazing to help people realize the true meaning of Christmas, and the real reason why we celebrate it. :) The Christmas customs here are pretty much the same! The banks have Christmas trees, which are really pretty! And lots of people put little trees in their houses. There are some houses with Christmas lights, but not many. Maybe closer to Christmas there will be more.. I'm not sure. But they don't bake cookies or decorate gingerbread houses. But as a zone we're going to go caroling! We did that last year, and it was really special. I was trying to help my ward realize their potential with a ward Christmas party. Haha I was giving them ideas of what we have done in our wards in the past... I think the primary will end up doing a nativity scene! I hope so!<br />
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Also, have you seen the front page of the Ensign for the General Conference issue? It's my favorite thing ever. I loved that they had native speakers speak in their native tongue at General Conference. And you can see the lady's face, she's so surprised because she can understand the speaker without the translator!!! Love it. Also, we changed houses on Saturday! That was fun carrying everything up four flights of stairs! But it was worth it. It's a beautiful house. We live with other sisters now too, so that's been fun. Yorka is doing really great as well. She's awesome. She is in Santa Cruz right now for the Holidays though, but we're going to call her this week. We also taught Relief Society and the class for the single adults yesterday! That went really well. We talked about how we can all be member missionaries, and the things we can do to help serve the Lord. I love you all so much! Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Keep being awesome! Keep praying for those missionary opportunities and then go out and search for people! :) Heavenly Father will bless you with miracles.<br />
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Love you a million billion candy canes!<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-5880238206720824342014-12-01T20:16:00.000-08:002014-12-14T20:22:47.021-08:00Happy December!Hi my wonderful family!<br />
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I hope it's been a wonderful week! I cannot believe that November is already over. Where has this year gone? I haven't even felt it at all.. That sounds fun you got to be together in Utah, and eat at Chuck-A-Rama..... haha. No cleanup! That's great! So the baptism went really well on Saturday! Just Yorka was baptized. Nelson got cold feet and chose another date. I'm sure he'll do it sometime.. Just needs a little time. But the baptism was perfect. We went to fill up the font and we had to go outside to find the plug and we accidentally opened up a thing in the ground and let me tell ya. I have never seen so many cockroaches in my entire life. It was like cockroach city. Like in Ratatouille (not sure how that's spelled) when all the rats come out of the poor woman's house, yeah that's how I felt but with cockroaches. But we cleaned the church and filled the font, and everything was perfect! Yorka gave a beautiful testimony at the end, and she just cried and cried she was so happy. I am so grateful that I had the chance to be a part of that experience and that I had the chance to teach her. We also had a lot of new investigators this week, and we have transfers this week. I cannot believe how fast this transfer has gone. Okay suddenly I am out of time for the internet! Ah! Sorry this letter isn't very long or very exciting. But I love you all so much. Thanks for your love and support! We'll see where I am next time we talk! :)<br />
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Love you to the moon and back!<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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<br />Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-62368796989513576842014-11-24T20:17:00.000-08:002014-11-30T20:21:33.520-08:00Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
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Miracles are coming and coming and coming! Well, Yorka had her interview yesterday for her baptism this Saturday! The elder said that she is very prepared for her baptism, and she is so excited! Nelson has been quite the little bugger this week! Haha. He keeps going back and forth. It's a bit frustrating because the only thing is his hair and he doesn't want to wear a white shirt and tie to church. We explained to him that he didn't need to do any of that to get baptized, but he still feels a little apprehensive. Yesterday we talked to him, and he told us he was going to wait. I was bummed, but thought, well he has his free agency and needs to do what he feels like he needs to do. I wanted to cry yesterday though. And then this morning we got a call from one of Nelson's friends, and he told us that Nelson talked to him last night and said that he wants to get baptized this Saturday with Hermana Yorka! We were surprised, but happy with his decision. :)<br />
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That's awesome about Jamie winning first in the competition! I am so proud of her! And how fun you're in Utah! Little Beck is so big now. And Nash too!!! I loved seeing the pics! That's cool Jamie ran in the Turkey Trot! I remember feeling SO sick after running that. I thought I was going to die haha and my face was SO red. Haha but that's awesome she did it! And 6th is a great place to get! That's fun you got to work at Jamie's school this week mom! Maybe one of these days you'll see her and you can give her a big wet kiss! Haha Jk Jamie girl... kinda.... :)<br />
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We had a conference this week with just the sisters in Tarija, and with President and Hermana Willard! It was THE BEST. We talked about being grateful, and showing our thankfulness. I am so thankful for this time that I have to be here on the mission in Bolivia. I am thankful for what I am learning, and who I am becoming. I am grateful for the atoning sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and for the love that I have felt on my mission from Him, and the love I have grown for Him. This is His church, and I am grateful to be a member of this beautiful church. I will forever be grateful for my eternal family, and the wonderful chance I have to live with them forever. We have a loving Heavenly Father who didn't just send us to earth to gain a family and then after death to lose them. He gives us the wonderful sealing power because we cannot be saved without our families. I am grateful for temples,<br />
for the work we do in the temple and for the missionary work we do in our wards. Thank you for your love, example, support, and prayers. I love you all more than you can imagine! Keep being amazing. Keep sharing the gospel. Keep recognizing those miracles! I love you!<br />
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Love you more and more every day!<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-21872167749043777672014-11-17T09:29:00.000-08:002014-11-17T09:29:33.006-08:00Feliz Lunes! And Happy Birthday Beckham!!!!! <br />
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I am doing great! And I loved hearing about your week. Busy busy! I love that service project you all did! That's AWESOME! Well, the test of faith... Nelson wasn't baptized this past Saturday. He chose a new date for the 29th of November. He and Hermana Yorka will be baptized together. And I haven't cut my hair yet... It will be happening sometime in the next two weeks. It's kinda funny because I'll be cutting it to where it was when I left for the mish! It's grown so fast, hope it grows fast again! And Jamie's hair is SO LONG! I couldn't believe that when I saw it in the pic. And when you said you were looking for shoes for Jamie I thought, oh just use some of mine! But now her shoe size is bigger than mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What!!! Haha what is going on here....<br />
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Yorka and Henry are doing good. Poor little Henry got beat up at school the other day. He came home with a little black eye. And when his mom took him back to talk to the boy and his father, the dad was just saying sorry sorry sorry. And Henry said to the boy's dad, "Señor, don't worry about it. I forgive you." And then the next day was the little boys birthday, and Henry told his mom he needed to go to the store to buy him something! And Yorka was like... we're not buying that boy anything! And Henry told her that this little boy needed a gift more than anyone. So they went and bought him a present. Hermana Yorka told us that she learned a very important lesson about the pure love of Christ. And I did too! Henry is awesome.<br />
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Also, we were walking in the street the other day, and there was a bird sitting under a box, her poor little wing was broken. Someone had put out some food and water for her. Then later that night we were walking to the house, and we saw a dog going crazy. As we got closer, we saw that he was attacking the bird! Without thinking I ran at the dog and he dropped the bird and ran off. Haha and then we were in quite the predicament. My comp donated her cardigan and we wrapped the bird up and carried her home. Good thing we live with nice people.... Haha Hermana Marcy helped us out and we gave her some food, and named her Shell. They thought it was more fun to call her something in English.. :) But she survived the night, and the next day we gave her to a vet. I'm not a bird person, and carrying the bird almost made me faint, haha but she's doing good now!<br />
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And something that I was studying in Jesus the Christ talks about "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. One who really prays that this kingdom come will strive to hasten its coming by living according to the law of God. His effort will be to keep himself in harmony with the order of the kingdom, to subject the flesh to the spirit, selfishness to altruism, and to learn to love the things that God loves." I love that. To learn to love the things that God loves. That's the goal. To have these Godly traits engraved in our hearts, and demonstrated in our actions. <br />
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That's fun you saw the pic from our mini concert! I don't have that picture! And that's awesome Johnny came down for a visit. I bet that was fun to see him! I can't believe it's Beckham's birthday this week! Ah he's so big! I would love to see some pics from the celebration! I love you all so much. I have to go now, but thank you for your love and prayers! Keep sharing the gospel, and being awesome!<br />
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Love you a million billion homemade caramels,<br />
Hermana Clark:)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hermana yorka!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yes, we ate this fish! it was actually really good... haha</td></tr>
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<br />Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-47600538703030124132014-11-10T09:16:00.000-08:002014-11-10T09:16:36.623-08:00Happy Birthday Jeremy, Grandma Betty, and EvanHola mi familia!<br />
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What a week! We had Stake Conference this week! Also the Church celebrated 50 years this week in Bolivia! It was on Thursday, and all the missionaries went to the central park here and we sang Abide With Me Tis Even Tide. It was really cool! We also talked with everyone in the park, and we were on TV! Well, the local TV station here in Tarija. :) And then that night they had like an awards ceremony and the Stake President received a plaque and cool things like that. It was really nice! And then Friday we had a conference of just the missionaries with President and Sister Willard. And then Saturday was Stake Conference in the night time, and Sunday in the morning. Lots of meetings, and really spiritually fed! At the conference with the missionaries, Hermana Willard talked about a tree here called the Toberochi tree. And this tree, it's name means refuge, or safety. And we talked about what our refuge is in our lives, and how it is the Savior. We also were looking at the photo of Christ when He was atoning for our sins, and He is leaning up agaist a tree that looks like a Toberochi. The trees for us, take in all the bad and then put out the good so that we can breathe. They give us life. Jesus Christ did the same when He atoned for our sins. He took in all the bad, so that we can experience the good. He gives us life. So in this photo when He is atoning for our sins, and He is leaning upon this tree, it kind of gives it a whole different meaning. Christ is our support, our refuge, our safety.<br />
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I was also reading a talk by President Henry B. Eyring called "A Priceless Heritage of Hope." And he talks about how we are making choices not just for ourselves, but choices that will affect generations and generations. We cannot force people to accept our message, but we can teach them and then pray they will choose the right. "Heavenly Father and the Savior are our perfect examples of what we can and must do. They never force righteousness because righteousness must be chosen. They make righteousness discernible to us, and They let us see that its fruits are delicious." He talked about faithful parents who faithfully teach their children the gospel, and for whatever reason they reject it or rebel against it. And how that is all a part of our free agency to choose righteousness. "When they are older, they will remember the hymns they sang with you. Even more than recalling music, they will remember the words of scripture and testimony. The Holy Ghost can bring all things to their remembrance, but the words of scriptures and hymns will last the longest. These memories will exert a pull that may bring them back when they wander for a time, possibly for years, from the pathway home to eternal life." We plant seeds, and then these children of God have the chance to choose. I was also studying about Adam and Eve today and I always have the question why God commanded them not to eat of the tree, but then kind of wanted them to really because He told them to multiply and replenish the earth! Always felt confused by that. But then today I was studying and I read a scripture in 2 Nephi 2:15 where it talks about how there is opposition in all things. God had to put the tree in the Garden because without the tree they didn't have the chance to use their free agency. They would have been stuck. And a lot of times God gives us a chance to choose something good for something better. I was trying to think of examples and I thought about when Nephi was commanded to kill Laban when the commandments clearly say "Thou shalt not kill." But he chose to obey God when He said that he needed to kill Laban. He was choosing something good for something better. He was saving souls. Just like Adam and Eve saved souls when they chose to eat the fruit because now we have our bodies and we now have the chance to use our free agency here on earth. Maybe it was an obvious answer, but it finally made sense in my head today. :)<br />
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Our investigators are really good. Nelson's baptism is this Saturday, and the adversary is on the move as always. Nelson is feeling a little apprehensive about his baptism because of his long hair. He knows the church is true, so I just pray that he makes a good choice. There's that free agency again.... We have also been teaching someone named Yorka who is so spiritually prepared to receive the gospel it's ridiculous. She prays about everything we teach her, and she knows that the church is true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that the Word of Wisdom is a commandment from God. She's so awesome. We asked her the other day about how she was with the Word of Wisdom and she was like, "Oh hermanas, I was in the street the other day and someone was trying to sell me coffee and I shared with them all the reasons why they shouldn't be drinking that!" Haha I love her. And her son Henry, who's five, is awesome too. He is the sweetest little guy. Anytime we are at his house he always always always brings us something. Glass of water, or says, "Mom, I need to run to the store to buy the Hermanas something." And he'll run to the store across the street and either buy juice in a bag or suckerrs or gum. Haha he's awesome. And Yorka and Henry came to all the activities that I mentioned we had this week! And Henry when he was watching the choir he thought the lady leading was mute because she was waving her hands around and not singing. Hahaha. And he tells his mom, "I need candy because my blood pressure is low..." Such a cute little guy! Another miracle we had was when we were leaving our appointment with Yorka, we were going to go to a members house to pick up some papers we needed but we felt like we wouldn't have enough time before our Ward Council. So we decided to go to the church, and right as we were walking up a lady walked up and said that she needed to talk to someone. It was perfect because there wouldn't have been anyone else to talk to if we hadn't arrived! So we went in and started talking and she's having a lot of family problems. At the end of the lessons it occurred to me that she probably doesn't live in our area but we would pass along the referral anyway. When we asked, it turns out that she does live in our area! I feel like all week we've just been blessed with miracles like this. All week God has been putting people in our path and it has been amazing. Amazing to be a part of it. Amazing to watch all these miracles right in front of me! I loved this week. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it, and it was beautiful. We are being greatly blessed.<br />
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To answer some of your questions... I won't be cutting my hair too short! They are having the drive in the next couple of weeks. It'll just be to where it was when I left for the mission. And hopefully Nelson will donate his hair too. :) We went shopping last week, but I didn't end up buying anything! No good deals, no good deals. But a member here donated a bunch of skirts and dresses to the mission and I had some of the dresses made into skirts, and I got those back today! So that's fun! And I can't believe that Emily is home already! Time is going by so fast. I completed 13 months in the mission yesterday, and I was thinking about my time in the MTC, and I just cannot believe how fast this time is going. I love being a missionary. I love giving these people the opportunity to choose to accept this wonderful, beautiful gospel. Every blessing I have received in my life is because I am a member of this amazing Church. I am so grateful that families can be eternal, and for the work of salvation that we do here on earth, in the mission field and in the temple. Thank you family for being awesome. Keep sharing this wonderful gospel with all that you can! Plant seeds. Love you!<br />
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Love you a million billion Reese's Pieces,<br />
Hermana Clark:)<br />
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"Make me more worthy of thy love, and more fit for the life above."<br />
<br />Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-12195399256483777412014-11-03T20:44:00.000-08:002014-11-09T20:46:37.610-08:00HAPPY HALLOWEEN! <br />
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Hope you had a great Halloween! They celebrate something similar here, but they don't really dress up and Trick or Treat. But for the people who have died, they put all their favorite things on a table. They bake and buy a bunch of food, and candles, and their pictures and everything that this person liked and put it on a table. They believe that on this day the spirits of their loved ones come and visit to see if they put out all of their favorite things.. It's an interesting holiday. But they celebrated that yesterday.<br />
So for the past two weeks we haven't had agendas, and can you just imagine how hard that's been! Haha mission problems. No planners to plan my day and I feel lost without it. We just plan on a piece of paper and it just isn't the same. Hopefully our planners come soon. Yesterday I was studying the talk by Tad R. Callister from General Conference, and I just love how he talks about the importance of teaching our children in the home. I feel like my childhood was so blessed because we learned about Christ in the home. Something that he said that I loved is, "Which parent in Book of Mormon times would have let their sons march out to the front of battle without a breast plate and shield and sword to protect them against the potentially mortal blows of the enemy? But how many of us let our children march out the front door each morning to the most dangerous of all battlefields, to face Satan and his myriad of temptations, without their spiritual breastplate and shield and sword that come from the protective power of prayer? The Lord said,'Pray always, … that you may conquer Satan' (D&C 10:5). As parents, we can help instill within our children the habit and power of morning prayer." We would never send our children to battle without some sort of protection! It is the same in this life. We are in a spiritual battle with the adversary, and we must prepare our children spiritually so that when the winds and rains come, because they will come, they will be spiritually prepared. And so, I am grateful for goodly parents who taught us to value the power of prayer, family and personal scripture study, and church attendance.<br />
Well, our investigators are progressing a lot! One of our investigators, Nelson, is getting baptized on the 15th. He is awesome. We found him while searching for someone else from the area book. He is 25, and has long hair, but the stake is having a "hair drive"? haha I think that's what it would be called. But they are collecting hair to make wigs for children with cancer. So yup, you can bet I'll be cutting my long hair soon! :) Another family that we are teaching is getting baptized on the 29th! Liliana, Melissa, and Valentina. They are awesome, and a referral from a member in the ward. They are progressing a ton, and really loving the gospel! I am so grateful for this work. For the work we do in the mission field, and in the temple. It is a beautiful work, and I am just grateful for this opportunity I have had to share this wonderful gospel. I know that Heavenly Father loves us. He guides us in this work. And He changes us. Love you all so much! Have an awesome, fantastic, super, amazing, wonderfully beautiful week!<br />
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Love you a million billion Pinks!<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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<br />Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-89564429931633416222014-10-27T20:31:00.000-07:002014-11-09T20:46:37.624-08:00Smells like transfers......!<br />
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Well, I didn't get transferred! But, my comp did. I was happy not to leave the area though. I love this ward so much. And our bishop is awesome, and his wife is even better. My new comp is named Hermana Carter, and she is from Chile! We had a really good first week together, and we received a lot of miracles. We found so many new people to teach and we had some great lessons this week.<br />
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I loved hearing all about your indexing!!! That's awesome how many names you got to index! And congratulations Jamie for taking first in the music part of the Reflections competition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's AWESOME! And sounds like the Trunk or Treat was a blast! So glad all the games went well! I loved the pics, everything was so cute! And Jamie's costume is really cute! Can't believe you made that! Haha and Jamie is just on fire. The Reflections program, scoring goals... Pucha, Jamie girl! You rock! That's great that Sister Roberts is the new Relief Society President. I know she'll do a great job! She's awesome, love her and her family. Loved hearing the updates about the Los Alamos Ward! We are blessed with a really awesome ward. :)<br />
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Today for P-day, we're getting together with the sisters in my zone, and making pizza! That'll be fun! Today I was studying a talk I have by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland that's called, "For Times of Trouble." It's one of my favorite talks, and it just talks about how trouble is a germ of its own. That problems or hard times and trouble don't always come together. He told a story about when Albert Einstein was about 60 years old and his factory started on fire one night, and everything was burned. His son came running, searching for him, thinking that his father would be falling apart and devastated, and Albert spoke first and said, "Find your mother, and tell her to get her friends! They'll never see a fire like this for as long as they live!" Then Albert gathered together his workers and said, "We're rebuilding. We need a crane, and supplies." And almost as an after thought said, "Oh, and does someone know where we can get some money?" It's true, that feeling down for things doesn't come with the problems. We choose the way we will react to situations. We just need to do the best we can, and be sure that we really are doing our very best. "The point is the same with school as with money or marriage or profession or (a mission or) any hope and dream. Prepare. Plan. Work. Sacrifice. Rework. Spend cheerfully on matters of worth. Carry the calm, and wear the assurance of having done the best you could with what you had." Just know you're doing the best you can with what you are given. That's all Heavenly Father expects from us. He knows us, He believes in us. And He is aware of us. He knows what trials we need in order to change to become more like Him. We just need to be sure to take these trials, and use them to help us grow because we can only grow two ways, towards God or towards the adversary. So, who's on the Lord's side, who? ME!:)<br />
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I love you all so much. I hope you continue indexing! And have the best week of your life! Thank you for your prayers, love, and support. You are an amazing family, and I love hearing about your experiences, and the way the Lord has blessed your lives during your week. Keep sharing the gospel, and being an example for everyone! Pray that Heavenly Father will put people in your path that you can share the gospel with. Watch how many people He will give you! I love you!<br />
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Love you a million billion sour skittles,<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-64788791987157178652014-10-20T20:23:00.000-07:002014-11-09T20:46:37.620-08:00¡Mi querida familia!<br />
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Alright, first off, I loved the song that Jamie wrote for the piano! It's one of the prettiest songs I've ever heard, and she wrote it! I cannot believe it, but I am so proud of her! And good job Jamie for scoring a goal!!!!<br />
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But to answer your question, I think we stayed in for election day because no one works, not even the police! So it was just safer I guess to stay inside. We got to leave the house at 6 though and work like normal so that was good! But this week has been an awesome one! Full of miracles! My comp and I were blessed with completing all our goals we had for this week! And all our investigators with baptism dates came to church yesterday! One is a family who lives in our area called Miraflores. It's our area that is a little bit farther away. The members who live out there say that we are the first missionaries that really work in that area. The other ones didn't really visit the area much. But I love love love Miraflores because it reminds me of Bermejo. So we're always out there. Anyway, this family is a referral from the members that live out there. There are only about two active families that live in that area! But this new family is awesome. They are so prepared to hear the gospel, and are progressing so much. The ward is doing good. We are progressing a lot, and we have a goal to have 180 members going to church by the end of the year. we are about 40 people away! I know we can do it! We are working with some less active families, and the members are really starting to help now. It's like the talk from General Conference about the man with palsy! I was reading about that story in Jesus the Christ today, and thinking about our ward here. We are now all working together. Just like in the story, the men had to lower the man together. If someone lowered too fast, the man would fall. And the faith that these men had was just incredible. I love that story and analogy so much. <br />
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Our plans for P-day aren't too exciting... I think we'll print some pictures, clean the house. I want to finish updating the Area Book, and write in my journal. My journal is very behind! I'm still writing things from July! Ahhh. haha. And our cook lady is going to make tacos for lunch today, so I'm pretty stoked!! She made pizza a few weeks ago and it was so good! Haha. I hope I don't get transferred! We've been very blessed to have her! And I love this ward, our Bishop, his wife (the woman that cooks for us), and my area!! But I have been studying a lot about accepting the Lord's will, and I am ready for whatever He gives to me this transfer! I hope! :)<br />
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You guys are indexing machines! You have already reached in one week what you ended with in two weeks! That's awesome!!!!! Way to go, and keep it up! Stake Conference sounds like it was great! It's true! Now is the time to hasten the work!! Both in our wards, and in the temple. The work is the same!<br />
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Well my wonderful family, I love you so much! You are each a huge example to me, and I am so lucky and blessed to call you my family. Keep being amazing, and keep searching for those tender mercies in our lives. We become more grateful, and feel more love for our Heavenly Father and Lord when we do. Have a great week! Love you!<br />
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Love you a million billion empanadas!<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3480449276328968900.post-50799866005557666862014-10-13T20:14:00.000-07:002014-11-09T20:46:37.617-08:00¡Muy Buenos Días mi familia! <br />
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Another great week here in the service of the Lord! Mom, thanks for the package! They just seem to get better and better!<br />
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Yesterday was election day here in Bolivia! All we have heard the past couple of weeks are songs about the people running for president. Haha they're pretty cheesy these songs.. so I'm glad the elections are finally over! And the same guy won again! Third time in a row... Not allowed... but hey anything goes these days. But election day meant that we couldn't leave the house until 6 last night, so we did a lot of studying! About 10 hours of straight studying! And when it finished my comp and I laughed because we wanted more time... But! We went out and worked, and had some really awesome lessons! Heavenly Father has put some really awesome people in our path, and He is greatly blessing us.<br />
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Some of the things I learned yesterday from my day of studying is that we choose to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. He has offered it to us, and now we choose to do it. And to be His disciple, we cannot be still! We must continually move forward and progress because if we are still, we move backwards and therefore become more like the adversary. We are responsible for the people that we become. We can either sit passively by and let life make us who it wants to make us, or we can progressively become more like Christ and consciously choose to act like Him. If we just let life make us who it wants to make us, we will come to the end of our lives and realize that we only reached a small part of our full potential. Therefore, we must believe in ourselves! We must have faith in ourselves because God, the greatest of all, the most powerful being who has created worlds without number believes in US! HE has faith in US! What a beautiful thought that is. What a comforting thought that is! Take comfort in it! I do! We don't have to do this alone. In fact, without Him we cannot do this at all. "Just give it up. Surrender your will to Him. Unconditionally. Withhold nothing. Turn it all over to Him; all of your desires, wishes, dreams, and hopes. Be true and faithful in your head and in your heart, not just in your behavior. Trust in Him. Trust Him who knows all things. Trust Him who has all power. Trust Him whose love for you is perfect. Trust Him, who alone suffered, paid, and atoned for your sins, and for your weaknesses as well. Trust Him that He will make of you immeasurably more than what you will ever, ever, in all eternity make yourself. He will create of you a masterpiece. You will create of you only a smudge. You will create an ordinary man, He will create a God." But we must give ourselves over to Him. Our minds and hearts are all we can give to Him really because time, that's His. Talents we have, those are His as well because He gave them to us. Strength, something He allows us to have. But our hearts and minds, that's what we can give to Him. And if we give it all over to Him, He will transform us into who He has always meant for us to be. And what I love is that it isn't impossible! Nothing is impossible for our Heavenly Father. We just need to consciously choose Him. Choose it in your mind, and your heart will follow.<br />
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I am so proud of you and the major indexing you guys have done!! You will definitely get first this time!! And the Meet the Mormons movie sounds great! I have heard lots about it, and I hope lots go and see it! Well, transfers are coming up in a week and a half, and I really do not want to leave this ward! But, whatever happens happens, and I will love where ever I am! I love you fam! Keep up the good work!<br />
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Con mucho amor,<br />
Hermana Clark<br />
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Jeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13380658315367317804noreply@blogger.com0