Week #59

 

Well this week was very good. On Tuesday we taught Nancy and Ed again and they are doing very very good. Nancy said she prayed about the Book of Mormon and that when she prayed she felt an overwhelming feeling of peace. She is getting closer and closer. Then after our lesson we had a fish fry! it was so good I loved it. They came to church this Sunday again and really enjoyed it! The Osters are still doing great and Sister Oster is just sharing the gospel with all of her friends.

 

So we traveled to transfers and I dropped off Elder Weeks and then picked up Elder Shepherd. Elder Shepherd is a really good elder. He has his head on straight I am excited to see what happens this transfer!

 

Well the craziest thing happened when Elder Shepherd came to Fort Frances. We were woken up in the middle of the night at like 4 in the morning. Some car came flying down our street and ended up breaking a telephone pole in half and then smashing into another pole.....So I am thinking that someone hit our car and so I go to look at our car and nothing. Then I look out our front door and their is some car on fire! so I'm like elder get your clothes on there are people hurt. We rush out to this car and there are two girls just hurt really bad. Their was blood everywhere. They were really really drunk, and there was a guy who was in the passenger seat and he was fine and so we were like we need a phone we will call 911.Then he starts cussing us out and saying I don't want to go to jail! so then the car starts getting more on fire and these girls are still in the car and we didn't want to get them out because we could have hurt them even more since we are not certified to do so. So the girls finally get them selves out of the car and it was gross, they just looked like zombies. It was a gross scene. Then they all ran and took off before the cops came....haha but they got to the hospital and then got their punishments. It was crazy though. We were the only people on our street helping them at first and then the rest of the neighbor hood woke up and was out there with us.

 

So then we had zone conference this week followed by district conference and I was in priesthood leadership meetings on Saturday so it was a weird first few days for Elder Shepherd not a lot happened since we were busy with a lot of other things.

 

But our week  is looking  busy, and we have so much going on this week it is going to be great!

 

But yeah everything else is going really good.

 

Last night we were on exchanges with the assistants.  We went to contact this investigator named crystal but we had to cross the train track to get there which means we had to go through the bush (woods) and it is a little scary because  a lot of bears are in town. haha but we were safe :) but we ended up walking there and got stopped by a less active that we were trying to get in contact for a while. It is neat when you are just lead by the spirit not knowing the things that will happen just like Nephi.

 

Well I really do know that the gospel is true and that it has blessed my life. This is the best thing I have ever done. I know the church is true.

 

love you and all of you so much.

All is well

-Elder Clark :))

 

Week #58

 

Well mother We had another great week!!

 

We were actually out of our area for  most the week going on exchanges with our district leaders so that was good we got to see how they were fishing and what we could help them with.

 Well we were able to help our missionaries out on exchanges so I am happy about that. We got transfer calls I am Staying in Fort Frances, and Elder Weeks is going to Saskatchewan. I for sure thought that I was leaving but I am staying. Reason is, well President gave me my transfer call earlier and said that it didn't feel right to transfer me he didn't want to leave my companion here because he didn't think he would be able to carry the area. so I am staying. Which I am really happy about and the new elder that is coming in is Elder Shepherd and he will be Zone leader with me. We have so much going on here now. We have Walked and talked with everyone and have not really got much from it but we have 7 investigators that have all come from members. We taught Nancy and Ed this week and they are just solid. They came to church again this week and we went to the church the next day and we saw Nancy their cleaning the church with the Relief Society sisters! That is just great fellowship. Peter has been busy with night shifts so we haven't been able to teach him this week :( but we are going to this week.

 

AHHH the Osters are doing so great mom! what a huge miracle that they are back at church and just loving and living the gospel. Their son Boden passed the sacrament this Sunday and brother Oster gave a great talk. Sister Oster is just on fire with missionary work! when she was a teenager in chili the mission president in that area set a goal for 1000 baptisms in 3 months and so as a teenager she went out and knocked doors with her friend and taught people in parks and they all got baptized! So at her work she told a co worker that she was a Mormon and her co worker went to salt lake for a surgery and so Sister Oster said when you go there please take a picture of the temple for me. She brought her back a marble stone with the temple on it. So she is going to invite her over for dinner and have us there and have us teach! Things are just happening. There are still days were it is slow, but that is just how missionary work is, not everyday is the best, but it is just so rewarding. I want to keep in touch with that family for ever.

 

We had 15 people at church this Sunday and it was great. We had some members that were out of town and some less actives that were sick. There is a real nasty bug going around here so it was a real excuse. But I am happy with that. We want 20 or more.  We are trying to keep the number of church attendance from 15-25 so any of those numbers or numbers in between  is great. Because then it is not a huge back slide. But this coming Sunday we should have 25 again. Plus it is district conference.

 

Well things are going great here we have to travel in Thursday for transfers so it should all be good. I know this gospel is very much real and true. Life is great, but time is really flying by. In 3 transfers I will be out a year and a half and transfers just keep flying by.......ha in 3 months I'll be talking to you at Christmas time...crazy!

Well life is great and I love you and all of you a lot. And yes I got your package! thank you so much for those Oreos :))

 

love you

All is Well:)

-Elder Clark

Week #57

Well Mom,  Miracles, Miracles, Miracles!

First of all we taught 2 of our investigators Nancy and Ed Grenall and they are just solid mom, they are just great. They came to church this Sunday and we are teaching them again tomorrow. Nancy's sister is a Mormon in BC and her husband is a bishop. Nancy has read the book of Mormon like twice and her husband Ed is really investigating, they both are. Also we were able to get a new investigator this week, Karen's boyfriend Jeremy said that he is willing to learn now, so we will see how that goes.

We weren't able to teach Peter this week,  some things fell through :( but he still came to church and he bought a white shirt and tie. His son who just turned 8 wants to get baptized and so this is huge progress and we haven't been able to teach him again. We do keep daily contact with him. We won't be able to teach him this week either because he will be working a ton. But we are still just going to try and teach him. I know he will get baptized He is so prepared. We have a total Of 7 Solid investigators and they have all come from Members! We haven't found any from street contacting or anything else they have all been from members. Now some of them did take a while to get, but this a better way through the members of the church. As we continued to be diligent and try everything and not give up, God has blessed us with very prepared people.

There Is a foundations laid here for other missionaries to come in and continue to help it grow. We had 26 people at church yesterday!!!!! the only person from out of town was president McDonald, the district president. The rest were members, less actives  and investigators. We had 3 investigators at church and 9 less actives there. We had 3 families there which is huge! This area has blessed my life. I have seen God's hand here. It is incredible. I know that the principle of Enduring to the End is true and that it helps us become better. "Pray like it is all up to God and work like it is all up to you." This church is true and Christ lives and this is his work. Time and time again for almost 2 and a half years or even more a good attendance for this branch was 4 or 3 members and it was the same when I was here for the 5 months. But as we loved and served these less actives again and again during these 5 months and teaching them the gospel and teaching their friends they have returned and brought their families!

It has been great to serve here, I don't know what is happening with transfers. I am really nervous lol. Mainly because President Thomas  doesn't know what to do with me lol. The assistants are joking with me and are telling me that I will go back to the office....lol But I don't know if they are joking, because one of the assistants is going back home. I think they are trying to pull my leg....I think. Other people tell me I am leaving and then some say I am staying. So I am just super confused and I am not thinking about it or worrying about it.

But this week we have Exchanges, and then We will get transfer Calls on Friday, so next Monday we will find out what happens. Oh and yeah when you are in an area for 6 months you need to get a drivers license. Manitoba took my WA license and I have a Manitoba license,

Well I am glad things are still going good there. I do Know that this is God's work and his timing and that all things are possible through the power of God.

Love you and all of you so much :)

All is Well

-Elder Clark

Week #56

Hello mother!!!

 

Mom great things are still happening in the great Fort Frances. This Sunday we had about 15 people there which is great. It wasn't a big drop at all. This Sunday in the town there will be a power outage and when that happens nobody works on Sunday so I think we will have the big 20 at church this Sunday!!! I am so excited for it. Hey I got my box thank you so much for those ties. Those are beautiful ties I don't know if I could ever trade them. I think I might have the best ties in the mission haha. Mom can you believe it? With patience and diligence we have been able to triple our attendance down here in Fort Frances!!!  I am so thankful for a God that I know does care and loves his children. It still blows my mind that this has happened. And the members and less actives are fellowshipping together greatly!! We couldn't ask for anything better. 

 

We did have a good week though.  And this week will be so good. We have like 5 or 6 appointments with investigators that we plan on teaching twice. Also, we are going to teach Peter this week. He is doing so good. He came to Church this Sunday with his kids, but his wife had to work. She is a less active member, but still he came without her so that is huge.

 

Guess what I have been doing all day today??? President Tovey took us golfing today!  President Tovey, his son Jay, Peter, and us all went Golfing today and played 18 holes and all tied at 93 pretty good hey. But after that we all went out to the harbour for lunch. Best p-Day I have ever had I think. Mom.....my face is getting Fat!! oh no.....good thing I have a year left to get in shape.

 

There is no way in the world that I would be out here at all unless I knew what I was doing, saying, and teaching were true. I do know that God is There and that he is loving and merciful. I know that his son Jesus Christ is the Christ, and that his atonement will always be there for us to apply when times are at it's worst. I have felt the redeeming and the enabling power of the atonement. I know that through the atonement we are forgiven and that that power enables us to do and become better. The scriptures are true. If we put limits on ourselves, we won't accomplish anything. God knows our potential and we can accomplish anything that he would require of us. The church is true.

 

All is well:)

 

-Elder Clark