So the first quarter was a little rough. On Monday night, still in the off-season, I spent countless hours cleaning every corner of the house. I was super tired, exhausted, and stressed, but I felt proud and happy my son would be coming to his first mission house clean and tidy! I also got a little taste of what it is like being a Mom, I still remember those nights before leaving for Vacation when my Mom would get on her hands and knees and scrub every inch of tile of our WHOLE house! Woo, I don´t know how she did that and STILL drive 7 hours the next day to get to our family in Utah. My Mom has definitely worked a lot of miracles in our family. So Tuesday morning, we had changes and I met my son for the very first time! I was super excited and motivated at this point, and ready to work hard with him. I felt really bad, we don´t know what happened, but he lost on of his bags as we were loading everything into the house. I give him a lot of credit, he didn´t worry too much, and I thought it would eventually show up, but I guess it just disappeared. But he is good, and happy, and a hard worker and I am super proud of him. So in the first quarter here on Tuesday and Wednesday, it was a bit stressful, I realized I had to take a lead role in everything. We let the other team make some big plays and got in a early deficit. Although we were able to counter too, and had a lot of success. With the help of sister Conception, we found a few new investigators, and put a couple baptism dates.
The second quarter was the roughest. Our defense was really slacking of Thursday, and we let the other team catch fire. I was getting super stressed and overwhelmed with reporting, trying my hardest to be a good dad, and really just doing things I was unfamiliar with. It is also when I am the most stressed I am also the most homesick, so it was kind of a rough day, but I didn´t give up. I kept pushing and working, and trying to keep a positive attitude for Elder Achá and even though we finished with a career low in points scored in a quarter, we were ready and willing to go into Halftime, make adjustmests, and get out there the second half to overcome the 30 point defecit. I am sure Team Satan was cheering super loud and they were trying to get into my head, but I pushed it all away as we went into the locker room to regroup.
In the locker room, I got some extra strength and energy I needed to get out there and lead my team to victory. President called me on Fridayand told me something that really lifted my spirits. As I was struggling and praying with all of my heart for comfort, guidance, and relief, the song came into my head "Count Your Many Blessings". That is exactly was I started to do. I also recieved a TON of mail this week that really helped lift me up these days too. I got a Easter Package from Natalie and the Eldridge family, and letters from Shalisa, Tahsha, Grandpa and Grandma Clark, and Cole!! Wow!! I was sooo happy, I know I say this every week, but I have THE BEST family and friends and fans in the world. Even though it wasn´t a home game, I felt a huge support and love from my fans (family and friends) back home and I was extremely grateful for them. Friday afternoon we couldn´t leave the house because it was a little dangerous so we had some extra time to weekly plan, study, and regroup. That night I also listened to maybe one of my favortite conference talks of all time, Elder Holland "A High Priest of Good Things to Come". This talk REALLY helped to comfort me. Woo, after all of these pep talks, support, and regrouping, we were ready to start the second half, motivated, with a positive attitude, and ready to keep working hard.
The 3rd quarter gradually starting building up and we started heating up. Saturday morning for our exercise we went to go play basketball at our church which really made me happy. As we went with investigators, members, and our converts, I started feeling a deep love and support for and from them. I was studying Charity and "The Pure Love of Christ" this week, and each and everyday I prayed to have more charity. Not only could I feel more love and charity for my investigators, but I honestly could feel that each one of them was grateful for me, cared for me, and was here to help and support me. Some of these people were the relief society president, sister Liz, Henry and Luz, and Sarah and her family, but more than anything, I started to realize how comfortable and how happy I was in this ward here, and really wouldn´t trade this experience for anything else. So we outscored the other time in the 3rd quarter, and I went 4/5 on threes, and we entered the 4th quarter only down 15.
Well, the 4th Quarter we were ON FIRE!! Elder Achá and I started building more chemistry and more friendship for eachother. For language study and in the streets I have started to teach him English since he really wants to learn, and at night he has been teaching me guitar! Let´s just say he is really musically talented, he plays guitar, piano, and the harmonica, and has taught me some really cool songs on Guitar so far. He said he was in a band baefore his mission and he really misses his music, he was so happy when he found out I had a guitar. Also, on Saturday, we had a baptism!! This is when the table really turned and we gained control of the game. We had a baptism for a 10 year old boy named Luis Sandoval, and it was so amazing. I made some more programs and it was really organized. It was also the first time in my whole mission I have ever heard someone say that the water was a little TOO hot haha. I think that is a good thing though. We had a TON of support and not everyone could fit in the room for the baptismal font! It was by far the smoothest baptism yet, and Luis just said he felt so happy and clean. I couldn´t help but smiling every time I saw the huge grin from ear to ear on his face, and I was so grateful we could bring ANOTHER sould unto Christ. After the baptism, we stopped by a hamburger/taco shop on the way home. Elder Achá tried the tacos "Al Pastor" for the very first time here in México and I was happy for him haha. I remember my Dad took me to get tacos with intestines the very first week I was here. For me, I enjoyed a nice, big, juicy, Hawaiin Hamburger, and we were really doing good. We were playing super well together, happy, and ready for Crunch Time.
As the final 2 minutes were winding down, we were down just 6 points. Sunday morning we went to church, and the whole week I was waiting and preparing myself for the Sacrament, and especially trying to remember the Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I had been studying about Him all week and went into Church with a great spirit. We also passed by for some of our other investigators and had 6 come to church! One thing I was not expecting was that I had to confirm someone... We had 3 confirmations this week, YES THREE!!! The Bishopric Member kind of put me on the spot on Sacrament meeting when he told me to come to the stand and confirm Yael. I was super nervous, never confirmed anyone before and honestly, didn´t know what to say especially with the 140 ward members all listening. I will admit, I really had the gift of tongues, and Heavenly Father´s help through his spirit as I confirmed Yael a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was probably THE BEST Spanish I had ever spoken and as I gave the blessing my mind was filled with the things I needed to saw. It also surprised me to see the Bishop, who confirmed Henry, even MORE nervous than I was. His hands were shaking a lot, and he messed up 3 times haha. The important thing was that we had all of their confirmations, they received the Holy Ghost, and the Spirit was really strong that meeting. The gravity started to hit me that we confirmed 3 new members, and brought 3 new souls unto Christ, and "how great was my joy!" With this confirmation, we scored a jumper and then got a steal only down by 4. With just 7 seconds left in the game, I made a three pointer and got fouled! I knocked down the free throw and we were going to overtime! The Sacrament on Sunday was what was really special to me. It was the strongest and most spiritual sacrament meetings I have ever had in my life. As we sang "Oh How Wonderful" or "Cuan Asombroso Es", I couldn´t help it but tears just started flowing from my eyes. It was as if the Heavens were opened, Heavenly Father had answered ALL of my prayers for the week, and I was filled with a feeling of warmth, comfort, and peace, on of the most overwhelming feelings I had ever had in my life. I can´t even describe it with words, but as I took the bread and water, focused on the words of the sacrament prayer, and sat there crying, full of love for MY Savior, Jesus Christ, I was just overwhelmed with joy. Hope. Faith. Charity. I remember thinking why I was crying, and I didn´t feel even a little bit of homesick or stress, I was just completely overwhelmed by the Spirit, and it was truly a feeling and experience I want to remember my whole life. I hope I can always feel this love and appreciation for my savior, every week as I take the Sacrament. I felt renewed and clean, and re-energized to work another week and the keep my baptismal covenant by obeying His commandments. I truly felt the power of The Atonement in my life at this point.
Well, overtime went really great. We kept our intensity and heat, and finished the game strong. In Sunday School we had to teach gospel doctrine class, something that was also stressing me out in the week because I had to lead and teach it without Elder Lopez to help me, but it was great as always, as I put my trust in the Lord. Sunday night, reporting with my district/zone leaders went great, and we ended up finding 5 new investigators already for the upcoming week and put a baptism date with Yael´s Mom and sister who are both now really interested in the Gospel. As Overtime (Sunday) wound down, I felt content and satisfied, and knew we had a great week´s work. I was excited for the next game (This week) and ready with more chemistry and friendship with Elder Achá. I must admit I have a pretty awesome district too, who helped my first district meeting go great by paticipating a lot as the walked about the attributes of Christ, and the problems we had as a district last cylce, and what we can do to fix them. I love and give thanks for my Heavenly Father every single day for my wonderful ETERNAL family and friends back home who love and support me. I am grateful for everything my Heavenly Father is teaching me, the Gift of Tongues (Even though I think I am slowly losing my English), and for this wonderful opportunity I have to serve a mission, be a trainer, and district leader. I am excited and optimistic for what is ahead, and the time is going by SOO fast. I had a GREAT Easter, really, REALLY enjoying my mini cadbury eggs (Thanks Aunt Natalie!), and even though the Easter Bunny didn´t come to hide eggs in the house, I felt the joy that comes from the knowledge of the Ressurection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I KNOW this Church is true and I hope you guys all have an awesome week! Even though we had a rough start, I think the lesson I really learned was to just trust in my Heavenly Father, have patience and hope, and it ALWAYS works out. Something I need to remember more in my life. In the end we still won the ball came and Team Satan isn´t getting to us this week. I will NEVER let my guard down. Talk to you next week fam and friends, love and miss you TONS!
-Elder Clark
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