Week #68

Hello mother,

Sounds like you did have the best Sunday ever.

 

Well this week was really really good. The zone leaders came down to exchange with us and it went well. We were very busy this week because it snowed and when it snows we just walk around with shovels all day and just shovel peoples drive ways, we found some people from it too.

Wednesday we were really busy with service and we went to the baptist bible study again, but I think that will be the last time we will go because they were being pretty rude about other religions. Also on Wednesday we taught Pastor Stan and he had a a lot of good questions. He became a new investigator too. We have an appointment with him next Wednesday. He had a lot of good points that he brought up and as I took the questions in prayer I was able to find the answers in my personal study. My testimony has grown of personal study, we really can receive personal revelation. It was really good.

We did have some opposition this week but nothing too bad. A pastor didn't want us at the activities at his church which is fine.

Also our service is getting cut back, mainly because we did too much and now they don't really need us.  When I see a Filipino in the store I just go up and say Kamusta ka! and they get all excited that I can speak their language. A lot of Filipinos have family and friends that are Mormon and so they always say that we can come over. Hopefully we will be meeting with Roel this week who is a Filipino.

Things are going really good though. It is getting really cold already it was -30 the last few days ha. Last night I sang a solo at a fireside, I sang The First Noel. It went good....I think.

We are going to open mic night tomorrow actually so that will be fun, I don't know what we are doing yet though.

We just got a media referral. Apparently there is a lady from Jamaica 5 min away from us and her husband and family are LDS and she wants to learn, so that is a huge miracle!! we will hopefully meet with her this week :)

Well it is crazy that I will be talking to you in about 30 days........

I really love being out here. I can't not even explain to you how much it has helped me and changed my life.

Love you and all of you so much!

-Elder Clark :)

Week #67

Hello Mother!

We had a great week! ha

On Tuesday we continued to visit all the churches, as we were walking and talking with everyone we found a lot of people to teach. Later that night we went to open mic night! I did a drum solo for about 4 minuets! And we got 2 potential investigators from it! gotta use your talents for the gospel. I didn't mess up at all and it was a really good solo. On Wednesday we set up an appointment with a Mennonite pastor who we will be teaching this Wednesday. I have taught a lot of pastors on my mission, it is fun. 

Every Wednesday we do service at the MCC thrift store. The people there are really starting to like us. There is this one German lady there and I try to learn the language she is funny. Then on Wednesday night we went to the baptist bible study and we found someone to teach from it! we are teaching him tomorrow evening. Thursday was a little slow, but we found stuff to do, we ended up playing basketball with the Filipinos,

Every Friday we have service at the soup kitchen. Which is at the Grace Mennonite church. The people love us there! we are really getting out in the community here. Things are going good. Friday evening we went to the Filipino basketball game and we are making really good connections there. Saturday was good too. We have service at MCC and We found 2 Filipinos to teach there. One of them said my cousin is an elder in the Philippines and my aunt is a Mormon. I said great can we teach you? We saw Roel again in the store on Saturday, he is Filipino as well, he said he would be at basketball tonight, so I sat with him at basketball and he said we could teach him as well. We found a lot of people this week just from service and from walking everywhere.

Well the snow finally came and it won't leave until may.

 

Guess what?? I am singing The First Noel in a fireside next week in Winnipeg all by myself...... so it will be fun.  There are some members in our ward that just moved from the Tri Cities to Winnipeg....well to each their own hey?

anyway the gospel is true and the book is blue.

love you and all of you so much!

-Elder Clark :)

Week #66

Mother!

I'm in the zone!

This week was really good. We have found a ton of service opportunities. We are doing service for a christian thrift store. All the volunteers are Mennonites and speak German.....some speak English too so we are not too lost, but other than that everyone is speaking some form of German or Russian and you have no idea what is being said. I am grateful that I know some words in German, Russian, and Tagalog.

We found 4 people this last week. We met this man Arthur, he is from France. He said that we could come teach him more. He  missed some of our appointments, but he said that he is really excited to learn.

We also met some guys from South America on the street and I contacted them in my somewhat Spanish haha. Then when we were done with service at the thrift store I saw this guy and he looked Filipino,  so I went over and said hello how are you. He said good. I told him I was new here and he said where from? I said Washington, and then I said where are you from? ( I was being sneaky) he said the Philippines. So I said Kamchatka! which means hello. He got all excited that I knew Tagalog!! haha. He then said, I have seen missionaries in the Philippines and when I saw you guys I had goosebumps! he said that he talked to missionaries when he was back home, and that we could teach him early next week. So we will be seeing him sometime this week.

There are so many Mennonites! it is crazy like 80% of the population is Mennonite. This place is great.

Here is a funny story....hahaha

OK so Brother Valdez is a member here and he is Filipino. He is the president of the Filipino community. So every Friday and Saturday, there is a Filipino basketball night and he is the announcer. On Fridays they have basketball at a Church and Saturdays at the middle school. When we went on Friday we were at the church and the pastor does spiritual thoughts before the games.  He did his thought and then he got up during the game to go use the washroom, and  brother Valdez turns his head to watch him leave out of the door and when he leaves the gym brother Valdez quickly turns the mic on and says...."Special welcome to the Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they are here to help us and watch our games. Welcome to Steinbach Elders."

We are also helping out in the soup kitchen. And this past Tuesday, we were walking to go check out a service opportunity and we saw this music store so we went in and they have open mic night on Tuesdays and they provide the instruments. The owner said that 30-40 people come out every Tuesday. Tomorrow night I'm going to open mic night and get on the drums and do a drum solo! all four of use are going to sing a hymn! ha

 We have the nicest apartments in the mission it's ridiculous.

I am glad to hear that everything is going good.

We were walking last night and it was -20 it is getting really cold. The cold winter is coming sooner than last year it seems like.

But I know the church is true that the Gospel is in its fullness. I know that God will always prepare a way for us to accomplish what he wants us to accomplish. I love my life, but time is going way to fast.

p.s. We are getting Tagalog name tags.

Love you sooo sooo much and miss all of you :)

-Elder Clark

Week #65

Hello mother,

 

 

 I literally miss that area so much mom. It is kinda of hard for me to adjust right now in my new area, because I miss Fort Frances so much and care about all of the people there a lot. Yeah I think this area is going to be hard as well. The church isn't established, 80% of the community are Mennonites and very strong in their faith, and  there is only  about 3 families that are members here, and no less actives. So we are literally starting from scratch. But that's OK because God wouldn't send us here unless he knew that the area was ready. Brother Valdez, who is a Filipino, lives here in Steinbach. He is the President of the Filipino community....and there is 500 Filipinos here haha so we are going to really work with the Filipinos. We are going to just start a branch here somehow haha. But yeah my companion is from BC he is really good. His name is elder Hodacsek and well he likes to just do everything, and it is very  refreshing,  like I am getting a break. It will be an interesting transfer. We plan on just getting really involved in the community here. Also, there are a lot of Germans here.

 

The week has been good though, we are just trying to figure out what to do. President does not want us tracting. I am thinking it will be really slow for awhile. But I bet things will pick up.

 

 So We went to church on Sunday and the second councilor in the bishopric is Ed Grynols nephew. I told him that I baptized his uncle last Sunday and he was just about in tears I guess he had no idea, so I am excited to get to know him.

 

 I can't believe how fast it is going. The first couple of mornings have been really rough here, like I really do miss Fort Frances, I have been praying a lot and just asking God to let me focus on the now.

 

Well I know the gospel is true and I can't wait to see what happens this week.

 

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

-Elder Clark

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