Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Investigator is anti-homecoming


Dear Family,
  Well it was a pretty good week.  We didn't find as many new investigators or put as many people that we wanted to on date but some really good things happened.  We had a couple good lessons with Linda and Fred. Linda is working on not smoking so she can be baptized on October 13.  Fred is kind of slowing things down.  He wants to be involved and everything but he doesn't want to change until he stops working grave yard shifts at Boeing.  Because he is not ready to change he wants Linda to wait until the end of the year.  And it doesn't help that Linda is on doctors orders to not go anywhere without Fred being there, because of her seizures.  But were going to get her there this Sunday somehow.
  We also had a good church tour with Jason. He is 18 years old.  He is a little hesistant to make a big committment but he is progressing.  He is really funny.  We were talking about homecoming...its next weekend.  And he was like "well i went sophomore year and ended up spending a fortune to hate my life for a night. So I most likely won't be going this year." 
  So i suppose its confession time. I lost my camera somehow. Like 6 months ago.  But i do have a couple pics from Julie and Donna's baptism.  I will send them today through the mail.  I have just been using my companions camera to send the files.  So its been working out.  I dont need another camera.  
  Well have a great week. Football sounds exciting.
Love, Elder Clark

Monday, September 17, 2012

Dipping sauce makes the highlight reel


Dear Family,
 Another busy week.  It was really good.  We had an exchange with the assistants. One of our investigators is now progressing. She is on date and has quit smoking for the last five days.  She has gone through a lot of health problems and currently she has a brain tumor.  But she really wants to learn more and be baptised.  Theres only one thing about her she TALKS A LOT! I have never met someone who can talk so much and so fast.
 I'll attach a picture. Its a picture of our banner. In preparation for President Larkins climb of mount si. He has obtained a staff and each zone has now attached a banner on the staff.
 Elder Gilbert and I are both getting sort of a cold. Hopefully it passes soon.  Sister Robins made this chocolate smore dipping sauce this past week. It's so good.  She showed us how to make it and it only takes 3 minutes. All you need is 1 bag of chocolate chips, marshmallow cream?, and condensed milk.  We will be making more in the future.
 Sounds like it was a busy week, especially with football.  Thats awesome that tanner and wesley won their football game.  Pretty exciting that Tanner got to go to the KU game.  I did hear about the BYU game.  It was a topic for ward council unfortunately. Brother Robins was pretty happy though, he is a alumnist of Utah.  Sis Robins was just happy that both teams played well and it was close...she's not a very competitive person.
 Fall is coming fast, but from what we hear we should have sunshine for another week or so. People are getting kind of tired of having no rain.  They dont like watering their flowers.  But in two months they will be complaining about the rain, when it rains everyday. Its a funny cycle.
 Thats about all I have..Have a great week!

Love, Elder Clark

Monday, September 10, 2012

Power Month


Dear Family,
 Well we made it through the week as well. We are exhausted! I am still in the same area. Elder Gilbert just got transferred into may valley. We are both zone leaders. 
 Elder Gilbert is awesome, he was zone leader for one transfer in Bellevue South before he got transferred. So he was in-zoned.  He is from orem, utah. Likes sports. So we get along really good!
  Its been a really busy week.  With the beginning of the transfer and this month being sort of "make it or break it" month. When president Lakin first got here, Elder kikuchi challenged the mission to baptize 100 people in one month. Well for two years we have had that goal and the closest we have got was 86, last October.  With september being a month with 5 weekends and baptising 25 people the first weekend this is the month we need to do. So we can build the faith and baptise over a 100 for the rest of the year.  We have had some pretty intense conference calls with him in the past week. 
  Friday was really busy.  We packed way too much in the morning. We had a weekly meeting with the stake president at 8. Then at 9:15 we had a correllation meeting with the district leaders. At 10 we had zone meeting.  But at 9:55 we had an impromptu conf call with president. So zone meeting started 20 minutes late. It was a little awkward having to leave right before it started. But surprisenly everything went good, except for one thing. The stake is doing a "power month" in October.  Where every ward in the stake will be fasting everyday, and the wards will be providing exchanges 5 nights a week.  The stake president has asked us that since the wards are fasting and doing exchanges. He would like to say to the wards that the missionaries are also sacrificing something.  So at zone meeting we wanted to come up as a zone something we could sacrifice to unite our efforts.  We had a couple of ideas, one was to cut our lunch and dinner to half an hour.  We wanted this to be something that we all came up with, and not say, "here this is what were doing, do it."  We told them our idea and asked if they had any ideas of their own.  There were a few comments that made it somewhat contentious. So we quickly comprimised to each area prayfully coming up with something to sacrifice as a companionship.  Everything besides the sacrifice portion went really good. President Larkin showed up at the end and added to the excitement.
  The Robins are doing well.  Yeah, Sis Robins is awesome. I really like her.  Elder Yamashita got transferred to Renton stake and the Skyway ward. He is senior companion.  Which was probably overwhelming for him at first.  He"ll do great in Skyway. Skyway has 4 missionaries.  It's in the lower income part of renton and in the past one of the highest baptising ward in the mission. So i'm excited for him. 
  In our area right now we are focusing on finding.  We have a couple investigators were hoping to get progressing soon, but the rest we are probably going to drop so we can only spend time with those that will progress, which is a big focus of President Larkin right now. 
  Everything is going good. Time is going by even faster. Which I didnt think it could, it's going to be Christmas before I know it. 
  Thats good that Wesley team got a win.  Sounds like they have really improved.  Keep doing awesome wes!
  Thats too bad about the haircut.  I sort of know how it feels, with my somewhat recent uh oh experience during a haircut. 
  Weather is still nice, rain is coming soon though I fear.  Did you hear from Bishop Jarman, I gave him your email.

 
Lot of Love, Elder Clark

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

May Valley it is


Dear Family,
 
Well it has been a pretty crazy week.  It seemed like a really long..longest week for awhile.  The last week of the transfers are usually like that.  I am staying in May Valley.  And they have actually moved the zone leader area to may valley.  So I am now a Zone Leader.  Thats sort of exciting.  Elder Yamashita got transferred. He will be in the Renton stake in Skyway ward. 
 
Julie and Donna were confirmed on Sunday by Elder Yamashita. His english was awesome.  This week is going to by real fast. We have zone meeting on friday.  And it's already wednesday tomorrow.  As for the confirmations, the work side of things was a little slow..lots of tracting.
 
The last three days, we ate way too much.  After each meal I felt sick.  The Robins fed us the last two day, because no one signed up for Labor day weekend.  School is starting today for kids in the area. 
 
Any update on the CD? It sounds like you have been really busy, so I understand if you havent got to it yet.  Thats unforunate about the warehouse dilemna. Hopefully it all works out ok. 
 
Thats awesome that West won their first game.  Tanner is playing center, I take it.  Any other positions.  When is Wesleys first game? 
 
Well have a great week. Their just wasn't a lot to write about this past week. Hopefully their will be next week.
 
Lots of Love, Elder Clark