Wow. SO MUCH to tell. Yet... no matter how fast or furious I end up tying.... I still won´t be able to sufficiently express how incredibly happy I am.
Having three nurses in a companionship kind of makes for crazy driven obsessive army......but I think it´s totally working. When we sat down at the beginging to make our goals for this change a companionship... we really felt inspired to set some pretty loft goals..... especially in comparison with how this area has been doing in the last few years. Yet... as we prayed and fasted about it.... we felt so clearly and strongly that they would be achieved as long as we were purely obedient and dilligent. So... we didn´t know exactly how it was all going to fold out... only that we were to follow in faith the direction we had received. The beginging of the Lord´s hands in His plan for us started to become much more clear when we received a call from the APs monday morning with the news that in the office was awaiting a companion...for me! We showed up to find this darling 18 year old girl from the same stake that I had just served en (in Santa Ana)- and though at first I was just a little nervous to have a such a young and new convert in such an important transfer.... I had to quickly repent... as I realized how incredibly blessed I am to be with Hermana Guevara. She hunted down her Stake President a few weeks ago and requested that she be able to be a Mini-missionary (as I´ve gotten to know her... I really believe that she HUNTED him down- she is SO my style.)- and now here she is!! She told me last night... that she had seen me in the stake a month ago and felt something so special... and it confirmed her desire to get out here... and so when we met in the office... she said it was really special for her.... and every day this week I have receieved so many sweet confirmations that this sweet girl is such a tender mercy from the Lord from me. Hermana Guevara is the second child of 7 kids and the only member in her family. She was baptized a few years ago...but the rest of her family are VERY evangelistic. Her family is so poor... that she has not been able to go to high school yet... but she was just accepted into a program for such cases that help fund high school (high schools aren´t funded by the government here) and she hopes to start in June. Yet... this girl LOVES to read... and has spent the last few years ABSORBING the scriptures... and has such a ridiculously radiant and shameless testimony. We don´t know the area... so as we´ve been trying to find houses according to the maps that Hna Woods draws on stickynotes (ya...and we all know my lack of sense of direction..in the STATES... it´s ridiculous here.)... we have been finding SO many people to teach. I always feel the Spirit so strong with her... we´ve been having some really special experiences together.
On sunday... we were knocking doors to invite people to church... when Hna Woods headed for the door of a convert family...but very active. I wondered to myself... why are we stopping here if they are so destined to come to church? Yet... Hna Woods was SO clearly inspired. When they opened the door, we found Sandra, a sister has been inactive, but now her husband and kids are taking the discussions and have been working towards baptism. Before I got here... they had meeting with this family very often in their house... until the President told them they couldn´t... because the father had been in a gang in the past and in visiting them... they could make enemies with another gang and it was too dangerous. Yet.... the father had made some really big changes in his life and in his family... and wants to be baptized. For a motnh or so, he had been working so hard on turning his life around... and it was so hard for them to understand why the missionaries couldn´t visit them... if he was destined to be a gang member all his life. Yet... this morning... we found Sandra crying because the night before he had given up... and had come home drunk and had said some very hard things. It was so evident that she wanted so badly that her family could be eternal. We knelt and prayed together... and the Spirit was so strong. It was so beautiful to see this convert family, the family Vasquez, bear such beautiful testimonies of the Atonement, as they told about their yelling matches,... how they almost gave up on their family of 7 kids... how awful their relationship was..... until they learned about the gospel. To hear about some of the mistakes that Hermano Vasquez had made.... but how different their life is.... and then he was able to give Sandra a blessing. I just sobbed with awe at the Spirit to hear such beautiful words of comfort... and eternal promises to Sandra. She gathered her kids together and was at church early and ready to press forward with strength. -------the father finally came to an appointment last night... and will be continueing to progress towards baptism- no matter the process required... they will be eternal. The kids are getting baptized tomorrow!!
When we got to the church... I saw this tall elderly man that was very gringo... and was so confused until I shook his hand and realized he was Elder Clark- the general authority that everyone thinks I´m related to. They always ask me if I´m the family of ELDER CLARK... and I smile and proudly say, YEs I am! He´s doing so well in Argentina!! :)
In the family Vasquez... we´ve been visiting one of the 2 sons that aren´t baptized yet. After years of visits of missionaries to their house... Naum has never allowed the missionaries to talk to him... until now. It´s truly a miracle. He is very apprehensious and closed... and his family kind of takes over the lessons and it´s overwhelming pressure for him.... so we´ve really been praying to know how to help him progress. He studied english for 6 months a year ago... but hasn´t touched it since. Yet... he started speaking really broken english in the middle of a lesson so that his family couldn´t understand so that he could express himself with more trust. We have ended up talking a lot of english in his lessons... and it´s truly a miracle that he has understood. The Spirit was SO strong... we experienced such a clear gift of tongues with him..... and the Lord loves him SO MUCH.
Hermana Guevara and I had a really beautiful day yesterday. We were wandering around and around and around..... looking for a house in some street in some colonia.... of some family that HErmana Woods told us to visit. I was about to give up on finding the house... and didn´t even know where I was... but I kept feeling like we were being guided...but it didn´t make sense... because we still couldn´t find the stinkin´house!! Then... as we were walking... I felt something stop me in my tracks... and I looked to my side... and the Spirit washed over me. I saw a woman with 2 little kids at her legs.. as she was kissing goodbye to her supposed Spouse. I grabbed Hna G´s arm and said, WE HAVE TO TEACH THEM. We walked over there... and I didn´t know what else to say to her but.... Hermana... the Lord sent us to you to help your family eternal. Can we come in and teach you how? She was dumbfounded for a second... then snapped to and said, well... ya! Come in? .....I can´t describe how sweet that lesson was... what all was said and what all happened.... but we just told... the truth. Just like it is. That the Lord loves her, that he knows just what she needs to be happy.... and it´s the gospel. By the end... we were all sobbing... and her little boy said... I´ve never seen my mommy cry! She accepted a baptismal date for the 9th. When we knelt to pray... as I prayed... I justed cried and thanked the Lord for such a pathetic ugly map that Hna Woods drew...that we were so lost...but completely guided. She didn´t want us to go... and we didn´t want to go....but we had another baptismal date to make! - but we get to go back today... and I am SO excited!!! Her name is Elsy...and she is a miracle all set and ready for us.
After that.. we literally SPRINTED (Hna Geuvara likes to go fast!! yay!!) to our next appointment with Jorge. Hermana Vasquez (did I mention I LOVE the family Vasquez??) gave him the book of Mormon... and he´s read it TWICE. Yup... he was totally ready...and we signed him up for the 9th too. Yet... he´s not married and has a crazy job that calls him whenever they want to drive a bus... so we are just praying that he will be able to come to church... and that we can find and teach his girlfriend so they can be married and baptized too.
We came home last night and colapsed from exhaustion...............and bliss.
We are seeing that the goals that we made are SO possible. With the Lord.... everything is possible. I KNOW that the Lord is with us... and I have honestly never been happier in my life.
Hermana Clark
P.S. HEY!!! HOW COME NO ONE TOLD ME RYAN RAMSEY IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!?? That was my favorite part of the package!! What a beautiful surprise! It probably sounds like I cry a lot out her.... oh, ´cause I kinda do sometimes! It made me so happy. Ryan... I am praying for you. I will be thinking of you April 2nd. I am SO happy.
" For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.." - Romans 1:16
Friday, March 25, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Las Palmeras
Hello from Las Palmeras!
I´m here in my new area, Las Palmeras. Since we´re the office missionaries we have our pdays on fridays. So... I will now be writing on Pdays for... who knows how long! My new beloved and powerhouse companion is Hermana Woods from Arizona- who has been the nurse for the last little while. My fears of doing the changes alone are assuaged... because we know that we´ll be together next change too as we get a new mission president... and the ¨El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize mission¨ becomes the ¨El Salvador Santa Ana/Belize Mission¨ because we´re giving our east part to the El Salvador East mission. Did that makes any sense? Anyways... I feel better knowing that I won´t be left out to dry next change... and for that I am VERY content. Yet... I have a million reasons to be happy. Hermana Woods has more than put the wind in my sails... she has installed high powered motor... and we are full of fuel and ready to burn!! We also have with us Hermana Allen from Victor, Idaho right from the MTC who is also bitting at the bit to go!! Woohoo!!! Hermana Allan also graduated from BYUI before me in nursing... and she will be the next nurse after me. SO... I get to be trained from a really organized and motivated nurse... and I don´t have to be the nurse forever... because there will be another ready to take the baton after me!! Could my life be any better?
It was ridiculously painful to leave Pajonal and Candelaria. I still feel like a big chunk of my heart is still there..... but I have hope and faith that it will catch up with the rest of my body here in San Salvador soon enough. Monday night we got to have a family home evening with Carolina and Herardo to be in their home one last time. We did the glowstick testimony lesson... and they were super stoked on it too! :) It was such a tender mercy to be with them that night and listen to them just rant about how different their life is... and how happy they are! They report very excitedly that they aren´t watching TV on sundays, that their kids are attending seminary, and that they have paid their tithing. That familiar swelling and near explosion in my heart came again as I listened to them talk about how much more peaceful and happy their little home is... and that they are so grateful that we didn´t leave them... and most of all- that the Lord didn´t give up on them. They have changed SO MUCH. From being obstanant and difficult... to so submissive and eager to obey the Lord.... they recognize the miracles and blessings they´re recieving.. and are SO ANXIOUS to share it with others. They´re a top source of references in Candelaria right now. Oh how I love being a missionary! I almost hope, and yet don´t hope... that all transfers are as hard as that one was. I hope they will be...because it means that I have loved and have learned in my area... and that I am leaving family.
Yet... my heartache, though not forgotten... is not a main focus now. Our companionship is so focused on being COMPLETELY obedient and working with EVERYTHING we have.. that it´s not hard to totally focus on my new area. The last few nights I have once again returned to the house with aching feet and totally tired.... and it feels SO good. I feel so blessed to have this time with Hermana Woods and Allen- and already they are pushing me to be my best.... and we know that we´re going to see miracles this change.
The city is such a different life... I don´t think I´ll ever prefer it to the country... but I am happy to be here. We live with another companionship in the house- with Hermana Ramirez (I was with her in a trio my first 3 weeks) and Hermana Perez, both from Guatamala. We have a washingmachine and dryer (that alone will TOTALLY change my life.) But... we don´t have water from 6am to 9pm... so we fill up a basin and buckets at night and use bowels to shower in the morning. That makes me feel more at home... so I am happy and comfortable. :)
Love you all!
Hermana Clark
I´m here in my new area, Las Palmeras. Since we´re the office missionaries we have our pdays on fridays. So... I will now be writing on Pdays for... who knows how long! My new beloved and powerhouse companion is Hermana Woods from Arizona- who has been the nurse for the last little while. My fears of doing the changes alone are assuaged... because we know that we´ll be together next change too as we get a new mission president... and the ¨El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize mission¨ becomes the ¨El Salvador Santa Ana/Belize Mission¨ because we´re giving our east part to the El Salvador East mission. Did that makes any sense? Anyways... I feel better knowing that I won´t be left out to dry next change... and for that I am VERY content. Yet... I have a million reasons to be happy. Hermana Woods has more than put the wind in my sails... she has installed high powered motor... and we are full of fuel and ready to burn!! We also have with us Hermana Allen from Victor, Idaho right from the MTC who is also bitting at the bit to go!! Woohoo!!! Hermana Allan also graduated from BYUI before me in nursing... and she will be the next nurse after me. SO... I get to be trained from a really organized and motivated nurse... and I don´t have to be the nurse forever... because there will be another ready to take the baton after me!! Could my life be any better?
It was ridiculously painful to leave Pajonal and Candelaria. I still feel like a big chunk of my heart is still there..... but I have hope and faith that it will catch up with the rest of my body here in San Salvador soon enough. Monday night we got to have a family home evening with Carolina and Herardo to be in their home one last time. We did the glowstick testimony lesson... and they were super stoked on it too! :) It was such a tender mercy to be with them that night and listen to them just rant about how different their life is... and how happy they are! They report very excitedly that they aren´t watching TV on sundays, that their kids are attending seminary, and that they have paid their tithing. That familiar swelling and near explosion in my heart came again as I listened to them talk about how much more peaceful and happy their little home is... and that they are so grateful that we didn´t leave them... and most of all- that the Lord didn´t give up on them. They have changed SO MUCH. From being obstanant and difficult... to so submissive and eager to obey the Lord.... they recognize the miracles and blessings they´re recieving.. and are SO ANXIOUS to share it with others. They´re a top source of references in Candelaria right now. Oh how I love being a missionary! I almost hope, and yet don´t hope... that all transfers are as hard as that one was. I hope they will be...because it means that I have loved and have learned in my area... and that I am leaving family.
Yet... my heartache, though not forgotten... is not a main focus now. Our companionship is so focused on being COMPLETELY obedient and working with EVERYTHING we have.. that it´s not hard to totally focus on my new area. The last few nights I have once again returned to the house with aching feet and totally tired.... and it feels SO good. I feel so blessed to have this time with Hermana Woods and Allen- and already they are pushing me to be my best.... and we know that we´re going to see miracles this change.
The city is such a different life... I don´t think I´ll ever prefer it to the country... but I am happy to be here. We live with another companionship in the house- with Hermana Ramirez (I was with her in a trio my first 3 weeks) and Hermana Perez, both from Guatamala. We have a washingmachine and dryer (that alone will TOTALLY change my life.) But... we don´t have water from 6am to 9pm... so we fill up a basin and buckets at night and use bowels to shower in the morning. That makes me feel more at home... so I am happy and comfortable. :)
Love you all!
Hermana Clark
Bitter Sweet
haha... what a week!! As ALWAYS... I have no clue where to start. Maybe...in chronological order.
Monday we had such a beautiful family home evening with the Martinez family... wow I will miss them SO SO MUCH. They were so excited to have us for the family home evening... and reported that they had one the previous week totally independently... but weren´t sure if they did it right. Berta reported that her husband read out of the Gospel Principles book for 2 hours... and it was a little bit long… but they loved it!! I couldn´t help but think to myself… ¨if I ever try to find an axcuse not to have family home evening… I will forever remember the family Martinez¨. Rigoberto leaves every morning at 4 in the morning to pick café or frijoles all day… and doesn´t get back until 7 at night… the before he even eats… they light their oil lamp and pull out their scriptures.. and study together. I will never find a valid excuse. Nor will I ever seek to find one. They LOVED LOVED LOVED the glowsticks… and totally dug the correlation with the scripture ¨let your light so shine¨. This family is on fire and temple bound.
Then.. Tuesday… we were finishing a lesson with a not so positive investigator… when my companion asked her if she knew anyone that we could teach. I was totally shocked and dumbfounded…because although we need to be asking that to EVERYONE… I´m usually the one to do it. This woman quickly responded and gave us directions to a family down the hill. When we met the family… it became all begame clear. It the middle of nowhere… in this little sheetmetal house… lives the family Batron- almost all members. They were baptized years ago in another part of the country…but when they had to move out there… they couldn´t find a church. They were SO excited to have us there… and the mother nearly wept when we sang from her little old hymn book. Hermana Fuentes admits to receiving an overwhelming impression and inspiration to ask that investigator for a reference… and I am SO grateful she followed it. Totally random to find a family out there…but not surprising. Anything is possible.
On the way back on Tuesday… our bus was stopped by the migration.. and started asking everyone for their identification. When I showed them my ¨ohsoimportant WA license¨... they weren´t too impressed. They asked for my passport, and when I batted my eyes and explained that I was a missionary and that the church had everything…they moved on.
BUT… on wedensday I did not have so much luck. When they stopped the bus again... Hermana Salizar from Honduras and I had nothing. SO... all four of us sisters were hauled into the police truck... and shipped up to the border of Guatamala for investigation!! We laughed and giggled all the way up...because we really were a sight. All the Guatamalans and Salvadoranians were SO thrilled to have a gringo in such trouble. As they passed me I heard for 3 hours jokes and comments like... ¨Ha... how does it feel to be an undocumented illegal?¨... or ¨Your turn to get deported!!¨... and when they really were mad at me for not having my passport or any identification for residency... I kinda stopped laughing. I guess it´s important to have evidence of legality in a foreign country... but they don´t allow us to have our passports- mine is in San Salvador in the office- so I assumed it was all ok! Of course I had to mess up my spanish and stay something like, ¨Well..can we figure this out? I´d really like to get out of the country.¨- when I definately meant to say ¨I´d really like to STAY in the country¨. SO... all morning at the border... they finally figured out that my residency is still in process... and they let me go.
The next day we went to Santa Ana for our district meeting.. and as my companion and I were waiting an hour and a half in the middle of nowhere on the side of the highway for the bus for Pajonal to pass... my compy had a little bit of a break down. I didn´t know whether to laugh or cry to hear such anger and desperation to leave the area that I love so dearly... as I´ve been trying to cling on to my faith and hope with our calling and opportunity to work miracles... my partner worked so hard to crush all aspirations. The whole scene was quite dramatic... yelling in the middle of dry-nothingness.. it was classic... but over. As the bus came...the tantrum left... and we got to work.
This change has been so different... it really is a unique situation up there from a missionary perspective... but I still love LOVE LOVE Pajonal and like it says in... Alma 37?.. that by the small and simple things, great things come to pass. We didn´t have the most baptisms...but we had 2 strong ones. We didn´t have the most investigators at church... but we have 4 that are waking up at 4 in the morning to milk their cows and get ready.... walking 30 minutes waiting for the bus...and then traveling for an hour at great financial expense for them... all because they have faith and dedication to the Lord... and are experiencing the blessings of living the gospel. It´s been such a blessing to have the oportunidad to have such a test of patience and hope... and I have really felt my own faith growing as we have been watching the seeds of the faith of others grow too. We have a number of people that are reading and relishing the Book of Mormon and have sincere desires to come to church. Sandra: she has read a TON in the Book of Mormon and marks it UP and loves to share with us what she has learned from certain verses and how she is applying it in her life. She anxiously asks us every time when we´re coming back- because she says that she is SO much happier since she has started reading the book of Mormon. Her son is super sick right now and there isn´t any one else to take care of him. She dreams of being able to asist a meeting up there. Enio: I gave him a pamplet in the street, and when he saw me in the bus he asked me anxiously where he could BUY a Book of Mormon. I gave him my book and told him to read the intro before our appointment in the afternoon. When we came, he had read the intro, testimony of Joseph Smith, and the first 4 chapters of Nephi.... and LOVES it. Yet... all of his left leg is in a cast and he can´t travel. His goal is to read all of it in the next month before they take off his cast. Dora: Cousin of the family Axume. We taught her the first lesson..and she understood it all. She reads the bible and is so ready. We didnt have a book of mormon left to give her that day.. but when we returned the next time... she said that she had read the pamplet various times... and had been praying dilligently to know if it was true. She said that she had the same clear dream 2 nights in a row and has felt SUCH HAPPINESS every time she read the pamplet.. that she knows it´s true and wants to come to church.
Despite the obstacles and negativity I´ve experienced this transfer... the Lord has granted me such sweet tender mercies... that I KNOW that I was supposed to be in Pajonal...and I know that there is a great purpose there. I am grateful every day for the chance to do what we do. It´s truly such an honor. I had a dream of training a new missionary full of fire, naivite, and enthusiam... so that we could literally run door to door and work ourselves dead... to relish every precious moment that we have in our area... and to give EVERYTHING I HAVE. Yet... the Lord has a different plan. Though I was just ever so sure that I would stay in Pajonal for one more change.......... I´ve been transfered to San Salvador to train as the nurse.
I already love Hermana Woods and I KNOW we´ll work great and HARD HARD HARD together...but it´s so hard to leave Candelaria and Pajonal. Also... I think if I train with her this change... then the NEXT change I will be THE NURSE... but the mission is change it´s boundries completely... and the nurse during that time has to find all the new doctors and hospitals, pharmacies...and EVERYTHING. AHHHHHHHH. I am just trying to block out the imagery of me trying to do it all... and in spanish..alone...but like Moroni 7:33 clearly says.. .that I can do all things that are expidient in the Lord. So... here we go!!
On a better note... we had the baptism of Neri this sunday... and it was SO sweet. Though we had dreamed of the WHOLE family coming and have such a great experience... it was hampered when they received a visit from family the day before.. and not all could come. Yet... one new brother came... stayed for all church...loved it... and I know he´ll be baptized. The whole family will make it there... and they´ll probably be THE BRANCH to start up there! :)
Speaking of the Axume family... I´ve attached pictures of them.. and their orchard. We finally made time for allow them to show us their well where they get water... and their BEAUTIFUL orchards of lemons, oranges, mangos... and lots of other new fruits that I don´t remember how they´re called. I could live up there. Easy.
So... I´m leaving the country...my humble world of the dearest people.... to the city with money, more pride...but LOTS of people ready for the gospel.. and ready to be found. I am so ready to hit the ground RUNNING as fast and furious as I want! :)
Love you all!
Hermana Clark
Monday we had such a beautiful family home evening with the Martinez family... wow I will miss them SO SO MUCH. They were so excited to have us for the family home evening... and reported that they had one the previous week totally independently... but weren´t sure if they did it right. Berta reported that her husband read out of the Gospel Principles book for 2 hours... and it was a little bit long… but they loved it!! I couldn´t help but think to myself… ¨if I ever try to find an axcuse not to have family home evening… I will forever remember the family Martinez¨. Rigoberto leaves every morning at 4 in the morning to pick café or frijoles all day… and doesn´t get back until 7 at night… the before he even eats… they light their oil lamp and pull out their scriptures.. and study together. I will never find a valid excuse. Nor will I ever seek to find one. They LOVED LOVED LOVED the glowsticks… and totally dug the correlation with the scripture ¨let your light so shine¨. This family is on fire and temple bound.
Then.. Tuesday… we were finishing a lesson with a not so positive investigator… when my companion asked her if she knew anyone that we could teach. I was totally shocked and dumbfounded…because although we need to be asking that to EVERYONE… I´m usually the one to do it. This woman quickly responded and gave us directions to a family down the hill. When we met the family… it became all begame clear. It the middle of nowhere… in this little sheetmetal house… lives the family Batron- almost all members. They were baptized years ago in another part of the country…but when they had to move out there… they couldn´t find a church. They were SO excited to have us there… and the mother nearly wept when we sang from her little old hymn book. Hermana Fuentes admits to receiving an overwhelming impression and inspiration to ask that investigator for a reference… and I am SO grateful she followed it. Totally random to find a family out there…but not surprising. Anything is possible.
On the way back on Tuesday… our bus was stopped by the migration.. and started asking everyone for their identification. When I showed them my ¨ohsoimportant WA license¨... they weren´t too impressed. They asked for my passport, and when I batted my eyes and explained that I was a missionary and that the church had everything…they moved on.
BUT… on wedensday I did not have so much luck. When they stopped the bus again... Hermana Salizar from Honduras and I had nothing. SO... all four of us sisters were hauled into the police truck... and shipped up to the border of Guatamala for investigation!! We laughed and giggled all the way up...because we really were a sight. All the Guatamalans and Salvadoranians were SO thrilled to have a gringo in such trouble. As they passed me I heard for 3 hours jokes and comments like... ¨Ha... how does it feel to be an undocumented illegal?¨... or ¨Your turn to get deported!!¨... and when they really were mad at me for not having my passport or any identification for residency... I kinda stopped laughing. I guess it´s important to have evidence of legality in a foreign country... but they don´t allow us to have our passports- mine is in San Salvador in the office- so I assumed it was all ok! Of course I had to mess up my spanish and stay something like, ¨Well..can we figure this out? I´d really like to get out of the country.¨- when I definately meant to say ¨I´d really like to STAY in the country¨. SO... all morning at the border... they finally figured out that my residency is still in process... and they let me go.
The next day we went to Santa Ana for our district meeting.. and as my companion and I were waiting an hour and a half in the middle of nowhere on the side of the highway for the bus for Pajonal to pass... my compy had a little bit of a break down. I didn´t know whether to laugh or cry to hear such anger and desperation to leave the area that I love so dearly... as I´ve been trying to cling on to my faith and hope with our calling and opportunity to work miracles... my partner worked so hard to crush all aspirations. The whole scene was quite dramatic... yelling in the middle of dry-nothingness.. it was classic... but over. As the bus came...the tantrum left... and we got to work.
This change has been so different... it really is a unique situation up there from a missionary perspective... but I still love LOVE LOVE Pajonal and like it says in... Alma 37?.. that by the small and simple things, great things come to pass. We didn´t have the most baptisms...but we had 2 strong ones. We didn´t have the most investigators at church... but we have 4 that are waking up at 4 in the morning to milk their cows and get ready.... walking 30 minutes waiting for the bus...and then traveling for an hour at great financial expense for them... all because they have faith and dedication to the Lord... and are experiencing the blessings of living the gospel. It´s been such a blessing to have the oportunidad to have such a test of patience and hope... and I have really felt my own faith growing as we have been watching the seeds of the faith of others grow too. We have a number of people that are reading and relishing the Book of Mormon and have sincere desires to come to church. Sandra: she has read a TON in the Book of Mormon and marks it UP and loves to share with us what she has learned from certain verses and how she is applying it in her life. She anxiously asks us every time when we´re coming back- because she says that she is SO much happier since she has started reading the book of Mormon. Her son is super sick right now and there isn´t any one else to take care of him. She dreams of being able to asist a meeting up there. Enio: I gave him a pamplet in the street, and when he saw me in the bus he asked me anxiously where he could BUY a Book of Mormon. I gave him my book and told him to read the intro before our appointment in the afternoon. When we came, he had read the intro, testimony of Joseph Smith, and the first 4 chapters of Nephi.... and LOVES it. Yet... all of his left leg is in a cast and he can´t travel. His goal is to read all of it in the next month before they take off his cast. Dora: Cousin of the family Axume. We taught her the first lesson..and she understood it all. She reads the bible and is so ready. We didnt have a book of mormon left to give her that day.. but when we returned the next time... she said that she had read the pamplet various times... and had been praying dilligently to know if it was true. She said that she had the same clear dream 2 nights in a row and has felt SUCH HAPPINESS every time she read the pamplet.. that she knows it´s true and wants to come to church.
Despite the obstacles and negativity I´ve experienced this transfer... the Lord has granted me such sweet tender mercies... that I KNOW that I was supposed to be in Pajonal...and I know that there is a great purpose there. I am grateful every day for the chance to do what we do. It´s truly such an honor. I had a dream of training a new missionary full of fire, naivite, and enthusiam... so that we could literally run door to door and work ourselves dead... to relish every precious moment that we have in our area... and to give EVERYTHING I HAVE. Yet... the Lord has a different plan. Though I was just ever so sure that I would stay in Pajonal for one more change.......... I´ve been transfered to San Salvador to train as the nurse.
I already love Hermana Woods and I KNOW we´ll work great and HARD HARD HARD together...but it´s so hard to leave Candelaria and Pajonal. Also... I think if I train with her this change... then the NEXT change I will be THE NURSE... but the mission is change it´s boundries completely... and the nurse during that time has to find all the new doctors and hospitals, pharmacies...and EVERYTHING. AHHHHHHHH. I am just trying to block out the imagery of me trying to do it all... and in spanish..alone...but like Moroni 7:33 clearly says.. .that I can do all things that are expidient in the Lord. So... here we go!!
On a better note... we had the baptism of Neri this sunday... and it was SO sweet. Though we had dreamed of the WHOLE family coming and have such a great experience... it was hampered when they received a visit from family the day before.. and not all could come. Yet... one new brother came... stayed for all church...loved it... and I know he´ll be baptized. The whole family will make it there... and they´ll probably be THE BRANCH to start up there! :)
Speaking of the Axume family... I´ve attached pictures of them.. and their orchard. We finally made time for allow them to show us their well where they get water... and their BEAUTIFUL orchards of lemons, oranges, mangos... and lots of other new fruits that I don´t remember how they´re called. I could live up there. Easy.
So... I´m leaving the country...my humble world of the dearest people.... to the city with money, more pride...but LOTS of people ready for the gospel.. and ready to be found. I am so ready to hit the ground RUNNING as fast and furious as I want! :)
Love you all!
Hermana Clark
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Valentines Day Thankyou's!
Hellloooooo!!
Family, thank you SO much for the Valentines package! We have really enjoyed it... and the kids are LOVING the really cool candy and pezes- brilliant. Aunt Marcy, Thank you thank you THANK YOU for your package! You were SO inspired with so many things... it almost weirded me out how you some how knew exactly what to put in. Thank you so much- and I LOVE the scriptures and have been sharing them with the 3 other sisters in the house. Thank you!!!!! We´re going to do a family home evening with the Martinez family tonight... and we´re gonna use the testimony from the Evergreen primary (thank you!)- and the glow sticks. They don´t have electricity.. so their house is super dark and PERFECT to use glowsticks with the scripture of ¨let your light so shine¨.- even though this family already explodes with light... it will be a really fun tool to use to teach about testimonies. Thank you!
It´s already very well established that... I have very little patience. With all the excitement and hope that I have for Pajonal... I find myself expecting to have a branch all of a sudden tomorrow and to be seeing more fruits of our labor TODAY. Yet... it doesn´t work that way. ¨By small and simple things... great things come to pass¨.... and yet we don´t get an exact time frame. We are teaching many people... and when sunday morning comes... I am all in jitters... SO excited to see the people that we have met and loved up there...in the CHURCH. SOOooo.... when the only ones that came from Pajonal were Jose Armando and his brother Neris... I was a little deflated. Yet... again... the Lord blessed me with such a sweet experience in that sacrament meeting... that the momentary moment of forgetfulness and ingratitude quickly fled. To see how excited Neris is for his baptism... when he was telling all the members, ¨Next sunday I´m going to be baptized!!! My whole family is going to come!!¨... and when Jose Armando got up and bore his testimony of the Restoration of the gospel.... I was reminded that... we truly do have a divine purpose in Pajonal.
I hate to remember that I won´t be in Candelaria every sunday forever. That someday... maybe soon... maybe in April... I will have to leave to face the world of the mission nurse in the city... and though I know it will be right and there will be more to do and learn no matter where I am.........I love love love Candelaria. I love the ward more than I can explain. I can sit in the Sacrament meeting... and point out something that I have seen and learned from every single member. I get so teary when those that can´t read or write... allow me the honor to help them fill out their slips for fast offerings to give the Lord their golden widows mite... and when our ward mission leader listens so intently with everything he has so that he can remember all the names of all the investigadors that we have... because he won´t be able to read our forms. The dedication, humility, and love I have seen and received in Candelaria is incredible. For example... we were on our way back from Pajonal... when we saw our brother Hermano Francisco on the bus. He is the most devoted, loving, and gospel zealous man in his 70´s with 4 teeth and probably the warmest and most sincere smile I have ever seen. He scurried over and quickly paid for our passage. It´s .75 each way... not hard for us to pay... but to pay for 3 people is A LOT for this man... but he was so anxious and honored to contribute to the Lord´s work... I couldn´t hold him back from those blessings. He continued to tell me that his dream is that his 32 year old daughter will be married... and that he can serve a mission. He told me he wants to be a missionary SO BAD... and asked me if I thought that was possible that he could serve even though he wasn´t married? I didn´t know what to say more than the assurance that he had so much to offer in the Lord´s work... and that the Lord will always need and accept his labors in all callings he is given. I know that is ever so true.
Fast and testimony meeting was so so so sweet yesterday. The attendence has gone up from in the 70s to the hundred and teens over the last few months. It is SO rewarding to see inactives that we had been loving and working with... return and start nurturing their seeds of faith... and the new converts continue to blossom. I love going to church. I felt in paradise to listen to such simple, profound, and powerful testimonies. I couldn´t help but feel SO spoiled to be a spectator in such a meeting... and to think of how much my family would LOVE to be there. I don´t know if I´ve mentioned the beautiful deaf family that live up in the mountains... but oh how Morgan would love them. The parents are both deaf... and their sign language isn´t really... it´s more like a dance than an organized language... and the Spirit was SO powerful and we understood everything as this brother told about how his son was sick and he was able to help give him a priesthood blessing, and was healed... and that he KNEW without a doubt of the Lord´s love and of the priesthood power. Oh boy... I was out of control.. makeup running down my face and everything. Wow.
I got to hear some of the first members of the church in Candelaria bear their testimonies... the sweetest and oldest little people... stand at the pulpit and tremble with old age and gratitud for the opportunity that they have to see Candelaria blossom... to see the little chapel bulging at the seams... to see the Lord´s work unfold after so many years. There is a little 96 year old woman that is nothing but sticks and bones but praises the Lord for her health and ability to walk down the mountain every sunday... because she can´t possibly pay for transportation... but the Lord allows her to continue to come to church.
Oh I could just go on forever... but it´s time to work again! I love you all! Thank you for all your support and prayers. Go find the inactives in your wards... support the new converts, and pray and identify EVERY chance to share the gospel in EVERY moment of the day. They exist!!
Hermana Clark
Family, thank you SO much for the Valentines package! We have really enjoyed it... and the kids are LOVING the really cool candy and pezes- brilliant. Aunt Marcy, Thank you thank you THANK YOU for your package! You were SO inspired with so many things... it almost weirded me out how you some how knew exactly what to put in. Thank you so much- and I LOVE the scriptures and have been sharing them with the 3 other sisters in the house. Thank you!!!!! We´re going to do a family home evening with the Martinez family tonight... and we´re gonna use the testimony from the Evergreen primary (thank you!)- and the glow sticks. They don´t have electricity.. so their house is super dark and PERFECT to use glowsticks with the scripture of ¨let your light so shine¨.- even though this family already explodes with light... it will be a really fun tool to use to teach about testimonies. Thank you!
It´s already very well established that... I have very little patience. With all the excitement and hope that I have for Pajonal... I find myself expecting to have a branch all of a sudden tomorrow and to be seeing more fruits of our labor TODAY. Yet... it doesn´t work that way. ¨By small and simple things... great things come to pass¨.... and yet we don´t get an exact time frame. We are teaching many people... and when sunday morning comes... I am all in jitters... SO excited to see the people that we have met and loved up there...in the CHURCH. SOOooo.... when the only ones that came from Pajonal were Jose Armando and his brother Neris... I was a little deflated. Yet... again... the Lord blessed me with such a sweet experience in that sacrament meeting... that the momentary moment of forgetfulness and ingratitude quickly fled. To see how excited Neris is for his baptism... when he was telling all the members, ¨Next sunday I´m going to be baptized!!! My whole family is going to come!!¨... and when Jose Armando got up and bore his testimony of the Restoration of the gospel.... I was reminded that... we truly do have a divine purpose in Pajonal.
I hate to remember that I won´t be in Candelaria every sunday forever. That someday... maybe soon... maybe in April... I will have to leave to face the world of the mission nurse in the city... and though I know it will be right and there will be more to do and learn no matter where I am.........I love love love Candelaria. I love the ward more than I can explain. I can sit in the Sacrament meeting... and point out something that I have seen and learned from every single member. I get so teary when those that can´t read or write... allow me the honor to help them fill out their slips for fast offerings to give the Lord their golden widows mite... and when our ward mission leader listens so intently with everything he has so that he can remember all the names of all the investigadors that we have... because he won´t be able to read our forms. The dedication, humility, and love I have seen and received in Candelaria is incredible. For example... we were on our way back from Pajonal... when we saw our brother Hermano Francisco on the bus. He is the most devoted, loving, and gospel zealous man in his 70´s with 4 teeth and probably the warmest and most sincere smile I have ever seen. He scurried over and quickly paid for our passage. It´s .75 each way... not hard for us to pay... but to pay for 3 people is A LOT for this man... but he was so anxious and honored to contribute to the Lord´s work... I couldn´t hold him back from those blessings. He continued to tell me that his dream is that his 32 year old daughter will be married... and that he can serve a mission. He told me he wants to be a missionary SO BAD... and asked me if I thought that was possible that he could serve even though he wasn´t married? I didn´t know what to say more than the assurance that he had so much to offer in the Lord´s work... and that the Lord will always need and accept his labors in all callings he is given. I know that is ever so true.
Fast and testimony meeting was so so so sweet yesterday. The attendence has gone up from in the 70s to the hundred and teens over the last few months. It is SO rewarding to see inactives that we had been loving and working with... return and start nurturing their seeds of faith... and the new converts continue to blossom. I love going to church. I felt in paradise to listen to such simple, profound, and powerful testimonies. I couldn´t help but feel SO spoiled to be a spectator in such a meeting... and to think of how much my family would LOVE to be there. I don´t know if I´ve mentioned the beautiful deaf family that live up in the mountains... but oh how Morgan would love them. The parents are both deaf... and their sign language isn´t really... it´s more like a dance than an organized language... and the Spirit was SO powerful and we understood everything as this brother told about how his son was sick and he was able to help give him a priesthood blessing, and was healed... and that he KNEW without a doubt of the Lord´s love and of the priesthood power. Oh boy... I was out of control.. makeup running down my face and everything. Wow.
I got to hear some of the first members of the church in Candelaria bear their testimonies... the sweetest and oldest little people... stand at the pulpit and tremble with old age and gratitud for the opportunity that they have to see Candelaria blossom... to see the little chapel bulging at the seams... to see the Lord´s work unfold after so many years. There is a little 96 year old woman that is nothing but sticks and bones but praises the Lord for her health and ability to walk down the mountain every sunday... because she can´t possibly pay for transportation... but the Lord allows her to continue to come to church.
Oh I could just go on forever... but it´s time to work again! I love you all! Thank you for all your support and prayers. Go find the inactives in your wards... support the new converts, and pray and identify EVERY chance to share the gospel in EVERY moment of the day. They exist!!
Hermana Clark
More Baptisms Hooray!
Yay!! It happened! Armando was baptized!!
I woke up yesterday so nervous and excited... just wanting so badly that he would be able to make it to the church in time to be baptized before church..... and more especially- that his family would come. As we sat in the church with a full font and everything ready.... great was our joy and surprise when we saw a red pickup come roaring in with... the Axume Family- 30 minutes early! Although not ALL of them came (I guess someone has to stay to milk the cows...)... in came Armando´s brother (his second time) and two of his sisters- Carman and Delia. They were all very groomed, looking sharp... and super stoked to be there! (don´t believe their stiff faces in the picture... they´re really happy people! - I just don´t know why latinos don´t like to look it in pictures..) The baptism was simple, sweet, and powerful. Armando was VERY happy... and his brother Neris told me afterwards, ¨The Lord wants me to get baptized in two weeks.¨- I wanted to question it and say, ¨How come not after church?¨- But I gladly accepted it- because it is such a direct answer to our prayers...and to his. SOooo... 12th of March is his big day! Carmen and Delia LOVED church... and asked us very excitedly, ¨When are you coming to visit this week??¨- they´re all reading and praying about the book of Mormon. We hope to make a date with them this week too. :) --- Armando recieved the Aaronic Priesthood after church and said to me, ¨Now we have to preach!! Juan Carlos and I have a LOT of work to do! We need to go teach and help our families!!!¨- oh I could have burst. Watching our little Pajonal congregation of the family Axume and Juan Carlos piled into that little red pickup... was just what we needed to see as sweet a reminder that the work will undoubtedly progress there.
We are going door to door and trying to gather in as many people as possible... and are talking to and teaching A LOT of people... so it´s just a little disheartening when hardly anyone actually makes it to church. Yet... the real miracle is... that hardly taints my hope, aspirations, love, and vision for Pajonal. Though Hermana Fuentes and I don´t quiet have the same enthusiasm for the situation... undeniable... there is an exteremly white field in those mountains... and they will be harvested.
Though we´re not always seeing the BIGGEST changes and progress all in one moment in our area... I am still seeing progress and triumphs in our new converts in Candelaria. Like yesterday... I got to sit back and watch Carolina greet and adore members that entered the chapel (and she doesn´t even have a calling!!)... that Herardo received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday... and the Family Martinez are SO zealous about EVERYTHING in the church!! We were visiting them last night, when a neighbor came over to ask Berta a question. As we were talking... randomly,quickly, BOLDLY, and enthusiasically Berta said, ¨Oh Sandra! Why don´t you come to church with us on sunday??¨... and the whole family all at once jumped in, ¨YA YA YA!! COME COME COME! It´s the best!!¨ hahaha... they continued to talk all at once telling her about the activities... the scriptures... how everything can help her family.. how much she will learn... how happy she will be..- they even invited her to be baptized!! We were standing outside during all of this... and a storm started in... so their was this warm and strong wind whirling around us with raging lightening... and I can´t really describe it..but it was just a delicious and euphorical experience for me... to see such a profound conversion and love of the gospel in this family... that they had Christ in their countenances and heart... and desired, just as Alma after his conversion, that all partake of what they had been given. Sandra couldn´t possibly resist being intrigued... and excited to come to church this sunday. :)
This week I´ve been thinking a lot about D&C 123:12-14 - how there are a lot of spiritually hungry people in the world... en Pajonal.. but they know not where to find the bread of life. ... and how I want to ¨waste and wear out¨ my life to bring these things to light. When I have this perspective and fire... I´m told I´m obsessive and crazy. I had an interview with President this last tuesday.. and without me saying anything before... he paused... and said with such inspiration, ¨Sister Clark, BE CRAZY.¨- I didn´t know whether to laugh or cry with how perfect it was for me... but it gave me such relief to so many worries that I´d been having.
So... here I go... more CRAZY!
Hermana Clark
I woke up yesterday so nervous and excited... just wanting so badly that he would be able to make it to the church in time to be baptized before church..... and more especially- that his family would come. As we sat in the church with a full font and everything ready.... great was our joy and surprise when we saw a red pickup come roaring in with... the Axume Family- 30 minutes early! Although not ALL of them came (I guess someone has to stay to milk the cows...)... in came Armando´s brother (his second time) and two of his sisters- Carman and Delia. They were all very groomed, looking sharp... and super stoked to be there! (don´t believe their stiff faces in the picture... they´re really happy people! - I just don´t know why latinos don´t like to look it in pictures..) The baptism was simple, sweet, and powerful. Armando was VERY happy... and his brother Neris told me afterwards, ¨The Lord wants me to get baptized in two weeks.¨- I wanted to question it and say, ¨How come not after church?¨- But I gladly accepted it- because it is such a direct answer to our prayers...and to his. SOooo... 12th of March is his big day! Carmen and Delia LOVED church... and asked us very excitedly, ¨When are you coming to visit this week??¨- they´re all reading and praying about the book of Mormon. We hope to make a date with them this week too. :) --- Armando recieved the Aaronic Priesthood after church and said to me, ¨Now we have to preach!! Juan Carlos and I have a LOT of work to do! We need to go teach and help our families!!!¨- oh I could have burst. Watching our little Pajonal congregation of the family Axume and Juan Carlos piled into that little red pickup... was just what we needed to see as sweet a reminder that the work will undoubtedly progress there.
We are going door to door and trying to gather in as many people as possible... and are talking to and teaching A LOT of people... so it´s just a little disheartening when hardly anyone actually makes it to church. Yet... the real miracle is... that hardly taints my hope, aspirations, love, and vision for Pajonal. Though Hermana Fuentes and I don´t quiet have the same enthusiasm for the situation... undeniable... there is an exteremly white field in those mountains... and they will be harvested.
Though we´re not always seeing the BIGGEST changes and progress all in one moment in our area... I am still seeing progress and triumphs in our new converts in Candelaria. Like yesterday... I got to sit back and watch Carolina greet and adore members that entered the chapel (and she doesn´t even have a calling!!)... that Herardo received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday... and the Family Martinez are SO zealous about EVERYTHING in the church!! We were visiting them last night, when a neighbor came over to ask Berta a question. As we were talking... randomly,quickly, BOLDLY, and enthusiasically Berta said, ¨Oh Sandra! Why don´t you come to church with us on sunday??¨... and the whole family all at once jumped in, ¨YA YA YA!! COME COME COME! It´s the best!!¨ hahaha... they continued to talk all at once telling her about the activities... the scriptures... how everything can help her family.. how much she will learn... how happy she will be..- they even invited her to be baptized!! We were standing outside during all of this... and a storm started in... so their was this warm and strong wind whirling around us with raging lightening... and I can´t really describe it..but it was just a delicious and euphorical experience for me... to see such a profound conversion and love of the gospel in this family... that they had Christ in their countenances and heart... and desired, just as Alma after his conversion, that all partake of what they had been given. Sandra couldn´t possibly resist being intrigued... and excited to come to church this sunday. :)
This week I´ve been thinking a lot about D&C 123:12-14 - how there are a lot of spiritually hungry people in the world... en Pajonal.. but they know not where to find the bread of life. ... and how I want to ¨waste and wear out¨ my life to bring these things to light. When I have this perspective and fire... I´m told I´m obsessive and crazy. I had an interview with President this last tuesday.. and without me saying anything before... he paused... and said with such inspiration, ¨Sister Clark, BE CRAZY.¨- I didn´t know whether to laugh or cry with how perfect it was for me... but it gave me such relief to so many worries that I´d been having.
So... here I go... more CRAZY!
Hermana Clark
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