Week #64

Hello mother!

 

We had the greatest week ever!

 

We have just been busy teaching and teaching. It is really fun when you are just busy. So we taught Ed and Nancy on Tuesday and Ed said I want to get baptized. So we looked at the calendar and he said how about this Sunday? we said sure thing! ED got baptized and confirmed this Sunday mom! I was able to baptize him. What a great experience that was. Being able  to see a man that was an atheist in his life to believing in something, and then knowing the restored gospel is true. Nancy will be getting baptized next she is so close! their daughter and Ed's brother came for the baptism. We sat in the chapel again so it was a great way to end my last Sunday in Fort Frances, because I am getting transferred to STEINBACH!!! It hasn't been opened up in 20 years I guess. It is also a By-law to not proselyte.... Steinbach is a Mennonite community and I will be serving with Elder Hodaseck. They are putting 4 missionaries in Steinbach. Elder Wilson will be in Steinbach my old trainer from dauphin and he will serve with elder Wallace. I will be the district leader in Steinbach. The church is not established in Steinbach so we have to drive into Winnipeg for church.

 

It has been an exciting week! We still have been helping Jeremy with his car. It is a lot of fun and a good way to soften his heart. Also we Went and shot Bows with Doug. He almost came to church this Sunday!! I bet if the missionaries keep working with him and loving and serving him, that he will come back to church. Nancy and Ed had us out on Thursday for a bonfire and Hot dogs. Ed hasn't drank since we gave him a blessing which was like 3 weeks ago. The priesthood is real. But anyway Ed and Nancy had a little fight and so Ed went out and bought some cigarettes to make Nancy mad but he didn't smoke them. At the end of the night I said just throw these away so your not tempted Ed because it will be in your sight. Then, Nancy said, "He'll be fine, I will just smoke the rest of them and then I'll be done with smoking." On our way outside to the bonfire I put the cigarettes in my pocket! haha.Aafter we left she had no idea that I took them!  I called them Friday morning to tell them I was going to Steinbach....Nancy answered and said IS THIS ELDER CLARK?! she chewed me out hahaha but we just laughed about it and she said it was probably a good thing.

 

We had to drive to Warroad on Saturday for a baptismal interview, and then after that we got ready for our movie night at the church. We watched Johnny Lingo. "Mahanna you ugly" we had a really good turn out to it as well.

 

Everything is going good. I am going to really miss Fort Frances. It is crazy to think that I have been here since the beginning of April. I have been here for 7 and a half months. I don't know how long they will keep me in Steinbach but I guess we will see what happens. It is going to be really interesting to see what happens in Steinbach. But I will  have faith and go and do.

 

well love you and all of you so much! :) :) :)

-Elder Clark

 

Week #63

Hello Mother,

 

Well this week was just great. This whole transfer all we have been doing is teaching. It feels great. On Monday we taught a Lutheran pastor. We have a return appointment with him next week. He actually wants to understand our religion, he is interested, so he is an investigator. Pastors are really fun to teach. We also saw Nancy and Ed this week. Ed wants to get baptized. Interesting about ed is that he was an atheist, The Gospel is true! Also, We traveled to Warroad and went on exchanges. That was a good training opportunity.

 

When we came home we were just busy with appointments. The members are the secret to missionary work, along with just work. We have been trying to just pace through members and investigators. Oh and by the way, this will make dad proud....so We have been helping an investigator restore his car.  We have been helping him and building things. And I have been welding some steel with him. I still got the touch! a little rusty but I got the touch still! it has literally been so much fun. I Would really like to get welding down. Anyway it has really helped soften his heart that we have been helping him.

 

Saturday was super super fun. The Osters set up a lunch appointment with Jessica and Ethan. So we had lunch and I taught Ethan how to drum and then we taught the Restoration. They said that they are really open to learn. The Osters are setting up another appointment with them. Sister Nicholson set up a dinner appointment with us and her non-members son. We taught him the plan of salvation and she is also going to set up another appointment for us with him. This is the best way  to find and teach people,  through the members of the church. The Osters are just wonderful. You will have to meet them one day. I would love for you all to meet them.

 

I can't believe that I am leaving. There is a foundation laid here for missionaries to build the kingdom. Before I leave we are going to try and get 30 people to church by saying it is my last Sunday! haha we will see what happens.

 

It is -4 today and snowing. I bought a nice fur hat. I am ready for winter. I am so thankful for you I really do miss you and love you all so much. I am just physically tired. Not tired of missionary work, just physically tired, and now its about to get cold and bitter but am no quitter. You truly have to have a testimony of the gospel when you are out in -40 or -50..... ;)

 

Love you all so much. I know that god is loving and he will never let us fail, if we turn to him first.

love you mom :)

-Elder Clark

 

Week #62

Hello mother,

 

We this morning we had interviews with president over the Internet. And He told me he was going to take me out of Fort Frances, which was well expected. But I don't know were he is going to put me. He is opening new areas that don't have the church established in them. He said "I'm opening up some new areas that don't have the church there at all and will need some missionaries to establish the church there, I'll probably send you to one of them and see what you're really made out of." hahah So I do know that I am getting transferred, but just don't know where yet. Transfer calls are not until next Friday so we will see.

 

Well it is starting to get cold again. I am ready for Round 2 of winter. I bought myself a nice fur hat to keep me extra warm this winter. 

 

We had quiet the week in Fort Frances! Tuesday we went to go help Ed with some service and then after that we went to Kenora to go on exchanges with our district leader. Mom I am so good at Tie Trading..... Like I have some of the nicest paisleys.....haha It's all about the sales pitch eh. haha but I traded this tie from this elder in Kenora and by the time we were leaving he really wanted his tie back haha. It is a purple paisley with nice blue in it. Anyway back to missionary work...We came home Thursday and we went and taught Nancy and Ed and they are just so ready fro baptism, they just need to act. I would really love to see them baptized before I leave.

 

Saturday we had movie night and we watched The Other Side of Heaven. Sister Oster Invited her friend Jessica to come to movie night and she came. I coached Jessica's son Ethan in soccer! so I Know them pretty well. After the movie Jessica asked for a priesthood blessing, because she was going through some hard times. She asked me to give the Blessing, and so I did. Elder Shepherd and I talked about the blessing. And I was like do you think she liked it? like felt the spirit? we both didn't know because she was just really quiet afterward. So we just thought to ourselves that she did. So Sister Oster talked to us yesterday and said "Elders Elders! I am so happy." she said that Jessica and her were emailing on facebook after movie night. She said Jessica loved movie night and wants to keep coming. Then she told us that Jessica loved the blessing.  Jessica said, "I don't know how to tell you how I felt, I have never experienced anything that before in my life...I don't know how to put it in words, but I felt like a weight was lifted, I have never felt something like that before". Then she told Sister Oster that she wants to come to church. We are teaching her this Saturday!!!!

 

 

Elder Shepherd will carry this area no problem he is a good elder. We have had a lot of fun serving together.

 

Well mom I miss you so much! and miss the family. It won't be to long until we are all together again. I know that the Gospel is true.

 

Love you and all of you so much!! :))

-Elder Clark

Week #61

Hello mother,

 

 

Well we did have a good week. Every week is good in Fort Frances. On Tuesday we taught Nancy and Ed and they are just getting closer and closer, we are going to set a date with them this week. They are really progressing in the gospel, both of them came to conference both days! And there was specific talks that were for them and they recognized it. We did teach Levi again, and we really don't know if he's investigating or just trying to debate with us. "He does not believe in god, he believes in science." We are going to just go figure it out with him this week. We also visited Karen and Jeremy this week and Jeremy doesn't believe in god, but we just sat back and asked him inspired questions and he really listened to what we had to say. The best way to teach, is by the spirit. We have also been helping Brad with moving  he teaches me Ojibwa (native language) I have actually learned a lot.  Grandma would have loved to hear me speak native language.

 

Since Karen is less active we are really trying to reach out to her to strengthen her by serving her boyfriend Jeremy and we helped him lift a car that he is restoring. We were making things to lift it. It was fun I was using the plasma cutter! haha

 

We have just been busy with teaching and working through the members to find and it is going really good. We still walk everywhere, but no one is out it seems. Well hunting season, and school has started so I think that is why no one is out on the streets but we still try to talk with everyone. We contacted this lady on the street and she said we could come teach her family, she also said that her husband was a pastor for the Lutheran church, so it should be interesting and fun so teach them.

 

This week is going to fly by, we have to travel to Kenora and go on exchanges, but the drive there is just beautiful. This week will be good, but fast.

 

I don't really know if I will be staying in Fort Frances next transfer....because president sent Elder Shepherd down here because he felt like he could carry the area, and I feel good about it too. We have a lot of fun together. He is smart. Before his mission he started his own business and he has a five year contract with a company so his whole mission is getting payed for from is business! Pretty neat.

 

I really do love the Osters! they are such a great family, I know that I was specifically sent to this area for that family mom, I just know that I was sent here for them.

 

I do know that the gospel is true and that this is the most rewarding way we can live our life. I pray for all of you each day. I do love you all so much.

 

love love love love you, and all of you! :)

-Elder Clark

Week #60

Hello mother :))

 

 

This week wasss sooo gooodd!!! we have been teaching and teaching. We taught an investigator named Levi, and he is very well educated in science. We prayed that we would not be confounded before men. As we taught him we knew exactly what to say and we were not confounded, his very words were, "I'm stumped" he promised to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. We are still teaching Nancy and Ed! they are doing great! This Sunday we sat in the chapel for church. What a rich experience that was to be in the chapel having sacrament meeting. The spirit was strong. I am confident that we can keep it consistent.

 

The Osters are just doing so good. I know I was sent here for that family mom. It is so wonderful to see them living the gospel and the immediate blessings they are receiving

 

The gospel is the good news, just like blues clues, and yes the book is true. haha but really everyone needs it.

 

I love being out here and it is just flying by mom. I only have 9 months left....it is unreal how fast it does go.

 

love you so much! :))

I am sad that grandma is gone, but I will pray for the family.

Elder Clark :))