Where did this week go?

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.

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.

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??"

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.

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.

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.



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!



Love you to Bolivia and back,

Hermana Clark

Who's up for round two?? And Happy Birthday Michael!

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.

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.

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!

Love you a million billion cinnamon bears!
Hermana Clark

Muddy cars and braided hair... Welcome to Carnaval!

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!

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!

Love from Bolivia!
Hermana Clark

Hola mi familia!

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!

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!

Love you a million bowls of mint chip Rite Aid ice-cream:)
Herman Clark

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!

Bienvenidos a Febrero! And Happy Birthday Dad and Grandma Clark!

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.

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!

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.

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!

Love a million billion red skittles,
Hermana Clark

Good morning from Santa Cruz! And Happy Birthday Jason!

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. 

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. :)

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! 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Clark

Bienvenidos a Santa Cruz! And Happy Birthday Bella!!!

Thank you Kuoha Family for the package!! Loved it! It was perfect and so yummy!! :)

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!

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!

Much love from Santa Cruz,
Hermana Clark