Hey Guys!
Alriiiiight! I bit of a more eventful week this week.
This week we got to do some service for the library. We moved a whole bunch of books and set them up so that the library could sell them. They were so nice to us. They let us pick out 2 or 3 for us to take home. I took a spanish text book so that I could practice more and get better. It reminds me of my high school days of studying spanish. "Hola! Como estas?" heheh ^_^;. Afterwards we got some Panda Express and the guys put me up to a Cinnaman (however you spell it) Challange. I had nooooo idea what I was getting myself into >_<. The Challange consists of the person takeing a table spoon of Cinnamen putting in their mouth and trying to swallow it all. My whole stratagy was to swollow it nice and quick. Baaaaaad idea >_<. The Cinnomen (wow lots of ways to spell it :D) dried up EVERYTHING in my mouth and it was pretty much impossible to get it down. I gagged on the stuff and that's when the hot spicyness came it (try to imagine a Big Red piece of gum and multiply that by 100) I ran to the sink and coughed and hacked and spit and everything. Cinnomen was pretty much everywhere! Even in my nose >_<. For the rest of the day I was blowing my nose and Cinnomen was coming out. Even to the next morning I had cinnomen coming out of there. It was awful. Something I plan on not doing again anytime soon ^_^;;.
So anyway on another note. I got to teach Andrea (the niece of a family who are members from Mexico) again. We taught the plan of Salvation and I got to practice up my spanish again. It was pretty good, but Elder Pastor as usual helped me out and was able to fill in the gaps. He also had some cool visual aids this time. I was trying my absolute best to understand all he was saying and all that Andrea and her Aunt where saying. After we left Elder Pastor revealed to me that Andrea's mom had passed away 3 years ago. Apparently she really needed that lesson and it seemed that she liked it a lot. We gave her some book of mormon reading and invited her to church. Which she ended up doing. Her aunt is trying to get her to study English and practice it, but it seems to be kind of difficult to her. When she came to church, she came to our Gospel Princeples class (the class for invistigators and recent converts) It was kind of bad timing because the lesson was about Priesthood Organization. Greaaaat. It still went kind of well though.
We Also got to start on the Recent Convert lessons with Harper. He is such a spiritual Giant. We got to watch the Restoration DVD with him and he absolutely loved it. We were all nearly in tears by the end of the movie. Me and Elder Pastor bore testimony and then I felt prompted to ask Harper if he remember the time that he prayed about Joseph Smith. He said yes as he smiled and looked down as tears filled his eyes. I reminded him of a comment that he made during our Gospel Principles class. He said that if we write things down we can remember the feelings of the Holy Ghost and better get to know how to recognize those feelings. I Reminded him of that and reminded how precious of a gift it is to be able to have truth and comfort manafested unto us by the Holy Ghost. He appreciated that and we ended the lesson with a kneeling prayer. Harper gave it and it was absolutely beautiful. He ended and we departed. I gave Harper a hug and then TOTALLY BY ACCIDENT I gave Alissa a hug too. She said "Ohh wait, aren't you not allowed?
" and I was like "Oh . . . dang it that's right >_<" THey all thought that was really funny and laughed. I guess when I get emotional like that I can sometimes let my emotions get the best of me ^_^;;.
Well that was pretty much the highlight of my week. I hope you enjoyed them. Now time to address you guys seperately as usual ^_^
Mom: Wow happy 50th birthday. I'm so happy to hear that you had such a great time. The gifts, the good wishes, and the carrot cake! Yum! ^_^. I'm glad Rachel was able to make up for my sense of humor. She has learned from the best ^_^. Happy Birthday Mom! I'm really sorry for not sending something or saying anything about it. I'll try to make it up to you. You can count on that. Thank you for pointing out how much I am blessing people. Sometimes I don't realize how many people I am affecting at this moment. I'm glad that everyone appreciates my letters ^_^. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week, and I hope that you enjoy each and every day. I love you so much.
Dad: I'm glad that you got to join in on the festivities. Way to go on getting Mom a nice bracelet and a sweet card. She deffinately liked that. You definately have a way with words *nudge nudge* ^_^. Sorry to hear about the car. Freakin I85! I've had a couple of flat tires too come to think of it. It's such a pain fixing it up, but it's pretty cool to get to know how to take apart a bike and how to do some simple maintenence and stuff. Elder Pastor is very good with bikes. He could pretty much take one all the way apart and put it back together again. Glad your still enjoying games as usual. The Sabatuer sounds pretty sweet. I can't wait to try that when I get home. But the game I most excited about trying is definately Final Fantasy XIII. Let Me know if you get a chance to play that one. I'm glad to hear the great work you are doing in the church as well. You seem to be a very good asset when it comes to church electronics and purchasing things for the church as well. Thanks for all you do for them dad, and thank you for teaching me as I grew. I was actually thinking about you when me and Elder Pastor where coming back from playing Tennis. I told him how much me and you played and how much I really enjoyed it. I feel bad now that I didn't take advantage of the time to play tennis with you. I really wish I could've played more with you, but I'm sure we'll get plenty of oppurtunities when I get back from the mish. By then I will probably played enough to maybe stand a chance against you ^_^;. Well that's about it. I love you Dad and I always think of you. Take Care
Rachel: Woooooo~ Prom girl! Heheh. How was prom by the way Rachel? Did you have a good time? I love how you made Mom's day during her birthday as well. You are always so good at coming up with those creative gift ideas (Hot flash extinguisher XD) Ahhh good one! I can't believe you got Mom to wear the tiara all day as well. Way to go! I hope all is going well for you Rachel and I hope you know that as always I miss you a whole lot. I hope things go well with Brady and with school. I know you will do well, just remember to not be lazy and apply yourself. If you do it now, you won't regret it later trust me. I love you Rachel. I hope you have an EXCELLENT week.
I love you all so much. Every day I realize how much of a blessing you guys are. I guess it's true what they say. You don't realize how important something is until you don't have it anymore. I realize how important of a roll all of you guys play, and I make sure to thank God for all that he has given me and all that you guys have done for me. Take care everyone and have a wonderful week
-Elder Clark
P.S. "Everytime I'm about to do something I ask myself 'Would an idiot do that?' and if he would. I do not do that thing." -Dwight
XD
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
"....and just trying to do my best."
Hey Family!
Well yet another week on the mish! This week was kind of slow all and all. there were some pretty good experiences this week, but in a way it was kind of frustrating. I know every week can't be super exciting and full of success, so I'm just gonna be patient and take one week at a time, and just trying to do my best.
Me and Elder Pastor are working very well together. I don't think I've mentioned this, but I've heard that it's pretty hard to go from your first companion to your 2nd because your trainer has taught you to teach a certain way, and then when you get to your second companion he teaches you to teach in a whole different way. That's kind of what happened, but I have not been fighting against it at all. I'm taking what I can learn from him and using that with what I have learned from my trainer, Elder Alldredge. It's pretty cool to see how embracing two styles can really increase teaching effectiveness. It really is something
To answer a couple questions that Dad asked about Elder Pastor. He is actually from Madrid Spain. He does have a "Theta" (I think that is what it's called) when he speaks spanish. It's pretty funny to hear him speak that way. He says that Mexican spanish is way different, and that he has to speak slowly to them because it's that different. Plus he says lots of English words have worked into Mexican spanish like "Movar" to say "To move". It's pretty funny. He told me a lot of stories of his past and what he used to do in spain. He said he went to a lot of dances that were in the local clubs in Spain. He also says that he watched a lot of Simpsons. It's really funny to rattle off some Simpsons quotes because he gets to hear what the Simpsons sound like in English. He then tells me what the translaters say in Spanish. For example: On the episode where N'Sync made a guest appearance there is this part where Milhouse says "It's N'Sync!", N'Sync comes in and one of them says "Word!" Elder Pastor didn't understand why he said "Word." "What does that mean?" he asked. I told him it's the same as saying "Dude" or "Yeah!" He understood and I asked him what they said in spanish. He said they said something like "Que hay!" I thought that was halerious, so anytime I walk into a room or something I look at Pastor and say "Que Hay!"
So in Work news we did a lot of tracting this week. Like I said it was kind of frustrating because we got a lot of people getting mad at us. This one lady pulled in as we were knocking on her door. She had a dog inside that was barking at the time and she said "What are you doing? You guys messing with my dog or something?" I explained what we were doing and she got short with me and said "No, get out of here, don't you ever mess with my dog again!" Yeah lady, you caught us. We were taunting your dog by knocking on the door. :P Pff. Me and Elder Pastor made jokes about that the whole day that day. Elder Pastor would knock on a door and if a dog started barking I would yell "Elder Pastor! Stop messing with the dog!" Heh Ohhh the halerity ^_^. We had maybe 1 or 2 people be nice to us, and one of them we had a good chat with. I have a good feeling that she may invistigate the church sometime. I don't know, maybe we planted a couple of seeds this week, who knows. I'm just going to put my faith in the Lord and continue forward.
This week actually we got in with 1 less active family and a Part member family that we normally don't get in with. One part member family, The Hansens, are really nice people. The Father,who is not a member, works for Disney Land and also volunteers for the fire department that they have in Disney Land as well. He showed us videos that he took with his sweet High definition video camara made by V-Hold (Dad you should check them out). It was a camara that he was able to attatch to his helmet and take video of him doing training against kitchen fires and such. It was really cool to watch. I especially like how all the firefighters had the word "Disney" written on their uniforms. It was funny ^_^. We got them to let us come a couple more times to start giving the discussions. The Father is a Catholic, but only because he was born that way. He says he doesn't like some of the hypocrasy and such, so it seems like he's really interested in hearing what we believe. The wife is very strong in the church, so I think that she will be a great aid for us because she can bare testimony and be a good example for him.
We also got in with the Mersola Family. This is a very interesting case. The Father is borderline Athiest and the Mother discribed herself as a "Jack Mormon". She said this when she was telling us how good she was at Black Jack and how she was able to either brake even or gain lots of money. Apparantly when she was around 14 years old she was beginning to be a bit rebilious. She was skipping school and other little rebellious things like that. The bishop told her that she was kind of straying on to the wrong path and this offended her, and so she had never been to church since. She also had a big problem with the church telling her to vote for Prop 8. She is quite the open minded individual and she believes that Gay people have just as much right to marry as straight people do. I really admire that, but sometimes that kind of attitude can really cause corruption and lead to other things that may be straying from the path. She also told us that her son was on the baseball team and that he was good at every position. She said that she trained him how to not be afraid of the ball by chucking balls at him. She said that it may sound abbusive, but that it did cure him of his fear and now he is a very great baseball player. Already with this lady I am sensing a great bit of pride. I hope that we can help her out. She has a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and she really enjoys our visits. We'll see what will happen with them.
I'm really supprised to see the ammount of less active people that I have come in contact with leave the church because of being offended. In fact, EVERY less active family I have met with left because of being offended. It's usually a combined case of members persicuting those who are different, and the less active person being easily offended. I really wish that members would realize that we should love all of our brothers and sisters, and not judge them for their weaknesses or follies, but rather love and support them, and I really wish that those who fall away could realize that it's not the members that make the church. It's Jesus Christ, who is the chief cornerstone of our church that reigns at the head. Oh what a different world we would live in if that were the case, however we are all not perfect, and I forgive them, and I will do my best to love and support all of them the best that I can.
Well that's enough of me rambling. I gonna talk to you guys seperately. "You gotta keep em seperated" (Offspring quote) XD
Mom: Thank you so much for keeping me updated with how everyone at DFS is doing. It really warms my heart to know how much of an impact I've made with these people. I think I will try to write them a letter, just to let them know that I am thinking about them. Let them know that I am still thinking about them. I admit I haven't really had that much time to practice my forms, but I will try to practice them just to keep the moves fresh in my mind ^_^;. I'm glad that Chris is really learning, and I hope that he does well in the Marines. He is a strong willed man and I know he will do great in whatever he puts his mind to. I hope you have an awesome time at that conference. I'm glad you get the oppurtunity to sing in the choir. I actually get to sing in the ward choir during a special stake conference where one of the 70 is coming into town to speak to all of us on May 3rd. It's going to be an awesome experience. Elder Pastor may actually sing with me too, since he has a good voice as well. Well glad that everything is going well and you are enjoying spring. I hear that Summer is really hot here in southern California, but not nearly as humid as Georgia. Guess I'll find out soon enough eh ^_^;;. I Love you mom and I can't wait until Mother's day as well ^_^.
Dad: Glad to hear everything was going well with you. Thanks for sharing another one of your mission stories with me. I hope that if that happens to me, that I will be a fit enough "referee" to help the couple out ^_^;. I also really enjoyed reading about your open mic night with Al. I so wish I could've been there when you layed down some Phat slab bass beats man! Ahh, I bet you felt like the coolest guy in the club, the cats pajamas, the bees knees 8). (that's a smiley with sunglasses by the way XD). Anyway glad to hear everything is going good. Hope you have an EXCELLENT week *guitar solo*. I love you dad
Rachel: Hope all is going well with you and Brady. I printed out the picture of you on horse back. I'm so glad you go that oppurtunity to bring back memories of you when you were 5 ^_^. Hope you do well in school. I know you can do it sis. DO IT FOR STAKE! heheh ^_^ I love you sister more then wards can say.
I love you all. Take care!
-Elder Clark
Well yet another week on the mish! This week was kind of slow all and all. there were some pretty good experiences this week, but in a way it was kind of frustrating. I know every week can't be super exciting and full of success, so I'm just gonna be patient and take one week at a time, and just trying to do my best.
Me and Elder Pastor are working very well together. I don't think I've mentioned this, but I've heard that it's pretty hard to go from your first companion to your 2nd because your trainer has taught you to teach a certain way, and then when you get to your second companion he teaches you to teach in a whole different way. That's kind of what happened, but I have not been fighting against it at all. I'm taking what I can learn from him and using that with what I have learned from my trainer, Elder Alldredge. It's pretty cool to see how embracing two styles can really increase teaching effectiveness. It really is something
To answer a couple questions that Dad asked about Elder Pastor. He is actually from Madrid Spain. He does have a "Theta" (I think that is what it's called) when he speaks spanish. It's pretty funny to hear him speak that way. He says that Mexican spanish is way different, and that he has to speak slowly to them because it's that different. Plus he says lots of English words have worked into Mexican spanish like "Movar" to say "To move". It's pretty funny. He told me a lot of stories of his past and what he used to do in spain. He said he went to a lot of dances that were in the local clubs in Spain. He also says that he watched a lot of Simpsons. It's really funny to rattle off some Simpsons quotes because he gets to hear what the Simpsons sound like in English. He then tells me what the translaters say in Spanish. For example: On the episode where N'Sync made a guest appearance there is this part where Milhouse says "It's N'Sync!", N'Sync comes in and one of them says "Word!" Elder Pastor didn't understand why he said "Word." "What does that mean?" he asked. I told him it's the same as saying "Dude" or "Yeah!" He understood and I asked him what they said in spanish. He said they said something like "Que hay!" I thought that was halerious, so anytime I walk into a room or something I look at Pastor and say "Que Hay!"
So in Work news we did a lot of tracting this week. Like I said it was kind of frustrating because we got a lot of people getting mad at us. This one lady pulled in as we were knocking on her door. She had a dog inside that was barking at the time and she said "What are you doing? You guys messing with my dog or something?" I explained what we were doing and she got short with me and said "No, get out of here, don't you ever mess with my dog again!" Yeah lady, you caught us. We were taunting your dog by knocking on the door. :P Pff. Me and Elder Pastor made jokes about that the whole day that day. Elder Pastor would knock on a door and if a dog started barking I would yell "Elder Pastor! Stop messing with the dog!" Heh Ohhh the halerity ^_^. We had maybe 1 or 2 people be nice to us, and one of them we had a good chat with. I have a good feeling that she may invistigate the church sometime. I don't know, maybe we planted a couple of seeds this week, who knows. I'm just going to put my faith in the Lord and continue forward.
This week actually we got in with 1 less active family and a Part member family that we normally don't get in with. One part member family, The Hansens, are really nice people. The Father,who is not a member, works for Disney Land and also volunteers for the fire department that they have in Disney Land as well. He showed us videos that he took with his sweet High definition video camara made by V-Hold (Dad you should check them out). It was a camara that he was able to attatch to his helmet and take video of him doing training against kitchen fires and such. It was really cool to watch. I especially like how all the firefighters had the word "Disney" written on their uniforms. It was funny ^_^. We got them to let us come a couple more times to start giving the discussions. The Father is a Catholic, but only because he was born that way. He says he doesn't like some of the hypocrasy and such, so it seems like he's really interested in hearing what we believe. The wife is very strong in the church, so I think that she will be a great aid for us because she can bare testimony and be a good example for him.
We also got in with the Mersola Family. This is a very interesting case. The Father is borderline Athiest and the Mother discribed herself as a "Jack Mormon". She said this when she was telling us how good she was at Black Jack and how she was able to either brake even or gain lots of money. Apparantly when she was around 14 years old she was beginning to be a bit rebilious. She was skipping school and other little rebellious things like that. The bishop told her that she was kind of straying on to the wrong path and this offended her, and so she had never been to church since. She also had a big problem with the church telling her to vote for Prop 8. She is quite the open minded individual and she believes that Gay people have just as much right to marry as straight people do. I really admire that, but sometimes that kind of attitude can really cause corruption and lead to other things that may be straying from the path. She also told us that her son was on the baseball team and that he was good at every position. She said that she trained him how to not be afraid of the ball by chucking balls at him. She said that it may sound abbusive, but that it did cure him of his fear and now he is a very great baseball player. Already with this lady I am sensing a great bit of pride. I hope that we can help her out. She has a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and she really enjoys our visits. We'll see what will happen with them.
I'm really supprised to see the ammount of less active people that I have come in contact with leave the church because of being offended. In fact, EVERY less active family I have met with left because of being offended. It's usually a combined case of members persicuting those who are different, and the less active person being easily offended. I really wish that members would realize that we should love all of our brothers and sisters, and not judge them for their weaknesses or follies, but rather love and support them, and I really wish that those who fall away could realize that it's not the members that make the church. It's Jesus Christ, who is the chief cornerstone of our church that reigns at the head. Oh what a different world we would live in if that were the case, however we are all not perfect, and I forgive them, and I will do my best to love and support all of them the best that I can.
Well that's enough of me rambling. I gonna talk to you guys seperately. "You gotta keep em seperated" (Offspring quote) XD
Mom: Thank you so much for keeping me updated with how everyone at DFS is doing. It really warms my heart to know how much of an impact I've made with these people. I think I will try to write them a letter, just to let them know that I am thinking about them. Let them know that I am still thinking about them. I admit I haven't really had that much time to practice my forms, but I will try to practice them just to keep the moves fresh in my mind ^_^;. I'm glad that Chris is really learning, and I hope that he does well in the Marines. He is a strong willed man and I know he will do great in whatever he puts his mind to. I hope you have an awesome time at that conference. I'm glad you get the oppurtunity to sing in the choir. I actually get to sing in the ward choir during a special stake conference where one of the 70 is coming into town to speak to all of us on May 3rd. It's going to be an awesome experience. Elder Pastor may actually sing with me too, since he has a good voice as well. Well glad that everything is going well and you are enjoying spring. I hear that Summer is really hot here in southern California, but not nearly as humid as Georgia. Guess I'll find out soon enough eh ^_^;;. I Love you mom and I can't wait until Mother's day as well ^_^.
Dad: Glad to hear everything was going well with you. Thanks for sharing another one of your mission stories with me. I hope that if that happens to me, that I will be a fit enough "referee" to help the couple out ^_^;. I also really enjoyed reading about your open mic night with Al. I so wish I could've been there when you layed down some Phat slab bass beats man! Ahh, I bet you felt like the coolest guy in the club, the cats pajamas, the bees knees 8). (that's a smiley with sunglasses by the way XD). Anyway glad to hear everything is going good. Hope you have an EXCELLENT week *guitar solo*. I love you dad
Rachel: Hope all is going well with you and Brady. I printed out the picture of you on horse back. I'm so glad you go that oppurtunity to bring back memories of you when you were 5 ^_^. Hope you do well in school. I know you can do it sis. DO IT FOR STAKE! heheh ^_^ I love you sister more then wards can say.
I love you all. Take care!
-Elder Clark
Saturday, April 17, 2010
My new companion from Spain-Elder Pastor
Heeey Family!
Yet another great week! This week I kind of got to lead because Elder Pastor (My new companion from spain) really didn't know the area all that well. So I got to make all the plans, set up the appointments, go tracting and everything. It was pretty hectic ^_^;. I wanted to make sure that I didn't everything that I could to to make every hour count. Elder Pastor said that I've done a really good job.
I do miss working with Elder Alldredge, but it's not to bad because he just moved from the Burbank 2nd ward area (The one I'm in) to the Burbank 3rd ward area. Burbank 2nd and 3rd ward Elder's share an appartment so pretty much Elder Alldredge just moved across the hall. So I still get to see him! Yay!
Anyway I wish I could tell you guys a really good spiritual story that happened with a single person, but really all that happened where a couple of small miracles.
One that I remember the most was when this lady pulled up to us in her car, somewhat on the verge of tears, and asked us to pray for her boyfriend. It was kind of a sad story. She said that he had a tendency to stay away from addictions and then, due to some outside influence, slip back into them. My campion told about how he used to have addiction problems as well and that all it took was a change of lifestyle that made him stay on the right path (i.e. moving from spain to Utah) She seemed to like that advice. I was prompted to say that sometimes all we really can do is be an example to others and be the best that we can be. By following the example of Jesus Christ and then guiding others to do the same is the best thing that we can do, and it's pretty much what I do as well. This seemed to really touch her because she said that taht was the answer that she has been getting for 5 months now, and that I just confirmed it. She recognized that the words that we were saying were trully God's words. I was stunned, amazed, and filled with the spirit. I guess sometimes I don't give myself enough credit in certain situations, but yes, I realize that by trusting in the lord we can all speak with the "tounge of angels" and speak the words of god.
Me and Elder Pastor also taught the Eccles family's niece. Her name is Andrea and she moved from Mexico. The Eccles' are members, but the niece is not. We decided to begin teaching her by showing her "The Restoration" DVD. She really enjoyed it and didn't have a problem with it all. She is still trying to learn English so she had a hard time understanding when I spoke English. Elder Pastor spoke spanish to her and I tried my best to understand everything. Suprisingly I caught a lot of things he was saying and was able to somewhat follow the conversation. It was awesome. This last Sunday we taught her again and we watched "The Testaments" which makes me cry at the end every time. Again we talked to her in spanish and I was able to bear my testimony in Spanish. Oh how awesome it was to speak another language and feel the same spirit that I had felt all my life. I felt as though my words were being guided as well, that even though I wasn't speaking my native tounge I still knew what to say. It was wonderful and I loved the feeling that I had the whole time.
Well, those where the main things that happened. Time to talk to you guys seperately now
Rachel: It was awesome to recieve a letter from you telling about your awesome experience in "SWEET HOME ALABAAAAMA!" heheh ^_^. I immediately was thrown back in time when you mentioned that you went horse back riding. I had a Sister in my MTC district that loved riding horses. She said that riding by yourself in the awesome scenery of the woods was like speeding around with your best friend. I hope that you felt that way too as you cantered along (yes I still remember some of the terms). I also like to comment on the way you discribed your experience with Uncle Jef. You sounded just like a well known author. You have great writing skills Rachel. Keep it up! Anyway I'm glad you had a great time and I hope to hear more from you. Keep up the good work and know that I love you very much. You have definately been there from me when I needed you. I don't think I can say those things enough ^_^.
Mom: I'm glad you had a great time with dad. Thanks so much for the spiritual thoughts. I love visualizing Jesus Christ's arms incircling us in our times of need whenever we need him. It's such a comforting feeling. Glad you guys got to feel young again and take a night out on the town with Dad rockin the bass. Sounds like fun and I miss hearing him play. It trully was a treat to hear him and his awesome skills. Well, I hope you have a great week mom. Hope everything i well with you, and I hope you don't get to stressed. One day at a time. I love you so much mom and I can't wait until Mother's day as well ^_^
Dad: Sounds like you had quite the hecktic week like me ^_^;. I hope your next weekend will be a little more relaxing. I'm glad you got to play Bass in front of a bunch of screaming fans. Woot! heheh ^_^;. Maybe not exactly, but still fun. You still considering doing that one man band thing? I really hope that works out. Oh! Speaking of which I don't think I've mentioned one of the members that I have been Teaching. His name is Micheal Skews and he used to be in a band called Fatel Attraction. He's met Motley Crue and Ted Nugent! He is so awesome! He is also a HUUUUUGE fan of Kiss. He's got all their murchandise and everything. Pin ball machines, belt buckles, you name it! Heheh just thought I would mention that. Well I hope you have a good week. I love you so much dad and I can't wait to get home and recieve a world class guitar solo to the face again XD.
well Family I love you to pieces! Hope everything will be EXCELLENT *Guitar solo*
-Elder Clark
P.S. "put them in the Iron Maiden"
"EXCELLENT"
"Execute them"
". . .booogus"
(this one is for Rachel)
"Ask what place I got!"
"Which?"
"THIS MANY!"
"Flat?"
"FIFTH DUMMY!"
Yet another great week! This week I kind of got to lead because Elder Pastor (My new companion from spain) really didn't know the area all that well. So I got to make all the plans, set up the appointments, go tracting and everything. It was pretty hectic ^_^;. I wanted to make sure that I didn't everything that I could to to make every hour count. Elder Pastor said that I've done a really good job.
I do miss working with Elder Alldredge, but it's not to bad because he just moved from the Burbank 2nd ward area (The one I'm in) to the Burbank 3rd ward area. Burbank 2nd and 3rd ward Elder's share an appartment so pretty much Elder Alldredge just moved across the hall. So I still get to see him! Yay!
Anyway I wish I could tell you guys a really good spiritual story that happened with a single person, but really all that happened where a couple of small miracles.
One that I remember the most was when this lady pulled up to us in her car, somewhat on the verge of tears, and asked us to pray for her boyfriend. It was kind of a sad story. She said that he had a tendency to stay away from addictions and then, due to some outside influence, slip back into them. My campion told about how he used to have addiction problems as well and that all it took was a change of lifestyle that made him stay on the right path (i.e. moving from spain to Utah) She seemed to like that advice. I was prompted to say that sometimes all we really can do is be an example to others and be the best that we can be. By following the example of Jesus Christ and then guiding others to do the same is the best thing that we can do, and it's pretty much what I do as well. This seemed to really touch her because she said that taht was the answer that she has been getting for 5 months now, and that I just confirmed it. She recognized that the words that we were saying were trully God's words. I was stunned, amazed, and filled with the spirit. I guess sometimes I don't give myself enough credit in certain situations, but yes, I realize that by trusting in the lord we can all speak with the "tounge of angels" and speak the words of god.
Me and Elder Pastor also taught the Eccles family's niece. Her name is Andrea and she moved from Mexico. The Eccles' are members, but the niece is not. We decided to begin teaching her by showing her "The Restoration" DVD. She really enjoyed it and didn't have a problem with it all. She is still trying to learn English so she had a hard time understanding when I spoke English. Elder Pastor spoke spanish to her and I tried my best to understand everything. Suprisingly I caught a lot of things he was saying and was able to somewhat follow the conversation. It was awesome. This last Sunday we taught her again and we watched "The Testaments" which makes me cry at the end every time. Again we talked to her in spanish and I was able to bear my testimony in Spanish. Oh how awesome it was to speak another language and feel the same spirit that I had felt all my life. I felt as though my words were being guided as well, that even though I wasn't speaking my native tounge I still knew what to say. It was wonderful and I loved the feeling that I had the whole time.
Well, those where the main things that happened. Time to talk to you guys seperately now
Rachel: It was awesome to recieve a letter from you telling about your awesome experience in "SWEET HOME ALABAAAAMA!" heheh ^_^. I immediately was thrown back in time when you mentioned that you went horse back riding. I had a Sister in my MTC district that loved riding horses. She said that riding by yourself in the awesome scenery of the woods was like speeding around with your best friend. I hope that you felt that way too as you cantered along (yes I still remember some of the terms). I also like to comment on the way you discribed your experience with Uncle Jef. You sounded just like a well known author. You have great writing skills Rachel. Keep it up! Anyway I'm glad you had a great time and I hope to hear more from you. Keep up the good work and know that I love you very much. You have definately been there from me when I needed you. I don't think I can say those things enough ^_^.
Mom: I'm glad you had a great time with dad. Thanks so much for the spiritual thoughts. I love visualizing Jesus Christ's arms incircling us in our times of need whenever we need him. It's such a comforting feeling. Glad you guys got to feel young again and take a night out on the town with Dad rockin the bass. Sounds like fun and I miss hearing him play. It trully was a treat to hear him and his awesome skills. Well, I hope you have a great week mom. Hope everything i well with you, and I hope you don't get to stressed. One day at a time. I love you so much mom and I can't wait until Mother's day as well ^_^
Dad: Sounds like you had quite the hecktic week like me ^_^;. I hope your next weekend will be a little more relaxing. I'm glad you got to play Bass in front of a bunch of screaming fans. Woot! heheh ^_^;. Maybe not exactly, but still fun. You still considering doing that one man band thing? I really hope that works out. Oh! Speaking of which I don't think I've mentioned one of the members that I have been Teaching. His name is Micheal Skews and he used to be in a band called Fatel Attraction. He's met Motley Crue and Ted Nugent! He is so awesome! He is also a HUUUUUGE fan of Kiss. He's got all their murchandise and everything. Pin ball machines, belt buckles, you name it! Heheh just thought I would mention that. Well I hope you have a good week. I love you so much dad and I can't wait to get home and recieve a world class guitar solo to the face again XD.
well Family I love you to pieces! Hope everything will be EXCELLENT *Guitar solo*
-Elder Clark
P.S. "put them in the Iron Maiden"
"EXCELLENT"
"Execute them"
". . .booogus"
(this one is for Rachel)
"Ask what place I got!"
"Which?"
"THIS MANY!"
"Flat?"
"FIFTH DUMMY!"
Saturday, April 10, 2010
My First Baptism in the Field
Heeey Family,
Well Transfers came and gone and I am goooiiiiiiing no where :P. I'm staying here in Burbank for another 6 weeks with a new companion named Elder Pastor! He's from Spain! Sounds exciting eh? I'll let you guys know how he is. He's gonna be coming today from Van Nuys. I hope we will get along and that I can learn lots of spanish from him, since Elder Alldredge never served in a spanish area.
Anyway I bet you guys are dying to know how my baptism went! I'm telling you guys right now that it was the best day of my entire life. Right when I walked in and got dressed I began to erupt in excitement. My heart was racing and I just couldn't wait to perform that wonderful ordinance for Harper. I was also chosen to lead the music as well so it was quite a busy baptism for me ^_^;. Harpers Girlfriend (Alissa)'s, Dad gave the talk on the Baptism. It was a nice talk that was very well organized and much like the missionary discussion on baptism. He definately knew what he was talking about. Allisa spoke on the Holy Ghost and decided to share a couple of stories of her mission in Hong Kong. I'm so jelouse (yes I know I butchered the spelling) that she got to go to Hong Kong. She bore wonderful testimony of the reality and the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost. The musical number was next. This guy played a basoon to this hymn (I really wish I could remember, but I can't. Don't worry I wrote all the details in my journal and saved the program). Anyway after the musical number it was time for the baptism.
I lead Harper into the water, I placed my hands in the right positions and I gave the prayer loud, clear, and slowly. After doing so, I plunged him into the water and brought him out. His first reaction was to look towards the glass where the children were and then at me. He almost seemed as though he were startled and a bit confused. I looked up into his eyes and saw absolute peace in his countenace. I offered a hug and he grabbed me squeezing me tightly. He gave two sobs and whispered "Thank you. . ." My heart was very full as I lead him out of the water and into the changing room. We changed in silence out of reverence of what just happened. Harper told me that this reminded him of Ian's Baptism (a baptism we took him to see before his baptism about 2 weeks ago) and how one of the speakers said that afterwards that Ian was the most sinless person on the planet. I replied to that statement saying "It's an awesome feeling huh?" He answered "Yeah, it has to be." We quickly finished and went back into the relief society room. There we listened to the last bit of my companion Elder Alldredge's testimony.
It was time for confirmation after Elder Alldredge's words. Allisa's dad did the comfirmation and it was very genuine and beautiful. Afterwords Harper got up hugged Allisa's Dad and shook hands with everyone else. I stuck out my hand for a handshake but he grabbed me and gave me a big hug instead. He's such a great guy ^_^
Harper had the oppurtunity to bear his testimony at the end. He told the story of his conversion and how before he felt alone and incomplete, but after meeting the missionaries he felt like it was right. He told of how he moved and then met us. He specifically commented on how I taught him to search for experiences that he can look for that will strengthen his relationship with Christ. He says that he has and that he was so grateful.
Guys, being able to see the absolute joy and peace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring pretty much sealed my testimony. I cannot deny the truth of this church and the power that I hold as a priesthood holder. I am so grateful to have that power and to be able to see someone achieve absolute joy and peace in their lives by me exercising that power and bringing them unto Christ. I know this is a true church and that Chirst set the perfect example. By following his example we can live happier and fuller lives.
Alright time for some one on one
Mom: I'm glad that things are going well with work still. I still think it's awesome that you get to work with my boss. Bobby Stone is so awesome to work with. I kinda wish I could've worked harder now that I look back on it. I did do a lot, but I think I could've given more, but dwelling on the past never got me anywhere ^_^;;. I hope that you will be able to enjoy that job each day and view it as a pleasure rather than a burden.
I saw the pictures that Dad sent of the Beltmore mansion. Those are some awesome pictures, and you guys already look kind of different heh ^_^; It's gonna be wierd coming back and seeing what you guys look like after 2 years! Maybe Rachel will have grown out her hair! Woaah! heheh ^_^;. Anyway I love you mom and I hope all is going well for you
Dad: Thanks for the update on everything. I'm glad you are fixen the PA system problem. It sucks that you got a speeding ticket. Speeding tickets here aren't as common, but parking tickets OH MAN! Don't get me started. The other Elders get one every transfer. Sometimes it's hard to tell because street cleaners clean random streets and the signs aren't placed very well sometimes. Peh! But the speed trap things sounds way more annoying. Sorry to hear about that ^_^;
Thanks for sending the rackets! I will let you know if they get here on April 7th.
Good luck in Tomb Raider and GT4. I know how much you like those, despite your complaints sometimes heh ^_^. Have you checked out Final Fantasy XIII? I heard it's pretty dang amazing. Let me know if you get a chance to play it. I don't think you have got into any RPG's in a while have you? Heh get on it!
Well as always I love you Dad. I can't wait to see you again and play some sweet Tennis. Until THen!
Rachel: I hope that all is going well for you. I hope you have fun in Alabama with Kayla! Seems like you guys are really great friends. What about your boyfriend Braden? How is he doing? Heh fill me in sis. I love you so much Rachel. I miss you every day and I will never forget how much of a help you were to me. Always willing to listen to my complaints and stuff ^_^;. Take care Rachel and always do your best.
I love you all and I wish nothing but the best for you guys. I hope you guys have a wonderful week and will always remember the missionaries in your prayers. They need them. It's tough, but with Heavenly Father, anything is possible. Take Care and Live for the day!
-Elder Clark
Well Transfers came and gone and I am goooiiiiiiing no where :P. I'm staying here in Burbank for another 6 weeks with a new companion named Elder Pastor! He's from Spain! Sounds exciting eh? I'll let you guys know how he is. He's gonna be coming today from Van Nuys. I hope we will get along and that I can learn lots of spanish from him, since Elder Alldredge never served in a spanish area.
Anyway I bet you guys are dying to know how my baptism went! I'm telling you guys right now that it was the best day of my entire life. Right when I walked in and got dressed I began to erupt in excitement. My heart was racing and I just couldn't wait to perform that wonderful ordinance for Harper. I was also chosen to lead the music as well so it was quite a busy baptism for me ^_^;. Harpers Girlfriend (Alissa)'s, Dad gave the talk on the Baptism. It was a nice talk that was very well organized and much like the missionary discussion on baptism. He definately knew what he was talking about. Allisa spoke on the Holy Ghost and decided to share a couple of stories of her mission in Hong Kong. I'm so jelouse (yes I know I butchered the spelling) that she got to go to Hong Kong. She bore wonderful testimony of the reality and the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost. The musical number was next. This guy played a basoon to this hymn (I really wish I could remember, but I can't. Don't worry I wrote all the details in my journal and saved the program). Anyway after the musical number it was time for the baptism.
I lead Harper into the water, I placed my hands in the right positions and I gave the prayer loud, clear, and slowly. After doing so, I plunged him into the water and brought him out. His first reaction was to look towards the glass where the children were and then at me. He almost seemed as though he were startled and a bit confused. I looked up into his eyes and saw absolute peace in his countenace. I offered a hug and he grabbed me squeezing me tightly. He gave two sobs and whispered "Thank you. . ." My heart was very full as I lead him out of the water and into the changing room. We changed in silence out of reverence of what just happened. Harper told me that this reminded him of Ian's Baptism (a baptism we took him to see before his baptism about 2 weeks ago) and how one of the speakers said that afterwards that Ian was the most sinless person on the planet. I replied to that statement saying "It's an awesome feeling huh?" He answered "Yeah, it has to be." We quickly finished and went back into the relief society room. There we listened to the last bit of my companion Elder Alldredge's testimony.
It was time for confirmation after Elder Alldredge's words. Allisa's dad did the comfirmation and it was very genuine and beautiful. Afterwords Harper got up hugged Allisa's Dad and shook hands with everyone else. I stuck out my hand for a handshake but he grabbed me and gave me a big hug instead. He's such a great guy ^_^
Harper had the oppurtunity to bear his testimony at the end. He told the story of his conversion and how before he felt alone and incomplete, but after meeting the missionaries he felt like it was right. He told of how he moved and then met us. He specifically commented on how I taught him to search for experiences that he can look for that will strengthen his relationship with Christ. He says that he has and that he was so grateful.
Guys, being able to see the absolute joy and peace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring pretty much sealed my testimony. I cannot deny the truth of this church and the power that I hold as a priesthood holder. I am so grateful to have that power and to be able to see someone achieve absolute joy and peace in their lives by me exercising that power and bringing them unto Christ. I know this is a true church and that Chirst set the perfect example. By following his example we can live happier and fuller lives.
Alright time for some one on one
Mom: I'm glad that things are going well with work still. I still think it's awesome that you get to work with my boss. Bobby Stone is so awesome to work with. I kinda wish I could've worked harder now that I look back on it. I did do a lot, but I think I could've given more, but dwelling on the past never got me anywhere ^_^;;. I hope that you will be able to enjoy that job each day and view it as a pleasure rather than a burden.
I saw the pictures that Dad sent of the Beltmore mansion. Those are some awesome pictures, and you guys already look kind of different heh ^_^; It's gonna be wierd coming back and seeing what you guys look like after 2 years! Maybe Rachel will have grown out her hair! Woaah! heheh ^_^;. Anyway I love you mom and I hope all is going well for you
Dad: Thanks for the update on everything. I'm glad you are fixen the PA system problem. It sucks that you got a speeding ticket. Speeding tickets here aren't as common, but parking tickets OH MAN! Don't get me started. The other Elders get one every transfer. Sometimes it's hard to tell because street cleaners clean random streets and the signs aren't placed very well sometimes. Peh! But the speed trap things sounds way more annoying. Sorry to hear about that ^_^;
Thanks for sending the rackets! I will let you know if they get here on April 7th.
Good luck in Tomb Raider and GT4. I know how much you like those, despite your complaints sometimes heh ^_^. Have you checked out Final Fantasy XIII? I heard it's pretty dang amazing. Let me know if you get a chance to play it. I don't think you have got into any RPG's in a while have you? Heh get on it!
Well as always I love you Dad. I can't wait to see you again and play some sweet Tennis. Until THen!
Rachel: I hope that all is going well for you. I hope you have fun in Alabama with Kayla! Seems like you guys are really great friends. What about your boyfriend Braden? How is he doing? Heh fill me in sis. I love you so much Rachel. I miss you every day and I will never forget how much of a help you were to me. Always willing to listen to my complaints and stuff ^_^;. Take care Rachel and always do your best.
I love you all and I wish nothing but the best for you guys. I hope you guys have a wonderful week and will always remember the missionaries in your prayers. They need them. It's tough, but with Heavenly Father, anything is possible. Take Care and Live for the day!
-Elder Clark
Monday, April 5, 2010
2 transfers down!!
Hey Hey Family!
Another wonderful P-day and it's the last week before another transfer! Yep, that's right, next week is transfers and I think some things are going to go down. I think that I might be transfered out, or my companion might be transfered out. Either way I'll go wherever I need to go and do whatever I need to do ^_^.
Anyway this last week has been absolutely awesome!
We got a lot of lessons in this last week. We taught Harper and Alissa again. We taught them the 4th lesson which has all of the commandments and Harper was more than willing to keep them all. We then made plans for him to get his baptismal (spelling corrected hopefully ^_^;) interview the following Sunday, but before that we came by and taught him about temples as well. We talked about what is done and there and how we can help those who have passed on and are in the spirit world. He got really excited and thanked us for that lesson. He was wondering how things worked in the spirit world. He asked how people where taught in the spirit world and how they can recieve ordanances. D&C 186 (I think) Explains that exact thing very well and he really understood. Turns out he is really eager to do temple work for his father who has recently passed away. This guy is amazing! I absolutely love him. Here's the greatest news as well. This Sunday after his baptismal interview Harper came up to me and asked if I would be the one who would baptize him. I was absolutely honored to do so. You don't understand how AMAZINGLY excited I am. Ohhh man that day is going to take forever to get here. So the baptism is this Saturday between conference sessions (which I hope you guys will watch ;)) and I will take lots of pictures (which on a side note I'm thinking of sending the card home so that you guys can put them all on my blog or something because sending them by e-mail is just way to time consuming).
Anyway that was the highlight. Also this week we payed a visit to Sister Forrand again who is an 80 year old woman living in a retirement home. We have visited her many times and on this particular visit we re told the Joseph Smith story. At the end she offered to give to prayer again (which made me happy because like I have said in the past she gives the most genuine prayers I have ever heard) She gave lots of thanks to heavenly father for us to "visit an old woman" like herself. She really enjoyed the spirit and it really makes her happy when we come over. I assume that she doesn't get that many visitors at all. I am so happy that I can do that for someone, especially for a sole as lonely as hers. She really has inspired me to persue my medical career and to find charity events that I can help out in. She had worked as a nerse in St. Joseph's hospital. She told us a story of how she dressed up as a clown one day so that she could cheer up some of the patients. She would respond to people by only honking a horn. That story really warmed my heart and made me want to perform acts of service like that.
Well that's pretty much the highlights of my week. Guess I'll talk to you guys seperately
Mom: I'm so glad that you are enjoying your new job at DFS. Thank you for telling me about my students especially the Donahues (I don't know how to spell there name ^_^;) They are a really nice family and I hope that I can stay in touch with them. Tell them that I really miss them and their familiy. Tell LB and Micheal that I said hi and that I hope that they will soon get their 3rd degree so that they can be all caught up to me ^_^ heheh I bet they would like that. I'm glad you are having a great time with that.
Well as usual take care of yourself and know that I love you more than words can even discribe. You are always in my prayers and I wish only the best for you.
Dad: Sorry to hear about the PA system. Hopefully you can get stuff sorted out with that. Sorry to hear about the loss in the tennis match ^_^;. I've gotten to play some actually and I'm suprised how much of your teaching I have kept. I really can't wait to come back and whup you because I have been practicing on my mission :P heheh! I really can't wait to play tennis with you again dad. Those are some of my favorite memories with you. Hope works not killing ya. Hang in there. I love you!
Rachel: Hey rachel! I hope things are going good with school and Braaaady~. You guys go on that many dates yet? Anyway I love you so much Rachel. I hope you have a wonderful week.
Well family I hope you have a great week and know that I love you a lot. Wish me luck this next transfer. Make sure to feed the missionaries guys, and to give them lots of refferals. They are the Lord's messangers! Take care! Until next time!
-Elder Clark
Another wonderful P-day and it's the last week before another transfer! Yep, that's right, next week is transfers and I think some things are going to go down. I think that I might be transfered out, or my companion might be transfered out. Either way I'll go wherever I need to go and do whatever I need to do ^_^.
Anyway this last week has been absolutely awesome!
We got a lot of lessons in this last week. We taught Harper and Alissa again. We taught them the 4th lesson which has all of the commandments and Harper was more than willing to keep them all. We then made plans for him to get his baptismal (spelling corrected hopefully ^_^;) interview the following Sunday, but before that we came by and taught him about temples as well. We talked about what is done and there and how we can help those who have passed on and are in the spirit world. He got really excited and thanked us for that lesson. He was wondering how things worked in the spirit world. He asked how people where taught in the spirit world and how they can recieve ordanances. D&C 186 (I think) Explains that exact thing very well and he really understood. Turns out he is really eager to do temple work for his father who has recently passed away. This guy is amazing! I absolutely love him. Here's the greatest news as well. This Sunday after his baptismal interview Harper came up to me and asked if I would be the one who would baptize him. I was absolutely honored to do so. You don't understand how AMAZINGLY excited I am. Ohhh man that day is going to take forever to get here. So the baptism is this Saturday between conference sessions (which I hope you guys will watch ;)) and I will take lots of pictures (which on a side note I'm thinking of sending the card home so that you guys can put them all on my blog or something because sending them by e-mail is just way to time consuming).
Anyway that was the highlight. Also this week we payed a visit to Sister Forrand again who is an 80 year old woman living in a retirement home. We have visited her many times and on this particular visit we re told the Joseph Smith story. At the end she offered to give to prayer again (which made me happy because like I have said in the past she gives the most genuine prayers I have ever heard) She gave lots of thanks to heavenly father for us to "visit an old woman" like herself. She really enjoyed the spirit and it really makes her happy when we come over. I assume that she doesn't get that many visitors at all. I am so happy that I can do that for someone, especially for a sole as lonely as hers. She really has inspired me to persue my medical career and to find charity events that I can help out in. She had worked as a nerse in St. Joseph's hospital. She told us a story of how she dressed up as a clown one day so that she could cheer up some of the patients. She would respond to people by only honking a horn. That story really warmed my heart and made me want to perform acts of service like that.
Well that's pretty much the highlights of my week. Guess I'll talk to you guys seperately
Mom: I'm so glad that you are enjoying your new job at DFS. Thank you for telling me about my students especially the Donahues (I don't know how to spell there name ^_^;) They are a really nice family and I hope that I can stay in touch with them. Tell them that I really miss them and their familiy. Tell LB and Micheal that I said hi and that I hope that they will soon get their 3rd degree so that they can be all caught up to me ^_^ heheh I bet they would like that. I'm glad you are having a great time with that.
Well as usual take care of yourself and know that I love you more than words can even discribe. You are always in my prayers and I wish only the best for you.
Dad: Sorry to hear about the PA system. Hopefully you can get stuff sorted out with that. Sorry to hear about the loss in the tennis match ^_^;. I've gotten to play some actually and I'm suprised how much of your teaching I have kept. I really can't wait to come back and whup you because I have been practicing on my mission :P heheh! I really can't wait to play tennis with you again dad. Those are some of my favorite memories with you. Hope works not killing ya. Hang in there. I love you!
Rachel: Hey rachel! I hope things are going good with school and Braaaady~. You guys go on that many dates yet? Anyway I love you so much Rachel. I hope you have a wonderful week.
Well family I hope you have a great week and know that I love you a lot. Wish me luck this next transfer. Make sure to feed the missionaries guys, and to give them lots of refferals. They are the Lord's messangers! Take care! Until next time!
-Elder Clark
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
