2 Months, 4 Transfers

Just a reminder: All mail goes to the Scottsdale Mission Home and the mission will forward it from there.

October 28, 2013

I am emailing from Whiteriver, AZ. It is a little reservation town about 4 hours away from Phoenix, in the mountains. Once again I have been sent up as an emergency transfer because an elder got hurt up here. I am even deeper into the reservation now, living in a one bedroom trailer, with 6 other Elders.... 3 of them are Tongan. Yes.... massive Tongans. What an adventure this will be.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=whiteriver+az&safe=active&ie=UTF-8&hl=en

I arrived yesterday and attended their Branch meeting. They opened this area 8 weeks ago, with 4 Elders. The Branch had about 25 members attending and 1200 on their role. Now, 8 weeks later, there are a little over 100 attending and it keeps growing! There is a lot of work to do up here, but once again it is totally different than in the valley. Of course I miss the valley, but I will serve wherever I am asked.

Elder Teh of the Seventy visits the mission.
Elder Clark is in the center of the back row.

Last Wednesday, we had a big meeting with Elder Teh, of the Seventy. He is from the Philippines and very excited to hear about my cousins serving their missions there! He is also going to be in the DC South mission in November, so look out for him! His meeting was so great! He is such a good teacher and really helped me know what I need to do to be a better missionary!

Here are some of the people that I have been working with.

This is one of my favorite investigators, He was watching BYU soccer on BYU TV, and then saw a Mormon movie, felt good(the spirit), wanted to know more so he showed up at church one week. He has dove into all the activities in both our ward and the singles ward! He is set for being baptized!

This is one of my favorite families! Next to me are members trying to reach the temple and the two farther away from me are their parents and they are set for being baptized in one month! They are Navajo and the kindest, most soft spoken people! Love them!

He is a less active member dating a non-member. She really wanted to go to church, so they called us up! She is the sweetest thing and we all really became close, she is set for being baptized too! She was moving though, so we had to hand them off to the sister missionaries!

He is my first investigator who we have been working with since I got here. She is a member and he is not, and they want to be married in the temple! So we have a marriage/baptism date for them so that for their year anniversary, they can be sealed!!

Love you all!

Elder Clark

Is September Over Already?

September 30, 2013

 

Fun Shadow Shot.

Holy Cow. I cannot believe September is over already. Where does the time go! The weather here is even cooling down! Some mornings I need to wear long sleeves because it is kinda chilly, but then the sun comes out and it ends up being in the 90's which is actually nice... which is terrible to say.

I live in a Desert!

 No word on my VISA, still just waiting in the happy valley of Phoenix. I am not gonna lie, language study is a killer, it’s really hard to focus and learn new things on my own, but I do try! Eu acho esta fazendo bien. (I think I am doing well)

So this week was pretty good. We meet ALOT of interesting people. The person that stuck out the most was a man named Harmony, he was so strange. He said he was a Pagan witch medicine man of the modern day. Don't ask me what that means because after wasting half of an hour talking to him, I still don't understand his ways. But, it was a funny experience. We met with a ton of people this week and have lots of new investigators. It is amazing the differences in people we teach. We cover every type of person you can think of. We have a very successful, gospel scholarly woman interested and on the other side we have a woman who cannot read. It is so fun experiencing all of this. I love being able to talk with EVERYONE. It’s amazing how much I am learning about this Gospel and myself through focusing on others. It is amazing the love I have for these people, and the desire a lot of them have to change. We have talked to or are talking with a lot of people that have criminal records and what not. Most I cannot even imagine them in prison because they are so kind and receptive. It is amazing what people have to go through for the Lord to prepare them. I am so excited to see where all the new investigators end up! There is a lot of potential we found this week.

Elder Anderson and Me

 So Wednesday I received an amazing package, from some mystery person, filled with Omaha Steak products baby!!! Whoever sent it, thank you!! I looked everywhere for a name but there was not one. (This was sent from his sister Abby and her husband Gregg)We are planning on cooking em all today in celebration of the retirement of Elder Black's pants. You wonder what there is to celebrate about pants?? Well, Today marks the end of 6 months of Elder Black wearing those pants everyday... for 6 months… that is 182 days straight. They are disgusting but it is an incredible feat worth celebrating with bacon wrapped sirloins!!

So Sunday I was called up by the Bishop, in the combined 3rd hour of church in front of everyone but the primary children to bear my testimony on the Book of Mormon. I guess I could only hide from doing

stuff like that for so long,  but it was a good experience and I am just grateful it didn't have to be Portuguese.

I hope everything is well at home. Miss you all and love hearing about all of your adventures! This Gospel is so amazing, I am so grateful for the opportunity to devote 24 hours a day to it and sharing it with all those I meet. I have seen people’s life change because of it already, not materially but, emotionally and spiritually. The happiness this gospel brings is undeniable.  I want everyone I see to have and know what I have and know.

Amo voces! Ate tempo proxima! (Love you guys! Until next time!)

Elder Clark

Week 4, Complete

Me and my companion, Elder Porter

    Week 4 is now complete. It was a good week with many more great experiences. The first one was last Tuesday night at our devotional. Elder Scott came and spoke to us! It was awesome to hear from him. He talked about prayer and was so powerful with each statement he made. He became super emotional many times and the entire Marriott center was silent with attention. It was one of the best talks I have ever heard. The best part was that he gave everyone watching (This was the first MTC Devotional to be broadcast worldwide to every MTC in the world!) an Apostolic blessing that we would all be able to learn the language...not once but TWICE! It was so cool and such a great feeling that this man that directly talks to the Lord promised us the blessing of the gift of tongues.... twice. At the end... as he was leaving and we were all standing waiting for him to leave, he was about to go through the door (very slowly cause he old) and then he stopped... look at all of us and cupped his hands around his mouth. At this point, all 4000 people were getting ready for some divine Revelation but he proceeded just to say "BE GOOD" and then continued on his way. but then he stopped again and said "I LOVE YOU" which made everyone in the congregation say it back. It was a pretty light hearted and fun way to end the evening. 

Elder Richard G. Scott
Apostle, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

  

    I finally found some missionaries going to the DC south mission. They should be there now.. so if you have new missionaries, ask them about me. I told them to say hi to Bishop Clark for me. I told them they are going to the absolute best mission with the best mission president, after mine of course. I met some missionaries going to the Chesapeake area too, I guess that's kinda cool. 

Me and Elder Manu

     Me and Elder Manu (My Tongan) are having a great time. Last night we compared English scriptures with the Tongan ones. Communication is pretty hard because he speaks SO little English but I was able to share my favorite scriptures with him. Tongan is such a manly language, I was just reading from his scriptures and I felt powerful. I think this is my favorite scripture in Tongan... we could not translate it because he didn't know the words in English but I think its right... "he te u lava ke fai 'a e me'a kotoa pe 'i hono mafimafi." Its the middle of Alma 27:12. 

             Alma 27:12 Get this people out of this land, that they perish not; for Satan has great hold on             the hearts of the Amalekites, who do stir up the Lamanites to anger against their brethren to              slay them; therefore get thee out of this land; and blessed are this people in this generation, for            I will preserve them.

     So I was coming back from the temple this morning and guess who is at the stop light waiting to cross the street with me and my companions.... Michelle Peets. I don't think I have seen her since we left North Carolina! It was really cool and fun to see her! She apparently just got a job here and today was her first day. It really is a small world, spiritually speaking.  

Michelle Peets and Me

   For our Sunday devotional we had a speaker named Vai Sikahema. He was a BYU football player and was the player to return the kickoff for a touchdown in the Miracle Bowl. He is now a news anchor for NBC. He was awesome, He just told us stories and showed us a slide show of pictures. He told us the story of his mission to North Dakota and how he played in National Title games, NFL games, Pro-bowl games and went to the Olympics all over the world to broadcast but how none of those experiences even come close to his mission experience. He could remember the date he entered the MTC, left the MTC and the day he got home but he couldn't remember a single date of any specific game he played in. It was awesome to here that and it just reaffirmed my testimony of this is where I am supposed to be.

Vai Sikahema

 Why I Believe: Vai Sikahema, from the Mormon Channel

So for the last like two weeks, I was staying awake til way late just laying in my bed because my mind had so much running through it after each day, I wouldn't ever fall asleep before 12 and I would wake up in the middle of the night all the time. I had started to drag throughout the days and it was getting to a point where I couldn't learn because I was just so exhausted. I started to get sick, but like the sickness you get when you don't get any sleep. It was getting bad but I would push through each day just to lay in bed for hours each night. Finally on Friday I was laying in bed at around midnight and I was so mad. I could here everyone else snoring and I just wanted to sleep. As I was lying there when I heard a voice say "Get a Blessing"... I wanted one but I didn't want to wake anyone up so I told myself in 30 minutes if I am still awake I will ask my companion. No more then a minute went by and the voice came back, stronger, "Get a blessing now, I want to help you." I took that as my 30 minute warning. I woke up my sleeping companion and Elder Harris and asked them to give me a blessing. They administered it to me and then we all went to bed. I feel asleep so quickly! Ever since then, I fall asleep so fast and sleep all night and I am never too tired to learn. I understand the language so much better and I just feel better. Its amazing how the Lord wants to help us with even the little things, all we have to do is ask and put our faith in him. Its the little things that build a testimony. 

    Everyday here exhausts my brain but the language is coming and my knowledge and view of the Gospel is ALWAYS growing. I love all that I am learning here but it is time for me to get out into the field!! I am ready to be out of these walls and actually doing his work! I know God needs to prepare his soldiers for battle and I am really trying to do the best I can to prepare but I have been caged up in a classroom for TOO LONG! Time to go out into the world! Only 2 weeks left! I love all of you and thank you so much for the love and support! 

-Elder Samuel Payne 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