Heating Up!!

Dear Family and Loved Ones,

This week was a little bit of a step up from last week.  We have been stepping up our game and heating up, gaining chemistry, and we are doing better.  We are still not where I would like to be, but we are improving and working hard.  The work is going really great in this area too.  Although this was the first week in a while that we didn´t have a baptism (I know, it almost seemed dissapointing), we have a baptism planned for every single weekend until the end of the cycle, and I am hoping and praying with everything I got that they all go through.  Some are great, some need a little more attention/work.  

Last Monday night we had a family home evening with Henry, and a ton of his family!  They even invited Luis over so we had 2 of our recent converts there, it was awesome, we have been truly blessed with some really cool investigators and converts in this area, and it is only beginning!  We had a really good lesson on reading the Book of Mormon and builiding our own testimonies, and it was fun.  After that, Elder Achá had a sweet game idea, so we played that, and Henry lost so he had to dance in front of us all! Ugh I wish I had my camera, it was SOOO funny.  We had a great time, and we had an even BETTER time afterwards, because one of the guys offered to take us out for tacos that night!  It was a perfect night, we got some tacos, took them back to the house and Elder Achá and I were singing and dancing to celebrate the perfect night.  

We have had some other pretty cool experiences this week, and I really am soo grateful for some of our awesome investigators.  The family of Yael, (His mom Elida, and his sister Genesis) have gotten super interested in our church now and have a baptism date of their own! They have lots of questions which is awesome because it shows they are really interested and they understand everything soo well! Yael has been doing AWESOME since his confirmation, really studying the scriptures and trying to learn more, he will be a great missionary one day.  Ramiro and his family are awesome too, we are going to try this week to put a baptism date with his daughter, Abigail, so they can both get baptized together in a couple weeks.  I love this area a ton.  Sister Conception is still helping us out a lot. I use scriptures to answer questions and doubts of investigators. Elder Achá told me I had a bunch of scriptures and seemed super prepared haha.  It is cool having the Spirit just tell me what to say and things just flow.

Another highlight of the week was on Friday, when we did Divisions with our zone leaders.  I love Elder Achá but it was nice to meet with someone else who has experience in the mission already!  Elder Matsen, who is also from Arizona, came here to my area with me and we had an amazing day. We literally talked the ENTIRE day when we were walking around to different appointments, about sports, girls, the future, and he was basically like my best friend for the day.  I really hope I get him as a companion, or someone like him one day because having an exciting and motivated companion like him made me just love every second of the missionary work, and I was so happy.  He has a ton of contagious, positive, energy and we contacted a lot too.  We got some doors slammed in our faces and people yelling some words what will remain unwritten at us, and also had a lot of success.  I think Satan was really trying to get at us, but it didn´t phase us at all.  We  went with a lot of our investigators who have baptism dates and some who need some help.  One time when we were contacting, we found a lady who was really accepting of us.  After talking and meeting her for a while, we quickly learned she had lost a brother just a month before, and I wasn´t happy for her situation, but I felt what Alma felt when he said in Alma 17:29 "(My) heart was swollen within me with joy" because I knew exactly what she needed to find peace and comfort in her life, and we talk about God´s wonderful Plan of Salvation with her and how she can see her brother again through this plan.  I could definitely feel the Spirit in that lesson, and I hope she could feel some of that joy and comfort as well.  We couldn´t think of a better way to end the night then to go for tacos al pastor!  The tacos were great and we talked all night until it was time to go to bed.  In the morning before we finished divisions, we went to the church to play basketball for our exercise.  It was soo fun, he is super competitive and athletic so it was some good competition, but I beat him in an intense game of 21 and HORSE. It was a successful and fun day, but I quickly adapted to being with Elder Achá again. 

On Saturday, we did a district attack in La Paz, an area in my district that has been struggling a little bit lately.  It turned out AWESOME! Our whole district split up to contact in that area, and in just an hour we found 7 new investigators! I think it got them a little more excited and I have been planning some more divisions with the guys in my district this week (Although I won´t be able to do them again with Elder Matsen for a while...).  That is okay though, I am excited for this week and we have a lot of work ahead! Especially because we had 7 investigators who came to church yesterday!!  I was super happy, and one of them was Javier.  I am really humbled and happy for Javier because he is finally having his baptism THIS SATURDAY!  He has been working with the missionaries for a little while now and is 17 years old.  At one time he had his baptism all planned out and was super excited and then his dad refused to sign his papers.  Since then he has gotten pretty disanimated and hasn´t really had that same desire anymore.  Everytime we are talking with him and his Dad walks through, he has us pause and it is kind of awkward.  There is a big lack of family support, even though his older sister, Sara, is a member too who is really cool.  But it has been a little hard to reanimate him for his baptism and remember why it is important.  But this Saturday is his 18th birthday.  It is kind of sad to see the lack of support and really made me think if I would be willing to follow faithfully in the church without the support with my amazing family.  It is a miracle to see the change in his life, the sacrifices he is willing to make for the Gospel, and maybe one day, one day, his dad will accept the Gospel too.  We will see, but I couldn´t be more excited for his baptism this Saturday!  

Well, those are some of the highlights of our week, a few interesting/funny thing happened too.  I have been teaching Elder Achá some English phrases and we have been reading the Engligh Book of Mormon together too, so it has been kind of funny.  Some of the little, funny phrases he remembers and says to me just make me laugh haha.  I also conquered the Habanero pepper this week!! Sister Jacinto thought it would be funny to sneak a little piece and sauce into my food one night, and when I ate it, I know something was wrong.  It burned more than anything I have ever eaten (and also wasn´t fun coming out either-I´ll spare the details) but I was super proud of myself.  I am becoming a MAN! I am actually starting to prefer a little kick or spice to some of the things I have been eating out here.  Before, I thought those people were crazy.  I also made myself some scrambled eggs yesterday morning and was super proud of myself.  I´m so independant haha.  I think I am going to start making some everyday.  We haven´t been going to the gym lately, but I told Elder Achá starting in May we are going and he is excited and willing to go with me.  That is one of my favorite things about him though, is that he is just so willing.  He just follows me everywhere, takes my advice, and really just a humble, awesome guy.  Today we went to the store, and just kind of been relaxing in the house, washing laundry and stuff and we were teaching eachother a few guitar songs.  There are things I like a lot about him and everyday I try to look for the positive in not only him, but even our investigators and members.  I know I have a ton of weaknesses too and the days when I am patient and positive are my happiest days.  One last thing that happened yesterday at church.  We got to church and the bishopric was looking a little stressed.  They came up to us and asked each of us to give a 10 minute talk in Sacrament meeting.  Well, we couldn´t really say no, so in just a few short minutes, I had to prepare a 10 minute talk, IN SPANISH.  I started off my talk with a good joke like always (No one here says jokes in their talks, they are all super nervous, it is really sad and boring) and everyone laughed.  I talked about the life of Jesus Christ and the Atonement and a lot of people told me I did a really good job.  I guess I really am a missionary now.

Well, next week we are going to the temple so we will be changing our P-Day and emailing on a different day.  I hope you guys all have an amazing week and enjoy the last few weeks of school before Summer Break!!  Love and miss you tons!

-Elder Clark