(Sigh) I Lov e Eternal Families

Wooohoooo!!!! They were FINALLY married and baptized!! Sandra and her family are well on their way to being ETERNAL. So many countless things happened with birth certificates, identification cards, the lawyer..... but on TUESDAY... it all happened.
The wedding was so simple and definately civil and legal..... but at the same time... the Spirit was undeniably present and confirming that the Lord was truly pleased with this family for their desires to be obedient... and that many great things were yet to come. Seeing Sandra`s husband step into the baptismal font... I quickly reflected on the past... all addictions won, the sacrifices made, the tears shed, and the innumerable obstaculos overcome.... and I was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude for the incomprehendible mercy of the Lord, and that in that font... all would be put behind this man... and that he can truly move on purified and able to reach his full divine potential. Hermana Sandra and her husband bore their testimonies afterwards... and they were so humble, grateful, and powerful... these people have gone through so much... and they have really come to KNOW the Savior in their lives. When we visited them the next day... they were still glowing. As we sang the Spirit of God together... I had that familiar bursting in my chest when the kids were bellowing out the chorus with such vigor and purity....... have I mentioned how much I LOVE this family?? To see the family so quickly and eagerly drop down to their knees in a circle to pray together... I know they´re going to make it. When asked how he felt, the father smiled, glowed, and said very simply, ¨Clean and free.¨- that`s what this is about.

Something peculiar has happened... but I feel something great coming. Remember how the mission is changing it`s boundries and that this part of San Salvador won`t be part of my mission after this change? Well.... for the last 2 changes President has said many things that were clearly understood to mean that Hna Woods and I would be going to Santa Ana to prepare the office for the mission changes. When Hna Guevara came, President told us not to work together as the 4 of us... and so, we didn`t! We assumed that Hermana Allen would be staying to teach the next missionaries from the East mission the area... so Hna Guevara and I dominated a little but FULL area of the area... and Hermana Woods, who had had 9 MONTHS in that area, taught Hna Allen ALL of the members, recent converts, inactives, and investigators from the rest of the area... with the determination not to let any of her work of the 9 months fall through the crack. She would quiz her on names and addresses at night and during the day... and Hermana Allen was SO prepared and ready to carry the torch. So... when we were waiting to hear about changes.. hna woods and I were just waiting to find out what area in Santa Ana WE were going to. SO... when we heard that Hna Allen was going to CANDELARIA.. and I was going to STAY.... I just assumed that the Elders had just mixed us up... that I was going to return to Candelaria! haha... nope. So... here I am with Hermana Hernandez from the East mission... and a map. I have so many mixed feelings... because I´m basically opening the area with the little knowledge I have.... but I know that it`s possible. I`m excited to be able to stay and baptize my investigadors that I`ve been working with... and I know that there is a divine purpose in this. I KNOW the President received inspiration for this change... because there is no visible logic. I also know that... inspiration is ALWAYS more logical than ¨logic¨... so I`m happy to just go with it!
Hermana Hernandez is from Guatamala and this is her last change. (ya... we don`t know why she came to open an area her last change, but she`s praying to be blessed with more time. She`s so great. ) She is such a STRAIGHT arrow- here to work... and knows how to do it! I can tell that she has worked hard all her mission and is determined to finish it STRONG. I have already learned a lot of great things from her- and we have 2 days together. How blessed am I???
I love you all so much. Being with Sandra and her family, Jorge and Rosa..... and the families that are just starting to pop up.... makes me love and appreciate my family more and more. How blessed AM I!?!?! I am starting to scratch the very surface of seeing just how merciful the Lord is. There is nothing I have done, am doing, or could EVER do.. to really warrent the blessing and grace of the Lord that I have in my life.
Hermana Clark


P.S. Where is Anna Daines?? Also... I think that if anyone`s going to send me letters from here on... you should wait. We`re changing our address with the changes in the mission... but they haven`t found a new one in Santa Ana yet...so maybe I wouldn`t get them. But... of course I want to hear from you! I`ll post the new address as soon as I get it! :)