Rescuers

November 4, 2013

All of these Elders live in a one bedroom trailer.
The one in the tan coat is Elder Clark's companion

Fort Apache is wonderful, and the work is thriving. It is not traditional missionary work though. It’s mainly focused on bringing people back to the church. About a fourth of the people here have been baptized and about 95% of those people don’t come to church. The 6 of us missionaries here really focus on rescuing those members. It’s amazing what a simple visit can do. Missionaries have been absent from this area for 5 years and you can really see the effect it had. All most of these people need is to remember why they joined in the first place. Many people remember missionaries here before and they absolutely love us. We eat an average of 2 or 3 dinners a day because the people always prepare dinner for us when we come over for our appointments. We actually go tracting a lot because it is a really effective way here. We knock on the doors and there is a good chance of them being members. That’s how we get most of our appointments. It is amazing to see the change in people after just 1 or 2 visits! There was one lady, no joke, probably about 100 years old, who opened a door we knocked on and she just started crying, and just kept telling us thank you, thank you for coming back. What a sweet moment that was. People really do need the gospel in their lives, and there are SO many today that had it and have lost it. But, that’s why we are here! To find all of his lost sheep! When missionaries first came here, there were only 30ish people attending Sacrament Meeting. Our goal for next week, only 2 months later, is 150 people!

Halloween was a lot of fun! The Natives go ALL out for it! Young and old, it’s an all-day thing. They start trick or treating in the morning! It was really fun to see all the costumes and people talk to us because they thought we were wearing missionary costumes! Another fun thing is the "first of the month" is the Natives favorite day, because that’s when they all get money from the government, so outside in "downtown" (which consists of a grocery store, the post office and the bank) all these vendors set up shop, most exciting day on the res! 

I love this work and I love this area. Everyday something new happens, whether that’s a drunk man sleeping on the side of the road (Happens pretty often) or wild horses running across the street or running out of gas in our trailer so there is no more hot water. Cold showers are wonderful in our 30 degree mornings.... The life of a missionary is great! Whether it is bringing people to Christ or bringing them back!

Elder Clark on the Reservation

Miracles happen every day. Make sure you look for them and notice them. Life becomes so much sweeter when you realize what a blessing every single day is. The living conditions of most of these people have really made me appreciate the things I have. What a wonderful life I have! I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my source of happiness with everyone I meet!

Much love to all of you!

    - Elder Clark!

Another Glorious Week in Arizona!

It has been so great, a little frustrating at times though. There is so much to do here and so many people. It is starting to become so busy that there is not enough time in the day to do everything that needs/should have to be done! The work is unbelievably successful here and some days we go from one person’s house, to another, to another, to another... all day. The best part about that is I have not tracked once. We get so many referrals and people who just call us asking for help or to learn. It’s so awesome and keeps us super busy

Since Elder Andersen has to stay in the mission office each day too, sometimes we get “stuck” doing some work for Sister Sweeney (The Mission President’s wife) and are now dubbed "APW's" or Assistants to the President’s Wife. It is fun... most of the time. We just finished making a healthy cookbook for the mission. It is really hard to find recipes for missionaries that are 1. Healthy 2. At least look good and 3. We can pay for with our little missionary monthly allowance. BUT WE DID IT!

Elders From Our Zone

 This morning we moved into a 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom apartment! The Spanish speaking missionaries moved in with us but the apartment is WAY to big for 5 of us. It is going to be so so so much fun. The 5 of us all get along really well and I can already see the fun we are going to have. We put all 5 of our beds in one room. It is going to be epic. Quick example on how goofy the mission gets: On Sunday we got ready for church and headed off. When we got there, we were waiting for the Bishop outside his office and one of the members pointed down to Elder Andersen’s feet and asked "Is that a fashion statement?" We all proceed to look at his feet.. turns out he had 2 totally different shoes on... like on was a slip on loafer type, brown and the other was a black, laced up shoe. How he didn't notice is still a mystery. We had just enough time to go back home so he could switch them out before church started. It was too funny!

Sweet Fashion Statement

 Despite the goofiness, the work is going great. We had a baptism on Saturday, a 12 year old boy. It was way awesome. He is Apache and his grandma bore her testimony in Apache and it was so strong. She hasn't attended church in a looooong time before we started to teach her grandson but now she comes every week as well as his whole family, his single mom (who had him when she was 16) and his three little siblings. They are a great family.

Baptism of Max

Saturday was probably the most frustrating day of my mission so far, It started with Friday night when a big trip to the temple visitors center was cancelled 10 minutes before we were to leave. Then we had 6 lessons set up and only 1 actually happened and it was not a very good one at that. But it ended well with the baptism and the food after. I have fallen in love with fry bread. It is my favorite thing we have eaten here by far. Not very healthy... at all, but it is delicious.

So cool connection I learned this week. We were eating dinner at the Bishops home and I mentioned about what Dad does for a living and long story short, Adam McBride is his brother in law! How cool is that?? The bishop’s name is Bishop Young. I don't know if he has told Brother McBride yet but definitely tell him!

So everything is going great here, the weather has been crazy.. last Monday in got to 125 degrees. That was pretty killer but it is starting to cool off. Today is about 90 and this morning was SO beautiful. It was 70 and felt just like VA in the fall, it made me miss home a little bit. I really do miss the trees and the fall back east though. Fall in the desert is just not the same.... at all.

Big shout out to Mrs. Sheahan for the awesome package of delicious cookies! I need Wills contact info! I have seen ASU's stadium while driving on the highway all the time and think of him! 

A shout out to Maggie Mitchell for her awesome package of goodies, including a pair of sunglasses that saved me a trip to Walmart to by a pair because the sun that Arizona has is definitely a better, brighter sun than back home. 

Thank you everyone for the support and love! I love you all!

Love, Elder Clark

Halfway Through The MTC

Oi!

    I am half way there! only 3 more weeks and I am out of here and actually in the field! From the looks of it though, I am most likely going to be reassigned to an instate mission because NOBODY is recieving their visas in time. About 20 missionaries that are assigned to go to Brazil left Monday to various places in the USA because none of them had their visas. I am actually not to stressed about it though because I think that would be such an amazing opportunity to be able to (in a way) serve two missions for the price of one! and speaking in English does not sound to bad right now. But now that I have said that, and knowing that the Lord has quite  the sense of humor, my visa is going to come before I leave this place! Either way I am perfectly content with going where ever the Lord wants me to go.

  

   This past week has been the best week by far. I have had so many memories made and experiences that I will not forget. I had the opportunity to give two blessings this week. The first one was to one of the sisters in our district. All three of the sisters were feeling really discouraged and each asked for a blessing. They did not want it to be a public thing so three of us Elders went and our teacher went into a room with the three sisters. Each one explained their needs to us and we gave them each a blessing. The spirit that was in the room during and after the blessings was incredible. Everyone just had the overwhelming feeling that was we are doing is exactly what the Lord wants us to and he was proud of our progress. The second blessing I gave was to my good friend Elder Harris, a cowboy from Idaho that would give Chris Moyes a run for his money for being the most cow-boyish person I have ever met. ANYWAYS he didnt take any sort of language in school or anything so learning Portuguese has been really hard for him, and even though he is one of the most diligent workers we have, he was ready for a little divine help for his studies. I gave the blessing with 4 other Elders standing in. The power I felt with all us Priesthood holders together was undeniable. I know that each man in that circle was called of God and possessed the power to do anything through him. Elder Harris is progressing with the language like a champ now! God really does help those who work hard but recognize that they need His help too. I was able to go to the temple this morning too! It just opened up yesterday and we all went with over 400 other missionaries. It was packed but never felt to crowded. What a sweet experience that was to be in the temple with literally just other 18 and 19 year olds. It is so hard to fathom sometimes why the Lord trusts teenagers with spreading his word, but it was so easy to see the light of Him through each missionary in the temple.

My District at the Provo Temple

      This week a bunch of missionaries left from our floor in our residence and all the foreign missionaries that are learning English have moved in. They are from everywhere and its so cool! There are elders from Ethiopia, Tonga, France, Japan, Fiji, Mexico and even Brazil! We like to "talk" to the Brazilians, they laugh a lot at us. One of my favorite is Elder Manu, from Tonga. He is a rugby player... and boy does he look like it. This man is probably 5'10 and weighs almost 300 pounds. He is so solid. He is so funny and so friendly. He walks around the hallways yelling "YEEAAAHHH MAAAYYN" because he knows very little English and that's his favorite phrases, that and yelling professional wrestlers names as he tries to wrestle people. He is so kind though and always wants to help when he's not trying to play tackle rugby in the hallway with me.... One of our elders tore his quad playing softball (dont ask me how) and we live on the fourth floor.... with no elevator. So Elder Blalock has to hop up four flights of stairs. One day Elder Manu was coming down when her was going up. Manu goes "you no good. Hop on my back". he then proceeds to toss elder Blalock onto his shoulders and takes this 220 pound Elder up all the flights of stair, while in his church clothes. The Tongans have got to be the strongest people on the planet. 

My District

     I have learned so much this week. We have a class each week where we go and teach members of the church that speak Portuguese. The lesson is completely in Portuguese and we were able to have spiritual and meaningful conversations with the people. It was so awesome. It made me SO pumped to get out into the field! 

     Tell Jeremiah I miss him too and that I wear my Tiki necklace his Dad gave me everyday too! I love all of you and love hearing from you with your updates! Thanks for the support and the love!

   -Elder Clark

Week Two, The Adventure Continues

      Week two at the MTC is now complete and man was it a good one. I forgot to tell you this last week but within the first couple days of being here, without any hinting from me, my nickname soon became Elder Superman, and that is was all the Elders on our residence floor call me now. I have to say its pretty cool. haha Nothing like being called a super hero to keep me humble at the MTC! Seriously though, the MTC is truly a humbling place. I cannot believe the amazing people that come through here and the amount of work I am able to get done. I know none of what I am able to accomplish here is because of me, its because The Lord has taken my hand and is guiding me completely through this. Without his help, I do not think I could be doing as well and be as happy as I am every day here.

       

     Every Tuesday night is the big devotional for all the missionaries to go to. We all have to march to the Marriott Center because there are so many missionaries! I am so sad I didnt bring my camera but one of the best sights I have ever seen in my life was the thousands of missionaries walking along the side walk after the devotional in a constant stream all the way to the MTC. I cant even describe how it made me feel to be part of so many and I will for sure get a picture of it tonight! The devotional was amazing too, the speaker was a former member of the 70, Brian H. Richards, and he spoke just about how hard missionary work is but the things that are worth the most in life do not come easy. I loved it so much. He kept quoting Elder Holland telling us that "you are the Army of Helaman, Today. You are the hope of Israel, today. We are the greatest generation of missionaries to serve" It was such a powerful night and got me so pumped to get out there and try and be the greatest missionary of the greatest missionary generation.

    I have come across so many people I know its kinda crazy. I've seen Sister Ward, Sister Cotton, and Elder Wiegel (all from our stake) and I have seen two sisters from pageant 3 years ago! It seriously is a very small world, spiritually speaking. The most important person I have seen is Elder Christensen of course! I have seen him twice this week and boy is he a sight for sore eyes. I love seeing him here and I love thinking about all us 94's soon being out in the field all serving all over the world!

Elder Christensen and Elder Clark - Cousins!

     This fast sunday was really cool. We had a lot of special meetings that were really good. During testimony meeting, most of the missionaries that are about to leave bore their testimonies and were so good at the language! I am so excited to be able to speak like that. I am already at a point where when I think of a word it comes to my head in Portuguese first! (like first, i though primera before I thought first!) Just another thing God is personally helping me with.

    So during the little free time we have in between classes and what not my companion and I have found the best source of entertainment at the MTC. Its kind of mean but it is such a stress reliever! So at one of the walkways in the middle of the MTC, so there is heavy traffic there all the time, one of the pieces of sidewalk is lifted higher than the rest. So yes, people trip on it ALL THE TIME. And there is conveniently a couple benches that are all set perfectly for optimum viewing pleasure. Me and my companion will just sit at the bench, pretend to be reading or something and just watch, Watch all the hopeless and clueless missionaries stumble on the sidewalk. It never get old and its terribly funny. Sometimes if the action gets a little slow. we'll start to say high to them just in time for them to stumble on the raised part. Don't worry momma, no one has completely fallen..... yet.

    I love  love love getting Dear Elder letters. I promise you that I get them even if I don't always respond. I just like hearing about everyone and knowing that I am being thought about. Make sure everyone knows what it is and have everyone send me some! And also let everyone know that I do write back to letters, they just need to know how slow snail mail really is. Also thank you so much Miss Abby for the package! it was awesome and all the guys in my room use the grip exerciser and we are seeing who has the best grip by the time we leave! Speaking of competitions, at dinner they serve jello cups basically every night. All of us take the jello out of the cup and set ion on our trays. Then you have to suck it all up in one bite, and yours truly is the only one to have successfully completed the entire cup in one suck. I am the champion.

    I hope all is well at home. I fasted for a lot of things this Sunday. One of them was for Zach and his family. I am so excited for him and I hope his travels go well today! His letter was aweome and I need to MTC adress to answer him! I also fasted for my Visa, one member of our district got his last week and he left bright and early this morning for the MTC in Brazil. Lucky Lucky, even though it feels like a member of our family died.. we miss him already! Not as much as I miss all of you of course!

    Eu amo voces!!!!

        Elder Samuel Payne Clark