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Hello Family!

Myldsmail.net just started working, so this is gonna be short. Lucky week, huh fam? :)

We had a beautiful district conference- all the members from Corazol, Orange Walk, and the Island of San Pedro came in, and it was so wonderful! It's so neat to have everyone together, and to see that we're truly not alone! One of the newest converts of Belize City branch gave an incredibly powerful testimony and shared his conversion. Benny is SO on fire and is one of the meekest and kindest people I may ever meet. He spoke so powerfully of the blessing that tithing has had on his business, his life, and his faith. I want everyone to have a Benny experience.

About 2 weeks ago, we heard, as we so often do, "Elders!"- but then that familiar zing of the Spirit hit me again... and I halted to a stop and looked around to see who it was from. We then met our new friend, "Tom". He is a man in his 50's who spent 30 years or so in the states in the military engineering weapons- especially bombs. He had been to Iraq several times... and has had a life full of trauma, sin, and heartache. He is now in Belize for the same reason that so many are- to "get away", or to... hide from themselves. He is very wealthy, and still receives money, lives in his mom's old house... but still works 2 full time jobs... just to distract himself from... himself. He started talking to us just to say hi to a fellow American .. but as I started asking questions... his story came out. All I could think as I listened to his experiences and saw the pain in his eyes... is, "Only the Atonement could help this man". He is VERY VERY intellectual, and has read nearly anything under the sun... except the Book of Mormon. We gave him a copy and invited him to read. We pulled up to his work a few days ago, as when he turned around... I barely recognized him.. and doubted that we were approaching the right man. He glowed. He smiled- not just with his teeth this time.. but with his eyes and his soul. He immediately and enthusiastically declared, "Hey! I am reading that book- and it's CHANGING EVERYTHING!" He said that even his students in the high school as him, "Hey... what happened to you?"- as he is filled with more patience, love, and concern for them. He says that he's starting to see himself differently, and he is the happiest he's been in 30 years. He reported that "before, the first thing I did what I came home late at night.. was eat.- now... I race home.. and open the book first". He says he reads until he falls happily asleep- and that's the miracle. For the first time in years since he went to war- he sleeps. This was certainly not the same man we ran into 2 weeks ago. This is a man that is starting to understand the Atonement. I love love love the Book of Mormon. We got to teach him the Plan of Salvation yesterday... and he was SO thrilled, "I can't even count how many pastors I've talked to and asked these things to... and NO ONE has given me a real answer like this!" I am so grateful to have the whole truth. I love seeing it sink into the hearts of those we teach. I love seeing those blinding scales slide off from their eyes.. one by one.

The mission is just a beautifully trying "blast". One of my missionaries decided not to talk to me about a mysterious lump on his head... and decided to cauterize/brand himself with something random and HOT- resulting in a very awkward and obvious bald mark and battle wound. They're just preparing me for motherhood, huh?
oooook! Love you all! Have a BEAUTIFUL week! Enjoy all the celebrations! I will be trying not to think too much about Haley getting married... but I will be praying for her to feel better and have the BEST DAY OF HER LIFE.
- Sista Clak

Mission

I forgot I had even mentioned the hurricane... but thank you so much for all your prayers... it was headed right here... but took a sudden turn and went up to Mexico. All is well here, sorry to get you nervous!
I know I just keep saying over and over again... every week... how the mission is the greatest... how much I love it, how I'm learning and experiencing so much... but I think even an explosive, gushy and drawn out letter every week for 14 months doesn't even come close to truly expressing how precious this time has been for me. It is seriously... the greatest thing I could have done in my life thus far... and my only complaint is that it is flying by too fast.
I LOVED Joel's letter. He is in for a really hard and incredibly special experience. His description is just like Belize. Belize City a lot more founded and has more members.. but the other parts of Belize.. are just about like Joel's little area. It's hard for missionaries... but the work of reactivating and establishing the gospel in little remote areas... is so rewarding for the missionary. It becomes so much more than numbers and throwing people in the water... but to truly establishing Zion... eternal families... and an appreciation for the perfection and inspiration in the organization the church... explodes. One comes to really realize the power of the priesthood... when it's so sparse. Seeing so people that have given up their promised blessings by breaking their covenants... and seeing the devastating and painful results of inactivity and rebellion... does wonders for one's one personal appreciation and loyalty to their own personal covenants.... and opens the vision to see the reality of the Lord's promises in their life.
I can't seem to really find the words right now to even begin to express all that I experienced and felt this week. I just... hope, and am determined... to never be the same again. Not after what I've seen, learned, felt, and experienced here. With so much false doctrine and confusion here... we've met many people that are firm believers that Belize literally what the bible is referring to as "hell". - That's it's in this country where we're living. Yet... not only is that doctrinally false... but even more.. I've had a "waters of mormon" experience like in Mosiah 18, when it speaks of where they had learned the gospel, "How beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer." Belize could not be more glorious in my eyes.
- Sista Clak