Sniffing out the Bash

Dear Family,

 

   Well these past weeks have been trial of faith weeks.  Keldon who thinking about being baptised on saturday took a couple steps back this week. We had a really good lesson with him in the chapel tuesday before young mens.  And he prayed at the end and asked if he should be baptised. After his prayer we asked how he felt and he said he felt good and he felt something different as he prayed.  We go back thursday for an appointment and he opened the door and said he was cleaning and that maybe in a year he would be ready for baptism.  He is incredibly hard to teach,  But it would be hard to be in the situation that he is in with all his family members but inactive.

   So I have reached a milestone this week. Not a time or number milestone, thankfully, because those are just depressing,...time goes by too fast.  But we tracted  this neighborhood Tuesday night.  We met this lady who was busy at the moment helping one of her kids, and said "we could come back and chat" so we got a appointment for saturday.  As we were running to the next house I told Elder Petersen that when we going back she will want to bash with us.  Sure enough we go back and she brings up everything that you would find if you typed in "anti-mormon".  She prayed for us to find the truth and told us that her heart was heavy for us because we were sacrificing so much for something that was a fraud.  It was a lesson where after five minutes you try to find a excuse to leave as quickly as you can. 

  The snow is pretty much gone.  Back to raining mostly.  It's a pretty nice day today.  We had zone conference on thursday, which was awesome.  We played this volleyball game where 12 people had to stand on x's around the volleyball court and tried to have as many people touch the ball while it was on your side.  To avoid being prideful or too boastful, i'll skip the details and just say that our zone went 3-0.  At the conference we were also challenged to contact 80 people everyday. Which is pretty hard we have only got in the mid 40's the last few days.   The mission had a great week for baptisms.  There was 23 in the mission.  Which was good because we started slow and only had 38 in the first 3 weeks of january. 

  Well I cant believe it is Febuary already.  Wesley's car looked really cool.  Was it's name the "jimmer" car?  Well have a good week!

  

  Love, Elder Clark

Great White North (west)

Elder Peterson & Elder Clark

Dear Family,

  Well I survived the artic blast thankfully.  We got snow monday night then a lot more tuesday and wednesday.  We didnt drive wednesday or thursday because of the road conditions.  We lost power wednesday during the day but that was about all. Yesterday at church we heard that 240,000 homes are still without power.  Because we couldnt drive for two days we ended doing a lot of tracting around where we live.  We finally got to drive friday evening but going around the city was a little creepy because there was no lights or power.  What caused the problem was the trees.  There are so many trees and they are really tall, that when they got ice and snow on them they began to fall everywhere.  For three days you would hear crackling and branches and trees breaking in half.  Now most people have power and its actually we really nice day.  It was a little slow for us this week and with most of the mission I believe. 

   We are hopefully going to have a baptism this week.  Keldon, who is 14 has been going to church for a couple years, is thinking about being baptised this week.  His family are members but only his uncle goes to church occassionally.  And he read a book called "Top 100 things the Government Doesnt Want You to Know" and number three was that the 10 commandments aren't real.,. So we had to clear that up. 

   We were over at the Baggenstos' last night.  They are a really good missionary family they have already given us three referrals.  And one of their son's friends went to a one day EFY thing this past weekend, because one of the girls he likes is mormon and was going.  But after, he said that he really liked it and that he liked a story that they told about Jospeh Smith.  So hopefully we will start teaching him and his mom in of the members homes.  All the young men seem to know him. 

  Our teaching pool is a little small right now. We are trying to work with only with those that will progress.  And it didnt help that Cynthia who was going to be baptised this saturday went to mexico for three weeks.  Hopefully when she gets back we can get right back to teaching her. 

  Since now it seems like everyone in the church is now going electric with iPads and smart phones, I'm thinking missionaries will be issued iPads to avoid looking outdated...maybe thats wishful thinking.  But it would be really helpful. I use so much paper with goals and all the different statistics we report for our districts.     

  Everything is going great still though. We have zone conference this thursday which I'm looking forward to. It's a spiritual, exciting, and fun meeting. Or at least my first one was.  I hope everyone has a great week.  Good luck with IEP's mom, just remember that the prinicipal is child of God...But anyway the address thing is just easier to send it to the mission home. So mail doesnt go to the Robins house once I get transferred or anything.  I love you.

  

  Elder Clark 

Flag on the play...

Dear Family,

  Well it was great to hear from everyone.  This week was kindof a trial of faith week.  Corbin who was suppose to be baptised Saturday, dropped us.  His mom threw up the red flags and I am guessing she told him that if he got baptised he would be different from the whole family and she would take him somewhere else to get baptised.  And it was also a tough week with meeting with our investigators.  We have started to "sift" through our investigators.  Which means basically were only meeting with those who will read the book of mormon between visits.  We dont want to use up all our time meeting with people who won't progress.  In this ward their are so many people who fit the qualifications for baptism but just dont want to be baptised.

   But their were some good things that happened.  We found this lady.  Who doesn't really believe in God anymore and considers herself faithless.  She is in her 60's and has cancer and just recently lost her husband.  We taught her the restoration on the door step and we are going back today after district meeting.  She has read most of the 1st book of nephi. The challenge will be getting her pray about it. 

  This last week we had leadership training which was pretty fun.  Wednesday and friday for half the day we went to Renton and President Larkin trained us.  I got to see Elder Park and Elder Brown again so that was cool. Zone conference is next week, which will be nice I wont have to prepare a district meeting. 

  Since Sunday it has been pretty snowy.  And everyone in Seattle hates the snow.  Probably because there are so many hills.  After church on sunday I saw this surburan going down this hill, it couldnt stop and went right through this 2 stop intersection.  Another car was going through the intersection, saw it coming and tried to swerve out of the way.  It ended up getting t-boned and spun around and landed in this ditch.  It was pretty crazy.  After the car went into the ditch you couldnt see it, so it was pretty deep.  Luckily it went down backwards. We got out and helped them get out and everything.  The mom and her daughter were pretty shaken up but no one was hurt. 

   Other than that not a lot is going on.  We have district meeting right after this and a pretty busy night.  I want the songs singing, and just send it to 10675 NE 20th St Bellevue, WA 98004.  I'm guessing you guys will get some snow pretty soon, since the snow storm is passing us.  Maybe you will get out of school like the kids did here...

  Anyway have a great week! I love you! Talk to you soon

 

      Elder Clark

Hey Mom,

   This week was great.  May Valley is a place where there are a lot of prepared people.  Last Sunday we got a new Bishop. He is amazing.  He wants to be involved.  We found 7 new investigators this week.  Which is the most I have ever found in a week.  Friday night, Elder Aiken who is one of the zone leaders came to my area for exchange.  We had a great day.  Elder Aiken was a zone leader in Federal Way with Elder Bunton the transfer before I went to Federal Way. So it was cool to talk about all the people and the people that we both know.  Right now we have 7 people on date.  We have one on date for this weekend. So hopefully this will be the first of many baptisms in may valley this year.  On friday President Larkin set the goal for baptisms this year. And it is 1038.  Last year goal was 1000 and we got 655. 

    But everything is going great right now.  We met these two vietamese brothers.  They are great and so nice.  They really want to be baptised and clean.  But it is hard because their family is catholic and thats how they grew up.  We met them saturday and invited them to come to church with us.  Saturday night at 1:18 am. One of them texted us and said they couldnt come to church because their family doesnt understand or speak english and that they go to church as a family. And he said, " I am really sorry. I hope you aren't disappointed in me." It made me laugh.  But we are going over there Wednesday and hopefully we can somehow find a way to get their family in the church. 

  I am glad my first district meeting is out of the way.  I was a little nervous but it went pretty good, and this next one should be great as well.  Right now is kind of a stressful time. I am training and trying to make sure I do everything I am suppose to as district leader,  there is a lot attention on May Valley from the stake, and we have a lot of people on date so we have to somehow keep them progressing. 

   There is a member in our ward who has relatives in Lethbridge.  Their last name is the Halls and they have a big farm....

   Did you send that CD yet?

  Thats cool that west won. Tell Wes goodluck at his pine wood derby.  I think I am going to be able to play basketball today.  I havent been able to play for like 4 now.  So that will be fun.  Haha the Kings.  I am kind of hoping they have a bad year and no one goes to the games so they will miraclously move to Kansas City.  The young man who we are baptising saturday really likes sports.  He is a little too confident though.  We invited him to play basketball with us last week, which didn't end up happening, but he said he would definitely beat me in one on one.  I just smiled and said probably.
   Any way have a good week!  Hopefully this week will go a little faster at school.  I can't believe how fast time is going  for me right now.  I love you.

 

  Elder Clark

Theatrical and loony are good!

Hello Family,

  This week was great and very fast.  Probably the fastest week so far.  We had a great week.  We found 6 new investigators and put three of those people on date.  Our first Sunday was a pretty exciting one.  There was a new bishop put in.  We already knew that though, since President Larkin let it slip at transfers.  We are meeting with him this Tuesday, he is really excited about missionary work. It's an exciting time to be in May Valley.  This week there was a leadership meeting.  President Larkin was the one who did the training.  It made me feel a lot better about what is expected of me as district leader.  Yesterday was a beautiful day, probably one of the best days since August or early september. 

  We had a pretty funny experience while tracting on new years eve (its weird that it's 2012 already).  But we met this apostolic couple.  We talked for a few minutes then they let us in on the doorstep inside.  We shared a quick message.  Then the women condemned us and called us idolaters for believing that the God head is three seperate beings.  And proceeded to tell us how God is like the condenscion of water on the outside of a cup of ice water....I was really lost.  If she wasn't so theatrical and a little loony then I might have taken offense to what she was saying.  But really I was just trying to contain my laughter and get out as fast I could. 

   Thats about it. We have to go to the new missionary orientation tomorrow so that will take up most of that day.  But its good, anytime we get to hear from President Larkin is awesome.  Oh could you send a CD with these songs on them and all singing ones....

 

 Love, Elder Clark