A Chacara and Unexpected Changes

September 8, 2014

Well transfers happened today and I left my beloved Recanto Das Emas... Which I kind of expected but I was transferred to a neighboring city, with Elder Magaña serving as a Zone Leader. (A zone leader is a position where 2 missionaries are in charge of about 20 other missionaries in relatively same area) well that was unexpected. We are both coming to this area at the same time so we don’t know anything about the area. We are in the city of Taguatinga, which is a HUGE city just outside of Brasilia. I am excited but also very nervous. Who knows what will come in the next few weeks.

Companions

My last week in Racanto was really awesome. We taught a whole lot and found a lot of success. I hope Elder Kodama will continue the work we started there! The weekend was a lot of goodbyes because I knew that I was leaving on Friday. I feel like I did all I could in this area and I am so grateful for all the people I met and the friendships I made. I learned and grew so much there and I just hope I helped the people there as much as they helped me!

The sisters had a baptism on Saturday and that was real cool to see. Leandro was baptized; he is 17 years old and is so cool. He is already preparing for a mission.

At a Chacara (A Little Farm)

Friday was a real cool day. We went to the outskirts of the city to a Chacara (which is like a little farm) and we passed the whole morning cleaning the yard and helping around the house. The house itself was way beautiful and the yard was even more beautiful with lots of flowers and plants.  It was a lot of fun. I think one of my favorite things to do on the mission is service and I want to do a whole lot more of it, but it’s hard here in the cities. I have lots of pictures but I left my camera in our house so sorry I don’t have any pictures for this week.

Life on the mission is totally unexpected but I love it! Thanks everybody!

Elder Clark

Little Taste of Heaven and Hell

September 1, 2014

These last few weeks just get hotter and hotter! Every day I say to myself, it can’t get hotter than this, and the next day Mother Nature accepts my challenge and makes it even hotter..... You know it is hot when the locals start complaining. Pretty much until sunset the streets are like a ghost town because everyone stays indoors, where it’s still hot, just not as hot. haha Did I mention that it is hot? And dry, when we wash our clothes and hang them up to dry, not even 15 minutes pass and they are already dry, which is actually pretty convenient! If Hell always feels like 3 in the afternoon here, that’s enough reason for me to work to get to heaven.

Well besides trying to survive the heat, we are preaching the gospel! We are working with a 20 year old right now who is awesome. He gained a Book of Mormon from a friend of his cause he likes to read about religion... while he was reading the Book of Mormon he heard two people talking to each other on the bus about the same book! haha He called the sister over to his seat and they talked with him, got his info and now we are teaching him! He accepted a baptismal date for the 21 of September. He has some obstacles to overcome but he is 100% down to work on them. He is great. His family is too, they aren’t interested yet ... but his mom did cut our hair!

Brazilian BBQ - Churrascos

Oh man... everyone talks about churrascos (BBQ) of Brazil... and to be honest, I have had a lot but never was too impressed... until this week. Holy Cow I think I had the best meat of my life and probably gained 5 pounds in one night. A family had a party here and their friend from southern Brazil cook the meat… and it was like tasting heaven... seriously the best meat I have ever had. Everyone says that southern Brazil is the land of churrascos and he proved it.

OH! and the piano playing went well. It was real funny, because everyone was SO surprised that I played piano. You could hear a lot of whispers when I went to sit behind the piano.

Sunday was a crazy day for us and during church the teacher of our 2nd hour class didn’t show, so I had to give the lesson completely unprepared. But I think it went well. It helped me more than anyone else. It was a direct answer a struggle I have been having. Wasn’t coincident that I gave the lesson! It is amazing how the lord answers prayers in every form possible

I am sweating, teaching, thinking about churrascos and loving life right now. Love you all and thank you so much for your prayers.

Elder Clark

I SAW A TOCO TUCAN!

August 25, 2014

I saw a TUCAN fly by us this week! This was the first one I have seen and I have been waiting to see one this whole time. haha Everyone here says that they are very common here but this was my first time after 4 months in Brazil was this week! haha It was pretty cool, very monumental moment in my life.

As for missionary life, it is going real well! We are finding a lot of people and talking to even more, but only few are real receptive to us. Everyone lets us talk to them and visit them in their home, but it’s really hard to let them know our message isn’t just another bible study! We do have a few people that are really progressing and accepting though!

We met a teenager this week that is probably about 6´6 and is way cool! He is way intelligent and he loves the teachings of the church and has really good thoughts about them.  Elder Kodama and I were thinking that he was at least 16 or 17, turns out he is only 14! haha He is going places when he grows up! I offered to teach him basketball but he said he´ll stick with soccer... haha so probably not the NBA... His family is VERY active in another church but they are accepting to us and are happy that he is attending church, so that good! He is a friend of a less active teenager too so it’s a double win for us missionaries, we get to help the both of them receive all the blessings of this gospel.

Elder Clark

I think these next 2 weeks will be my last in Recanto Das Emas. This is kind of sad to think about but also is exciting that I’ll get to know more of Brasil! Tomorrow I have to play the piano for a special musical number during an atividade (activity) at the church... so pray for me! I get so nervous when I have to play in front of people...

The work is progressing, the sun is shining and Elder Clark is always learning! I am so grateful for the Lord helping me with all my weaknesses and blessing me continually! I love you all!

Até a próxima semana!

Elder Clark

White Boy Walking with a Shoe in His Hand and a Bloody Finger

Aug 18, 2014

What a week... I guess I will explain the title of this week’s email… So Elder Kodama and I were walking and I stepped on some glass... one piece got stuck in my shoe and so we stopped so we could get it out so it wouldn’t cut my foot... but boy was it stuck... I ended up cutting my finger. The cut wasn’t to big, but by the amount of blood, you would have thought I cut my finger off.  We were about 10 minutes from our house so we started to walk towards home, trying to take a route were people wouldn’t see me with one shoe, carrying the other and a super bloody finger. But of course, the ONE day everyone is outside on this particular street is when I look absolutely nuts. So I am pretty sure a lot of people got a pretty good laugh at the strange white boy. Man, moments of the mission haha

 This week we really tried to talk with everyone on the streets. We were able to get a lot of addresses and what not from people but none of them were really ready to hear our message, which was pretty discouraging as it seemed the more we worked, the less people were accepting us. I had been praying all week that the lord would lead us to someone who is prepared and ready for this gospel. It’s amazing how he works. Sunday night, We went to visit a family who is returning to church that we have been working with for a while now, and the last 2 weeks they brought a friend with them to church but he always said he doesn’t want us to visit him But we arrived at this family’s house and he was there and they were just finishing a movie about Joseph Smith. He loved it and told us he had a lot of doubts about the Book of Mormon and Joseph but now he understands it all, and then after talking a bit more, answering more questions, he accepted a date for baptism and told us he believes it all! WHAT? Where did that come from? haha but how amazing is this gospel. I am so grateful for the reactivation of this wonderful family, and now they are helping us a ton with our work. What a blessing.

We are also working with this super sweet family that has a lot of challenges. They don’t have very much money and the momma works a ton. When we met her, she was almost smoking 2 packs of cigarettes PER DAY.... that’s more or less than 40 a day. Now she is constantly smoking only 7 per day. That is a miracle for sure, in less than 2 weeks! Our biggest trouble with them is church. They are very, very shy and we just can’t seem to get them to come and meet the ward. They read the Book of Mormon every day and love the gospel. I pray they can be baptized soon!

Days are flying by and I am doing well. I know the Lord knows me and every one of his children. He answers my prayers specifically many times and I know he will continue to do so. I love you all!

Elder Clark

Tan Lines and Blonde Hair

August 11, 2014

This week has been unbelievable hot and dry, the sun has been 10 times stronger this week. My hair is turning more blonde every single day and I now officially have the missionary tan lines. I have a line in the middle of the neck were my collar is and my arms are… we will just say farmer tanned! The hardest thing to do now is to work right after lunch. We finish lunch at about 1ish and with stomachs full we walk and try to talk to people in the blazing heat.

Baptism!

This week was good and we had some little miracles. Our mission president is really emphasizing talking to EVERYONE so we spent a lot of time talking with people on the street. It was crazy that as soon as we started talking to everyone, everyone started talking to us. Lots of people have stopped us, asking if I am American, and if I can help them with English, and others have yelled for us from across the street. It’s been fun too because you never know who you will meet. We met one lady who has quickly become one of my favorites. She is not mentally all there but she is so great and sweet. She is a member but the rest of her family isn’t. She is so smart and knows American history better than I do. Her name is Creoza and she has quickly become a good friend of ours!

Fernanda was baptized too! Her friends are investigating the church too and when she heard about that, she started to look around on LDS.org, she became curious and tagged along to church with her friends. She stayed for the baptism of Cristina after church and loved it. She gained a testimony of the church, and was baptized! It all happened super-fast but she was ready! She is 24 years but wants to serve a mission. She is already visiting people with the Sister missionaries.

Super Elder

The Lord is kind, and every day he opens my ears and loosens my tongue a little more with Portuguese. The mission is a lot more fun and passes by a lot faster when you understand and can have conversations with people! Now people don’t laugh at me they laugh with me! ahah for the most part. I know this church is true and the power within it is the greatest thing ever. I love you all and until next time!

Elder Clark!

Working and Walking

August 4, 2014

Family Night

This week we worked and we walked. I do know how we were able to get up each morning because I felt like we walked 1000000 miles each day. We made a whole lot of visits this week, and lots of them were with members that have fallen away from the church and we soon discovered that there are a TON here. Its wasn’t our intention this week to find a lot of these members but it just kind of happened and many are very receptive to us. It’s crazy how my mission has really been focused on helping people return back to church, no matter where I am, Brazil or the states. But it’s also crazy how much I love it. I think I feel a greater joy when someone who hasn’t been to church in years walks through the doors of church than I do for Baptisms.

I just want to tell you all about one of the people that we started working with. His name is Junior and he has 17 years.  His younger brothers are super active in the church and we passed by his house to talk with them about visiting some people with us. Only junior was home, but we welcomed us in and actually was really excited to talk to us. He told us that yesterday he was thinking about the happiness that his brothers have and that he wants that too and that he has a desire to serve a mission! We left him with some scriptures to read and told him we are going to help him prepare to be a missionary. The next time we visited him he told us that he knew that the church was true, and that after reading the scriptures he got a feeling like never before. He is awesome and his family is great too!

Miracles big and small happen every single day of the mission. I am so grateful for this time I have to serve and what the mission is doing for me. It’s amazing how much the mission shapes you while you are working for all those around you! I love this gospel and the mission!

Elder Clark

Wet Weather, A Wedding, A Baptism and Transfers

July 28, 2014

Elder Xavier and Elder Clark

I think this last past 6 weeks was the fastest of my mission... with the World Cup and being companions with Elder Xavier.  Elder Xavier and I became very good friends and the days passed by unbelievable fast because the work was just fun, still had its good share of hard and sad times but was fun. I am sad to say that Elder Xavier already has been transferred, we got transfer news last night and boy it wasn’t happy news. We were both pretty bummed and stayed up pretty late packing up his suitcases. I am still here in Recanto, with my new companion Elder Kodama from São Paulo. He was in our district when I first got here so it’s nice we already know each other. The mission is crazy. Every time I am comfortable, it finds a way to throw me back out of my comfort zone. But it is good. I am learning and growing a whole lot!

Wedding!

This week was a bit crazy. The weather for one, the week started out super hot, dry, and without a cloud in the sky, probably the hottest it has been since I got here, but the weekend was and still is FREEZING, wet. I have not seen the sun in days. It has been strange indeed because this area of Brazil doesn’t see rain usually until September.... but the tradition here is when it rains, you receive wife points, so I am not complaining! (A joke about how cute your wife will be!)

Baptism!

The most excited thing this week was the wedding of Kesley and Cristina, and the baptism of Cristina. Cristina has been coming to church since I got here. She is great and has changed so much. I think she is amazing. I wasn’t able to work with her a whole lot because she lives in the area of the Sister missionaries. She and her now husband finally got married on Friday and she was baptized this Sunday! I don’t think I have seen anyone happier! We will continue to work with her husband who has some other problems but he has a desire. That is the best part of missionary work. Watching people’s lives change for the better right in front of your eyes.

This next week will be a lot of showing Elder Kodama around, introducing him to the members and our investigators. I hope the weather continues to be like it is now because working in the cold is a whole lot easier then working in the heat. As for me, I am healthy, tired, and always learning. The mission is the best and worst experience of my life. haha but I would change it for the world. Love you all,

Elder Samuel Clark

AHH, I almost forgot about my hump day. HOW CRAZY! Time passes so quickly and I still have so much to do and learn! It’s crazy to think that in one year on this day, I’ll be home. ahhhhh