Week #13

This week has just been crazy and kinda stressful. But I'm feeling better now. I still have p-days on Monday. We have only tracted for an hour this week....just because we are super busy. We don't get to bed until like midnight because of call-ins with zone leaders and indicators and planning for meetings. I have never been so tired in my life... I'm dead but I love it. We picked up new missionaries at the airport on Wednesday, and that was fun. We had a training meeting and then a meeting for the new missionaries. This week is full with meetings and then next week we will be busy with exchanges with some of the missionaries in this zone. The following week we will be up in Saskatchewan on exchanges as well, and I think we might fly because of snow but not sure. We are just traveling everywhere, so i get to see the whole mission!

My new home is at the mission office and it's a two story house. It's fun I like it. I have just been super stressed and I don't know what's going on this week. I have just been a little down and not myself but I realized that and thought to myself, "what are you doing, you need to check yourself" My companion Elder McDanel is from Idaho! He is the best I love him, He's a crazy redneck! Also I met Tonya Fields' sister-in-law the other day!! Small world!! 

Being an assistant is great, I get to be around President and I love that! We had a steak dinner the other night! Pretty good eh? I don't know how long I will be an AP for....Probably a while. So I better get used to it.

President got back from a seminar in Nauvoo and said that because of the age change and increase of missionary applications, most of the people who are in North America will be serving in North America!

The baptism was sooooo good and it was just neat! Elder Wilson had to break the ICE, it was pretty thick! I baptized Logan, and let me tell you what....It was cold like ICE cold, but I just acted as if it were warm! Logan on the other hand was crying after he was baptized because it was so cold. He was in shock! Poor guy. 

I have been getting tons of letters this week that I don't know if I can even keep up with writing back. 

It's getting cold up here. Life is good though. I feel the spirit so much more now for some reason. 

I have been studying the doctrine of Christ for 7 days and it has changed my life.....I promise if each and everyone of you study the doctrine of Christ for 7 days, particularly the atonement, then you will see it change your life in a way you couldn't imagine. President and Sister Thomas challenged us to do it and the promise was real. My testimony has just grown so much from this week and just from the scriptures. I love it! 

All is well,

-Elder Clark

Week #12

I don't even know where to start... this week was just so spiritual and just crazy. 

Crystal is actually getting baptized in a river now!! and yes because we don't have a font. I had to go in and check if the water was deep enough, and i got it OK'd from the assistants. AND WOW THAT WATER IS SOOOOO COLD!!! I'm glad I'm not the one getting baptized. But I will make sure to take lots of pictures

Thursday we had district meeting and President and Sister Thomas and the assistants came. Elder Deeble, one of the assistants goes home this Friday. So President came to do a portion in the district meeting and also at the end to give us our transfer calls. This will be my second transfer, because I've only been out for 12 weeks and I just got done training. I had the weirdest feeling about that day. I just felt something was going to happen. President called Elder Wilson and I in to give us our transfer calls... I was worried because Elder Wilson and I wanted to stay together. So President told Elder Wilson that he would be staying in Dauphin to train Elder Nelson, a new missionary. Then he looked at me and said Elder Clark you'll be going with Elder McDanel. You will be the new assistant... I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Elder McDanel bore his testimony and said "When I saw your picture up with mine there was peace and comfort throughout my whole body and I know you are supposed to come to the office with me. You are supposed to be the new Assistant". President Thomas felt the same way....this doesn't happen....I just got out of training.....They said that it was all the Lord's doing. I know that the Lord has called me to be the new assistant. I'm a brand new missionary and there's tons of missionaries who have been out here for a year and I didn't understand why he didn't call one of the zone leaders. But I know that the Lord has called me to do this and that he sees something in me. This has been a very humbling experience for me. The last two days my mind has just been trying to get a hold on all of this. But I'm excited and it will be an adventure. Elder McDanel is such a good guy though! I'm learning tons from him! The only thing I have been worried about is respect from the other missionaries. But ill just jump in with a positive attitude. This coming Friday I get to pick up the new missionaries from the airport! Woohoo!

We had stake conference and Elder McDanel and I were just receiving tons of revelation on how we can help the mission. The spirit was just so big it was like punching me. Being an assistant is great and I just feel way closer to the spirit.

I will also be going up for Crystal's baptism as well because the assistants go to the baptisms. Fun. I get to do a lot of traveling I think! And I get to be around the office staff and President and Sister Thomas. I also live in the office home. This means I get mail faster because it all comes to the mission office.

I love this mission. I love my savior and everything that he has done for me and everyone. The atonement is real.

All is well,

-Elder Clark

Week #11

I forgot to tell you this last Monday, I taught a guy from Rwanda while I was in Brandon! It was great! He is solid. Oh and also my companion Elder Wilson is from St. George, Utah and he knows Jef from The Bachelorette... like he grew up with him and used to hang out with him all the time. He told me that Jef has always wanted to be a celebrity like all his life. It's interesting. But super neat because we saw the magazine in the store and he just stopped and was like WHAT?! haha it was funny. 

So here's my week:
Monday-Wednesday we were traveling and going on exchanges so we weren't even in our area for like 3 days..... Then when we got home Wednesday we were busy because we just had appointments. Then Thursday our day was just full with appointments. We have just been teaching a lot so it's been crazy busy. And pretty much everyday we teach Crystal and her family. They are so solid! Crystal is just super solid in the gospel I love it and you can see the peace that is in her life. I'm a little worried about her daughter Raven... :( She's going through some things in her life right now. Friday we worked on the farm for most of the day. Tt took us an hour to get out there and then we were there till 3 and then an hour to get back and then we went to Sister McCurry's and we raked up her lawn and then she fed us supper. She's like 85 or something, love that woman. On Saturday we tracted all day and it was nice because we just haven't had time to tract a lot because we have been busy teaching. Some people let us in too but only because they were JW's and just wanted to talk with us. It was fun though, they were very nice people. Then we got a call from Sister Watson. She called because she need a blessing so we drove over and gave her a blessing, I love giving blessings and having those experiences :) The assistants came to Dauphin on Sunday and went to church with us and that was fun. I taught primary again... We cooked a huge pirogi supper for the assistants oh it was so good. Then we went over to Crystal's and taught her and her family. The kids were a little bad and not paying attention. Raven didn't seem to care much about going to church and just other stuff. I bore my testimony and just words flew out of my mouth. The spirit was super strong I even cried and the room was just dead silent! I love baring my testimony and just listening to the spirit. I know that those were the words that god needed me to say.

When we went tracting on Saturday I had a feeling to go to Merrel Ave when we were planning so we went there and I was just thinking...."Why did we go here no one is home." Then this lady pulled up in a white truck and we had a really good time talking with her and she really opened up to us and wanted us to come over. It's just neat how the Lord works, I know that if we would have never gone to Merrel Ave then we would have never have met her. The lord sends his servants where they are needed and he sends them to a specific place and time.

All is well,

-Elder Clark

Week #10

It is getting cold here....the last couple of days have been from -1 to -4 plus wind so it's like feeling a northeastern wind, and that's nothing to -40. They say this winter is going to be really cold because we had such a hot summer. Good thing I got a parka. Brother Olsen gave Elder Wilson and I some co-op tuques (hats) they are soooo warm. 

Conference was incredible. I loved Jefferey R. Holland's talk the most. It made me seriously think about after I come home. Rather than going back to life and old things I want to continue to serve and show my love for my saviour. This is why I love the CWM (Canada Winnipeg mission) because most of the missionaries who are out here, were all inactive before they came out. They say 50% of missionaries go in-active when they get home, but I don't think the CWM will because we were already in-active. When Elder Zwick of the seventy came to talk to us in zone conference, he said "the most powerful missionaries who ever walked the earth are sitting in this room." I know and have a testimony about this because all the missionaries in that room have all been inactive and have all experienced the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Commitment is what it is all about, and sometimes it is hard, but I really think people forget how to trust God. Like in conference it was said that "god is not hiding, we are hiding."

I had Thanksgiving supper on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and am having it today in Brandon with all the missionaries in Brandon. A member in Brandon is feeding us too.....I'm so full. I also ran 3 km today. But I cannot get enough of that pumpkin pie....mmmm it is good.

Crystal came to every single session of conference!!!! Her kids came Sunday morning and her sister came for both sessions on Sunday. Crystal is still getting baptized. She is solid. She reads and prays everyday. We had an experience though this week when we taught tithing. It was hard for her because she's a single mom and doesn't make a lot of money. She texted us and said she didn't want to continue meeting.....we were worried. But also didn't believe that for one second. So we prayed and prayed and prayed. We went and got her a a funny card and wrote our testimonies in it. We were going to leave it at her door, but then she called us. It was perfect timing and a miracle. We helped her with her concern and she is just stronger than ever and is still getting baptized! It is the 27th though because the 20th is stake conference. She still wants to get baptized in the lake, and all of her kids are getting baptized as well!!! :)) Conference even made her stronger!!

I have just been so tired lately that sometimes when i say my prayers at night i start falling asleep....oh it's weird. I have to start over again and repent for falling asleep and then I fall asleep again! haha

I love this Gospel with all my heart. This is challenging work, especially in the CWM. But it is so rewarding. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that this gospel is real. I have seen it change someone's life. I love the CWM.

All is well, 

-Elder Clark

Week #9

Here is my week.....it's like.....It's a miracle

 

Monday we had P Day and after that we just tracted. Then on Tuesday we were in Brandon, and stayed there for exchanges and Elder Hatch tracted into an MMA fighter and we taught him the gospel, he was very receptive. On Wednesday we fasted for our investigator Crystal and her family and that they would all progress towards baptism and that Crystal would receive an answer to her prayers.

 

So Wednesday we went over to Crystal's and shared The Restoration DVD with them. Sister O'Sullivan has been praying for Crystal's sister that she might have the chance to hear the gospel, because they're neighbors. Well we show up at Crystal's and her sister is living with her now. Crystal has been telling her sister all about us and that she should sit in for the lessons. We taught crystal and her family and her sister and they for sure had a spiritual experience. And then they asked if we could come over tomorrow. We said sure! They all committed to come to church as well. After Crystal we went and taught Ben and he's such a good guy! I just wish he would come to church! 

 

So Thursday we went and taught Crystal and her family and sister again. We taught the plan of salvation. We had the kids draw it out on a big poster board. Her daughter Raven, who is 12, is insane at drawing and it was the best plan of salvation drawing I have ever seen. A lot of the questions Crystal and her sister had were answered through what we taught. We invited all of them to be baptized on the 20th of October, because Crystal has been reading and praying every night. But crystal said she hasn't received an answer yet, and if she does this she wants to make sure she's received an answer. So we get a text Friday night from Crystal that said.....

"I have done a lot of thinking today, I came to realize that for about 2 years now I have been questioning religion and wanting to know  the right thing to do. I have prayed asking about it too and I have not known what to do. Something always has come between the kids and I getting baptized into the church we were going to and today I realized that having you guys come and teach me about The Book of Mormon is God's way of helping me out and I have just not realized it until really thinking about the way things have unfolded until today. It's like a weight off my chest was lifted" 

We then told her that it was the spirit. She said she wants to be baptized. Elder Wilson and I were just so happy! I wanted to cry because I was just so happy. I know that The Book of Mormon is true and that this is His gospel and that it has been restored back to the earth. Seeing someone receive an answer to their prayer is a witness to me that this is real. She even told us, that it's weird that there were missionaries here before because she's lived here since 2005 and none of them have knocked on her door. I know that I was sent here to Dauphin to be one of the missionaries to teach and baptize Crystal, and that I was meant to find her.

 

So she came to church but her sister and her daughter didn't because they got stuck in Moose Horn. But we went over there again on Sunday and we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ to all of them, and our lesson went really good. We then invited her sister and kids to be baptized and they all said yes! We are baptizing Crystal and her family and her sister on the 20th of October! And she said she wants to be baptized in the lake! It will be so fun and something to always remember! The Lord is blessing Elder Wilson and I for just going out and working hard, and especially applying the big boost. Missions are great!

 

The Canada Winnipeg Mission is the best mission ever. I'm literally in the middle of nowhere teaching people the gospel. This is all the Lord's work, not mine. I am only a minor part in this work, and the miracles are because of Him.

I love it Here. This is the closest I have ever been to the gospel. 

All is well,

-Elder Clark